Sandra Tsing Loh: Sadly Misguided

Surely selfishness is key to failed marriage. The irony is summed up in the verse, "He who seeks to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life will save it." (Luke 17:33)

Our society preaches that you must seek to satisfy yourself, but look at how little satisfaction there is! I'm sure that Sandra Tsing Loh was out for self-satisfaction when she sought the career that now brings her $120,000 salary. Funny, isn't it, that that still wasn't enough?

Yet now she will continue to use the same formula to pursue that "satisfying life". Sad.

If the career didn't bring her satisfaction, I wonder why she thinks that seeking anything else for herself is going to bring satisfaction?

Heartbeat Magazine Interview

My friend Connie Moss, at Heartbeat Magazine, was inspired to interview we folks who write for Heartbeat, so I thought I'd post it here:


Where were you born? Detroit, Michigan, car capital

Tell me a little bit about growing up? Life in the suburbs: Dad was (and 50 years later, still is!) an engineer, and mom was an aspiring home chef. She taught me and my little sister the basics, and we fed our younger brother all our experiments. I wished upon a star, at age 10, that I might be famous one day. Needed specifics, so I pondered becoming a famous singer. That seemed like a long shot, so I settled on becoming famous as a cookbook author. Yes, at age 10 I had such aspirations.

Married? Married husband Tom in 1976, when I was 17 going on 30.

Children? Miles is 26, with two sweet kids and one sweet wife; Ty's 21 and an aspiring helicopter pilot.

Animals? Just the fish in the big pond out back now... the cats have passed on. There are several that think they're adopted, but we haven't told them otherwise yet.

Describe your salvation experience? At age 38, I really needed to pray about a "blast from my past", an old flame who was coming awkwardly back into our life. I didn't want to leave it to chance, praying to a pie-in-the-sky God whom I didn't really know, so I asked for God's Holy Spirit to come into my life. He revealed Himself to me through the gift of tongues; my intellectual mind could no longer dispute this external power that came from somewhere other than myself. I gave up on the old philosophies of "Me as god, creating My universe", and bowed down to the all-powerful, all-sustaining, omnipotent God of the universe.

Hobbies, sports, entertainment? I love music. Wrote songs and recorded with husband Tom and our sons several years back (yes, Partridge Family style)... Now I'm happy just to be on worship team, learning new songs, finding new ways to praise the Lord. I also love gardening and have created a little Garden of Eatin' in our back 40. Organic gardening, medicinal herbs, flower arranging are a few other hobbies. Sports: Love walking/hiking... Entertainment: Life is pretty entertaining!

Favorite scripture of the Bible? "Perfect love casts out all fear." How many people live in fear of what might happen, as if God is out to punish us? What a revelation to realize that God loves us so much that He isn't out to punish, but to offer us grace and mercy. I thank Him for that daily!

Future plans or desires of your heart? To be more involved in community events, sharing the joy God's put in our hearts, sharing any talent I have. When I realized there were people out there who would jump in and do it, even if they didn't know how, I realized: The least I could do is offer my services when I actually did know how. I've gained some confidence in the catering realm, and hope to share in that area. Creating a platform for the cookbook in the process would be a nice afterthought : )

Anything else you want to add about yourself? It's wonderful to see the body of Christ working together. I'm excited about the future, and know God has great plans for us all!

Scripture and Photo for your Computer

"Peace of God" is my favorite latest creation in desktop wallpaper at this point. Check it out at: PCCuisine.

Free Christian Desktop Wallpaper!

I'm excited about adding desktop wallpapers onto my website. Check it out! Hope you enjoy it : )

Promoting a Book...

I've discovered a few things as I moved from the creative process of publishing my dream cookbook, to actually marketing it. I've apparently promoted myself somewhat inadequately, having had but nominal impact thus far. Right now I'm just trying to be not too intimidated, as I discover: The competition is fierce. In 2004, it was recorded (see BookStatistics.com), that there were 17 new books published each and every hour of each and every day. Whoa. I'd better get cracking...

