MUSAFIRA: i go, meet, eat, capture

Blues. All I could see was blue blue blue. Out on the water’s surface and then diving into the waves, the shades of turquoise swallowed us up. Then: bursts of cherry! smears of purple! pops of canary! interrupted the frame. A turtle at our feet!

Snorkeling around the big island Hawaii swept me in that underwater universe where nothing is familiar, and everything is delightful. Camera snapshots could never do any justice to the spectacular palette of coral. So our photos play among reflections, admiring the warming rays of sunshine that pierced through the surface onto bodies, swimming and swishing in that magical space somewhere below the ocean waves. 

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My father’s garden in Encinitas is blooming as usual! During our visit down south in mid-July, the plums were literally jumping off the tree. Jia Ching went ahead and climbed up to give the branches a shake and let the rest of the harvest loose. Countless plums rolled down the hill, filling my basket till it was clear that there was too many to consume over the few days we were home. The mix of juicy ripe and firm fruit made the promise of jam more appealing than ever. 

We commandeered my parents’ kitchen for a long afternoon, jars boiling and fruit bubbling. The only misfortune was that we only gathered enough for four jars of jam when we would have liked much much more to share with our friends. 

My first and long-anticipated foray into jam-making was a fun and fruitful experiment. Jia Ching had an inspired idea to throw some cardamom - one of my all time favorite spices - into the jam.

The recipe was a simple combination of a few things we read online. We don’t like our jam sweet and so we cut the sugar down by A LOT at the beginning and then added more to taste towards the end before we sealed it up. 

So without further delay here is the recipe and a few more photos of our jammy jam:

1. Quarter four cups worth of small plums, removing the pits but keeping the skin on. 

2. Combine the pulp, juice, and skins of the plums in a large saucepan over medium/high heat with a cup or so of water (depending on how juicy the plums are), two cups of sugar (or more if you don’t like your jam on the slightly tart end of the scale), and one tablespoon of crushed cardamom seeds (discard the green pods!) or powdered cardamom.

3. Bring everything to a boil and skim off the foam.

4. Once boiling keep on medium flame for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. The fruit goes through several phases: bubbling foam, very liquid (you will wonder where all the fruit disappeared to!), then finally jam-like. Be sure to let the jam reduce until it has a more solid than liquid consistency and all the fruit is broken down. 
 

5. Carefully, taste the jam with your finger or a spoon and add some more sugar if t’s too tart for your taste.

6. Once the jam is to your liking stir in another tablespoon of cardamom powder or crushed seeds.

7. If you’ve never canned preserves before, then I suggest you read up on this some more before attempting it based on my instructions. This is how we did it, a two person job for sure! While the jam was cooking we boiled four 8oz Kerr jars and the lids in a separate large stockpot (they need to be at a boil at the time of canning). When the jam is ready and the jars are boiling one person uses tongs and a towel to lift out the jar and the second person ladles the jam, filling to the line one inch below the rim of the jar. Then wipe the rim of the jar clean with a clean wet paper towel. Then uses tongs to take out the lid and make a clean seal on the jar, screwing the lid ring tight, but still a touch less than the tightest it can be.

8. Finally, flip the jar upside-down to rest on a clean cloth. This is one of a few methods that you can use to create a tight seal. After the jar cools (about one hour) the jam can be kept (right-side up of course) for at least one month if not more…that part is trial and error depending how well your sealing method worked!

Enjoy on toast or croissant or french toast or baguette with butter or lebneh or whatever you please! It makes a particularly fantastic pairing with some Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel cheese. Bon appetit!

Mid-June in Sonoma Valley this year was spectacularly warm, but not too warm. Let’s call it perfect weather for sipping wine and collapsing onto a picnic blanket. During our wonderful weekend stay in the area with some family and friends - and our beautiful little niece about to take her first steps - we packed up some cheese and crusty bread, a summery couscous salad, a bunch of fresh fruit and headed out for a lazy summer afternoon picnic in wine country.

We love that our niece is one of those kids who will try everything and enjoys eating almost anything, and we enjoyed nothing more than spending a simple afternoon with her on the grass.

This girl has some sophisticated baby tastebuds!

A yummy asparagus, avocado and tomato feast!

Bacci baby.

No cheating!

Naptime anyone?

That’s right.

Philadelphia is one of those cities that I never got around to visiting back when I lived in Boston and New York. Frankly, the idea of a Philly cheesesteak never appealed to me.

