Fried Rice for New Years
Many years ago I had the honor and privilege to both attend and actually “sous chef” for several master classes with the late, great Barbara Tropp. For those who don’t know, Barbara Tropp was the chef/owner of China Moon Cafe in San Francisco, a culinary teacher and the author of the best cookbook on Chinese cooking, The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes. However she was much, much more.
She passed in October 2001 from ovarian cancer far too soon at age 53. She was not only one of the most influential chefs in general and Chinese chef’s specifically, but she was also an inspiration, a role model to male and female cooks, and a teacher of life to anyone who every crossed her path. After her death, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck said,
Barbara was so petite, but her influence, dedication and knowledge of food made her a giant.
What is the most important thing I learned for this legend? The simplest, tastiest and most used trick in my Chinese repertoire - Fried Rice.
