A book is born
+ free recipes!
My debut cookbook Made In Taiwan: Recipes and Stories From The Island is officially out in the world as of yesterday and it’s been a wild 24 hours. Before the day came to a close, my editor informed me that the book is now heading into its third printing, which is absolutely surreal.
I knew when I pitched this that I wanted to tell the story of Taiwan in a way that had never been told before, and I wanted to do it as thoroughly as I possibly could. But I want to stress that it didn’t come out of nowhere.
I was inspired by a couple of titans:
Jubliee by Toni Tipton-Martin: A celebration of two centuries of African-American cooking. I love how history is frontloaded throughout and you learn through the food. The headnotes are both informative and instructive. The book has a scholarly tinge to it, which I appreciated and channeled as I crafted my own manuscript.
In Bibi’s Kitchen by Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen: This book gives credit where credit is due, and highlights grandmothers from the eight African countries. I knew I wanted to pay a similar homage to the people of Taiwan and not frontload my own stories (how boring would that be?).
Mister Jiu's in Chinatown by Brandon Jew and Tienlon Ho: The recipe development work in this book is fantastic (the work of Christine Gallary). It’s so thorough and detailed and really inspired me to get as precise as possible during the whole R&D phase. I also appreciated how it gave a shout-out to the whole team and I promised myself that if I ever got a book deal, I would do the same.
Now that Made In Taiwan is finally out in the world, I feel like I can breathe again. Even though I finished writing it a long time ago, the build-up to launch took a lot. I’ve never posted so much on social media before. It’s exhausting! I have a couple of long-form pieces I’m working on, but mostly, I’m taking a break for the rest of the year to focus on my family and work on new projects and proposals (I have so many ideas and research rabbit holes I want to embark on).
Thank you everyone for following my book journey. If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving us a review on Amazon or Goodreads. And if you’re thinking of purchasing the book now, consider supporting an indie bookstore or retailer.
Recent Media Coverage
Eater - In her debut cookbook, ‘Made in Taiwan,’ the journalist uses recipes to tell the story of the island’s people, and take a stand on its sovereignty
Atlas Obscura - For decades, the majority of English-language food publications reduced Taiwanese cuisine to a few staple dishes—such as the beef noodle soup or the xiao long bao popularized by the Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung. Readers will find recipes for both in Made in Taiwan, as well deeper cuts, from “coffin bread”—a stuffed toast given its slightly morbid moniker by an archeology professor—to abai—steamed bundles of glutinous rice, millet, and pork made by Taiwan’s Taromak tribe.
Epicurious - Clarissa Wei’s book is an instant classic for anyone who appreciates popcorn chicken, vintage Tatung steamers, and a good pineapple cake.
China Project - In a new cookbook, journalist Clarissa Wei seeks to retell the story of Taiwan’s distinct cuisine for a world that often misinterprets it.
Yunhai Giveaway & Collaboration
My publisher and I are working with Taiwanese pantry retailer Yunhai on a giveaway for signed books and some essential pantry items (and even a Tatung steamer!). Details here. Entries close on September 24.
Yunhai also has a lovely section on their online shop called Clarissa’s Picks, where you can stock up on items that will help you cook through the book. Highly recommend.
Free Recipes!
For those who are still on the fence and not super willing to fork up $40 for a book without trying a couple of recipes, here are some free recipes that come directly from the cookbook. Give it a whirl. I promise all of these have been cross-tested already.
1) Braised Minced Pork Belly 肉燥飯
3) Taiwanese Mung Bean Mooncake 綠豆椪
5) Three Cup Chicken 三杯雞 (scroll down)
On October 17 at 6 pm PST, Ivy and I will be doing a virtual cooking demo & be in conversation with Soleil Ho about the cookbook. The event is free and open to everyone. Sign up here.
Got mine today. Congratulations!
Incredible! Congratulations!!