Early in June, I attended a workshop in the city of Brotherly Love. Catching wind of a recent NYT article boasting about Philly’s newfound gastronomical charms, I was excited to find out what the city had to offer beyond the purview of greasy steak subs.

Dinner @ Cuba Libre

My first meal was a Smörgåsbord of Cuban inspired tapas in the faux indoor courtyard at Cuba Libre. The place was packed but the accommodating staff made way for our massive party without flinching. Quite a nice surprise. 

The bad news first. Despite an extensive menu of mojitos in all flavors, the libations we ordered were watery and overpriced. As for the food, my friend Jen and I ordered a combination of small dishes to share. We mixed up fried plantains and empanadas with plates of fresh seafood, and in conclusion los mariscos won our favor. 

Fried Plantains - thick and dry

Caged Shrimp Empanada - tasty but too heavy to finish

Tuna Ceviche - our favorite hands down!

Marinated Octopus - delicious!

I wasn’t surprised to find out after the fact that Cuba Libre is an East Coast franchise, as the TGIF quality drinks were a dead give away.

Dinner @ Mercato

Next I tried an early dinner at Mercato in one of Philly’s gentrified hotspot neighborhoods. The obvious appeal of an intimate candlelit open-air BYOB restaurant was enough to make me happy off the bat. Good company and a lovely menu completed my sense of satisfaction. The only thing that stung was the bill.

We indulged in one of Mercato’s cheese plates and a large and luscious grilled artichoke for starters. Although the latter cost a whopping $12, it was arguably worth it. We loved every bite and agreed that we’d all happily come back for another artichoke anytime. The next course, I’m sorry to say, didn’t live up to its pricetag. 

My secondi featured a tender short rib served over fluffy ricotta gnocchi in a rich tomato-based sauce. All the makings of a delicious meal no doubt. But the fact that the dish cost upwards of twenty dollars was too shocking to get past. Let’s face it, Philly is not Manhattan, no matter how many New Yorkers commute there. Yet there I was paying Big Apple prices in the city of cheesesteaks. For shame.

Dinner @ Supper

Our last supper was at this aptly named eatery across the street from a bustling Whole Foods market in an otherwise quite nook of the city. The menu was set by our hosts, who gave us nothing to complain about, as their selections were fantastic. 

The starter was a carrot and orange soup with…drumroll…cardomom marshmallow! I know it sounds odd, but it was goood. Burnt, sweet and slightly gooey, the candy coated spoonfuls of beta-carotene rich soup somehow made sense in my mouth.

My neighbor opted for the beef brisket au jus over creamy grits. A wise choice. 

I went for the perfectly cooked salmon on a bed of wilted spinach, with salmon roe and sunchoke hash and lemon jam. I devoured it. The slightly sour tang of the jam was a perfect compliment to the rich buttery salmon and roe. 

Finally, dessert was a delight. Banana bread pudding with praline ice cream and nutella. Need I say more? Though, I probably didn’t need to finish it all on my own.

Three dinners later I feel like Philly has a range of warm and creative restaurant options for a passerby foodie to give a go. Quite frankly, I don’t know how the locals can afford to eat out. It’s no wonder the supermarket was buzzing with customers.

Jia Ching and I got married this May in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Overlooking the Bolinas Lagoon in Marin, friends and family gathered for a simple outdoor ceremony and fabulous celebration that I have taken to referring to as the lovefest. 

Leading up to the wedding, parents, friends, a tent guy and the two of us engaged in an on again off again debate about the concept of a “rain plan”: Did we need one? Why didn’t we have one? Did we want to spring for the tent just in case? Would all our guests possibly fit inside the living room if it rained on our ceremony or dinner? No way.

When we saw the weekend forecast predicted nothing but sunshine, we breathed a sigh of relief because in the end we hadn’t sprung for the tent and hadn’t really thought through a reasonable rain plan. Everything was planned to take advantage of the gorgeous property and amazing sunshine. 

A few days before the weekend, when our photographer Lila suggested that we might just want to think through a plan b, just incase…I sort of cringed.

But then, here’s the thing. When grey clouds rolled in over our heads just as Jia Ching and I began to walk towards each other, I felt only joy. When the sky started sprinkling down on us and our sea of smiling guests halfway through the ceremony, I felt like I was floating on a cloud.

Rain, as so many people reminded us that day, was indeed an auspicious blessing. 

Our friends and family members, each of them a champion, didn’t hesitate. Hauling chairs, flowers, plates, kegs, tables, cheese and DJ equipment out from the storm, they collectively managed to turn the soggy surprise weather into a more spectacular house party than any I could have ever dreamed up.

