Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 33

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Foodie Friday: Mushrooms

Mushrooms: Shiitake and Oyster

Growing up, I remember the smell of mushroom filling the house. We purchased dried-up shiitakes and had to rehydrate them. Left to sit in a bowl of water, they’d plump up over a few hours and fill the house with their woodsy aroma.

The shiitake mushroom caps are humongous. I remember them being the size of my small child’s palm sometimes. They’re a soft consistency, almost too slimy to eat for a kid.

The oyster mushroom, on the other hand, is more delicate. They have slimmer stalks and a blander flavor. Texture-wise, they’re also a little crisper, more akin to the common white button mushroom.

Fun fact: Oyster mushrooms have a cholesterol-lowering compound known as lovastatin.

Not so fun fact:  Shiitake mushrooms, if eaten raw or not cooked well, can produce an allergic reaction known as shiitake dermatitis.

#BookReview: Under the Feet of Jesus

“You have an accurate and professional mind.”

Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes

3.5 stars

Pros:

Clear snapshot of farming life
Complex characters

Cons:

Not plot-paced, a slower read
Less about the teen protagonists (though they serve as main characters)

3.5 stars. I really liked the picture Viramontes gives us of field workers. It’s a fascinating and heartbreaking world that I didn’t have much exposure to. The words in the novel are all beautiful, poetic.

My only issue was with the teen relationship at the core of the story. I felt that there wasn’t enough resolution at the end of the novel. However, I really appreciated learning about the families and workers that pull together in the fields.

Overall, an interesting and needed read about migrant workers.

Find more of my book ratings and reviews here.

Foodie Friday First: Kolaches

On my spring break trip, I discovered these pastry delights…

Kolaches: Czech pastries

They’re soft, puffy dough pastries filled traditionally with sweet fixings. There were tons of bakeries selling these goodies around Texas. The more modern savory ones were stuffed with sausages or pulled pork. However, the tried-and-true types were dessert-like in taste.

They remind me of danishes, but the outside layer isn’t crumbly or flaky. It’s a softer, pillow-like texture. Kolaches are great for a sweet and filling snack. Want an easier way to make them? How about by using a bread machine?

 

TaiwanYes Houston

“You are admired for your adventurous ways.”

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I traveled to Texas over spring break. When I heard there was a Taiwanese festival happening when I would be around, I went and checked it out. Hosted by the Taiwanese Association of America, Houston Chapter, the cultural event is called TaiwanYes Houston.

It’s inspired by the vibrant Taiwanese night market. Except it’s held during the day. Yeah, that confused me for a bit, too. However, like a traditional night market, there was an abundance of food, games, and cultural activities. Here’s a whirlwind tour of my time there:

Food

A lot of night market food consists of snacks. Here are a few folks working hard to make bubble waffles:

Some of the things I sampled that day were yam balls, takoyaki, and minced pork over rice (see pic below).

Games

There were several booths offering carnival games. A few of them were the usual fare, like ring toss. However, there were new ones that caught my eye, such as “Whack a Balloon”:

Other lesser-known games they had included goldfish scooping (small circular nets to catch fish) and Taiwanese pinball.

Activities

Besides the live musical entertainment, cultural activities were held indoors (great because Houston is hot!). The main interactive stations involved calligraphy, dough figurines, umbrella and fan painting, and hacky sacks.

Oil-paper umbrellas are traditionally made from bamboo sticks, and the shades are covered over in persimmon oil. Traditionally, they were crafted by the Hakka people in the Meinong district of Kaoshiung for cultural ceremonies. In fact, the typical marriage dowry included these umbrellas because of the characters for “paper” (sounds similar to the word for son) and “umbrella” (has five person characters in it, symbolizing fertility).

Taiwanese hacky sacks are also affiliated with the Hakka people, the second largest ethnic group in Taiwan. The sacks are made by sewing cloth scraps together and filling them with rice, beans, or sand. Typically, bright floral fabric is used to make the sets of three to five hacky sacks. The toys are played by tossing them in the air by hand while chanting traditional rhymes.

Foodie Friday: Chestnut Cake

It’s been a while since I’ve had roasted chestnuts. They make me think of winter and Christmas songs. But I did go for some chestnut cake recently.

Chestnut cake: soft pastry with chestnut paste

It’s a sweet offering that uses chestnut paste in the middle of soft doughy layers. The Japanese chestnuts used on the inside are a bit like sweet potato in taste and density.

Thumbs-up!

Fun fact: Besides being eaten by themselves, chestnuts can be incorporated in a Japanese rice dish

LA Times Festival of Books

“A thrilling time is in your immediate future.”

The last time I went to the Festival of Books, it was held at the UCLA campus (go, Bruins!). Most recently, though, the event occurred at USC. A weekend-long event (April 22&23), it gathered together readers, writers, and book-lovers. There were sessions for listening to speakers and opportunities to get signed books.

Rows of booths (I was at the SCBWI one) provided a chance to hobnob with authors and also seek out services: the library system, publishers, etc. There was even a Taiwan tourism booth!

Here are pics from my day:

My stash of books at the SCBWI booth

 

My lovely boothmates, Nancy Lorenz (left) and Glenda Armand (middle)

 

Ran into fellow author Dr. Barbara Christie, who I first met at the SCBWI conference last summer

A few tips for next time?

Wear sunscreen (because it’s blazing hot)
Go early to the food trucks (the boba truck had a super long wait time)
Make a schedule (there’s so much to see, so it’s best to write down what booths/author events you want to visit, so you can better organize your time)

P.S. Guess what, Target shopper? Here’s my book for you to order: 

http://www.target.com/p/dragonfly-dreams-paperback-jennifer-j-chow/-/A-51172385

Foodie Friday: Taiwanese Snow

So there’s no snow in Cali (except up in the mountains). When I want to cool down, I grab some shaved snow.

Shaved snow: cold and creamy dessert

I love how it has a silky soft texture instead of the harder quality of shaved ice. Snow seems to consist of almost ice-cream-like pieces that melt in your mouth. Yummy!

How do you stay cool?

Texas Trip

“Adventure awaits you.”

Over spring break, I traveled to Texas. Though I expected to hear more twang, I got quite a few ma’ams and y’alls. People were very polite and hospitable there. Here are a few highlights:

Spotted some longhorns:

 

Grabbed kolaches as snacks–there are quite a number of bakeries specializing in these Czech treats:

Listened to live music:

Watched bats fly out into the night:

Crossed the border into Louisiana and went crabbing!

Where have you gone recently?

Foodie Friday First: Queso

Hi, y’all!

I went to Texas for spring break, and I heard about…

Queso: cheesy dip for chips

So I checked out a local Tex-Mex place and dipped in. At first, I thought it was just like Velveeta (not my favorite). But the version I had was made from white cheeses. An addictive combination of cheese and peppers, it was layered with beef picadillo. The flavor wasn’t too spicy but did add extra oomph to the chips. I also loved the creaminess of it.

A thumbs-up from me for queso! (I’ll be posting more about my trip this coming Monday.)

See me tomorrow at the Los Angeles Festival of Books from 10am-11:50am at booth #518 by the Children’s Stage! http://losangeles.scbwi.org/latfob-2017/