Writing for Examiner.com

As part of my writing project, I made a resolution to write more every day. I heard that a few friends wrote for the Examiner, a local content website that covers a range of topics including politics, parenting, restaurants, sports, etc. Then I was contacted by someone who saw my resume online and asked me if I was interested in freelance writing. After a quick application process including choosing your niche topic and submitting a writing sample, I was accepted and ready to begin writing, combining 2 of my passions - writing and food. I chose to write restaurant reviews for the Rittenhouse Square area, focusing on cheap alternatives to the usually high-priced area. I was excited to get more exposure, to write more but at the same time I was afraid of putting myself out there and possibly being criticized.

As I began writing, I heard mixed reviews about writing for the Examiner - yes the pay is minimal, but the exposure is good. Some complained about how they let anyone write, others said that they will terminate your column if its poor writing, unneeded or not following their rules. For me, I decided that I wanted to give it a shot. It gave me a chance to write more, to practice my writing and to get back into a schedule of writing. Although I write for work, not since college had I written regularly and in a more extended format. By committing myself to writing at least 2 articles per week, I began a structured schedule of Monday and Wednesday nights to write. I did some research but mostly I wrote from what I knew and experienced. I realized that the more I wrote, the easier it became. Words came easier to me. Ideas would pop into my head at random times of the day and I started jotting down thoughts and ideas all the time. When I went out to eat, I was that person taking photos of the food. And when I got home from dining out, I would make quick notes. But it doesn’t feel like I job. I enjoy the writing and getting feedback. My friends began asking me for restaurant suggestions, or telling me they tried a certain place because of my review. I also began making contacts with people in the restaurant world.

I’ve been reading some negative reviews online, saying it’s a scam or the pay is minimal. But I’ve been pleased with the results so far. You can’t quit your day job for this but it was perfect for what I was looking for. You have the flexibility to write as often or as infrequently as you like. You choose what you want to write about, as long as if falls within your topic. If there’s a week that I’m too busy, I can skip that week. As long as you write at least once every 60 days, you earn your pay. Rules are pretty easy to follow. Although they recommend writing 3- 4 articles per week, my 2 articles per week get me a steady traffic flow and some bonus cash each month. Pay depends on # of page views and interactions so its up to you to get traffic to your site. As a local Examiner, I also get $1 per article so the more you write, the more you earn. I share my articles on facebook, twitter & linked in. I tell everyone I know to check it out. Another great thing about Examiner is that you own your article so if I wanted to post here on my blog or on another site, I can. Of course you could make more money at other freelance jobs, but for my schedule and flexibility, Examiner is ideal for me. To be honest, the money I make is just a bonus. Another fun thing is I’ve googled certain topics I’ve written about and seen my articles indexed pretty high, even on the first page.

At the end of the day, I get to eat out, write about something I‘m passionate about, enjoy myself, make a little extra cash and share my writings with the world. Sounds pretty good to me.

Check out my examiner.com column for restaurant reviews

Next Food Network Star...Maybe?



Whole Roasted Pig, by Neal Santos

 For anyone who knows me, they know I’m obsessed with food. I love to eat food, I love to cook food and I love the Food Network. It's pretty much my standard go-to channel when there’s nothing else on, so of course I’ve been very excited that recently Food Network has been noticing the culinary talents of Philadelphia. First Bobby Flay had a few throwdowns – with Tony Luke’s over cheesesteaks, with Delilah over Mac & Cheese, and with The Preztel Boys over Pretzels. Then there was Jose Garces competing for the Next Iron Chef and winning! There have been mentions in Best Thing I Ever Ate – like Marc Summers picking the Margherita Pizza at Osteria and Robert Irvine picking the A&M Halal Food Truck, as well as Guy Fieri in DDD, recently visiting Good Dog Bar for their Cheesesteak Empanadas. So when I heard that they were filming an episode of the new show Outrageous Food with Tom Pizzica last Thursday at Jake's Sandwich Board, I was excited. On Saturday my boyfriend Drew & I made the trek to 12^th street, despite some flurries, to try the sandwiches and to check out the Eating Challenge that would soon be featured on TV.

5-lb Philly Challenge, photo courtesy of Jake's

The show is sort of like Diner's Drive-ins and Dives meets Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel, except in this show, Tom Pizzica (you may remember him from last season's Next Food Network Star) explores unusual foods and pits locals against the outrageous challenges. The Eating challenge at Jake’s is based on Phialdelphia favorites. The challenge involves a 2 lb cheesesteak, 4 soft pretzels, 24 peanut chews and 12 tastykakes along with a cherry champ… in 45 minutes. So far, there have only been 2 people to accomplish this.