If it wasn’t for the rain, we wouldn’t have gotten to mingle with so many of our guests, sitting around the fireplace instead of at the beautiful tables we had carefully planned and set for eight to ten guests each.

If it wasn’t for the rain, our friends wouldn’t have spontaneously jumped up on the coffee table to share beautiful, sincere stories and loving words to a closely gathered crowd of our loved ones listening carefully and raising their glasses.

If it wasn’t for the rain, the entire party wouldn’t have been jammed around the dessert table in the kitchen all at once to collectively admire and ogle and eventually dive fork first into the gorgeous display of homemade pies provided by our talented and generous friends. 

If it wasn’t for the rain, we wouldn’t have danced with quite the same level of reckless abandon that we did when the sun finally broke through the clouds and shined down on us for the rest of the glorious day.

Rain blessed our lovefest in ways we never could have predicted. It brought us closer, it made us laugh and throw our hands up in the air. It filled us with the deepest gratitude for our community.

As one friend surmised, we earned the pleasure of that fabulous impromptu house party. All the time, thought, and concern we had put into planning the nitty gritty details of putting on an all out outdoor fiesta, and then in the end the script was flipped on us. 

Bless the rain.

We took a day trip to Muir Woods in Marin with our niece Sydney and spent a few hours wandering through the peaceful and gorgeous forest of coastal redwoods.

Looking up and breathing deeply, I felt a great sense of awe for the nearly three-hundred foot-tall trees that have been around long before and will still be around long after my humble appearance on planet earth.

Uninterrupted, the lives of these trees can last up to thousands of years!

An old growth forest is a beautiful place to remember that fallen trees and new sprouts are all a part of the same incredible cycle of life.

So today in honor of California’s marvelous Coastal Redwoods, I’m writing this quick post to be able to share my favorite shots from our day among the trees.  

Now get out there and go hug a tree :)

If you’re up in Northern California looking for a place to taste some satisfying and affordable wines, Salinas Valley is a lovely and quiet alternative to the hullabaloo that is Napa. I enjoyed a very mellow afternoon exploring the valley that neighbors Carmel with two of my dearest friends Clare and Carley earlier this season. The three of us share a deep appreciation for the opportunity to dedicate a whole afternoon to the pursuit of delicious tasting stuff.

After a leisurely late morning drive from Carmel by the Sea, we indulged in tastings at a handful of wineries thanks to Clare’s thoughtful planning. Wrath Winery in particular is well worth noting for its ambience and service, and one I wouldn’t mind returning to soon. Wrath’s wine tastings are set in a cool and isolated modern building along the main road, surrounded by rows of their picturesque vines and overlooking a calming pond afloat with lily pads. Not too shabby.

We were delighted to be among the few visitors at Wrath that day, which is a relief for anyone who has had to elbow her way up to get a glass of wine at an overcrowded tasting bar. In addition to their generous pours, gracious service and humble attitude, I found the flight quite reasonable and the wines very yummy overall. The winning wine that day was definitely their Chardonnay, which tasted just like a giant bite of fruit!

Unsurprisingly, we couldn’t resist the offer of cheese pairings. For six bucks we scored a healthy portion of genuine “Monterey” Jack cheese (as in, it was actually made from the milk of cows grazing happily in Monterey, CA). As a bonus we got a hefty glob of quince paste and all you can eat crackers, which guaranteed our ability to put away the entire block of cheese. As if you ever doubted me.

After the wineries, Clare suggested we make a stop at The Farm - a local community education center and fresh produce market in Salinas Valley that she was curious about.

Once we finally figured out how to get to the Farm parking lot (a bit confusing) we enjoyed browsing their modest yet well crafted display of local produce inside.

Early summer bounty of course spelled out gorgeous bright green Asparagus loud and clear. This summer I’ve had asparagus in everything from a creative take on Tabouleh, to a warm soup puree, to piping hot off the BBQ! I have to admit, I’m sad to see slowly slipping out of season and look forward to its return next year when I plan to make lots more of that picnic-friendly Tabouleh!

Clare and I couldn’t resist taking home one of the Farm’s fresh baked fruit pies for dessert that night. The crust was soft, sugary and made a perfect pre-breakfast snack the next morning.

Carley’s big take away from the Farm was three baskets of ruby red strawberries that you could smell from a mile away. We snacked on them during the ride back and marveled at the unmistakeable flavor of a just picked berry.

