Let’s Chow!

What Let’s Chow! Is

Let’s Chow! has three different meanings:

1. Chow is defined as food (n), or to eat (v), according to several dictionaries (Urban Dictionary, YourDictionary.com, Oxford Dictionaries, and Merriam-Webster). Therefore, ‘Let’s Eat!’
2. Chow translates to the action of cooking, or stir-frying. In other words, ‘Let’s Chow’ means ‘Let’s Cook!’
3. Chow is my middle name, which is also my mother’s maiden name

Let’s Chow! is a new web log about my personal journey to become an improved, innovative cook, utilizing my Chinese background and American upbringing to preserve my family’s culinary traditions and to also create easy ways to cook foods from multiple types of cuisines. Throughout the blog, you will find a wide variety of content, such as my mother’s traditional Chinese recipes, my own created recipes, experiments of cooking my way through cookbooks, and my experiences as I endure several kinds of culinary classes. It’s all about the journey, not the sprint. Join me in my culinary marathon!

Objectives of This Blog

• Familiarize readers with insight into Chinese foods and ingredients
• Demonstrate easy ways to make all types of great food at home
• Experiment with combining flavors from different cuisines
• Write for readers’ enjoyment and education

Meet Selina

As a new food blogger, I would like to introduce myself to the food world. I currently live and work in Chicago, IL, and I have grown to appreciate the uniqueness of this ever-growing, urban city. My true hometown neighborhood is in the San Francisco Bay Area. Both metropolitan areas, needless to say, are abundant in great food. Growing up in a Chinese family has also given me a different perspective on traditional southern Chinese cuisine. I learned how to cut meats and vegetables with a cleaver when I was seven and I had never eaten tuna fish until I was 15. Many of my childhood meals consisted of delicacies (or strange foreign food, to be frank) hard to find at PF

Chang’s, but are all very second nature to me. After college, fine cheeses, European food, wine, and other ethnic foods became a new found joy.

My inspiration to write about food comes from many sources, and I will name a few. First and foremost, I love to share knowledge and passion about food because it brings people together. Eating or preparing food also uses all five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Not too many other activities fit these criteria! Secondly, cooking and learning about food is my outlet to unwind and be creative. Food and recipes are always evolving, providing infinite ways for continuous improvement. I would love to encourage others to gain experience and appreciation for cooking. Even if you don’t cook, there is much to learn about the food you eat. After all, it’s part of our everyday lives.

The recipes in my blog are my own unless I specify it was adapted from another source. The photographs are also taken by me. I am a novice with the photography, but I have fun with it. Please let me know if you decide to link anything from my site.

I don’t have formal culinary training, but I do plan on attending courses at local schools. Some will be one-time courses, and some one-week boot camps. Let the fun begin.

What I Currently Do

My regular career lies in the management consulting industry. Without using too much jargon, I specifically work with helping organizations deal with change (e.g., change management, communications, technology adoption, etc.). I’m not quite one of “The Bobs,” but you can sort of think of it as “Who Moved My Cheese?” The profession is unique and challenging in many different ways. For complete details, you can visit here.