Eileen Yin-Fei Lo
Eileen Yin-Fei Lo was a chef. She authored eleven cookbooks on Chinese cuisine.
Early life and education
China
Lo was born in Shun Tak, a district of Guangdong, China. At the age of five, she began to cook which was encouraged by her parents, particularly her mother who believed that "children should know how to do everything", and a father who had traveled widely and was familiar with foreign cuisines. Early influences also included her grandmother who instilled in her the techniques and culture of cooking while she was still a child.Hong Kong
In 1950, Lo fled the Chinese Communist Revolution to live with relatives in Hong Kong. While there she learned English and further enhanced her knowledge of cooking by researching cuisines from all of the regions of China and taking lessons from an aunt who was herself a highly accomplished cook.Career
United States
After moving to the United States, she was urged by friends to teach Chinese cookery which she began to do in the early 1970s. For many years she taught in her home, from beginners to master classes. In 1976, she was invited to join the cooking and nutrition staff of the China Institute in New York City and taught there for more than twenty years. She has also taught Chinese cookery at The New School University in New York City.Personal life and death
In 1959, Lo married Fred Ferretti, an American journalist she met in Hong Kong while he was on assignment for the military newspaper, Stars and Stripes. She moved with him to the United States, initially living in Queens, New York.Lo died on November 13, 2022, in Montclair, New Jersey. She was survived by her son, Stephen Ferretti.
Published cookbooks
Mastering the Art of Chinese CookingThe Dim Sum Book: Classic Recipes from the Chinese TeahouseThe Chinese Banquet CookbookEileen Yin-Fei Lo’s New Cantonese CookingFrom the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian CookingThe Dim Sum Dumpling BookThe Chinese Way: Healthy Low-Fat Cooking from China’s RegionsThe Chinese KitchenThe Chinese Chicken CookbookMy Grandmother’s Chinese KitchenChina’s Food, with Lionel TigerAwards
Mastering The Art of Chinese Cooking was a winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Julia Child Award and nominated for The James Beard AwardThe Chinese Banquet Book Cookbook was an IACP Julia Child Award winner The Dim Sum Book was nominated for an IACP Julia Child Award From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking was nominated for an IACP Julia Child Award and The James Beard AwardHonors
- Silver Spoon Award - Food Arts magazine
- Lifetime Achievement Award - La Celebration Culinaire Internationale
- Lifetime Achievement Award - New World Festival of Food and Wine
- James Beard House Dinner - 'Little Dishes East and West'
- James Beard Awards – One of a group of chefs to cook for the James Beard Awards 10th Anniversary Gala
Organizations
Lo has been associated with the following organizations over her career:- Food Arts, Asian food authority
- Les Dames d’Escoffier, Member
- China Institute, cooking instructor
- New School Culinary Arts, cooking instructor
Newspaper and magazine articles
Lo has written on both food and restaurants for:The New York TimesThe New York Times MagazineGourmet magazineFood & WineTravel + Leisure- ''Food Arts''