Carley and I look forward to a (yet to be planned) berry picking excursion this summer, to be followed by our first lesson in jamming and canning. I can’t help but delight at the simple idea of taking the smells and flavors of early summer and capturing them in a jar to help brighten up a grey winter morning later this year.

Visiting one of my dearest friends Alle this April was an excellent decision for two reasons. First, I missed her like crazy and the chance to catch up for a girls-only weekend was one of the smartest ideas we’d ever had. We spent most of our time laughing, talking and generally delighting in each others company, enjoying the brilliant blue skies over Texas.

Me and Alle grilling on Lake Austin. Note: every boat should have a grill.

Second reason this trip turned out to be a stroke of genius is simply because I’d never been to Austin before. Now, I had no real interest in Austin per say before coming to Berkeley. This is because countless Berkeleyans who’ve been to SXSW to indulge in the country’s best music festival of all time, frequently return to California only to rave endlessly about how Austin shines like a beautiful beacon of liberal politics and indie music/film in central Texas. This certainly peaked my curiosity.

Before arriving in Austin, I hounded Alle to prepare an all out local eating tour of her adopted city. She took the challenge seriously. First stop was some proper BBQ at Rudy’s, an uber-popular local chain that many claim is the best of many options.

I’m make no claims to be a BBQ connoisseur, but I can say this meal hit the spot and and sort of exceeded my expectations. Honestly, I expected it to be greasy and heavy and all feel a bit dirty. But on the contrary, it was nearly elegant in a no frills sort of way. Mouthwatering slices of brisket and ribs on a piece of parchment. Ice cold bottles of Dos Equis. Buttery potatoes and fresh coleslaw (unfortunately served in styrofoam containers). All topped off with some of the yummiest banana pudding I’ve tasted since Magnolia bakery’s version back when Alle and I lived in NYC’s West Village.

From there onwards Alle’s itinerary pretty much stuck to food trailers. A wise, wise decision. Now in the past few years, San Francisco has been in the midst of a bourgeoisie food truck love affair, but I have to say Austin has a well-established plan for integrating trailers into the infrastructure of urban eating culture.

Trailers sell well-tailored, relatively affordable, usually quite delicious food that is accessible almost anywhere one might get a rumbly in her tumbly. Pseudo-permanently parked outside bars, in clusters around parking and empty lots, and even alongside a trendy row of boutiques.

Exploring everything from gourmet-style sandwiches to coconut covered and chocolate dipped fresh-to-order doughnut holes, I managed to eat plenty on this trailer tour but forgot to photograph most of what I saw and experienced.

Save for our satisfying brunch at the famed Torchy’s Taco trailer. 

We ordered, paid, sat down at the benches in the parking lot, and the meal was perfection. Enough said.

Unsurprisingly, being a regional epicenter of foodie-ism, there are countless amazing Austin-based bloggers exploring their city’s many culinary carts and eating adventures. Here are a few of my favorite discoveries - check them out whenever you’re in their neighborhood or if you just enjoy reading about food:

Foodie is the New Forty

South Austin Foodie

Trailer Food Diaries

As we say farewell to our life in China (for now at least), I’ve had time to reflect on the things I’ve come to love about the small city of one million people that we’ve called home for the last year.

I’ll certainly miss the relaxed ease and delightful affordability of shopping at the vegetable market down the street from our apartment in Yixing. Colorful and buzzing with the energy of a good bargain, the market always promised the pleasure of seeing familiar faces and walking away with a pound of shitake mushrooms on the cheap.

I’ll miss one thing that we’re sorely lacking in America. A deep reverence for our elders. Older citizens in China are inspiring - always enjoying public space at all hours, active in dance, tai chi and sports, and often smiling. Their social life and mobility in the city simply blows me away when I think of the too often isolated and dependent lives led by so many in our grandparents’ generation.

I’ll miss being around a completely different tea drinking culture than the one I grew up with. My family has always enjoyed curling up together on the couch with our mugs of black tea with milk and sugar in hand, a comfort of home I’ve come to treasure. In China, the very different but equally communal practice of sitting together around the table, sipping small cups of strong green teas and sharing conversation is something I’ll think of whenever I look at the gorgeous clay teapots we collected in Yixing.

I know Jia Ching and I will both really miss all the adorable mutts we’d see around town. We did some serious research on the possibility of bringing a pup home with us to California, but sadly, no dice.

