Asian grandmothers celebrate cooking and culture

PublishersWeekly.com is reporting that several cookbooks on Asian cuisine will be released this fall, all written by Asian (or Asian-American) women over the age of 60:

The grandmother-as-kitchen-guru mystique transcends boundaries, from Italian nonnas to Jewish bubbes. Grandmothers have often been through hard times and know how to make a meal from meager ingredients. They’re usually adept at feeding large groups of people with varying tastes, and cook by instinct, rarely using recipes that exist on paper. This fall, a number of cookbook publishers are releasing books by Asian women of a certain age. The books are quite serious and not at all hokey or gimmicky, and span a range of nationalities, but all are written by Asian women over 60.

via Publishers Put Stock in Asian Grandmothers – 8/27/2009 12:36:00 PM – Publishers Weekly.

I love the fact that these women—all of whom are grandmothers—continue to contribute to the current body of work in the culinary arts.  While I look forward to trying and sampling the recipes, it will also be interesting to look for cultural nuggets in their books. Grandmothers (and those of their generation) are often the stewards of cultural histories, something of tremendous value in communities that are remote from their land of origin.

The books scheduled for release this fall are listed below:

Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Everyday Harumi: Simple Japanese Food for Family & Friends by Harumi Kurihara

The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook: Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens by Patricia Tanumihardja

The Elements of Life: A Contemporary Guide to Thai Recipes and Traditions for Healthier Living by Su-Mei Yu