Johnson & Wales Media Center

JWU, Brown University to Present Joint Program on Asian
Food & Culture: "Eating Chinese: Global and Local Perspectives
on Memory and Identity" April 4 and 5, 2008
Celebrated Chef Martin Yan to Conduct Cooking Demonstration

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – February 18, 2008 – Johnson & Wales University and Brown University will sponsor a series of discussions and exhibitions that explore the topics of Asian food, food memories and ethnic identities, starting with “Eating Chinese: Global and Local Perspectives on Memory and Identity” on April 4 and 5, 2008. The two-day event, a joint collaboration between JWU and Brown’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the John Nicholas Brown Center for the Study of American Civilization, will take place at Brown University on Friday, April 4, and at the Culinary Arts Museum of Johnson & Wales University, 315 Harborside Blvd., Providence, on Saturday, April 5.

The participants will include:
- Cheuk Kwan, producer and director of several films based on his documentary Chinese Restaurants
- Ellen Leong Blonder, illustrator and author, Every Grain of Rice
-John Chan, restaurant owner and impresario, Chan’s Fine Dining, Woonsocket, R.I.
- Jacqueline M. Newman, the author of Food Culture in China and editor of " Flavor and Fortune," a quarterly publication about Chinese food
- Kenny Lao, co-founder of the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar in New York

Celebrated television host of "Yan Can Cook," Martin Yan, also will participate and conduct a cooking demonstration at 4 p.m. on April 5 in the Harborside Academic Center's Tyson Amphitheater, located on JWU’s Harborside Campus. The cooking demonstration will have limited seating available by reservation only. Contact Sarah Cresta, event and program coordinator, Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales University, at 401-598-4849.

The Culinary Arts Museum will open two related exhibitions on April 5: "Culinary Beginnings – Asia" provides an introduction to ancient Chinese food, with menus, recipes, images and artifacts. The show features 14 Chinese and Korean antiquities, including objects from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-221 AD). These artifacts are on loan from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation of New York City.

"Illustrations from Every Grain of Rice" by professional illustrator and designer Ellen Leong Blonder will also be on display.

These events will be open to the public without charge, and include film screenings, panel discussions, interviews, museum exhibits and a cooking demonstration. For a full schedule of events and additional information, please visit the Museum website.

For further information contact: Sarah Cresta, Culinary Arts Museum, Johnson & Wales University, 401-598-4849; Andrea Casavant, Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, 401-863-3080; or Chelsea Shriver, John Nicholas Brown Center, 401-863-1177.

Johnson & Wales University, founded in 1914, is a nonprofit, private institution. A recognized leader in career education, we offer accredited degrees in business, hospitality, culinary arts, technology and education. With a diverse student body of more than 16,000 graduate and undergraduate students, representing all 50 states and 89 countries, JWU prepares students for personal and professional success by integrating rigorous academics and professional skills, community leadership opportunities and our unique career education model. The university is committed to urban revitalization and thoughtful historic renovation. Through active civic participation and by offering unique learning opportunities, JWU improves the quality of life in its campus communities in Providence, R.I., North Miami, Fla., Denver, Colo., and Charlotte, N.C. For more information visit www.jwu.edu.