Table of Contents: From Breakfast With Anita Diamant to Dessert With James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights From Today's Bestselling Authors (14 page)

Note:
Try to make the cookies on a dry day. On a humid day, the cookies will absorb too much moisture and be chewy instead of crispy.

1
Grease two baking sheets and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2
Place melted butter in a small bowl. Stir in rolled oats and ginger.

3
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg with sugar, by hand or with a mixer, until foamy.

4
In a small bowl, stir together the baking powder and flour, and then stir into oatmeal mixture along with the egg mixture. Drop by generous teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet, leaving 2–3 inches between cookies.

5
Bake for 8–10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, cool for 1 minute, and gently remove from sheet with a spatula. Store in an airtight container.

SELECTED WOEKS

Whispers of a Thunder God
(2011)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
(2009)

Inspiration
History. I love doing the research for my books — digging in the past, sifting through forgotten or discarded moments that meant so much to the people who lived through those times — and bringing those moments to life, connecting them to today.

Readers Should Know
I try to write with all five senses in mind so naturally food plays an important role in my fiction — from the descriptions of dim sum in my first novel to a formal Japanese tea ceremony in my new book. It's no wonder I'm always hungry after a day of writing.

Readers Frequently Ask
Book groups always ask about the Panama
Hotel from my novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
. Yes, it's a very real place. And yes it's still there. In fact, they have a lovely tearoom that's become a popular venue for book clubs to meet.

Authors Who Have Influenced My Writing

Harlan Ellison. He's known for science fiction (or speculative fiction), but his essays are where his true brilliance lies. They're honest, irreverent, caustic, and delicious.

Sherman Alexie. A powerful and subtle writer whose poetic language never gets in the way or distracts from the story.

Nikki Giovanni. An amazing poet who reminds us that the work of our hearts is at least as equal to the work of our hands.

Makes 22 buns

Food is everywhere in my debut novel,
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
. I don't know if that's because I was always hungry while writing it, or because Chinese food is such an important cultural ingredient that it's impossible to leave out. It's probably a little of both, honestly.

In one particular scene, Henry and his son Marty go out for dim sum — an early lunch of steamed and baked dumplings, egg tarts, and chicken feet. After lunch, Henry sends his son off with a to-go box of a dozen hum bao — one of my personal favorites and something my own grandparents did for me on many occasions.

Basically, there are two major kinds of hum bao: steamed or baked. Both are made with the same pillowy dough and succulent pork filling. Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's
The Dim Sum Dumpling Book
has a fantastic multi-day recipe if you want to go all out, but here's a short-cut version if you're in a hurry.

Note:
The dough is where I cheat. (Sorry Grandma!) Instead of making dough from scratch, I used Rhodes Bake-N-Serv White Dinner Rolls, found in the freezer section. (Do not use Pillsbury Dinner Rolls or other rolls that are found in the refrigerated section because the consistency differs from that of the frozen rolls.) Thawing the dough and allowing it to rise will take several hours.

Chinese five-spice powder is available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.

You can use ground pork in place of minced pork loin. Be sure to purchase pure ground pork and not seasoned sausage. These buns are also delicious made with beef. Substitute 1 pound of ground beef for the pork loin.

F
OR THE DOUGH

22 Bake-N-Serv rolls (see note)

F
OR THE FILLING

½ small onion

1 pound pork loin (see note)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons whiskey

1½ tablespoons soy sauce

1½ tablespoons honey

1½ tablespoons oyster flavored sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (see note)

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

1
Thaw rolls and allow dough to rise, following the thawing and rising instructions on the package. Cut 22 2-inch squares of wax paper, and set aside.

2
To make the filling: Mince onion. If using pork loin, trim fat from pork and then mince pork (see note).

3
Heat oil in a wok or sauté pan on high heat. Add onions, reduce heat to medium, and cook until onions turn brown, about 3 minutes. Add pork and stir-fry until brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the whiskey. Cook for 1 minute, then add the soy sauce, honey, oyster flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

4
To make the bao: Place a dough ball on a flat surface. Press the dough by hand into a disk about 4 inches across. (If your hands stick to the dough, place a sheet of wax paper on top before flattening.) Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough. Pinch two sides shut, then the opposite two sides. Pull the open corners together and pinch to seal. Place the bao sealed side down on a 2-inch square of wax paper. Repeat until all dough balls are prepared.

5
Let rest in a warm spot for about an hour to allow the dough to rise.

6
Transfer several buns with wax paper to a steamer, spacing them so they are not crowded. Steam over lightly boiling water 15–20 minutes. Repeat until all buns are cooked. Peel wax paper before eating.

7
For baked bao, brush each bao with a beaten egg after they've risen, and bake at 350°F. for 15–20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Enjoy!