Why I Relate to Ming Tsai
By Jennifer 8. Lee | March 18, 2010
Did a fundraiser with Ming Tsai at Blue Ginger for the AAJA New England chapter on March 11. We even got a little write-up in the Names section of the Boston Globe (scroll all the way down. Last item.) Above: Ming preparing his special soba sushi recipe.
I spent a lot of time with Ming in my book research, and as I write in my book, he’s the one I met along my journeys that I most related to.
As I write in my book:
In one of our conversations, Ming told me, “If I can give my kids at least what my parents gave me, then that is definition of a true success.”
I reflected on his words, concluding what his parents gave him was what set him apart from so many of the Chinese people in the restaurant industry I had met. Many Chinese cooks had told me, “We cook so our children won’t have to.” Ming cooked because he wanted to, not because he had to.
Likewise, I write because I want to.
This is why I dedicated the book to my parents and all the other parents out there who traveled across oceans so their children could follow their dreams.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Fold-Pak Disguises Itself as Bio-Pak
By Jennifer 8. Lee | March 7, 2010
Inspired by my book, Melissa Janoski did a piece on Fold-Pak’s white food pails for The Citizen Voice in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. She interviewed me for the piece.
One thing the piece notes. White takeout boxes don’t fly with non-Chinese restaurants, because of the image. So the company also makes flatter, wider containers that don’t look like Chinese boxes, though are structurally the same. Many sold under the Bio-Plus Earth brand.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Tears for My Dedication
By Jennifer 8. Lee | March 5, 2010
My mom forwarded this note she got, typos and all, to me. It’s from another Chinese-American immigrant.
I read the prefcace of the book that Jennifer wrote,I was pretty touched by what she wrote at the first page, I dont rememebr the exact words she used but the gist was: To Mom and Dad, who struggled their life so that we can chase our own passion….
..I was almost crying, when I read that….
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
“Fortune Cookie Chronicles” Coming to a Syllabus Near You
By Jennifer 8. Lee | March 2, 2010
Meryl Gordon, director of magazine writing at NYU’s Arthur Carter Journalism Institute, assigned my book to her undergraduate class. I’ve never seen this many copies of my book outside a bookstore!
Topics: Book Musings | No Comments »
Mother Goose and Grimm Imagines General Tso’s Chicken in Battle
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 25, 2010
This was forwarded to me from a Donald Siegel, a professor at Syracuse University, and more importantly, the author of “From Lokshen to Lo Mein: The Jewish Love Affair with Chinese Food.“
Topics: General Tso | No Comments »
Is Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine Back?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 23, 2010
Chowtimes reports that the restaurant I selected as the “Greatest Chinese Restaurant in the World” (which had closed) is re-opening: Sam Lau’s Zen’s Fine Chinese Cuisine in Richmond, near Vancouver, Canada. (Photo above courtesy of their diligent reporting). They were struggling because of the economics for a long time sadly.
Too bad I just missed it when I passed through Vancouver for the Olympics. But they have a new location:
120-12480 No.1 Rd Richmond B.C., Canada
604.272.2777
Hours: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesday close
Email: zenfinechinesecuisine at gmail dot com
I see they are not shy about advertising their status as Greatest Chinese Restaurant in the World (Outside China). They leave out the “Outside China” part outside the window. And I will say, their food is much better than their choice of fonts.
So Ben and Suanne of the Chowtimes blog are trying to get a group together for Feb. 26 (this Friday). They are hoping to get 2 to 4 couples to join us for a 5:30 p.m. reservation. Email ben at chowtimes dot com.
Here is the menu for those who are interested:
Menu A – $33
- Salad ~ Micro Mix, Mango Ravioli, Salted Plum Oil Crumble, Seasonal Fruit, Rice Vinegar Foam
- Baked Whelk ~ Stuff Diced Seafood, Chicken, Vegetables With Coconut Curry
- Double Boiled Soup
- Tofu Duo ~ Crispy Egg Tofu, Steamed Silky Tofu with Mushroom
- Pork Belly ~ Braised In Chinese Spice, Serve With Glutinous Risotto
- Dessert Of The Day
Menu B – $55
- Terrine ~ House Smoked Salmon Wrapped With Souffle
- Baked Whelk ~ Stuff Diced Seafood, Chicken, Vegetables With Coconut Curry
- Foamy Seafood Cappuccino ~ Layered With Egg Tofu
- Lobster ~ Stir Fried With Black Bean Sauce/Steamed Garlic Sauce
- Deep Fried Crispy Chicken ~ Serve With Five Spice Infused Salt
- Lotus Leaf Rice ~ Stuff with Dried Scallop, Mushroom, bbq Duck,Diced Chicken, Crab Meat, Bamboo
- Dessert Of The Day
Menu C – $120
- Seafood Duo ~ Curry Stuffed Whelk, Sliced Geoduck Fondue
- Chinese Seafood Soup ~ With Fresh Crab Meat and Fish Maw
- Braised Abalone ~ Slow Braised In Oyster Sauce (3 Heads)
- Steamed Lobster ~ Steamed With Mince Garlic
- Rice ~ Lobster Claw Stir Egg White, Fried Rice
- Dessert Of The Day
By the way, here is my running list of restaurants that were in my chapter of greatest Chinese restaurants.
