OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - could rival those of MRS. FIELDS - REALLY!!!
...last nite, David came home with a slice of a chocolate cake from IKARI Coffee - it was BLAH!!! - but what caugt my eyes was this saying printed on the BOX the cake was packed in...
Marketchow's (David) new career digs is AHIMSA, restaurant part of the YOGA LIVING on Da-An Rd., in Taipei.
Ahimsa is SANSKRIT word that is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. And in this vegetarian kitchen, this is firmly observed with the focus on, not only healthy products used, but in making sure the Ahimsa practice is followed in its' meal offerings.
David heads the kitchen staff, and one of his main objective is to make sure that the ever changing menu - changed every two weeks - is followed at it's utmost in compliance to the Ahimsa practice and making sure that the finest & freshest ingredients are used for every meal served. He also have to entertain the clientele, making sure all is satisfactory to their liking and making sure they have a nice dining experience.
As an added bonus, David is able to cook now and again - filling in for the cooks... and taking care of Special party Reservations on weekends and/or evenings. You know this part he LOVES most!!!
Had the PLEASURE of visiting and checking out the place - and of course, snapping a few photos. SEE THEM HERE.
March 21st: Another get-together weekend with friends... this time around - we all decided to eat out - as everyone is way too busy for an in-house get together cooking session....
The Place of choice was GUSTO ITALIANO, an Italian restaurant tucked in the Nei Hu district... it is also the place of David's work - and one that we all have been wanting to try for quite a while now after seeing their website, menu, and numerous blogs by Marketchow fueled with beautiful photos of tasty offerings... and the place did not disappoint at all!!! From the clean, nicely lit surroundings, to the attentive staff -- the place is worth a try.
The Food totally lived up to marketchow's photographs and descriptions.... tasty, scrumptious, and what a great selection... for about NT$700 ($20US) per person - you will get an entree of your choice, soup and beverage plus your fill of all-you-can-eat SALAD, BREAD, and delicious desserts... 
Each of our entrees were deliciously prepared and nicely presented... the servings are just the right amount considering you are already getting full from the choices of breads to start with... not to mention the salad bar.. what a variety of fresh veggies to try as well as, some fully prepared starters as salmon, clams, bratwurst sausages, apple veggie salads, etc... I mean, the salad bar alone would have sufficed but one MUST have the entree for the complete dining experience.......
Of course, the best part for me is the all-you-can-eat Dessert offerings... the selection changes as each cake is gobbled up -- so how can I stop.... Bread Pudding, explosion of Chocolate cakes, fruity tarts, etc.... I think, even with the slices of each cake offered that nite, I was still able to eat half of the bread pudding laid out... I could LIVE on these sweets for sure!!!
The only thing sweeter, I must add, is the company of some really good friends... Juliana, Sue, Cecilia & David... till the next time guys.... am already salivating just thinking about it....
More Photos here.
Sunday, March 15th - I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of David's cooking classes... when I say cooking classes, I mean one that he was teaching... and when I say sit in, I mean recruited to take photos...
It was a bit nerve wracking for me going into it... not for me and my photo techniques, or lack of it -- more because I did not know how nervous David would be conducting the class... It was not his first mind you, actually his second one... after months of coaxing from his Boss, at the company he works for, he finally gave in and agreed to hold cooking classes... For this particular one, it was all about sauces, 4 of them actually: Ragu Alla Bolognese, Salsa Picante, Aceto Balsamico & Pannecata.
The class was for a couple of hours only but the amount of preparations needed took so much longer... unfortunately i could not help much as I really know nothing in the kitchen, and did not want to mess anything up.. or plainly just get in the way...So I sat around, observed and just did a bit of "this & that"... basically whatever am told.... After a couple of hours of slicing, dicing, chopping, peeling -- all ingredients were then place on their individual presentation tray... each grouped into which sauce they will be used for. Then it was more time to make sure that everything is clean and all set to go for the class...
At about 1:45PM, people started coming in -- all hyped up and ready to learn. About 8people turned up for the class -- which is a pretty good number already considering it was only advertised for a couple of weeks. 
