Cooking!

Cooking in Taiwan is interesting because I have to change some of the ways I cook and I only have 2 burners so I have to be creative at times.  I did buy a convection oven so I can make toast now (instead of holding my bread over an open flame like I was doing when I got here) but I don't have a microwave and many of the kitchen odds and ends I'm used to.  I find that I don't roast things anymore - I just use my saute pan. Next time I go to the market I plan on getting a wok, which I'm excited about.  The burners I have on my stove are meant to be used with a wok.

Anyway, yesterday I made my way through the market and bought a few things.  One thing I bought, which I thought was an odd shaped guava was really something more like squash.  I tried it raw to see what the texture and flavor was like and decided it would be better cooked.  I sliced (it had one large seed inside) and sauteed it with a little garlic and ginger.

I added a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil at the end.  The flavor was delicious but I realized, as I was eating, that I should have peeled the vegetable first (it was a bit tough and fibrous) and I should have cooked it a bit longer.  Live and learn!

Next I seared some fish I bought.  Now, I have no clue what type of fish this is.  It looked a bit like salmon or tuna but was nothing like it.  It was a bit oilier but was tender and so flavorful.  This is the problem with not understanding a language, I don't know what to ask for next time.

Finally I cooked up a collection of mushrooms and greens that I bought at the market.  The mushrooms in Taiwan are FANTASTIC!  You can get so many kinds and they are SO cheap!  I can buy a bag full of mushrooms here for a few dollars that would cost me at least 10 times more in the states. So I sauteed the mushrooms, added slices of potato and garlic then added bok choy and some of those greens I found yesterday.  It was delicious.  The greens were a bit grassy and, well, green.

We will see how my living in Taiwan changes my tastes and preparation of food. Should get interesting.