This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Martin Yan Cooks, Entertains at Newark Library

After more than 30 years of food and travel shows, the star of "Yan Can Cook" demonstrates his skills for food fans in Newark.

Celebrity chef and author Martin Yan kept visitors laughing Saturday as he showed off his knife skills, shared his vast culinary knowledge and raised funds for the city’s reading institution.

“This library is for the community,” Yan told audience members during a question and answer session before his cooking demonstration, which was organized by the Newark Library League. “Remember, PG&E doesn’t give them the lighting for free.”

According to Adult Services Librarian Barbara Telford-Ishdia, nearly 160 adults and children attended Saturday's cooking demonstration. 

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The star of Yan Can Cook and Martin Yan’s China used his quick wit and infectious good humor to auction off his book, Martin Yan’s Hidden China. The impromptu auctioneer behind the portable stovetops revved up bidders near the children’s book section and eventually had two library patrons agreeing to pay $205 for two autographed books plus Martin Yan aprons, knives and other cooking tools.

“If you donate $10,000 to the library, not only will I sign every page of the book and get autographs from Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay, I will also cook at your house,” Yan joked at the end of the auction.

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Yan has produced more than 3,000 cooking shows that have been broadcast around the world.

“I’ve been doing this before Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel,” Yan told audience members.

Yan has also written 30 books covering his culinary expertise and travel adventures.

“I remember when we were getting started, there was Graham Kerr’s Galloping Gourmet, Julia Child’s French Chef and Yan Can Cook,” Yan said. “Now there’s 300 to 400 cooking shows and travel cooking shows. I still enjoy it. The competition makes it (the shows) better. It makes you work hard, improve and do a better job.”

Yan completed his master's degree in food science at the University of California, Davis, and has taught aspiring chefs at the Culinary Institute of America, the Chinese Cuisine Institute in Hong Kong and other schools.

Saturday he showed audience members how to cut paper-thin slices of vegetables. He also demonstrated how to use a tomato peel to fashion a rose blossom, then used his edible "flower" to highlight his kung pao chicken. 

After placing a frozen chicken on his cutting board, Yan taught audience members how to cut up the bird in 18 seconds flat.

Yan created kung pao chicken and beef with oyster sauce on the spot. He sautéed both dishes simultaneously, in separate woks.

Aftereards, he signed books and posed for pictures with audience members. 

Marita Villanueva, one of the food enthusiasts who attended, said she enjoyed the demonstration and appreciated Yan’s emphasis on how home-cooked meals should bring families together.

“His presentation was so entertaining,” she said. “I’ve seen him a lot on TV. It’s so wonderful seeing him in person.”

Yan’s motto is, “If Yan can cook, so can you.” Another audience member, Jackie Tuazon, said she may try to copy Yan's tomato-peel rose blossom at home.

“He’s very funny and very entertaining,” she said.

Whether he’s educating and entertaining millions of food fans on PBS stations or 100 Newark Library visitors, Yan says he is satisfied when he can make anyone laugh.

“If I can make one person smile, that’s what I love,” he added.

Yan is scheduled to visit the Castro Valley Library on March 19.

You can read more about his television shows and books here.

Check out more photos from the cooking demonstration on the Newark Library's Facebook page.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Newark