by Andrea Cheng
I look up and see the backs of the heads of all the people sitting in front of me on the plane. Some of them have Chinese babies and some don’t. Some look mixed race and some don’t. Some are tall and some are short, some are sleeping and some are awake.
I write:
I realize that I am a very lucky person.
I close my notebook. Then I remember that I have one last fortune cookie, which is silver: There is a small picture of a Christmas tree with presents underneath it. I almost forgot about Christmas.
I have many hours to make paper fortune cookies for everyone back home: Mom, Dad, Ken, Kaylee, Grandma, Camille, Laura, Andee, Sam, Simone, Ms. Remick, Mrs. Smith, Teacher Zhao. I don’t have scissors, but I can start by making up the fortunes:
Mom: You will visit your family in China soon.
Dad: You will graduate from college this year.
Ken: Your Lego robot is the best!
Kaylee: You have a new friend named Jing.
Later I’ll finish all the fortunes, copy them onto slips of paper, and fold them into paper cookies. But now I’m too sleepy to do anything except look out the window. Could that blue be a tiny glimpse of the ocean? I shut my eyes and think of home.
Recipe for Fortune Cookies
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
You will also need 2½-x-½-inch fortune strips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease a cookie sheet thoroughly.
Whip the egg whites on low speed until light and foamy.
Blend in the sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
Pour in the melted butter, flour, salt, and extracts; mix until well combined.
Drop a tablespoon of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter evenly into very thin 3-inch rounds. Alternatively, use the lid of a jar with a 3-inch circle punched out as a template: pour the batter into the ring, and then remove the ring.
Because you must work quickly to shape the cookies, bake just 3 at a time. Bake for 5–8 minutes or until the edges are a light golden color.
Remove the cookies with a spatula and place on a work surface.
Lay a fortune in the lower middle of the cookie, and fold the cookie in half to make a semicircle.
Bend the edges up toward each other to make a crescent.
Cool in mini muffin tins to hold shape until crisp.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Read more at www.food.com/recipe/fortune-cookies -110768?oc=linkback.
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The Year of the Sisters
Coming in Spring 2015!
When Anna’s friend Fan comes to the United States as part of a cultural exchange program, Anna knows that it won’t be an easy adjustment. After her experience in China, Anna understands cultural differences; she expects Fan to feel homesick and to struggle with English. But the challenges that Anna faces with Fan and her other friends are not what she anticipates.
Visit www.hmhco.com to find all of the books in the Anna Wang series.
About the Author
ANDREA CHENG, author of picture books and middle grade and young adult novels, is an ardent believer in the power of books to show young people that they are not alone and that relationships can be both complex and rewarding, no matter differences of culture, personality, and situation.
When she’s not writing, Andrea teaches English as a Second Language and children’s literature, and enjoys daily walks near her Ohio home. Visit www.andreacheng.com.
About the Illustrator
PATRICE BARTON earned a BFA in studio art from the University of Texas in Austin. Since then she has illustrated numerous books for children, including Sweet Moon Baby, The Naming of Tishkin Silk, and Layla, Queen of Hearts. She lives in Austin with her husband and son. Visit www.patricebarton.com.