Have You Eaten Yet?
In Chinese families, “Have you eaten yet?” is how you say hello. It’s rarely about lunch. It’s a check-in, a small way of saying I’m thinking about you. Are you taken care of?
So when Ming-Na Wen announced a signing for her cookbook by that very name at China Live in San Francisco, Bailey and I didn’t need much convincing. We made it a field trip.
Second in Line
We were second in line to get in, and behind us the line wound around the corner and down the street, full of fans. With a line that long, it was nice to meet some really sweet people while we waited. I loved hearing about their connections to Ming-Na and what brought each of them to the event. It felt less like a line and more like a reunion.
When our turn came, Ming-Na was every bit as warm as you’d hope. She posed for photos, and then she took real time to talk one-on-one with Bailey, book in hand, giving her full attention.
That’s the part of the day I’ll remember most.
A Cookbook That’s Really a Family Story
Ming-Na grew up a restaurant daughter, and her book is built from that life. These aren’t just recipes. They’re the dishes that fed her family, the ones that carry memories of who made them and why.
That’s the heart of what we teach at Artisanal Academy. A recipe is never only a list of ingredients. It’s a story you get to keep telling every time you cook it.
Simple, Humble, and So Good
Chef Chen made Ming-Na’s scallion pancakes for the event, and we got to taste them with a little of China Live’s chili crisp on top. Simple, humble, and so good.
I love scallion pancakes as a teaching recipe. It’s just flour, water, and green onion, so everything depends on technique: the folding, the coiling, the patience. It’s the kind of food that gets passed down by hand, not by measuring cup.
Food as Comfort, Food as Care
After the signing, we took our time wandering. China Live is a restaurant, a market, and a tea bar all in one, and it quietly teaches you something everywhere you turn.
As a holistic chef, I was drawn to the teas. So many traditional blends are built from ingredients Chinese kitchens have used for nourishment for centuries, like jujube, goji, and chrysanthemum. Food as comfort and food as care have always been the same thing.
This is why we take field trips. No textbook can give you the smell of a working kitchen or the feeling of meeting the person behind a book you’ll cook from for years.
We came home with a signed cookbook, full hearts, and a new favorite way to say hello.
Scallion Pancakes
They’re up first, and I’ll share how they turn out. Until then, call someone you love and ask them the question. You might be surprised how much it means.