Wondering if I might drop a few of my books off at a gift store in Napa Valley, I discovered that Giada De Laurentiis will be dropping in there, literally, as she hot-air-balloon-rides over to taste the specialty olive oils and wines that the Valley has to offer. Humm, I think my appearance on the scene would be anti-climatic...

Inquiring of the manager at the local Sur La Table, I asked whether they might consider carrying a local author's cookbook. If I happened to be insanely popular, then yes, that might work. But I discovered that "Corporate" would ultimately decide whether any given book had enough potential selling power to be carried by such a popular shop. I suppose my book might not really qualify.

Doing a word search for "Cooking Stores" in various trendy, touristy areas here in California, I thought perhaps a smaller, independently-owned shop might appreciate my "home-grown" little cookbook. But there are very few such stores. I suppose the money isn't in selling kitchenwares, but in offering cooking classes. With Emeril Lagasse and other acclaimed chefs showing how to make Foie Gras Toast with Sauterne Gelee and the like, how will I stand a chance?! I checked out a local station's interview of another local chef, who presses her own olive oil. Oh boy, I feel so small.

I just read of how a fellow chef's favorite food is whatever new thing she's just now made that she hasn't made before. Not me. I like having a bunch of tried and true recipes to depend on. Most of my days are fairly routine; I do my routine things, work up an appetite, and start craving some of those recipes I've shared in my cookbook. Will it prove popular to start checking out my recipes? To start buying my cookbook? To realize the beauty of having a solid repertoire of best recipes that fit a range of moods and situations, from formal to simple?

I've been happy to see people are checking out my PC Cuisine blog, for stuff like Pecan Pear Salad with Poppyseed dressing. It's such a great recipe! And it can be quick; you don't have to even get a blender dirty creating the dressing.

Another popular item lately has been the Red Lentil Soup. It's an awesome recipe, with sweet potatoes (you know, another super food).

Not that we're just talking healthy here. The Caramel Apple recipe has been a hit too. Kraft candies don't really work; I was craving an apple like they have at the County Fair, and I finally worked up a recipe. Yummmm.





Well, time will tell if anything will come of this chef/author, and her cookbook. Did I mention, the book is also a devotional, with scripture in it? Oh-oh. That could be a problem in our liberal, left-wing world. Humm. We'll see.

Faith-based Cooking Show?!

You may say, "What?! A faith-based cooking show?!" And rightfully so, because it is rather unique at this point. But that's exactly what we've got going on: "Chef/author Jennifer Cote" (that's me), plus supportive husband Tom, and a friend in the film industry (Chris Evans), have put together a new show, From the Land to the Table. It's an inspired cooking show, encouraging Christian family values and featuring healthy, made-from-scratch recipes, and great cooking tips. To be aired locally in the Bay Area, California, we also have a sneak preview of the first show airing here.

Meanwhile, if you go to the website, you can sign up for my monthly recipe newsletter and get even more news and recipes. You can get the recipe for the first show, Black Bean Enchiladas with homemade Red Sauce, either at the website, or in the November newsletter.

And what's the big noise anyway? Is this just another ploy to get fame and fortune as Jennifer's promotional efforts go full-steam ahead? No! It's actually just a small voice in a very large world, hoping to encourage fellow Christians to be blessed with a bit of cooking expertise from a pro, to be encouraged to spread the word to any non-believing friends who like to cook, and to perhaps recognize the value of putting a woman of God out there in that giant stew of celebrity cooking divas, to stand (even alone) in support of what we, as Christians, hold dear. So, if you want to sign up for that newsletter and spread that news, you have my grateful appreciation, and: God bless!

My Latest Thing

I started up a Monthly Recipe Newsletter; leave me a comment if you'd like to receive it. I email it out to various friends/acquaintances here on the web, and it can be forwarded to any friends you know who also like to cook. Thanks to all the friends and family who've given me their support; meanwhile, hope to hear from you too, if I haven't already. P.S. There's also an easy email sign-up at my website: From the Land to the Table. (At the bottom of the page.)