Mushroom Powder

This isn't a recipe. I am sure I've posted this before years ago, if not here on Instagram. This is just dried mushrooms blended into a powder. I use it for added umami for just about any savory dish. Eggrolls, gravy, roasts, sauces, Taco seasoning, fajitas, red sauce.

I know people make seasoning mixes with them and add salt etc. I don't usually do that unless I'm making something like Taco seasoning. I just put it in a Mason jar plain and layer my seasonings as I go when cooking. 

Do you make or use Mushroom Powder? 

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Vietnamese Rice Paper Egg Rolls- Chả Giò

Vietnamese Rice Paper Egg Rolls, also known as Chả Giò. These egg rolls are wrapped in rice paper wrappers. They are crispy on the outside and the rice paper wrapper is also a little chewy on the inside.  These are great in lettuce wraps, as a side dish, in Vermicelli Noodle Bowls, or as a snack.

Growing up, my parents' very close friends, the Hoang's were like family to us. My "Ma Yoong" who was a wonderful cook, would dip her rice paper in beer. It makes sense that the alcohol evaporates quickly in the hot oil, leaving the egg rolls crispy. I use water with a splash of canned coconut milk and vinegar. Some people use just water. The coconut milk helps them not stick together for me. 

The egg rolls on the top row are made with rice paper wraps after their second fry. The ones in the middle that are golden brown are fried twice with flour spring roll wrappers. The egg rolls in the very bottom row have been fried only once. 

For egg rolls wrapped with the flour spring roll wrappers, you can find that post HERE.

Making sure the veggies are as dry as possible. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. If the filling is too wet, the water can expand in the fryer, and the egg rolls can split.

I use these Spring Roll plates that are like a flat colander. You can also use a dinner plate. 

The coconut milk really helps with frying in batches; these won't stick together. I just shake the basket after a minute or two.

Egg Rolls (Updated to include rice paper wrappers)

1 bundle of Bean thread/cellophane noodles 

2 pounds ground Pork

2 large carrots

1.5 cups grated taro (optional)

1  medium onion

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chicken powder

2 teaspoons mushroom powder, unsalted (optional; but very flavorful. I make my own by blending dried mushrooms into a powder)

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 eggs

1/3 cup black fungus, soaked in water until soft

1.5 teaspoons Black or white pepper, ground

Rice paper wrappers (see picture)

To dip the rice paper wrappers: 

Warm water in a shallow plate like a pie plate

2 tablespoons of canned coconut milk (optional; this helps the wrappers to not stick)

1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)

Oil for frying

1. Soak cellophane noodles in warm water until they are pliable. Then drain very well and cut into approximately one-inch pieces. 
2. Drain and rinse black fungus, if using. Slice.
3. Peel the onion and carrots. Grate them. Then squeeze out as much liquid as you can from them.
4. Place all the ingredients into a bowl. Mix to combine ingredients.
5. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the water mixture. Just a quick dip. Place on a plate. 
6.  Place about 1-1.5 tablespoons of filling on a wrapper.  
7. Starting from the bottom, roll up once, covering the filling with the wrapper.
8. Fold the two horizontal sides of the wrapper over the egg roll.
9. Then keep rolling up.
10. Roll the wrapper up and make sure it's sealed. I do two plates at a time. I dip one piece of rice paper and place it on each plate. I wrap one egg roll, dip the next wrapper and place it on the plate so it can soften while I wrap the egg roll on the second plate. 
11. Fry them in hot oil (320*F ) for 5 minutes. Remove from oil and continue frying the rest of the egg rolls. Then turn the oil up to 375*-390* and fry them for another 4 minutes until they are cooked through. Frying them twice makes them extra crispy. If frying in a basket in bigger batches, shake the basket after a couple of minutes to check if there's enough room in your basket to make sure the oil can fry the egg rolls on all sides.
12. Place cooked egg rolls on a cooling rack to drain oil and they stay crispy.

Serve with your favorite sauces, or slice and wrap these up in lettuce with herbs, vegetables, and rice noodles as shown.

• There are so many ways to wrap an egg roll; just make sure it's fairly tight and they are about the same size for even cooking.
• These freeze well with the rice paper wrapper but they need to be fried before freezing. 
• Filling- you can add chicken, ground turkey, shrimp, tofu, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, green onion, etc to this filling. Add what you like.
• These heat up well in an air fryer. 
• Two types of wrappers:
  
  
  
   

  

  
  

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Vegetarian Egg Rolls

Just egg rolls made with some seitan. They were pretty good, I made these when one of my kids was eating vegetarian. My regular egg roll recipe was easily adapted. 

