Jamie Gee

A taste of Hunan from @TeaSource. Could smell the sweetness before I started drinking. Was especially impressed by a presentation Bill Waddington gave about dark teas of Hunan, where I taught for 3 years, and now this is how I feel little less far from friends made there.

Finished drying and bagging up my first batch of meigan cai using mustard greens and @fuchsiadunlop 's instructions. Am now experimenting with red dandelion greens for round 2. Miners lettuce would be interesting too. Brainstorming other greens to experiment with.

My beautiful mei gan cai (fermented and dried vegetables) drying out for a 2nd day. Smell lovely and almost want to eat them before they are done. Already plotting out which vegetable to experiment with next (miners lettuce? bok choi?). Sun isn't bad for me either.

Tried my hand at @fuchsiadunlop 's recipe for Shanghai pan-fried buns. Very satisfied with my 2nd batch (minus sesame seeds, oops). If you can't take your friends and family to Shanghai, take a bit of Shanghai to them!

First time attending #HanamiAtHakone . Walked it twice because we couldn't get enough. Like strolling through a fairytale as it got dark out.

Counting days until my first shot. Food workers qualified here 2/28 but getting an appointment is tough. In the meantime, my latest at home food adventure: hot cheeto donuts with lime, mayo, cotija, cream and white chocolate glaze. Surprisingly, not salty and gross.

Not my prettiest, but the tea and sake inside the truffles smell amazing. Can't wait to share them and make someone's day.

I've been looking for new challenges. Since April and fresh tea will be coming soon and I need to use up last year's, I decided to try infusing my sakura ryokucha into ginjo sake overnight. Then I'll use it for ganache and make fancy truffles to share. Love the floating petals.

Jasmine tea or Snow beer are classic pairings with Chongqing hotpot or Sichuan mala dishes (which combine chilis with numbing Sichuan peppercorn). So when @scmbrewing made a Jasmine IPA, of course I had to see what all the floral beers would be like with some mapo tofu!

Reading Fuchsia Dunlop's "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper". 3 years in Zhuzhou, 2 years in Shanghai, roughly 1.5 years back in the US now during which I've worked in food/retail, and some moments feel intensely relatable in regards to crossing cultures and food appreciation.

Halfway through a 10 day quarantine and power outages and more small fires from last night's high winds. Something different everyday. Bright spot is my test on Friday came back negative so I'm good for work when it's time.

Store closed until 1/24 since one of my coworkers tested positive. Swabbed yesterday, isolating, and awaiting my results. Until then, am open to Netflix or book suggestions to pass the time. Poetry, food, travel, Asia, and graphic novels are favorites but will try anything.

Made a few dishes from "Every Grain of Rice" and this came in the mail. Ready to relive my ESL teacher days. Even if I can't bring myself to Hunan now, I can give others a taste of 农家炒, 红烧肉,长沙凉面, and maybe a little 蒿子粑粑 to cool down.

Determined to stay awake and join Red Rock Coffee's online open mic tomorrow. I have sorely missed talking poetry and literature with others, especially after finishing "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous".

Just finished this documentary. There are a few photos of injury and self-harm but it's a very well-done and moving documentary about rural factory workers' lives and the release valve, community, and identity shamate subculture provides. Highly recommend.

Despite an evacuation, a pandemic, and the constant sense of living in a choose-your-own-disaster story, I'm at home with a hot mug of cider, very select and small company, and good food. There was a moment I wasn't sure I would have that. Best wishes to you all for 2021.

Haul for my birthday on Sunday. Honey stout, Tom yum cyser, orange cream cyser, Diabhal, and Flor de Jamaica. Forgot to grab my favorite braggot, Hel so I guess I'll be going back.