Granted my wishes

As per previous post, I had finally managed to attend baking courses while I’m clearing my leaves for the year.

This time, I had attended 2 classes. 1 class is baking cookie and decorating it with royal icing while the other class is decorating cupcakes.

It’s my first time attending baking class, I hoped to attend more of such classes. Although the class seems to be simple but its enjoying cos I had  learn how to decorate a cookie and cupcakes.

Hehe.. since its near Christmas. I baked cookies and decorate it with royal icing as Christmas pressies for dear’s colleagues and my colleagues. This is the first time I gave someone a Christmas presents.

I baked an original butter cookies with mild orange scent and chocolate cookies. My colleagues commented that the cookies are cute.. with gingerbread man/women shape and Christmas tree shape. I’m so happy when I received feedbacks that I can sell my cookies to other people. Lolz. Hope all my friends and colleagues enjoy the cookies. =D

Should I go for baking courses?

I had been thinking about this question for quite sometimes. Surfing online for all places that provides baking classes. Places that are more well-known: Phoon Huat and Shermay’s Cooking School.

Phoon Huat is cheap but location and the food taught doesnt seems to be what I want. Shermay’s Cooking School sounds good, opened by Mr Lee’s granddaughter, but the course is quite expensive.

Maybe I should go back to basics, surf online for recipe or from recipe books, that would be the cheapest method.

Few more days to Taiwan..

Just few more days to Taiwan but the vegetarian places I found doesn’t seems to be near to where I’m going to. Most of the places needs to travel by bus, quite a distance away from the MRT.

Most of the places found are restaurant style, seldom see any stores that are located at hawker centres (or maybe those are found in hawker centre won’t even have a link in the internet).

Had been browsing the forums and there are raves about the modern toilet restaurant, cafe grazie and tamogoya (egg-themed restaurant). These are not vegetarian restaurants but they do have at least 1 or 2 vegetarian dishes. So if you are visiting these places with your friends and you are not a very strict vegetarian, you won’t be hungry.

Anyway, here’s the link of the vegetarian places I had found so far (mainly focus on Taipei):

• Meimen Inn (梅門客棧） @ Ximending

  http://www.meimen.org/ or http://blog.yam.com/enlightenment/article/25068458

• Easy House Vegetarian Cuisine @ Zhongxiao Donglu

  http://www.easyhouse.tw/html/map.asp

• Minder Vegetarian @ various location of Taipei

  http://www.minder.com.tw/store.php

• Eating in Taipei: Vegetarian

  http://iguide.travel/Taipei/Eating/Vegetarian

• Shine Way Jade

  http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/shinewayjade/article?mid=3&prev=69&next=2&l=f&fid=8

• Evergreen Vegetarian Restaurant

  http://www.egvr.com.tw/about.htm

• Happy cow vegetarian listing

  http://www.happycow.net/asia/taiwan/taipei/?sortOrder=&page=2

• Lonely Planet vegetarian listing

  http://www.lonelyplanet.com/taiwan/taipei/restaurants/buffet

While browsing through the above links, it seems that most of the stores had buffet and you pay by how much you take (calculate by weight). I still have a big question mark about these places, whether the food is without onion/garlic, are the food really suitable for vegetarians, etc.  I also need to find out the exact location of it and whether it is near to where I’m visiting.  But I hope these helps for those who are going to Taipei.

Begins to start praying hard that I won’t need to eat breads and cup noodles everyday. Hope to find the restaurants above.

Planning Taiwan Itinerary

About 1 more month time before I depart for Taiwan. This is the first time  I’m traveling overseas with Andy.  Everything is free and easy, so we need to plan our itinerary ourselves. Will be taking Jetstar (with extra leg space) and staying at TS Hotel @ Ximending.

Of cos! Our itinerary will include eating at vegetarian stores, which I will review abit though I might not have the chance to visit the place again.  But for those who are traveling there, you can consider those places.

Planning of our 7 days 6 nights “深度之旅” and searching of vegetarian stores begins now…

Chicken Rice Chili

Do you use chicken rice chili only when you are eating chicken rice? Or do you use it for all types of food? I vote for the 2nd. My favorite chili is the homemade chili by my mum. Its the best taste chili and I used this chili when eating steamboat, eating soup-based food and fried food.

I can’t really take spicy food, that goes for my mum’s chili too. But doesn’t care how spicy it is, I will always add in a little bit into my meal. U know the feeling, the more spicy it is, the more burning sensation in your mouth, the more you feel shiok. The more the tears I have in my eyes and the more the sweats I have rolling down my cheek, the more I felt its worthwhile.

Not sure how other chicken rice stall prepares their chili but I’m sharing my own recipe.

Recipe of Chicken Rice Chili

Ingredients: Chili Padi Big Chili Young Ginger Ginger Flower Small Limes Sugar Preparations: Squeeze the limes. Pluck out the stem/head of the chili. Cut the ginger and young ginger into small pieces Pour all the ingredients into the blender. Once done, add sugar into the mixture. Finishing: Chili is ready to be served. You may keep the chili into small containers and keep inside the freezer, so that it can last longer.

Enjoy your chili!