I’ve posted plenty during our experiences in Yixing, and traveling around the country and region, but there is so much I’ve left out. All in all, we’ve had an amazing adventure in this last year, filled with plenty of encounters with absolute bizarreness and yet also finding quiet rituals and spaces of familiarity.

Always grateful for our opportunities to travel, eat, learn, make wonderful new friends, and connect with old ones, Jia Ching and I say good-bye to China for now and thanks for the memories.

As you might notice next time you peruse the yams at your own local market, these root veggies often bear a striking resemblance to the contours of Taiwan itself.

This shapely characteristic has endowed yams with more meaning than most of us would assume. The word “Yam” in Taiwanese has an acquired colloquial meaning to refer to Taiwanese people who migrated from mainland China to the island prior to the KMT mass migrations in the 1940s.

While visiting family in Kaohsiung, on Taiwan’s west coast, we took a trip to a windy beach that boasted a vendor serving one of the most delicious versions of baked sweet potato I’ve ever tasted. 

The friendly gentleman serving us took diligent pride in his time tested method and ultimately the taste and quality of his yams.

He assured us they would be perfect (backed by a money back guarantee, no less). I documented his work with an appreciation for his dedication to and enthusiasm for this particularly delicious art. 

Slicing into the yam’s fragile skin gave way to the oozing sweetness of the bright yellow and ever-so-caramelized ”meat” of the potato.

It was the perfect belly-warming indulgence for a lazy late afternoon like ours.

Washed down by a coke (which I only drink for some reason when I’m traveling), the yams made for the perfect end to an otherwise perfectly uneventful day.

This month Jia Ching took me to Taiwan! My first visit to this famously charming island included some leisurely time spent on both east and west coastlines and an urban tour of five cities across Taiwan. We went down to the beach, and up to the mountain tops and ate everything delicious we could find in between. 

I’ll begin my musafira chronicle of our Taiwan travels with the weekend trip we took to Taroko Gorge, near the city of Hualian on the east coast. 

Arriving by train from Taipei in the late afternoon, my eyes were greeted by lush sweeping landscapes of endless rice paddies leading into the foothills of Taiwan’s steep mountain peaks. We checked into the lovely B&B we booked just north of Hualian at the opening of the Taroko Gorge and began to take in our surroundings. 

As we were about to head out the door for a sunset bike ride along the beach, we learned of the massive earthquake and tsunami that had just devastated Japan. I stared out our bedroom window at the Pacific, which looked close enough to touch. I could hear my heart beating. Soon enough, the government issued a tsunami warning for the Hualian area and the wonderful B&B staff quickly evacuated us further above sea level to the nearby visitors center, until the tsunami threat vanished as quickly as it came. 

A calm ocean breeze welcomed us down from the mountain. I was so grateful for our personal safety, and that the laid back town we just arrived in was untouched by destructive waves that were simultaneously transforming Japan. 

Tracking events unfolding in Japan during the following hours and days, it has been surreal. I cannot believe my eyes. I get a sinking feeling every time I think of how quickly everything changed. And now more than ever I have an overwhelming appreciation for the majesty and power of the world we cannot control, and I return to the coast with a new sense of awe.

We dedicated our next two days to appreciating our surroundings to the fullest. Lucky for us, our host Teyra and our guide Ruan both have nothing but love for the place and made sure that we saw Taroko Gorge from every angle. 

Due to the inevitable impacts of landslides, monsoons and earthquakes in Taiwan, the gorge has been transforming and safe access to all areas is limited. However, there are still plenty of paths to follow and plenty of vistas to enjoy on any given day in the gorge. 

Our first full day in Taroko Gorge ended with a simple and satisfying early dinner in an aboriginal-run restaurant just outside Hualian. The aboriginal people, called the Taruku, have been living in this part of the island for hundreds of years and continue to play a major role in the local community through business and local government, while maintaining and promoting Taruku cultural, historical and linguistic traditions.

Actually, we learned from our host that Taroko Gorge is named after the Japanese mispronunciation of Taruku - just one small example of the many remaining legacies of Japan’s fifty-year occupation.

On our last morning, we enjoyed an early morning ride before breakfast followed by a leisurely trip to the smooth pebble beaches of Hualian. Dozing off on the train back to Taipei later that afternoon, I felt so very lucky for so many reasons. 

Hangzhou has been on my list of places to see in China since day one. Naturally when our Beijing-based Bay Area friends Michelle and Andrew proposed a day (or rather evening) trip to this sleepy city on West Lake we jumped on the chance! Better yet, the excursion was decidedly dedicated to our common passion for Chinese gastronomy. 

