Atayal Kitchen in Wulai 烏來泰雅廚房

 

 

  

Sometimes we can’t know that a certain place we visit may become one of the most meaningful memories later on in our lives. A few months ago, I wrote about the fish market town of Wanli, and just like Wanli, Wulai has a special place in my heart as well. It was one of those places that my father used to take us to visit a lot when we were growing up, and it was also one of the last places he took us to. When I went back to visit him last year because of his illness, despite his health condition, he was very eager to take us there to walk around Wulai Old Street and taste some native Taiwanese food.
 

Wulai Old Street 烏來老街

Entering the Wulai Old Street, we saw two choices for sausage vendors. One of them had an advertisement that said they were featured on TV, accompanied by a very long line of people. Since I tend to like rooting for the underdog, and as the weather was quite hot, we decided to go to the one across from the famous one to give their sausages a try. Though I can’t compare theirs with the other’s, it turned out to be quite good! It was nicely seasoned, juicy and not greasy, and was made with 100% wild mountain boar.


走進烏來老街口馬上就聞到香腸的香味，左手邊的雅各香腸，因為之前受電視採訪已被炒熱，所以大排長龍。然而在這樣炎熱的氣候下，已汗流夾背的我實在沒有什麼耐心去排隊 o(´^｀)o，況且對面的月球香腸其實看起來也很不錯，就決定嚐試較不起眼的這家。我們選擇的是蒜味，它外層烤的很香，肉餡扎實且不會太鹹或油膩，是100%山豬肉做的~

Blueberry Earl Grey Iced Tea 藍莓伯爵冰紅茶

 

 

 

Wait! If you just made my Blueberry Earl Grey Tea Jam, don't wash that pot yet. This is a very simple and quick recipe that you can make from your leftover tea bags of the blueberry earl grey tea jam. My mom always tells me to reuse food if it's possible, and here is a perfect example of how you can do so. I hope you enjoy both the jam and the iced tea, and I especially want to encourage everyone to think of ways to reuse some of the food that we normally throw away! (*＾▽＾)／

Blueberry Earl Grey Tea Jam 藍莓伯爵茶果醬

Making many different varieties of jam during the summer with fresh berries can be a lot of fun, but without any special flavour, it can be a little boring to me. I especially love trying out flavours that I don't often see from the stores. Since I'm a tea lover, I thought I'd try to make my blueberry jam this year with Earl Grey tea. I've never seen a blueberry and Earl grey tea jam before, so I was a bit skepticle first but as I was cooking the mixture and with the wonderful smell coming out, I knew that my decision was a good one (“⌒∇⌒”) It's a perfect accompaniment for a simple piece of bread, crossiant, or scone, plus you can also make a delicious blueberry Earl grey iced tea from this recipe!

Garlicky Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Vegetables 百里香蒜味燒烤雞

I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer. We've been lucky to have this fantastic weather so far; it's neither too hot nor too rainy, just perfectly comfortable - great BBQ weather for entertaining friends! But what about for those rainy summer days, or perhaps you don't own an outdoor BBQ? For my post this month, I decided to write a grilled chicken recipe that can be made indoors, without loosing any of that deep flavour and tender texture. As an added plus, it makes a great accompaniment to my summer slaw - they are happy together, and your tummy will be, too!! So I welcome you to head over to Foodies In Quebec City to learn how to make this deliciously defiant indoor "BBQ" grilled chicken.

今年魁北克的夏季非常的涼爽，雨不多也不會太熱，很舒適。這種氣候之下烤肉是再適合不過的了！我決定這個月在Foodies In Quebec City寫個燒烤雞肉食譜，順便和我的涼拌高麗菜食譜一起搭，想看食譜的朋友們請到那裡閱讀百里香蒜味燒烤雞。這個食譜的做法簡單，而且可以讓你在任何的季節都能輕鬆的在家裡做出來喔~

Summer Slaw 涼拌高麗菜沙拉

There are many reasons why I love to eat my vegetables raw in the summer: it requires no cooking, no grease, it's refreshing, and most importantly, it saves time! It also allows you to enjoy all the beautiful summer fruits and vegetables in their simplest and purest form, which I often prefer. 

