have you had a STARBUCKS today???

okay, since we do not have a JUST DESSERTS here in Taipei, I have to get my HOLIDAY goodies fixes at STARBUCKS... and already to brighten up the cold days and ring in the HOLIDAYS - Starbucks is offering Toffe Nut Latter & Dark Cherry Mocha drinks.... both are YUMMY....

Since they are available in Manila also, am pretty sure they are available all over the world... so you too, can get your Holiday Drink Fixes...

And to get you in even more festive spirits - you can take home one of their "oh-so-cute" Holiday Offerings for 2009 (Photo Below)...

Lu Wei : Taiwan Street Food Delicacy

"lu wei" (魯味) is a typical Taiwanese street food that has an assortment of vegetables and meat that are boiled and served with spices.

A casual nite out with Liya... we ventured out looking for something cheap and satisfying and of course, Taiwan has a great selection of street food... we opted for something filling, fast and a combo of many different things ... hence, Lu Wei, a smoregesboard of veggies and meat, thrown in together, and cooked in a nice broth... real COMFORT FOOD... in fairness, it is usually YUMMY but on this particular nite - Liya happened to pick a really bad resto... SAD SAD SAD... it was SOOOOO TASTELESS that no amount of spices added could save it!!! Oh Well!!!

if they are headless....

...then it must be time for GHOST MONTH once again!!!!and it is... as according to the LUNAR CALENDAR, it runs from mid Aug thru Sept 4th...

2009 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition

The Annual Taiwan Culinary Exhibition celebrates it's 20th Anniversary with another lavish display of, mouth watering and feast to the eyes, culinary creations. Held once again at the Taipei World Trade Center (Hall 1) - it runs from the 20th thru the 23rd of this month, AUGUST.

In addition to promoting Taiwanese delicacies and cooking, the major function of this delicious event is to advance the development of local, tourism and cultural industries. Hoping that more foreign tourists will also be able to have a better understanding of Taiwan gourmet paradise.
We were BRAVE ENOUGH to join the masses of foodies all eager to SEE and hopefully, TASTE some of the Newest and Best Creations from both Local and International Chefs participating in the event. Some of the Highlights for marketchow and myself are:
-Debut of the TRI-MOUNTAIN NATIONAL CUISINE
-The World Culinary Contest
-Giant Grouper Gourmet
-Fine Dining Exhibit - Gold Medal Dishes
-The Suzhou Water Country Riverboat Banquet
-LOHAS Back-to-Basics Banquet
-Five Star Chefs’ Live Show - Cooking Classes

MORE DELICIOUS PHOTOS HERE

SUMMER FRUIT : Cherimoya/Atemoya

I know it as ATIS (Atemoya) growing up in the Philippines... it was one of the fruits, that I remember loving and craving all the rime - along with LANZONES & MANGO. I remember it being plentiful and very cheap when in season... and my MOM made sure to get them for me all the time....

Then I moved to the US where CHERIMOYA/ATEMOYA are not easily found... and when you do, they are rather costly... so it was always a TREAT to be able to ahve one now and again... Here, in Taiwan, I see them from time to time... also costly -- not as costly as the US but still on the expensive side...

So, if there is one thing really good about traveling back and forth to Manila lately, it is the chance to be able to eat all my fave fruits, to my heart's content!!!

According to cherimoya.com:
Cherimoya ( Annona cheirimola P. Mill. ) is an absolutely wonderful fruit which is becoming better known in the United States . It is now produced in limited amounts in Southern California . It is thought to be native to southern Ecuador and northern Peru , and is related to some fruits in the same genus which grow in more tropical areas. Cherimoya was probably taken to other parts of the world hundreds of years ago, so it is especially well known in Asia as well as throughout South and Central America . It is produced rustically in many parts of the world, but it is produced in commercial plantings only in semi-tropical areas of Spain , Chile , Peru , California , New Zealand , Australia , and Israel .

Some closely related species are produced in more tropical areas. Atemoya is an interspecies hybrid of cherimoya and sugar apple ( Annona squamosa ). The fruit has some qualities of cherimoya, and grows in hotter, more humid areas where cherimoya cannot be grown, in Florida , Hawaii , Australia , and Israel . Guanabana ( Annona muricata ) is grown throughout tropical South and Central America . It is larger than cherimoya, but has more fibrous flesh, and a very tart flavor. It is better suited to processing, especially into drinks, than to eating fresh. Paw paw ( Asimina triloba L.) is the only Annonaceae species native to North America, in valleys in the middle and eastern U.S.

