Hsiao-Ching Chou

Connect What is your signature dish?

My signature dish is juicy pork-and-Chinese cabbage potstickers. I make the dough from scratch, carefully pleat the dumplings, and pan-fry them until they’re crispy on the bottom, and tender on top with a slight chew. With the potstickers, I serve a dipping sauce that’s packed with flavor from soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, scallions, ginger, and cilantro. Sometimes, I don’t know if people love the potstickers for potstickers or as a vehicle for the sauce.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

My mother was my first culinary inspiration. We are immigrants and my parents started a restaurant as a means to an end. They had zero restaurant experience. When the hired cook flamed out, my mother taught herself how to be the chef and took over. She worked herself to the bone. Her grit and determination was incredible. My second culinary inspiration was my late friend and chef Robert Reynolds. He taught me about French cooking and I will never forget having breakfast foie gras with him.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I want to produce a 10-episode series for YouTube that make my recipes from my cookbooks come alive. I would like to offer a BIPOC local culinary student to help on set and a producer/editor to help make the videos. Over the years of cookbook writing and teaching classes, I’ve learned that home cooks benefit from live instruction. Having a series of videos that demonstrate key techniques and menus will provide an empowering foundation.