Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 38

Foodie Friday: Almond Cookie

Almond cookie: shortbread type of cookie with almond flavor

As a kid, we used to buy a box of these from the local Asian store. Those almond cookies were crisp and featured a red almond in the center. (The color of fortune? I don’t know, but after one of my kids reacted to the food coloring, I skipped to getting more natural-looking cookies.)

I once tried to make them in college for lunar new year or some sort of celebration, but failed. I couldn’t get the proper buttery flavor. (Key ingredient? I heard the special taste comes from lard. Oh, no wonder I didn’t get it right.) Here’s a nice recipe if you want to try and make it at home.

You can get them in the ethnic stores as well–or, like me, find family who work in the restaurant business and buy theirs!

Fun fact: April 9th is National Chinese Almond Cookie Day.

Book Blast

“Your career plans look bright.”

Just a little FYI that Dragonfly Dreams is listed on the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Book Blast page. The site features hundreds of new titles, covering the interests of toddlers to teens. Go ahead and check out my page! If you click on the heart and “like” it, you’ll hear a rousing cheer.

 

Also, don’t forget that I’ll be at the Manhattan Beach Library tonight (7pm) on a mystery authors’ panel.

Foodie Friday First: Nitrogen Ice Cream

Oh yeah, I tried that.

Nitrogen ice cream: ice cream made under super cold conditions 

Tiramisu flavor

I went and visited Creamistry, an ice cream shop that uses liquid nitrogen to produce its goods. Since it uses the quick chemical process, it ends up flash-freezing the batch of ice cream. It’s actually really neat to watch, all mist and icy temperatures. However, the actual product itself was a let down. Perhaps because there isn’t any slow churning involved, the scoop ends up being super dense, and there’s not the usual creaminess associated with ice cream. At least, I got a *cool* show, though.

Foodie Friday: Paradise Cake

Paradise cake: three layers of tropical flavor

I’m not sure if this cake is labeled “paradise” because it’s inspired by the beautiful island of Hawaii, or if it’s due to the spectacular flavors in it. I also love the three colors; the rainbow spread makes me feel so happy! This fluffy chiffon cake boasts the flavors of lime, guava, and passion fruit. Yum!

 

Mystery Mavens

“Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.”

Calling all mystery fans to Manhattan Beach! That’s right, I’ll be on a panel of mystery writers who live in or write about the South Bay.

Details are:

Monday, October 17, 2016 7:00pm

Manhattan Beach Library

1320 Highland Ave.

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Other authors present will be Sarah Chen, Sybil Johnson, and Lida Sideris.

Here’s a recap on my mystery writing (under the name of J.J. Chow):

Seniors Sleuth (2015), first in my book series
Finalist, 2015 CLUE Award
Runner-Up, 2015 Beach Book Festival



Case 01 (2016), a Winston Wong prequel short story (only 99 cents!)


Book 2 of the Winston Wong series is in the making, so stay tuned!

Foodie Friday: Panda Ice Cream Bar

I don’t know what’s going on with the weather. It’s been crazy hot recently. But fall has already started, right? (The first day of the autumnal equinox landed on September 22nd.)

Nevertheless, we’ve been battling high temperatures (even close to 100 degrees!) in the Los Angeles area. Weird. And, of course, we don’t have AC. We have windows and ceiling fans…and ice cream bars.

Panda ice cream bar: ice cream in an adorable bear shape

Isn’t this so cute? Sure, it’s just chocolate and vanilla molded into a panda body. But the cuteness surely enhances the flavor! And it is made in Taiwan, so it’s a cultural food experience. (The panda reminds me of our Taiwan trip and going to Taipei Zoo, where I got to see these animals up close!)

Squishies Obsession

“Look for happiness and you will find it.”

My kids found out about squishies in Mexico by way of Japan. Go figure. These cute (highly kawaii) guys are very squishable. You push them down, and then they rise up again. Also, they’ve each got a lovely fragrance. (The kids say you can make the perfume more pronounced if you keep squishies in the fridge.) Also, I love those adorable faces (see panda bun pic below!)

The kids call this cutie Mantou because she’s like those sweet steamed buns. And she smells yummy, too!

(One of my kids brought this to the dentist. “What a great stress reliever!” she said. Oh yeah, cute and squishy. Maybe I should get one!)

Foodie Friday First: Pretzel Burger

What should I put on top of my burger? How about a pretzel? My first:

Pretzel burger: hamburger wrapped in a pretzel bun

It’s kind of fun experimenting with hamburgers. A tried-and-true food, wrapped in something different. The pretzel bun lacks the sponginess of the classic version, but it’s got a nice heft to it. Plus, I think it adds some buttery flavor to the breading. I’m not sure it’ll be a go-to pick, but it was interesting to try out. Next up? Maybe the ramen burger. My dad’s already tried it (at Red Robin?!), with the crunchy noodles acting as the “buns.”

Your favorite kind of burger?

Mexico City, Part 2

“You are altruistic and will be involved in many humanitarian projects.”

Did you know that…

Over 20,000 Mexican children are victims of sex trafficking every year?
27 million is the estimated number of victims in the world today?

The organization I worked with in Mexico City is called El Pozo de Vida, or The Well of Life. It has a whole gamut of services, from prevention to intervention to restoration. Areas I helped with included:

Block party. An event thrown in the red light district to provide light to a dark area. There were flowers, churros, music, and manicures (which I gave out) to be had!
Nunayú. Jewelry-making program that gives women a good source of income. The nice ladies there even taught my kids how to make a braided bracelet!
Safe house. Haven for those under 18 who’ve been rescued. There was a lot of hanging out and just enjoying time together, complete with dancing (BTW, I’m horrible at Kinect!), board games, and cooking.
Transitional home. Independent living for those 18 and up. We spoke about dreams and encouraged young women going after their educational and career goals.
Virtual reality. High-tech goggles. New tech is being used to educate and bring girls’ stories to life, where you literally get to walk in their shoes.

We spent the most time with the teenagers in the safe home. I went out to help them, but the sweetness of the girls’ attitudes there blessed me instead. We got to have fun and celebrate together (quinceañera and even a birthday for one of my kids). This trip changed my perspective on what’s really important and how to really live embracing hope.

Foodie Friday: Chorizo

Chorizo: spiced pork sausage

The breakfast of champions

Breakfasts are huge in Mexico! And I mean, portion size. I don’t know how folks eat so much in the morning. The bread basket alone is intimidating. (I’m usually a simple toast kind of gal.)

However, I did enjoy my eggs with chorizo. It’s sausage packed full of flavor. I’ve had chorizo here in the States, but somehow the spices burst onto my tongue more in Mexico.

What breakfast foods have you tried recently?