And he has all his fingers

Once again, my annual support of public broadcasting has reaped unexpected dividends.
Two weeks ago, I received a postcard from KQED, one of the local PBS stations we sponsor, inviting me to a reception & book signing at their broadcast offices in San Francisco.
The guest of honor?

Martin Yan, legendary Chinese chef, PBS icon, & Sam’s personal cooking idol~ Sweet!
We’ve been watching his shows for nearly 20 years, & it is not uncommon to hear this phrase, ringing through the kitchen~

“If Yan can cook…so can you!”

Chris had the day off (first one in 2 weeks) & I left work at 3:30, so the three of us arrived in S.F. in plenty of time. Let me tell you~ this was a class act all the way around; there was complimentary valet parking, docents on hand to give tours of the station (which broadcasts both television & radio), & the “light refreshments” were a major misnomer-



grilled veggies, steamed pork buns, mini takeout cartons with stir fried noodles, planks of salmon, bowls of curried shrimp, beef skewers, & stacks of almond, coconut, & fortune cookies, washed done with a choice of 4 wines.



We bought two of Martin’s new book, Martin Yan’s China- one for us & the other for Chris’ Mom, who is a huge fan- as well as his signature Chinese knife set, with chopsticks & seasoning booklet. We were able to have the books autographed & take a photo with Martin, a funny, charming, & gracious gentleman.



After a quick tour of the facilities, we settled into the studio for a cutting & cooking demo, followed by a preview of the new program series. Martin is a stitch~ we laughed for nearly the whole hour

As we left the building, the docents literally filled our shopping bag with fortune cookies, & chocolate truffles, & we were met at the curb by our car, nice & warm on the slightly foggy evening.

Oh, did I mention~ it was all free?

Once again, it’s good to be me.