My guest today is Chef Martin Yan. The name is certainly a household one among people of my generation, and that of my folks. Yan Can Cook began to grace our 4 X 3 televisions in the 1980s and we learned that if Yan can cook, so can we. He was my first culinary hero and his entertaining flair with a cleaver was an inspiration. His Chinese Cooking For Dummies was the first cookbook I owned, and his message to the larger world that Chinese cuisine was accessible undoubtedly led to my first thoughts on moving China.
He has authored dozens of books, won numerous awards ranging from an Emmy to James Beard, and is still a highly regarded Master Chef known the world around. More important than all of that, Martin is just a fun guy with whom I’ve been personally familiar for 13 years. Here’s our chat.