Love Chinese food? Can’t get enough of cooking shows? Then you need to head down to Nona’s Downtown Market this Saturday evening for Kenny Lin’s cooking demonstration from 5:00-6:30.
Kenny has become quite a local celebrity since his book Chinese Restaurant Recipes for the Home Cook was released December 8th. Since then, his friends and family have gotten the word out through Facebook, and articles have appeared in the Messenger-Inquirer and Evansville Courier and Press. “One woman from Grayville, Illinois called me and ordered a copy because she read about it in the Evansville paper,” said Lin, giving just one example. The book is now available on Amazon and copies have also been ordered from England, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and California.
The book is a collection of Lin’s recipes used during his years running the Panda House Restaurant and Hunan Chinese Restaurant. The recipes included are authentically Chinese, but they also use ingredients, cookware, and techniques American cooks know and have available. The layout of the recipes makes them easy to follow and understand.
The book idea came about when Kenny and Winny Lin were cleaning out their garage and came across Kenny’s collection of recipes. “It was Winny’s idea to put them into a book,” Kenny explained. When their neighbor’s son, Eric Adams, heard about the book idea, he started working on a design and coached them along the publishing process. The Lins’ daughter helped edit it. David and Mary Searles, friends from church, helped out as well. “It was a team effort,” Lin said, with a still-can’t-believe-it-excitement in his voice. In about a month, the team pulled it off, and the book became a reality.
The cooking demonstration, on the other hand, was Nona’s owner Maria Kelly’s idea. Kenny will be preparing three stir fry recipes using an electric wok: chicken and vegetables, vegetable delight, and vegetable fried rice. “Since this is Lent, I decided to prepare mainly vegetable recipes,” Kenny explained. The format will be very light and fun, with plenty of time for questions and answers about any of the recipes, cooking techniques, or anything else about the book.
Wednesday will be a big night for Lin, who says he feels obligated to give back a little love to Owensboro since “Owensboro has been so good to us all these years.” By that he means the last 41 years. Sadly, as time has gone on, the Lin’s have decided to move to California to be closer to their kids and grandkids.
So here’s the catch: The Lins are scheduled to move next week, so this is your one and only chance to see chef Kenny’s cooking demonstration live and in-person. The demonstration will be this Saturday from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Nona’s Downtown Market (126 W 2nd). Tickets are $6 and can be reserved by calling 270-926-8183.
To purchase the book online: http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Restaurant-Recipes-Home-Cook/dp/150543002X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y. Follow Kenny of Facebook at www.facebook.com/chefkennylin
