The Fortune Cookie Chronicles


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    and featured on The Colbert Report, Martha Stewart, TED.com, CNN, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Charlie Rose Tomorrow, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR stations coast to coast. Also selected for Borders Original Voices and Book Sense. Follow me on Twitter! Fan me on Facebook.

  • Chinese Food

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    Historic Fortune Cookie Grills Donated to the Smithsonian

    Friday, July 9th, 2010

    Breaking news! Gary Ono, who is descended from one of the earliest fortune cookie manufacturers, is donating historic fortune cookie grills, known as kata, to the Smithsonian — thanks to a connection I made. Armed with the contact information I gave the museum, research specialist Noriko Sanefuji went out to investigate and met Gary, who […]

    American Chop Suey, Available at Whole Foods

    Sunday, June 27th, 2010

    Photo of American Chop Suey at Whole Foods sent to me by Elisa Mala. I’ve long been perplexed by this dish, which is essentially macaroni, ground beef and tomato paste (plus some other stuff thrown in). It’s a fairly popular dish, based on how many people cook it. How did this become American chop suey? […]

    Crak Bam Dot Mah Johngg

    Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

    I’m excited. My chapter on Jews and Chinese food is excerpted in a new book from 2wice Press. Other contributors include Maira Kalman, Isaac Mizrahi and Christopher Niemann. Flattered to be among them. It’s called “Crak Bam Dot Mah Jongg” and is edited by Patsy Tarr and developed in partnership with the Museum of Jewish […]

    Homemade Fortune Cookies at the Smithsonian

    Sunday, May 16th, 2010

    Noriko Sanefuji of the Smithsonian made homemade fortune cookies for my visit to the Smithsonian using a recipe she had found. They were really fragile though, so only three survived, which she gave me.

    The Youngest Fortune Cookie Chronicles Fan?

    Monday, May 3rd, 2010

    Sent to me by her parents, who are foodies! Supercute.

    Beijing Fortune Cookie Exporters

    Thursday, April 29th, 2010

    I just got this e-mail sent to me on the contact form on my site. I find it amusing that they have been exporting for “many years” and that their cookies have “enjoyed popularity in both China and abroad” Dear Sir / Madam We wish to inform you that  We have been exporters of cookies for […]

    Speaking at the Smithsonian on May 8, 2010

    Sunday, April 11th, 2010

    Very exciting. I am speaking at the Smithsonian Institute on May 8, 2010. Details are below. Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 2 p.m. Carmichael Auditorium National Museum of American History 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW Free and open to the public, this program is jointly sponsored by the National Museum of American History’s Asian Pacific […]

    Why I Relate to Ming Tsai

    Thursday, March 18th, 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 […]

    Fold-Pak Disguises Itself as Bio-Pak

    Sunday, March 7th, 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 […]

    Tears for My Dedication

    Friday, March 5th, 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 […]

    Mother Goose and Grimm Imagines General Tso’s Chicken in Battle

    Thursday, February 25th, 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.“

    Doing a Session on Book Publicity on May 2 in Boston

    Sunday, February 21st, 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 […]

    The Census is Coming To You Via Fortune Cookies

    Saturday, February 20th, 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 […]

    Got Invited to Speak at the Smithsonian in May

    Saturday, January 30th, 2010

    How cool is that. More details to come. It would be at the National Museum of American History.

    The Obsession with General Tso and his Chicken

    Wednesday, January 6th, 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 […]

    How to see the original Japanese fortune cookies in Kyoto!

    Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

    I’ve long wanted to write this post. Which is how do you go see the original Japanese fortune cookies that I mention in my book? In my book, we were taken there by the Japanese scholar, so I didn’t have time to explore the surrounding areas. So it turns out it is supereasy, as the […]

    General Tso’s (Tao) Potato Chips, Available in Canada

    Saturday, December 26th, 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.”

    Jews and Chinese Food, on WNYC’s The Takeaway

    Thursday, December 24th, 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!

    One Thousand Marijuana Plants Found at Old Fortune Cookie Factory

    Tuesday, December 22nd, 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. […]

    Many New Adventures and a New Blog To Come

    Saturday, December 19th, 2009

    Stay tuned.

    Fortune Cookie Christmas Tree Ornaments

    Tuesday, December 1st, 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.

    Dim Sum in Hebrew: דים סאם

    Sunday, November 29th, 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

    Fortune Cookie Chronicles on the F Train

    Friday, November 27th, 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!

    Speaking at Seward Park on Thursday, Nov. 19

    Wednesday, November 18th, 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 […]

    Shanghai Tiffin Club, Noon, Saturday Nov. 7 at CHIAM

    Saturday, November 7th, 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 […]

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