The Fortune Cookie Chronicles http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog (A Book Adventure through the Mysteries of Chinese Food) By Jennifer 8. Lee Fri, 04 May 2012 00:59:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Jeremy Lin’s head over a Chinese fortune cookie. On MSG’s TV. http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/02/16/jeremy-lins-head-over-a-chinese-fortune-cookie-on-msgs-tv/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/02/16/jeremy-lins-head-over-a-chinese-fortune-cookie-on-msgs-tv/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:33:15 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/02/16/jeremy-lins-head-over-a-chinese-fortune-cookie-on-msgs-tv/
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MSG now regrets putting up a graphic of Jeremy Lin’s head over the broken fortune cookie. Almost inevitable. But still, I think someone must have thought this was a good idea. And no one thought maybe it wasn’t. On television is the strangest part.Â

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/02/16/jeremy-lins-head-over-a-chinese-fortune-cookie-on-msgs-tv/feed/ 0 Chinese Takeout Boxes are All-American http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/01/18/chinese-takeout-boxes-are-all-american/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/01/18/chinese-takeout-boxes-are-all-american/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:12:10 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/?p=3402 The New York Times Magazine has a piece by Hilary Greenbaum and Dana Rubenstein on how Chinese takeout boxes are uniquely American (Chinese takeout boxes are all but unknown in China) My favorite fact that they dug up:

On Nov. 13, 1894, in Chicago, the inventor Frederick Weeks Wilcox patented a version of what he called a “paper pail,” which was a single piece of paper, creased into segments and folded into a (more or less) leakproof container secured with a dainty wire handle on top.

Impressed that they dug that up. In my research, I did not stumble across that fun, fun fact.

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2012/01/18/chinese-takeout-boxes-are-all-american/feed/ 0 My research is now part of the Smithsonian’s permanent collection. http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/my-research-is-now-part-of-the-smithsonians-permanent-collection-so-cool/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/my-research-is-now-part-of-the-smithsonians-permanent-collection-so-cool/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:58:13 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/my-research-is-now-part-of-the-smithsonians-permanent-collection-so-cool/ I stopped by the American history museum of the Smithsonian and was superexcited to see three objects that I have encountered in my research were now on exhibit and part of the museum’s permanent collection

The kata grills from Gary Ono, which were used to make superearly fortune cookies in the Japanese Tea Garden in the San Francisco Golden Gate Park.

What could be the oldest American fortune cookies still in existence (50 years old!), an unopened can of “fortune tea cakes” from Hong Kong Noodle in Los Angeles, donated by Merlin Lowe, and a hat to go with it.

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Here is the little museumy write up that went below it, that makes it superreal.

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]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/my-research-is-now-part-of-the-smithsonians-permanent-collection-so-cool/feed/ 0 Spoke at the National Archives on Oct. 26 http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/spoke-at-the-national-archives-on-oct-26/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/spoke-at-the-national-archives-on-oct-26/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:31:42 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/speaking-at-the-national-archives-today-at-noon/ I spoke at the National Archives today. That’s right, the same building as Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence! It was part of the “What’s Cooking? Uncle Sam” exhibit, which examines the federal government’s impact on the American diet.

The building:

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And the little sign for the talk.

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Update: The chief of research offered to pull up the Chinese Exclusion Act next time I’m in town. How cool is that?

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/26/spoke-at-the-national-archives-on-oct-26/feed/ 0 Speaking at the National Archives on October 26 http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/01/speaking-at-the-national-archives-on-october-26/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/01/speaking-at-the-national-archives-on-october-26/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:23:00 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/?p=3397 I’m speaking at the National Archives on October 26 in the William G. McGowan Theater as part of their ongoing series looking at food.

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/10/01/speaking-at-the-national-archives-on-october-26/feed/ 0 General Tso’s Nachos http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/08/02/general-tsos-nachos/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/08/02/general-tsos-nachos/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:03:53 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/?p=3373 This is amazing. General Tso’s nachos. He’s gone south of the border.

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/08/02/general-tsos-nachos/feed/ 0 Lijiacai restaurant in Beijing. Imperial recipes in a Hutong http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/06/26/lijiacai-restaurant-in-beijing-imperial-recipes-in-a-hutong/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/06/26/lijiacai-restaurant-in-beijing-imperial-recipes-in-a-hutong/#comments Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:06:53 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/06/26/lijiacai-restaurant-in-beijing-imperial-recipes-in-a-hutong/ These are dishes from the famed Li Jia Cai restaurant in Beijing, which serves imperial Beijing food but out of a Hutong. It has a interesting and fascinating history, and has spawned sister restaurants in Tokyo and Melbourne (of all places). I visited both of those in my hunt for the greatest Chinese restaurant in the world.

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]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/06/26/lijiacai-restaurant-in-beijing-imperial-recipes-in-a-hutong/feed/ 0 Certificates from California Senate, Assembly + San Francisco Board of Supervisors http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/13/recognition-from-california-legislature-and-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/13/recognition-from-california-legislature-and-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:56:14 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/13/recognition-from-california-legislature-and-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors/

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I got these certificates in the mail yesterday. Superfun.

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/13/recognition-from-california-legislature-and-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors/feed/ 0 Star Trek Meets Chinese Food: Make it Tso http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/07/star-trek-meets-chinese-food-make-it-tso/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/07/star-trek-meets-chinese-food-make-it-tso/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:46:01 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/?p=3342 Sent to me by David Lefer.

]]> http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/07/star-trek-meets-chinese-food-make-it-tso/feed/ 0 From a UCLA Asian American studies professor http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/01/from-a-ucla-asian-american-studies-professor/ http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2011/04/01/from-a-ucla-asian-american-studies-professor/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:19:29 +0000 Jennifer 8. Lee http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/?p=3323 I got a lovely note from an Asian American studies professor at UCLA. It’s exciting to think of the book as a “staple.”

I am writing to say how much my students and I enjoy your wonderful book.  It has become a staple reading in a seminar I teach on Asian American history through foodways.  From your fortune-cookie detective work to the mysteries of General Tso’s chicken, to the plight of Chinese restaurant families and deliverymen, your book helps readers to think more deeply about things we take for granted. Your interwoven exploration of second-generation issues particularly resonates for many students who are the children of immigrants and refugees.

Hope your writing and food adventures are going well!  Looking forward to your next project.

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