Diana Fong Chan, author and publisher of Easy ‘n Healthy Cooking, will do a cooking demonstration, tasting, and book event at the Chinese Culture Center in SF. She will demonstrate the lettuce wrap, “growing prosperity…. in a wrap,” which has auspicious symbolic meanings for the Chinese New Year. She is also bringing samples from her cookbook for tasting. Her cookbook has many 30-minute recipes in Chinese, Fusion, and Western cuisine using little oil and no deep frying. There are many vegetarian dishes, low fat entrées and desserts marked with red hearts, that will delight health-conscious cooks. The tempting hot and cold appetizers, scrumptious seafoods, delectable beef, pork, and poultry entrées, soups, and simple gourmet recipes, appeal to busy professionals and moms of all ages and ethnicity.

She was featured on View From The Bay, ABC Channel 7 doing a live cooking demonstration, and taught at the Asian Chef’s Series at Chef Chu’s restaurant in Los Altos. Her cookbook Easy ‘n Health Cooking is available at the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco Gallery gift shop and she will be signing at this event. Click here for more information.

中華文化中心熱情邀請各位朋友來參加我們為圣誕精心籌備的節前大賣場活動，並共同欣賞來自美聲兒童合唱團、舊金山古箏樂團以及中心太極班學生的精彩演出。屆時中心畫廊還將推出抽獎環節。活動免費，敬請光臨!

Time: Saturday, December 12, 2009 11am – 1pm
Sale starts at 11; performances start at 12.
Location: 3rd floor, Chinese Culture Center (inside Hilton)
Admission: FREE

Special Event – Intimate Dinner with Dora Hsiung, featuring special cuisine inspired by the artwork and prepared by Chef Ni of Jia Yun. Call for reservation: 415-986-1822 [$100 per person]

Held in conjunction with our tea exhibition with United Commercial Bank at the Pacific Heritage Museum, this tea ceremony will bring in a different atmosphere through drinking tea. From learning to appreciate the tea cups, smelling the tea’s fragrance to tasting the tea. Like Chinese art, it combines different disciplines. In the old literati tradition, people would gather together to recite poetry, play music, and brew tea. 12 bilingual Tea Masters will present the art of tea with Guzheng and Guqin background music played by SF Gu-Zheng Music Society. Teas will include Bao-Chung cha (made by North American Asian Art & Culture Association members) and Da-Hung-Paw. Spots are limited to 96 guests! RSVP online today!

日期: 2009年10月18日
時間: 下午2點
票價: 免費
地點: 文化中心3樓礼堂

“茶道” 是中華文化中心舉辦的品茶活動，與聯合銀行贊助的太平洋傳統博物館茶藝特展相互結合。 你會從飲茶中感覺不同的氣氛和聞到茶的香氣，如同形式多樣的中國藝術。 在傳統文化習俗里，人們在一起吟詩、品樂和泡茶。 12位雙語茶道師父將在舊金山古箏樂團古箏和古琴背景音樂中演繹茶道。 今次品茶活動用茶有北美藝文學會茶人自制的包種茶和大紅袍。 限96個席位，報名請從速!

On September 12, 2009, artist Dora Hsiung welcomed twenty participants to her intimate workshop. For about two hours, Dora shared her skills and experience, and taught adults and children alike the art of wrapping. Here are a few pictures of this amazing workshop:

Chinese Culture Center Cinema (C4) is pleased to present a special installment of our current film festival. Alongside our screening of Farming the Seas, we are holding a workshop to discuss and learn about the issues facing seafood resources and their relevance to us as individuals and as a community.

Ocean fisheries have been depleted by more than 90% over the past century due to over harvesting by humans, and the loss of resources from aquatic ecosystems endangers cultures that utilize those resources for food and traditions. For the Chinese American community, the idea of maintaining sea resources in an environmentally sustainable matter is practical. Seafood plays a vital role in the cultural food of Chinese American diets, as most family gatherings will contain a fish dish. Chinese culture emphasizes prosperity for future generations, but this is only possible if resources are managed responsibly.

The workshop includes a partial screening of Farming the Seas, a panel discussion, and tips on how to make conscious consumption choices as an individual. Free magazines, recipes, handouts, and light refreshments will be provided. All are welcome, though material is suitable for a more mature audience (highschool and older).

The Moderator:

Derek Emmons is a third year environmental studies major at UC Santa Cruz. He is a 2007 In Search of Roots intern with the Chinese Culture Center.

The Panel:

Olivia Wu is the Executive Chef at Google. Her restaurant on the Google campus at Mountain View serves Asian small-plates fare, with a core of traditional Chinese menus and authentic dishes. She was previously a writer with the San Francisco Chronicle Food and Wine section. In 2006, she was assigned by the paper to report on food and culture from Shanghai.

Sara Randall is Program Director for The Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) where she oversees and implements projects that aim to restore and protect marine resources and the fishermen and coastal communities which depend on the resources. For the last four years she has worked to unite the United State’s entire commercial fishing industry into a national coalition, called the Commercial Fishermen of America, and educate Americans about the profession of commercial fishing.

Al Cheng is an educator of 30 years, renown for his involvement in the Chinese American Community, and served on the Chinese Culture Center governing board during the past 20 years. He has been elected president and co-chairperson for three terms each, and is currently the center’s executive director. Cheng is co-founder of the In Search of Roots program, an 18 year old program that guides Chinese American youth in genealogy and to their ancestral villages in China’s Pearl River Delta.

Jesse Marsh is Fisheries Research Manager for Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative and focuses on sustainability evaluations of wild-caught seafood products for consumers and businesses. Jesse received a B.A. in Environmental Science from Boston University, and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University. Her passion for marine conservation began 10 years ago, while spending a semester in Baja California Sur researching the sustainability of fisheries and fishing communities there.

About the Film:
Farming the Seas (2004) English/ No Subtitles
Aquaculture was intended to take the pressure off ocean fish stocks and help avert a global food shortage, but many experts now believe that some forms of “fish farming” are actually creating more problems than they’re solving. This film journeys around the world documenting the most important stories as they unfold. From the indigenous tribes of British Columbia to the large-scale operations of multinational corporations, from Mediterranean fishermen to Thai shrimp farmers, Farming the Seas gathers perspectives from around the globe as it examines the problems and the promises of this emerging industry.

Reviews:
“Well-crafted and important environmental documentary that combines superb research, production values and journalism…My students were educated, entertained, and inspired.” David L. Brown, City College of San Francisco

“Excellent footage of aquaculture operations…It is easy to see why Farming the Seas won the award for Best Marine Conservation Message at the International Wildlife Film Festival and a host of other awards as well. It is well researched, well edited and a timely and interesting look at the potential problems associated with aquaculture. I highly recommend this video to all libraries.” Barbara Butler, Educational Media Reviews Online

“An outstanding job is done in contrasting the farming of [salmon, shrimp, and tuna] with the more sustainable Chinese practice of raising non-predatory fish and shellfish… The narration by Peter Coyote is excellent. Numerous short interviews effectively feature both advocates and opponents of aquaculture enterprises, including indigenous people, scientists, and industry representatives. With adequate background information provided prior to viewing, the program would be suitable for students in ninth grade and above.” Tim Maret, Shippensburg University for School Library Journal

For more information about C4, and a listing of the entire year’s program, visit our 2008 Film Series page.

Test your puzzle-solving skills on challenging new puzzles and old classics. Bring your favorite puzzles to share with others. Make puzzles out of common household items for your family and friends. All ages and skill levels welcome! Led by puzzle collector Stan Isaacs and science teacher Curt Gabrielson, with special presentation by Wei Zhang at 2 pm.

At the Chinese Culture Center on August 30th 2008, from 12 to 4 pm.
Admission is free and open to everyone.

Poster by Niana Liu

Come and play with China’s most famous puzzles. Create tangram constructions of animals, objects and human figures. See if you can separate the nine linked rings. Slide the blocks to help Cao Cao escape through Huarong Pass. Create your own puzzles to take home and share with family and friends. Activities for all ages, led by Wei Zhang, Stan Isaacs and Curt Gabrielson.

At the Chinese Culture Center, on August 9th, 2008 from 12 to 4 pm.
Admission is free and open to everyone.

Poster by Niana Liu

Along with the Chinese Puzzles exhibition, the Chinese Culture Center will be offering hands-on sessions to school groups and Summer/Fall programs. From July to October, the students will have a chance to learn about traditional Chinese puzzles and to have fun solving them. The workshops will be led by the collectors, Wei Zhang and Peter Rasmussen, and will include the following:

I. Guided Tour of the Chinese Puzzles Exhibition (15-20 minutes):

Students will view the antique Chinese puzzles on display. They will hear stories about the puzzles and gain appreciation of the craftsmanship employed in making them.

II. “Puzzle Party” (45-90 minutes):

The following Puzzle Party activities will be tailored to suit the ages and interests of each group.

• Tangram and the Fifteen-Piece Puzzle:
Students will construct pictures and designs using tangram pieces. Older students will use 15-piece puzzles to form Chinese characters.

• Linked Ring Puzzles:
Students will play with and solve simple ring puzzles. Then they’ll progress to traditional Chinese puzzles with five, seven and nine linked rings. They’ll also discuss the mathematics of linked ring puzzles.

• Sliding Block Puzzles:
Students will play with Huarong Dao, the Chinese sliding block puzzle. They’ll hear the ancient story of Cao Cao’s escape from Guan Yu at Huarong Pass.

• Puzzle Vessels:
Students will participate in demonstrations of two kinds of Chinese puzzle vessels. They’ll discuss the stories behind the vessels and the scientific principles involved.

• Making Puzzles to Take Home:
Students will use readily available materials to create their own puzzles to take home and share with family and friends.

LIMITED AVAILABILITY ! SIGN UP NOW !

For more information about the workshops, please call (415) 986-1822 x25 or send an email at the following address: clpape@c-c-c.org

Photo: Ivory fifteen-piece puzzle, Beijing, 19th century
Photograph by Niana Liu

On Sunday, June 22, world-renowned auction house Sotheby’s invites the general public to bring Asian works of art to Ming and Other Things, a benefit appraisal day in celebration of the Asian Art Museum’s summer exhibition, Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty. Sotheby’s Asian arts specialists will appraise Asian artworks from 11am to 5 pm, in the grand ballroom of Hilton San Francisco Financial District, the official hotel sponsor of Power & Glory. The appraisal fee is $5 per artwork with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Asian Art Museum. Only cash or check can be accepted. Appraisals are only available to the first 500 attendees, so get there early. For more information, please visit www.asianart.org or sothebys.com. You never know, you could be sitting on an heirloom gold mine!

Museum Lover’s Discount Hotel Package
The Hilton San Francisco Financial District would like to reward you for supporting the Chinese Culture Center by offering a 10% discount off your stay. To qualify for this discount, you must book this package online and show your CCC membership card upon check-in. For more information, please visit www.sanfranciscohiltonhotel.com.