So, I wrote my first book 13 years ago. Won a couple of awards for it, including ‘Debut Writer of the Year’. It became an International Best Seller and Life kinda changed after that.
I look back and remember how many letters I received from ‘friends’ who were embarrassed on my behalf that I ‘exposed’ myself as well as my family.
Well…compared to the massive fucking impact the book made to so many people from all walks of life from all around the world, the perceived embarrassment ‘friends’ felt on my behalf as well as my family’s behalf, is meaningless in comparison.
You can’t put yourself out there unless you have the balls to put yourself out there.
You can’t push forward humanity unless you have the balls to push forward humanity.
The Life we Live are the Lessons that we Teach.
We are what we Share.
It’s ok if they don’t get it.
Thirteen years later, it’s nice to know that Secrets of the Red Lantern still has legs and is stilled considered on the ‘Best of’ lists.
My Gratitude is Deep for this Game that Life allows me to Play.
—-
“London Food Writers and Chefs Share Their Favourite”
The Secrets of the Red Lantern
Pauline Nguyen, Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen
“This is a cookbook, but it is also a story about a migrant family. The Nguyen family escaped Vietnam not long after the war, via boat, and ended up in a refugee camp in Thailand where they were by a year; Luke was born in the camp and soon after they were sent to Australia. Pauline and Luke’s parents ran a Vietnamese restaurant in the suburb of Sydney where they grew up. Along with Pauline’s partner Mark, the siblings opened Red Lantern in their 20s, and have gone on to open other restaurants. Pauline writes about how her parents showed love through food — “when we quarrel, we cannot speak the words ‘I am sorry’ — we give [bitter melon soup] instead.” This is on the first page and sets up the book, as the story of a family and of the space migrant families exist in in western societies unravels through the food. It is a truly beautiful book, to read, to look at, and to cook from.” —Anna Sulan Masing, food writer and Eater London contributor.
https://pauline-nguyen.com/books/
Read Full List here:
https://london.eater.com/21432168/best-cookbooks-uk-nigella-ottolenghi-fuchsia-dunlop
