Foodie Friday: Giant Boba

Giant boba: tapioca found in the world's largest cup of milk tea In honor of my love for the bubble drink, I've dedicated today's post to one huge cup of milk tea. I didn't actually drink this one, but I marveled at its size at the 626 Night Market this past weekend. Check out this video to see how they assembled the 5-inch balls. On a side note, I did purchase a similar but more consumable beverage and discovered white tapioca balls! They're the same size and shape as the black ones, but … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Coconut Pancake

Coconut pancake: Asian pancake with shredded coconut I never had this dish until I tried it at a local restaurant. It's a pancake filled with shredded coconut and sesame seeds. The crust is the hearty kind, not at all like a crepe or the IHOP breakfast variety. Inside, there's an intriguing tropical flair with the mashed coconut concoction. The sesame seeds balanced out the taste well, but overall I felt that the pancake was a bit too sweet.  … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Green Tea Mousse

Green tea mousse: a smooth, tea-flavored dessert   The picture says it all. Green tea mousse is the Asian version of the mousse dessert. It has a sweet taste with a touch of the earthy bitterness of green tea to counterbalance the sugar. The white chocolate rectangle and fresh fruit also serve to round out the taste. … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Dried Squid

Dried squid: shredded and seasoned squid, typically served as a snack This is a common packaged snack, which features chewy but tender squid. It provides an addictive sweet and salty taste combination. In tea houses, the squid can be stir-fried and served hot to accompany your beverage of choice. Pick up a bag at the local Asian store to satisfy your munchies. … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Asian Cake

Asian cake: a lighter version of an American cake, often topped with a variety of fresh fruitI think I made up the term, "Asian cake," but there is a difference between a cake found at an Asian bakery versus an American one. Asian cakes tend to be lighter and fluffier, with their frosting having more of a whipped cream texture. They also incorporate a lot of fresh fruit, on top and inside the cake. The above cake for an early Father's Day celebration has taro inside it. Indeed, my wedding cake … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Fried Tang Yuan

Fried tang yuan: sweet mini glutinous rice ballsTraditional tang yuan are round dumplings served in soup. They can be made by mixing water with glutinous rice flour, combined with lots of kneading. They contain different fillings, like black sesame or ground peanut. (Asian grocery stores also offer pre-made frozen versions that can be tossed into a pot.) In contrast, fried tang yuan remain hollow.   … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Almond Tofu

Almond Tofu: a white jello with a nutty taste  Almond tofu. The easiest Chinese-y dessert you can make in a jiffy. Grab a box from the local Asian store (or grocery aisle), and follow the directions. The instant mix results in an opaque, almond-flavored jello. Almond tofu is a misnomer because there are no soybeans involved in the recipe. Also, apricot kernels (a.k.a. southern Chinese almonds) are used for the flavor. It packs an intense earthy kick, so I recommend combining it with fruit … [Read more...]

Author Headshots

Jaidakgwo: worth doingIn ancient times, people considered it a great event to cross a river.  Imagine a person at the bank of a rapid river, with very simple tools at his disposal.  He would cross over only if he believed it worthwhile.I decided to get my author headshots done last week, because I thought it was jaidakgwo.  These  photographs are used by an author on his or her website, blog, or published novel (pretty please).  My decision to go in front of the camera was because of a … [Read more...]

Colorful Casting

Gunjih leuhnggo hau: the officials have two mouthsWithin the character for "official" appears two mouths (they look like square boxes).  Regular people use one mouth.  This phrase means that those in power can speak much louder.  Whether they're right or wrong, you still have to listen to them.  Some things are out of one's control.  When a writer gets their work turned into a movie, it transitions out of their hands.  Film adaptations require different skills.  That's why there are … [Read more...]