Five Guys Burgers and Fries

"Why would anyone go to McDonald's?" piped one of my friends as we bit happily into our juicy, delicious burgers from Five Guys.  We had vowed for weeks to make this pilgrimage - a bunch of city folks from Cambridge driving all the way to Dedham to try this much hyped burger place.

What we had heard before going . . .

     "I hear the fries are really good!  Hand cut!"

     "It's like In-N-Out"

     "It's really cheap!  And the portions are humongous!"

In general, the rumors are pretty close to the truth.  Hands down, this is the BEST bang for buck you can get for a hamburger.  There's not even a close second.  The single hamburgers (called "little hamburgers") are only $3.39 and the double patties are $4.49.  Add cheese for an additional 60 cents and bacon for 20 more cents.  You can add unlimited toppings for free. Toppings include mayo, relish, onions, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce.

The place definitely reminds me of In-N-Out.  It's probably the closest thing to In-N-Out on the East coast.  The decor is similar - the 1950's red and white look.  The fries are hand cut from potatoes, and all the ingredients are very fresh.

A couple differences.  Five Guys has a lot more topping choices than In-N-Out, even after taking into account all those secret menu items at In-N-Out (animal style, protein style, etc.).  The meat patties at Five Guys are noticeably bigger - maybe 25% bigger?  They are not as flat as the patties from In-N-Out.

It's hard for me to say which one is better.  I do love the animal style burger at In-N-Out.  I guess you can come close to replicating that here by getting mayo, hot sauce, and grilled onions.  Maybe I'll try that next time. I ordered a little hamburger with jalapenos this time, so it's hard to do a head to head comparison.  Some members of our party said they liked Five Guys better because of the variety of toppings and larger portions.  I'm not sure.  I really like both.  I can't decide. 

From top left, clockwise: jalapeno burger with hot sauce, free roasted peanuts, cheeseburger, large fries

In any event, this place is a winner.  The burgers have great flavor, and all the ingredients are really fresh.  I thought my plain little hamburger with jalapeno peppers was delicious.  My friend got the jalapeno burger with hot sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes.  She loved it.

The fries come in generous portions.  Our table of 7 people split 2 large orders of fries, and it was plenty.  Try the spicy fries and the regular fries.  These fries are bigger fries, more like steak fries.  This also differs from In-N-Out, which serves skinny fries.  I thought the fries were OK, but not amazing.  I also don't think In-N-Out's fries are all that, so perhaps I just don't like hand cut fries??  My favorite fries are still the rosemary truffle fries from Garden At the Cellar.

Another fun bit is that there's a big bin of free peanuts for everyone.  So, while you are waiting to get your food, you can quash those hunger pangs with some nice salty roasted peanuts.  It's really a nice touch, and it just makes you like the restaurant that much more.

I highly recommend this place.  If you are at Gillette Stadium for a Patriots or Revolution game (or a U2 concert, lol), definitely go to Patriot's Place and eat at the Five Guys there.  It's right there near the stadium (walking distance!) and taste sooo much better and is sooo much cheaper than stadium food.  Booo . . I wish I'd know.  Check out my limpy TINY chicken sandwich from the stadium (the chicken does not even take up half the bun!!!!) for $7.50.

Definitely check this place out!  I really wish it would come to Cambridge!

Five Guys

178 Providence Hwy

Dedham, MA 02026

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

"Why would anyone go to McDonald's?" piped one of my friends as we bit happily into our juicy, delicious burgers from Five Guys.  We had vowed for weeks to make this pilgrimage - a bunch of city folks from Cambridge driving all the way to Dedham to try this much hyped burger place.

What we had heard before going . . .

     "I hear the fries are really good!  Hand cut!"

     "It's like In-N-Out"

     "It's really cheap!  And the portions are humongous!"

In general, the rumors are pretty close to the truth.  Hands down, this is the BEST bang for buck you can get for a hamburger.  There's not even a close second.  The single hamburgers (called "little hamburgers") are only $3.39 and the double patties are $4.49.  Add cheese for an additional 60 cents and bacon for 20 more cents.  You can add unlimited toppings for free. Toppings include mayo, relish, onions, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce.

The place definitely reminds me of In-N-Out.  It's probably the closest thing to In-N-Out on the East coast.  The decor is similar - the 1950's red and white look.  The fries are hand cut from potatoes, and all the ingredients are very fresh.