After a quick and painless ride on the high-speed rail from Shanghai, we enjoyed a crisp winter sunset stroll in the romantic atmosphere of Hangzhou’s beautiful lakeside park. We loved that the cooler weather meant we nearly had the sunset all to ourselves and promised ourselves that someday soon we’d return for a proper picnic in the park.

But no time for a picnic that evening, as our dinner destination was the famed Dragon Well Manor, dubbed by some food writers as the Chinese take on Chez Panisse! The familiar Berkeley mantra of local, fresh and seasonal pulled us in but what really impressed us was the unique simplicity, delicacy and elegance of each component of the meal from beginning to end.

The moment we entered the gates of Dragon Well Manor, which is not a restaurant so much as a garden landscape of lotus ponds and tea houses, we knew we were in for a relaxed and pleasurable evening. Escorted to our own private room, we were hungry and ready for the mysterious banquet that awaited our tastebuds. All we knew was that everything served that day was the freshest of fresh, as each day’s menu is based on what can be sourced on that particular day. 

We raised our glasses of rice wine and toasted our good fortune and the promise of the long and delicious meal ahead of us…

A table was set with a colorful variety of savory toppings and sauces, from peanuts to dried tiny shrimp and pickled goodies.

To commence, each of us were offered a hot bowl of either salty or sweet soy milk.

Simple hot and cold dishes served at Dragon Well Manor each featured a single ingredient in its finest form, beginning with these tender slices of baked tofu in a light sauce and some of the most delicious and yellowest scrambled eggs I’ve ever had.

These were soon followed by heartier proteins like cold marinated beef, cold liver and this dish of jellyfish, which I had always suspected would be rubbery, but in fact offers a surprisingly crispy texture. 

Other seafood dishes included naked but unbelievably tasty tiny prawns and a saucy dish of meaty fish heads.

One of the stars of the evening were these tender bulbs of baby bok choi which bursted with flavor despite having almost nothing done to them. 

A few soups were served throughout the meal, including this small bowl of fresh egg noodles and simple leek dumplings, as well as a birds nest soup (which I couldn’t bring myself to eat though everyone else at the table enjoyed it tremendously), and a whole duck in locust (that’s right) and herb broth.

For a little sweetness towards the end we enjoyed fresh fruit and a yummy helping of sticky chewy gooey glutinous rice cakes…which as you can see I enjoyed from first to last bite!

At the end of our meal we had a long conversation with our server about the philosophy of food sourcing and preparation at Dragon Well Manor. We were even shown a book that documents where and when the ingredients we ate were grown and purchased in the area. When he developed the idea for this restaurant, Dai Jianjun hadn’t heard of Alice Waters, but from what I can tell he’s doing their common mantra justice.

Unfortunately we couldn’t linger too long after our fabulous meal, as we had to catch the train back to Shanghai…but no worries, we’ll definitely return to Hangzhou again.

We took a short and sweet weekend trip to Xi’an to celebrate my thirtieth birthday last week. Just a short plane-ride away, the charming provincial capital of Shaanxi boasts some of the most fascinating history and some of the best street food we’ve encountered in China.  

According to the history books, Xi’an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China and originally the site of the first ruling dynasty’s capital after the end of the period of the warring states. In 221 BC, Shi Huangdi (which literally means first emperor) famously inaugurated the union of China’s provinces under the Qin Dynasty, and commanded the construction a secret subterranean world of terracotta sculptures.

Artisans worked stealthily to create human-scale likenesses of thousands of military men, acrobats, and even civil servants that (in superstition at least) would serve to protect, entertain and attend to Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. The sheer scale, lunacy and genius of this underground project is impossible to rationalize, and now having seeing it with my own two eyes the whole idea makes me wonder what other layers of histories have yet to be excavated or perhaps will never be uncovered. 

Xi’an was also the last stop on the Silk Road, which accounts for the Middle Eastern influences that we could literally see, hear and taste throughout the Muslim quarter. Home to over 80,000 muslims and boasting a tasty bounty of local market fare with the promise of pedestrian friendly side streets, the Muslim neighborhood in the walled city center felt particularly welcoming to us.

Co-mingling with Chinese characters, beautiful Arabic calligraphy decorates walls all over quarter, from small restaurants to Xi’an’s great mosque where Jia Ching and I snuck in a visit just before evening prayers. 

