KPLU Sound Effect: A Chinese Restaurant, A Life

Tips for How to Buy Soy Sauce

The Most Delicious Pea Shoots with Fresh Garlic

We went to the farmers market on Sunday and came across fresh pea shoots ($13 for a large box) from Farmbox Greens and some fresh garlic. I couldn't wait to cook some. Look for Farmbox Greens at Seattle-area farmers markets. I bought mine at the Ballard Sunday market. If you are outside of Seattle, you can order Farmbox Greens through Marxfoods.com (caveat: the shipping is expensive).

You also can look for fresh pea shoots at your nearest Asian market. Taste a shoot and if it's chewy, then you will know that you have to trim the tough stems. You can use a small knife or use your fingers to pluck off the tender leaves and stems.

The Book Deal

The TLDR version: I got a cookbook deal with Sasquatch. The release date is the beginning of 2018. Yay!

Wait, what happened? If you've kept up with my cookbook trajectory, you know that I had proclaimed that I would be self-publishing my cookbook Chinese Soul Food. I knew what kind of book I wanted to create and I had a photographer, a designer and a copy editor. I also had connected with a printer who could print high-quality books overseas. I started working on the book and had made significant progress when Sasquatch Books came calling.

I chose the self-publishing route because I didn't want to subject myself to the drawn-out process of finding an agent, developing a formal book proposal, shopping the proposal, and a long production schedule. I guess I don't have the patience for all that. The only piece I couldn't figure out how to DIY efficiently was a print run larger than 2,000 copies and broad distribution. Still, I forged ahead.

I met with Sasquatch and, after some discussion, I agreed to consider an offer. Today, I made it official and signed a deal. And now, back to work!