While most of California is under stay-at-home orders, yet again, I can only hope that wherever you are, you and your family members are safe and healthy.
Writing | In Progress
My piece “A Cooking Lesson” is live in the December issue of The Universal Asian. It’s kind of about dumplings, but mostly about my grandma, illness, her 80-year anniversary of immigrating to the U.S., and striking down perfectionism while cooking during a pandemic.
Related to something I wrote, rather posted, and again about my grandma: one of my Instagram posts (anti-colonialist narrative uncensored!) is highlighted by cookbook author Grace Young in Karen Shimizu’s Food and Wine article “The #SaveChineseRestaurants Campaign Is a Love Letter to Chinese Restaurants.”
In my personal blog, I have a new post about identity (and being lumped in as a millennial), writing, and the metaphor of the river in “The Confluence.” And a backdated post on the thanks and the giving in “Turkey Troubles.”
Wedding photos by eyeCatchLight Photography featured in the second-ever issue of Published! creative entrepreneurs magazine on Instagram but print and digital access here.
Kitchen Kernels
These ricciarelli remind me of La Placa Family Bakery (nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains) but also of a bakery I once worked at. Ricciarelli (and many other Italian cookies) are naturally gluten free, but I did some recipe testing on a vegan version while I was at it. Can you tell which batch of these is vegan? It’s the dark purple, almost cocoa-looking, ube-flavored ones! The best part is, you can tweak the flavoring so that it suits your tastebuds.
Yes, the cracks in the finished cookie are intentional. Having encountered this cookie early in my baking career, the key is resting and chilling the dough overnight, rolling the chilled dough in powdered sugar right before baking, and then baking the dough from refrigeration. Cold dough + hot oven is key to those San Andreas-fault-like seismic cracks.
Gluten-Free (and Vegan!) Ricciarelli
inspired by the base recipe of Pinch me, I’m eating!
Ingredients
2 oz. (about 4 tablespoons) aquafaba - that viscous liquid from a can of chickpeas!
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
216g (2 1/4 cup) almond flour
168g (1 3/4 cup) powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
Flavorings (choose one set)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla + 1/4 teaspoon almond extracts + zest from one orange + 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
OR
3/4 teaspoon ube + 1/4 teaspoon vanilla + 1/4 teaspoon almond extracts
OR
Go wild! Chocolate and matcha? Rosewater and saffron? Lemon zest and thyme?
For the baking part
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Process
Whip aquafaba and cream of tartar on speed 4 in a stand mixer until stiff peaks. This could take ten minutes. While aquafaba is whipping, sift almond flour, 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt through a fine sieve. Fold dry ingredients into aquafaba mixture in three parts. Add flavorings and fold again. The dough will yield a wet, sticky, dense sand texture. Wrap dough into a disc shape in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper - no need to grease them. Scoop dough into walnut-sized balls*, flatten slightly, and roll in the 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Be thorough with the powdered sugar coating. Line up on baking sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes (22 in my oven), and allow to cool on the sheet pans. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown, but the cookie interior will be chewy.
*You can chill the dough balls after scooping and store in the refrigerator for a week. Or, you can freeze them for up to six months - thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
Kitty Kernels
My cats are the original stay-at-home cats: “Stay-at-home order? What are the silly humans whining about? Kindly do not disturb as I knock down your clothes rack. And run around with your socks while you sleep.”
Have you taken your pets to the vet this year? The longer this shelter lasts, the longer the awkward vet trips - of dropping the pet cage off at the door and waiting in the car - will prevail.
Nezu and Oren wish you warm and safe greetings from a distance - which they were going to do anyway since they are indeed cats.
How I’ve Kept Somewhat Sane During [Insert National and Global Crisis Here]
Ways to volunteer for the Georgia run-off election: There’s a ton of grassroots events to “get in the way,” so if you encounter any others, email me.
Postcards/letter writing: Postcards to Swing States
Textbanking: Working Families Party
Phonebanking: New Georgia Project Action Fund
Reading
On Service, Part 2 by Alicia Kennedy: A *lengthy* interview-essay parsed from candid responses from restaurant industry workers on working during the pandemic. All I can say is, I empathize with pretty much all that is said here, and the underlying thread goes well beyond “support your favorite restaurants.” (I acknowledge I have the privilege of sitting out of the professional kitchen at this time.) My favorite response: “The [well-established, best branded chefs and restaurants] get the press and the little [mom and pop unknown restaurants] just gets an Eater write-up when they shutter.”
Cookies and coffee
Red Door Desserts | Saint John’s Program for Real Change: Sacramento area one off or subscription dessert program, but they ship! Enjoy cookies baked by the hands-on employment training program for previously unhoused women. $5 off the signature box before December 27th.
Simply Taste Budd’s: More cookies! A former coworker of mine, who taught me to decorate cakes, is offering free shipping on his cookies - select the “pick-up only” option and fill in your address. And, if you’re in the East Bay/Bay Area, he does bake layered cakes, peach cobbler, and other goods to order.
The Best Instant Coffees for a Quick and Casual Morning Brew: From fellow Food Media Lab alum and Black Food and Beverage creator Angela Burke, a meditation on instant coffee as well as a shopping guide. Just in case you need coffee to go with all these cookies!
COVID relief
Garcia Family COVID Relief Fund: Sharing on the behalf of friends’ family members, who all were diagnosed with COVID but the father more seriously so.
Herbal Calendars to benefit Native COVID Relief: A wonderful and wise poet friend of mine is printing 2021 calendars featuring 12 medicinal herbs, with accompanying quirky stories and illustrations. Proceeds to benefit Native COVID relief. Order before the end of the year.