A couple differences.  Five Guys has a lot more topping choices than In-N-Out, even after taking into account all those secret menu items at In-N-Out (animal style, protein style, etc.).  The meat patties at Five Guys are noticeably bigger - maybe 25% bigger?  They are not as flat as the patties from In-N-Out.

It's hard for me to say which one is better.  I do love the animal style burger at In-N-Out.  I guess you can come close to replicating that here by getting mayo, hot sauce, and grilled onions.  Maybe I'll try that next time. I ordered a little hamburger with jalapenos this time, so it's hard to do a head to head comparison.  Some members of our party said they liked Five Guys better because of the variety of toppings and larger portions.  I'm not sure.  I really like both.  I can't decide. 

From top left, clockwise: jalapeno burger with hot sauce, free roasted peanuts, cheeseburger, large fries

In any event, this place is a winner.  The burgers have great flavor, and all the ingredients are really fresh.  I thought my plain little hamburger with jalapeno peppers was delicious.  My friend got the jalapeno burger with hot sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes.  She loved it.

The fries come in generous portions.  Our table of 7 people split 2 large orders of fries, and it was plenty.  Try the spicy fries and the regular fries.  These fries are bigger fries, more like steak fries.  This also differs from In-N-Out, which serves skinny fries.  I thought the fries were OK, but not amazing.  I also don't think In-N-Out's fries are all that, so perhaps I just don't like hand cut fries??  My favorite fries are still the rosemary truffle fries from Garden At the Cellar.

Another fun bit is that there's a big bin of free peanuts for everyone.  So, while you are waiting to get your food, you can quash those hunger pangs with some nice salty roasted peanuts.  It's really a nice touch, and it just makes you like the restaurant that much more.

I highly recommend this place.  If you are at Gillette Stadium for a Patriots or Revolution game (or a U2 concert, lol), definitely go to Patriot's Place and eat at the Five Guys there.  It's right there near the stadium (walking distance!) and taste sooo much better and is sooo much cheaper than stadium food.  Booo . . I wish I'd know.  Check out my limpy TINY chicken sandwich from the stadium (the chicken does not even take up half the bun!!!!) for $7.50.

Definitely check this place out!  I really wish it would come to Cambridge!

Five Guys

178 Providence Hwy

Dedham, MA 02026

Taiwanese "Meat ball" (Bawan)

Bawan is the quintessential Taiwanese street snack. Steamed or fried, it literally means "meat ball" and is a dumpling of sorts filled with meat, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. The semi-translucent chewy outside is made with rice flour and sweet potato flour, giving it this unique texture that's super fun to eat.

Taiwanese-style Bawan
This recipe is adapted from Homestyle Cooking of Taiwan by members of NATWA
For a printer-friendly version of the recipe please click here.

Ingredients:
Outer Covering
 8 T long grain rice flour (see picture at right)
12 T sweet potato flour
5 2/3 cups water
1 lb sweet potato flour

Filling
2 T vegetable oil
2 bunches of scallions, chopped

11 dried black mushrooms
1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced (or ground pork)
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots (sliced)
1 lb shrimp (about 22)
3 T soy sauce
1 T sugar
1 T salt
1 tsp pepper
Sauce (sweet rice paste)
1 cup long grain rice flour
3 cups waster
1/2 cup sugar

Garnishes
Cilantro, chopped
Soy sauce
optional: sweet chili sauce (see picture at right)


Precooking preparations:
1.  If you purchased fresh shrimp, devein the shrimp, remove heads and tails.  I bought one pound of raw frozen shrimp, so I just defrosted it and removed the tails.

2.  Soak dried mushrooms in hot water until soft (about 10 minutes), and cut each one in half

Making the Covering
1.  In a large pot, combine the long grain rice flour, 12 T of sweet potato flour, and water.
2.  Cook at high heat, stirring CONTINUALLY!
3. After it has come to a boil, remove from heat and let cool.
4.  Add 1 lb of sweet potato flour and mix thoroughly.  Set aside.

Making the filling
1.  Heat wok at high heat and add the vegetable oil.
2.  Stir fry the scallions and the mushrooms briefly for about a minute.
3.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry until the meat appears done (shrimp turns pink, pork is opaque)
4.  Add flavoring agents (soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper).  Mix thoroughly

 
From top left, left to right: 1. Chopped scallions & mushroom 2. Saute scallions & mushrooms first in hot wok!  3.  Add meat and bamboo 4. First step in making the bawans - put on a cabbage or napa leaf!

