Golden Chopsticks

My father was a career army officer and second in command of the military police in Europe. What a great life this was-always being transferred from one place to another. I hardly ever got to finish one full year in school in the same place. This might trouble some kids, but it didn't bother me. I was always the new kid on the block, and I had to learn how to make friends in all the new schools. In fact, I was in nineteen different schools and two universities before graduating from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Missouri. We traveled throughout the United States and the world, living in Germany for two years right after the war. The Berlin Airlift was still going on at that time. My father wanted my mother and I to see Europe, so we did. This allowed my family and I to eat the foods of many different countries and experience many different authentic foods. We were particularly interested in Chinese cuisine and desired to learn more about it. My mother and I would collect recipes in all the different countries and states where we lived for twenty years, never realizing I would finally arrange them into a cookbook. These recipes are all authentic, which is what makes them so delicious. As the years went by, I found myself having dinner parties for friends just so I could prepare these dishes. My guests were always delighted with the food and would ask me for the recipes. This is what prompted me to write this book, so I could easily share all of them. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my friends and family have throughout the years. Remember to purchase all ingredients at Asian food stores, or the recipes will never be authentic. Bon Appetit!