All posts tagged: food corner

Christmas Bake Sale 2012

Oh what fun it is to … have yummy American treats during the Christmas season! Well, you may think there’s nothing special about bake sales in December. But I can tell you, for those of us who don’t really have any alternative to yummy Christmas treats, having a bake sale in December is a highly anticipated, and well received event. In fact, those bake sales are getting so popular that it’s rather a challenge to stand in that never ending line and hope that once it’s your turn there’s going to be at least a few treats left. I did manage to get a couple of yummy treats after making it through that long line, and now I’m left to deal with the sugar overdose that is to follow inevitably … Off to enjoy some yumminess!

Food Corner: After the Feast

Usually, in my food corner, I like to share some food samples of what we get to eat sometimes. Today, however, I thought I’d share with you a usual after-dinner aftermath! See, most western people eating with chop sticks think they need to leave their places all clean and tidy to meet with proper etiquette. Here, however, the more common approach to eating together will make the place of dining look more like what you see in the picture above – a battle field. Dropping your food matters just as little as throwing left-overs on the ground, or arranging them around your plate (if you happen to have one, which here we didn’t have our own plates). It may not be proper etiquette (even here) but it still works most of the time!

Food Corner: Fish & Sauce

Fish is quite common around here, though it tends to be very bony. Often it comes in spicy soup, but this one was prepared in a delicious sauce. The only reason it doesn’t look so good on the picture is because I took the photo too late (after we’d been picking away at it for a while already).  

Food Corner: Tuna Salad

I know I should stay faithful to my habit of reporting about Chinese cuisine. But doesn’t this tuna salad look quite yummy? (If you’re one of those people who like tuna salad at least.) Anyhow, I thought I’d share a little teaser with you today, though I’m aware that probably the who gets teased the most is me, since there’s no such thing as a tuna salad to be had here these days!

Strawberry Season

They’re red. They’re soft. And oh so sweet and yummy! You guessed it, of course! It’s strawberry season. And with a fruit store across the street from where I live, of course, it’s impossible to resist that temptation to stop by, and get myself a handful (or maybe a bag-ful) of this yummy treat. Good thing is, I can buy them in portions as I’ll eat them. So, I don’t have to fear they go bad before I’ve been able to devour them. Yes, I love fruit stores that don’t have everything pre-packed and portioned. One of the advantages of living in China!

Chocolate & Strawberry Cake

Admitted, China is not one of the top competitors when it comes to baking. The average Chinese family doesn’t even have an oven to begin with. But the Chinese people (at least the experts among them) can surely create some very yummy looking cakes. (Whether they taste as good as they look – that’s for every individual to decide for themselves!) Anyhow, the average Chinese birthday cake isn’t even meant to end up in people’s mouths or stomachs as they (especially the students) prefer to smash them into people’s faces or wherever else (not sure where they got that from). But not my birthday cake. My birthday was enjoyed thoroughly and civilly by whoever made it to our little luncheon today!

Food Corner: Steamed Filled Buns

They are a typical breakfast item in these parts of the world: Baozi – steamed buns stuffed with various fillings, varying from pork, vegetables, egg, tofu and mushrooms. People like to eat them in combination with one of the soups or porridges, and freshly made can make a hearty breakfast!

Food Corner: Fried Oyster Mushrooms

They aren’t my favorite food, so I’ve never actually thought of mentioning them on my blog – mushrooms. But as a matter of fact, mushrooms are quite a popular side dish locally. For the dish you see in the picture today, oyster mushrooms were mixed with other mushrooms and vegetables, and fried in oil (as is typical for any dish in China). A yummy addition to any meal – if you like mushrooms that is!

Food Corner: Grits Porridge

Let’s talk about breakfast for once. A very typical breakfast meal in China contains among other things some kind of porridge. There are many different kinds of porridge, most of which taste very bland since they contain nothing more than water and some kind of grain. This particular one is made with with grits, and it tastes just like a little more than boiled water.