#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Lan Lam of Cook's Illustrated + America's Test Kitchen

Lan Lam

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews I’m doing with my favourite Chinese foodies that I follow on Instagram. Come and follow the #ChineseFoodiesofIG hashtag on Instagram and leave a comment showing your support for these talented folk!

Where are you from? Where are you really from?

I'm from California. However, I was born in Vietnam and have Chinese and Vietnamese grandparents.

What does home taste like?

My grandmother's seaweed soup. I can smell it even as I write this: toasted seaweed, ground pork seasoned with fish sauce and pepper, sweet onions.

Share a food memory:

As a kid, I loved watching my grandmother make scrambled eggs. There was something mesmerizing about the transformation of the eggs from a sunny liquid to an airy mass of wobbly curds.

What’s in your fridge?

So many condiments! Hot sauces, mustards, mayo, chilli pastes, miso, oyster sauce, soy sauce, preserved lemons, pickled onions. Also butter, lard, eggs, scallions, yeast, and wine.

Cook or be cooked for?

Depends on who's doing the cooking? I'm looking for the least stressful meal, so if someone finds it stressful to cook for me, then I'll do the cooking. 

Who’s your Chinese food legend?

Martin Yan. His was one of the few Asian faces on TV in the US in the 1980s. Every week, I watched him prepare familiar ingredients, turning them into dishes that I'd seen on my family's dinner table.

The secret Chinese ingredient is:

I don't think there's one ingredient but as a class, fermented foods are the cornerstone of Chinese cuisine. They bring so much depth to dishes, adding pops of flavor and texture that heighten the eating experience.

Dream dinner party guests:

I'm having trouble with this one, but there is a dinner party I would have loved to attend. I read about a meal prepared by Chinese chefs for the Europeans who were interested in establishing trade with China. It would be amazing to go back in time for that multi-course extravaganza.

Last meal on earth:

Dim sum please! I want all the dumplings, as well as congee, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, turnip cakes, rice noodle rolls, molten custard egg buns, and chrysanthemum tea.

What does Chinese food mean to you?

Its flavors and aromas simultaneously comfort and challenge me. It's home.