Ming-Na: My idea at the time was to tell the story of the Asian American experience, not so much my own experience. I wanted to include All Whether I’m cooking for myself or when my dad is cooking for us, it’s the food I love to eat. He had an incredible international palate and served in World War II.
My literary agent was the one who said, “This is really hard to sell,” because most cookbooks have a specific niche. He came up with the idea of my food journey and that’s how the whole process began.
It felt very organic and very authentic to me, and it made writing about a variety of foods more fun. I walked down memory lane, thinking about why these recipes and these dishes meant so much to me.
It was a very moving experience to realize that these meals, these meals that I shared with my family and friends, were not just food. It’s almost like sharing culture, experiences and memories that go into your DNA.