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Peasreads- Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Coming July 28, 2026, from Macmillan / Tor / Bramble

Sarah Beth Durst's Spellshop novels are becoming must-reads for me. Sea of Charms is a magical read. It's cozy fantasy that is paced well. The story was interesting, the love story cozy. Marin, the main character, is a supply runner. She loves the sea and her parents took out a loan to gift her with her vessel. Her only goal is to run her supply business well and pay the loan for the ship or she will lose it.  She has deadlines she needs to meet. She loves what she does. She is focused and keeps people at arm's length. Then the revolution happens, and revolutions are messy. During the revolution, people are fleeing the capital and trying to protect what is important to them. Marin learns to open her heart, take risks, and she does what she knows is right in her heart, even if she has to put aside important goals. This book is a five star read for me.

Description
DELUXE EDITION—a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring beautiful cerulean blue sprayed edges!
Sarah Beth Durst brings cozy fantasy romance to the high seas in Sea of Charms, the third magical adventure in the New York Times bestselling Spellshop series!
Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea.
Betrayed by love, Marin lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.
On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway—and her friend Dax in the line of fire.
What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.
But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile—and realizes that perhaps she isn’t saving him. Maybe it’s the other way around.
Sea of Charms is a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and moreover, finding yourself.
Expect:
Standalone romance
Friends to lovers
Magical creatures
Swimming lessons
l

 

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Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan / Tor / Bramble for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Hunt the Ever Wild by S.E. Kiser

I was surprised by this debut novel. It is magical; the forest is untamed, dangerous, alive, and full of whimsy. The description made it seem like a real magical living thing. I love this kind of fantasy world. The kind that makes you want to visit.

The main characters are Sy and Anya. Sy is a Wizard. He is the male main character. He is indentured to the crown. The king is not a good man, but Sy?  He's so good. He does what good he can, and he still sees the beauty around him. To free him from the king's service, he has to find the phoenix. Anya is the FMC who is capable, smart, and strong. She has survived on her own in the Lichtenwald forest. She is cursed by a witch; there is only one way to break the curse. The witch wants the phoenix. Both Anya and Sy have good reason to hunt the phoenix. Neither can stand to lose. 

It was such an adventure getting through the forest. I loved these two characters; it was hard to side with one or the other since they both so badly needed a win. I was also sad for the phoenix who was being hunted. A must read for fantasy fans. 

HUNT THE EVER WILD, a gothic journey into the heart of an untamed forest

❤️ slow burn rivals-to-lovers ❤️
🌲 wizards, witches, and mystical creatures 🌲
🏹 a competition where everything is at stake 🏹

Description

A gothic standalone combining the gaslamp fantasy of C. L. Polk’s Witchmark with the slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance of Isa Agajanian's Modern Divination and the whimsy of Howl's Moving Castle.

When the king calls a hunt for the Lichtenwald forest’s elusive phoenix, wizard Sy jumps at the chance. Years ago, he indentured himself to the crown to pay for his magical education, and an unbreakable spell binds him to carry out the king’s every wicked whim, or face certain death. The prize is enough to pay off his debt, but he can’t survive the forest alone. Seeking help, he finds Anya, a skilled huntress living on the Lichtenwald’s edge, and lies about splitting the prize.

But Anya’s lying too. Cursed by a witch after killing her familiar, Anya must find the phoenix and bind it to the witch by the summer solstice, or else suffer a gruesome transformation. With the curse worsening and the Lichtenwald swarming with wizards, she needs Sy on her side – for now.

Neither of them can split the prize, nor win alone. And despite the growing attraction between them, betrayal remains their only option.

But anything is possible in the forest.

And the forest is hungry.

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Thank you Angry Robot Books for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Between a Girl and the Seafoam by Samantha Traunfeld

 

Happy Publishing day to  Samantha Traunfeld

Between a Girl and the Seafoam (Lore of the High Kingdom Book 1)

Genre: Romantic Fantasy (Mermaid / Undersea Fantasy)

 

A sacrificial bride. An undersea king. A love worth drowning for. 🌊

Between a Girl and the Seafoam is a fantasy novella about Aoife. A girl who's fate has been chosen for her since she was young. She is to be wed to an undersea king named Delwyn. She can't stand her village or the villagers. She also doesn't want to get married. Delwyn however can't wait to meet his bride. He's definitely got some golden retriever energy. As they navigate court life. Aoife separating herself from her new husband and his subjects as much as possible. Delwyn running a kingdom that's on the brink of war and trying to win his new wife over, they will have to work together to save everyone. 

