About the book: Chopsticks or Fork? (2024) is a collection of stories and recipes from Chinese restaurants in regional Australia, based on the six-part ABC series created by Lin Jie Kong and Jennifer Wong.
The book lovingly captures the stories of ten very different families who run Chinese restaurants, from Queensland's Hervey Bay to Western Australia's Dunsborough, and features 32 classic Australian Chinese recipes.
As well as revealing the secrets behind everything from sizzling Mongolian lamb to deep fried ice cream, Chopsticks or Fork? includes trivia on the lazy Susan, encounters with the country's biggest Chinese restaurant fans, a game of Chinese restaurant bingo just waiting to be played on your next night out, and more Chinese restaurant 'takeaways' than you can poke a (chop)stick at.
Chopsticks or Fork? is a unique celebration of an integral part of Australian cultural and culinary history.
About the authors: Jennifer Wong is a writer, comedian, and presenter of Chopsticks or Fork?. Jen's writing on food, culture, and mental health has been published by Monocle, ABC News, ABC Everyday, SBS News and SBS Food. She has appeared on ABC TV, ABC Radio National, SBS TV and Al Jazeera, and has performed sold-out stand-up shows at comedy and arts festivals in Australia, Shanghai and Edinburgh.
Lin Jie Kong is a cinematographer, production allrounder, and director of Chopsticks or Fork?. To help her learn English as a child, Lin Jie's parents let her rent as many movies as she wanted from Blockbuster during the school holidays, which kick-started a lifelong obsession with telling stories. Lin Jie has produced and directed a vast range of shows and documentaries for the ABC, including Good Game, What is Music and Comedy Next Gen.
That title sounds like just the right book for me. We love Chinese food. I love chopsticks but hubby either has a fork or one of those learner sticks. It's only available as a hardback here, I usually wait for the pb edition. Hopefully soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this lovely message. I can use both. Me too, I like the pb edition so will also wait along with you. :)
DeleteAh, that's nice to hear. I try to avoid buying hb, unless it's a used edition that's no longer available otherwise.
DeleteAnd as to fork or chopsticks, I guess those of us who can use the latter can also use the former. Only, I prefer the authentic style. And I've been praised by waiters for my use of them, so "natural". As I said, I like it.
Hardbacks are heavy to hold and at times, have made my hands ache holding it in one position for too long. :D To be praised by the natives? for being natural at it, that's amazing. I like both equally. I eat everything with a fork and hardly a spoon but if in a formal setting, I'd use both together. How interesting our conversation is. :)
DeleteI love conversations like that when I exchange more than just a comment "I like that book" or something like that. It's always great. I have had pen friends all my life and nowadays I "meet" a lot of them on the internet, like you here.
DeleteI always say, we can always learn from another, everyone has different stories to tell, different experiences. I love that.
Amazing!
DeleteSecond paragraph: very true indeed.
Thanks.
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