DISTURBING THE DUST IBD

Sinopse

The Wing family of Hanford, California had had a China Alley restaurant in continuous operation from 1883-2006.ááTheir saga began when Ms. WingâÇÖs great-grandfather fled China to escape political persecution. Pursued by government henchmen, he jumped into the Pearl River. Rescued, he found himself about a boat headed to California, where he ended up in the Hanford area. After working on farms and for the railroad, he returned to his family roots in the restaurant business and opened a noodle shop. This humble eatery blossomed into a successful Chinese restaurant. In 1958, the family opened the Imperial Dynasty, which served a unique menu dubbedáChinoiseáby the late Silas Spitzer and best described as a cuisine of classical French dishes reinterpreted though the ancient art of Chinese cooking. But first it was a noodle house.Disturbing the Dustáis a collection of revised issues of Ms. WingâÇÖs 'Hanford Gourmet,' originally published in theáHanford Sentinel. It chronicles the four generations of Wing clan cooks and chef, China Alley developers and preservationists. China Alley is a prime example of a unique and well-preserved California Chinese settlement community. Artfully interwoven, their stories, recipes, and images capture the Chinese American experience in central California from immigration to the present, from a thriving city within a city to contemporary efforts for its preservation, from simple noodle house to four-star restaurant.Wing family memories will linger in the readerâÇÖs mind. Their recipes will drive readers who cook to their kitchens and dining room tables. Ms. WingâÇÖs prose and presence in her telling these stories focused on home and family, tradition and exploration, the meeting of the past and the present - including her magical experiences on China Alley, of meeting her great-grandfatherâÇÖs ghost, and experiencing the sounds and aromas, the vibrant energy and colors of anotherátime - will enchant those who by readingáDisturbing the Dust, step into her reality of disturbing the dust of the past and hoping for a revitalized future for her beloved China Alley.