Constructing the Bawan
You have 22 pieces of shrimp, 22 mushroom halves.  This is no accident.  You will fill each dough piece with one piece of shrimp, one mushroom, and a little bit of bamboo and pork. Warning, this stuff is really sticky!  It sort of has the consistency of gooey paste.  I find it's a bit easier to work with if you hold the bawan on top of a cabbage leaf (see pictures above).  It's easier to handle the gooey paste if you wet your fingers constantly.  I ended up putting a plate full of water nearby just so I could constantly wet my fingers.

From top left, left to right: 1. Second step in making bawans - add filling! 2. Third step - cover with dough 3.  White, gloppy paste-like bawan covering 4.  Bawans resting, not yet steamed

1. Put a circular dollop of dough onto a leaf. Using wet fingers, push in the middle a bit for the filling.
2. Add the filling (1 shrimp, 1/2 mushroom, etc)
3. Put another smaller dollop of dough on top
4. Using wet fingers, try to pinch the edges together to form a ball
5. Set aside

Cooking the Bawans
Steam bawans in a 2-tiered steamer.  Ideally, you would have a multi-layer Chinese bamboo steamer.  However, if you don't, a normal steamer works fine too.  I just lined the steamer with cabbage leaves and placed the bawans on top.

Steam for about 10 minutes.

 Bawans about to be steamed  . . . nooooo!!!! Save us!



Making the Sweet Rice Paste Sauce
1.  combine long grain rice flour, water, and sugar in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil (remember to stir!) and then remove from heat. 

Garnishing the Bawans
 For each bawan, add a bit of soy sauce (about 1 tsp), cover with some sweet white paste sauce, and garnish with cilantro.  If you have access to sweet chile sauce, you can use that as well.

Enjoy!

Taiwanese "Meat ball" (Bawan)

Bawan is the quintessential Taiwanese street snack. Steamed or fried, it literally means "meat ball" and is a dumpling of sorts filled with meat, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. The semi-translucent chewy outside is made with rice flour and sweet potato flour, giving it this unique texture that's super fun to eat.

For a printer friendly version of the recipe, please click here:  
This recipe is adapted from Homestyle Cooking of Taiwan by members of NATWA

Ingredients:
Outer Covering
 8 T long grain rice flour (see picture at right)
12 T sweet potato flour
5 2/3 cups water
1 lb sweet potato flour

Filling
2 T vegetable oil
2 bunches of scallions, chopped

11 dried black mushrooms
1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced (or ground pork)
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots (sliced)
1 lb shrimp (about 22)
3 T soy sauce
1 T sugar
1 T salt
1 tsp pepper
Sauce (sweet rice paste)
1 cup long grain rice flour
3 cups waster
1/2 cup sugar

Garnishes
Cilantro, chopped
Soy sauce
optional: sweet chili sauce (see picture at right)


Precooking preparations:
1.  If you purchased fresh shrimp, devein the shrimp, remove heads and tails.  I bought one pound of raw frozen shrimp, so I just defrosted it and removed the tails.

2.  Soak dried mushrooms in hot water until soft (about 10 minutes), and cut each one in half

Making the Covering
1.  In a large pot, combine the long grain rice flour, 12 T of sweet potato flour, and water.
2.  Cook at high heat, stirring CONTINUALLY!
3. After it has come to a boil, remove from heat and let cool.
4.  Add 1 lb of sweet potato flour and mix thoroughly.  Set aside.

Making the filling
1.  Heat wok at high heat and add the vegetable oil.
2.  Stir fry the scallions and the mushrooms briefly for about a minute.
3.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry until the meat appears done (shrimp turns pink, pork is opaque)
4.  Add flavoring agents (soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper).  Mix thoroughly

From top left, left to right: 1. Chopped scallions & mushroom 2. Saute scallions & mushrooms first in hot wok!  3.  Add meat and bamboo 4. First step in making the bawans - put on a cabbage or napa leaf!

Constructing the Bawan
You have 22 pieces of shrimp, 22 mushroom halves.  This is no accident.  You will fill each dough piece with one piece of shrimp, one mushroom, and a little bit of bamboo and pork. Warning, this stuff is really sticky!  It sort of has the consistency of gooey paste.  I find it's a bit easier to work with if you hold the bawan on top of a cabbage leaf (see pictures above).  It's easier to handle the gooey paste if you wet your fingers constantly.  I ended up putting a plate full of water nearby just so I could constantly wet my fingers.