- g

marketchow X AHIMSA

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.

Gusto Italianao : Multo Bella...

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.

Saucy Sauces * Sauces X 4

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

un AMIGO para todos!!!

Since moving to Taiwan, we have tried a few Mexican restaurants -- all of them ended up being disappointments... which baffles the heck out of me as most dishes uses the same ingredients for the most part... and are prepared pretty much the same... LOLS! The places we have been served either canned crap or what must have come out of those TV dinners just microwaved, then put on a plate... most has a very soggy texture from too much heating up... leaves so much to be desired... worse, totally leaves a BAD TASTE that I avoid Mexican food in Taiwan for the most part... that is until the other nite when Jason's (David's youngest nephew) food of choice was Mexican... driven by the cooking show we attended earlier in the afternoon at Eslite Cafe....

David happen to have seen this restaurant in back of the Chung Hsiao East Rd, AMIGO... hoping for the BEST but ready for the WORST - we were genuinely surprised and elated at what we had.... nevermind that the servings were not big enough... not like the ones you would normally get in the Mission District of San Francisco.. Ingredients were fresh, crispy, and prepared just right... and they were nicely served in dishes reminiscent of the ones I actually used in Mexico...The DECOR gets an A plus from me as well... panchos & colorfully painted ceramics adorns the walls; colorful wooden chairs; a pair of Mexican's traditional costumes; and sombreros (hats) as lamps over tables.... and as an added bonus - ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ was playing when we first came in... I was truly WON OVER at the get go...
For the rest of the photos - PLS CLICK HERE.

the "sweetest" weekend

Literally, as we made over 700 Truflles in two days!!!!

Sat the 28th, will be the third and last(LOLs!), wedding banquet for Lyn & Shaun... this is for their friends in Taipei who were not able to attend either the Nantou or Kaohsiung receptions... still over 100 of them! GEEZ!!! Anyway, as a favour and gift to the the newlyweds -- we volunteered to make the truffles as parting gifts to the attendees... each person will get a box of 4 truffles...
Now, we have never made truffles before -- we have eaten lots of them -- of course --so we thought it would be a nice challenge.. and a great present, a more meaningful gift to the newlyweds... Besides, how BAD could it be right... after all I will be working with chocs.. MY FAVE!!! Challenge was the least of it... it was also time consuming, meticulous and messy...
-Time consuming as each batch of 100 took us about 3 hrs to finish up - scooping into balls, dipping in melted chocolates and rolling in the various topping...
-Meticulous as we want everything to taste great and look good... no out of shape ones - those were either packed to give to our friends and family - or eaten right away... lols...
-Messy as between the three of us, we had a whole load of laundry the two days we made the truffles.
Still, it was all worth the troubles as we were quite relieved that we finished them in a timely matter and they actually turned out, not only PRETTY but TASTY as well... now for the real test, getting the people to try them and hearing what they have to say...

CLICK HERE for more photos of our TRUFFLE MAKING adventure...

a new "Discovery"... well....

Dining out comes too far and few in between, so when we do, we do like to try new places we hear about or have seen in passing at one time or another... One such place is Discovery: Vietnamese restaurant inside the Mitsukoshi A4 Building, in the Waner Village area... The place was is nicely done... decor not too much, subtle but still evokes the Vietnamese feel to it... the presentation was quite good too as each dish came served in ornate plates... the service is just as nice as well -- attentive and kind staff...

buit then there's the food... they left a lot to be desired... forget the fact that each dish was too little - they were not anything special at all... nothing that will keep us coming back... even the street food in the streets of Hanoi were much more tastier....
You can see more PHOTOS HERE.

Century Egg, A Delicacy. Really???

For the life of me, I cannot seem to get used to the taste of this Chinese delicacy known as Century Egg. Just as I cannot get used to eating the Philippine's Balut, I pretty much feel the same for this egg... the mere mention of this egg as part of my meal to be makes my stomach do somersaults... I mean I can take the gelatinous part of the egg, but when you get to the center of it, the yolk... ICKY!!! The color alone, charcoal black, is already a turn off when it comes to something you want to put in your tummy... then for some reason, to me, it really tastes like it has been a century in the making - and not not be eaten... But they love it here - so hell, to each his own....

But yes, I do still eat them especially when am a guest at other people's home... it is just the POLITE thing to do... as long as I eat, as little as possible, and the bathroom is close by in case I need to make a run for it...

