Breakfast ideas that make you smile in the morning.

Every morning when I have the first sip of my coffee and bite into some freshly made breakfast, I smile. It’s a new day! There’s nothing more precious than that.

I love breakfast, and I enjoy eating it mindfully. Breakfast marks the start of a new day. It sets my mood for the day. What kind of person do I want to be today? How do I want to spend my day? All of these thoughts would go through my head while I enjoy every bite of my breakfast, whether it’s a simple bowl of oatmeal or a perfectly made quiche. By the time when I finish breakfast, I would feel completely ready to create a new day that I love, with more courage, hope, and positivity. 

My childhood memories and my love for Chinese food. 

Chinese food is more than cuisine. It’s my heritage, it’s a culture, it’s in our people’s blood. I included seven traditional Chinese recipes in this cookbook. These foods are hard to find in America, but they are beloved by Chinese people across the nation for hundreds of years, if not longer. If you ever go to China or meet someone from China, make one of these breakfast dishes, and I ensure that you will have a great time.

You may find some of the recipes great for lunch or dinner, too, such as noodle soup and dumplings. But in China, they are also common breakfast foods. We love to kick off our days with satisfying and delicious food. 

My immigrant stories.

I came to the U.S. by myself in 2014 to attend college. I got a decent job in Boston after graduation, then I came to Chicago for my MBA and started my own business, Crave Natural. Before I realized it, I have already lived in this country on my own for six years. I have tried many new foods, developed many new routines, and called many places home. However, at the bottom of my heart, I always remember the old apartment building in Qingdao where I grew up. That is the home I knew and will always be what I picture first when I hear the word home. That’s where my mom woke me up every morning with the delicious smell of crispy fried eggs and pork porridge. That’s where every Sunday morning, I waited eagerly for my dad to bring home fried dough sticks and silken tofu soup from the farmer’s market. Also, now whenever I eat dumplings, I remember the eating competitions my cousins and I used to have. I miss those foods and the old times when I enjoyed the food with the people I love. 

My journey with Yishi Foods (Formerly known as Crave Natural)

I like looking back but also like to look forward and dream a little. I decided to leave home and see the world when I was 18. I have lived in quite a few places because I’ve been moving to a new area every year since I came to the U.S.   It’s not always just to explore a new place, some of my moves have been for school and work.

The longest commitment I have had is to Crave Natural, an oatmeal business I started a bit over a year ago. It’s still just the beginning for Crave, and I hope I can be growing Crave for as long as possible, just like raising a child. 

I hope you enjoy this book.

Lin Jiang

June 2020