Chinese restaurants return to Baghdad
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 22, 2008
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The security situation must be improving in Baghdad: A Chinese restaurant has opened in the Karrada neighborhood. (There had been several Chinese restaurants in Baghdad beforehand, including two in the Green Zone, but all of them they had closed down as security got worse and worse). Menu is limited, but it includes dumplings. And they just don’t seem to have chopsticks.
Topics: Chinese Food, Chinese Restaurants, Quirky | No Comments »
Giving new meaning to “in bed” from fortune cookies. Chinese food pajamas
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 22, 2008
My friend, Rachel Metz, saw these Chinese-food themed pajamas on sale at Daffy’s in Brooklyn this weekend. It kinda makes you wonder, what designer thought: there must be people who love Chinese food so much, they want to sleep with it.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
The long march of the fortune tea cake?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 21, 2008
Barry Popik, a compiler of etymological origins and contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, has a nice compilation of early citations in newspapers for “fortune tea cakes,” “Chinese fortune cakes,” “fortune cakes” (some of the last one I dispute refer to the modern day fortune cookies because they seem more related to the French galette des rois, which has a trinket embedded inside). (Yay for proquest!)
Among the ones that I find most intriguing are the ones that show fortune tea cakes had spread to Chinese restaurants outside California, albeit in a light, scattered way.
Topics: Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
Booklist Review: More a summary than a review
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 17, 2008
More a summary than a review.
Issue: February 1, 2008
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food.
Lee, Jennifer 8 (Author)
Mar 2008. 320 p. Twelve, hardcover, $24.99. (0446580074). 641.59.
Lee traverses the U.S., China, and beyond in her quest to discover what has made Chinese food ubiquitous in America. She investigates the murky origins of chop suey, which for decades peculiarly defined Chinese cooking for many Americans despite the fact that the dish appears nowhere in its putative homeland. In recent years a classic called General Tso’s Chicken has found its way onto virtually every Chinese American menu, and Lee meticulously chases this concoction back to its provincial roots. In an amusing chapter, Lee chronicles the unique bond between Chinese food and American Jewry despite Chinese cooking’s obvious conflict with kosher dietary proscriptions, both groups uniting in opposition to the dominant majoritarian culture. Documenting the less-savory aspects of America’s Chinese restaurant business, Lee lays bare the trafficking of illegal immigrants into kitchen servitude. She also hops from one world capital to another in a quest for the best Chinese restaurant. Extensive bibliography. — Mark Knoblauch
Topics: Reviews | No Comments »
The cover design for fortune cookies.
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 17, 2008
I woke up the morning my fortune cookie story ran with emails from friends that were like “awesome layout” and “great design.” As I had waited until late for the story to go online and read it only online, I had no idea what they were talking about. I actually didn’t see the paper until almost 11 a.m. after I was coming back from an assignment and found a copy someone had left in the subway.
And it really was amazing. Above is lovely fortune cookie front on the Dining section cover. The layout, which has gotten lots of compliments, was all the idea of the art director, Nicki Kalish. They had little strips of paper photographed in the studio and then she arranged them on the page. The type was helvetica regular, a sans serif font that resembles a common fortune cookie style.
But the rest of the article got split from this artsy part. So every time they made a change in the pre-jump text (“generations-old” as opposed to “centuries-old”), they had to have the art processed again, which is why the editor, Pete Wells, kept hounding me for changes. More so than normal editing process.
Topics: Chinese Food, Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
Fortune Cookies are really from Japan.
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 16, 2008
So today I have a story in The New York Times that points, persuasively, that fortune cookies originate not from China, but from Japan. There is neat slideshow by Sylvia Rupani-Smith and video by Sean Patrick Farrell.
This was probably the most surprising outcome from the research of my book, and it is one of the main reasons why the book is now called The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, as opposed to The Long March of General Tso.
Topics: Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
How did Japanese fortune cookies end up in Chinese restaurants?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 16, 2008
So how did Japanese fortune cookies end up in Chinese restaurants? That’s a bit of a mystery.
This is what we do know, based on interviews with fortune cookie makers and articles written around the time. Turns out it’s relatively easy to trace the path of fortune cookies back to World War II, when they were still called “fortune tea cakes.” (more evidence of their being Japanese, as Chinese people don’t generally serve “cakes” with tea.)