Topics: Chinese Restaurants, Global Chinese | No Comments »
Doing a Session on Book Publicity on May 2 in Boston
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 21, 2010
As part of the Grub Street (not to be confused with NYMag’s food blog) literary confab, I am doing a publicity talk using my own book as a case study. I don’t have a lot of experience beyond my own book, so it’s pretty narrow. My session is on May 2, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Scroll down the page to find it. (I don’t think it had # links).
SESSION 5D: Marketplace Lecture: “Secrets of Being Your Own Book Publicist”
Author: Jennifer 8. Lee
Jennifer 8. Lee is the author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, a book on Chinese food in America that hit #26 on The New York Times best seller list. She worked for nine years as a reporter at The New York Times, where she still helps out on social media. She is the lead judge in the Knight News Challenge, which gives away $5 million to news innovation every year. In addition, she is co-chair of the Asian American Writers Workshop’s board of directors, a former member of the Poynter Institute’s National Advisory Board, and a judge in the Robert F. Kennedy courage in journalism awards. She graduated from Harvard with a degree in applied math and economics.Description: Writing your book is only half the battle. The other half is promoting your work—something most authors treat as an afterthought. Just as a company has not only R&D department but also Sales and Marketing, a successful book launch must involve a coordinated marketing campaign on the part of the author. Using The Fortune Cookie Chronicles as a case study, Jenny will walk through the publicity strategy that took her onto The Colbert Report, The Martha Stewart Show, The Today Show, CNN, and NPR stations coast-to-coast. She’ll also teach you how to use a blog as a living marketing document, how to use of Facebook and Twitter to promote events and generate sales, and how to earn speaking engagements at venues such as the Library of Congress. Applying what she learned from Cary Goldstein, one of the top book publicists in the industry, Jenny has now given over 100 book talks since her book launched and done dozens of media interviews and media appearances.
Type: Lecture with Q&A
More details: The Muse & The Marketplace will be held Saturday May 1, 2010 and Sunday May 2nd, 2010 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street, Boston.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
The Census is Coming To You Via Fortune Cookies
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 20, 2010
The Seattle Times is reporting the Census Department is using fortune cookies as a marketing device
.
Tsue Chong Co., a Seattle fortune company that also sells “unfortunate cookies”, is inserting five different census messages into 2 million cookies being shipped to restaurants and groceries across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
They have messages such as “Put down your chopsticks and get involved in Census 2010.”
I wondered how much the “buy” was from the census side. I assume they paid for that? But the article doesn’t say.
Topics: Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
Armenian Chinese Restaurant in Yerevan!
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 18, 2010
My friend Alexis Ohanian snapped this shot of Beijing restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia for me. Here’s there on a fellowship with Kiva. He’s 1/2 genetically Armenian and the designer behind my book blog you see here. Random fact I learned. Last names that end in “-ian” are almost always Armenian.
Topics: Global Chinese | No Comments »
Event with Ming Tsai on March 11 in Boston
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 5, 2010
I’m doing an event with Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger fame for the Asian American Journalist Association’s New England chapter in March 11.
Here is the description.
Ming Tsai, James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Blue Ginger and host of the Emmy-nominated Simply Ming on WGBH, is preparing a special menu to benefit AAJA New England and its Internship & Scholarship Fund.
Watch Ming turn up the heat on his signature East-West cuisine in a cooking demo, then hear Jennifer 8. Lee demystify Chinese food in a talk about her book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. Sample Ming’s renowned cooking in a cocktail party to follow, mingle with New England’s journalists, and be sure to check out the exclusive offerings in our silent auction.
Admission includes a cooking demo, talk, silent auction,
and cocktail party with appetizers and cash bar.
Space is limited. RSVP today!
BONUS: The First 25 ticket buyers will receive a free copy of Jenny 8’s book at the event! Limit one free book per purchase, please.
