tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374842758654274152024-02-21T00:57:57.137+08:00hao chr 好吃Some good eats in Taipei, TaiwanEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-77188579479273326292008-03-11T13:04:00.003+08:002008-03-11T13:26:00.968+08:00So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, my friends, the siren call of America is singing to us and we can no longer resist. Our time in Taiwan is coming to an end soon and we're moving back to the States.<br /><br />I'm sad to say that once we're back I probably won't be updating this blog anymore, but never say never, right? In any case, I'll still keep Hao Chr up and hopefully it can still be a resource for those of you who live here or those who you are visiting.<br /><br />We're dedicating these last few weeks to going back and savoring our favorite meals before we go. But I was wondering, does anyone have any recommendations for foods or restaurants that we HAVE TO experience before we leave? Like, our Taiwan experience wouldn't be complete had we not had these foods? Post in the comments or drop me a line!<br /></span></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-2988801183853896432008-03-04T16:01:00.006+08:002008-03-11T13:29:11.148+08:00Pot Pie Cafe<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2613.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2613.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Pot Pie Cafe has become our backup when we're not in the mood for hotpot, but still want some "soul warming food," as Luke likes to say. This homey little restaurant on Fuxing is indeed a great place to go when you're in the need for some comfort food, especially of the fresh from the oven, piping hot variety.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >As evidenced by its name, Pot Pie Cafe dishes up a selection of pot pies, including favorites such as shepherd's pie and chicken with mushroom. For 280NT, these pot pies come with a bowl of clam chowder, a side salad, and coffee or tea. Or you can opt to skip the clam chowder and coffee/tea and just order the pot pie itself, with pies ranging from 150-180NT. Once you get your pie, dig into the fluffy mashed potato topping and meat filling. It's great.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2614.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2614.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >(shephard's pie)<br /><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >The menu also has other British fare like Fish and Chips (good, but too much for me to finish, as the portions are pretty hearty). They also serve breakfast all day, including the Full English Breakfast which comes with two eggs sunny side up, grilled sausages, baked beans, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, toast and a grilled tomato (for 380NT). While satisfying if one is dying of hunger, as far as breakfasts go, I'd say there are better deals elsewhere. Stick with the pot pies.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > </span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_3064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_3064.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >(full English breakfast)<br /><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Oh, and make sure you treat yourself to dessert. Here's the apple and walnut crumble (150NT) we ordered:<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2619.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2619.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >The only minor quibble I have the place is that the only CD Pot Pie Cafe seems to own is Dido. Don't get me wrong, I like Dido for those moments where I just want to stare out the window at the falling rain and think anguished thoughts about unrequited love, but perhaps not so much on an endless loop throughout my dining experience. But other than that, Pot Pie Cafe is two thumbs up.<br /><br />Pot Pie Cafe<br /></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.potpie.com.tw"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" class="textsmall" >www.potpie.com.tw</span></a><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Fuxing South Road, Section 2, No. 325<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" class="textsmall" >(02) 2736-0905<br /><br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-86711435964230644602008-02-25T11:20:00.004+08:002008-03-11T13:28:40.995+08:00Ali Baba<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Due to a stomach bug that has been pestering me and Luke for the last week or so, we've been reduced to eating one tasteless meal a day, where we spend the majority of it updating each other on our health status, like we're 80 year old geriatrics. It's been a rather sad couple of weeks for us. We haven't been eating anything very exciting lately, hence the lack of posts. We are starting to feel better though, so hopefully I will have some new restaurants to report upon soon.</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Before we got sick, we tried Ali Baba's. We were in the mood for Indian food, but we didn't want to go to <a href="http://haochr.blogspot.com/2007/10/aaleja.html">Aleja</a> again, so we decided to try something new. But actually, I ended up wishing that we had gone to Aleja instead. It's slightly cheaper, and in my opinion, the quality is better. To be honest, I don't know very much about Indian food at all, so it's hard for me to tell if something is authentic or not. I just know what tastes good and what doesn't. Here is wha</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >t tasted good at Ali Baba's:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2870.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2870.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >(papadan)</span><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2874.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2874.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;">(</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >garlic naan)</span><br /></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2872.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2872.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >(kama matter)</span><br /></div><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > For our appetizer, we ordered papadan (90NT), which was a nice snack to munch on before our main courses came out. It was light and crispy, and topped with chopped onions and tomatoes. The garlic naan (70NT) was also pretty good, light and chewy, not too dense. And of course, garlicky. And I thought the kama matter (280NT) that we ordered as one of our main courses was pretty decent as well - nicely spiced, fragrant. </span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />But the mutter paneer (about 260NT), which is always one of my favorite dishes to order at Indian restaurants, was a disappointment. The sauce was way too salty, and the spinach and cheese had a weird, slightly bitter taste to it.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2871.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2871.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > So in conclusion, I found Alibaba to be pretty much of a let-down. Anyone have any other recommendations for good Indian restaurants?</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />Ali Baba<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.ali88.com.tw">www.ali88.com.tw</a><br />Nanking East Road, Section 2, No. 56-58, 2F<br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" class="textbold" >(02) 2567-7163<br /><br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-41168648932693031102008-02-12T00:22:00.001+08:002008-03-11T13:29:38.212+08:00Heng Ji Hotpot<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >I find myself wondering quite a bit these days if I'm ever going to see the sun again. It's been what, three weeks now? of straight rain? And I can't believe that it's actually cold - we were in denial for a long time, sitting around our house wearing three sweaters, hats, scarves, etc.</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > until finally our friend who was here from the East Coast informed us that is was in fact legitimately cold. Now we have a space heater that I spend my days parked squarely in front of.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br />But the upside of all this cold, drizzly weather is that it's great for hotpot! Growing up, we never had hotpot very often because my dad said it was like drinking water with some meats and vegetables thrown in, which I believe is actually something called "soup." But in any case, my dad didn't like hotpot, so it was a pretty rare occurrence in our house. But now we're</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > here in Taiwan, and I'm prepared to take full advantage of being here to eat all the hotpot my stomach desires.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br />Tonight we hit up Heng Ji (亨記), located behind the old Sogo on Zhongxiao. I like this kind of hotpot - the kind that allows you just to choose what kinds of broth you want, and then you decide what you want to put in it <i>and</i> it's all you can eat - as opposed to hotpot places that come</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > with set platters. I thought the selection here was pretty good also - there were the different kinds of sliced meats, seafood such as shrimp, oysters, and crabs, veggies, meatballs, noodles, different tofus, different fishballs. Oh! And they had ice-cream, which was better than I thought it would be. I was expecting it to be that icy, fake tasting ice-cream they often serve at places with free ice-cream, but the ice-cream here was not bad at all.<br /></span><table style="font-family:verdana;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2913.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2914.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >(our hotpot "liao")</span><br /></div><br /></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >We picked the pork based broth and the "ma la," which translates loosely to something like, "numbingly spicy." Oddly enough, even though I know what "ma la" means in Chinese, I didn't think it was going to be <i>that</i> spicy and so I foolishly took a big sip of it. Then I paid dearly for my mistake and spent the next several minutes gulping down many glasses of plum juice, which supposedly cuts down on the heat, but really didn't help that much. I seriously thought about just stuffing some tissues in my mouth to try to absorb some of the spiciness. So yeah, that "ma la" is indeed very spicy, to</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > say the least.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2917.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2917.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >I just looked at the weather forecast and all I see are little boxes filled with clouds for the rest of this week. Sigh. But in the meantime, go enjoy some hotpot!<br /><br />EDIT: I just wrote this whole thing and I realized that I forgot to mention how much this costs! It's 389NT plus 10% service charge (cheaper on weekdays during lunch and late night).<br /><br />Heng Ji (亨記) - Ding Hao branch (頂好店)</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.huang-chi-mala.com.tw">www.huang-chi-mala.com.tw</a><br />Fuxing South Road, Section 1, Lane 107, No. 40<br />(02) 8771 - 8960<br /><br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-57965968906016041612008-02-11T18:17:00.001+08:002008-03-11T13:30:09.344+08:00Dozo<div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hello friends. Sorry about the lack of updates lately - a good friend of mine has been here visiting, and I've been busy showing her the best Taipei has to offer. And of course a big part of that has been introducing her to the fine cuisine here. On her last night here, my friend generously took us out to dinner and let us pick the restaurant. She said to pick something that we normally might not go to, so we decided on Dozo. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2816.jpg" border="0" /></span></p><p></p></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Dozo is a pretty upscale, trendy restaurant that offers a variety of Japanese food, from sushi to hotpot, at surprisingly decent prices. We ordered kimchi stuffed with chopped sushi tuna (180NT), a sashimi platter (420NT), okonomiyaki (like a cabbage/cheese/meat pancake for 160NT), skewers of different types of grilled meat (400NT), and deep fried soft shell crab (200NT). By the way, these prices are all approximates, as my friend was paying and it seemed a little rude to write down the price of everything in front of her. But if memory serves me right, everything we ordered was give or take 10NT from the above prices.<br /><br />My favorites were the sashimi platter, and the deep fried crab. The sushi was fresh and had that melt-in-your mouth tender quality that I love in sushi. And the crab was very well done as well, and came with a tasty, a little sweet, a little spicy dipping sauce. The pancake was good, but only in small quantities, as the cheese got to be overwhelming for me after awhile. The skewers were a bit of a hit-or-miss - I thought some of the meats, like the leeks wrapped in beef, were a bit tough, but other meats, like the chicken and chicken butts(!) were grilled to perfection and nice and juicy. Oh, and I didn't particularly like the kimchi. My friend (who is Korean), said that it was very authentic, which I didn't doubt, but I couldn't taste the fish at all in it - the kimchi was just too overpowering.<br /><br /></span><p></p><p align="center"></p></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></span><p></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2818.jpg" border="0" />(kimchi ball with chopped sushi tuna)</em></span></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><br /></em></span></span></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em> </p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em> </p><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2826.jpg" border="0" />(okonomiyaki)</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em> </div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em> </div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em></em></span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><br /></em></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em></em></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><br /></em></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2821.jpg" border="0" /></em></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>(sashimi platter)<br /><br /></em> </span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></em><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2828.jpg" border="0" /></span></em><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" >(deep fried soft shell crab)<br /><br /><br /></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2832.jpg" border="0" />(grilled meats on skewers)</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="center"><em><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;" ></span></em></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">For dessert we ordered fried mochi with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream (180NT), which was a hit with everyone. The mochi was only very lightly fried, so it wasn't oily at all, and went perfectly with the vanilla ice-cream. Yum. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2833.jpg" border="0" /><br />Oh, and another plus of Dozo is that it's open until 3am. But you know what I liked the most about this place? It's that you know if this restaurant were in New York City, the prices would be triple of what it costs here, not to mention that all the waiters would be looking down at us because we were wearing jeans and sneakers. (Luke, in fact, walked in wearing one of those furry hats with the ear flaps and a green jacket, making him look like he was fresh from a hunting expedition.) I've really grown to appreciate just how refreshing the dining experience is in Taiwan, at least compared to the States. Even at the fanciest restaurants that I've been to, people don't have to be worried about being looked down upon if they aren't dressed to the nines. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against dressing up, but I am against waiters snickering at you behind their hands just because you're not wearing Armani during your meal. In Taipei, I've yet to encounter a snobby waiter. I love how you can just walk in to a restaurant with casual clothes, pay decent prices, and enjoy a nice meal. Isn't that what the dining experience is supposed to be all about?<br /><br />And that's what we had at Dozo.<br /><br />Dozo<br />Guangfu South Road, No. 102 (close to the Sun Yet-Sun Memorial)<br />(02) 2778-1135<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-86318207091774848832008-01-28T18:20:00.001+08:002008-03-11T13:30:39.795+08:00Alleycat's Pizza<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2596.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2596.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >This weather just makes me sluggish. All I want to do is lay on my couch (huddled under several thick blankets - it's cold!), drink hot tea and watch crappy TV. I also want to tell you about the pizza at Alleycats, but my brain can't form very long sentences right now. Blah. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Anyway, Alleycats. It's pizza, it's good, it's pretty cheap (a basic Margherita pizza is 80NT, and then it's 15 or 25NT depending on the topping you get; there are also several pre-set pizzas for 150NT), it's piping hot out of the oven, what more do I have to say?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2593.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2593.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Oh, and if you really can't get off your couch, they even deliver - well, at least the the Zhongxiao branch does (not sure about the other branches). Unfortunately, though, their radius seems to be fairly small, as we live pretty close to the Zhongxiao branch, but we're still outside their delivery zone. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Alleycats</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.alleycatspizza.com"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > www.alleycatspizza.com</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > various locations at:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Nei Hu</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Cheng Gong Road, Section 5, No. 67-1</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 2630 - 6278</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Tien Mu</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Chung Shan North Road, Section 6, Lane 35, No. 31 </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 2835 - 6491</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Li Shui Street, No. 6 B1</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 2321 - 8949</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, Lane 248, No. 2</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 2731 - 5225</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Song Ren Road, No. 285</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 8780 - 5421<br /><br /></span></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-90533227855355280252008-01-27T17:00:00.001+08:002008-03-11T13:31:00.996+08:00Forkers<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I know that in my last post it made it seem like I'm miserable here, but the truth of the matter is that I'm not. Sometimes I just get grouchy, I guess. In fact, there are a lot of things I appreciate about Taiwan, such as how easy and convenient it is here. Like, let's say I get a craving for a good hamburger. Then I can just hop onto the MRT, take it to Zhongxiao Dunhua on the blue line, and right around the corner is a fantastic new</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> hamburger joint named Forkers where I can stuff my face to my heart's delight. It's ironic because back in the States, if I were to get this same craving, the only choices I'd have would be between McDonald's, Burger</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> King, or TGIFridays. Funny how I had to move all the way across the world to get a good burger. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Forkers has been open for about a couple months now, though by the way their business is doing you'd think they've been around for longer. But it's not surprising that they're doing well. Just take a look at this hamburger here:</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2524.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2524.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">That's the Australian burger (260NT), which comes topped with bacon, cheese, a fried egg, beets, grilled onions, and a special barbecue sauce, as well as the usual lettuce and tomato. Yeah, it's a lot, but as Luke says, "Delicious!" I've also had their mushroom cheeseburger (good) and their fajita burger (good, but spicy). All their burgers come with fries (which if you add an extra 40NT or 50NT depending on what you order, you can get poutine, tex-mex or chili cheese fries). You also get a choice of salad with your meal (I like the Hawaiian Pasta Salad) and a drink. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you're not in the mood for a burger, Forkers also offers other non-burger fare, like the grilled chicken quesadillas (260NT) that I ordered last time we went. It wasn't bad, but I do think that their burgers are definitely their strong point.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2523.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2523.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> So if you're ever craving a hamburger with all the works, head on over to Forkers! </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Forkers</span> </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.forkers.tw"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> www.forkers.tw</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, Lane 223, Alley 10, No. 8</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> (02) 2771-9285<br /><br /></span></span></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-53995447077460877922008-01-22T13:32:00.000+08:002008-01-22T13:42:41.468+08:00What I'll Miss<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've been thinking a lot lately about what I'll miss about Taiwan when this adventure comes to an end, and the answer is...not all that much, actually. Sorry, Taiwan. It's nothing against you personally - well, ok, it is, but the amount of bitchin' and moanin' you inspire in me is too much for this post, and probably even this blog. Anyway, I guess I've been feeling rather homesick lately - I just miss my family and friends and Target so much. Then I read on <a href="http://shuflies.blogspot.com/">Shu Flies</a> about how she too has been feeling homesick, so she tries to think of things that she'll miss about Taiwan when she leaves. So I decided to try the same thing to try to make myself</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> appreciate it more here, but my list looks like this:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. the food</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2. ?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3. ?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4. Come on, there has to be SOMETHING you'll miss besides the food! God, is that all you think about?</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">5. ?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">6. Yeah, I guess I'll mostly miss the food. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Oh, the food in Taiwan. So tasty and so cheap. I will definitely miss so much eating good food, food that is simply prepared and just so </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">honest</i><span style="font-family:verdana;">, you know what I mean? I was recently watching Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations," and he said something along the lines of how you can</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> tell a lot about a country by how the poor eat, and I think that's so true. I mean, we're not poor by any means here, but we're certainly not making the big bucks. And yet it's so easy for us to go out and eat a meal that fills our tummies and tastes good and is healthy, and all at such reasonable prices. Like last night, we went to Tu Hsiao Yueh, and our meal came out to 370NT, even after ordering two bowls of danzhi mian (50NT) with a meatball (10NT) and a hard-boiled egg (15NT) added on, plus a plate of tofu (30NT), some vegetables (40NT), and fried shrimp rolls (100NT).<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2580.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2580.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">See, these are the times when I feel warm and fuzzy towards Taiwan, instead of the weeping and gnashing of teeth of usually occurs when I think too hard about what I'm doing here. I miss my meal at Tu Hsaio Yueh already. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Tu Hsiao Yueh</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iddi.com.tw"><span style="font-family:verdana;">www.iddi.com.tw</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, Lane 245, Alley 32, No. 36</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> (02) 2773 - 1244</span><br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-74836831211418851322008-01-14T22:14:00.000+08:002008-01-18T22:40:33.763+08:00Mmm, cookies!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Today was rainy and cold, the sort of weather I thought I'd left behind back in the East Coast. But it's also the sort of weather that's perfect for baking cookies. Here's a recipe from the 2001 Food and Wine's </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Best of the Best</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > cookbook - a cookbook I highly recommend, by the way. Food and Wine compiles what they deem to the 100 best recipes of each year, and this particular recipe for snipdoodles is from Christopher Kimball's </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">The Dessert Bible.</i><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Snipdoodles</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > makes 20 to 24 cookies</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still firm</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 2 large eggs</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1/4 cup milk</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 3 cups all-purpose flour</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 3/4 teaspoon baking soda</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1 teaspoon cream of tartar</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1/2 teaspoon salt</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1 tablespoon cinnamon</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 1. Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. (Having neither an electric mixer nor a wooden spoon - I know, we're really rolling ghetto style here in Taiwan - I just used a rubber spatula, and I was prepared to be mixing all the live long day, but it wasn't too bad.) Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Add the milk and stir to incorporate. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > 2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the next five ingredients (flour through nutmeg) and then stir into the butter-sugar mixture. Chill dough for 2 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > </span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >3. Shape dough into large, walnut-size balls, about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Mix together the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip tops of dough balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place balls 3 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 6 minutes. (I actually didn't do this because my oven is so small I didn't think it would make a difference, and it didn't seem to.)<br /></span></div> <span style="font-size:130%;"><http: com="" albums="" z10="" elee120="" food="" jpg="" width="180"></http:><br /></span> <table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2484.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2482.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br />4. Cookies will appear undercooked when removed from the oven; the centers will still be very moist and light. Remove cookies to a rack; as they cool, they will firm up. Repeat with a new sheet of parchment paper until all the dough is baked.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2500.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >And enjoy!</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-5132376738689205712008-01-08T11:24:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:37:50.410+08:00How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Stinky Tofu<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1976.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1976.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I remember the first time my mom bought home stinky tofu when I was around nine years old, my brother and I flipped out. "What is that smell?!" we shrieked, and proceeded to make non-stop commentary about the tofu, which mainly included the words "gross" and "poop." 15-something years later, when I went to Taiwan for the first time since I was a baby and tried stinky tofu again, my description of it still included the words "gross," "poop," and perhaps some other more colorful language. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Then recently Luke and I were contacted about writing an article about Taiwanese street food, and what's an article about street food in Taipei without a mention of stinky tofu? A friend recommended that we try Kou Xuan Pin in the Tong Hua Street night market, and off we went, with me bracing myself all the while. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">What a pleasant surprise! The tofu we had wasn't what I expected at all. The first bite was flavorful and spicy, but not too pungent. The "stinky" flavor was still there, but more in the background, not overwhelming the way I sometimes find it to be. It was really good. As the owner explained to us, they simmer the tofu in a broth with 37 different kinds of herbal medicine (don't worry, the tofu doesn't have a medicinal taste at all, and in fact herbal medicine is very common in Chinese cooking). And for 65NT for two generous pieces of tofu in said broth, it's really a bargain. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">So thanks, Kou Xuan Pin, for making me like stinky tofu now! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Kou Xuan Pin (look for a brightly lit yellow storefront)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Tonghua St. Night Market</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Lijiang St., No. 19-1 </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (02) 2707-1739</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-5135812519614189842008-01-07T12:26:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:38:13.652+08:00Shin Yeh Table<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">About a month ago, Luke and I got to meet the awesome joanh of <a href="http://hungryintaipei.blogspot.com/">a hungry girl's guide to taipei</a>, and we decided to have dinner at Shin Yeh Table, since none of us had ever been there before. Shin Yeh Table is sort of like <a href="http://haochr.blogspot.com/2007/08/shin-yeh.html">Shin Yeh</a>'s hipper, younger sister. It offers a lot of the same things as Shin Yeh (like our all time</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> favorite, the gua bao), as well as a drink menu (which I believe Shin Yeh doesn't have) and a more extensive dessert menu. The prices are cheaper also - between the three of us, we ordered about seven dishes and the bill only came out to be around 1000NT. Also, Shin Yeh is open until 2am, so if you ever </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">get the late night munchies, it's the perfect place to go to satisfy your hunger. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I'm no</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">t sure if it's like this every time, but the one time we went after 10, all drinks were buy one get one free, and all dishes were 40% off. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Some of the dishes that I enjoyed:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1821.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1821.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (deep fried soft shell crab)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1816.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1816.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (fried rice with salted radish)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1820.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1820.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (fried mushrooms with mussels)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2138.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2138.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (egg omelet with salted radish)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2135.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2135.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>(I didn't try this, but I was wondering if anyone could clear this up for me - do people really drink vinegar as a beverage? Is it good? I don't know, but "prune tea vinegar" doesn't really sound all that appetizing.)<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Shin Yeh Table<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.shinyehtable.com">www.shinyehtable.com</a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, No. 201, 2nd Fl. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">(02) 2778 - 8712</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-39168402801127572092008-01-06T22:25:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:38:52.557+08:00Ruth Reichl's Mushroom Soup<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Speaking of mushrooms, here's a recipe for mushroom soup from Ruth Reichl's fantastic memoir </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">Comfort Me with Apples. </i></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">In the book, Reichl talks about how she</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> made this soup every day during a particularly hard time in her life, because it's the most soothing soup she knew how to make. "It is the most perfect prescription for those in need of solace," Reichl writes. While I'm not experiencing any</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> particular hardship now - well, I am sad that the writer's strike is still going on and there are no more new episodes of Heroes and 30 Rock for me to watch - this recipe is still great, especially for cold weather.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Mushroom Soup </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Serves 4</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1/2 lb mushrooms</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1 small onion, diced</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">4 tablespoons flour</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1 cup beef broth</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">2 cups half-and-half</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">salt, pepper</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1/4 teaspoon nutmeg</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1 bay leaf</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Thinly slice mushrooms.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2420.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2420.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Melt butter in a heavy pan. When foam subsides, add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the mushrooms and sauté until brown. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Stir in the flour, and then slowly add the broth, stirring constantly. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Heat the half-and-half in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add it to the mushrooms, along with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bay leaf. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes; do not boil.<br /><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><http: com="" albums="" z10="" elee120="" food="" jpg="" width="180"></http:><br /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><http: com="" albums="" z10="" elee120="" food="" jpg="" width="180"></http:><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2425.jpg" width="180" /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2431.jpg" width="180" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Remove the bay leaf and serve. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The only problem I've encountered making this recipe has been in Taiwan, where beef broth is hard to come by. I've substituted using this beef stew paste I found in the Mitsugoshi supermarket (which came out fine) and vegetable bouillon (which wasn't so good). I guess you can also try using mushroom broth as a substitute? In any case, I still highly recommend it!<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2433.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2433.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-61288286544283715082008-01-03T16:57:00.001+08:002008-02-12T00:43:16.812+08:00Mushroom Hotpot<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >What is this new and unfamiliar feeling I've been experiencing for the past few days here in Taipei? Is it -- could I actually be...</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">cold</i></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >? I can't figure out if I'm legitimately cold -- I mean, it has been in the 50s (my East Coast friends in the States, don't hate me) -- or if I've just grown so used to being hot here that anything below 60F feels cold to me. (I drove my parents nuts when I went home over the summer to visit: "What? Why do you have the AC on? It's only 85 degrees out! I'm freezing!)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >In any case, yesterday we had the perfect meal to fight off the chilliness and our resulting sniffles: mushroom hotpot! Seriously, I could not think of a more perfect meal on a cold day.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2406.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2406.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Doesn't that look good? Don't you all want some mushroom hotpot now? The broth is fragrant and because it's chock full of mushrooms, it's also super healthy! Our server explained that the various mushrooms prevented cancer and wrinkles and aided in digestion. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >There are different types of set meals that you can pick from, depending on how big your party is, how much you want to eat, and how fancy you want your hotpot to be. Our set meal for two people was 520NT, and for that amount we were served an appetizer (cold mushrooms with soy sauce and wasabi dipping sauce), man tou (steamed buns with condensed milk), three different kinds of mushrooms that went into the broth, a plate of sliced beef, vegetables, and gong wan (which are sorta like meatballs) made with mushrooms and meat. Plus dessert (some kind of sweet soup). AND, the best part is, you can take the leftovers home, AND, they'll even add in extra soup! Some of you are probably rolling your eyes at my</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > broadcasting this like it's groundbreaking news, because apparently this is standard practice at hotpot places, but I didn't know that and was super psyched. Plus you know you're all glumly eating your bein dongs for lunch, all jealous of me happily drinking my delicious mushroom soup.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2408.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2408.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br />Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone! May this year be filled with many more good eats.<br /><br />Mushroom Park Restaurant</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.baigu.com.tw"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> www.baigu.com.tw</span></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > various locations, but the one we went to was at:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Renai Road, Section 4, Lane 71, No. 17</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 8773-3160</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-65204277027905401682007-12-17T16:48:00.000+08:002008-01-28T18:53:58.442+08:00Fu Hang Dou Jiang<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >A friend recommended that we check out Fu Hang Dou Jiang, and boy, am I glad we went! Watch out, <a href="http://haochr.blogspot.com/2007/10/yong-he-dou-jiang.html">Yong He Dou Jiang</a>, there's a new rival in my heart for Number One Cheap and Tasty Breakfast Place. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >You'll notice when you walk in that there are two lines. For those of you who can't read Chinese, the right line is for takeout, and the left is to stay. Also, these two lines can stretch for very long - sometimes all the way down the stairs (the restaurant is located on the 2nd floor) and out the door, from what I've heard. Part of the reason for that is because they're only open from 5:30am - 10:30am. The other part of the reason is because the food is delicious. We went on a Thursday morning, around 8:30, and the lines weren't too bad. Plus, they move pretty fast. But if you don't like waiting on long lines, then avoid going on the weekends. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Also, be forewarned that there is not a word of English to be found anywhere on the menu, and no one who works there can speak it. Pointing doesn't really help either, as there's not that much to point to. If you can't speak/read Chinese, I'd recommend bringing someone who can. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >So what makes Fu Hang Dou Jiang so special, you ask? How is it better than Yong He Dou Jiang? Well, according to its owner, a nice 80 year old man who kept referring to my husband and I as "you Japanese tourists," the reason it's so good is because they use all traditional methods, bought over from Nanjing, which is where the owner is originally from. For example, instead of using yeast powder in their buns, they leaven it by using a piece of old dough. And, everything is made fresh, day of - the workers start preparing at 3am! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2068.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2065.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Another thing that stood out to me was that all the buns had this slightly sweet taste to it - really subtle, but definitely there. That's because they brush maltose sweet syrup on all their buns, so that they don't burn. What's that, you say? You don't know what maltose sweet syrup is? Well, I didn't either, and my google-fu failed me, as I wasn't able to find a very good definition. In any case, it's a syrup that gives all the buns a lovely golden color and a subtle sweet flavor </span><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2063.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Here's a look at what else we ordered:<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2059.jpg" width="180" /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2061.jpg" width="180" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2055.jpg" width="180" /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_2057.jpg" width="180" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(clockwise from top: salty dou jiang, shao bing you tiao, cold sweet dou jiang, dan bing.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">By the way, the portion sizes are pretty large!</span>)<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >So if you're an early riser, don't mind long lines, and/or want a cheap, fulfilling breakfast, I'd definitely recommend this place!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Fu Hang Dou Jiang Dian</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Near Shandao Temple MRT (Exit 5)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Zhongxiao E. Rd. Sec. 1, </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >No. 108, 2F</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >(02) 2392-2175</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-58971276337274922902007-12-09T19:56:00.000+08:002008-01-28T18:55:25.919+08:00Restaurant Rundown<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >I have this backlog of restaurants that I keep meaning to review, but then stuff like life and work and checking my Facebook every five seconds keep getting in the way. Damn you, Facebook, you're so addicting!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >So here's a bunch of restaurants that I've been to in the past couple of months or so, but am too lazy to write an in-depth review for. So I'm just going to write a short review with a star rating, with the following criteria:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >* = do not want, would rather eat my own vomit</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >** = pretty good</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >*** = delicious<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Without further ado:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Mr. Paco's (Italian) **</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Ren Ai Road, Section 4, Lane 345, Alley 4, No. 23</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 8771-3102</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1524.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1521.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >We ordered the pizza with anchovies, capers and olives. It was a tad on the salty side, because of the anchovies, but not too much so that it ruined it. It was also really cheesy. We also ordered the risotto with prosciutto and sun-dried tomatoes, which was pretty good. Maybe not as oozing and creamy as I'd like, but I've also learned to lower my standards for Taiwanese Italian.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Anzo (Japanese Tonkatsu) **</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Fuxing North Road, Section 2, Lane 271, No. 2 (right by the Technology Building stop on the Muzha line)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 2701-0298</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1537.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1535.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > You can order regular tonkatsu here, or get it fancied up in some way. Luke got his the traditional way, and mine was in a mushroom broth, which was light, yet still flavorful. It was a cold day (and for some reason the AC was on in the restaurant), so when my tonkatsu arrived in the bubbling broth, it really hit the spot. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Patio (Thai) ***</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Dunhua Road, Section 1, Alley 247, No, 12</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) </span><span class="address" style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >2731-5288<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1151.jpg" width="180" /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1157.jpg" width="180" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >This restaurant used to be called Patara but for some inexplicable reason they changed their name to Patio, making it sound like an Italian restaurant instead. Order the pad thai (best I've ever had) and the lamb chops. They also have a unique pumpkin pudding dessert, with real pumpkin, not the kind you get from a can. Prices are a little more on the expensive side. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Makatoya (Ramen noodles) **</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Civic Blvd., Section 4, No. 17 (right before the Breeze, if you're coming from the MRT)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > (02) 2752-9393</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1545.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1545.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >What sets this place apart is that instead of making their broth from pork bones, which is what most other ramen places use, they make it from beef bones. I've only been here once, and I just ordered their original flavor at the suggestion of a friend, who said that it's the best. The side dishes - like kimchi or fried dumplings - were just eh. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" > Hmm, I didn't give anything one star. How lucky for me that I didn't have to eat my own vomit instead. </span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-59470985307950042122007-12-08T00:48:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:53:01.177+08:00Respect the Coq!<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">So I've really been enjoying </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.chubbyhubby.net/blog/">Chubby Hubby's</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Singapore-based food blog, and he had a great post about how a lot of foodies tend to thumb their noses at that most generic (at least at a lot of restaurants in the States) of meats: chicken.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Was it </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Adventures-Culinary-Underbelly/dp/0060934913">Anthony Bourdain</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> who said that chefs see chicken as the menu item for people who don't know what else to order? Anyway, Chubby Hubby gives a rather </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=507">impassioned defense of chicken</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> and ends it with a lovely recipe for his wife's version of Coq au Vin.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Coq au Vin is one of those daunting, oh-so-French sounding dishes that I've never even ordered, much less tried to make myself--and I really didn't even have any idea what it was </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >supposed</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> to taste like. But I was feeling ambitious and the recipe seemed simple (and made my mouth water just reading it), so I figured what the hey.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">It'd be silly for me to copy and paste the whole recipe, so I'll just give the abbreviated version here. Oh, and I roughly halved the original recipe, since I figured 4 drumsticks is kinda sorta equal to 2 thighs (we couldn't find thighs), and I didn't want to end up with too much sauce for two people.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">So first you need to chop up an onion and a clove of garlic, and </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.mediterrasian.com/how_to_carrot.htm">dice a carrot</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> and a few slices of bacon (pancetta would be better, but we live in Taiwan):</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1824.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1824.