Topics: Chinese Food, Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
Even Colbert eats Chinese food! That means it’s American!
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 15, 2008
So my friends just IMed me to inform me that Stephen Colbert — author of I am America and You Can Too! — started out by eating Chinese takeout on his show tonight. Unclear what it has to do with the writers’ strike, but somehow that was the impetus.
He ate lo mein (unsure if it was pork or chicken) and opened a fortune cookies and made an “in bed” joke. He even ate with chopsticks. Umph. Very un-Colbert.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Stressful day. Multimedia. Bullet points. Rebookings.
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 14, 2008
Stressful day running around putting finishing touches on a Chinese food Dining story for this Wednesday that looks like it should be pretty good — involves a lot of multimedia (yay for Sylvia and Patrick, who put it all together, and Josephine, for making the video happen on such short notice). Also tomorrow, a big luncheon (with takeout Chinese, how could we resist) with New York media (who, I am told, are tough!). So I have to figure out how to be on message with the book within a 10-minute frame — so I am making bullet points.
The day had a bad start when around 12:30 a.m. my friend (on IM) realized she had booked the wrong flight on the wrong day for Sundance (1/19 instead of 1/17, as 17 and 19 are both prime numbers < 20 and not something memorable like 13 or 11, I actually *can* see the confusion, no joke). So I spent 2 hours trying to figure out what the cheapest way to change it was, with frequent flyer miles, Amex points, flying in early, flying out late, whatever. Sigh. Ignore all the typos. I’m a little stressball.
Topics: Book Musings | No Comments »
What do you do with the fortunes you want to keep?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 13, 2008
So the biggest dilemma at the end of a Chinese meal: What do you do with a fortune cookie fortune you want to keep? Do you put it in your wallet? Do you tape it to your computer monitor or fridge? Do you collect them for a scrapbook project? Do yu stuff it in your pocket and have it get all yucky after you do your laundry.
Well there are two products which offer solutions. Spoon Sisters is offering a fortune cookie journal. (photo above). You can paste your fortunes in, but it gives you room to scribble your thoughts and inspiration. Very middle school diary..
The other one is the Fortune Album, by Mike Moskowitz, a Fort Lauderdale resident who always felt like he had great fortune karma (he attached fortunes to his college application — and got in). It’s like a photo album, with little plastic sleeves sized for fortunes. Six fortunes to a page. Comes in a case. It’s colored black and orange
Topics: Fortune Cookies | No Comments »
New York State raids Chinatown restaurants for illegal fish
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 10, 2008
Elizabeth Dwoskin has a fascinating article this week in the Village Voice about New York State inspectors going around to Chinese restaurants fish tanks looking for illegally undersized tautog fish. (It’s illegal to catch one less than 14 inches long, but small fish are often considered more tender by the Chinese diners).
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Two more readings, one in Boston (well really Cambridge) and one in Los Angeles (well, really Pasadena)
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 10, 2008
Cary Goldstein just let me know that we have two more appearances tentatively scheduled. Harvard Book Store (they were smart to get harvard.com!) on March 20 and Vroman’s in Pasadena on the 27th. Still more West Coast stuff and DC stuff to nail down.
Topics: Appearances, Chinese Food | No Comments »
What it looks like 7 weeks before a book comes out…
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 9, 2008
So seven weeks out from the book’s pub date (March 3), it’s all about waiting for the media stuff to gel, which is very unstable and unpredictable. Like just today, I was booked by a television show, dropped by a radio show, and picked up by another radio show. Also, there is all these politics about how some shows won’t do you if another show that is too similar is already booking you.
And just last week, I found out that the book was going to be excerpted by a major magazine after being pretty much convinced that it wasn’t going to be excerpted at all (because it’s not very newsy) and we were quiet on the excerpt front (there is a person at Hachette that handles all of that stuff).
Next week: we are going to have a media gathering with lots of takeout Chinese with local New York media.
I also have handed two magazine pieces and a newspaper piece these last two weeks. The range of magazines interested in this book is a bit amusing: women’s magazines, a lad mag, a business publication, a gourmet publication and a general interest publication. Everyone loves Chinese food.
