my maiden voyage: Culinary Compilations...

Good Hump Day morning, Canada.

I've decided to upload a few pics that have been cluttering my iphoto and share some culinary delights that I've yet to discuss. I am waiting for one Michael Scott to land in Beijing on Sunday to really head out and try some new things so I will have many pictures to show in about two weeks' time! We will be going to DaDong for some roast duck (among other things!) Here are some pics of the ducks hanging from when I went the first time...

I'm not out at my usual Wednesday night dinner this week since I've come down with a bit of a cold and need to rest after taking yesterday off. I'm not too upset since people are going back to an Ethiopian restaurant that I went to a couple of weeks ago. It was an interesting experience sitting on a small stool, squished around what looked like a hollow, woven bongo drum that was our "table". After we navigated the slightly bewildering menu, we ended up with an order for an array of curries and vegetable mixes. What arrived at our table was a huge silver platter the size of the "drum" that had this paper-thin, spongey bread on it. The server spooned the curry in small mounds onto the bread and we then tore it up and scooped up the curry. They also brought us many smalls rolls of the same thin bread that we used instead of utensils!

It was fun and interesting but overall the flavours were so-so for me, really nothing to write home about!

I was in my local grocery store yesterday buying some essentials and the usual insane amount of random impulse purchases like Hershey's chocolate that I was gambling on being mint but was green tea and grapefruit Hello-C drink, when I came across a mandolin for 12 kwai. It was orange which made me think: "Well, it's orange; it goes with my kitchen; it's only $2.50; it's fate!" I sliced my carrots for the penang curry that I made last night and was impressed with my new purchase.

My family used to have two of these contraptions and I'm sorry to say that I took the mandolin for granted and we ended up getting rid of at least one of them. I'm sorry kitchen utensil, I will never underappreciate you again.

On Saturday I had a ten-hour training session for work which was not my idea of a partay, by any means. On Sunday Tia and I relaxed, made some eggs benedict with hash browns, and watched Gossip Girl. Par-tay.

On Sunday I also bought a ridiculous amount of beans and cornmeal and noodles to use for my first extra-curricular art class that I'll be teaching this term. I decided that the kids would make bean mosaic lions. Perhaps not my best idea ever. (More to come on this since I can't open up that can of worms right now!) Anyhoo, here's what the kids were *supposed* to make. They really just made brown blobs on paper. boo.

Tonight I made myself a Chinese dish of egg and tomato that is totally adding to my beer belly but sooo worth it.

Basically it's egg, tomato, oil, sugar.

It's so simple and yet in this preparation it tastes like no egg/tomato dish I've ever had. I also had some stir-fried bok choy and mushrooms which I am obsessed with. Apparently my tastes are turning more Chinese than I thought!

I've also tried to make my own version of hot pot.

Well, I don't actually eat it hot pot-style using a rice cooker in the middle of my table but still, the taste and smell is very similar to that cumin/curry smell that one encounters so often in Beijing. And, even after a year away from Korea, I still make my own version of Korean Shabu Shabu that I adore way too much.

I literally throw as many sauces into the pot as possible and add whatever greens I have and mushrooms and whatever meat I have to make this perfect, spicey dinner.

When Mike arrives in Beijing we'll go out for dinner before he flies to Hong Kong the next morning. Then, when he returns to Beijing with probably more knowledge of China than I have after 6 months we will rock the street stalls in Beijing for some strange, good eats such as these eggs that are in soy sauce that are everywhere,