Cooking Programs Nov 2024-May 2025

I am happy and honored to be invited by more new libraries to perform different cooking programs, besides Los Angeles County Library. 

In the coming months, I will hold different programs at libraries from Palo Verdes District, Los Angeles City District and Altadena District.

1) Nov 12 Tue 5:30pm, BBQ Pork/Char Siu, Adult program at Manhattan Beach Library

2) Nov 16 Sat 12pm, Street Foods of Hong Kong, Teen program at Lawndale Library

3) Dec 7 Sat 1pm, Bo Law Bao/Pineapple Bun, Adult program at Leland R Weaver Library

4) Jan 11 Sat 11am, Street Foods of Hong Kong, at Palo Verdes

5) Jan 23 Sat 2pm, Rose Cookies Hands-on, Teens Workshop at Walnut Library, RSVP required

6) Jan 25 Sat 2pm, Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry, Children Program at Manhattan Beach Library

7) May 1 Thurs 6pm, Street Foods of Hong Kong, Adult program at Florence Library

8) May 10 Sat 4pm, Street Foods of Hong Kong, Children program at Lloyd Taber Marina del Rey Library

9) May 17 Sat, Street Foods of Hong Kong, Central Library in Los Angeles

For further information, visit LA County Library ,  Central Los Angeles Library, Palo Verdes Library District. Click on "events". 

Mooncake Classes September 2024

 

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A walk through any Asian market (even in Costco) in summer months as early as July will remind you Mid August Festival is coming soon. Stacks and stacks of moon cakes in different packaging, shapes, sizes and prices are eye catching. 

However, if you are sticker shocked like me, making your own is always the best option. I will be teaching free classes in different Los Angeles County Libraries in September, both demonstration programs and hand-on workshops. 

1) 9/7/24 4pm at Hermosa Beach Library. Custard mooncake demonstration

2) 9/14/24 2pm at Agoura Hills Library. Snowy mooncake hands-on workshop. RSVP required, with limited attendance

3) 9/21/24 12pm at Rosemead Library. Custard mooncake hand-on workshop. RSVP required, with limited attendance

Second Half 2024 LA County Cooking Programs

 

Date/Time	Library	Program
June 1, 11am	Artesia	Custard Mooncake 奶皇月餅
June 8, 2pm	Culver City Julian Dixon	Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥
June 11, 6:30pm	La Mirada	Custard Mooncake 奶皇月餅
June 27, 4pm	Hawaii Gardens	Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥
July 13, 2pm	Sunkist	Yeast Bread Making (Pineapple Bun/菠蘿包)
Sept 7, 4pm	Hermosa Beach	Custard Mooncake 奶皇月餅
Sept 14, 2pm	Agoura Hills	Hands On Workshop Snowy Mooncake 冰皮月餅 (RSVP required)

2024 Free Library Cooking Programs

Happy 2024 ! This is the list for the first 5 months of 2024. Check back here or on my facebook page for more programs for the other half of the year later.

Date/Time	Library	Program
Jan 27th 1pm	Manhattan Beach Library	Gold Fish Nian Gao 錦鯉年糕
Feb 3rd 2pm	Rosemead Library	Red Bean Pastry 紅豆酥
Feb 7th 4pm	Chicano Resource Center at East LA Library	Hands on Workshop Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥 (RSVP required)
Feb 10th 4pm	Marina Del Rey Library	Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥
April 13th 3pm	Charter Oak Library	Street Foods of Hong Kong
April 22nd 5pm	Los Nietos Library	Wife Cake 老婆餅
May 4th 2pm	Temple City Library	Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥
May 11th 11am	West Hollywood Library	Street Foods of Hong Kong
May 14th 6pm	Clifton M. Brakensiek	Street Foods of Hong Kong
May 18th 4pm	Marina Del Rey Library	Yeast Bread Making: Pineapple Bao  菠蘿包
May 25th 1pm	Hacienda Heights Library	Hands On Workshop Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥 (RSVP required)
June 8th 11am	Culver City Library	Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥

More Cooking Programs for 2023

As summer is drawing to a close, I am still busy in the Fall this year with a few more free Los Angeles County Library Free Cooking Programs. 

9/16 Saturday 1pm    Mid-Autumn Mooncakes at Manhattan Beach Library This is a hands on program and RSVP is required.

9/22 Friday 3:30pm Teen Culture Club: Mid Autumn Festival Mooncake Workshop at Asian Pacific Resource Centre in Rosemead Library in Rosemead Library. This is a hands on workshop and RSVP is required.

