Okay, here is a blog post about my experience cooking Taiwanese food, written in the style and tone you requested:
So, I’ve been on this kick lately, you know, trying to cook food from all over the world. And this week, it was Taiwan’s turn. Now, I’ve had Taiwanese food before at restaurants, always loved it, but making it myself? That’s a whole other story.
Taiwanese food, from what I read, is kind of a mix of a bunch of different influences, which makes sense given the island’s history. You got your native flavors, then stuff from different parts of China, and even some Japanese thrown in there. Sounds complicated, right?
I decided to start simple. Well, simple-ish. Three cup chicken seemed like a good bet, and it looked pretty straightforward. The name had me curious too – you use equal parts of sesame oil, rice wine, and soy sauce. I grabbed all the ingredients, chopped up some chicken, and got to work.
Frying up the chicken was easy enough, it smelled amazing with all that ginger and garlic. The tricky part was getting the sauce just right. You gotta let it simmer and thicken up, but not too much, or it gets all sticky and burnt. I might’ve messed that up a bit the first time, but hey, you live and learn, right? It was delicious!
Next up, I wanted something sweet. So I attempted this Taiwanese castella cake. Now, I’m no baker, not by a long shot, but this cake looked so fluffy and light, I just had to try it. The recipe I found said to use low protein flour, milk, coconut oil, and a whole bunch of eggs.
- low protein flour
- milk
- coconut oil
- egg whites
Separating the egg whites and whipping them into a meringue? Let me tell you, that was a workout! And folding it into the batter without deflating the whole thing? Nerve-wracking, I tell ya. Mine probably didn’t rise as much as it should’ve, but it still tasted pretty darn good. A little dense, maybe, but sweet and satisfying.
This whole Taiwanese cooking adventure got me thinking. There’s just so much variety out there, from those savory street snacks you see on TV to the home-style comfort food that probably every Taiwanese grandma has a secret recipe for. It’s a lot to take in, a lot to learn. And you know what? I’m here for it. It’s like a delicious challenge, and I can’t wait to see what I’ll try to cook next.
It’s been a wild ride so far, with some hits and definitely some misses. But that’s the fun of it, right? You get your hands dirty, you make a mess, and sometimes, just sometimes, you end up with something truly delicious.