Having been limited and frustrated daily by my pathetic lack of Mandarin skills, it warmed my heart to be able to communicate my happiness and gratitude genuinely with a simple greeting of “Salam Aleykum” and a smile. To my delight, locals in Xi’an often understood me and returned the gesture before serving up some seriously delicious food.

Which brings me to my next and most important point! I’ll forever live with the fond memories of our leisurely and indulgent strolls through the street markets of Xi’an’s Muslim quarter: a notably pork-free and pedestrian-friendly corner of China! 

Enjoy these pictures from our fabulous tasting tour of Xi’an’s Muslim street markets:

Yangrou Paomo : a popular daily dish of mutton soup that is completed only by the addition of hand torn bits of flatbread that is a specialty of Chinese Muslim cuisine.

Hand-pulled noodles soaked in beef broth are a must-have (and have again). Salty and tender, this gorgeous mess of long noodles are among the chewiest and most satisfying in the world. Our bowl was served with a complimentary amount of beef, egg and vegetables to make for a rich late afternoon meal.

Devouring a half-dozen of these fluffy little lamb dumplings with numbing peppercorn spice had to be one of my favorite textural and tasting experience in China! We dipped ours in chili oil and vinegar to kick it up another notch. Yum!

Cold noodles served with just about any condiment you like!

Putting on an enticing show! 

We had to stop for a few of these lamb kabobs fresh off the grill. An added delight is the healthy sprinkle of cumin and hot spices he gives these badboys before serving.

Flatbread baked fresh in an awesome gravity-defying woodfired oven, looks like naan and tastes something like a bagel. It makes an excellent side to a meal of spicy, cumin-crusted lamb skewers.

Spicy quail eggs on a stick! 

Continuing with the theme of protein packed offerings, I should note that it was hard to imagine a single part of the sheep that was not on offer. Here we have the hooves marinated and ready for a snack on the go, and all along the streets specialty butcher shops sold everything halal, from liver to intestines and more.

This vegetarian-friendly cart really stood out on a street lined with butcher shops and proved to be quite popular. Her method is to deep-fry any produce of your choosing before chopping and dousing the veggies with her homemade hot sauce. Her final step is to stuff everything into a portable bread pocket and there you have it - lunch on the go!

Another popular snack are these sesame layered rice cakes.

Persimmons grow plentifully in the region and we found them sold everywhere along the streets of Xi’an: fresh, dried and even fried! 

If you have a sweet tooth, never fear as there is plenty to get you through the day.

Speaking of sweet, perhaps no one was sweeter to us than this perky vendor who busily sliced his cake, sang a lovely tune, posed for pictures and kept his business flowing all day long. No matter that the cake just isn’t that tasty, it’s still service with a smile!

Brilliant red chinese dates, jujubees and sultanas a plenty!

Everywhere we went we saw carts selling a juice made of stewed pears and dates. Curious, we couldn’t resist giving it a try. Unfortunately, we found ours blandly watered down and never went back for seconds. 

Xi’an turned out to be an unforgettable destination and a very special place to spend my birthday. I definitely look forward to returning again…and I know just where I’ll go for my noodles.

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As a postscript, I want to mention that although we usually opt for B&Bs or cheap hotels as a rule, on this weekend getaway we decided to splurge and stay at the Sofitel Xi’an. This turned out to be possibly the best hotel ever. Not only were their rates reasonable, location great, food delicious, and general service extremely courteous and helpful but they also upgraded our room and when a staff person noticed it was my birthday arranged to have a complimentary cake sent up to our room as a surprise! Sorry to sound like an advertisement…but I mean, it was really exceptional. 

Celebrating the New Year in China this February, we’ve been shown an abundance two key ingredients in any display of Chinese festivities: fireworks and food.

Midnight fireworks over our building complex in downtown Yixing

Here is what I’ve learned about the former: ANY person can set off fireworks ANY place they want, at ANY time of day. Take your pick! For the past month in Yixing, we’ve heard booms and crackling and watched sparklers and sky-high explosions around the clock. Whether it’s midnight on a Saturday or the crack of dawn on a Tuesday morning, no time is a wrong time for festivities in Yixing :)

Our banquet table spinning and brimming with a creative display of dishes

As for matters of food, the New Year is a time for those of plentiful means to bring on the banquet! Since living in Yixing, we’ve been to several incredible banquet style meals for various occasions and non-occasions, typically hosted by Jia Ching’s colleagues at the Yixing Development Zone.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year we had the pleasure of dining with the fun and food-loving staff of Desheng Solar at their company holiday dinner.