A typical coleslaw is usually made with shredded cabbage and carrots. Here, besides the cabbage, I used one of my summer favourites - rhubarb, along with kiwis. Because of this, the salad contains a high amount of vitamin A, C, and K. Instead of the typical creamy, high-calorie mayonnaise-based dressing, I just used lime juice. Together with the mint, it really brings out the summer flavours. 

Coping With the Loss of Your Pet 走出失去寵物的悲傷, 2

I know you might think I were crazy if I told you that I believe in animal communicators, but I ask you to continue to read with an open mind. After my baby angel, Soji, left us, without even discussing it with each other, my husband and I both knew what we were going to do next - yes, consult with an animal communicator! Soji's last veterinarian, Dr. Anne-Marie Gagnon, is a holistic vet who was able to communicate with Soji on the surface level and send her energy to help her during her sickness. When we spoke to her on the phone and asked her if she knew anyone who could help us, she kindly recommended us to someone she knew, Susan Hamlin. 

 

Poached Eggs 水波蛋

*This was a post that first appeared in my prior blog, 2 Sisters et 1 Cat

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggs, and I'm about to share with you a quick way to impress someone on this Valentine's Day! Those of you who are easily intimidated by those two words - poached eggs, don't let yourself believe that you can only enjoy it in restaurants. You just need to know a few things before you start. 

Penne with Fiddlehead Ferns, Yellow Wax Beans and Lemony Spinach-Pistachio Pesto 義大利麵與野生蕨菜、菜豆和檸檬菠菜開心果青醬

When I went to the Marché du Vieux Port a few weeks ago, I was very happy to see that slowly, spring vegetables are starting to make their appearance. Besides some lettuce, one of the few greens you'd find are fiddlehead ferns. When I first encountered this rare spring delicacy back in 2010 in New York at a farmer's market, their unusual curlicue shape caught my eyes and lit my curiosity. If I remember correctly, it was just starting to get some "recognition" at the time. Without knowing exactly what it was or how it tasted, my intuition told me to grab a handful of them. I was so excited about it that I rushed home and immediately cooked them that evening! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

Lemony Spinach-Pistachio Pesto 檸檬菠菜開心果青醬

 

Whenever the whether starts to get warm, I like to incorporate more herbs, such as basil, parsley, and chives in my cooking. Every year around this time, I buy several different pots of herbs to grow. Unfortunately, they always die in the winter, since it's so cold here. I can't seem to keep any indoor plants without my cat eating them. Given all that, it's still worth it for me to get them and enjoy them, even if only for a few months. 

 

Kahlua-Chocolate Banana Bread 卡魯哇巧克力香蕉蛋糕

I don't know about you, but whenever I surf around online looking at yummy food photos, it always makes me hungry. And I mean anytime, anywhere, and even after I just ate! That's how this banana bread recipe was born. （／_＼）I was pinning photos from Pinterest one night and I came across this Espresso-Chocolate Banana Bread recipe from Yes To Yolks. The idea of espresso, chocolate chips, and banana all together sounded so mouth-watering to me. I had just finished my dinner and had a belly full of food, but at that moment, nothing was going to stop me. I didn't care how late it was, I was determined to make that darned espresso-chocolate banana bread! (*≧m≦*)

The North Coast of Taiwan, Wanli & Jianshan Old Street 萬里、金山老街

It was precisely a year ago when I went back to Taiwan. I started writing this post, but never finished it and decided to leave it that way. It was just too painful for me to replay it all (my father's illness, my husband's work difficulties, having to restart a brand new blog...), but now I feel ready to share - yes, I know it's very late, please forgive me! I realize that I can't let go of these memories, so you'll probably be seeing more posts about my trip to Taiwan in the coming months.