Last September, just before The Hakka Cookbook was released, my very excited publicist forwarded a message to me from Mark Bittman, writer for the New York Times. “I’d like to do a story about/with you, with some cooking. I’ll come out there to do it (unless you have a better idea), assuming you’re game. We’ll run it in the Times Magazine – whaddya think?

Wow! I thought. To be noticed by the New York Times is a great honor and a big deal. We chose a date, which is a hurdle since Mark is a busy man. We selected November 4. After numerous messages we decided on three recipes to cook. Then on October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit New York City. With the news of destruction and flooding I was sure he would need to cancel. At first he said he still planned on coming, but a few days later, he canceled because he could not leave the city.

We rescheduled for January 9, 2013. He was coming by himself. No photographer which was a bit of relief, didn’t need to worry about appearances. He wore his biking shorts, I wore my slippers. He is a very down-to-earth kind of guy. Got out his laptop to take notes while I cooked. After each dish, he tasted a small spoonful. He said he had already eaten breakfast and wasn’t very hungry and we could save the food for dinner. Being a food writer, too, I understand that a bite or two is all you need, although a non-professional host might have been disappointed in his tiny tastes.  Later I found out that he had been working on VB6, Eat Vegan before 6:00, a book on following a strict vegan diet during the day, then after 6 pm restrictions are gone as long as you eat modest quantities. Two of my dishes had small amounts of lean pork cooked with vegetables. The third recipe was Braised Chicken Wings in Bean Sauce. Perhaps I should have cooked Braised Tofu and Vegetable Clay Pot instead. Anyway he seemed to like the food.

He told me he thought the story would run in late February or early March. Those dates passed. Since I had a long career at Sunset Magazine as a food writer, I knew promising stories often do not run for many reasons out of the writer’s control. By May, I had thought my story might have hit a dead end, but a week before I departed for China I heard from a NY Times research editor about fact checking and illustrations. A good sign. A few days later, in the Hong Kong airport I read a message from my publisher with the link to the story, The Nomad’s Kitchen in the New York Times. I read it quickly and posted on Facebook and Twitter.  In a few hours, I would be in China for two weeks where there’s no access to the New York Times, Facebook, or Twitter.

Now I’m back and finally see the print version. Thanks Mark Bittman and the New York Times!