Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 49

Foodie Friday: Green Onion Pancake

Green onion pancake: Chinese flatbread with scallions

In college, one of my friends invited me to make my first scallion pancake. She mixed flour and water together, creating a smooth dough. Then we added in the fresh green onions and fried them in the wok (thanks for the lesson, Melissa!). Simple and tasty! Try your hand at cooking your own (or you can fry the frozen ones found at the local Asian supermarket).

Name a dish that you made with a friend. 

Swag Team

“People are waiting for cues from you.”

My friend Lisbeth’s cool dragonfly teapot.

Tired of waiting for news from me? Well, here’s my latest writing update: My upcoming novel, DRAGONFLY DREAMS, is moving along speedily with my publisher. It’s scheduled to be released November/December 2015 by Booktrope.

If you like historical YA mixed with paranormal elements, this is the book for you. It’s got:

Culture
Death
Family drama
Good versus evil
Spirits

Want more than just to buy the book? Glad you asked. You can also be part of my street swag team. Help me figure out the promotional material to go along with my book and get some free stuff. Here are the details:

Assist in designing swag–and get free swag for you and a few friends!
Commit to posting a review of the book–and read a free e-arc of the novel (pdf format)!
Spread the word about the novel–and receive super appreciation from me!

Let me know if you’re in!

Foodie Friday: Satay Tofu

Satay tofu: grilled tofu smothered in spicy peanut sauce

This one’s for my vegetarian friends! Satay tofu features crisp tofu with soft insides, doused with a good amount of delicious peanut sauce.

I love satay with its fun skewers and grilled meats (or tofu, in this case). I’m also a big fan of peanut butter (which was why I was so dismayed in Spain), and I’m addicted to the traditional satay sauce. So satay tofu is a winning combo for me!

Fun fact:  Satay is known as sate in Malay. Since there are so many satay stalls in Kajang, Selangor, it is known as Sate City in Malaysia. 

Senior Living, Star-Trek Style

“Tomorrow your creative side will shine forth with exceptional ideas.”

Okay, maybe not exactly like Star Trek, but there are some cool developments for senior living. When your entire apartment is a medical monitor, can robust health be maintained?

One new live-in-laboratory in Texas examines this idea. It boasts amenities, like:

face recognition software (to analyze skin color and potential health issues)
keyless entry
sensors-studded floor (monitors the body 50 times a second)

Would you or your loved one live in a place like this?

Foodie Friday First: Mochi Sesame Ball

Mochi sesame ball: a sesame ball made mochi-like

You would think this would be a big hit with me. I’ve blogged before about how I enjoy both mochi and sesame balls. I picked up this treat at the local bakery, but it didn’t pass with flying colors.

The big disappointment was the texture of the mochi. It didn’t have the chewy consistency. Instead, it was harder and drier. I’m also used to the bright pop of white sesame seeds, and it didn’t deliver on that either.

Verdict: A thumbs-down for this baked good.

 

Lucky Dollar

“Your luck will soon be at a high point.”

When is a dollar worth more than a dollar? This lucky bill was given to me by a family friend. Look closely at the serial number. Do you see the row of 8’s?

Since the Chinese for “eight” sounds like the word for “wealth,” people think it’s quite lucky. These special dollar bills were snatched up by those looking for prosperity in their near future.

Fun fact: Opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in China happened on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8pm local time. 

Foodie Friday: Roti Revisited

Curry roti with beef: roti stuffed with ground beef

One of my favorite Malaysian treats is roti canai. I recently tried a new version of it: roti filled with beef. Kind of like a Malaysian calzone.

Sadly, I was underwhelmed–even with the winning curry sauce. It’s because the meat ends up overpowering the flavor. Also, the filling reduces the light and flaky texture that’s a key element of the flatbread. Next time, I’m going for the original!

Fun fact: Roti is also known as “flying bread” because of the way it’s made (through spinning the dough in the air). 

Off the Grid

“From the floors of the ocean, the waves of the tide, a vacation awaits you far and wide.”

Those of you following my blog know it went dark last week. Why? I was out cruising to Alaska.

I’ve been writing this blog since 2012, and I usually pre-schedule posts during holidays and vacations. This time around, I took a true break.

So if you’re looking to do some virtual escaping, here are a few highlights from my trip:

1) Animals. Every night we got a special towel animal in the room.

Made this one during towel folding class!

2) Food. We had a great buffet on a boat cruise.

Ate lots of salmon. (This pic was during teatime.)

3) Lumberjack show. Saw a fun competition featuring rugged men.

Lumberjacks at work. What else do I need to say?

4) Tropy. Won a prize for a general trivia contest.

A golden replica of the cruise ship.

5) Whales. Had a whale of a time! (We actually saw one arc in front of us, but I couldn’t catch it in time.)

See that black blip? It’s a whale tail.

Any fun vacations for you this summer?

Foodie Friday: Blood Rice Cake

Blood rice cake: mochi-like rice popsicle

Sometimes I try not to think too much about what I’m actually eating. Especially when it comes to stuff like pigs’ blood. Blood rice cake is sticky rice mixed with pigs’ blood. Thankfully, it’s covered in peanut powder and garnished with cilantro.

It’s jello-like in its consistency (which is what I pretended I was really eating). There’s a very subtle pork flavor to it. Definitely an interesting eat…as long as you don’t think too much about it.

Any foods you like to disguise?

 

Foodie Friday First: Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise: a rich, lemony sauce

There’s a scene in Runaway Bride where Julia Roberts’ character tries all these different types of eggs because she doesn’t know what she prefers. (She’s always gone with whatever her current boyfriend’s tastes are.)

When she eats Eggs Benedict in the movie, I remember thinking, I’ve never had Hollandaise before. Well, folks, now I have.

The creamy sauce wasn’t from an eggs dish but coated some tasty crab cakes. I think Hollandaise definitely has a nice rich and creamy texture, but I was disappointed that it didn’t have much flavor. I think I expected more oomph from such an elegant name.

So I guess I’ll be sticking to my tried-n-true breakfast of scrambled or over-medium eggs.

How do you like your eggs cooked?