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This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed at home. This little piggy went to dim sum…and ended up roasted
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 7, 2008
These two pigs were spotted in Jing Fong in New York City’s Chinatown after dim sum with friends (one who said “Ooh! Make sure to get the Christmas tree in the background). Given that Americans don’t like to reminded their food ever ran, swam, flew or breathed, this would probably not go over well with the Panda Garden crowd.
Topics: Chinese Food, Chinese Restaurants | No Comments »
Training chopsticks at CB2, kinda like training wheels?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 7, 2008
I saw these at the new CB2 (i.e. Crate and Barrel 2) in Soho last week. (Hard to believe now, but Crate and Barrel was once a young hippish low-cost homewear retailer. But as their customers grew up, so did Crate and Barrel, which is why they’re aiming at the younger demographic with CB2).
I thought these “training chopsticks” were amusing — a cross between clothes pins, chopsticks and Romper Room.
But seriously, any person who would go shopping at CB2 in New York City these days should know how to use chopsticks already, no?
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
The best dim sum chef in New York? Joe Ng of Chinatown Brasserie
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 5, 2008
So this morning I woke up for a photo shoot for a magazine which is going to excerpt The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (yay! though why they want a fancy photo of the author to go with the excerpt, I’m not so clear about.) The photographer they assigned was Melanie Dunea, who has done an impressive range of work for magazines and notable people and is also author of My Last Supper, where she asked 50 chefs what their last supper on earth would be. (See the Charlie Rose interview and the New Yorker Talk of the Town)
So the whole thing turned out to be quite (from my experience) a significant production — involving not only Melanie, but two assistants and a hair/makeup person, Nikki Wang.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
General Tso’s empire expands to bean curd
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 4, 2008
Saw this on the menu at Tung Shing House in Rego Park, Queens, where my family and my South African friend (who introduced ubuntu to me) had Christmas dinner. Side note: General Tso’s tofu is served on Antarctica, at McMurdo Station, an American scientific outpost.
My South African friend claimed he did “really well with parents.”
My response: “Yeah? But what about Asian parents? I’m not going to be sure they’ll be able to understand your accent.”
Topics: General Tso | No Comments »
March 12 Reading at Upper West Side Barnes & Noble on W. 82nd Street
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 4, 2008
I just got booked for a reading, along with Eric Weiner (author of the awesome Geography of Bliss) for March 12, 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble store #1979 Upper West Side at 2289 Broadway @ 82nd St. (I have a running list of appearances)
During high school, I worked at that very Barnes & Noble as a cashier. It was my dream job. You could borrow hardcover books as long as you left them the cover. I think I read 30-40 books that summer after I graduated. Also one thing that was interesting is that you could tell what was going on in someone’s life by seeing what they were buying: “When Your Husband Comes Out of the Closet,” “Wicca for Beginners,” “Overcoming Food Addictions” or whatever. In some cases it was TMI.
Topics: Appearances, Book Musings | No Comments »
Happy two-oh-oh-eight!
By Jennifer 8. Lee | January 3, 2008
It’s 2008. For New Year’s I went to my friends’ apartment where one of my closest friends and his partner cooked lovely food they had learned from a cooking class: garlic shrimp, gingerbread cake, sherry mushrooms, lamb and beef and almond meatballs. (So much progress from the Rice-a-roni style boiled frozen veggies and breaded fish of yore my friend cooked when we were in college). I think it’s interesting that no matter what people are doing, they turn on the television to Times Square around midnight. So it’s like the entire East Coast is partying together (What do Central and Mountain time people do) As the number 2008! flashed repeatedly on the screen, I realized that I had been waiting for this year longer than any other year since college graduation (which itself was a number in flux.)
When I signed the book contract at the end of 2005, 2008 seemed so so far away. And now it’s here.
People often ask, “What’s it like writing a book?”
My response: It’s like being pregnant for three years, and in labor for like six months. And then it’s like the thing goes into neonatal care, because you can’t hold the product of your efforts.
Topics: Book Musings | No Comments »
General Tso’s duck?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 30, 2007
Apparently, te new Mt. Lebanon restaurant in Pittsburgh now serves General Tso’s duck. This goes along with other dishes I have discovered, including General Tso’s shrimp, General Tso’s tofu, General Tso’s dumplings, General Tso’s pizza.
