Chef Biography
Born and raised in New Jersey, Barbara Tropp never was interested in food, but she did fall in love with Chinese culture due to an art class in high school. She then studied Chinese in college, which led to doctoral studies at Princeton University and an eventual move to Taiwan for two years to study art and history. Her real education came under Po-Fu, a 70-year old gourmand, who introduced her to the subtleties of Chinese cuisine. “We began eating each morning in his home. Then we would go to the markets – squeezing chickens, poking fish, haggling with the merchants”. From those years, Barbara learned that in China to be civilized is to understand the buying, preparation, and enjoyment of food.
Upon her return in 1982, she wrote the definitive Chinese cookbook, The Modern Art of Chinese cooking, which became the theoretical foundation of her own cooking. In 1984, she opened her own Chinese restaurant called China Moon Café in an old 1930s era coffee shop in San Francisco. Great Chefs showed up to tape Chef Barbara Tropp for their PBS television series, Great Chefs of San Francisco.
Like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, China Moon drew foodies from around the world, like Julia Child, Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams, who came for the unique combination of California cuisine infused with a deep knowledge of another traditional food culture. Fighting cancer, Chef Tropp closed China Moon in 1997, and passed away in 2001.
Recipes
Tea and Cassia Bark-smoked Chicken with Hunan Red Onion Pickle Garnish & Ma-La Cucumber Fans
Serving: 4 Print Tea and Cassia Bark-smoked Chicken with Hunan Red Onion Pickle Garnish & Ma-La Cucumber Fans By Great Chefs November 17, 2015 All sorts of exotic spices combine in the marinade and the smoking mixture, resulting in a golden-brown chicken with smoky-spicy taste. The chicken is rubbed with sesame oil, then cut into […]
Pan-fried Noodle Pillow with Stir-fried Chinese Greens and Baby Garlic
Serving: 4 Print Pan-fried Noodle Pillow with Stir-fried Chinese Greens and Baby Garlic By Great Chefs November 17, 2015 Plump golden noodle pillow wedges are served with a mixture of stir-fried vegetables and mushrooms. A word of caution: the tiny hot peppers are added for color, and are not intended to be eaten; be sure […]
Yin-Yang Raspberry and Mandarin Orange Tart
Serving: 12 Print Yin-Yang Raspberry and Mandarin Orange Tart By Great Chefs November 17, 2015 The beautiful yin-yang symbol unites elements of male-female, dark-light, in a swirled circular design. This fruit tart, with raspberries and Mandarin orange slices taking the roles of dark and light in the yin-yang symbol, is a beautiful ending for any […]
Steamed Shao-Mai Dumplings with Young Ginger
Serving: 4 to 6 Print Steamed Shao-Mai Dumplings with Young Ginger By Great Chefs November 17, 2015 Paper-thin wrappers hold a mixture that includes ground pork, ginger, scallions, and water chestnuts. Shao-mail wrappers are stamped out of won ton wrappers with a 3-inch cookie cutter; if you can’t find shao-mai wrappers, you can make your […]
Ma-La Cucumber Fans
Serving: 4 Print Ma-La Cucumber Fans By Great Chefs November 17, 2015 Most unusual — cucumbers are cut into fans, softened with salt, then quickly seared with ginger, garlic, hot chili flakes, and a mixture of other Asian ingredients. Hot cucumber is a novelty for western diners; these are not only hot from cooking, but […]
Shrimp and Crab Toast on French Baguettes with Fresh Plum Sauce
Serving: 4 Print Shrimp and Crab Toast on French Baguettes with Fresh Plum Sauce By Great Chefs November 17, 2015 These delicious starters are deep-fried, browning mounds of shrimp and crab paste on thin French baguette slices. They are served with plum sauce. You can make your own plum sauce by peeling, pitting, and pureeing […]