A Novel Taste of China: Ann Mah, 'Kitchen Chinese'

CALIFORNIA-BORN, PARIS-BASED writer Ann Mah’s experience living abroad and passion for food mixed together to inspire “Kitchen Chinese” (Avon, $14), a novel about expat Isabelle Lee, who (like Mah herself) moves from the Big Apple to Beijing speaking only “kitchen Chinese” — a few terms related to food prep. Our heroine gets a job writing about the local food scene and falls for both a Chinese pop star and a dashing diplomat. It’s as though “Bridget Jones’ Diary” were dunked in soy sauce and sparked with enticing descriptions of shrimp dumplings. Mah, 35, will be reading at Borders (1801 K St. NW; 202-466-4999) Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

» EXPRESS: How did each of the cities you’ve lived in influence your palate?
» MAH: Living in New York was wonderful preparation for Beijing; New York is a big, dirty, crowded, vibrant place, and Beijing is like that times a hundred. In terms of restaurants, growing up in Southern California was great exposure to Indian and Mexican food; I had friends who were children of immigrants from many cultures. It was a great way to be unafraid to try new foods. It was when I was living in New York and had a little bit more money to spend that I discovered fine dining. By the time I moved to China, I was used to seeking out local flavors. I ask people not only what restaurants they like, but also what dishes they order.

» EXPRESS: Why did you choose to organize the chapters of “Kitchen Chinese” by regions of China, each with their own specific cuisines?
» MAH: Before I lived in Beijing, I had never really thought about regional cuisine. I was shocked by how different the food in China was compared to what I grew up with. For example, there’s cheese from Yunnan province. Sometimes it’s deep-fried and sprinkled with sugar, but it’s cheese nonetheless. Each area has its own specialty that [residents] are really proud of. That’s very Chinese — to be aware of that connection to the history and the land, how you grow food, how you prepare it.

» EXPRESS: Can you get good Chinese in Paris?
» MAH: I’d say you can get a good meal, but not an excellent one. You can get better Chinese food in Washington. When I lived in D.C. [for a year before moving to Paris], I spent a lot of time discovering local Chinese restaurants. In the suburbs, you have lots of really good restaurants. I love Joe’s Noodle House (1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville; 301-881-5518); they have very good Sichuan dan dan noodles.

» EXPRESS: What was the most unusual thing you ate in China?
» MAH: It would have to be the sheep’s brain soup in a Mongolian restaurant in Beijing. I was on a business lunch with two Chinese women who had ordered it as a treat. I couldn’t get past the appearance. I tried to hide some in a bowl of rice, which didn’t really work. My companions’ politeness prevented them from asking me why I wasn’t eating more.

ANN MAH’S ESSENTIALS
We asked the author/cook for her must-have kitchen tools.

» “My chef’s tongs. If I was in a Chinese kitchen, I would use chopsticks. But I have much more control with the tongs. A friend gave them to me in 1998, and they’ve been traveling around the world with me.”

» “My All-Clad cookware and my Le Creuset casserole. Before I got married, I cooked with very thin pots, and I didn’t realize what a difference a heavy pan makes in heat distribution. I think it made me a better cook.”

» “A mini-colander (mine is lime green). I just whip it out and use it for everything. I hate washing a big colander, and this one is much more manageable.”

RECIPE FILE: SPICY SUMMER PEANUT SAUCE
Ann Mah’s recipe can be poured over noodles or meat dishes.

Ingredients:
» 3 garlic cloves, peeled
» 1 cup cilantro, washed and dried (including stems)
» 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
» 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
» 2 tbsp soy sauce
» 2 tbsp sesame oil
» 2 tsp Sriracha chili sauce

Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor or blender and process until smooth. Taste and add more soy sauce or chili sauce if necessary. Toss with cold noodles or drizzle over a salad of poached, shredded chicken and julienned cucumber.

Written by Express contributor Amy Rogers Nazarov
Photo courtesy Getty Images