Park Tsang

My grandfather passed away two Saturdays ago and it came as a shock to me and my family. I don't how to say how I feel, but one phrase in Chinese that comes to mind is, "mm sae dut." That's my phonetic spelling (I wish I spoke or wrote more Chinese). I wish I could put into words properly the type of person he was, but I fear it wouldn't be enough, or even describe half of what I feel. I miss him terribly and each day it doesn't feel like it's real. I am just so sad.

His funeral was on Sunday and hundreds of people came to pay their respects. There were so many flowers and wreaths. S came and said he didn't realize what a community event it would be and that made me really happy and proud. He was an amazing man and touched so many lives. May he forever Rest in Peace.


Park Tsang: September 30, 1931 to December 12, 2009
http://www.parktsang.info/

Grandfather,

Your wisdom and the lessons that you have given me have been invaluable. I continue to live each day with the counsel and guidance you imparted on me.

Growing up, when my parents would drop me off at your house, I would always have a blast. The numerous sleepovers, trips to Encanto Park and Peter Piper were a lot of fun; but as I matured, the moments I loved and cherished most were the times we had - just the two of us. I would pick you up to go to Dim Sum or just sit at your house and watch television. So as selfish as that is, I loved the moments when I had you to myself. Those are the memories that will be kept sacred and stay with me forever.

Your dedication to our family and the hard work you struggled through to ensure everyone’s success is admirable. The stories I have heard about your younger years are inspiring, I cannot imagine the adversity and hardships you overcame to succeed in this world. Coming to the US and leaving your family behind must have been hard, but you made it work. The pride I have for your perseverance and determination, of who you were, what you did and how you lived, cannot be described. You have done so much for our family; we are forever indebted to you.

You were an amazing inspiration. I thank you for your lessons, wisdom, honesty, dedication, hard work, memories and love. But most of all, I thank you for being my grandfather. I love you, will miss you, and forever will honor you.

Love Always,

曾碧琪

Snickerdoodles? Yes, Please!

I saw on M's Cherry Dot blog that she made a snicker doodle pie for Thanksgiving. She said she found the recipe in a magazine. You can see her pie and the recipe here.

I decided to try it myself on Tuesday since I love snickerdoodles (anything cinnamon, really) and was curious to see what a pie form of the tasty cookie would be like. The pie filling is simple to make and takes no time at all. I had T make me a pie crust because he makes the best one. They are always flaky and buttery.

The pie turned out great and delicious! It has a good texture and flavor. It is slightly tart from the buttermilk and not overly sweet. Just simple clean taste. My only complaint? You don't taste the cinnamon sugar that was sprinkled on top. T said it was the second best pie he had ever tasted (first being the Kahlua pie from Marie Calendar's, bleh I say--it's not even homemade). I will definitely be making this again, just with more cinnamon sugar.

I really do need to learn how to properly crimp the pie crust on the edge. This is the second time my pie edge has turned out all funky.

That same night I also decided to make snickerdoodle cookies because I was afraid the pie would not be good so I wanted a backup dessert. I made the KAF Sugar Cookie recipe (found here) and rolled them in cinnamon sugar. I ran out of all-purpose flour and had to use bread flour instead. Since this made them a bit more puffy, I had a hard time judging when to pull them out. I think they were a little overdone, but everyone who tried them said they were delicious.