Today we're bubbling over with joy to welcome the fab Jennifer J. Chow to the Kitchen, with her thirst-quenching recipe for bubble tea. Not only that, but she's giving away a copy of her newest book, Death By Bubble Tea, to one lucky commenter! Take it away, Jen:
Bubble tea (or boba) is known for its distinctive tapioca “pearls”; these balls are made from tapioca starch. The boba has an al dente texture that’s chewy but not overly soft. Besides pearls, bubble tea toppings have expanded to pudding, jellies (more like jello bits), chopped fruit, and more.
Boba originated in Taiwan and is traditionally made with black milk tea. Newer variations include smoothies and slushies as alternatives. I’m personally fond of green tea combined with floral or fruit flavors. Thus, my newest series has a food stall run by two cousins, and they offer a signature grapefruit green tea. It’s too bad one of their customers is found dead next to this very same beverage in Death By Bubble Tea (L.A. Night Market Mystery Book 1).
Grapefruit Green Tea with Boba
(serves one)
Ingredients
1½ cups jasmine green tea
½ medium grapefruit
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 cup boba
Simple syrup:
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
Directions
Boil 1½ cups water and make jasmine green tea; let steep.
Juice the grapefruit half.
Cook boba according to package instructions (I like using the five-minute quick-cooking variety).
Make simple syrup: bring ½ cup water to boil and remove from heat; stir in ½ cup sugar and let dissolve; cool.
Add cooked boba to simple syrup (this keeps balls from sticking together and adds sweetness).
Pour tea into glass. Stir in grapefruit juice and maple syrup. Add desired amount of ice to tea or refrigerate to chilled. Scoop up boba and place in drink.
ABOUT DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA
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Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue.
When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine’s career as a social media influencer as adequate experience, but because she’s just lost her job at her local bookstore, she feels she has no choice.
Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, and while business is slow, it eventually picks up thanks to Celine’s surprisingly useful marketing ideas. They’re quite shocked that their bubble tea, in particular, is a hit—literally—when one of their customers turns up dead. Yale and Celine are prime suspects due to the gold flakes that Celine added to the sweet drink as a garnish. Though the two cousins are polar opposites in every way, they must work together to find out what really happened to the victim or the only thing they’ll be serving is time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/GIVEAWAY
Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies with heart, humor, and heritage. She is the twice-nominated Lefty Award author of the Sassy Cat Mysteries. The first in the Sassy Cat series, Mimi Lee Gets A Clue, was selected as an OverDrive Recommended Read, a PopSugar Best Summer Beach Read, and one of BuzzFeed’s Top 5 Books by AAPI authors. Her new series is the L.A. Night Market Mysteries, and Death by Bubble Tea, which the New York Times called “the first in a fizzy new series,” hit the SoCal Indie Bestseller List. She currently serves as President on the national board of Sisters in Crime, blogs at www.chicksonthecase.com, and participates in Crime Writers of Color.
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One lucky commenter will win a signed paperback copy of Death By Bubble Tea (US only).
What’s one of your favorite beverages? Comment below for a chance to win.
