From Minnesota, with love

Crispy Fish with Ginger-Scallion Sauce inKatie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook.

Explaining her new book's recipes, Katie Chin says: "Some are taken from my mother's personal vault, like the time-honored classics she learned how to make in China, while others reflect our Chinese-American childhood. I've also included recipes that my mother and I developed together for our catering business, as well as some that I've developed more recently, inspired by her teachings."

The author says that growing up, Chinese New Year was her favorite time of year.

"My mother explained all of the symbolism of the foods we ate on this day to bring fortune, honor, health and good luck into our homes. She told us about the firecrackers on New Year's Day in China when she was a little girl, and how they lit up the sky to ward off evil spirits." Together, Leeann and Katie came up with a fun and festive recipe "that's great for Chinese New Year, or any time of the year when you want a little good luck." Their Firecracker Shrimp is a spring roll with a protruding shrimp's tail and a carrot strip to resemble the fuse of a firecracker.

Her book's introduction is rich with such personal recollections and anecdotes, which continue throughout the recipe section.