Spanning almost a hundred years, this rich and evocative true story recounts the lives of three generations of remarkable Chinese women. Their extraordinary journey takes us from the brutal poverty of village life in mainland China, to newly prosperous 1930s Hong Kong and finally to the UK. Their lives were as dramatic as the times they lived through. A love of food and a talent for cooking pulled each generation through the most devastating of upheavals. Helen Tse's grandmother, Lily Kwok, was forced to work as an amah after the violent murder of her father. Crossing the ocean from Hong Kong in the 1950s, Lily honed her famous chicken curry recipe. Eventually she opened one of Manchester's earliest Chinese restaurants where her daughter, Mabel, worked from the tender age of nine. But gambling and the Triads were pervasive in the Chinese immigrant community, and they tragically lost the restaurant. It was up to Helen and her sisters, the third generation of these exceptional women, to re-establish their grandmother's dream. "Sweet Mandarin" shows how the most important inheritance is wisdom, and how recipes - passed down the female line - can be the most valuable heirloom.

Sweet Mandarin

Tse, Helen

Random House Hardbacks

Spanning almost a hundred years, this rich and evocative memoir recounts the lives of three generations of remarkable Chinese women. Their extraordinary journey takes us from the brutal poverty of village life in mainland China, to newly prosperous 1930s Hong Kong and finally to the UK. Their lives were as dramatic as the times they lived through. A love of food and a talent for cooking pulled each generation through the most devastating of upheavals. Helen Tse's grandmother, Lily Kwok, was forced to work as an amah after the violent murder of her father. Crossing the ocean from Hong Kong in the 1950s, Lily honed her famous chicken curry recipe. Eventually she opened one of Manchester's earliest Chinese restaurants where her daughter, Mabel, worked from the tender age of nine. But gambling and the Triads were pervasive in the Chinese immigrant community, and tragically they lost the restaurant. It was up to author Helen and her sisters, the third generation of these exceptional women, to re-establish their grandmother's dream. The legacy lived on when the sisters opened their award-winning restaurant Sweet Mandarin in 2004.Sweet Mandarin shows how the most important inheritance is wisdom, and how recipes--passed down the female line--can be the most valuable heirloom.

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Ebury Press

Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West

Spanning almost a hundred years, this rich and evocative memoir recounts the lives of three generations of remarkable Chinese women. Their extraordinary journey takes us from the brutal poverty of village life in mainland China, to newly prosperous 1930s Hong Kong and finally to the UK. Their lives were as dramatic as the times they lived through. A love of food and a talent for cooking pulled each generation through the most devastating of upheavals. Helen Tse's grandmother, Lily Kwok, was forced to work as an amah after the violent murder of her father. Crossing the ocean from Hong Kong in the 1950s, Lily honed her famous chicken curry recipe. Eventually she opened one of Manchester's earliest Chinese restaurants where her daughter, Mabel, worked from the tender age of nine. But gambling and the Triads were pervasive in the Chinese immigrant community, and tragically they lost the restaurant. It was up to author Helen and her sisters, the third generation of these exceptional women, to re-establish their grandmother's dream. The legacy lived on when the sisters opened their award-winning restaurant Sweet Mandarin in 2004. Sweet Mandarin shows how the most important inheritance is wisdom, and how recipes--passed down the female line--can be the most valuable heirloom.

Thomas Dunne Books

Spanning almost a hundred years, this rich and evocative memoir recounts the lives of three generations of remarkable Chinese women. 
Their extraordinary journey takes us from the brutal poverty of village life in mainland China, to newly prosperous 1930s Hong Kong and finally to the UK. Their lives were as dramatic as the times they lived through. 
A love of food and a talent for cooking pulled each generation through the most devastating of upheavals. Helen Tse's grandmother, Lily Kwok, was forced to work as an amah after the violent murder of her father. Crossing the ocean from Hong Kong in the 1950s, Lily honed her famous chicken curry recipe. Eventually she opened one of Manchester's earliest Chinese restaurants where her daughter, Mabel, worked from the tender age of nine. But gambling and the Triads were pervasive in the Chinese immigrant community, and tragically they lost the restaurant. It was up to author Helen and her sisters, the third generation of these exceptional women, to re-establish their grandmother's dream. The legacy lived on when the sisters opened their award-winning restaurant Sweet Mandarin in 2004.
Sweet Mandarin shows how the most important inheritance is wisdom, and how recipes--passed down the female line--can be the most valuable heirloom.

St. Martin's: Griffin

Accomplished painters Helen Tse and Rebecca Yue invite you into their artistic worlds and show you how to paint a variety of subjects in the style of Chinese brush. With this 2000-year-old art form, each stroke simply suggests the spirit and character of the subject. Over the years, the materials and subject matter used for Chinese brush have expanded, but the basic principles remain the same. In this book, youÆll find information on the history, tools, and techniques of this elegant art form. From a colorful Chinese landscape to a lucky dragon, Chinese Brush 2 also features 14 inspiring step-by-step projects. Follow each project stroke by stroke, using a graceful, deliberate motion that captures the subjectÆs mood and energy. Soon youÆll develop the skills you need to render your own beautiful collection of Chinese brush paintings.