Thursday, March 11, 6:30 p.m.
Blue Ginger
583 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
Topics: Appearances | No Comments »
Got Invited to Speak at the Smithsonian in May
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 30, 2010
How cool is that. More details to come. It would be at the National Museum of American History.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Chinese Restaurant at the Belize-Mexico Border
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 9, 2010
Sent to me by a friend who is traveling through Mexico. Funny to me, that it’s called Chopsticks, even though this is a Spanish-speaking area of the world.
Topics: Global Chinese | No Comments »
The Obsession with General Tso and his Chicken
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 6, 2010
Francis Lam expounds on General Tso’s chicken on Salon.com, the poultry story that keeps on giving. He quotes “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles.” Fuchsia Dunlop also weighs in on how it got known as General Tso’s chicken when the original English name was “Chicken a la Viceroy.”
I feel there is a cabal of General Tso’s chicken-obsessed people that emerges.
Generaltso on Facebook is a kid named Devon Morton who just graduated from high school on Long Island.
General Tso on Twitter is a mystery — someone who protects his tweets.
Generaltsoschicken.com belongs to a squatter.
And Generaltso.com points to a random law firm.
Topics: General Tso | No Comments »
General Tso’s (Tao) Potato Chips, Available in Canada
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 26, 2009
This photo of General Tao’s potato chips was sent to me by a friend who was visiting Canadian relatives for the holidays. Has anyone tried the before? I love how it’s called “Poulet Général Tao” in French. The general is multi-lingual. Also, I guess in Canada he’s given upon the “s” in “Tso.”
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Jews and Chinese Food, on WNYC’s The Takeaway
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 24, 2009
Was interviewed on Wednesday on a topic of endless fascination for New Yorkers — the relationship between Jews and Chinese food. Here is the WNYC The Takeaway segment. It involved being picked up at 6:10 a.m. in the morning.
They ordered pastrami egg rolls from Eden Wok!
Topics: Chinese Food, Jews & Chinese Food, Media & Interviews | No Comments »
One Thousand Marijuana Plants Found at Old Fortune Cookie Factory
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 22, 2009
The Oakland Tribune has a great crime story about 1,000 marijuana plants — up to four feet tall — which were found at an old fortune cookie factory in Oakland. The estimated value? About half a million dollars.
The factory, originally owned by the Kar Mee fortune cookie company, appears to be founded in 1977. It sold in 2007 to David Tse, and he offered a multitude of custom flavors, including green tea. But according to the Tribune, an eviction notice on the building shows that the cookie factory had been ejected as of November 2008.
One police officer, who had worked narcotics for many years, said the buds on some of the plants are some of the largest he’s seen.
Wonder if the fortune cookies played any role in that.
Topics: Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
Twas the Night Before Chrismas and Jews were Looking Forward to Chinese Food
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 21, 2009
The Moment Magazine runs an interesting and insightful interview with Andrew Coe, author of “Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States,” about Jews and Chinese food.
The introductory poem, by Nonna Gorilovskaya, is great.
Twas the night before Christmas and there was hardly a sound,
As Jews jumped in their cars and drove to Chinatown.
Their orders were given to waiters with care,
In hopes that wonton soup soon would be there.The children finished their noodles and nestled in their beds,
While visions of fortune cookies danced in their heads.
Now, Moment takes an inquiring look,
At how this love affair with Chinese food took.—NG
I gave a fun talk at the 92nd Street Y on Jews and Chinese food last night, which included kosher General Tso’s chicken.
Topics: Jews & Chinese Food | No Comments »
Speaking at Museum of the City of New York on February 7
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 19, 2009
I’m speaking on Sunday, February 7, at 2 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York. It’s free! Here is their write-up below.
Sunday • February 7 • 2:00 PM
Join Jennifer 8. Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles as she recounts her quest to explain how Chinese food is all-American.There are more Chinese restaurants in this country than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Kentucky Fried Chickens combined. In celebration of the Lunar New Year, join Jennifer 8. Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (Twelve, 2008), as she recounts her quest to explain how Chinese food is all-American.
Topics: Appearances | No Comments »
Many New Adventures and a New Blog To Come
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 19, 2009
Stay tuned.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Fortune Cookie Christmas Tree Ornaments
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 1, 2009
Urban Outfitters is offering a fortune cookie Christmas ornament for sale online. I wonder what meaning it would derive from having a fortune cookie hanging on their pine tree.
