Feasts of Good Fortune is a well written and beautifully curated cookbook with recipes by mother/daughter team Hsiao-Ching Chou and Meilee Chou Riddle. Due out 3rd Dec 2024 from Sasquatch Books, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

There are festival and traditional Chinese American foods to prepare (and share) at home which are achievable by regular cooks. The recipes are well written and accessible and the book is gorgeous and colorful graphically with lots of photographs and illustrations in color.

The recipes are arranged thematically in chapters by seasonal celebrations and by culture, with the Chinese holidays: Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat, Mid Autumn, and Winter Solstice, followed by the American/fusion ones: Birthdays & party bites (noodles or cake?), stir fries, and hot pots.

The recipes are well selected and varied. Recipe ingredients are given in a bullet list sidebar. Each recipe includes some background info, yields, and step-by-step directions. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) units only. Nutritional info is not included for the recipes. Most of the ingredients will be available at any well stocked grocery store in North America; some will require a trip to a local Asian/international food store.

The recipes are also tagged with a difficulty rating, allowing readers to have an idea how long prep and cooking will take. The authors have done a standout job providing background and cultural info about the festivals and celebrations which are covered in the book, including personal family stories which add depth and warmth to the read.

Five stars. This would make a great choice for public or school library acquisition, for cookbook collectors, and for gift giving. Stellar job on writing and curating.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Feasts of Good Fortune is a wonderful glimpse into Chinese recipes and celebrations with lots of pictures and easy to follow recipes, perfect for home cooks of all levels!

I loved that there were stories and personal anecdotes from the author and their family about the recipes, celebrations, and ingredients. Sometimes I find Chinese cookbooks daunting, since I didn't grow up with the recipes and ingredients, but everything is explained nicely with beautiful accompanying photos. Definitely worth checking out if you'd like to expand your culinary repertoire!

I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I really enjoyed looking through this
It’s a beautifully designed book with so many interesting recipes and stories to accompany.
5/5 stars

Great photographs, and great recipes, including vegan, make this a great read. Not just recipes, it also is an invitation into Chinese culture, with glimpses into the authors' (mother and daughter) family. A lovely culinary adventure!

Thank you Netgalley and Sasquatch Books for the ARC!

Feasts of Good Fortune: 75 Recipes for a Year of Chinese American Celebrations, from Lunar New Year to Mid-Autumn Festival and Beyond by Hsiao-Ching Chou and Meilee Chou Riddle

This cookbook, authored by a mother-daughter Chinese-American duo, is a delightful exploration of Chinese cuisine through the lens of cultural celebrations. What sets this book apart is its unique arrangement of recipes by the lunar calendar and holidays, rather than the usual categories of dishes.

The book begins with a detailed explanation of the lunar calendar, which is particularly helpful for those unfamiliar with it. It also offers a thorough introduction to common Chinese ingredients and utensils, including the use and care of a wok. I especially appreciated the section on etiquette, a topic often overlooked in cookbooks but essential for those wanting to fully immerse themselves in the cultural experience.

The recipes themselves are traditional and authentic, rather than the typical dishes you might find in a restaurant. Each recipe is accompanied by helpful tips, many of which are lovingly introduced with a “Mom says” note, adding a warm, familial touch to the book.

I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who enjoys Chinese food, wants to try making it at home, or appreciates a family-oriented approach to cooking.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I wanted to know more about Chinese food (especially the one prepared for events like Lunar New Year) but I usually found the information online lacking.

When I've seen this book I was so excited to start reading it and it is everything I wanted, filled with recipes fit for every occasion, traditions and stories about every celebration, I really feel like I got to know and understand a bit more about this amazing culture.

I can't wait to try the recipes because they sound so delicious, but I would like to try them at the appropriate time.

Unfortunately, this book (FEASTS OF GOOD FORTUNE) was archived several months before its scheduled December publication date. I apologize for missing the archive cutoff, but I was not able to explore the text before losing access. I am glad that others here had some favorable comments.

I did look at sample pages on amazon and liked the following: beautiful pictures; relatively basic recipe (based on one example) with fairly standard ingredients; the "intergenerational" and cultural aspect (based on essay about mooncakes). I will definitely look for a print version at the end of the year so as to investigate more fully. I think this could make for a fun, family-oriented gift over the holidays.

An amazing cultural e,exploration of Chinese culture and food. I truly loved this book. It was fascinating, can't wait to buy a hard copy for my kitchen shelf.

I love that this cookbook really gave more than just lunar new year as a holiday.

Truly educational, fun, and delicious.

