Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 50

Double the Authors, Double the Fun

I recently did a co-author book signing at local mystery bookstore, Book Carnival. This was my first signing event that I shared with someone, and I had a fabulous time! It was great having another author by my side, particularly the magnificent Carole Sojka. And it was a pretty full house, what with bookstore regulars, along with friends and contacts from both of us gathering together. We decided to do a Q&A format, essentially interviewing one another about inspiration, writing habits, characters, and settings. Here are some fun photos from the event:

The front of the bookstore

 

We’re in the “featured author” section

 

The gift basket I raffled off

 

Our novels on the shelf with neat bookends

 

The lovely folks who attended our talk

Foodie Friday: Rose Tea

Rose tea: green tea flavored with roses

I have roses blooming in my yard, but I haven’t been a big fan of eating rose-flavored treats. (The blame goes to a rose Turkish Delight I ate. I thought it would be like ambrosia on my tongue, given its prominence in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe… but I was sorely disappointed.)

My one exception to this rule is rose tea. It’s green tea infused with a hint of the floral. I like the subtlety of the flavor, and the bitterness of the tea counterbalances the too aromatic taste of the rose petals.

Fun fact: Rose thorns are technically called “prickles.”   

Seniors Around the World

As part of the challenge of “5 Photos, 5 Stories” (by Evelyne’s invitation), I’m presenting my five memories of meeting seniors during recent travels:

1) Los Angeles, CA

During a volunteer reading at a local senior home, this resident came my way. He has actually been through the traumatic event which inspired my first novel, The 228 Legacy. I was honored to meet him, and the residents’ director later told me was really excited to hear me read.

2) Monterey Park, CA 

During cultural week (did you know Asian American heritage month happens every year in May?), I saw this dancing troupe. It was inspiring to see how tai chi gave them more energy and flexibility for their performance.

3) Seattle, WA

I was humbled to hear about the experiences of Japanese Americans who traveled to the Minidoka Relocation Center on a pilgrimage. Some went to remember the past, while others went to learn more about it.

4) Spain 

A highlight of my Spain trip was meeting an elderly professor on the train ride. It was great to learn about his contributions to the world, in terms of his teaching and charity work. He exuded intelligence and passion (maybe it’s because of that regular siesta he takes!). Read the full story here.

5) Taiwan 

Taiwan usually involves meeting a lot of extended relatives. It was nice to get a break sometimes. The area near Sun Moon Lake is known for its tasty sweet and mellow tea.

Foodie Friday: Chinese Sponge Cake

Chinese sponge cake: light and airy cakes

Sponge cake with dried longan

Chinese sponge cake is full of simple goodness. The recipe requires a minimal amount of ingredients. The interesting thing about Chinese sponge cakes is that they’re steamed, making them especially light in texture. Sponge cakes bring me back to my youth when we’d eat these as childhood treats.

Name a favorite childhood treat. 

Taiwanese–There’s an App for That!

“You love sports, horses and gambling but not to excess.”

(Only when it’s through an app.)

I love my smartphone. Now I don’t get (as) utterly lost driving to places. And friends can finally text me without guilt (it was ten cents a message before, and I had to painstakingly press the keypad for the right letters).

I haven’t messed with many apps, though, except for the ones that came preloaded. Being the cheapskate that I am, I didn’t stock up on any apps until now–when I got a promotional credit from Amazon.

I hunted around and checked out my options. Amazingly, I found a Taiwanese language app–hooray! Gus on the Go (which was featured on TaiwaneseAmerican.org, but I must have missed that post) teaches basic Taiwanese vocabulary. You can learn the vocabulary for animals, shapes, colors, fruits and vegetables…

It even packages the learning together with fun games, like:

Balloon Pop: Listen to the word and pop the balloon with the correct image
Bubble Blowing: Blow bubbles to capture the right object
Horse Racing: Click on the correct word and advance your horse to win
Whack-a-mole: Hit the right item when it’s announced

Anyway, it’s a great app that gives you the basics! I only wish there were a more advanced version for struggling adults like me.

What’s your favorite app?

Foodie Friday First: Golden Kiwi

I tried the delicious…

Golden kiwi: sweet, yellow kiwi

 This is the sweeter version of its green counterpart. The flesh of the fruit is not as tart, and the skin is a more delicate thickness. (The outside is also less hairy!)

While green and golden kiwis share similar nutritional profiles, there are some slight differences. Golden kiwis have more vitamin C and folate. Green kiwis have more dietary fiber.

Golden kiwi has a shorter storage life, which makes it difficult to find in many stores. However, I would give it a try because it’s nice to have a consistently sweet fruit on hand—it’s even been compared to ice cream!

Have you eaten golden kiwi?

Publishers Weekly Review

“You will be rewarded for your efforts.”

Publishers Weekly is a trade magazine for the book industry and was established in 1872. Nowadays, people trust the publication for its reviews. If you look at any big press novel, you’ll find an editorial review from PW.

For a small press, it’s difficult to get a shot at this system. However, PW recently implemented BookLife. By registering your work on their site, indie and self-published authors get a chance to have their book reviewed (for free, even). They receive hundreds of requests every month and only select a few to pursue.

Thankfully, The 228 Legacy was picked up and now has its own PW review! The reviewer said that “this story is touching in its depiction of the characters’ changing relationships… a pleasant read.” Overall, a pretty kind review. You can read it in its entirety here.

Foodie Friday: Stinky Tofu

Stinky tofu: smelly but tasty fermented tofu

Stinky tofu is definitely a good that grows on you because you need to get over the atrocious smell to eat it. There’s a nicer euphemistic name people call it: fragrant tofu. The odor comes from a fermentation process that can last from several days to a week. The recipe used for making a proper brine is sometimes fiercely guarded by the cooks. If you’re interested in learning more about how stinky tofu is made, check out this video from the Hungry Monster show by the fabulous Karen Lin.

Stinky tofu is a staple of the Taiwan night market scene. There are different versions of it (including a steamed kind), but I like the more common deep-fried ones with a pungent dipping sauce. The latest stinky tofu dish I tried served it with barbecue sauce, but I don’t think the fusion sweetness works as well as the traditional style.

Fun fact: Stinky tofu is supposed to provide your body with beneficial bacterial, just like yogurt.

Social Security to Stay

“You will never need to worry about a steady income.”

Along with my address, phone number, and student ID, I memorized my social security number pretty early on. The SSN is crucial to working life in the United States. There’s even a sense of pride when I saw a crisp card issued to my children–it was their official initiation into America.

Recently, President Obama remarked that we needed to find ways to continue to “keep Social Security strong.” Although it’s not the only resource for older adults, it is still a source of income people look forward to.

Personally, as a child, I was taught not spend all of my allowance, but to save up for a rainy day. As an adult, this translates to 401(k) and IRA accounts for retirement.

What’s your opinion about the Social Security system? And/or how do you save up for the future?

 

Foodie Friday: Roast Pig

Roast pig: succulent pork with roasted, crispy skin

Trying out the Kalua pork pizza last time made me think about roast pig. In Hawaii, I wasn’t a huge Kalua fan because there is a Cantonese style of roasted pork (siu yuk) that I adore. (In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about it before!)

The actual translation for the Chinese name is “roasted meat,” but I’ve always seen pork used. Restaurants in Chinatown will even dangle whole pigs in their window cases to attract hungry customers. The best park of the siu yuk is its super crunchy skin (think pork rinds, and you’ll get the general idea).

Some people dip the meat in sauce, like hoisin. I, though, have always enjoyed the plain and unadulterated version.

Here’s a recipe for making your own roast pig.