Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Curtis Chin’s 2023 memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, reveals an important slice of American history - Chinese immigration to the U.S., and the multigenerational struggle for self-determination. Kathy Burnette, owner of Brain Lair Books and community literacy champion joins April Lidinsky for a sweet, savory and salty examination of the personal and political education Chin received about people, culture and history, while growing up in his family’s Detroit restaurant.
00:00 Introduction to Curtis Chin and His Memoir
01:24 Cooking Preparations: Chinese Almond Chicken & Kung Pao Tofu
03:38 The Menu-Style Structure of the Book
04:37 Life as a "Restaurant Kid”
09:58 Lessons from Parents: Tradition vs. Innovation
11:49 Cooking Demo: Sautéing and Saucing
14:31 Discovering Identity and Coming Out
23:36 Final Tasting and Book Recommendations
Curtis Chin’s 2023 memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, reveals an important slice of American history - Chinese immigration to the U.S., and the multigenerational struggle for self-determination. Kathy Burnette, owner of Brain Lair Books and community literacy champion joins April Lidinsky for a sweet, savory and salty examination of the personal and political education Chin received about people, culture and history, while growing up in his family’s Detroit restaurant.
00:00 Introduction to Curtis Chin and His Memoir
01:24 Cooking Preparations: Chinese Almond Chicken & Kung Pao Tofu
03:38 The Menu-Style Structure of the Book
04:37 Life as a "Restaurant Kid”
09:58 Lessons from Parents: Tradition vs. Innovation
11:49 Cooking Demo: Sautéing and Saucing
14:31 Discovering Identity and Coming Out
23:36 Final Tasting and Book Recommendations
