Cooking Up Books and Food with Camy Tang

Here at the Chat 'n' Chew Cafe' I like to talk about food for the mind, soul and belly! Today we have a special guest, my friend, Camy Tang, who not only can whip up great books (some of my favorites!) but cooks with her husband, Captain Caffeine, too. You can read more adventures with Captain Caffeine and Wonder Dog, Snickers, here on her blog.

Here's Camy!




Hi there! Crystal asked me to write about a favorite meal I prepared for my husband, Captain Caffeine.

I should preface this by confessing that I’m not a very meticulous cook. I substitute with aplomb. I add with vigor. I eliminate without qualm.


The best dish I ever made I think was when I made the Chinese scallion pancakes for us. We had lots of leeks from the organic co-op we belong to, and at a loss for how to use it all (I’d already made soup and clam chowder), I decided to use them for scallion pancakes, but with leeks instead of scallions.












They actually turned out better than expected, because the leeks have a sweeter, milder flavor that paired well with the fried pancake.




(I mean, fried pancake—life doesn’t get any better than that, does it?)



To see the complete step-by-step recipe story with comments from Camy, go here!

And the recipe is here at About.com.

It’s REALLY easy (another reason why this dish was so great) and it’s authentic Chinese food without weird ingredients or strange equipment. You can splash some soy sauce over the pancakes when you’re done if you prefer, but we ate them plain.

This is Snickers, Camy's delightful dog, who waits for her to drop the crumbs!




To read Camy's new book look for this at your favorite bookstore or online book ordering place:

Four cousins commiserate their single status—Lex the Jock, Trish the Flirt, Venus the Cactus, and Jennifer the Oddball. The only Christians in their large extended family, they vow to fight the stigma of the infamous family title, Oldest Single Female Cousin. But they have very different ideas about not acting as desperate as they feel about their bleak love lives. Who knew God would have His own plans of true love for each of them?





Book #3: Single Sashimi (August 2008)

Read an excerpt of Single Sashimi (.pdf) here!

Bonus features: Click here for blog posts about "extras" for Single Sashimi!


Drake Yu. Why would Drake call her after ... what, five years? Six?

Venus heard in his voice that resonance that was almost a growl, that titanium-hard determination to get what he wanted. And he usually got what he wanted. The voice said: "I want you to work for me."

Not this time ... If it was a choice between Drake and McDonald’s—she’d choose french fries. She’d never work for him again. It would take an act of God.


Venus Chau is determined to start her own game development company and launch the next Super Mario-sized phenomenon. However, she needs an investor to back her idea. When Drake Yu, an old nemesis, approaches Venus with a contracting opportunity at his sister’s startup, the offer to become Chief Technology Officer tempts Venus to think the unthinkable.

Venus would rather throw away her PS3 than work for Drake again ... except Grandma bribes Venus to do this favor for Drake’s wealthy family with a coveted introduction to the most respected investor in the game industry. It’s also a short job—only a few months—so Venus won’t have to stand Drake’s presence for very long.

But one wild youth group, a two-faced assistant, and Grandma’s determined match-making threaten to make them both fail—or go insane. With the encouragement of her three cousins, Lex, Trish, and Jennifer, Venus discovers that even a wounded heart can undergo a beautiful transformation ...



To read more about Camy, do check in on all of these great blogs:



9/5 I’m talking about healing at Back In Skinny Jeans

9/8 Tabitha asks me how I get my ideas for my stories and blog

9/12 Gina Welborn makes me admit who's my favorite "child"

9/15 I’m at Ruth (ChristianFictionQueen)’s blog with my top 3 comfort movies, and Ruth reviews Single Sashimi

9/15 I’m at Jennifer’s blog talking about my top five comfort books

9/16 Angie Breidenbach asks me about how the theme of Single Sashimi affects people in real life

9/16 I’m on LaShaunda Hoffman’s blog talking about how to write a query letter

9/17 I’m on Marilynn Griffith’s blog with a fun meme--join in!

9/18 My good friend Danica Favorite and I have a fun interview about how I wrote Single Sashimi

9/19 Gina Burgess asks me about how I come up with my characters and make them memorable

9/22 Alison Strobel Morrow and I chat up about life

9/23 My favorite Aussie Rel interviews me

9/24 My close friend Cheryl Wyatt is no-holds-barred in her interview with me

9/25 I’m at Ronie Kendig’s blog doing a Survey Meme

9/25 Deborah Khuanghlawn posts a review of Single Sashimi from a fellow Asian American perspective

9/26 Rel posts a review of Single Sashimi

9/26 At Laura Domino’s blog, I’m talking about the differences between the three heroes in my series

9/27 I’m guest blogging at The Friendly Book Nook about an important reading moment in my life

9/29 Tyora Moody and I did a really cool podcast

9/30 Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt chat with me about writing and I'm sorry (not really) but my snarkiness comes out. Imagine that.

10/1 Sandra Byrd reviews Single Sashimi

10/1 The first chapter of Single Sashimi is up on the Fiction In Rather Short Takes (FIRST) blog tour

10/2 Crystal Miller and I talk about my favorite subject, food!

10/3 I’m on Christa Allan’s blog talking about time management

10/3 Laura Williams reviews Single Sashimi

10/6 My friend MaryLu Tyndall interviews me and reviews Single Sashimi

10/7 Jamie Drigger talks about Single Sashimi

10/8 I’m on Winter Peck’s blog talking about stuff

10/9 My fellow Love Inspired Suspense author Cara Putman reviews Single Sashimi

10/10 My friend Tasra Dawson asks me to talk about friendship among women

10/10 Laura Domino reviews Single Sashimi

10/11 One of my favorite Steeple Hill authors Margaret Daley does an unusual blog post and interviews my heroine, Venus

10/13 Jennifer AlLee asks me about the kind of reader response I’ve gotten from my books

10/13 Laura Domino is posting on the Faithchick chicks--and today's my day!

10/14 I’m on Peggy Phifer’s blog talking about the Asian family core from my perspective

10/15 My fellow Seekerville author Myra Johnson interviews me

10/16 Christina Berry (my fellow ACL sufferer) interviews me

10/17 I’m at Georgiana Daniels’ blog in an interview, and Georgiana is reviewing Single Sashimi

10/20 I’m guest blogging at Love Inspired author Missy Tippens’ blog about how I make my character voices so distinct.

10/21 Betsy St. Amant (a new Love Inspired author!) reviews Single Sashimi

10/22 My friend Cynthia Hawkins and I do a meme

10/23 New Love Inspired Historical author Janet Dean interviews me

10/23 Trish Perry gives a beach-y interview

10/24 My friend Dineen Miller has me captured on her blog

10/24 My friend Dineen Miller has me captured on her blog

10/27 Hysterically funny historical romance author Mary Connealy reviews Single Sashimi

10/27 I’m guest blogging on Tricia Goyer’s blog

10/28 Tina asks me about my writing day and NaNoWriMo (just around the corner!)

10/29 Join me on Erica Vetsch’s blog for an interview

10/30 Heidi Strawser reviews Single Sashimi

10/31 Michelle Sutton closes off the blog tour with a review of Single Sashimi

Be sure to check in on each stop for something different about Camy each day and for the great book giveaways.

If you wish to enter my drawing for Single Sashimi, leave your email contact in a comment here to be drawn on October 31st.