Anna May Wong's niece joined us to celebrate Chinese New Year!
Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American star in Hollywood history. Her career encompassed silent film, sound, theatre and television. In 2022 she was honored with a United States quarter in a series that honored trailblazing women. An Anna May Wong Barbie Doll was announced and sold out in less than 24 hours. There is a new biography out and a biopic in the works. In other words, we have a LOT to discuss!
The Recipe
We did the first Anna May Wong recipe back in 2021. I sent Anna several recipes attributed to her aunt that I found in various cookbooks or fan magazines. As I suspected, she said they were not the least bit authentic. We went ahead and made a recipe attribute to her in a 1935 cookbook for Tea Cakes. This time around, Anna supplied us with a recipe directly from the Wong family. It doesn't get more authentic than that!
Chinese Almond Jello
Ingredients
½ cup of water
I package of Knox Gelatin
I teaspoon of Vanilla or Almond extract
1 cup of milk
½- 1 cup of sugar
1 can of fruit cocktail (drained for serving)
Directions
Dissolve gelatin in water and bring to a boil. Add extract and stir to combine. Add sugar and milk then stir for three minutes on low heat.
Pour into a jello mold or pan and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight until set.
To serve:
Cube or spoon into a dish. Top with fruit cocktail
Special Guests
Anna Wong grew up mere miles from Hollywood where her Aunt, iconic Asian American film star Anna Mae Wong, left an indelible mark on cinematic history. While Anna never had any desire to pursue a career in front of the camera, she has always been drawn to the cultural impact and inclusiveness that her namesake strove to achieve. Whether she’s repping artists, planning events, producing and developing film and tv projects or engaging in philanthropic endeavors Anna’s mission is to increase awareness of Asian American issues and further the effort for equality.
Danny Miller is a journalist, editor and film history expert. He also co-authored the book "About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel: Make-up Artist to the Stars" with Meredith Ponedel.
Video
The Final Product
This recipe was easy to make, light and tasty! It can also be easily modified and you can add fresh fruit or a variety of other toppings.
The new biography "Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong" by Katie Gee Salisbury is now available for pre-order and will be available this spring.
Several Anna May Wong films are available on DVD, BluRay and various streaming platforms. You can also find her films on Amazon, Kino Lorber and Turner Classic Movies.
Please consider supporting Hollywood Kitchen on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee!
Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more food, fun and film history.