Topics: Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
Dim Sum in Hebrew: דים סאם
By Jennifer 8. Lee | November 29, 2009
A friend who was visiting Israel sent me a photo of a menu of a Chinese restaurant. Now I know that dim sum in Hebrew is דים סאם
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Fortune Cookie Chronicles on the F Train
By Jennifer 8. Lee | November 27, 2009
This picture was sent in to me of a woman she observed on her morning commute from the F train. Standing. I’m impressed!
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Reader Feedback from The Netherlands
By Jennifer 8. Lee | November 25, 2009
Just finished reading your book. What a lovely, well-written, well-researched joy! Thank you!
I received this fun email today from an American living in the Netherlands. Who knew the book had traveled so far? It’s one of the fun aspects of being an author, little pieces of you goes all over.
I actually do remember being struck that the Dutch Chinese restaurants were really Indonesian, which made sense given their colonization history.
I am American but have lived in the Netherlands the past 2 years with my Dutch husband. I can relate to your thoughts on assimilation, keeping cultural traditions whilst taking on the new and also the world perspective you write about in general. Your Stir Fry chapter especially hit a nice spot in me. Very nicely put and also interesting to think about how Americanized ethnic foods have become in America. For example, what I had always perceived as being ethnic food in America is truly American to those on the outside. I now see this more having lived abroad for a while now. I can also see what they perceive as Chinese food here in Holland is not Chinese at all…but more suited towards the Dutch palette with the addition of an Indonesian twist. I know I am excited about a book when I go around randomly quoting trivia facts from it…yours has been on the top of my quotes recently.
Topics: Reader Feedback | No Comments »
Speaking at Seward Park on Thursday, Nov. 19
By Jennifer 8. Lee | November 18, 2009
Speaking at the Seward Park branch of the New York Public Library for its centennial.
Details below.
The New York Public Library Seward Park Branch Celebrates Centennial.
The Seward Park Branch first opened its doors to the public on November 11, 1909. In its early days, the Seward Park Branch primarily served an immigrant Jewish population in its Lower East Side neighborhood. Today, the library serves a broad base of users but also still plays a role welcoming newcomers to the city, including many from the neighborhood’s large Asian community. The library, which overlooks Seward Park, is a stately beacon of the neighborhood providing free services to all as it has for a century.
The branch was last renovated in 2004 through the Library’s Adopt-a-Branch Program, through which private donors join public funders to restore branch libraries. The renovation was made possible with private funding from The Starr Foundation and public support secured by New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and the City of New York: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker A. Gifford Miller, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, City Council Member Margarita Lopez, and City Council Member Alan Jay Gerson.
Who:
Anne Coriston, Vice President for Public Service, The New York Public Library
Amy Landry Babcock, Site Manager, The New York Public Library Seward Park Branch
Jennifer 8. Lee, New York Times journalist and author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles
Students from the Seward Park Branch Center for Reading and Writing
When:
Thursday, November 19, 2009
2:00 p.m.: Three-part short film screening of local footage from 1934, 1940 & 1959
4:00 p.m.: Crafts and historic games for all ages
5:30 p.m.: Reception: Remarks and light refreshments
7:00 p.m.: Talk by Jennifer 8. Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie ChronicleWhere:
The New York Public Library, Seward Park Branch
192 East Broadway
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Shanghai Tiffin Club, Noon, Saturday Nov. 7 at CHIAM
By Jennifer 8. Lee | November 7, 2009
I’m doing an event at the Shanghai Tiffin Club on Saturday, November 7th (yes that is today, sorry for delayed blog post) at CHIAM Chinese Cuisine, 160 East 48th Street. Details below.
Jennifer Lee, an AAJA member and writer for the New York Times, will be speaking at a luncheon to the Shanghai Tiffin Club at 12 Noon, Saturday, November 7th. She is author of “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles,” which is on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Her topic “Chinese Food is as All-American as Apple Pie,” will explore the universal appeal of Chinese cuisine and how the American palate has evolved to accept and embrace the richness and variety of regional Chinese food.
The Shanghai Tiffin Club was originally founded in the 1840s shortly after the end of the Opium War. The tiffins (luncheons) were started by the British Consul General after Shanghai became a Treaty Port so that the foreigners and their Chinese counterparts could gather once a month outside of the strictures of business to help foster understanding and commonalities in a social atmosphere. The New York Chapter was formed in 1924 and continues the original charter and founding tradition.
If interested, or want more details, please contact William Chu (billchuw at cs dot com) ASAP. The event will be held at CHIAM Chinese Cuisine, 160 East 48th Street (between Lex. & 3rd). Lunch will be served at 12 Noon, followed by Jennifer’s presentation. The cost of food is $30 (cash only).
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »