Imagine: Scallion pancake french fires and mochi Twinkies. Mouth watering yet?
We know that food and identity are intricately linked. And when we shame a person’s food choices—especially when the dish is representative of their culture—we are also shaming the individual’s heritage.
Asian-Americans in particular have been on the receiving end of this type of discrimination. It’s such a universal childhood experience that the term “lunchbox moment” was coined to describe having their school lunches being ridiculed.
Fortunately, society is evolving. Diversity, inclusion and blending culture is becoming more the norm. And food, like every art form, follows suit. Hence, delectable fusions that not only delight the taste buds, but cook up a more curious and compassionate world.
Which brings us to Taiwanese-American designer turned food writer and photographer Frankie Gaw.
On his website, Gaw claims he’s “not a chef by any means,” but just one scroll through his blog, titled “Little Fat Boy,” will have you thinking differently.Gaw’s recipes are heavily inspired by the meals prepared to him in childhood by his grandmother, who makes several guest appearances during his videos.
“My hope…is to capture the melting pot of food experiences that I love through recipes, videos, pop-up events, and more. I just want it to feel like you’re eating in my grandma’s kitchen and getting the best kind of fat with 10-year-old plump me with a bunch of steamed buns stuffed in your face, coupled with a little slice of Midwestern suburban goodness,” he says.
That intention certainly comes across with his “American Classics turned Taiwanese” series, where everything from Twinkies to Mcdonald’s Happy Meals to good ol’ mac n’ cheese gets an Asian spin.
Did we mention that he even creates his own version of the food packaging? Yeah, he’s extra in the best way.
With each recipe video, Gaw shares moments of his life, like how he would screen his lunch for non-American snacks and throw them away, or pontificate how life might be different if iconic brands capitalized on different flavors from around the world. Like if Campbell's soups introduced congee to “made congee into a pantry staple,” or if Cheerios introduced Asian flavors like sesame and miso.
After seeing his creations, it’s hard not to wonder that too. See more below:
I could eat 7 strawberry match "Twunkies" in one go, easily.
Congee is just like soup, but with more flavor and fillings? Sign me up.
Gaw is right. More cereal flavors, please.
Taiwanese fried chicken + Cheetos = tastebud heaven
Not only is this version of Lunchables way more pleasing to the eye, it would probably be more satisfying for the tummy.
Caramalized onions make everything better. So why not mac-n-cheese.
Hoping to explore some of Gaw’s recipes yourself? Gaw recently came out with a cookbook, titled “First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home,” which is filled not only with unique, scrumptious meal ideas, but deeply personal stories from his childhood, giving viewers a real opportunity to be transported to new places. And all through food! What’s not to like?
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."