[Photo provided to China Daily]

Have you translated cookbooks before?

No, But I've been using cookbooks in English for years. As a previous editor of one of Shanghai's English lifestyle magazines, I have written a lot of restaurant reviews, about food from all over the world, so I have a clear concept about food. After we moved to Dali about 10 years ago, I had time and interest to cook for my family on a daily basis, and having read all kinds of recipes, I understand not only the whole process of cooking, but also ingredients and utensils for Western cooking. I guess that helped a lot for the job.

What are the special challenges of translating cookbooks?

Western and Chinese cooking are very different - ie, Chinese cooking involves just one big cleaver and a wok, while Western cooking has a lot of fun kitchen toys and uses the oven. So there are some techniques that are not familiar to Chinese readers. Some require very precise measurements such as teaspoons, tablespoons - ml to grams - while Chinese cookbooks always say: a bit of this, a bit of that. Newbies would probably be put off reading Western cookbooks, but once they tried to make something, and if the result was good enough, I'm sure that they'd have more confidence next time.

Did you work with Jamie Oliver directly at all during these projects?

I haven't worked with Jamie Oliver directly in any way. I've known about him for more than a decade, and used quite a few of his cookbooks before, watched his cooking programs and bought his video about his Italian trip, etc. So he's not a stranger to me at all, and translating the cookbooks is quite straightforward, not that I don't want to meet him in person. I always hoped to cook with him if he ever visited China, or when I go to the UK.