Mention her name to any area foodie and they immediately know who she is. Ellen Yin has clearly made her own mark on the region's food and restaurant industry.

The brain trust behind Fork Restaurant and Fork, etc., a wonderful gourmet eatery, take out and food specialty retail store, right next store to the restaurant, in Old City, Philadelphia, Yin has fashioned herself as a successful female entrepreneur in a still male-dominated (even though slowly becoming a more female-friendly) industry.

Yin has established her own presence in Philadelphia as a pioneer restaurateur in the now popular and stylish Old City. She has engaged, over the eleven years, area foodies with special events, extending the concept originally created by the annual The Book and The Cook, by hosting dinners, tasting, cookbook author readings and signings, among other ways to bring together like-minded people.

Extremely community-minded and philantrophic, Yin has dedicated her efforts to a wide range of projects and causes like culinary scholarships as well as supporting, in various ways, non-profits like the Arden Theater Company, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the First Person Festival and the Philadelphia Film Society, just to name a few.

For more than a decade, Yin has been creating and recreating the restaurant, now the gourmet shop, too, into "its own unique culture" as she discusses both in her unique and fascinating book, Forklore: Tales and Recipes from an American Bistro, published by Temple University Press (the publishing company's first cookbook).

Thom Cardwell (TC):  How do you create a "culture" for a restaurant?

Ellen Yin (EY):  I can't overemphasize the importance of the staff, all of them, but the front of the house people are crucial. They interact with the public, the diners, and they play such a critical role in the success of a restaurant. They have to comprehend and project a clear vision of, in my case, the new American bistro. They must become believers in our philosophy. They have to be hospitable, responsible and friendly. Ultimately, they really have to exude that vision to the diners.

TC:  Being brought up in an ethnically defined, family environment, (in your case, Chinese-American) what does it take to broaden your food horizons, your palate?

EY:  It was definitely difficult being first-generation American. When I was growing up, my parents were totally defined by their roles and their worlds. My mother stayed being a homemaker. My father was an engineer so, at least, unlike my mother, he was out in the world. While we ate good food as children and teenagers, we wanted to eat TV dinners, pizza, junk food. We wanted to become assimilated into the American way of eating that would lead us to the classic American way of life. Once I began working in restaurants, I was able to move away from the traditional Chinese dishes that my mother served. I discovered ethnic cuisines in restaurants, French and Thai, among others. I have to admit as a graduate student I began to really enjoy eating out, always seeking something unusual to try, discover, and enjoy.

TC:  What motivated you to open Fork, etc.?

EY:  Probably, somewhat out of being bored, having the feeling that I'd been a little constrained, and there was definitely some ego-motivation in the mix. I was thinking about some new challenges, then the rental space next door to the restaurant, Fork, became available. It then became inevitable. I have to admit that three years later, it's my greatest challenge. Fork, etc., is all about prepared foods, everything has to be made in advance. It's totally a learning curve for me to understand. The economics are entirely different; the traditional cost structure for a restaurant doesn't apply to this venture. Staffing is entirely different, even customer response.

TC:  How do women fit into this restaurant and food service industry?

EY:  Well, we're not discriminated against but the work ethnic is difficult. It's not a normal industry. It's clearly still a very male-dominated industry but has gotten more female-friendly. But because of the demands, the long and sometimes impossible hours, having to work on weekends and even holidays, the industry isn't right for many, many women. There aren't enough women in the kitchen job market--as line chefs, sous chefs, chefs. They're just not there. Frankly, I'm married to my business. It's like the restaurant is my house and the people, the diners, are guests in my house but all the time.

TC: Why did you want to write a cookbook?

EY:  I actually have a few books in mind for me to write. I even considered even self-publishing them. Then folks at Temple University Press approached me about writing about the history of Fork Restaurant upon the occasion of its tenth anniversary. After an entire decade, there are many stories, many experiences, many challenges, many things to share with readers. The writing of the book didn't work out the way I anticipated. I didn't know where to go, what direction to take my story, my history. I thought about calling the book, "Fork in the Road." But that didn't seem to be about me, but, in another way, it is about me. When the title, "Forklore" was suggested, the book was to focus upon essays and tales. Tales--about what? My job was to define what an American bistro is all about. So, there are many stories, then so many recipes that had been documented at the restaurant over a ten-year period. In choosing recipes from a decade of menus, I had to select dishes that were memorable so they're included in the book. Sometimes, other recipes seem to dictate the telling of the story, so they're included. In the end, I have 100 recipes in "Forklore."