From top left, left to right: 1. Second step in making bawans - add filling! 2. Third step - cover with dough 3.  White, gloppy paste-like bawan covering 4.  Bawans resting, not yet steamed

1. Put a circular dollop of dough onto a leaf. Using wet fingers, push in the middle a bit for the filling.
2. Add the filling (1 shrimp, 1/2 mushroom, etc)
3. Put another smaller dollop of dough on top
4. Using wet fingers, try to pinch the edges together to form a ball
5. Set aside

Cooking the Bawans
Steam bawans in a 2-tiered steamer.  Ideally, you would have a multi-layer Chinese bamboo steamer.  However, if you don't, a normal steamer works fine too.  I just lined the steamer with cabbage leaves and placed the bawans on top.

Steam for about 10 minutes.

 Bawans about to be steamed  . . . nooooo!!!! Save us!

Making the Sweet Rice Paste Sauce
1.  combine long grain rice flour, water, and sugar in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil (remember to stir!) and then remove from heat. 

Garnishing the Bawans
 For each bawan, add a bit of soy sauce (about 1 tsp), cover with some sweet white paste sauce, and garnish with cilantro.  If you have access to sweet chile sauce, you can use that as well.

Enjoy!

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: A Stroll Through the Night Markets of Taiwan

Shilin Night Market is by far the most famous night market in Taiwan. This crazy, bustling market in Taipei is HUGE, spanning block after block after block. There is a large food area where street vendors, most of whom specialize in just one type of food, sell their delicacies. Another section is full of stuff: ceramics, kitchen wares, clothing, plush toys, fake hand bags, you name it.

I had the privilege of visiting Taiwan this past spring and we spent an evening at Shilin Night Market. The food at the night market alone was fascinating. We saw exotic things being sold such as duck tongues, "frog eggs" (not sure what it really is), things that looked like insects, and stinky tofu. We also saw a lot of delicious classic street snacks.

When Foodbuzz asked for proposals for 24, 24, 24, I thought it would be fun to try my hand at Taiwanese street foods. It would be like hosting a little night market in my dining room, halfway around the globe.

Of course, the first thing I did was called my mom.  My parents are Taiwanese and moved to Ohio over thirty years ago.  In the Midwest at that time, they did not have access to much Chinese (much less Taiwanese!) food.  As a result, she had to learn how to cook Taiwanese specialties herself.  Because of her (and other Taiwanese moms') hard work, I (and now you!) can enjoy making these very authentic Taiwanese dishes at home.  Thank you Moms for translating the recipes into English!

My meal is merely inspired by the night markets, and is no way representative of even a fraction of the foods you can find in a Taiwanese night market.  However, I tried to keep with the spirit of the night market by making simple, casual dishes you would normally not see in fancy sit-down restaurants.

Enjoy these super classic Taiwanese street dishes!

Here is the spread of dishes that I made for this dinner (which served 7 people):

click on image for larger photo

From left to right: Tea eggs, Pork Mushroom and Bamboo Soup (Bah Genh/Ro Gen Mian), Meat Sauce over Rice (Lo Ba Bng/Lu Ro Fan), Taiwanese Meat Ball (Bawan/ro yuan), Asian Cucumber Salad, and Taiwanese Meat Ball again (this time garnished with cilantro and hot sauce).

Tea Eggs ("Ca Ye Dan" in Mandarin)

Tea Eggs with Shells

I love tea eggs. They are hard boiled eggs slowly cooked over low heat in black tea and spices for hours. The resulting egg has a wonderful salty and tea-infused flavor that's addictive. Furthermore, the eggs take on a beautifully intricate marbled design from the tea.

Tea Eggs

You will often see tea eggs at the cashier's counter at convenience stores.  For example, most 7-11 stores in Taiwan have a rice cooker full of tea eggs at the counter.

For a step by step tutorial plus recipe for how to make tea eggs, please click here.

Meat Sauce over Rice (Lo Ba Bng)

Taiwanese Meat Sauce Over Rice

Lo Ba Bng ("Lu Ro Fan" in Mandarin) is a very classic Taiwanese dish. It's a dish comprised of ground pork, shallots, and spices stewed in soy sauce. The sauce is intensely fragrant and tastes delicious with rice.  This dish can be enjoy alone, or, more often than not, it is served with other side dishes as well.  One very classic Taiwanese dish includes a deep fried pork chop, meat sauce with rice, and a side of pickled vegetables. For the full recipe on how to make this dish, click here.

