From our table to yours, a few delicious ways to add a little Chinese Southern Belle fusion twist to your holiday dishes, from appetizers to entrees: Wasabi Butter Mashed Potatoes - YUM! Mix a squirt (2 tbs) of wasabi paste or powder into your mashed potatoes. Color your stuffing: mix in 1/2 cup of Wild Sweet Black Chinese Rice or Red Vietnamese Rice Glazed, Gingered ... Continue Reading
Earth Day Every Day: Grains of Wisdom: Sustainable Rice Cultivation
When most of us think of rice fields, we vision expanses of flooded rice patties, Asian peasants with traditional conical hats, knee-deep in muddy waters, planting rows upon rows of seedlings... There is a movement a-field that is impacting how rice is grown around the world for the better. S.R.I. (system of rice intensification) is a sustainable method of growing rice that ... Continue Reading
Black, Hispanic Kids Targeted by Ads for Junk Foods
Black, Hispanic Kids Targeted by Ads for Junk Foods Education, awareness (and exercise) are needed from all sides to address poor eating habits and improve children's health especially in low income communities: parents, kids, schools. Media isn't to blame but highly influential. Education and awareness obviously starts at home. Sedentary habits like watching more ... Continue Reading
Chicken Wings Pioneer and Entrepreneur
I saw a billboard advertising Wendy's Asian Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings. Checkers sells teriyaki wings. Pizza Hut has 30 flavors of wings with zing. When my dad transitioned from running full-service, full-menu Chinese restaurants, he invented a new fast-food business model based on the original and first "Honey-braised wings." Back in the 1980s, wings were cheap and ... Continue Reading
PeachDish Meal Kit Magazine: Getting Real Asian, Real Southern with Natalie Keng
Getting Real Asian, Real Southern PeachDish Magazine article Natalie Keng The Joy of Being Yourself As a little kid, I thought it was only about being Chinese. That's what I was teased about so that's how I defined yourself--foreign, different, un-American. In actuality, as a native Georgian, I'm not only more American, but "more Southern" than most ... Continue Reading
2017 Chinese and Asian Lunar New Year Celebrations Around Atlanta
Happy Lunar New Year, Y'All! Gong xi fa cai! Gung hay fat choy! Upcoming Asian Lunar New Year-themed events around town: 2017 Atlanta Chinese Lunar New Year Festival More info: Facebook Date: Sat- Sun, Jan. 28-29, 2017 Time: 10 am – 4 pm Venue: Culture Center of Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Atlanta 5377 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA 30341 Ticket: ... Continue Reading
Asian Bakery: Buns, Bings and Baozi
Welcome to the world of Asian balls, buns, bings and baozi! (And you thought Sally by the seashore was a tongue twister!) Talk about "lost in translation." There are whole aisles of buns, bings and baozi at the Asian grocery, in bamboo steamers at restaurants and on food carts on street corners all over China and Taiwan. It's a comfort food, street snack and ... Continue Reading
Humor at the Table: Chicken Surprise
Dad loves jokes and is a great joke-teller. Sometimes he translates Chinese jokes into English for us and other times, they lose meaning in English (play on tones or vocabulary) so he tells them in lively Chinese! Since Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language (Be careful: don't call your mother a horse (same word, different tones!) These are the times I am glad that I can speak ... Continue Reading
Chinese Lunar New Year Events Around Atlanta
Happy Lunar New Year, Y'All! Gong xi fa cai! Gung hay fat choy! Upcoming Asian Lunar New Year-themed events around town: Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13-14 Chinatown Lunar New Year Celebration, Chinatown Taipei Cultural Center, 10AM-4PM, 5377 New Peachtree Rd, Chamblee, GA 30341. Festive and chaotic but the food is good and authentic. Benefits several student and nonprofit ... Continue Reading
TV Episode 809: Farm to Wok Cooking Demo – Gourmet Stir Fry!
Ni Hao, Y'All! Here's Natalie Keng, guest host of Georgia Traveler TV, showing you how to make one of her favorite and most popular recipes, Asian Napa Slaw (aka Harvard Hottie Salad). Watch Farm to Wok Cooking Demo: Flower Garlic Chives, Bok Choy Chicken Stir Fry (#809, starts 11:30) Did you miss Natalie's other episodes or need a refresher on the list of eateries and recipe ... Continue Reading
TV Episode 808: Asian Napa Salad Cooking Demo!
Ni Hao, Y'All! Here's Natalie Keng, guest host of Georgia Traveler TV, showing you how to make one of her favorite and most popular recipes, Asian Napa Slaw (aka Harvard Hottie Salad). Watch Cooking Lesson: Asian Napa Salad (#808, starts 13:22) Did you miss Natalie's other episodes or want a re-take on the list of eateries and recipe ingredients? Highlights include a ... Continue Reading
Eating Out Restaurant Tip: Gu's Bistro for Spicy Szechuan
Natalie & Margaret like: Gu's Bistro, new Szechuan restaurant, Buford Hwy (just outside 285, near Buford Hwy Farmers Mkt, behind Chik-Fil-A) Try the Kung Pao Lotus Root, Stuffed Tofu, Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck, Spicy Mung Bean Noodles! ... Continue Reading
Countdown: Top 10 Chinese New Year Traditions! #10
COUNTDOWN to Chinese Lunar New Year, January 31, Year of the Horse ("ma" third tone) Be sure to complete "preparations" by New Year's Eve! Top 10 Chinese New Year Traditions #10:Â Shop for Chinese New Year's attire (RED is always in, unless you're my dad, a diehard Yellow Jackets fan) Red represents fortune and prosperity. Stay tuned for more Top 10 Chinese New Year ... Continue Reading
Best of East-West:Happy New Year!
I celebrated a wonderful birthday over the holidays with friends and family. My mom made me a unique cake and card with "Happy Birthday" written in Chinese calligraphy and English--how special is that?! Thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes! What an awesome year: Presenting Asian chef demonstrations and cooking classes with Mom; making new friends through the Metro Atlanta ... Continue Reading
Cooking Classes! Chinese Dumplings July 18
Join Natalie Keng for Asian Home Chef Cooking Classes! Casual "boutique" classes for engaging one-on-one and hands-on learning. Features traditional techniques on popular topics with food/cultural history, busy cook shortcuts, healthy twists, cookware tips and more! TUESDAY, June 25, 7-9pm - Asian Noodle Crazy!  REGISTER NOW THURSDAY, July 18, 7-9pm - Hands-on Chinese ... Continue Reading