Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 52

Classes on How to Age

 “At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgments.”

These two babies–not quite the same!

Here a few major milestones of life: marriage, parenthood, empty nest, retirement. Early on, we get courses on these transitions. For example, in high school, we had a home ec class which taught us things like cooking, sewing, and balancing a checkbook. The teacher would even pair students to have them care for a “newborn” baby doll to hone their future parenting skills. (By the way, dolls are nothing like real squirming babies.)

As we get older, there are less formal teachings. Is there a course on empty nesting? What about retirement–beyond the usual financial aspects? Well, there are classes now!

In Washington, DC, they have a Take Charge/Age Well Academy. They offer classes like, “Age Well, Live Well 101.” Even simple reminders can be rewarding to us as we age. When I did case management with older adults, I can’t count the number of times I spotted tripping hazards in homes. Sometimes they were obvious ones, like bundles of cords stretching out from appliances. Other times, the reasons were more subtle–like rugs that flip with the slightest pressure (thank goodness for rug tape!).

What class prepared you for a major change?

Foodie Friday: Noodles in Egg Gravy

Noodles in egg gravy: a wet noodle dish

The dish called wat dan hor can be literally translated as “smooth egg noodles.” What makes them go down so well? Gravy. A creamy egg (don’t overcook them!) mixture coats all the noodles.

The noodles are also not the typical long strands, but the thick and flat kind used for ha cheong in dim sum establishments. With a vibrant green hue coming from the vegetables, this dish creates a pleasing display of color.

Fun fact: Wat dan hor is quite popular in Singapore and Malaysia.

A Dragon Boat Memory

“There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead of you.”

Let me share a memory about dragon boats…

I could hear my heart pounding as the race started—no, wait a minute, that was the drumming coming from the boats. Sleek dragon boats filled up the waterway. Their elongated bodies cut through the river, each movement forward a result of concentrated effort from the paddlers. The rhythmic rowing swept the winning boat into first place.

Excited applause erupted all around me. People celebrated by cheering and eating the traditional food, zongzi, Chinese rice tamales. These bundles of food use sticky rice as the core ingredient. The rice is wrapped around a hodgepodge of interior fillings, including mung bean, Chinese sausage, chestnuts, black mushrooms, and cooked peanuts.

The zongzi is steamed and boiled to bring out the flavors. This culinary treat is not just tasty. It’s also symbolic. It’s tied to the death of poet and minister Qu Yuan. The official was falsely accused of treason during the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty. Out of sadness, he threw himself into the Miluo River. The local people raced out in their boats to save him but were too late. Instead, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the water, so at least the fishes would not eat Yuan’s body. In commemoration of his life, people eat zongzi and compete in dragon boat races on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar new year.

Thus, the culinary and athletic traditions of Dragon Boat Festival pay homage to the past. Let us remember the significance behind tradition.

This year we can reflect and remember on June 20th.

Foodie Friday First: Beignet

Ooh la la! I finally ate my first…

Beignet: a French doughnut

(French-American writer, Evelyne Holingue: This post is for you!)

This deep-fried doughnut isn’t like the typical American version. It’s not spherical and doesn’t have a hole in the middle. Instead, it’s square-shaped and has a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

People often eat it for breakfast, but I ate mine as a dessert. It’s very sweet and hits the spot after a meal, especially when it’s piping hot from the fryer! I’ve heard that it tastes even better with a cup of cafe au lait. If you’re not interested in making this pastry from scratch, you can also buy a mix from the famous Cafe du Monde located in the New Orleans French Market.

Fun fact: The beignet is the official state doughnut of Louisiana. 

Getting the Word Out

“Someone is speaking well of you.”

It really does take a community to launch a book. Here are my partners in crime for my cozy mystery, Seniors Sleuth (which recently won Runner-Up at the 2015 Beach Book Festival):

Team Jen. These devoted folks were beta readers and cover voters. A huge thanks to them for polishing my work, posting up reviews, and spreading the word! Also, special shout-outs go to Joy Weese Moll, Julia Tomiak, and Carol Early Cooney for blogging about my book.


Direct Advertising. I enrolled in KDP Select, which makes my e-book exclusive to Amazon for 90 days. At the same time, though, I can take advantage of either a countdown deal or “free” days as a promotional tool. (A pleasant surprise has been a few borrows through the Kindle Unlimited program.) I’m also doing an AuthorBuzz promotion in mid-June, which has the potential to reach more than 85,000 Kindle owners. Over the next few months, I’ll be hosting a few physical giveaways through Goodreads and the new Amazon giveaway feature (where you can hand-pick a prize to be shipped by Amazon.com).