We arrive at Jake’s Sandwich Shop around 2:30, on a quiet Saturday but there is camera equipment everywhere. Drew and I talk about how maybe its leftover stuff from the week's filming. We order our lunches – Drew "The Jake," a cheesesteak with roasted long-hots and me, the hand-carved  whole roasted pig sandwich. Typical slow eater that I am, I’m still only about halfway through my sandwich while Drew is done, when 3 people walk in, walk over to the camera equipment, take out clipboards and cameras and begin rearranging tables and chairs around the shop.

The Jake Sandwich (what Drew ordered)

Drew and I of course start whispering. Could it be? Are they filming? The next thing we know, one of the crew comes over and asks, “Would you like to be on the Food Network?” Well duh, of course. So they tell us that the challenge was filmed on Thursday but they need some more footage of people eating. So they tell me to wait to eat my sandwich, proceed to clean up our table a little bit, refill our drinks, move our coats. But something’s still missing. Aha, the lady producer realizes, and goes up to the kitchen to ask if they will make Drew another half a cheesesteak. And…without any more warning, we’re rolling.

  Lights. Camera in our face. And they film Drew taking a bit of his sandwich. Some awkward silence follows, where Drew continues eating and the producer and camera man are just smiling at him, then she asks him to speak, what makes a cheesesteak? What makes this one good? Where are you from? etc. And Drew tells them about the bread, about wiz wit, about the tender meat. Afterwards, he was kicking himself for not saying more, but I think he did a great job. And then its my turn. She tells me to take a bit of my pork sandwich, I do, of course there’s a string of cheese hanging from my mouth and my hair falls in my face. I’m waiting for her to ask me some questions but then she goes, that’s good for her. L I try to tell her how the pork sandwich is the true Philly sandwich and I can talk about that, but she says, we just need to hear about the cheesesteaks.

Drew outside of Jake's

So I may not have any speaking lines, but we have to start somewhere right? So tune in late Spring for Outrageous Food and check out my boyfriend and my Food Network debut. I’m the asian girl taking a bite of a pork sandwich.

For more about Jake's Sandwich Board, visit http://www.jakessandwichboard.com/ 

Tang Yuan or Winter Solstice Soup

Most people know December 21st as the first day of winter but did you know, according to old Chinese traditions, mostly celebrated in Southern China, it is also the night to make “tong yuan”, winter solstice soup for dinner. I’m usually not home for this, but this year, my family waited and made it on Christmas Day so I could partake. I’ve always been known as “soup girl” in my family because I love soups of all kind. This one is really a simple broth with just a few ingredients but the real beauty of it lies in the tradition of our family sitting around the table rolling out balls and then enjoying it together. It’s clean and light, yet comforting and tasty.

The name “Tong Yuan” literally means “ round balls in soup.“ The main ingredient of the soup, the “yuan” are small balls made of rice flour. They are chewy, almost like gnocchi but stickier. Some people have them sweet but our family always serves them savory. In olden times, the arrival of winter meant the farmers could stop working and celebrate at home with their families and a big feast. Some also say the celebration’s roots can be traced back to the Chinese belief in yin and yang, which represent balance and harmony in life. On the longest night of the year, the yin qualities of darkness are the strongest but also signifies the turning point, giving way to the light and warmth of yang. The round shape also reflects the togetherness and reunion of family. In Chinese culture, almost everything, and especially food, has a meaning - the name, the shape, when you eat it, etc.




Soup
Homemade Chicken Broth
3 daikon /turnip (“Law Bok”) peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
Shitake mushrooms
3 lap cheong (Chinese sausage) sliced
Fish Balls or Fish Cake sliced

Mix together, bring to boil, let simmer

Yuan
1c of gutinous rice flour
Roughly 4T warm water



Place rice flour in a mixing bowl. Add water a little at a time and knead to form dough. Dough should be sticky but not enough to stick to fingers. Take a section of dough and roll back and forth into long rolls, then pinch off a marble-sized dough and roll it between hands to form a ball, place on plate, but do not let them touch.  Try to keep the balls about the same size, although in my family since we all work together we end up making all different sized balls.








Boil a pot of water. Drop in dumplings and add 1c cold water to prevent sticking. As soon as they float, they are done, add to soup and serve with cilantro garnish.

