Photo credit: Clare Barboza
A good friend who recently completed her first manuscript likened the writing process to giving birth — through her face. I choked from laughter at this image and then settled into an empathetic nod. Writing a book, especially an inaugural work, does usher in all the excitement of being an expectant parent in the early stages of gestation. Eventually, the novelty dissolves into the reality of putting the first 10,000 words on the page, and the next 10,000 words, and the next, a high-voltage prod, zapping you if you relent before deadline.
My cookbook’s “birth story” could have been an episode of
Cutthroat Kitchen on the Food Network, where competitors pay for the right to sabotage an opponent by taking away an essential cooking tool like a proper chef’s knife or a stove. The inadvertent saboteur in my case was my husband, Eric, who, let’s be clear, would never purposefully or maliciously pitch me a curveball, but ended up dealing me a serious handicap.
I was about three months into writing
Chinese Soul Food when Eric decided it was an ideal time to refinance our home. This was not a problem. But my husband is a devotee of HGTV and the DIY Network. He had been scheming and wanted to use the refinancing to kickstart what had been our
someday kitchen remodel.
[My] husband had that earnest, faraway look that he gets when visions of “demo day” and the “big reveal” start dancing in his head.
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“You want to remodel the kitchen now?” I asked. “While I’m writing a cookbook?”
“Yes,” Eric said. He rattled off his plan to build my dream kitchen and promised that the work would be completed before Thanksgiving, which would give me two months in the new kitchen before my book was due. It was early summer, the refinancing was still in progress, the project scope and contractor still had to be determined, the scheduling had to be confirmed, and... and... and. But my husband had that earnest, faraway look that he gets when visions of “demo day” and the “big reveal” start dancing in his head.
Of course I wanted a new kitchen. Of course it would increase our property value. Of course, and inevitably, the project would start late, run into delays and personnel drama, go over budget, and push into Christmas.
I had front-loaded as much of the recipe testing as I could and left the storytelling and headnote writing for when my kitchen would be out of service. With the delays and a looming deadline, I had to get back into the kitchen. I used a baking sheet on a bar stool to hold my tabletop butane stove, a footstool to hold a tray of seasonings, and a step stool to hold sundry other items. When I needed to stir-fry, I would crack open the door, fire up the stove, and test whatever recipes needed to be tested.
It was not ideal. But, like on
Cutthroat Kitchen, I had to prove my mettle as an experienced, resourceful cook who can adapt to almost any kitchen situation and still turn out great food. I talk about this trait in my cookbook, recounting how my parents, after immigrating from Taiwan, were able to make sumptuous Chinese meals for our family even though they had a tiny kitchen, secondhand pans, no wok, and few authentic Chinese ingredients.
Having to use this bar stool stove in a construction zone had started as a pain point for me. But I realized that this “sabotage” was just the reminder I needed that not all the people who cook from my book have high-end kitchens. Anyone should be able to cook my recipes with the tools and ingredients they have at hand. And the bar stool stove worked just fine.
The labor was long and the complications now make for a funny story, but my cookbook now has a life of its own and is ready to meet the world.
Wok-Seared Corn and Green Onions
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
I usually keep a bag of frozen corn on hand for when I need a quick stir-fry to pair with a meat-centric meal. In my house, corn is also one of the few vegetables that
both kids will eat. I start by frying chopped green onions in a touch of oil to release their aromatic goodness to counter the sweetness of the corn. I use fresh corn in season when it’s abundant and sweet. Fresh corn also chars nicely, which adds a hint of smokiness. While there are different ways to remove the kernels from the cob, I usually lay the cob at on its side and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the kernels. You can easily scale this recipe up or down and add other ingredients, such as minced garlic, chili peppers, or fresh cilantro, to taste.
4 ears fresh corn or 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cob. Set aside.
Preheat a wok over high heat until wisps of smoke rise from the surface. Add the oil and onions, and quickly stir to combine for 10 seconds, or until the onions are fragrant.
Add the corn, and stir-fry for about 1 minute. If you are using frozen corn, it will sizzle as the ice crystals melt and release moisture.
Add the soy sauce and water, and continue to stir. After 1 to 2 minutes more, the corn should have a light sear and be fully cooked through. Add salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice.
Recipe from Chinese Soul Food: A Friendly Guide for Homemade Dumplings, Stir-Fries, Soups, and More
(Sasquatch Books, $24.95)
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Hsiao-Ching Chou is an award-winning food journalist, a cooking instructor, and a communications professional in the tech industry. She is a member of the James Beard Foundation cookbook committee and Les Dames d'Escoffier. Chou has been a guest on local and national shows, including Public Radio's
The Splendid Table, the PBS documentary
The Meaning of Food, and the Travel Channel's
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. She teaches Chinese home cooking to students at the Hot Stove Society school. Chou lives in Seattle with her family.
Chinese Soul Food is her first book.