Book excerpt: Join certified Chinese Master Chef Martin Yan as he revisits Asia on an insider's tour of three memorable and inspiring cuisines. Collecting recipes from top hotels and restaurants, food stalls, and home kitchens, Martin provides yet another definitive look at Asian cuisine in all its diversity. He first visits Hong Kong--where it all started for him as a thirteen-year-old restaurant apprentice--to decipher the vastly creative wonders of this culinary crossroads. Martin then heads to Taiwan, where he uncovers a microcosm of Chinese cuisine, with elements derived from every region and style found on the mainland. Finally, Martin takes his inaugural tour of Thailand, not so much visiting the country as experiencing it in its entire splendor, culinary and otherwise. The journey takes him from Chiang Mai in the north to Bangkok, the country's heart, to the spectacular beaches of the south. The range of Martin's experiences reflects the ingenuity and diversity of the cuisine, which, simply put, is like nothing else in the world. The companion book to his latest public television show, MARTIN YAN'S ASIAN FAVORITES continues Chef Yan's comprehensive exploration of the various cultures and cuisines of Asia.* Yan Can Cook: Asian Favorites will air nationwide on public television stations continuously over the next two years.* Includes 150 recipes and over 75 food and location photos.* Martin Yan is the author of 24 cookbooks and has been the host of more than 1,750 cooking shows.* Martin Yan's books have sold over 1.5 million copies."There will be new surprises and discoveries on every corner, and new lessons about my Asian neighbors that I'm embarrassed to admit I hadn't already learned. It matters little how many years I have lived in North America. I will forever feel at home in Asia, where I can wander down to any street vendor's food cart or neighborhood restaurant and grab a bite of the same snacks or meal that fed my body and my soul while I was growing up." --From the introduction