Sunday, November 8, 2020

Furikake Snack Mix by @JenJChow + #Giveaway

Leslie Karst here. Today it's my pleasure to host my pal (and fellow blogger at Chicks on the Case), Jennifer J. Chow, who pens the "hiss-terical" Sassy Cat Mystery Series. Book two in the series, Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines, releases this coming Tuesday, November 10th.

After I started living half time in Hawai'i some years back, I first discovered the addictive seasoning, furikake, which is delicious sprinkled on popcorn, buttered toast, seared salmon, and any number of other foods. Here, Jen provides the recipe for a mouth-watering and easy-to-make Furikake Snack Mix. And, she's offering a GIVEAWAY of one of her books! Take it away, Jen:


Furikake snack mix: A sweet and savory snack coated in delicious butter-soy syrup.

 

I first ate this addictive combo at a local cultural festival. Furikake snack mix is like Chex Mix with pizzazz and Asian flair. It’s a common snack in Hawai'i, and the Hawaiian love interest in A Sassy Cat Mystery series, Josh Akana, makes it on special occasions. In fact, he used this dish to impress Mimi’s family, to literally and figuratively butter them up in Mimi Lee Gets A Clue. The cravings for the tasty snack mix continue on in Book Two of the series, Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines.

 

Ingredients
6 c Chex (I used Corn, but you can add in Rice or Corn Chex, or even other cereal)
3 c pretzels (I used Pretzel Crisps, broken into smaller pieces)
½ c butter
½ c maple syrup*
¼ c vegetable oil
¼ c white sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 container of nori goma furikake (1.7 oz)

*the traditional version uses corn syrup
(You can also add any snack ingredients to this mix: Bugles, Goldfish, bagel chips, etc.)


 


Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Combine Chex and pretzels and place in baking pan. 
Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. 

Add in maple syrup, oil, and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Mix thoroughly and add syrup to dry ingredients. Toss well.
Add in furikake seasoning and stir until evenly distributed.


Bake for 1 hour (but stir every fifteen minutes if you want the optimal coating).

 

 🐈


OUT ON NOVEMBER 10th: Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines

 
When a local teacher is found dead, LA’s newest pet groomer Mimi Lee finds herself in a pawful predicament—with her younger sister’s livelihood on the line.

 Mimi Lee is on top of the world. She has a thriving pet grooming business, the sweetest boyfriend, and a talking cat to boot. When she arrives at the elementary school where her sister Alice works, she's expecting a fun girls' night out—but instead finds a teacher slumped over in her car, dead.

Alice was the last one to see Helen Reed, which instantly marks her as the prime suspect. Unable to sit quietly and let the authorities walk all over her sister, Mimi starts snooping and talks to Helen’s closest contacts, including one jumpy principal, a two-faced fiancé, and three sketchy teachers. With the help of her sassy but savvy cat, Marshmallow, and a cute kitten named Nimbus, the clock’s ticking for Mimi to get to the bottom of yet another case before her sister gets schooled.



Jennifer J. Chow
is the author of the hiss-terical A Sassy Cat Mystery Series, along with other Asian-American novels. She lives in Los Angeles, where she hunts for all things matcha. Connect with Jennifer at www.jenniferjchow.com, where she showcases foods that capture her attention on her Foodie Friday posts, or on social media @jenjchow. 

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GIVEAWAY:


One lucky commenter will win a copy (your choice of paperback or ebook) of any book in A Sassy Cat Mystery series. (US only for paperback.) Answer this question in the comments below for a chance to win (and include your email address):  Have you tried furikake snack mix? What’s your go-to snack? 

 

85 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the upcoming release of "Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines"! It's on my TBR list and can't wait for the opportunity to read it.

    I've never tried furikake snack mix, but I sure would love to. Sounds interesting and yummy. I will be checking out if I can buy the nori goma furikake locally so I can give it a try.

    Thank you for the chance to win a copy. Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks so much, Kay! Yes, please give furikake a try!

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  2. That looks yummy! Welcome to MLK, Jennifer.