He has an expanding culinary empire
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My best post on City Room this year
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 29, 2007
I was asked to put together a funny highs and lows for 2007 on NYC. Which is interesting, because I had never done that before and had to figure out how to make humor work. I actually kind of came up with a few methodologies, and consulted my friend, Rachel Axler, whose a writer for The Daily Show (when they are writing that is).
My favorites…
Least graceful breakup announcement: A-Rod’s free-agent declaration during the fourth game of the World Series. (He ended up staying with the Yankees, after all.)
Most graceful breakup announcement: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s press release announcing his decision to leave the Republican Party during a June trip to California.
Topics: Blogging Musings | No Comments »
Who’s Here? Who’s Queer? Who loves books about Chinese food?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 29, 2007
So I went to a party last night at the home of a high school/college friend who is gay. It was basically me, four straight women, and 40 gay men (plus like one random straight guy who had been brought along without advance warning on what he would encounter. The Evite was titled “Who’s Here? Who’s Queer?”).
I sometimes think I was “grandfathered in” as a straight friend, because I knew the host before he was out.
At one point I bumped into one of the other XX chromosomal beings at the food table, and she actually said, “Oh my god, another woman!” It was a fabulous party for me nonetheless as like 40 percent of my gay friends were at this party (this is what happens when you share eight years of overlapping schooling with the host)
(This gets to the book, just be patient).
Topics: Book Musings, Chinese Food | No Comments »
Sea Cucumbers? One of the most misleadingly named creatures on the Chinese menu?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 28, 2007
I was out with my friend Robin the other day for lunch in Chinatown when she started talking about her experience with sea cucumbers. Sea cucumbers have this soft chewy jelly-like consistency. Robin had eaten them in Chinese restaurants and had never know they were moving creatures like the one above until her brother sent her a picture and she was then horrified at what she was putting in her mouth. “It never crossed my mind it was anything but a cucumber,” said Robin. “I think it’s a flagrantly misnamed Asian delicacy.”
Topics: Chinese Food, Immigration | No Comments »
What about Chinese people who love Jewish food? Bagels in Beijing!
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 28, 2007
A funny post on Triscribe tsktsking about the obsession about Jews who love Chinese food, and lack of attention to Chinese people who love Jewish food. The post points out, correctly, that about 1/3 of the waitstaff at born-again 2nd Avenue Deli are Chinese. (I can confirm that at least they are Asian immigrants, though I didn’t ask where they are from. But they are probably Chinese, given immigrant patterns in the city. Chinese are the second-largest foreign born population in New York after Dominicans)
On the battle of Chinese food versus Jewish food. I will say there are 40,000+ Chinese restaurants in the country and the Jewish delis is precipitous decline, once with 500+ and now just a small handful in New York City (though in New York, Korean-owned delis are a mainstay)
In terms of the ultimate Chinese lover of Jewish food, I would have to give it to Lejen Chen, a Chinese-American New Yorker who brought bagels to Beijing!
Topics: Chinese Food, Jews & Chinese Food, Quirky | No Comments »
Is there a worm hole from the Panda Garden straight down to Beijing?
By Jennifer 8. Lee | December 27, 2007
Matthew Pearl (who also had Jon Karp as an editor) sent me an except of a diary from his great-aunt Ruth (now in her late 90s), about her early impressions of a Chinese restaurants while growing up Jewish in Brooklyn. In this excerpt, Jenny is an aunt and Sylvia is her sister. Matthew doesn’t know exactly when this is from, but I would ballpark it in the 1920s, based on how Chinese restaurants spread in New York City, and what little I know about Aunt Ruth.
It was in this house that Sam Sturman came to court Jenny. He was a good-looking man with wavy, blond hair and big blue eyes. He was jolly, liked to joke and tease. He was a “man about town” and invited Jenny and my mother, Anna, to dinner in a new kind of restaurant, Chinese. Jenny was afraid to go to such an outlandish place, but my mother was eager and adventurous.
Jenny, Grandma, Sylvia, and I, pleaded with them to not go; but they did go just the same. We all worried they’d be kidnapped to China, and were much relieved when they returned.
Its interesting to think of Chinese restaurants as strange exotic — potentially dangerous — places.
Topics: Chinese Food, Jews & Chinese Food | No Comments »