Each time we’ve arrived at banquets prior to this one, entering into shmancy private chambers where anywhere from 4 to 40 people might come together for a night of no-holds-barred drinking and dining, I always kick myself for forgetting to bring along my camera.

Words simply cannot describe the tantalizing, curious and at times shocking food extravaganza these elaborate and seemingly endless meals put on for my eyes and tastebuds. You just have to see it for yourself.

Happily on our way out the door to this extra special New Year’s feast I remembered to grab the camera! Let me say, I wasn’t shy during dinner. (Jia Ching tells me no one is really phased by my obsessive picture taking here, because I’m a foreigner.) Between bites, I snapped photos continuously throughout the evening, determined to share my archive with you here on musafira. 

Here and now, I’m going to do my best to virtually transport you to one of the most fascinating and colorful dining experiences I’ve ever had in my life: a full-on Chinese New Year Banquet in Yixing! Enjoy the picture show…

Table setting: an appropriate set of tools for the task(s) at hand.

First round: walk into the banquet room to see an array of cold meat and vegetable dishes ready and waiting for the tasting. This flavorfully marinated beef is always a treat!

Lovely displays of pumpkin squash never last long once my chopsticks get ahold!

Even with that pretty orchid there to spruce up the plate, I still take a pass on the offal. Jia Ching continues to tell me this is a tasty snack (even when cold).

Plentiful platefuls of ever-popular chicken feet get grabbed up faster than I can believe! Despite the fact that they are the fan favorite, I still get cold feet and am simply too chicken to take a nibble. Puns intended :)

After everyone has started to dig in and the soup has been served, the first of many rounds of toasts commences! The ice is officially broken…time to indulge.

New arrivals straight from the sea to our table: an iced platter of sashimi offers up all you can eat salmon and geoduck (a monster-like species of clam that I wish I never googled).

A more familiar face. 

Fish fry! New fresh dishes keep coming and the table keeps spinning and it’s hard to keep up with everything coming my way!

As the others drink up, I admire my favorite dish of the night: sauteed garlicky shrimp in a sweet sticky sauce that still makes me lick my lips. Mmmm…

Gendered specialties: ladies only get served a halved papaya filled with a cloudy tapioca-based soup. Keep digging and you find the real treasure: an entire slimy sea cucumber! I’ll refrain from commenting on the obvious innuendos ;)

Meanwhile, the gentlemen are served an entire abalone. Estimated cost of this gendered specialty: a lot.

A note on drinking etiquette: unfortunately, no matter how intoxicated you already feel, when the boss (pictured right) toasts you, it’s gan bei!! Bottom’s up)!

Savory favorites: save room for the end because the later rounds bring hot dishes like this delicious sauteed cabbage flavored with hot peppers and meat. It doesn’t look like much, but believe me it is scrumptious and I always look forward to when it spins over my way! 

Another favorite is taro root and pork belly cooked in a clay pot. Perfect in our family where I can enjoy the taro while my partner eats up the pork! This is total comfort food that just melts in your mouth.

Another note on drinking etiquette: if you feel like you need to get up for a mid-meal stretch just head across the table and toast your buddies! Wo jing ni!

Sweet dishes trickle onto the table throughout the evening, but here are some of the most notable in elegance and flavor. First up, feast your eyes on this intricately constructed basket weaved out of what I can only describe as delicate sugary thread, and stuffed full with a syrupy melange of dragon and other tropical fruits. 

To offset the elaborateness of the uber-sweet fruit basket, something simple like egg & corn cake goes easy on your palette. 

Layered, crispy, buttery, creamy, custardy bite-sized goodness. Need I say more?

Taking a step back I simply can’t believe how much food is still on the table despite how much everyone has been eating. It’s been a constant and endless flow of food to the table from the first minute we picked up our chopsticks. Hmm…guess it’s time for another toast!

Oh…you thought we were done? After a plate of citrus and melon and a bit of a breather interspersed with several more toasts, there is still one final course to enjoy. Referred to as the “main course” this is typically a small and savory bowl of either rice, dumplings or noodles. I always hope for the noodles, which is actually what we consider the tastiest part of this long, long meal.

Well, I think I’ve managed to capture about 50% of the food that actually hit the table…and that is probably enough to give you a sense of the variety and creativity of dishes to be experienced during a festive evening of Chinese banqueting. On that note I’ll bid you farewell and wish you a very happy and prosperous new year from Yixing!!