This book was a pleasure to read. Widow, Maggie McElroy, heads off to China to settle a matter that has come up regarding her late husband’s estate. While there she has agreed to interview, Sam Liang an American-born chef with a ties to some of China’s finest, imperial chefs. What Maggie ends up getting is an education in Chinese cuisine and culinary history. Mones’s descriptions of post-Communist China and it’s Chinese cuisine are a real treat.

If you do read this book, make sure to check out the author’s website for some fun food extras.