The class actually went pretty well... am quite AMAZED and IMPRESSED at how at ease David was though the whole thing.... everything just flowed out naturally and smoothly... the cooking was impressive as well with no big mess or mishap... like he really has been doing it for years... and the people seemed to be actually both interested and entertained... so much so that one guy even commneted, while everyone loved the class, he loved Teacher David Best... LOLS!!! Everyone were also quite HAPPY with the finished sauces, as we all -- even me, got to try each and every one of them... and as an added bonus, all sorts of Bread were brought in from the bakery of David's company, Saveurs De France.
So overall, it was 5hours well spent being amazed with David's calling and learning a bit a long the way... Next Up: PIZZA MAKING CLASS, dough included....
FOR COMPLETE SAUCE CLASS PHOTOS CLICK HERE
& to learn more about David's Culinary World,Pls Click Here: Marketchow
Friday nite, while I was coloring Shaun's hair, David was doing what he does BEST -- making something of what ingredients we do have in the refrigerator... after taking out a few things, he realized we happen to have enough for a SPINACH LASAGNA... Freestyle that is, as he was making do of what's available...
The Challenge: Spinach Lasagna ala Freestyle
Available Ingredients: Tri color Pepper, Onions, Garlic, Bayleaf, Carrots, Spinach Pasta & Sauce.
Layers of Spinach Pasta filled with the sauteed veggies and sauce.
The Tasty Result, complete with slices of Baguette.
How many times have we all traveled to a Foreign land, or even go to a friend's home for dinner, and was served something never in your wild IMAGINATION would you thought about as edible?? And yet, for the others, they are delicacies....
Over my travels, I have seen people eat dogs, beetles, grasshoppers, eggs with almost formed little chickies, snakes, and so many more to remember... actually, i do try to forget them...
A couple of nites ago while grocery shopping with marketchow, we happen upon these froggies... all de-skinned but totally together... of course, at first site one wants to PUKE... but the more I look at it the more I had to think that it must be a delicate art to be able to painstakingly de-skin these creatures without cutting them up in pieces... 
So, no matter how UGLY the thought of eating it is -- in fairness, I still was able to find some beauty in it... something we ought to do in our everyday life, travels, etc... WE MUST ALWAYS FIND THE BEAUTY IN UGLY!
Another concoction of DAVID with a WOW factor!
One nite, David came home from work sooo excited and could not wait to gather all his ingredients for what he promises something different, tasty and good for you... something he just knew I would LOVE! and boy was he right on!!!
The cake is your basic one with flour, baking powder, sugar, egg mixed in with delicious French White Chocolate by Michel Cluizel and for the twist of something unexpected, roselle, in tea form.
Roselle are wild-grown flowers usually found along the side of pure and unpolluted hills and gorges. More often used to make tea and much more common in European countries, as well as, in South East Asia. In the East it is commonly referred to as "Oriental Beauty Fruit" due to its reputation for promoting good skin. Roselle is also known for its ability to dispel the effects of alcohol and amends circulatory insufficiencies.
So on all counts -- "different, tasty and good for you" -- David delivered.
With Halloween just looming around the corner, I have been dropping hints, almost everyday, about what I miss most about this HOLIDAY - more than the costumes, more than the festivities, I miss Just Desserts' Pumpkin Cookies & Cakes.... and probably because he is soooo tired of hearing me go on and on about it, David actually made some PUMKIN treats for everyone... and for two consecutive days, too!!!
Yesterday he made us all Pumpkin Flats (pictured above)... simple and healthy with sprinklings of Cranraisins (who invents these stuff?)... and tonight his variation of the Pumpkin Cookies (Pictured Below)... some topped with white chocolates... some with cherry preserves... so you see, it helps to drop hints... okay, whine about these kind of things... 
Okie Dokie... now that I have satisfied my Pumpkin Cookies desires - bring on the REAL HALLOWEEN!!!!
...a DAY at the Supermarket!!! Marketchow goes shopping!!!
The only person I know who is soooo HAPPY to spend a lot of time at the SUPERMARKET!!!