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Okay, so maybe Mario Batali would mock me<br />for my uneven dicing, but I did my best.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><table></table></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><table><tbody><tr></tr></tbody></table></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Then, over medium heat, heat up a little bit of butter and olive oil in a heavy pot, put the bacon in and, after that gets some color, add the carrots, onions and garlic. Let the vegetables soften for five minutes or so, then, using some kind of slotted spoon, move everything in the pot to a bowl. In the oil that's left in the pot, brown the chicken on all sides. (Coq au Vin is normally made with rooster, but where was I going to get a rooster?)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1825.jpg" width="180" /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1834.jpg" width="180" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Now turn the heat up, dump your veggies and bacon back in, and pour about half a bottle of Gewurztraminer (a sweet white wine) into the pot. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down and let everything gently simmer for about 25 minutes, flipping the chicken every so often.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1836.jpg" width="180" /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1838.jpg" width="180" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table><br />When the chicken seems like it's done, fish it out and put it aside for now. Now add about a third of a pint of heavy cream (the recipe calls for double cream, but you can't easily get that in Taiwan or even the States).<br /><br />Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar (optional) to taste. You'll need a good amount of salt and pepper, and depending on how sweet your wine is, you might want to leave the sugar out altogether. Add some chopped parsley (or dried parsley if you can't get a hold of fresh) and about a quarter pound of regular white mushrooms (cut into quarters). Now just let this sauce reduce and thicken.<br /></span></div></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1845.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1845.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Once the sauce is to your liking, just put the chicken back in and let it heat back up. What you end up with is this luxuriously creamy, subtly sweet sauce--and all the veggies and the bacon add different layers of flavor. And the chicken gets nice and tender, and absorbs some of the sweetness from the wine as well. Here's what it looked like on the plate:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1850.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/IMG_1850.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Yeah, I know--it doesn't </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >look </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">super-appetizing. But it did taste good, I swear, especially with a nice loaf of French bread to soak up all the extra sauce and a glass of the Gewurztraminer we had left over. I don't know if anyone has suggestions for how to plate this more attractively.<br /><br />And if I were to make this again, I'd try to cook the bacon a little bit longer than I did at the beginning--rendering more of the fat would have also meant there'd be more oil to brown the chicken in. I kind of flubbed that step. And I do think thighs would be preferable to drumsticks (more meat, less bone).<br /><br />But anyhow, thanks to Chubby Hubby, it's good to know that you too can eat gourmet French cuisine, without having to go to too much trouble, even on a weeknight.<br /><br /><br /></span>abstractpoethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13412336949484894502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-26421532139918883092007-11-29T16:38:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:53:18.723+08:00Better Late Than Never: Thanksgiving Part 2<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I wanted to post about Thanksgiving earlier, but apparently Photobucket decided it hated me as well, because it wouldn't load any of my pictures. And Blogger was already being difficult. But after much weeping and fist shaking, and thanks to the kind comments left by people in my previous post, Photobucket, Blogger and I are all friends again. For now.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Anyway, onto Thanksgiving! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Here's our game plan. Yes, Luke actually scripted out a game plan, which I thoroughly endorse! Was that dorky? Don't answer that.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1605.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1605.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1672.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1672.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">And here is what we made:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1613.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1613.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(cheddar and scallion biscuits)</span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1641.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1641.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(she-jump-up pot)<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1676.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1676.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(sweet potato spears with bacon and scallion vinaigrette)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1674.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1674.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >(cornbread, cranberry and sausage stuffing)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This is our Fantastic Roasted Chicken, which is indeed fantastic. And a picture of our spread. We also made green beans with ginger butter, and squash soup, both of which are in the bottom left hand corner.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1680.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1680.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1683.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1683.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">And now we </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">are still eating leftovers. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-84564126871263577952007-11-27T16:25:00.001+08:002008-01-28T18:58:02.563+08:00Blogger Hates Me<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Blogger, why have you forsaken me? Why is it that when I create my posts and then view them in the preview, they look perfectly fine, and - dare I say - even pretty, but then when I publish them, they look nothing like what it looked like in preview mode? Why won't you center my pictures, even though I center them when I upload them, and they look centered when I preview them?<br /><br />Why do I keep setting my font to "verdana," but then when I type, it's actually "trebuchet?" Why? Why? Then I have to click the font button a million times until I give myself corpal tunnel syndrome.<br /><br />And then why do you randomly space my first paragraph 1.5 spaces, but then everything else is single spaced? I do not want it to be single spaced.<br /><br />I don't know, Blogger. You and I do not seem to be getting along lately. We may have to take a break. You're giving me a facial tic.<br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-63331952164148074392007-11-27T15:50:00.000+08:002008-01-28T19:02:42.062+08:00A Wedneday Night Dinner<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >The best thing about living in Taipei is that we have the sort of lifestyle here that allows us to eat out several nights a week - something that time and money never allowed us to do back in the States. Here's a dinner we had last Wednesday:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1564.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1561.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1560.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1565.jpg" width="180" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >(clockwise from top: deep fried soft shell crab, spicy tuna, </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >eel, shrimp and avocado roll, sirloin beef with mushrooms)</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >This fine Wednesday night dinner was at A</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >-Plus Sake Bar, right by the Eslite bookstore on Dunhua. Good food; prices not bad considering you're eating sushi.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >And if you finish eating before 8:00, head over to Ginjer, just a short walk away. Here you find an assortment of cupcakes (50NT each; buy 5 get one free), with flavors like chocolate chocolate, pear, and carrot cake. This was the first time I've had cupcakes in almost a year, I think, and after biting into the chocolate chocolate I remembered how much I like cupcakes, especially ones that are moist and oh-so-chocolate-y.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1583.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1583.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >(We bought several different flavors to try,<br />but the clear winner was definitely the chocolate chocolate.)<br /></span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1583.jpg"><br /></a></span></div> </div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >So that was our Wednesday night dinner. Not too shabby for Hump Day.<br /><br />A-Plus Dining Sake Bar<br />AnHe Road, Section 1, No. 33<br />(02) 2731-9266<br /><br />Ginjer<br /><a href="http://www.ginjer.com/">http://www.ginjer.com/</a><br />Dunhua South Road, Section 1, Lane 223, No. 20<br />(02) 8773-3061</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-25024001345426185102007-11-20T20:32:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:54:45.708+08:00Another Thanksgiving Idea<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">T minus two days until Thanksgiving! Originally, I was going to post a bunch of links to recipes that we've used for side dishes, but then I decided that it's not like our recipes are all that special, and it's not like it's all that hard for you to google "mashed potatoes," (actually, try googling "smashed potatoes" if you want something a little different).