Having lived in China for almost a decade, I was instantly drawn to this book!
The book is divided into two major sections, with one section discussing 5 festivals/occasions and the other section celebrating the mixed culture. Fun facts sprinkled throughout the book add depth and value to the topic, making reading enjoyable.
Before diving into the 75 homely recipes, a helpful chapter details key ingredients, necessary equipment, and cooking techniques. Colorful pictures accompany this section for visual reference.
Each chapter includes a “Mom Says” section that provides background information, tips, tricks, or other useful knowledge about the occasion or dish.
Vibrant and delectable photographs accompany the recipes, with some even featuring helpful step-by-step visuals. Beyond food, the book also includes relatable and interesting photos of family, shopping, and general scenes.
The inclusion of vegan/ vegetarian recipes is the true highlight! This book is a treasure for anyone who loves Chinese flavors.
This is more than just a cookbook; it's a journey through Chinese culture and tradition, offering a glimpse into the author's family. The bonus of vegan recipes, a rarity in Chinese cookbooks, makes it even more special.
The book evoked a powerful nostalgia for my time living in China. The various customs, traditions, and festivals celebrated with our Chinese friends came flooding back. Seeing the vegan recipes reminded me how chefs and friends' families would try to veganize or vegetarianize dishes so we could enjoy meals together.
The beautiful photos brought back happy memories of the food and the country I loved living in.
As I read each chapter, I discussed it all with my daughter, who was a toddler when we lived there. I told her how much I missed those festivities!
I will be trying out recipes from this book to relive our time in China.
This is a 5/5 star read.

"Feasts of Good Fortune' is a delightful culinary adventure and feels like a treasured family heirloom. I loved the gorgeous pictures and the helpful descriptions of the American-Chinese celebrations and menu ideas. There were also plenty of recipes for a wide range of dietary options, including vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian. I adored the reference to Uwajimaya's in Seattle, as my parents used to take me there when I was little and my mom still cook recipes from the store. Just like my own mom, the "Mom Says" sections provided invaluable tips and tricks for the recipes. Of the many recipes that stole my heart, the ones I really can't wait to try include: Stir-Fried Romaine, Steamed Ginger-Scallion Branzino, Stir-Fried Fish Balls with Veggies, Barbecued Duck Soup, and Seafood Hot Pot. This cookbook isn’t just about recipes; it’s about memories, love, and the joy of sharing food. Highly recommended for anyone seeking culinary magic with a side of nostalgia!

Delicious authentic Chinese recipes from Hsiao-Ching and her daughter Meilee! I am trying to eat healthy Chinese foods as it is one of my favorite cuisines, and knowing what ingredients to use to make my own favorite Chinese dishes instead of eating out at restaurants, is valuable to me. By following Hsiao-Ching's recipes I can control salt and carbohydrate content, etc, to follow the diet I am on. I enjoyed following the author through 75 recipes in this wonderful cookbook and learning more about Chinese ingredients, cooking techniques, and the history of each Chinese holiday. throughout the year.

The recipes were easy to follow and foolproof (I made 4 of them and will be making more) but it's the cultural context in here that's the real gold. Well written, informative, personal but appealing to others of a similar background and without being preachy or too dry. I couldn't recommend this enough.

A lovely Chinese American cookbook with a wonderful family feel. Find 75 mostly quick and easy recipes that look very tasty, and enjoy the warm dialogue of a mother and daughter as they recounts each traditional Chinese celebration and why they are important to them, and why this dish or special food matters.
I really loved the tone of this book, even if there weren't any great surprises in terms of dishes for me there. I did appreciate finding a recipe for black sesame tang yuan, which is a treat I usually buy frozen at my local Asian grocery - but that I might try my hand at.
If you don't have a Chinese cookbook yet this one is rather neat as the recipes are simple, perfect for beginners, and the tone is so sweet.
It definitely made me want to build tradition through food with my kids.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Feasts of Good Fortune.

I'm not familiar with the author but the bright cover drew my eye, as well as the fantastic recipes!

This cookbook contains recipes of all of the foods I ate growing up (and still do).

The recipes are organized chronologically with menus but I flipped back and forth to check out my favorite foods like scallion pancakes, sticky rice with chicken and Chinese sausage, rice balls with black sesame, and all the dumplings!

But this is more than a cookbook.

It's a story about growing up Asian American, and of mixed heritage, as the author's 17-year-old daughter Meilee contributes her personal experiences, both negative and positive, of what it means to be one of the few Asians in her school.

My two caveat is that not all the recipes come with photos and the formatting was wonky on my Kindle.

Don't read this on an empty stomach, or write a review on one!

The layout of this cookbook is part of its charm! I can feel the nostalgia of watching my popo cook for various holidays and festivals. The forward at the beginning does a great job of briefly explaining the Chinese calendar and the connections to various foods. It was a fun read.

There is also a clear ingredients index at the beginning with a brief description of each ingredient used throughout (alphabetically for ease) and how to prep those ingredients. This is especially helpful for those who aren’t used to cooking with some of the specific items. The book also goes over basic cookware referenced in the recipes and a reference for the cooking techniques used: steaming, deep frying, wok care, etc. Very helpful for those new to cooking Asian cuisine!

The recipes are organized by holiday/festival, and the history and personal anecdotes of the authors bring those to life at the beginning of each section. It’s like a memoir combined with a cookbook!

The recipes themselves are easy to follow. The ingredients are clearly listed and were available at my local Asian market. My husband helped me to make the following recipes as a trial so that I could write this review, and we had a blast. I also LOVE the “Mom says” tips scattered in for ways to make the recipes less expensive or time consuming if you need to cut some corners.

We made the pork and cabbage dumplings, the vegetarian potstickers, and the scallion pancakes (always a favorite). I let my husband take the lead so that the recipes were followed more precisely, as I have my own preferences when I make dumplings. I had to step in for folding, but other than that they turned out amazing just as the recipe calls for.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book to review. I can’t wait to have a physical copy to keep in my kitchen and share with my own kids. It was a wonderful idea executed beautifully!