So when having me over for a meal - PLS HAVE MERCY - no Century Eggs -- bring on the SALTED DUCK EGGS instead!!!

It's Big Alright... But It Ain't Stupid!

Rainy Saturday Nite... hunger strikes -- craving for some cold comfort food to warm the soul, or at least the tummy.... and we found just the answer for our cravings... "Stupid Big Bowl"...

Yes, you read that right! "Stupid Big Bowl" indeed -- that is the name of this little restaurant in the Roahe Night Market.. I too, had to asked David a couple of times if the name really is that... Though the bowls and portions are definitely big (and much to my delight -- colorful, too!), there really is nothing stupid about the dishes... they were quite tasty and filling...
The 6 available choices!
The MENU boasts of 6 different flavours of soup only to choose from... depending on your choice -- selections of meat, veggies & other wonderful, though not easily identifiable, goods are thrown in together - much like Shabu Shabu but already cooked and prepared to everyone's delight and satisfaction...

Taiwan Burrito... or is it Lumpia... or Crepe???

...who cares... it IS Delicious!!!!

Yesterday, Saturday the 18th I was able to TASTE what I think is, something fresh and different... and combines two of Yilan's BEST offerings: Taro Ice Cream & Candied Peanut...

Not sure what the name is - as most just refer to it as, Wassen hen bing chiling (peanut and ice cream), very original.... and simple... but there is nothing simple in the making of this delicious treat.... as a matter of fact, each and everyone made took a lot of laborious preparations... even though the two main ingredients, -- taro ice cream and the candied peanut -- are already pre-made....
Shaving the candied peanut alone took so much labor, and if one has to make so many of these a day to make a living - you will have one really tired vendor at the end of the day.... an ample amount of shaved peanut are put on the lumpia wrapper, then two scoops of Taro ice cream... and add a sprinkling of cilantro for additional flavor and aroma, too... the results is one heavenly treat... total delight to the taste pallet...
Am told that this was first invented here in YILAN - a few years back... so it became one of their most famous delicacy.... and it is apparent as all the little towns surrounding Yilan that we went to had their own offerings of this refreshing treat....

The Hills are Alive.... with FRUITS!!!

Growing up in California - I had the pleasure of doing weekend treks to the Napa County now and again... am not much of a drinker,well, none at all but still one can savour the views, the fresh air, and seeing all that grapes growing... Who would have thought I would end up having the same kind of experience here in Taiwan... while visiting one of my roomates' home in the Nantou County -- we were treated to a whole different kind of living... away from the hustle and bustle of city life... and into the relaxing calmness of country life... with lots of FRESH AIR to boot...

Saturday morning, while most are still asleep, we decided to take advantage of the fresh air and walkabout the neighborhood.... first we come across papaya trees, then lycee trees - lot so of them - too bad the season is over so none to try... we lucked out though as we came across some LONGYUEN (Dragon Eye Fruit) - the season is almost over but still some lingers on unharvested.... and they were just so easy to reach, practically growing on the sides of the roads... so needless to say, we picked them off the trees and ate - A LOT!!! Sweet, Juicy & Delicious!!!!

Then it was lot, after lot, after lot of grapes.... unripe green grapes, just beautiful to look at and feel.... good thing they were not ripe yet or else we would have been in biiiig trouble... we learned later on that grapes grown in this area are very much sought after Island wide... David talked to a couple of the farmers... interrogated them actually about growing grapes and when is harvest season... so we learned that is is around December when they start ripening and farmers get ready to harvest... YOU CAN BET WE WILL BE BACK THEN!!!

Bawan : Taiwan's Meat Balls

Bawan is Taiwanese for Rou Wan and is also known, amongst foreigners like me, as Taiwanese Meat Ball.

This Taiwanese delicacy is such a popular street food, and is actually one of David's most favorite street style dishes. They are basically dumplings stuffed with meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, with the glutinous outer part is of sweet potato flour or steamed rice dough (for me, the BEST PART of the dish!). There are also regional variations to this dish but for the most part it is consistent to the ingredients above.
The sauce, am told, is made of 3 different kinds of things... no one - to date - has been able to tell me what they are, but it is definitely good.
This one above we drove around looking for in Yulin, for about 20 minutes, we specifically stopped by this area to taste this - which is the town's special dish -- and it was worth looking for, indeed!

LUGAR: Home Bread Bar

Saturday - Sept 4th
Another get together brunch with Juliana... David and I met up with her at this place called LUGAR, a type of Bread Bar that DAVID happened upon online.... I thought the name alone is worth checking out - as LUGAR, in TAGALOG literally translates to Place... so it had a nice ring to it - for me anyway....