Finding Inspiration in 'The Help'

As I began writing my book, I thought about the books that I read and noticed a trend in the themes I enjoy most - cultural stories, strong women, family, and history. I like to be transported to another time or place with strong characters that I admire and invest myself in. Of course, it makes sense that this would be the type of book I wanted to write. I recently read a great book, that fits these same characteristics. The Help by Kathryn Stockett tells the story of maids in the 1960s segregated Jackson MS. The families they help raise, the friendships they develop, the discrimination they face, the hardships they overcome. Beautifully told from the perspective of three different women, the Help is Stocketts first novel, based on her own experiences growing up. A story that she never got to tell until now. It’s inspiring to read someone’s debut novel about personal experiences from an untold perspective - and being so successful at it.

The Help tells the story of Eugenia “Skeeter” Pheelan, a recently graduated white woman and aspiring writer who begins collecting stories of the black maids who raise the children and run the homes. And Abileen, an African american woman who’s lovingly raised 17 white children. And Minny a tough outspoken maid who can’t stay employed, despite being an incredible cook. The book she writes is scathing and shocking and puts their lives at risk , but brings pride and hope to the black community who dream of a different world and gives Skeeter the courage to break boundaries and stand up for what she believes, while pursuing her dream. It’s an uplifting hopeful book, full of history, telling of a time period that is often written about, but not from this perspective.

The details are amazing, you can imagine the people, smell the food, feel their hope. Although times have changed, anyone can relate to the relationships, the hypocrisy and discrimination, the hope for a better world. It shows us how far we’ve come and yet how far we still need to go. And yet, the book isn’t one-dimension, they also show the real love they hold for the children, the hope they will grow up open-minded and the employers who treated them like family. For there were some of those as well.

It was a beautiful, well-written, inspired and inspiring book. It’s exactly what I needed to get back into my writing. What do you read to be inspired? What are some recent books you'd recommend?

A Chinese-Cuban-American Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to share with family, reflect on what you’re thankful for and eat delicious food. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrims when they had a successful fall harvest after a hard first year in the New World. By working together with their one time enemies, the Native Americans, the Pilgrims had enough corn, fruit, vegetables and meat to survive the winter, built sturdy homes and lived in peace. Based on Harvest Festivals from England, this celebration included both groups sharing food together. Today this tradition continues of good food and sharing time with families and friends.

Since 1621 many other groups from different countries have come to America and have adopted this tradition. And like those original Pilgrims, they bring their own traditions to the table as well.

In our family, Thanksgiving is an event. With about 50 guests this year, our food is both plentiful and diverse. Starting about 10 years ago, my mom began inviting some of our Chinese born relatives to Thanksgiving dinner. They had never been before but embraced the tradition. We would make the traditional Thanksgiving food, which many of our family members had never eaten before, while they provided the Chinese food. And my grandmother and great-uncle would include Cuban dishes as well - just to make sure everyone’s favorites are represented.

This year, we only had one Turkey (down from 3 last year) but supplemented that with a ham and a pork roast. We had the traditional sides - mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn and cornbread. We also had Chinese vegetables, Chinese chicken wings, lo mein, fried wontons and spring rolls. On the Cuban side, we had yellow rice, black beans and tostones. We had both baked potatoes and Spanish yams. Our dinner table is a smorgasbord that represents my family. A mix that seems overwhelming and at odds with each other at first, but finds a way to complement each other. And I am thankful for every one of them.

Every culture and family seems to have their own unique Thanksgiving tradition or food. What unique foods makes it to your Thanksgiving table every year?

Welcome!

When I was in 7th grade, we were tasked with writing a biography about a member of our family. I wrote about my mom. I remember afterwards my teacher pulled me aside and told me, it was one of the most interesting stories he had ever read. Years later, as I move into my 30s and looking for something to inspire me, I decided it was time to revisit this and research and write about my family and where they come from. I decided to write a book based on my family's journey from China to Cuba and to the United States.

I'm still in the early researching stage, but I'm feeling an itch to write and based on all the tips I've read about getting started, they all say to write every day. So I've decided to write my first blog ever and share my process, as I uncover the stories and reflect back on growing up in a house that celebrated both 3 Kings Day & Chinese New Year, where we spoke our own language - a mix of Chinese, Spanish & English and enjoyed fusion Cuban-Chinese food, before fusion was even popular.

Welcome to my journey. May it inspire you the way my family's stories have inspired me.