"In most families in China, father was the boss" Cecilia tells viewers, "but in our family my mother was the boss." Cecilia's mother was very short and plump, loved to eat and was a very good cook. But with 12 children and a husband to feed, she left the cooking to her two chefs who turned out different elaborate lunches and dinners each day-food that can no longer be found, even in China. At the table the mother would go into detail about each dish. Cecilia called upon this knowledge when she opened the first Mandarin restaurant. In this episode, Cecilia cooks with Gary Danko who also learned about food from his mom. In the kitchens of Restaurant Gary Danko, where reservations are coveted like winning lottery tickets, Cecilia and Gary recreate the Mandarin's crispy Szechuan duck and then Gary shows Cecilia his lemon pepper duck breast with confit duck hash.
