Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 22

Navajo taco

Navajo taco: a taco on special bread

If you recall, I went to the Grand Canyon for spring break. Such gorgeous scenery! On the way there, I swung by Cameron Trading Post, located at the edge of a Navajo Indian reservation.

I had read about the delicious food served at their restaurant and had to try the Navajo taco. It has the usual fixings: ground beef, beans, green chile, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese.

What makes it stand out is the superior springy frybread. It’s like a much bigger, flatter donut. Actually, it reminded me a lot of the Chinese deep-fried ghost.

Needless to say, I loved it! (If you want to make one yourself, try your hand at this recipe.)

Happy eating, everyone!

Spring break

“Plan to have some fun.”

I was quiet on my blog lately because I was on spring break! It was nice to have some time off to relax and get away from it all.

First, we checked out Page, Arizona. I took a chance to soak in serenity by visiting the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. It was so peaceful watching the sun’s rays sparkle on the water.

The only visitor disturbing the area was this chuckwalla lounging on a rock.

Horseshoe Bend is a short distance away from Page, and we arrived to photograph its iconic shape against the setting sun.

Page is also near the famous Antelope Canyon with its amazing sandstone walls. We opted for the less crowded tour of Canyon X. Since the canyon is on sacred Navajo land, we had a tour guide showing us the sights.

Then we hopped over to the Grand Canyon. Here’s a combo of pics: sunrise shot, amazing vista, and a photo celebrating the centennial of the park.

Wordless Wednesday: Mermaid Door

International Friends

“Opportunity knocks on your door every day–answer it.”

Hi, international buddies! I’m talking to you readers from Australia, Canada, India, and the UK. Have I got a deal for you!

I’m running an International BookBub deal starting today. For a limited time, you can buy the first novel in my Winston Wong series for only 99 cents (65 rupees in India) on Amazon, Apple, and Kobo. Seniors Sleuth is a CLUE Award Finalist book and currently has 56 reviews with a 4-star rating. It’s even blurbed by an Edgar Award-winning author!

Want a few more reviews?

“Winston Wong, a slacker game developer in the middle of Silicon Valley, is a completely charming rookie sleuth.”
-Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai and Officer Ellie Rush mysteries

“Seniors Sleuth is written with warmth, humor and an eccentric cast of characters and, most of all, a loveable hero.”
-Hannah Dennison, author of The Honeychurch Hall Mysteries and The Vicky Hill Mysteries

“Seniors Sleuth is a charming, humorous novel with an intriguing storyline wrapped with endearing characters.”
-Lois Lavrisa, bestselling award-winning author of Dying for Dinner Rolls 

“A book that will make you laugh, with fun witty characters and a story line so good you won’t want to stop reading it.”-Shelley’s Book Case

Spread the word about this amazing opportunity!

Here are the Amazon links:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seniors-Sleuth-Winston-Wong-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00X4PAISW

https://www.amazon.in/Seniors-Sleuth-Winston-Wong-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00X4PAISW

https://www.amazon.ca/Seniors-Sleuth-Winston-Wong-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00X4PAISW

https://www.amazon.com.au/Seniors-Sleuth-Winston-Wong-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00X4PAISW

Wedding Woes is out in the Wild!

Hello, Winston Wong readers!

You’re in luck because his latest detective adventure is out. This time Winston is prepping for his wedding day–only to be snared in a murder case. Will he find the killer in time to fix everyone’s happily ever after?

Find Wedding Woes on Amazon and other retailers .

P.S. If you purchase now, the e-book version is having a special 99 cents sale for a limited time!

Foodie Friday: Taiwanese Hot Dog

Taiwanese Hot Dog: sausage in sticky rice bun

This is a popular dish at food stands in Taiwan. It’s also known as small sausage in large sausage. I’ve had this before at night market, and it’s a fun treat. I love the way it’s char-grilled and so juicy.

I recently had this in a more polite, use-your-forks way (see picture above). For some reason, I didn’t enjoy it as much the second time around. Perhaps it’s because you can’t really pick up the sticky rice portion. Or maybe the ratio of sausage and rice gets altered.

Anyway, if you’re a fan of sticky rice in dim sum
restaurants, the Taiwanese hot dog (at least at authentic night markets) can’t
be beat.  

Wordless Wednesday: Purple Flowers

BookBub Revisited

“You will receive a compliment from a stranger.”

I wanted to revisit my BookBub campaign to dissect the outcome with a little more distance than right after the deal. Though BB didn’t yield the quick results I expected, I do appreciate the experience. My book, Dragonfly Dreams, got a lot more readers because of the campaign.

I feel like my young adult novel is an extreme type of book. People either love it or hate it.

I now have two profiles on the BookBub site and have secured some new followers:

Jennifer J. Chow (17 followers); my more serious Asian American booksJ.J. Chow (4 followers); my lighthearted mysteries

The nice thing about BookBub is that the free deal boosted my review count. Currently, there are 22 reviews (note: in January, I had 13 reviews). Also, I do feel encouraged by some of the latest reviews from strangers picking up my book:

@Elizabeth1981

Loved this book! Didn’t want it to ever end!!!

@jxbail00

Not my average book to read but telling everyone I know that this is a must-read…

@ronald_keeler

Dragonfly Dreams by Jennifer J. Chow will be an eye-opening opportunity in cultural education for Western readers new to Asian culture.

Thanks, BookBub!

Wordless Wednesday: Palm Tree

Foodie Friday: Earl Grey Brioche

Earl Grey brioche: bread flavored with Earl Grey tea

A lot of Asian bakeries like to infuse tea into their pastries. Usually, there’s a splash of matcha in a few items. This time around, though, I wanted to check out the Earl Grey offerings.

I found the Earl Grey brioche.

The bread was soft and thick. However, it wasn’t the same fluffy texture of a classic brioche pastry.

I really enjoyed the black striations of tea mixed in. There’s something rich about the taste and scent of bermagot.

My only gripe involved the topping. The fancy layer of white chocolate swirls made the item too sweet and overpowered the subtle tea flavor. Mostly, though, I enjoyed the chance to eat tea for once!

Fun fact: The tea is named after Earl Charles Grey of England (Prime Minister from 1830-1834).

(P.S. There’s a legend that indicates the recipe was given by a Chinese tea blender whose son the prime minister saved from drowning. Though probably fiction, it’s still a fun story to tell.)