Pork and Bamboo Shoot Soup (Ba Genh/Ro Gen Tang)

Pork, Mushroom, & Bamboo Soup

This soup ("Ro Gen Tang" in Mandarin) is one of my husband's favorites.  The thick, starchy soup contains "meat balls" which are made out of fish paste and pork.  These nuggets are dropped into boiling water and cooked with bamboo, mushrooms, and a host of soup flavoring agents.  The resultant soup has a deep, umami flavor and is the perfect, hearty dish to enjoy when it's cold out.

For a tutorial and recipe, please click here.

Pork, Mushroom, & Bamboo Noodle Soup

Bawan (Taiwanese "Meat Ball")
Bawan is the quintessential Taiwanese street snack. Steamed or fried, it literally means "meat ball" and is a dumpling of sorts filled with meat, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. The semi-translucent chewy outside is made with rice flour and sweet potato flour, giving it this unique texture that's super fun to eat.

"Bawan" - Taiwanese Meat Ball

This dish is usually topped with a bit of soy sauce, sweet rice paste, a sweet chile sauce, and chopped cilantro. I will post a tutorial on how to make these (plus recipe!) later on this week. Please check back soon!

Update!  Click here for the recipe!

"Bawan" - Taiwanese Meat Ball

Asian Cucumber Salad
This dish is not strictly a Taiwanese "street food." In fact, it is more often served as an appetizer at a restaurant.  However, it is still popular in Taiwan, and I wanted to balance out the meal with some veggies, so I also served this light and healthy salad.  For the recipe, please click here.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Dessert: Mung Bean Soup

Mung Bean Soup

Unlike Westerners, Asians really like to eat various sort of sweet bean or nut soups for dessert. A favorite is mung bean soup, which consists of mung beans boiled in water and then sweetened with sugar. Mung beans are considered "cool" foods (in the yin and yang of Chinese foods) and, accordingly to Chinese medicine, restores balance if you are "hot" (e.g., canker sores, warm body temperature, ruddy complexion).

This soup can be enjoyed either hot or cold, and is refreshing and healthy.  Click here for the recipe.

In Conclusion . . .

This meal was really fun to make.  It was fun recreating some dishes I had made before and also fun experimenting with some new recipes.  Thanks so much to Foodbuzz for sponsoring this event.  Thanks also to my mom, who gave me lots of tips on how to make these dishes.  Finally, thanks to my husband (who endured a crazy messy kitchen for the entire afternoon), and to my guests, who generously showered me with praises about how delicious the food was.

Please enjoy these recipes and stay tuned for the Taiwanese Meat Ball (Bawan) one.  It will come soon! 

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: A Stroll Through the Night Markets of Taiwan

Shilin Night Market is by far the most famous night market in Taiwan. This crazy, bustling market in Taipei is HUGE, spanning block after block after block. There is a large food area where street vendors, most of whom specialize in just one type of food, sell their delicacies. Another section is full of stuff: ceramics, kitchen wares, clothing, plush toys, fake hand bags, you name it.

I had the privilege of visiting Taiwan this past spring and we spent an evening at Shilin Night Market. The food at the night market alone was fascinating. We saw exotic things being sold such as duck tongues, "frog eggs" (not sure what it really is), things that looked like insects, and stinky tofu. We also saw a lot of delicious classic street snacks.

When Foodbuzz asked for proposals for 24, 24, 24, I thought it would be fun to try my hand at Taiwanese street foods. It would be like hosting a little night market in my dining room, halfway around the globe.

Of course, the first thing I did was called my mom.  My parents are Taiwanese and moved to Ohio over thirty years ago.  In the Midwest at that time, they did not have access to much Chinese (much less Taiwanese!) food.  As a result, she had to learn how to cook Taiwanese specialties herself.  Because of her (and other Taiwanese moms') hard work, I (and now you!) can enjoy making these very authentic Taiwanese dishes at home.  Thank you Moms for translating the recipes into English!

My meal is merely inspired by the night markets, and is no way representative of even a fraction of the foods you can find in a Taiwanese night market.  However, I tried to keep with the spirit of the night market by making simple, casual dishes you would normally not see in fancy sit-down restaurants.

