Ming Tsai’s passion for cooking was forged in his formative years. Tsai was raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he spent hours cooking alongside his mother and father at Mandarin Kitchen, their family-owned restaurant.
Ming Tsai is the James Beard Award-winning chef/owner of Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon. Both are located in Massachusetts and feature Tsai’s signature East-West cuisine. An Emmy Award winner, Tsai is also the host and executive producer of PBS-TV’s Simply Ming, now in its 13th season, shown locally on KCTS 9. Simply Ming brings a variety of both studio and location cooking to drive inspiration and demonstrate today’s techniques. Tsai is the author of five cookbooks including the interactive Simply Ming in Your Kitchen.
In 2012, Tsai was invited by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to represent the U.S. with the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership Initiative/American Chef Corps. The Chef Corps is a network of American chefs that participate with official government programs that use food as a foundation for international diplomacy efforts.
The renowned chef will make a guest appearance in the Northwest at the popular St. Martin’s Gala on Nov. 4 at St. Martin’s University’s Lacey campus. The St. Martin’s Gala: China is a black-tie evening affair featuring an exquisitely prepared five-course dinner, cooking demonstrations by the celebrity chef, and a live auction benefiting St. Martin’s student scholarships. This year’s theme also highlights St. Martin’s many relationships and programs in China.
In the Chinese culture, guanxi (pronounced gwan-shee) means to establish human relations to open the door for opportunities. Though the direct translation of guanxi is “relationships,” the concept is much richer and more encompassing. Guanxi not only expresses the relationship of one person to another, it also expresses an obligation of one person to another, built over time through reciprocating acts to show loyalty and trust.
In some definitions, guanxi means “connections.” This closely mirrors the original guiding values of the St. Martin’s Gala: community, hospitality and stewardship.
The sponsors for St. Martin’s Gala: China include presenting sponsor Bon Appétit Management Co., reception sponsor Washington State Employees Credit Union, broadcast media sponsor KCTS 9, wine sponsor Maryhill Winery, print sponsor Capitol City Press, and celebrity photo sponsor Anchor Bank.
For more information about celebrity chef Ming Tsai, visit ming.com. To learn more about the St. Martin’s Gala and to purchase tickets to this year’s event, visit stmartin.edu/chinagala2017.
KARISSA WILSON