11/4 Saturday 2pm    Street Foods of Hong Kong at Agoura Hills Library

11/18 Saturday 4pm    Street Foods of Hong Kong at Hermosa Beach Library

List of upcoming Los Angeles County Library Cooking Programs 洛縣圖書館免費烹飪示範一覽

Click on the library name for more info:

Date	Time	Library	Program
March 31st  Friday	4pm	Temple City Library (Teen Culture Club at Asian Pacific Resource Center)	New hands-on workshop : Chinese Walnut Cookies 狀元合桃酥
April 19th  Wednesday	4pm	Huntington Park Library (American Indian Resource Center)	New hands-on workshop: Chinese Walnut Cookies 狀元合桃酥
May 2nd Tuesday	3:30pm	Willowbrook Library	Street Foods of Hong Kong
May 6th Saturday	1pm	Compton Library	New hands-on workshop: Chinese Walnut Cookies 狀元合桃酥
May 10th Wednesday	4pm	Masao W Satow Library	Street Foods of Hong Kong
May 18th Thursday	4pm	City Terrace Library	Pineapple Pastry鳳梨酥
May 20th  Saturday	4pm	Pico Rivera Library	Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥
May 23rd Tuesday	4pm	South Whittier Library	New hands-on workshop: Chinese Walnut Cookies 狀元合桃酥
May 27th Saturday	1pm	Manhattan Beach Library	Pineapple Pastry 鳳梨酥
June 9th  Friday	1pm	La Mirada Library	Street Foods of Hong Kong
June 17th  Saturday	3pm	Los Nietos Library	Red Bean Pastry 紅豆酥
August 12th  Saturday	3:30pm	Culver City Julian Dixon Library	Street Foods of Hong Kong

 

Return of LA County Library Demonstration 圖書館烹飪示範重啟

After almost 3 years of no cooking demonstration in county library, I am ready for a come back ! Are you ready?

I am excited to announce that the first comeback program is not just a demonstration but a hands on workshop. Thanks to the invitation from the Teen Culture Club at the Asian Pacific Resource Centre. I will be doing a brand new program: 3D Walnut Cookie workshop.

Date: March 31, 2023

Time: 4-5:30pm

Library: Temple City Library

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. (Please note that teenagers are the target audience of this program). For details and registration: go to Los Angeles County Library website

More classes or workshops will be coming in the next few months. Stay tuned or visit my  FB page for most updated information.

Pineapply Pastry Workshop 新款鳳梨酥工作坊

This is love by first sight. Traditional pastry put in a new mold with the same fresh and tasty ingredients. Welcome to join my second workshop in Chinese Evangelical Free Church in Monterey Park, CA.

Details and RSVP: visit www.cefcla.org or https://www.facebook.com/events/1097744560979881/?ref=newsfeed

or https://www.facebook.com/morethanbread.net

 

Cooking Class is BACK 又有烹飪班啦

 After a long 15 months, I am glad to announce that my first come-back cooking class will be in Aug 14. Just in time for the Mid Autumn Festival.

Click here for registration. Address: Chinese Evangelical Free Church, 1111 S. Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, 626-570-8971

Chinese Almond Cookie 澳門杏仁餅

This cookie has been on my to-do list for a very long time. I have been experimenting with different recipes on and off for a few years. This recipe gives me the best results with nice almond aroma even without using any almond oil or extract. A hundred percent natural, gluten-free and a hundred percent tasty!!

Ingredients to make about a dozen cookies (depends on the size of your mold):

100g mung bean flour 綠豆粉
40g powdered sugar 糖粉
52g vegetable shortening 固體菜油
62g whole almond kernels 美國杏仁
45g sweet apricot kernels 南杏
2 tsp water 水

1)  Preheat oven to 215F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and roast the almonds and apricot kernels for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop with a food processor after they cool down. Set aside.

2)  Adjust oven temperature to 250F.

3)  Dissolve sugar in water. Mix with shortening until it becomes a paste.
4)  Add almond and mung bean flour. Mix well with your fingers. It should look like wet sand.

5)  Put the mixture into a mooncake mold. Press the mold to shape the cookie. Then, release the cookie onto a lined cookie sheet.

6) Bake in the preheated 250F oven for 40-60 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on a rack before serving. It can be stored in an airtight container for about 2 weeks at room temperature.

Notes:
1) The right amount of pressure is required to shape the cookie in the cake mold. Not enough pressure and the cookie may not come together properly. Too much pressure and the resulting cookie may not be as soft or will be too dense. A little practice is needed.
2) The baking time is for your reference only. Bigger cookies need more time while smaller ones do not need as much time.
3) Don't get confused between the sweet and bitter apricot kernels. They look the same. Only use the sweet ones.

1) 預熱焗爐至華氏215度。將兩種杏仁焗十分鐘，待涼後用食品器打碎備用。
2) 調教爐溫至華氏250度。
3) 水與糖攪至溶解，加入固體菜油。
4) 加入杏仁碎及綠豆粉，用手搓勻成濕沙狀。
5) 分十二份，將一份放入模具內用手指壓實，再壓出放焗盤上。
6) 放入焗爐焗約四十至六十分鐘。
7) 焗好後放架上完全涼後便可食用，可放存氣盒內於室溫約兩星期。

注意事項：
1) 餅料放入餅模後用手指壓實的力度要適中，力度過大餅會太實，口感過硬；不夠力壓實，餅可能會散。
2) 焗的時間長短要視付餅的大小，自行調教。
3) 南、北杏外表一樣，要認明標籤，不要用錯有苦味的北杏。

食譜參考：肥丁手工坊