About the Author
Penn Hongthong authored Simple Laotian Cooking. She is a cooking instructor at a
local adult education site and a cooking demonstrator at libraries since 2001. She recently
graduated from Suffolk Community College of Selden, NY.
Ms. Hongthong was born in Laos in 1962, immigrated to New York in 1980 with her eight siblings, parents, and grandmother. Upon their arrival the Hongthongs started learning English. Growing up in a large family, she has been cooking as long as she could remember. From this experience, she cultivated a large collection of traditional and healthy recipes.
A year after her arrival Ms. Hongthong moved to Portland, Oregon, where there was a large Laotian population. She married the following year while still in high school. Ms. Hongthong graduated in 1983 and gave birth to her daughter, Soutara, the following year. Soutara was born, Ms. Hongthong was very concerned about her daughter's future and returned her family to New York. Determined to make a better life for her daughter, Ms. Hongthong decided to go to college and work at the same time.
Ms. Hongthong attended Suffolk Community College of Selden in 1987 to 1990. While working, Ms. Hongthong shared her lunch with co-workers and they requested her to prepare very hot sauce. She started to make homemade hot sauce and sold them to co-workers. It became increasingly popular, but she lacked sufficient funds to manufacture it.
In 2000, she attended an Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, graduating in May of that year.
In October 2000, Ms. Hongthong contacted Newsday Food section, looking for a co-author for her cookbook. Joan Reminick, food writer for Newsday was interested in writing an article about Ms. Hongthong and her cooking. The article was published in Newsday's food section on October 8, 2000.
Both the Traveler Watchman on May 9, 2002 and The East Hampton Star February 7, 2003 were followed with articles covering her cooking demonstrations.
Ms. Hongthong's cookbook, Simple Laotian Cooking, was published by Hippocrene Books, Inc and was reviewed by the New York Daily News, New York Newsday, Compass, New York Times, Austin Chronicles, Jewish Herald-Voice and Long Island Gourmet TV.
Ms. Hongthong recently appeared on WLIW (public channel 21).