The concept is very interesting, different types of freshly baked bread to choose from and all sorts of sauces to dipped them into... one can have PASTA meals, as well, but for the most part the BREAD is what people come here for....

For a lite brunch - it is not a bad choice at all... filling enough especially if you opt for the SET meal... by adding another NT$130 (a little above US$4.00) soup, salad, dessert and coffee will be included.... but if you are on the really HUNGRY side - then I suggest going elsewhere as the portions are not very much...

The Best part of going to this place, for me, was that i got to walk around this neighborhood that I was completely oblivious of... such a cool nice neighborhood with lots of little restaurants running the gamut of fancy to home-style, quaint little shops (one even sells retro furniture) and other specialty shops...

The Thing ABout Seafood

All my life I have always hated eating seafood... not because I do not like their taste... on the contrary I love the taste of most.... growing up I had gotten used to eating nothing but fish and veggies...as it was all that my MOM liked to feed us.... then in High School our DAD would drag us to go crabbing around the Bay Area, almost every other weekend... then it would be CRAB FEST at home....

The thing that I HATE about them is the trouble one has to go through in order to savour each taste.... I hate having to de-shell shrimps -- so I only like them when they are made the tempura way.... I hate having to pick all the bones off of them... not to mention having to deal with one that you actually makes it to your mouth and pricks you... Lols... then there's crabs - tastes GREAT but even messier to eat.... So when at parties or out to dinner in public, I do try to avoid eating these -- as much as I would love to have them...

Instead, I look forward to the times when am dining with family and they actually debone, de-shell, de-everything and anything for me... as they all know that it is one of the things I hate having to deal with the most... right up there with lining up for anything....

Then there are the, even more special times, when David gets inspired and actually cooks seafood for all of us.... he knows enough to choose fish that are not too bony... or larger shrimp which he prepares and de-shell already.... and now and again, SQUID.... already cleaned and one can pretty much eat everything and not fret about having to make a mess.... Recently he treated us all to this delicious SQUID dish... made totally from his IMAGINATION and just sooo full of flavour... it was savory, chewy and most of all, not messy to eat... TO me that IS the BEST TYPE of SEAFOOD!!!

Mooncakes Galore

Each year, I so look forward to the Mid Autumn Festival as I know it will be raining moon cakes once again.... everywhere and in my house especially.... one of the PERKS of having two roomies working as journalists for leading newspapers in the country... each holiday comes a deluge of gifts, and at this time of the year, it is boxes and boxes full of moon cakes...

Moon cakes have always been fave of mine... Hopia in the Philippines... and in the US - Chinatowns everywhere serves them all year long.... so they become a regular thing for me... but having moved here, I have come to love them once again... and make sure that I wait for this time of the year to really get my fill... and feasts for the tummies they are!!!! Worth mentioning that the packaging they come in are also f\feasts for the eyes... colorful... intricate and beautiful... you almost want to savour them as much as you do the contents.....

WIKI Definition: Mooncakes (simplified Chinese: 月饼; pinyin: yuè bĭng) are Chinese pastry traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Typical moon cakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most Western cakes and pastries. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.

Possibly my HANDS DOWN FAVE this year is the one from STARBUCKS - not only is the packaging beautiful, the flavors the moon cakes comes in are truly delicious and different... imaging coffee flavored moon cakes -- YUMMY!!!

Pineapple Moon Cakes

Pineapples are big in Taiwan -- somewhere north of Taipei is a place where Pineapple growing is their biggest business, both domestic and for international exporting... so needless to say - pineapple has found it's way in just about anything and everything....

Pineapple Flavored Moon Cakes, once a novelty in Taiwan is fast becoming a tradition..
Long been considered a Lucky fruit... giving pineapple flavored moon cakes during the Mid Autumn Festival is considered giving/sharing lucks with your family, friends, employees as well....

Recently we have received a box full of it... it is the best tasting one i have ever tried.... over the years we keep getting these but I find them too sweet and one can hardly make out the pineapple, much more the taste of it... so normally I do not even bother with them... (we just end up, in turn, giving them away too...) But this particular brand is nothing like I have ever tried before... you can actually feel in your mouth the pineapple pulp and each bite definitely has the taste/flavor of the pineapple... So this year, I actually found a new appreciation for Pineapple Flavored Moon Cakes... LUCKY ME!!!
This one actually came with a postcard of the place north of Taiwan where the pineapples are grown...