One of the most satisfying traditional Taiwanese desserts on a hot summer day has got to be 礤冰 or Shaved Ice.  My first memory of eating shaved ice was actually in Monterey, California more than 20 years ago.  My family was visiting a friend and she took us to a popular shaved ice shop.  There were so many toppings to choose from (mostly Asian toppings that looked unique) and I got my own bowl topped with a generous amount of sweetened condensed milk!  

Since that day, I seek and crave Taiwanese Shaved Ice whenever the summers are hot, or whenever I travel back to Monterey or Taiwan.   For the times in-between, I get my shaved ice fix preparing this dessert at home.  ​

You'll also want to prepare your toppings.  Popular toppings in shaved ice include barley, boba pearls, taro, boiled peanuts, red bean, mung (green) beans and many more, all usually topped with sweetened condensed milk.  ​

I found the easiest was to prepare most of the ingredients in advance and store them in small containers in the fridge.  The ones that kept best overnight were the barley and the mung beans.  I made both of these by cooking in a pressure cooker for 20-35 minutes each.  The length of time really depends on the texture you want.  I still like the toppings to have a bit of firm texture to them so they aren't mushy.  

This summer I've been traveling a lot and being the bubble tea lover that I am, I jump on the opportunity to try new boba places.  

​During my last few trips down to California, I tried several bubble tea shops in San Francisco and these are my two favorites.  Asha Tea House near Union Square, and Boba Guys.  Boba Guys having several locations throughout the Bay Area.  ​

Both shops had great reviews on Yelp in addition to having modern and clean looking store aesthetics.   Which one was better?  

How about the BOBA?  

I think Asha had better boba compared to Boba Guys, plus the taste of their tea was great.  

That's not to say Boba Guys wasn't good as I liked how their stores were sprinkled throughout town which makes it convenient for a solid cup of bubble tea when you have those cravings, I just found that the drinks on the days that I went were slightly watered down and the lines were surprisingly extra long (15-30 minutes) which compared to Asha (barely any wait) made it less appealing to go.  

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Both places allowed you to customize your drinks (sweetness level, milk alternative options) and both took credit cards (which is great when you don't carry cash).  While there were a good amount of different bubble tea shops in downtown SF, I always found myself going back to Asha and Boba Guys.  If you're traveling in the area, and you love 💕 bubble tea, I highly recommend swinging by these two.  

​How about you guys?  What's your favorite BBT place in SF or Northern California? 

A side of rice is a staple in my home whenever I cook Asian food, so this small kitchen appliance is like my best friend. 
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It's been over 10 years since I've upgraded my rice cooker, so I was really excited when Tiger Corporation reached out to see if I would test their latest Induction Heating Tacook Rice Cooker.  I opted to try out their 5.5 cup model (JKT-S10U) instead of the larger 10-cup model.

I just got back from a fun 3 week trip to Taiwan where I spent most of my time in the main city of Taipei.  It has been 5 years since I last went back to visit, but the food scene was still as good as I remembered it.  I filmed a few Vlogs when I went back, so do check those out if you're interested in the culture and travel, and when I get settled back into my normal routine, I'll try and post photos and addresses of my favorite foodie places in case you guys wanted to try those out for yourself the next time you're in Taipei! 😁 

Chinese New Year 2016 is Monday February 8, 2016.  

It's a longstanding Chinese tradition to have a nice family gathering for dinner on CNY Eve, complete with lucky red envelopes and symbolic Lunar New Year foods.  

Below are my 8 recommendations for what you should consider adding to your menu.

(✿ For a video preview of these recipes, check out my video for 8 Chinese New Year Recipes for You.)

1.  Chinese New Year Cake (sweet sticky rice) | 年糕  Niángāo

If you're in charge of cooking this holiday season and want to spend more time with family and friends, consider my entree of choice for large gatherings: 

                            • Breakfast Sausage Fried Rice •

It's easy to make in big batches and if you have rice at home, you will most likely have the other ingredients on hand.  It's perfect for those last minute family visits and potlucks.

♥ Interested in entering my Kitchen Favorites Subscriber Giveaway?  ​

For the past two years, I've made the traditional American style dinner for Thanksgiving.  Stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and of course, the turkey.

​I've always brined mine, and it's turned out really well...unlike the dry turkey you usually get when you're eating out or when you go to those family reunion dinners (you know what I mean).  

This year, I'll be traveling to see relatives and likely won't be able to cook on Thanksgiving day, BUT that doesn't mean I won't be celebrating as soon as I get back.  I'll plan on making my 5 Spice Roasted Soy Chicken recipe and depending on how adventurous I feel and how many mouths to feed, I may use a Turkey instead of a chicken.  The soy sauce brine that I used in that recipe could be doubled (depending on the size of the bird), then let to sit for 8-10 hours overnight.