Yan, Martin 1948-

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YAN, Martin 1948-

PERSONAL: Born December 22, 1948, in Guangzhou, Canton, China; son of Tat Ming (a restaurateur) and Xi Mei (an owner and operator of a grocery store; maiden name, Lin) Yan; married Susan Yoshimura, December 6, 1980; children: Devin, Colin. Ethnicity: "Chinese." Education: Overseas Institute of Cookery, Hong Kong, diploma, 1967; University of California—Davis, M.S., 1975.

ADDRESSES: Office—Yan Can Cook, Inc., 1064G Shell Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404; 650-525-9022. Agent—Linda Mead, 379 Burning Tree Ct., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Apprentice at Chinese restaurants in China, Hong Kong, and North America; Amoy Canning Corp., Hong Kong, product manager, 1976-77; California Culinary Academy, chef instructor, 1978—. Certified master chef, Ontario Restaurant Association; Yan Can Restaurant Group, founder and executive chef, 2001—. Creator and host of television series Yan Can Cook, broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service, 1978—, Martin Yan's Sizzling Wok (Chinese-language cooking show), 1995—, and Yan Can Cook in China, broadcast in China, 1996—. Yan Can International Cooking School, San Francisco, CA, founder, 1985; Chinese Cuisine Research Institute, member, 1988—; Johnson and Wales University, distinguished visiting chef, 1990, 1994; Chinese Cuisine Training Institute, Hong Kong, member of training board, 2002; lecturer at other institutions, including University of San Francisco.

MEMBER: International Association of Culinary Professionals (professional member; honorary chair, 2002), American Culinary Federation, American Academy of Chefs (honorary member), Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers, American Institute of Wine and Food, Institute of Food Technologists, Authors Guild, Authors League of America, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists, Les Disciples d'Auguste Escoffier (honorary member), Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast, San Francisco Professional Food Society.

AWARDS, HONORS: Antonin Careme Award, Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast, 1989; Courvoisier Leadership Award, 1991; James Beard Awards, best television cooking show, 1994, and best television food journalism, 1996; honorary doctorate in culinary arts, Johnson and Wales University, 1995; D.H.L., Colorado Institute of Art, 1999; World's Cookbook Fair Awards, 1999, for Martin Yan's Feast: The Best of Yan Can Cook, and 2000, for Chinese Cooking for Dummies; Pioneer Award, Research Chefs Association, 2000.

WRITINGS:

The Yan Can Cook Book, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1981.

The Joy of Wokking, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1982.

Martin Yan, the Chinese Chef, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1985.

A Wok for All Seasons, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1988.

Everybody's Wokking, Harlow & Ratner, 1991.

The Well-Seasoned Wok, Harlow & Ratner, 1992.

Simply Delicious, Culinary Connection, 1993.

A Simple Guide to Chinese Ingredients, Yan Can Cook, 1994.

Martin Yan's Culinary Journey through China, KQED Books and Tapes, 1995.

Martin Yan's Asia, KQED Books and Tapes, 1997.

Martin Yan's Feast: The Best of Yan Can Cook, Bay Books, 1998.

Martin Yan's Entertainment at Home, Wan Li Book Co., 1999.

Martin Yan's Cooking at Home, Wan Li Book Co., 1999.

Martin Yan's Invitation to Chinese Cooking, Pavilion, 1999.

Chinese Cooking for Dummies, John Wiley and Sons (New York, NY), 2000.

Martin Yan's Asian Favorites: From Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand, Ten Speed Press (Berkeley, CA), 2001.

Also author of Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking, William Morrow (New York, NY). Author of "Cooking on the Rim," a monthly column in San Jose Mercury News.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2001, Mark Knoblauch, review of Martin Yan's Asian Favorites: From Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand, p. 534.

Library Journal, November 15, 2001, Judith Sutton, review of Martin Yan's Asian Favorites, p. 94.

Publishers Weekly, November 5, 2001, review of Martin Yan's Asian Favorites, p. 63.