Power Moms of the Food World

To say Hsiao-Ching Chou wears many hats would be an understatement. This Seattle, WA mom is a former writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper and now serves as Director of Communications for the Institute for Systems Biology, a world-renowned nonprofit research organization. But what she’s known around town for is her Chinese food recipes and cooking. Hsiao-Ching started My Chinese Soul Food in 2009 to share the simple, home-style Chinese recipes on that she relied on as a harried mother with a 2-year-old and an infant. She also teaches at Hot Stove Society, the cooking school owned by celebrity chef Tom Douglas. And in her “spare time,” she is writing her first cookbook, Chinese Soul Food: A Friendly Guide for Homemade Dumplings, Stir Fries, Soups and More. She notes that while her full-time job sustains her family financially, her activities in food and writing sustain her passion. She also loves cooking with her children, and is committed to making sure they have a healthy relationship with food.

Proudest Personal Accomplishments: “I picked up running after I turned 40. I started on the treadmill with the goal of jogging for a mile without stopping. Eventually I worked my way up to 5K. While my goal wasn’t to lose weight, I ended up losing more than 30 pounds. Having been overweight all of my life, it was an accomplishment to have shed the pounds. More importantly than that, I improved my physical health. I have since run several more races and, when I work out, I have to run a minimum of 5K to feel any impact.”

photo courtesy of Hsiao-Ching Chou