Author Archives: Chris Galvin

About Chris Galvin

Chris Galvin is a Canadian writer, editor and photographer dividing her time between Canada and Viet Nam. Her essay Flood Season was a finalist for the 2012 Best of the Net prize, and Discovering Hến Rice in Central Việt Nam won third place (shared) and a Readers’ Choice Award in the 2015 I Must Be Off! Travel Essay Contest. Her work has appeared in various anthologies and literary journals, including Descant, Asian Cha, PRISM International, Room, and others. She has written in Vietnamese and English for Vietnam Tourism Review/Kham Pha Du Lich Vietnam Magazine, Travellive, and Du Lich Giai Tri. Chris is currently looking for a home for her recently completed manuscript, Breakfast Under the Bodhi Tree, a book about living, eating, and tour-guiding in Viet Nam.

‘Tis Always the Season for Shortbread Cookies

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Chris Galvin

In my family, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without shortbread cookies. Both my parents loved cooking and baking, but my father and I usually made the shortbreads, creaming pounds of butter, combining it with icing sugar, cornstarch and flour, and forming … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cookbook review: Istanbul and Beyond

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Chris Galvin

Istanbul and Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey Robin Eckhardt, with photography by David Hagerman Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35 (352p) ISBN: 978-0-544-44431-7 *Note and disclaimer: When I originally posted this review, I somehow managed to leave the disclaimer out when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Books, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

P is for Preserves and my Favourite Vietnamese Chilli Paste

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Chris Galvin

Viet cuisine is known for its fresh ingredients. At my mother-in-law’s table, greenery abounds, the fish and shrimp come from my sister-in-law’s family pond, and Mother buys fresh meat daily at the Đông Ba Market. Canned, bottled, and dry ingredients … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Writing Day

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Chris Galvin

Turbulent. Overwhelming. That’s what this year has been, on the grand scale and in my own day-to-day life. With little time to write in 2017, I chose to concentrate on  query packages for my memoir manuscript. Submissions-wise, I sent out … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Publications, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Writers Reading Writers

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Chris Galvin

Imagine you’ve recently discovered an internet radio show where the host, a stuffed bear, pairs literary readings with music. (He might also pair readings with the occasional nip of whisky.) Imagine the show is called Mr. Bear’s Violet Hour Saloon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Literary Events, Readings, Viet Nam, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

X is for Xửng…Mè Xửng

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Chris Galvin

In the Việt kitchen, the letter X is tasty. I considered writing about xào, stir-frying, or xoài, mango, or perhaps xôi, sticky rice. Then my in-laws sent a huge package of goodies from Huế. Among the many local specialties were … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Photos, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

N is for Nghệ / Turmeric

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Chris Galvin

“After women give birth,” my Vietnamese mother-in-law explained, “they get coldness. Turmeric heats the body and protects against colds or flu. Also,” she said, “turmeric makes the skin soft and beautiful again. Any woman who just had a baby should apply a turmeric … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Photo set: Canada, Việt Nam

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Chris Galvin

Between 4:30 and 6:30 a.m., the streets of Huế abound with people walking, jogging and excercising. When in Việt Nam, I’m often outside by 5 for a walk with my mother-in-law. . . When I took this photo of a group … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Photography, Photos, Publications, Viet Nam | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Runner-up in Briarpatch Magazine’s Writing in the Margins Contest!

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Chris Galvin

I’m pleased to announce that my personal essay Bombshell has been chosen as runner-up for the 2015 creative nonfiction prize in Briarpatch’s fifth annual writing contest. Thank you to Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, who judged the creative nonfiction entries. Bombshell faced … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, News, Publications, Viet Nam, Writing, Writing Contests | Tagged , | 11 Comments

V is for Vả Figs

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Chris Galvin

We tend to think of Vietnamese cuisine as a single entity, but really it’s made up of many regional dishes and ingredients. The cooking of Huế features a variety of such foods, and a variety of locally grown fig is one … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Photos, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments