| Susanna Foo is a native of Inner Mongolia who | | | | awards are the 1989 Best New Chef award from |
| spent her formative years in Northern China's | | | | Food and Wine; the 1996 James Beard Award for |
| Shanxi Province. Her father had been a general in | | | | the Best International Cookbook; and the 1997 |
| the army of Chiang Kai-Shek, fighting against Mao | | | | James Beard Award for the Best Mid Atlantic |
| Tse-Tung's Red Army. It was from her father | | | | Chef. |
| that Susanna got her love of fine food. Her father | | | | Anthony Bourdain is the executive chef of Les |
| had gone to an exclusive boarding school in the | | | | Halles Brasserie in New York City; he is something |
| 1920's, and he frequently regaled Susanna with | | | | of an oddball. He is offensive, crass, and prefers |
| tales of exquisite imperial-style cuisine such as | | | | wearing a black apron rather than a white, |
| local duck and lamb dishes. | | | | starched jacket and traditional chef hat. |
| Susanna's mother was an excellent chef who | | | | However, he is a great cook and writer, and has |
| bought and cooked only the freshest traditional | | | | a passion for food of all types. His adventurous |
| produce and meat dishes. With the defeat of | | | | and infectious spirit have garnered him millions of |
| Chiang, Susanna's family fled to Taiwan, where | | | | fans among gourmets world-wide. Anthony |
| she spent her teenage years. She emigrated to | | | | Bourdain has probably turned many more people |
| the United States in 1967, and she earned a | | | | on to great food than any other fancy-hatted, |
| library science Master of Arts degree at the | | | | five-star chef in the world. Born in New York City |
| University of Pittsburgh. She moved to Philadelphia | | | | in 1956, Anthony went to Vassar College for two |
| in 1979 where she put on a chef hat to work at | | | | years before dropping out to attend the Culinary |
| her Chinese-born husband's family's restaurant. | | | | Institute of America. After graduating from the |
| Shortly thereafter she opened a second | | | | Institute he went to work as chef at New York's |
| family-owned restaurant in Philadelphia called | | | | Supper Club, Sullivan's, and One Fifth Avenue; |
| Hu-Nan. | | | | before he settled down as chef de cuisine at Les |
| Susanna had learned the Hunan cooking style | | | | Halles, where he remains to the present. Anthony |
| from her mother-in-law; and she learned the | | | | has written a number of books which include |
| Northern Chinese pasta style from her cousin. | | | | three crime thrillers as well as a biography of |
| While working at Hu-Nan she met Jacob | | | | Typhoid Mary. In 1999 The New Yorker magazine |
| Rosenthal, the founder of Culinary Institute of | | | | published his expose of New York City |
| America, who taught her French style cooking. | | | | restaurants entitled "Don't Eat Before Reading |
| Rosenthal became her mentor and Susanna began | | | | This." He expanded this article into an |
| studying at the Culinary Institute. Susanna and her | | | | autobiographical bestseller published in 2000 |
| husband launched their own restaurant in | | | | entitled Kitchen Confidential. The success of this |
| Philadelphia in 1987 - Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine | | | | book led to an offer from Food Network to star |
| - which featured a fusion of Chinese cooking with | | | | in his own TV series A Cook's Tour. Anthony |
| French. Susanna's trademark is using only the | | | | travels around the world in his search for the |
| freshest ingredients from all over the globe. | | | | perfect dinner. Some of his more interesting |
| Recently, she opened another restaurant, the | | | | experiences include dining with Russian gangsters |
| Suilan, at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic | | | | in customized uniforms; eating the still beating |
| City. Susanna has written two cookbooks, | | | | heart of a snake; and visiting the French fishing |
| Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine: Fabulous Flavors and | | | | village where he first ate raw oysters in his |
| Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest | | | | boyhood. Anthony is still executive chef at Les |
| Chinese Cook published in 1995; and Susanna Foo | | | | Halles, which now is a chain of five restaurants. His |
| Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese | | | | Travel Channel television series Anthony Bourdain |
| Cuisine published in 2005. Among her numerous | | | | - No Reservations premiered in 2005. |