All in a good short read, I read it in one day. 

TROPES

🔱 arranged marriage

🔱 hate to love

🔱 grumpy/sunshine

🔱 opposites attract

🔱 forced proximity

CONTENT WARNINGS‼️

Dubious Consent 

Fictional Violence

Mentions of Neglect and Emotional Abuse

Menstruation

Mentions of Self-Harm

Description

A sacrificial bride. A desperate king. Centuries of magic decaying all around them.

Aoife’s fate had been sealed since she was a child, chosen to be the sacrificial bride of the undersea king. As part of a long existing treaty between her people and his, the surface must offer the ocean a bride once every generation, and her groom has come to collect. Content as her village may be to see her gone, Aoife has done nothing but dread the day she would marry, her fate resigned to the murky depths.

Delwyn has waited ages to meet his surface bride. To have the chance to fulfill his role as king as so many generations of his family had before him. But his bride isn’t exactly what he thought she’d be, and winning her over may be a harder task than any he’s faced before.

To make matters worse, the treaty that protected them from the vicious creatures of the shadowed undersea is unraveling, and Aoife and Delwyn are both of their people’s only chance to set things right. If they fail, the world around them may descend back into the darkness.

#arrangedmarriage  #samanthatraunfeld #romanticfantasy #mermaid

@sam.traunfeld @jessbeyondthepages @jbtpauthorservices

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Thank you, @jessbeyondthepages @jbtpauthorservices for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads:Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim

Publication date July 28, 2026.

Fishbone Cinderella follows a family for multiple generations. It weaves in the story of fishbone Cinderella, Ye Xian (Yeh-hsien), a 9th-century Chinese folktale regarded as one of the oldest Cinderella variants. This is a poignant story about love, belonging, mistakes made, finding yourself, and letting others see who you truly are.

Elizabeth Lim's storytelling is descriptive, and her characters are flawed yet real. Throughout the story you can see how our history and experiences can shape us. Lim addresses generational trauma and curses and weaves them into the fabric of each character with care.

There are different settings in the story, from wartorn villages in China and Hong Kong, to city life in those places, to life in America. Lim's portrayal of immigrants settling into life in America tugged on my heartstrings. It reminded me of stories my parents and family have shared about their experiences fleeing from their homes due to war and coming to America. With nothing but the clothing on their backs and the language of their country on their tongues. It was difficult. Heartbreaking at times, but survivors survive. 

This is a beautiful story. 

Description

A mother and daughter must break their family’s curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this riveting multi-generational saga with a shimmer of magic, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Forgery of Fate.

1940s Hong Kong

When Japanese soldiers invade her hometown, Ha Yut Ying makes an unlikely escape—by turning invisible. But her miraculous survival is only the beginning. After the war is over, she’s sent to Hong Kong to live with her distant father and glamorous stepmother, who end her dreams of becoming a singer and turn her into the family’s servant. As the years pass, Yut Ying learns the hard truths of betrayal and ambition, of forbidden love and devastating loss, and discovers that sometimes the only way to endure is to disappear.

1960s San Francisco

Marigold has always had a knack for uncovering secrets, but nothing prepares her for the day she accidentally witnesses her mother vanish before her eyes. The moment fractures their bond, leaving questions that shadow her entire childhood. But when her mother’s condition suddenly deteriorates, Marigold is convinced she’s the only person who can save her. To do so, she must journey into the secrets her mother never shared and uncover the tragic, fairytale-tinged history their family has fought to forget.

A story of mother and daughters, the scars they inherit and the magic that binds them, Fishbone Cinderella is a tender and enchanting exploration of what it means, at last, to be seen.

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Goodreads reviews.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey, for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Chili Oil

I  don't have a real recipe for chili oil. I just use what sounds good at that time. Garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, other varieties of peppercorns.  Sometimes I add star anise. It really just depends. I do like to use Avocado oil because it is neutral taste and high smoking point. 
I also heat my spices with the oil. I don't pour hot oil over my spices. This just works better for me. 

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