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    1. Thanks for the warm welcome, Edith! (Good to "see" you at Crime Bake last night!)

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  3. Congratulations on the new book! I've never heard of furikake but it sounds interesting. I don't really have a go-to snack. I do love Cheetos though. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  4. I like furikake ever since being introduced to it on a trip to Hawaii. I love my homemade Chex Mix, it's probably my favorite snack and using furikake in it sounds delicious. sharonquiltsatyahoo.com

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    1. Adding furikake makes it very savory! (Like Leslie said, it goes well on popcorn, too.)

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  5. No that is a new to me spice. Sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I used to make a chex mix blend for the kids. My go to snack is fruit, fruit and more fruit. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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    1. Glad to introduce furikake to you! (You can't go wrong with fruit.)

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  6. No I have not tried it. My go to snack is Chili Cheese Fritos.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Ooh, Chili Cheese Fritos. They must add some kind of addictive seasoning to that!

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  7. I’ve never tried it. My go to snack is fresh fruit
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Sandy. Fresh fruit is great!

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  8. I haven't tried your snack but it sounds tasty. I enjoy hummus on rye bread. Your book sounds captivating. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Ooh, hummus. I started making homemade hummus a few months ago.

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  9. I only recently heard of furikake on a cooking show. It sure is a fun word to say, but I've never actually seen it around here so I haven't tried it. I like making the classic Chex Mix or Puppy Chow.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Ha! You are so right--it IS a fun word to say! (It would make a good name for a dog or cat, no?)

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    2. Furikake was a on a cooking show? Nice. Thanks for chiming in, Alicia!

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  10. I have never tried it, but it sounds tasty. I enjoy snacking on Wheat Thins and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. sherrypg at gmail

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    1. Wheat Thins and hummus sounds delicious, Sherry. I usually pair crackers with cheese.

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  11. I have never tried this before, I've never even heard of it until now. One of my favorite go to snacks is popcorn with butter, garlic salt, and graded parmesan cheese... Oh my gosh it's amazing!! (Thank you for the chance)
    lilyanngill56(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I agree, Lily-Ann! I especially love the garlic flavor.

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  12. Furikake would be a lovely snack for me to enjoy. When I am craving a snack it is usually challah with almond butter. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. That sounds tasty. I've been stocking up on almond butter lately, as opposed to PB.

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  14. I have only just heard of furikake. I definitely need to try it. My go to snack is usually popcorn with jalapeno salt. Yummy! 3labsmom@gmail.com

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    1. Jalapeno salt? Sounds like popcorn with a kick! Great idea, Brenda.

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  15. I enjoyed furikake while in Hawaii but hadn't thought of adding it to snack mix. This sounds delicious, and I'll have to see where I can buy the seasoning.

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  16. For those of us not blessed with a half year of Hawaii, we are unlikely to have run across this seasoning.
    Is there any substitute for it?
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. Libby, I can find the seasoning at my local Asian market. You can also make your own: just chop up roasted seaweed, add in toasted sesame seeds, salt, and whatever other spices you enjoy!

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    2. And my Safeway here in California stocks it, as well!

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    3. Oh, true, Leslie. I think I've seen it at Vons.

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  17. I haven't tried furikake snack mix but it sounds delightful! My favorite go to snack is potato chips.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  18. I have never heard of furikake snack mix. I'd love to give it a try. Looking forward to reading the series. Love the talking cat in the book.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. Thank you, Dianne. Marshmallow is such a fun character to write!

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  20. I had never heard of furikake until now. My go to snack would be wheat thins or other snack crackers. bella_ringer@hotmail.com

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  21. I haven't tried it. I was okay with it until I found out that there was seaweed in it(the seasoning), which I can't have because of the iodine. So, that's out. I don't really have favorite snack. Maybe pretzel sticks. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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    1. Oh, that's too bad, Linda. You can make your own version--there is roasted seaweed without salt, but it takes some effort to find. Pretzel sticks are definitely a handy snack to have around.

