Three Gourmand Awards in Yangtai
June 12th, 2015
Held in Paris last year, the Gourmand Cookbook Awards is an international event that was staged this year in Yangtai, the most northern major city in China.
So when B.C. publisher Michael Katz learned his Tradewind title Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts—A Literary Cookbook had won three Gourmand awards, he had a good problem on his hands.
Who could accept the prizes on behalf of co-authors Paul Yee (texts), Judy Chan (recipes) and Shaoli Wang (illustrations)?
Through a professor at UBC, he managed to hook up with an agreeable English teacher at Yangtai University, Peggy Macdonald from Nova Scotia, who happily accepted the task of attending the banquet.
Launched earlier this year at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens in Vancouver, Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts won for best book for Chinese cuisine in the world as well as best cookbook from Canada and best children’s food book.
Veteran author Paul Yee of Toronto [top right] provided original stories as well as his interpretations of Chinese folklore. Each story is followed by a recipe for a traditional Chinese dish.
Born in China, Shaoli Wang graduated from the Department of Fines Arts of Qingdao Normal College, specializing in children’s book illustration. She immigrated to Canada in 1995 and now lives in Coquitlam.
Judy Chan teaches at Eric Hamber Secondary in Vancouver. The book has an introduction by Jane Yolen. 978-1-896580-68-5 $24.95
CORRECTION OF LAST SENTENCE, PLEASE: “Not surprisingly, Mr Yee and his team of advisors and illustrators humbly sweep up the awards! – Wayson Choy”
Paul Yee deserves every success that comes his way. He writes deceptively serious books, thoroughly researched so that the dishes he describes will tempt his readers to not only read his histories but actually to take part in recreating them. Nothing imprints history more effectively than for a reader to taste the past. Not surprisingly, Mr Yee and his illustrators humbly sweep up the awards! – Wayson Choy.