Great food, great reading...

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee
A book so delicious, I wish I could eat it. Despite the fact that it's not edible, I've consumed it twice, and served it to friends often.

I can't separate myself from Chinese food. My body has been processing it in small batches for decades. Now, to read about it like this—wow!—this is truly a feast.

From the origins of the fortune cookie, to the creation of food delivery (including the origami-like packaging) as we know it today, the hardworking author covers her topic so thoroughly she leaves no room in the satisfied reader for dessert.

More than descriptions and analysis of the cuisine, she paints a vivid canvas depicting the hustle, the bustle, the joys, the frustrations, the tragedies, and the triumphs of the Chinese immigrant experience. Food feeds the experience. The experience sets the table and cooks more food. The eater and the reader can only rejoice. Five burps of appreciation. Five stars.