Foodie Chap With Chef Kathy Fang

KCBS radio "Foodie Chap" and KPIX 5 television "Eye On The Bay" host Liam Mayclem introduces us to the culinary stars behind the food and wine loved by so many in the Bay Area.

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"5 Questions with Chef Kathy Fang"

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Kathy Fang is chef and co-owner of Fang, a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco offering a fresh take on dishes influenced by both Northern and Southern China's cuisine. She is also the author of the popular, multifaceted food blog MyFangalicious.com. The daughter of famed House of Nanking or "HONK" chef/owner Peter Fang, Ms. Fang has emerged from her renowned culinary family to enliven San Francisco's food scene with her own cuisine at Fang Restaurant located in the city's South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood.

The Fang legacy began in 1988 when Peter Fang opened HONK, a beloved North Beach restaurant serving home-style Cantonese cuisine in a lively, no-nonsense atmosphere. The younger Fang discovered her own passion for cooking growing up in the kitchens of HONK and that of her grandmother's restaurant just steps away. At a young age, she precociously began creating her own dishes and exploring the culinary curiosity that would propel her career as a chef.

Chef Fang left San Francisco as a young adult to pursue a business career, and earned a degree from the University of Southern California where she studied operations management and entrepreneurship. After graduating, she held positions at Merrill Lynch and Johnson & Johnson. In 2006, having never let go of her passion for cooking and childhood food experiences, she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School Los Angeles.

Chef Fang has blended her family's Cantonese heritage and cooking style with her own inspiration to create the sophisticated, multicultural cuisine of Fang Restaurant which she opened in partnership with her father in 2009. There, Kathy has created a menu equally loyal to tradition and innovation.

Chef Fang is passionate about teaching others in order to share the satisfaction she gains from creating dishes to enjoy with family and friends. With her melting-pot culinary perspective, Fang Restaurant, and MyFangalicious.com, she is well on her way to establishing herself as a culinary force and personality. We connected just in time for Chinese New Year. We talked food, culture and family history. Chef Kathy bravely let me assist in the kitchen as we prepped "Crispy Egg rolls" or "Golden Bars" as they are referred to around the New Year as a symbol of prosperity for the year ahead. Enjoy our tasty talk and the delish recipe.

And to all celebrating Chinese New Year: GONG HEY FAT CHOY & GONG XI FA CA!!

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KCBS Foodie Chap Podcast:

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(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

GOLDEN BARS

(Egg rolls)
Chef Kathy Fang - Chef and Co-owner Fang Restaurant

Egg rolls are always eaten during Chinese New Year in the Fang family. They represent bars of gold as they turn golden once fried and resemble long bars.

Kathy gravitates towards the egg roll recipe because her earliest memory of Chinese New Year was running around the house while the elders cooked all day long to prepare for the giant banquet. The Fang family eats the Egg rolls in the beginning of the day, often snacking on them throughout the day to hold them over until the banquet. Egg rolls were Kathy's favorite as a child because she was able to hold them in her hands and run around and play.

Fillings are up to each person. Pork with vegetables is common. Kathy personally loves using fresh vegetables as the filling.

Ingredients:

Egg roll wrappers
1 cup sliced cabbage
1 cup sliced green bell peppers
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
2 teaspoon sesame oil
Season with salt and white pepper
Pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 egg beaten used to seal the wrapper

Method:
Kathy will demo the wrapping method.
Then Fry in hot oil until they float or turn golden.
Serve with dipping sauce or eat as is.

Enjoy!

Or visit "My Fangalicious Blog": www.myfangalicious.com