Favorites & Tips « Chinese Southern Belle

Snack Attack Snacks

Tangy craving: Dried green mango strips
Salty craving: Japanese seaweed crackers
A little kick: Wasabi peas
Sweet: Hi-chew taffy (mango or melon) or black sesame brittle
Feeling munchy: Laver soda crackers (Korean and Japanese)
Sour-Sucking-Mouthwatering: Preserved plums! (Pavlov’s right, my mouth waters every time I think of them)
On-the-go or in the car: Hot oatmeal mixed with Black Sesame Powder, honey and soy milk in my thermal mug
Suddenly I’m starving: Multi-grain, high-protein cereal biscuits (Taiwan) with a glass of water
Feeling anti-social: Cuttlefish jerky
New favorite: Sliced almonds with dried, seasoned minnows (sold at Tomato Japanese grocery)
New import: Green tea smoked tofu packs (Taiwan)

Many of these can be found either at Tomato (mini-Japanese grocery at Windy Hill/Smyrna or one of the Asian groceries (Buford Highway Farmers Market, H-Mart, Assi, 99 Ranch, Dingho, Hong Kong Supermarket)

“Happy Long Life Noodle Day!”

Noodles are traditionally served on birthdays because they symbolize long life (chang shou). So don’t break your noodles when you boil them! My favorite is my mom’s Chinese Chili Spaghetti (featured at the Dunwoody Chili Cookoff).

In celebration of long life noodle birthdays, here are my favorite noodle highlights:

Fresh ramen noodle soup at Umaido Japanese noodle shop (Korean-owned) in Suwanee and Yakitori Grill in Smyrna (great photos and helpful review by FoodieBuddha)
Noodle fun with the kids at my Chinese Hotpot party with friends and going overboard with 5 different kinds of noodles. Everyone was so full, they couldn’t finish the noodles, served as part the hotpot closing ceremony.
Eating at a new Korean noodle house in Duluth with a non-English-speaking server and haplessly trying to figure out which noodles were cold, hot, dry or wet (soupy), with meat or no meat. I learned that Korean “buckwheat noodles” are not the same as soba/Japanese buckwheat noodles. Meanwhile, I see my dad “washing” his kimchi in a glass of water to take off the hot chili edge. I laugh at him, but then adopt the practice myself. The food was good!
The Oodles of Noodles overview of our Asian Market Tours– 3 whole aisles of noodles!
Watching the Noodle Master make homemade noodles by hand–no pasta machine –at Man Chun Hong (thanks to Atlanta Ethnic Foods Examiner) in Seoul Plaza on Buford Highway. Even as I’m watching him, it still amazes me how the lump of dough is transformed into long, skinny threads of noodles, in a matter of seconds!
Seeing a three year-old baby slurp up our Chinese Chili Spaghetti and clamoring for more and more. The kid had good taste (or was starving), perhaps both!
Serving noodles made from tofu at our Cook’s Warehouse class, a first for everyone!
Learning that a 4,000 year-old bowl of noodles (millet) was discovered in northwestern China in 2006

Celebrate your birthdays (or any day) with noodles and slurp and twirl your way to long life!

Love My Tuff Mug (by Zojirushi)

Tuff Mug by Zojirushi

My friends have joked that I was more upset when I lost my Tuff Mug than when I lost my keys. I’ve been a loyal Tuff Mug fan since 1994 when I moved up north for graduate school. Throughout the fall and winter, it was my constant companion. And now that I’ve discovered it for icee slushies in the summertime, it’s my year-round buddy! When I carried it in the breast pocket of my parka, it was, literally, the only thing that would come between me and friends!

These are the reasons why I love my Tuff Mug, by Zojirushi (Japan).

It keeps things very hot for a long time (several hours with patented thermal vacuum technology)
It has a cool little storage compartment in the lid to keep your tea bag (or a vitamin).
It lives up to its name. Mine has been dropped, rolled and bounced.

There is one drawback. It’s not a hand-warming mug. It’s so well insulated that the exterior metal layer never changes temperature, cold or hot. When I want a hand warmer, I grab cheaper look-alike versions. Everything has its purpose!

CSB Essential Tools and Ingredients

Here’s a great article on our favorite tools and pantry essentials!

Article courtesy of Beth Robinette who came with smiles and her camera to all of our new classes. Nice to meet you and thanks for the interest and enthusiasm!