<br /><br />Instead, if I were to recommend ONE recipe that's always been a success, it would be this:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/DSCF0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/DSCF0021.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/109645"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Provencal Tomato Potato Gratin</span></a><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">This is probably my favorite side dish ever. It's basically just roasted tomato and potato, but don't let the simplicity fool you. It's still very delicious and bursting with flavor. The downside is that it does take a little longer to make, but what's Thanksgiving without some slaving over the hot stove.<br /><br />The other good thing about this recipe is that you can find all the ingredients here in Taiwan. Luke and I have been running around frantically these past few days trying to gather ingredients for our (psuedo)Thanksgiving dinner, an activity which is starting to make me want to claw my eyes out every time I think having to take yet another trip to the grocery store. Anyone know where we can find buttermilk (we've already tried Jason's, CitySuper, etc.)? Or unsalted peanuts for under 300NT? Or are we just kidding ourselves, trying to cook a Thanksgiving dinner here in Taipei?<br /><br />Well, wish us luck, and look for pictures to come!<br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-90054954426025130042007-11-17T16:52:00.001+08:002012-04-17T03:05:15.929+08:00abstract poet: Japanese BBQ takeout<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; ">So I got a phone call from Emily at around 6:00 a couple nights ago and found out she was ditching me for dinner. Doh! An empty fridge and no dinner date? In suburban New Jersey this would be a minor crisis, as I’d be forced to choose between dying a variety of slow deaths: fast food, bad Chinese takeout, Chili’s-to-go, etc.</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br /><br />But never fear! I live in Taipei, where a wide array of tasty, inexpensive and only moderately unhealthy takeout options are always literally just down the block. Down the block for us usually means walking down Section 5 of Zhongxiao E. Rd. to Lane 30 of Yongji Rd. (there’s a Crown & Fancy bakery/coffee shop at the corner), where there are a number of interesting food stands and little hole-in-the-wall spots.</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br /><br />Lately I’ve been much enamored with a little shop, about a five-minute walk down this lane, that specializes in Japanese-style BBQ. There’s no English sign, but the name of the place is 烤師傳 (Kao Shi Zhuan), which I guess translates to something like BBQ Master (fluent Chinese readers, correct me if I’m wrong). </span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br /><br />Anyhow, if you like meat (and boy do I like meat), this place is great. They cook everything on a hot charcoal (I believe) grill, with the flames shooting up and everything, and you can pick from a wide selection. I highly recommend the BBQ Chicken Leg set(和風烤雞腿飯):</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 130%; "><br /><br /></span><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; font-family: verdana; "><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/Photo3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/luketsai/Photo3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;">(sorry for the craptastic Photobooth photos)</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">It comes with a few generous pieces of grilled BBQ chicken leg (with not much bone to deal with), some green beans, half an egg, some bamboo shoots, a slice of sausage, and rice.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />The BBQ here is nice and smoky-tasting, like the ideal of what you try to attain when you’re sitting in front of a campfire with your buddies. The marinade is flavorful without being too sweet and without overwhelming the natural flavors of the meat. I happen to like my meat to have just a little bit of a burnt flavor, and as far as I’m concerned they get it just right.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />For only NT$89, it’s really quite a good deal. They also have rice sets that come with grilled beef or chicken breast or eel or a couple different kinds of pork. In the future I want to try their regular BBQ beef set (NT$69) and their garlicky grilled salt pork set (蒜香烤鹹豬肉飯, NT$89). You can also order grilled meat and vegetables a la carte, on skewers or otherwise, for about NT$30 apiece and up. The pork skewer I got one time was juicy and just the right amount of fatty.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />There are maybe three little tables inside, so it seems like most of their business is takeout, and if you go by around dinnertime there’s often a sizable crowd of people waiting outside for their orders. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Incidentally, ordering consists of checking what you want on a slip of paper, and it’s all in Chinese, so be forewarned. If you call and order over NT$500 worth, I think they deliver.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />On this particular evening, I also picked up an NT$15 xie ke huang (or “yellow crab shell,” which is really a baked sesame pastry with scallions inside) from a vendor across the street.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br />For about three U.S. dollars for everything, it didn’t end up being too shabby of a dinner at all.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 130%; "> </span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br /><br />烤師傳</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br />Yonji Rd., Lane 30, Alley 151, No. 2-1, Taipei</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br />(02) 2746-6632</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: verdana; font-size: 130%; "><br />11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.</span>abstractpoethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13412336949484894502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-25059190610013991922007-11-15T09:45:00.000+08:002008-01-27T23:44:49.747+08:00Another Roasted Chicken Recipe<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Quick post: here's another roasted chicken <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_14010,00.html">recipe</a> by <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/">Jamie Oliver</a> to consider making in lieu of turkey for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures of this - surprising considering that we've made this a ton of times - but I swear, this recipe is a guaranteed hit. Everyone we've ever served this to loves it. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >A few notes:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >*You can find prosciutto at either Jason's (in the basement of 101) or CitySuper (in the basement of the new Sogo on Fuxing). </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >*If you can't find celeriac, or don't like it, you can substitute it with a couple of large carrots. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >*Jamie's recipe says that the 2lb chicken will yield six servings, but I find this a little odd. At most, I think the 2lb chicken may yield three servings - unless you and your five other guests are on diets and want only teeny tiny portions. I would suggest getting a medium sized chicken if you want to feed more to your guests - you don't even need to adjust the proportions of the butter mixture, as it comes out to probably a little more than necessary for the 2lb chicken. This doesn't mean you need to make less of it for the 2lber though: as my husband always says, you can never have too much butter.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >*If you have a small oven (does anyone in Taipei actually have a regular oven? Can I be your friend?) that cooks from the top, then you'll probably need to cover the top of the chicken in aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes or so of cooking time. Just keep an eye on it, and if you feel like it's getting too brown on top, cover it up.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-8583045437243711432007-11-14T10:20:00.000+08:002008-01-28T19:06:46.280+08:00A Very Taipei Thanksgiving<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Last year for Thanksgiving Luke and I sat in Dan Ryan's, sadly eating our plate of overcooked turkey and too salty mashed potatoes. And it was just ONE plate. Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving is not the celebration of the day our forefathers came together with the Native Americans in giving thanks for their bounty. No, Thanksgiving is a holiday in celebration of gluttony. It is a day where Americans can actually feel good about stuffing themselves until they've swelled to twice their normal size. So, as you can imagine, it was blasphemy to us last year that we would only be served one measly plate (not to mention the ridiculous amount of money we paid for it), but what could we do?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />The answer is, this year we are having our own Thanksgiving celebration with some friends. Granted, it won't be quite the same as the way we celebrate in the States, being that our oven is really just a glorified toaster oven, but surely (hopefully?) it'll be better than the way we celebrated last year. At the very least, we'll get seconds!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">This week I've decided to dedicate some posts to those of you - here and abroad - who want to try your hand at cooking Thanksgiving dinner, or at least contributing to it. We're actually not making turkey for ours (again, one of the pitfalls of having an EZ Bake oven instead of a real one), and have decided instead to roast some chicken. Here's a simple recipe that I found in one of my favorite cookbooks, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Without-Book-Techniques/dp/0767902793">How to Cook Without a Book</a>:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />The No-Hassle Roast Chicken Dinner<br /><br />Serves 4 (if you're using a 3 or 3 1/2 lb chicken; our chicken was about 2 1/2 lbs, which was enough for 2 people)<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Basically, the secret of this recipe is that you cut out the entire back of the chicken (called butterflying). By using this method, the chicken cooks a lot quicker, and it's also easier to season. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Ingredients:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1 teaspoon fine-grated lemon zest</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />2 garlic cloves, minced</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />1 1/2 teaspoons minced rosemary leaves</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />1/2 teaspoon salt</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />1/4 teaspoon pepper</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />1/2 lemon</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">.<br /><br />2. Rinse the chicken, cut out its back, flatten it with your palm or fist, and pat it dry. Then transfer it to a foil-lined roasting tray - make sure it's large enough to hold the chicken (and vegetables, if you're also roasting them along with the chicken) and shallow enough so that the chicken will brown well. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />3. Mix above ingredients together in small bowl.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">4. With the chicken on the roasting pan, pull back the skin from each leg, thigh and breast, and rub the herb paste under the loosened skin. If you want, you can add some of the mixture on top of the skin as well.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">5. Pull the skin back in place and drizzle with a little olive oil, or rub with softened butter. Make sure the chicken skin is completely dry if you're rubbing it with the butter. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />6. Roast chicken for 30 minutes. (If you're using a smaller chicken, then you need to adjust your cooking time. I don't know exactly how long we roasted ours for, but just make sure you keep an eye on it.)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />7. Squeeze lemon over chicken and return to oven and continue to roast until juices run clear, about 5 - 10 minutes longer. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">If you want to roast vegetables along with the chicken, tomatoes and potatoes go well with it. Arrange potatoes (halved, tossed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper) in a single layer in the pan and roast alongside the chicken. After 20 minutes, add tomatoes (halved lengthwise, tossed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper) cut side up. Continue to roast until the chicken is done, squeezing lemon juice on at the appropriate time, for 20 minutes longer. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />And ta-da!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9zXLrPoEyVDD1CS-0pqHBcWBBZGJykOQcsvifOA3U7hZA3uyTgy1Dar0khvolcGVGVNcG7MNSoOCApAadwPHDjyDtplAKF7vs0gMtZ7O36mEW9kNhI4OVZpdVFdERG8vvD-_wMvWCQ/s1600-h/IMG_1528.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9zXLrPoEyVDD1CS-0pqHBcWBBZGJykOQcsvifOA3U7hZA3uyTgy1Dar0khvolcGVGVNcG7MNSoOCApAadwPHDjyDtplAKF7vs0gMtZ7O36mEW9kNhI4OVZpdVFdERG8vvD-_wMvWCQ/s320/IMG_1528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132544844495259762" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">This method also makes it super easy to carve - just take some kitchen shears or a chef's knife, and cut down the middle. Then cut the skin holding each leg to the breast, and you're good to go.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlv9UNHJl1WYnH0yaHtGHpwWPhAk0P-rqz_v-ubK3XcfGcWYjqqXdmr-ozTiN8guK0Z0bLn56jbBNSZdnj74wSficI4gqH8jgjc3SwIfBejpKuRKuFkI5QMpMCc_3bkT9w1L41KGkmlw/s1600-h/IMG_1530.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlv9UNHJl1WYnH0yaHtGHpwWPhAk0P-rqz_v-ubK3XcfGcWYjqqXdmr-ozTiN8guK0Z0bLn56jbBNSZdnj74wSficI4gqH8jgjc3SwIfBejpKuRKuFkI5QMpMCc_3bkT9w1L41KGkmlw/s320/IMG_1530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132547769367988354" border="0" /></a></span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-74199911196090967752007-11-13T12:58:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:57:35.208+08:00People Restaurant<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I hate trendy restaurants - I don't see the appeal in them at all. Perhaps it's just me, but the idea of eating in a cavernous, dimly lit warehouse while listening to trance music just isn't my thing. But, sometimes you have to overlook that in pursuit of good food.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />The ambiance at People Restaurant is almost unbearably trendy (but that's probably just me, as my trendiness tolerance is very low), what with the dark lighting and the minimalist decor and the pounding music. However, there are two things that save it: 1) snobbery and pretension are nowhere to be found and 2) the fusion cuisine is pretty decent.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> I usually don't pay all that much attention to presentation, but the presentation at People Restaurant definitely caught my eye. In particular, this appetizer:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1477.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1477.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">This is a vegetable salad with fried pork rolls (NT280), and my favorite part of the meal. I liked plucking each piece of food out of the vase and dipping it into one of the two dipping sauces. The pork rolls were deep fried but not oily and the pork inside was quite tasty.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> We also ordered the fried shrimp with pomelo and lime sauce, tofu with miso sauce, and kou rou (fatty pork). All entrees are in the low to upper 300NT range. Out of these dishes, I liked the fried shrimp the best, especially with the tangy sauce, though I thought the shrimp itself could have been more flavorful.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1479.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1479.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1478.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1478.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1481.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1481.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Then for dessert Luke and I shared a tiramisu (about 200NT or so), which was a little different from traditional tiramisu, but in a better way - the cake part was thicker, and the sauce was creamier. There might not have been as strong a coffee taste, but we were satisfied nonetheless.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1482.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1482.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> There's also a bar/lounge on the other side of the restaurant, where they serve all kinds of crazy drinks. We didn't order any, but from what we saw of other people's drinks, some of them are pretty out there. There was one that looked like it was served in a giant glass bubble, and had all this smoke billowing out of it. I think that was called - aptly enough - Smoke Bomb.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">So while I don't think People's Restaurant is a place where I would return to all that often, I do think it's still worth a look.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> People Restaurant</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Anhe Road, Section 2, No. 191, B1</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (02) 2735-2288 </span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37484275865427415.post-24344382914981996862007-11-03T10:23:00.000+08:002008-01-14T22:57:57.760+08:00饌王: Beef Noodle Soup<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I can't believe I've been in Taiwan for so long, and it was only a couple of nights ago that I had tomato based beef noodle soup. It was a revelation. Just wondrous. The tomato flavor is subtle enough that it doesn't overwhelm the beef flavor, but still strong enough to give the soup that something extra. I really, really recommend it. And where can you get this divine tomato beef noodle soup, you ask? Why, at 饌王 (Chuan Wang), last year's first place winner of the yearly beef noodle soup competition*. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1067.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1067.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />For 180NT, you can get a nice big (ok, medium sized, but it just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? And it's still a substantial amount) bowl of steaming beef noodle soup (it comes in tomato, regular, or spicy broths), with pieces of tender beef and pickled vegetables heaped on top. A small bowl - but why would you deny yourself? - is around 150NT; large is about 200.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1069.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br />The most expensive item on the menu is "gan ban mian," which is a dry noodle (NT330). Luke ordered this last time, and he said it was pretty good. It's sort of like zha jiang mian, but with a lot more different types of meat:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1223.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1223.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">It also came with a soup and some pig knuckle. And some plastic gloves so you don't soil your hands as you're mixing everything around. So thoughtful. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1222.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z10/elee120/food/IMG_1222.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Has anyone been to the beef noodle soup competition yet? Any other recommendations? Let me know!<br /><br />*Updated to add: I heard that they cheated in last year's competition - you could vote online, and they flooded the polls and voted for themselves! I don't know if it was psychological or what, but then the next time I went, my meal didn't seem to taste as good.<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> 饌王</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.chuan-wang.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> www.chuan-wang.com</span></a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, No. 94, 2nd Floor</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> (02) 2711-0388</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153282143963201031noreply@blogger.com2