LUCY BURDETTE: Today's guest is a woman after my own heart. I can totally get choosing a home according to the restaurants nearby! And she has a very fun new release out called Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines. Welcome Jennifer!
JENNIFER CHOW: Confession: I’m a foodie at heart. When we moved to our current home, I told friends that one of the deciding factors was its proximity to an amazing Malaysian restaurant. (I was only half-joking.)
Food has always been a big part of my life. By custom, Chinese people serve meals on all major occasions, particularly at the saddest and happiest of times. My own wedding reception featured a ten-course banquet. A funeral will certainly involve a wake meal. Even post-death, when we honor the deceased, relatives will traditionally bring food offerings. (These culinary treats often reflect the favorite dishes of the dearly departed.)
Tradition alone didn’t bind me to food, though. Growing up, my family owned a Chinese restaurant. A buffet, it served an interesting fusion of food: cold pickled vegetables, fried chicken, and Chinese barbecue spareribs. One appetizer/dessert we offered were honey twists: fried wonton wrappers drizzled in a syrupy glaze. (I once brought a tray of these sweets to school to celebrate my birthday.)
Food also connects me to my specific ethnicity. My dad was born and raised in Malaysia, though he has Chinese roots (just like the mom of my main character). As a kid, I loved it when he made his special curry chicken; even today, I still can’t replicate that delicious savory and spicy sauce. A lot of Malaysian dishes actually ratchet up the spice level. To his chagrin, my dad’s heat tolerance didn’t pass on to me. I’ve never, though, turned down an offering of yummy roti canai flatbread or steaming teh tarik, hand-pulled milk tea.
Dim sum, when translated, literally means to “touch the heart.” In the same way, food and culture are emotionally interwoven for me. I feel very lucky to have such a scrumptious way to enjoy my heritage.
How does food play a role in your life or in your identity?
Jennifer J. Chow writes A Sassy Cat Mystery series (Berkley/Penguin Random House) and the Winston Wong Cozy Mysteries under J.J. Chow. She’s active in Sisters in Crime and Crime Writers of Color.
Connect with her online at www.jenniferjchow.com and on social media @jenjchow.
About MIMI LEE READS BETWEEN THE LINES:
Mimi Lee is on top of the world. She has a thriving pet grooming business, the sweetest boyfriend, and a talking cat to boot. When she arrives at the elementary school where her sister Alice works, she's expecting a fun girls' night out—but instead finds a teacher slumped over in her car, dead.
Alice was the last one to see Helen Reed, which instantly marks her as the prime suspect. Unable to sit quietly and let the authorities walk all over her sister, Mimi starts snooping and talks to Helen’s closest contacts, including one jumpy principal, a two-faced fiancé, and three sketchy teachers. With the help of her sassy but savvy cat, Marshmallow, and a cute kitten named Nimbus, the clock’s ticking for Mimi to get to the bottom of yet another case before her sister gets schooled.
