As a child growing up in a Chinese American household, there were few things I loved more than eating good Chinese food. Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories revolve around making delicious treats in the kitchen together with my grandparents whenever they had the chance to visit us from China (not often!). The food we created together was better than anything we could get at a Michelin-starred restaurant. While the recipes mentioned in the WINNIE ZENG series are reinventions of anything I might have whipped up in the kitchen during those days, the feelings they invoke in Winnie are identical to the feelings they invoked in me—feelings of love and appreciation for one’s family and culture. There are so many holidays that revolve around food; in fact, any time there’s any kind of large gathering of family and/or friends, food is almost certain to be involved. To me, food has always been magical, and it was only a matter of time before I wrote books about magical food!
In the WINNIE ZENG series, Winnie discovers her deceased grandmother’s magical cookbook and, through baking mooncakes from a recipe described within, unleashes her grandmother’s spirit. I have always believed that good food is central to a solid family unit—that food is its own language and can transcend any language barriers. Even though Winnie never had a chance to know her grandmother in life, through her shaman powers that are awakened by food, she’s given a second chance to reconnect with her long-lost grandmother as they team up to save the world, which is one of the most precious moments in the series. Winnie also has a rocky relationship with her bossy older sister Lisa, and they ultimately reconcile and come to an understanding because of Winnie’s food. There are moments in the books where Winnie connects with her mother via cooking as well. Food becomes a bridge between so many different characters in the story, just as it helped bridge any language barriers between my relatives and me so many years ago. Ultimately, it’s because Winnie is able to use food made from these recipes to connect with her family, friends, and community, that makes her such a powerful young shaman.
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I found it especially important to highlight food as a source of power because of how food has been wielded against people of different cultural backgrounds. Many children of immigrants have experienced a “Lunchbox Moment”, where we’ve looked around the school cafeteria to realize that our ethnic food looks nothing like what our other classmates are eating. Sometimes, the sight and smell of such food would invoke rude comments from our peers. Some of us grew to become ashamed of not just our ethnic food, but our cultures as a whole. And the consequences of those Lunchbox Moments are such that those shameful memories can follow us into adulthood, serving as a constant reminder that we don’t belong (even if that’s untrue). How devastating it is that food, the very thing that makes our cultures special, has often further ostracized those of us in the margins. I created the WINNIE ZENG series with these moments from my own childhood in the back of my mind. Winnie is, in many ways, just like myself—a Chinese American girl who wants to make her family and community proud, but in order to do so, she has to overcome her own internal battles, including the desire to cast off that which sets her apart from her peers. In fact, Winnie derives her powers from exactly what ostracizes her in the school cafeteria at first—her food! She embraces her heritage and uses her grandmother’s yummy recipe creations to fight evil. It is only because Winnie embraces her heritage that she is able to unleash such wonderful magic. And that, in the end, makes Winnie’s successes as a fledgling shaman that much more exciting and rewarding, in my humble opinion.
While the food we eat in the real world might not give us magical powers (well, as far as we’re aware…), I’ve always thought of food primarily as a means of bonding with those we care about. That is its own brand of magic, of course. In passing along Winnie Zeng’s adventures and recipes to you, the reader, I hope my words have touched your life in some small way as well.
About WINNIE ZENG VANQUISHES A KING
Calling all Shamans: The Department of Supernatural Record-Keeping was ransacked, and unauthorized portals are appearing everywhere! In Book 2 of the Winnie Zeng series, WINNIE ZENG VANQUISHES A KING (Random House Books for Young Readers | On sale April 25, 2023 | Ages 8-12 | ISBN: 9780593426616), Shamans Winnie and David must find a way to capture all the rogue spirits to save the day!
Winnie and David have been protecting the town of Groton, Michigan while training with their overspirits, Lao Lao and Emperor Joe. With Halloween around the corner, the balance between realms is growing fragile. Evil spirits are running loose and threatening the town! A new Shaman, Kelly, is assigned to help Winnie and David restore peace and protect the town…but Kelly is just the worst. Not only is she perfect at everything, she also has an ego to match. Can the three of them find a way to work together?
WINNIE ZENG VANQUISHES A KING incorporates elements from the Chinese mythology, Journey to the West, about a legendary pilgrimage of a monk, Tang Seng, and his disciples – Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), Zhu Baijie (Pigsy), Sha Wujing (Sandy), and the White Dragon Horse – on a journey to the west to fetch Buddhist scriptures while fighting off attacks from demons. The book also features mouth-watering Chinese dishes and snacks, including beef noodle soup, almond cookies and White Rabbit candy. Back matter includes two recipes from Winnie’s Cookbook for readers to try out at home.
A coming-of-age story filled with magic, the Winnie Zeng series has something for every reader. Winnie’s story celebrates many quintessential kid experiences and is perfect for Asian American readers hungry to see themselves reflected in a joyful story. Check out book 1 in the series, Winnie Zeng Unleashes A Legend!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katie Zhao is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned a BA in English and political science in 2017 and an MA in accounting in 2018. She is the author of the Dragon Warrior series, How We Fall Apart, Last Gamer Standing, and the Winnie Zeng series. She’s a passionate advocate for diverse representation in literature and media.
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