Nancie McDermott is a food writer and cooking teacher, and the author of fourteen cookbooks. Her passion is researching and celebrating traditional food in its cultural context, and her beloved subjects are two seemingly different places with much in common: the cuisines of Asia and of the American South.
Your pictures are wonderful! Thanks for taking us along on your walk through that fascinating city. The food looks so good and so very fresh. I can almost taste the pork buns.
Nancy, sounds like you have been here and done this; or somewhere else with wonderful Asian food culture. So glad you are enjoying our trip this way, and having your culinary memories back at center stage for a bit!
If you like the photos of Mr. Wang and his pork buns/vegetable buns, which we savor every trip, don’t worry; I’ll be posting in more detail about him soon. The dough is more bread-like than dumpling-like, they are substantial and satisfying and as good as they look. He mixes fillings at home and makes dough too; brings it to his stand and shapes them and cooks them from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. in one spot and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in another nearby spot. He browns them to a crispy turn on the bottom, and then also covers the shallow pan so that they cook in an ovenly way as well, till they are done. I’m not sure if he adds water or not, but that’s the kind of thing I’ll be finding out and sharing soon. But they do not brown at all except on bottom, and have a bread-rather-than-pasta-like quality to the dough/wrapper. Filling is just plain porky good.
Ate so much wonderful food in Taipei in the seventies and eigthies. Thank goodness Chinese cuisine was preserved on the Island after Mao took the Mainland and so pauperized it that only the political elite could eat the really good stuff. Classic Chinese cuisine as an art almost perished on the Mainland. However, I was there as a guest the government and they pulled out all the stops (wioks!) for us. But you could not find it on the streets. Few restauarnts usually ending in the word “Duck” in the late seventies. Locals identifed them by location. One by the hospital was called “The Sick Duck.” One near sewer plant was “The Stinky Duck.” You can imaginge the possibilities!
Yes, ma’am, that I am! It’s so wonderful to be here, and while the watermelon is mighty tasty and sweet and good, I imagine those South Carolina watermelons have lots of love to give, too. 🙂 . Pineapple is awesome too, and that we don’t get from our Carolina soil, now do we?
Your pictures are wonderful! Thanks for taking us along on your walk through that fascinating city. The food looks so good and so very fresh. I can almost taste the pork buns.
Nancy, sounds like you have been here and done this; or somewhere else with wonderful Asian food culture. So glad you are enjoying our trip this way, and having your culinary memories back at center stage for a bit!
If you like the photos of Mr. Wang and his pork buns/vegetable buns, which we savor every trip, don’t worry; I’ll be posting in more detail about him soon. The dough is more bread-like than dumpling-like, they are substantial and satisfying and as good as they look. He mixes fillings at home and makes dough too; brings it to his stand and shapes them and cooks them from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. in one spot and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in another nearby spot. He browns them to a crispy turn on the bottom, and then also covers the shallow pan so that they cook in an ovenly way as well, till they are done. I’m not sure if he adds water or not, but that’s the kind of thing I’ll be finding out and sharing soon. But they do not brown at all except on bottom, and have a bread-rather-than-pasta-like quality to the dough/wrapper. Filling is just plain porky good.
Ate so much wonderful food in Taipei in the seventies and eigthies. Thank goodness Chinese cuisine was preserved on the Island after Mao took the Mainland and so pauperized it that only the political elite could eat the really good stuff. Classic Chinese cuisine as an art almost perished on the Mainland. However, I was there as a guest the government and they pulled out all the stops (wioks!) for us. But you could not find it on the streets. Few restauarnts usually ending in the word “Duck” in the late seventies. Locals identifed them by location. One by the hospital was called “The Sick Duck.” One near sewer plant was “The Stinky Duck.” You can imaginge the possibilities!
Eager to hear more stories. Name your favorite dishes; then y’all come over; we’ll cook, you tell! Long overdue.
On my way to the farmer’s market to buy watermelon…but something tells me it won’t taste like this! Having fun my friend?
Yes, ma’am, that I am! It’s so wonderful to be here, and while the watermelon is mighty tasty and sweet and good, I imagine those South Carolina watermelons have lots of love to give, too. 🙂 . Pineapple is awesome too, and that we don’t get from our Carolina soil, now do we?