Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea

July 3, 2023
“Can food be the catalyst for accepting diversity?” asks Sauce Maven founder Keng, a daughter of Taiwanese immigrants raised in Atlanta, in the introduction to her chatty debut. With these creative recipes, Keng gleefully mixes cuisines and high and low culture: an elegant recipe for a whole fish fit for a banquet is followed by instructions for frozen fish sticks atop congee. The fusion is clever: egg rolls contain collards, bacon, and cellophane noodles, while bao buns are stuffed with pulled pork. Keng also has an eye for color: “snushi rolls” (a portmanteau of snack and sushi) incorporate crushed potato chips, cheese curls, pork rinds, and purple rice; dumpling wrappers are dyed vibrant pink with the cooking water from beets. Keng’s parents play supporting roles in life and on the page: she relates how her mother cracks jokes and wields a fast-moving cleaver before sharing her recipe for spaghetti with ginger, garlic, and scallions. A recipe for her father’s spiced boiled peanuts, meanwhile, serves four—or one “if Mom gets a hold of ’em.” This playful collection answers its opening query in the affirmative, and has fun along the way.

June 1, 2023

Keng (nicknamed the Chinese Southern Belle) believes cooking and sharing a meal can transcend cultural differences, political beliefs, and more, allowing people to better understand and empathize with one another as they get to know the people behind the food. While many of the recipes within are the perfect fusion of American Southern meets Asian cuisine (wasabi deviled eggs), some of the dishes are simpler and lovely (saut�ed lemon pepper snow peas), and still others are unexpected, interesting combinations (Vindaloo-inspired ratatouille ziti). The book is personal, with several family anecdotes, and well-illustrated with photographs of dishes and trickier techniques like how to roll rice paper wrappers. The "Wild About Rice" chapter includes various types of rice--black, red, brown, basmati, jasmine, and even cauliflower. The book concludes with a resource guide of ingredients and where to find them. VERDICT Keng's first cookbook is recommended for all libraries, especially those with regional interest.--P.J. Gardiner

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