Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark with Recipe by Jenn Lee
Author
I’ve taken the following information from Mindy Starns Clark website, just snippets of her journey into writing.
There’s lots more to read about her life (and much better written that I have done here) on her website, so go take a look, here’s the link.
With two daughters, Mindy Starns Clark lives with her husband in Pennsylvania and has two grown up daughters.
With numerous honours, including Christy awards and an RT Book Reviews' Career Achievement Award, Mindy Starns Clark writes fiction, non-fiction even plays and musicals.
Born and raised in Louisiana, she was the only girl of three siblings, Mindy writes on her website that she was brought up surrounded by “fun, creativity and spontaneity”.
A dad who is a doctor and a mother who encouraged all things children related, with a house filled with a play room and loft, recording studio and so many more things to encourage creativity and fun.
Mindy says that she was always playing, pretending, writing and thinking up stories.
It was when she created a picture book about thanksgiving which was made into a book by her teacher and distributed to all of the lower grades, when Mindy was in the 8th grade that the idea of being an author took hold.
Trying and failing to become a freelance writer after leaving university with a BA in English, she moved back to Louisiana to work as a travel agent before getting married to her best friend, moving to New Jersey and finding a job as a copywriter at an IT company and local PR firms.
Realising that there was more to being published than just writing skills, Mindy began attending writing conferences and started to network.
After twenty years of hard work, writing and re-writing, in 2000, Mindy sold her first book series.
Now, with over 30 books published, Mindy Starns Clark is still writing and has lots more ideas for characters.
Author Mindy Starns Clark
Book
Finding out that her father has been shot, Chloe Ledet leaves her business as an etiquette expert and returns to New Orleans after many years away.
Learning of a dark secret that changes everything she knew about herself and her family, she is framed for murder and teams up with a handsome Cajun Stranger to search for historical treasures.
Not sure if she can depend in the mystery man she’s teamed up with, Chloe goes on a chase into Cajun country and wonders if she has been led astray.
Under the Cajun Moon
by
Mindy Starns Clark
My Thoughts
I read this book while on holiday, laying on a sun bed by a pool lathered in sun cream, so that may have had some influence on my thoughts about the book.
Not my favourite book to read, in fact, about one third of the way through the book i began to skim over parts. Not the best shout out for a chosen read!
Was it the characters, the writing, or was it the plot that made me want to hurry the book along? All of the above i’m afraid.
I couldn’t believe the characters and found myself just not interested in what they did or where they were headed, and that made me lose all will to carry on with the book, hence, my speed reading.
A 1 egg rating from me
About the Food
Chef Jenn Lee
Jenn Lee, contestant in series 14 on MasterChef Australia Getting to 17th place) gifted us an amazing recipe for Dak Gal Bi.
Here’s a little bit about her taken from lots of sources, most of which I can’t remember, so apologies and thank you to all those fabulous people who put in the hard work.
A dentist when she first appeared on MasterChef Australia, Jenn Lee is the middle of three girls.
Lee was born in Taiwan before moving to Australia when she was 6 with her family.
a relaxed Jenn Lee
Growing up eating food her mum and grandmother made, the rich flavoursome dishes were dishes she loved and that had meaning for her
Speaking to Refinery29 Australia, Lee says "I think it's been absolutely amazing having this opportunity on national TV to cook food that the majority of people don't know about, but is really close to my heart."
"It's what I grew up eating, and having the appreciation for it on a national platform has been a very transformative experience."
Introducing traditional recipes via her time on MasterChef Australia, that are often "passed down in kitchens from mother to daughter" can help shift the perspective that Asian cuisine is simple and in sophisticated, she explains.
Jenn has many happy memories of cooking with her parents, dumplings at the weekends, Zongzi (a simple rice dish) wrapping in lotus leaf and Taiwanese-style sponge cake with fresh cream for birthdays.
Holidays, Jenn loved learning techniques and dishes from her grandmothers during the family trips back to Taiwan, but also paying close attention and learning from her food idols such as Michel Roux and Heston Blumenthal.
Jenn Lee has lots of ways to relax, cross stitch, gardening, painting and of course cooking Korean BBQ and pork jowl for friends.
Find out what Jenn is up to on Instagram here
Jenn Lee
Food
“Dak gal bi is the perfect party food! It’s a delicious flavourful plate, perfect for sharing! Cheers” - Jenn
Dak Gal Bi
1/2kg sweet potatoes
500g chicken thigh, cut into bite size pieces
1 brown onion, slice
3 cloves garlic, mince
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey or corn syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp gochujang
1 tsp Keens curry powder
1 tsp Korean chilli flakes
¼ cup Kimchi
150g Korean rice cakes
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
¼ cabbage, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp oil
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Method:
Heat up the oil.
Add in the onions and garlic.
Sauté for 2-3mins until fragrant.
Add in the sweet potato and sauté for 5 mins, until starting to caramelise a bit.
Add in chicken thigh, sauteing for 5 mins to seal and slightly caramelise.
Add in the vegetables and sauté for 2-3mins
Add in the water, soy sauce, curry powder, honey, gochujang, kimchi, sesame oil and
Korean chilli flakes.Stir to mix evenly and add in the rice cakes.
Reduce to simmer, gently stirring every few mins, for 10mins or until sweet potato,
rice cakes and chicken are cooked through.Top with the cheese and serve immediately.
Dak Gal Bi by Jenn Lee