Enjoy these super classic Taiwanese street dishes!

Here is the spread of dishes that I made for this dinner (which served 7 people):

click on image for larger photo

From left to right: Tea eggs, Pork Mushroom and Bamboo Soup (Bah Genh/Ro Gen Mian), Meat Sauce over Rice (Lo Ba Bng/Lu Ro Fan), Taiwanese Meat Ball (Bawan/ro yuan), Asian Cucumber Salad, and Taiwanese Meat Ball again (this time garnished with cilantro and hot sauce).

Tea Eggs ("Ca Ye Dan" in Mandarin)

Tea Eggs with Shells

I love tea eggs. They are hard boiled eggs slowly cooked over low heat in black tea and spices for hours. The resulting egg has a wonderful salty and tea-infused flavor that's addictive. Furthermore, the eggs take on a beautifully intricate marbled design from the tea.

Tea Eggs

You will often see tea eggs at the cashier's counter at convenience stores.  For example, most 7-11 stores in Taiwan have a rice cooker full of tea eggs at the counter.

For a step by step tutorial plus recipe for how to make tea eggs, please click here.

Meat Sauce over Rice (Lo Ba Bng)

Taiwanese Meat Sauce Over Rice

Lo Ba Bng ("Lu Ro Fan" in Mandarin) is a very classic Taiwanese dish. It's a dish comprised of ground pork, shallots, and spices stewed in soy sauce. The sauce is intensely fragrant and tastes delicious with rice.  This dish can be enjoy alone, or, more often than not, it is served with other side dishes as well.  One very classic Taiwanese dish includes a deep fried pork chop, meat sauce with rice, and a side of pickled vegetables. For the full recipe on how to make this dish, click here.

Pork and Bamboo Shoot Soup (Ba Genh/Ro Gen Tang)

Pork, Mushroom, & Bamboo Soup

This soup ("Ro Gen Tang" in Mandarin) is one of my husband's favorites.  The thick, starchy soup contains "meat balls" which are made out of fish paste and pork.  These nuggets are dropped into boiling water and cooked with bamboo, mushrooms, and a host of soup flavoring agents.  The resultant soup has a deep, umami flavor and is the perfect, hearty dish to enjoy when it's cold out.

For a tutorial and recipe, please click here.

Pork, Mushroom, & Bamboo Noodle Soup

Bawan (Taiwanese "Meat Ball")
Bawan is the quintessential Taiwanese street snack. Steamed or fried, it literally means "meat ball" and is a dumpling of sorts filled with meat, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. The semi-translucent chewy outside is made with rice flour and sweet potato flour, giving it this unique texture that's super fun to eat.

"Bawan" - Taiwanese Meat Ball

This dish is usually topped with a bit of soy sauce, sweet rice paste, a sweet chile sauce, and chopped cilantro. I will post a tutorial on how to make these (plus recipe!) later on this week. Please check back soon!

Update!  Click here for the recipe!

"Bawan" - Taiwanese Meat Ball

Asian Cucumber Salad
This dish is not strictly a Taiwanese "street food." In fact, it is more often served as an appetizer at a restaurant.  However, it is still popular in Taiwan, and I wanted to balance out the meal with some veggies, so I also served this light and healthy salad.  For the recipe, please click here.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Dessert: Mung Bean Soup

Mung Bean Soup

Unlike Westerners, Asians really like to eat various sort of sweet bean or nut soups for dessert. A favorite is mung bean soup, which consists of mung beans boiled in water and then sweetened with sugar. Mung beans are considered "cool" foods (in the yin and yang of Chinese foods) and, accordingly to Chinese medicine, restores balance if you are "hot" (e.g., canker sores, warm body temperature, ruddy complexion).

This soup can be enjoyed either hot or cold, and is refreshing and healthy.  Click here for the recipe.

In Conclusion . . .

This meal was really fun to make.  It was fun recreating some dishes I had made before and also fun experimenting with some new recipes.  Thanks so much to Foodbuzz for sponsoring this event.  Thanks also to my mom, who gave me lots of tips on how to make these dishes.  Finally, thanks to my husband (who endured a crazy messy kitchen for the entire afternoon), and to my guests, who generously showered me with praises about how delicious the food was.

Please enjoy these recipes and stay tuned for the Taiwanese Meat Ball (Bawan) one.  It will come soon!