First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home

by Frankie Gaw

ABOUT FIRST GENERATION
In this stunning exploration of identity through food, the blogger behind Little Fat Boy presents 80 recipes that defined his childhood as a first-generation Taiwanese American growing up in the Midwest.


In First Generation, Frankie Gaw of Little Fat Boy presents a tribute to Taiwanese home cooking. With dishes passed down from generations of family, Frankie introduces a deeply personal and essential collection of recipes inspired by his multicultural experience, melding the flavors of suburban America with the ingredients and techniques his parents grew up with.

In his debut cookbook, Frankie will teach you to master bao, dumplings, scallion pancakes, and so much more through stunning visuals and intimate storytelling about discovering identity and belonging through cooking. Recipes such as Lap Cheong Corn Dogs, Honey-Mustard Glazed Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken, Stir-Fried Rice Cakes with Bolognese, Cincinnati Chili with Hand Pulled Noodles, Bao Egg and Soy Glazed Bacon Sandwich, and Lionshead Big Mac exemplify the stunning creations born out of growing up with feet in two worlds.

Through step-by-step photography and detailed hand-drawn illustrations, Frankie offers readers not just the essentials but endless creative new flavor combinations for the fundamentals of Taiwanese home cooking.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Asian Literature

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful, well designed, and intimately delivered cookbook – infused with stories of being First Generation Taiwanese American, and the uniquely fruitful journey of making sense of one’s home, kitchen, palate, and self.

[Taryn Emerick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully styled, photographed, designed and written! A combination of flavors, of drool-inducing food and touching story. And unlike many cookbooks I've picked up, nearly every recipe in this book is one I'd like to try.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly gorgeous cook book. Something about the design and layout and overall aesthetic here really speaks to me, and the photos are just mouth-watering. The concept is really lovely, as are the excerpts throughout, and there are SO many dishes that I cannot wait to make. Quite a few (such as the dumplings) are labor intensive, but there are a ton of photos and instructions, and I love the variety of flavors throughout and the fusion that I feel is truly representative of most great American cooking. Lay-flat binding, and nearly every recipe has a photo, though I do wish it was actually every single one, as inevitably the few that didn't have photos are all ones I want to make and I like photos! Truly a triumph of a book! Also--a good amount of veggie and vegan options PLUS a recipe for GF dumpling wrappers!

[Cheryl Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many tasty things to make and so little time! Some really nostalgic recipes and some new stuff I can’t wait to try.

[Jessica Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I meant to add this book waaaay back bc I’ve truly been making my way through it for a year now. One of the best written and beautifully photographed cookbooks I own. Everyone I’ve made from it has been really delicious, but fairly labor intensive. A perfect cookbook for a fun Sunday meal from starters to desserts.

[Peter Bergmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure if I can count a cookbook as “read” until I actually cook all the recipes but I read through this one page by page and it was beautiful. The memoir-style stories at the start of each chapter, the creative and personal recipes that I can’t wait to try, and gorgeous photographs make this one of my favorite cookbooks already.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the stories with each recipe. Frankie poured his soul into this cookbook. The page layout is beautiful, the images are wonderfully photographed, and the instructions clear and detail oriented. Cannot wait to see what Frankie makes next!

[McKenzie Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful cookbook plus coming out memoir- I want to make some of these recipes!!!!

[Julia Mcknight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this cookbook so much. There is a huge dumpling and bai section that I don’t see myself using anytime soon, I’m still recovering from an epic dumpling fail, but have aspirational feelings about and love to look at them. So gorge.
The dessert section has all items that contain a different kind of super sugary cereal that I would never buy so that is another section I would skip.
The Family Style section is where the magic is for me. I made Coca Cola Soy-glazed Baby Back Ribs last night and my fam loved it, I can’t wait to make it again! And again!

Excited to make Lion’s Head Big Mac, and also Chili Crisp Honey Roasted Whole Chicken.

Everything in the Small Eats chapter looks amazing.