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  22. Yes, I have tried it. My favorite snack is dark chocolate and roasted almonds.
    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  23. I've had furikake on fish,rice and naan but never in a snack mix. It's not my favorite, although my son loves it. My favorite snack is white cheddar popcorn.

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    1. Love, LOVE white cheddar popcorn!

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    2. Yes to white cheddar popcorn! If only I could figure out how not to have my hands ends up powdered...

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    3. Since I lick my fingers obsessively while eating them, I never seem to have that problem... :)

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    4. I knew there'd be a trick to keeping my hands clean. Thanks, Leslie! :)

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  24. I've never tried it. My go to snack is anything with peanut butter. JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  25. I haven’t tried it, actually I’ve never heard of it! Lol
    But my current favorite snacks are both Sour Cream and Onion potato chips and Flipz (Chocolate covered pretzels) Yum!

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    1. I forgot to add my email- AngelSusan77(at)gmail(dot)com

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    2. Thanks, Susan! I like Sour Cream & Onion chips. BBQ is also good. My college roommate used to like Salt & Vinegar.

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  26. I've never tried furikake snack mix. It sounds delicious. My favorite snack is kettle chips.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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    1. Kettle chips! I always think of them as tasty, fancy chips.

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  27. Your snack mix recipe sounds delicious. I have not tried it yet. My go to snack is either green grapes or plain nuts like pecans.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Sometimes simple and natural is the best. Thanks, Nancy!

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  28. Thanks for the recipe, I've never tried this. Sounds good to me. My favorite go to snack is spinach artichoke dip on either bread or crackers! tWarner419(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. I really like Trader Joe's spinach artichoke dip--and I don't have to make it from scratch. :)

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  29. Karen B
    I've never tried - or heard - of it but it sounds intriguing! I love popcorn or a few Ritz crackers for a snack, along with a glass of wine...
    kpbarnett1941(at)aol(dot)com

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  30. I haven't tried this, but it sounds great. My go-to snack is either a slice of cheese or some pecans. Congratulations on your new release! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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  31. Thank you, Autumn! Cheese and pecans. Those are great snacks!

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  32. My favorite snacks are pretzels and popcorn. I probably wouldn't make this snack but since I already throw a bunch of herbs and spices on my popcorn if I had furikake, I would try it on my popcorn. Stay safe and well.

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    1. Yes, stay safe and well, Sally. And happy snacking!

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  33. no i haven't yet but i will! thanks for the chance to win! my fav snack is cashews. amandasmother(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Cashews are great as a snack. I also love making cashew chicken with them.

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  35. I haven't tried furikake snack mix. It looks delicious. My favorite snacks are either popcorn or tortilla chips and salsa. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Bonnie! Popcorn has been a big hit for people. Chips and salsa make a wonderful snack. I also like chips with guacamole.

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  36. No, I have not tried furikake snack mix. I do enjoy eating plain almonds as snacks. Thanks for offering this giveaway! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  37. I have had furikake and we love it! We hosted a Japanese student who brought it in single serving packets. I tried to find it in the states and couldn't. A friend spied a 4 oz jar of furikake at an Asian market and bought it for me. We sprinkle it on rice - never thought to use it in other things. Thanks for the idea!

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    1. So nice that you hosted a Japanese student, Anita. Yes, it's perfect on rice. I have Japanese friends who make me rice balls with furikake--those are delicious!

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  38. a friend gave me furikake popcorn once. it was good. my favorite is usually potato chips.
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for sharing! Yes, potato chips are a classic snack.

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  39. I love furikake, but I am embarrassed to say that I haven't thought of putting it on anything but rice. I can't wait to try this snack mix. My usual snack is nuts - almonds, cashews, pepitas, macadamias or pistachios.

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    1. Thanks for sharing! Oh yes, furikake can be used on lots of things, but rice is definitely classic.

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  40. No I haven't. My favorite is popcorn or chips

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  41. Thanks for the giveaway! This recipe is a must try for the holidays. I love furikake snack mix on my favorite snack, popcorn! Blistering.Treats@gmail.com

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