Chinese Brush 2: Learn to Paint Step by Step (How to Draw and Paint Series)

Arts & Photography

Yue, Rebecca

Painting

Walter Foster Pub.

The Art of Watercolor Painting offers a fresh take on a beloved classic art medium. This comprehensive how-to-paint book opens with a thorough introduction to the essential watercolor tools and materials artists need to get started, including paintbrushes, watercolor paints, sketchbooks, papers, and supports. Next, readers will learn about the fundamentals of watercolor, as well as a variety of painting techniques, including creating washes, mixing colors, preserving the white of the paper, painting soft blends, rendering realistic reflections, and working wet into wet, among others. Following this helpful introduction, four expert watercolorists show artists how to put their painting skills to use through simple step-by-step lessons, starting with initial sketches and culminating in final works of art. With subject matter that ranges from the whimsical to the traditional, including flowers, fairies, oceans, birds, and horses, The Art of Watercolor Painting features projects to suit artists of all tastes and skill levels. Also included are techniques specific to painting lifelike portraits, as well as tips for painting seascapes, including waves, ripples, foam, rocks, sand, boats, sunsets, and clouds. A section on Chinese brush painting features step-by-step painting lessons of a number of traditional subjects using time-honored painting techniques. With inspiration, instruction, and professional tips and tricks on virtually every page, The Art of Watercolor Painting is nothing short of an all-inclusive resource for both beginning and experienced watercolor artists alike. A handy index complements this reference guide, making this gorgeous full-color book the perfect addition to any artist’s library.

Quayside Publishing Book, Assorted

Needham, Thomas

Watson, Deb

Pratt, Ronald

Wylie, Nancy

Vista Partners Inc.

Helen and Lisa Tse have been cooking original family recipes that have been handed down through the generations all their lives. In Sweet Mandarin they share their knowledge, favorite recipes and cooking tips. From basic advice on Chinese cuisine, including essential pieces of equipment such as a wok, cleaver and steamer to Chinese pantry ingredients and essentials, you'll soon be creating healthy and nutritious meals. Broken down in to Soups, Stocks, &amp; Starters; Poultry; Pork &amp; Beef; Fish &amp; Seafood; Noodles; Rice: Desserts &amp; Cocktails, the 100 simple yet delicious recipes include Cantonese Won Ton Soup, Salt and Chile Squid, Hong Kong Beef Skewers with Satay Dip, favorites like Aromatic Crispy Duck and Chicken Chow Mein, Fortune Cookies and even exotic cocktails such as Sweet Chile Strawberry Daiquiri―and each includes Allergen and Dietary Information, tips on making the recipe gluten-free, and a QR code with a free video of the authors making the dish. With gorgeous color photography throughout, this is the bible for everyone who loves Chinese food―including those that thought they couldn't eat it gluten free!

Sweet Mandarin: Classic & Contemporary Chinese Recipes with Gluten and Dairy-Free Variations

Tse, Lisa

UNKNO

Lisa and Helen have travelled across China in search of amazing street food. The recipes are truly accessible – easy for anyone to make in the comfort of their own kitchen. Ken HomThis beautiful book offers a real insight into the street food cultures of China and vividly evokes the smells and sounds of the markets. It's the closest you may get to experiencing Beijing street food without actually being there, smelling the mix of aromatic spices, caramelized apples, barbecuing meats and steaming dumplings, with clouds of smoke and noisy bustle all around you, and red lanterns glowing above.Over 100 recipes and a wealth of stories and insight into cooking methods bring this cuisine to life. All recipes have been carefully chosen to be achievable for the western cook.Helen and Lisa Tse have set out to encapsulate that sense of excitement, awe, wonder and hunger for these morsels of street food: from soft fluffy bao, to hot fried chicken, from piping hot bowls of noodles, to coal-roasted squid, delicate tea eggs and bubble tea, this is food to truly excite the appetite and awaken a sense of adventure in the kitchen.With a foreword from the master of Chinese cooking, Ken Hom, this is the essential book for the foodie bookshelf.

A Chinese Street Food Odyssey

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Tse, Lise

Baking

Pavilion Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Tse, Helen. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Tse, Helen

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Tse, Helen. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Sweet Mandarin

Sweet Mandarin

Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West

Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West

Chinese Brush 2: Learn to Paint Step by Step (How to Draw and Paint Series)

Quayside Publishing Book, Assorted

Sweet Mandarin: Classic & Contemporary Chinese Recipes with Gluten and Dairy-Free Variations

A Chinese Street Food Odyssey