I borrowed this cookbook from the library and was thinking about buying it. Last night I spilled a good amount of black vinegar on the ribs recipe page so now I have to buy it - from the library! It’s a great addition to my cookbook collection.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came here because I know the guy, stayed for the mini-memoirs between each section of recipes (and the cheeky step-by-step drawings).

Many lifetimes ago, Frankie and I were part of the same church youth group. He's a few years younger than me, and we were really only on first-name familiarity, but it still feels a little strange to read through this book and truly *know* some of the references. Also-- what a way to encapsulate the ABC experience, the feeling of not quite fitting in anywhere, and the representation of interactions with his elders. His love for his grandmothers, his aunts, his mother, and especially his father is imbued into every single square inch of this magnificent book. Looking forward to his next one!

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I noticed many of the 5-star ratings focused on the visuals of this book, and it IS very gorgeous. But there wasn’t much beyond that. The book is aesthetic because the author is a graphic designer and content creator, not a chef. I was honestly disappointed by all of the recipes. I think it’s unfair and misleading for folks to give this a 5-star without attempting any of the recipes for themselves. They’ll find that a lot of it is meh. Pretty with no substance. Great book for coffee tables, not for anyone who is actually interested in cooking.

[Erin Hsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Generation is one of those cookbooks that you can sit down and read like a memoir. Frankie Gaw’s stories about growing up—the blend of cultures, flavors, and memories—are tender, funny, and deeply human. You can feel the care and love in every entry, from the family anecdotes to the recipe notes that read like gentle invitations rather than instructions.

I haven’t cooked from it yet, but even just reading it feels nourishing. It’s a beautiful book inside and out—thoughtfully designed, heartfelt, and clearly made with intention. I can’t wait to get flour on the pages soon.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the most beautiful cookbooks I have seen. Especially the part on dumplings/bao. While the gorgeous pictures are intimidating, I think Frankie Gaw does a great job at breaking down concepts that people who are unfamiliar with Taiwanese cooking would be less familiar with. Lots of pictures/illustrations on how you are supposed to cook/prepare parts of the recipes which make the intimidating completed food shots seem less scary and make you feel like you could actually make them.

[Alex LR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I would cry reading a cookbook. This was before stumbling upon this absolute gem by Frankie Gaw. This beautiful, carefully crafted book blends Taiwanese and American food cultures into deceptively simple to execute, yet delicious recipes, while interweaving his personal and deeply touching first generation American story. If this peaked your interest, a lot of the recipes are available on his blog, Little Fat Boy: go try the tomato egg drop soup with dumplings! 5/5

[Nev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can a cookbook make you cry? This one did. The photography is beautiful, mouth watering and very helpful. Explanations are easily understandable and the writing is so full of emotion and memories.

I have only tried the dumplings yet (the make your own dumpling ratios produce a wonderful filling that I'll try again and again with different ingredients) but I can't wait to cook through the whole book as all the recipes just call to me.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankie Gaw - IT tech/developer, turned food blogger...

While the recipes weren't my style of food, loved the anecdotes and the stories on their development, marrying his Taiwanese grandmothers and family recipes and turning them a little sideways to update them with his twists on them per his personal taste.

Fun read.

[Abbigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and moving cookbook. I loved the essays in between the chapters. I only wish it was longer. Using cereal in nearly every dessert recipe feels pretty unrealistic, but I think the author pulls this off in a charming way that let's us get to know him.

[Dree]

Made:
Cold Ramen Noodle Salad with Ginger and Garlic Peanut Sauce: this was good, I halved the recipe (easy peasy). I love bowl meals they are so perfect for random leftovers or clean-out-the-fridge meals. I would add more kick to the sauce, but I love spicy peanut sauces

[Anna Bowser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure there's a bookish rule against rating a cookbook 5 stars before you've ever even made a recipe from the cookbook, but I don't care. I read this cookbook cover to cover and I loved every second of it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

easier recipes. interesting east meets west. some basic techniques.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting fusion ideas and lots of yummy sounding recipes.

[Patrick Marsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and considerately detailed

[Graham Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great photos, nice little personal notes, and a strong range of recipes that connect Taiwanese staple foods to so many other places.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to make dumplings.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!