Alternate Avenues. Book bloggers have been absolutely amazing to me. The ones that have responded have been very gracious (even if they’re too busy to look at my work). The Lupa Schwartz Mysteries Blog and Miki’s Hope have both hosted me recently. Additionally, I’m trying to get an audiobook produced, so I’ve partnered with ACX. (Currently, I have several auditions for narrators that I need to listen to.) Last but not least, I’ll be sneaking in a book launch party! I haven’t quite figured out the size and venue yet, but I think it’ll be nice to celebrate this new mystery.

How do you hear about new books?

 

 

Foodie Friday: Bean Curd Skin

Bean curd skin: wrapper made from soybean

After boiling soybean milk, you can lift the surface skin and turn it into a wrapper. These are also sold in dried sheets in Asian supermarkets. The store versions need to be reconstituted in water.

Bean curd skin can be used to wrap up vegetarian goodies, like black mushrooms, carrots, and onions. The skin can also serve as a vegetarian meat substitute because of its chewy texture.

Fun fact: Bean curd wrappers are gluten-free. 

 

Prom for Senior…Citizens

“You will enjoy doing something different this coming weekend.”

Direct from my alma mater’s hometown, it’s a prom…for all kinds of seniors. Both high schoolers and older adults were invited to last month’s 2015 Tompkins County Intergenerational Prom. Students from Cornell University and Ithaca College run the organization, Project Generations, which hosted the event. I really love the idea of activities that bring multiple generations together. We can learn a lot from people at different life stages.

Here’s a blast from the past. I found this lurking in the back of my closet.

My prom dress!

For my senior prom, I had a fun time going with one of my good friends, Jamie. Official apology here: Sorry I ruined our photos because I didn’t really smile. (I was trying to hide my braces.)

Foodie Friday: Fan Tuan

Fan tuan: sticky rice roll

It’s a Chinese breakfast burrito! Glutinous rice is wrapped around different fillings. Common insides include you zha gui, shredded pork, and pickled vegetables. These rice rolls are great for breakfast on the go because they usually end up pre-wrapped from the preparation process (think: sushi). I love the way the gooeyness of the outside rice pairs with the crunch of vegetables and the Chinese doughnut. What a great way to start the day!

Any breakfast treat you’re looking forward to soon, especially with Mother’s Day around the corner?

p.s. If you don’t want a culinary goodie, you can try a literary treat by ordering my cozy mystery here!

My Writing Community is like a Japanese Puzzle Box

“You will discover an unexpected treasure.”

Japanese puzzle boxes are elegant wooden creations. They can be solved by a simple squeeze or through a dizzying array of pulls and pushes. The puzzle box originated in 19th century Japan and held a good luck charm on the inside (once you finally opened it).

My online writing community, Wordsmith Studio, is like a puzzle box. Each pull and twist of a member’s writing journey adds and enhances my own. For example:

Twist one Khara House ‘s submission challenge into published stories in literary magazines
Push Romelle Broas into meeting up in person and bond over writerly struggles
Yank Gail Kushner into discussions about self-publishing (and magic cookie bar recipes)
Slide Dr. Kasie into moderating #wschat on Twitter
Pull on Elissa Field for advice and connections (thanks for inviting me into Binders!)

So happy 3rd anniversary, WSS! Here’s what’s been going on with me:

1) What are you currently working on? I’m releasing a cozy mystery featuring loveable Winston Wong this week! Look for SENIORS SLEUTH to come out on Saturday, May 9th!

2) For past work, what was your greatest joy or greatest challenge? Connecting with readers is the greatest joy, either one-on-one or in larger groups. The challenge is hearing harsh critiques of your personal stories (especially from loved ones).

3) For current work, what challenge are you working through now? I think I need to write faster!

4) For work you are just planning or starting, what challenges or growth are you expecting or hoping to encounter? I’m looking forward to growing in terms of weaving together more intricate plotlines.

5) What have successes or challenges in your work (recently) taught you? As I venture into becoming a hybrid author (traditional before and now self-publishing), it’s been challenging to run everything myself. On the bright side, people are willing to step in and help, so that’s been lovely.

6) How would you describe a great writing day (or week)? I aim to create new content every day, but sometimes life jumps in with sicknesses or delays (or marketing).

7) What specific tools or strategies help you succeed?  It helped me to read Marcy Kennedy’s DIALOGUE for essential information on constructing conversations. I’m also really happy I joined specific genre groups, like Sisters in Crime–everyone is so supportive!

If you truly want to check out my newest work, you can pre-order SENIORS SLEUTH below:

Foodie Friday First: Pan Roast

Loved eating my first…

Pan roast: Southern seafood stew with a tomato base

They had me at the line of jacketed steam kettles behind the counter, each shining pot steaming away and releasing delicious flavors into the air. The actual pan roast reminds me slightly of tomato bisque, but it’s leagues beyond that plain soup. There’s a great creamy consistency to it, but it’s enhanced by the kick of spices. Although pan roast is renowned for the spicy flavoring, I (cowardly) opted for the mild version. It was still extremely delicious! I can’t believe I never heard of this Southern dish before.

Do you have a favorite Southern meal?