Beth is the Atlanta Ethnic Foods Examiner, Atlanta Ethnic Restaurants Examiner and Atlanta Ethnic Foodies meet-up group.

Asian Dumplings Handout/Shopping List/Recipe

Asian Dumplings Hands-On class: Attendees made meat and vegetarian dumplings, both the traditional hand-rolled wrappers and the shortcut version with pre-made wrappers. We closed the night with a chopsticks lesson and chopsticks races!

Asian Dumplings_handout – History/Shopping List/Recipe

Eco-Friendly Gifts, Thai Twist Chili, Fast Asian Slaw

Demo Handout featuring Asian Eco-cookware, gift ideas and Fusion Favorite recipes, including Thai Twist Chili and Fast Asian Cole Slaw!

Asian Hot Pot Party – Handout/Shopping List

We had a very fun Asian Hot Pot Party & Chinese New Year class with 20+ attendees, 6 simmering hot pots (1 vegetarian) and tables full of fresh vegetables, meats, fish balls, tofu, noodles and sauces to warm our tummies and spirits on a chilly evening. In celebration of Chinese New Year, we also enjoyed hot tea, candied fruit, longlife snacks, got good luck “red envelopes” and played Chinese Bingo and Chopsticks Races!

Thanks to Buford Highway Farmers Market (and Bill) for being a great host for the class.

Asian Hot Pot Party Handout/Shopping List

Asian Market Tour – Eat, Shop & Learn!

* Curious, overwhelmed or intimidated by Asian markets?
* Want to learn about popular Asian produce, products and shortcut tips for making authentic, healthy and fusion Asian meals at home?
* Do you enjoy new food, cultural, travel and shopping experiences?

Join mother-daughter Chinese Southern Belles (and Atlanta natives), Natalie and Margaret, for a popular, fun, unique, interactive culinary and cultural experience!

Tour highlights include:

-Fresh Asian Fruits & Vegetables
-Oodles of Noodles
-Mad About Rice
-Some Like It Hot – Spices!
-Kitchen Tools & Pantry Essentials
-Chinese Hot Pot aisle
-Asian Snack Attack
-Food Court tasting

Price: $40 per person, 2 hours, includes all materials, samples, food court. (Students, kids and group discounts available) Minimum 10 participants for private group bookings.

* * * * *

Featured in Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cook’s Warehouse, Taste of Atlanta, Whole Foods and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Natalie and Margaret enrich their tours with Buddha-to-Bubba family stories from China to America’s Deep South and their passion for international travel, diversity, healthy living and sustainability.

By sharing their tips and tales, Margaret and Natalie hope to add a fun fusion touch to the kitchen, a cross-cultural dimension to Atlanta’s immigrant history, and a shared sense of community through the celebration of food, family and culture. Opening Minds, One Mouth at a Time!

Follow Natalie’s cross-cultural and food adventures on www.chinesesouthernbelle.com and Facebook and Twitter!

Tour/instructor/media questions: info@chinesesouthernbelle.com or call Natalie 404-494-0088

Asian Starbucks? White Windmill Bakery and Cafe

Actually, White Windmill Cafe is much better and more ! It offers a wonderful, diverse variety of baked items, snacks and hot or cold beverages. I hear that some snacks and cakes are better than others and that the bubble tea is not the best, but I think the fun part is trying different things on each visit. I like the fact that most Asian pastries and cakes are a lot less sweet. You can read specific reviews and tips from visitors.

I enjoy the atmosphere and I’m usually there with good friends, family or even business colleagues so for me, it’s not just about the food.

A few of my favorites:

* Hot green latte (very chic)

* Green tea buns and cakes

* Almond and coconut cookie crisps (can’t eat just one)

* Fresh fruit smoothies (mango, kiwi or mixed with peach)

* Sweet Potato Pastry (can’t remember exact name but very good!)

* Sticky Rice Red Bean Buns

On Buford Highway, just outside I-285, next to big Tower Liquor store. Enjoy!

Sushi Express Handout/Shopping List

Here’s the handout from the Eat, Learn & Shop Series: Sushi Express (November 14, 2009, Buford Highway Farmers Market).

Sushi history
Shopping List (Basic and Variations)
Where to find in the store
Product and Cooking Tips

For a complete list of dates and topics in the Eat, Learn and Shop series