Taipei

And then I moved to Taiwan

If someone were to have told me a year ago that in one year I'd be living in Taiwan, 

that I'd be eating bamboo shoots,

drinking bubble milk tea,

learning to read Chinese menus,

and zigzagging through crowds on a scooter...

I'd have thought they were crazy.

In fact, at any moment in my life if someone had told me I'd be moving to the opposite side of the world to this beautiful, tropical island I wouldn't have believed it.

I mean... Taiwan?! Where's that, right?

(And yes I said Taiwan, not Thailand - a mistake that countless people tend to make. Such as when friends made their farewells, singing "Have a great time in Thailand!")

And yet here I am. One year in France, barely 3 weeks back in my beloved Canadian home and I find myself transported to the hot and humid island of Taiwan.

What can I say? I just can't seem to shake the travel bug I caught when down under in Sydney, Australia. Apparently they have yet to find a cure, but I'm not complaining.

Welcome to my neighborhood in Taipei where I'll be living for the next year.

Can I show you around? Maybe interest you in some dumplings?

New Home

Where in the world...?

Know where I am yet?

Madeleines

I knew it was going to be hard to pack up and move home from France. I dreaded it the whole year.

The number of times I packed and repacked, moving things from one bag to another and tossing items into an ever-fattening garbage bag... why did I have so much stuff?

The amount of food and kitchen related objects in my bags was slightly embarrassing  and I'd rather not tell you how many pairs of shoes and clothes I threw out to make space for cake trays and spices. One of my favourite souvenirs (and one of 3 cake molds I successfully brought home) is my madeleine tray.

 

Madeleines - betchya can't just eat one.

I learned to make these madeleines during my first month living in my village. One of my students shared with me her mother's recipe, and taught me the tricks to making beautifully light and soft little cakes.

I made these a lot back in Canada. It became automatic - the routine of buttering and flouring the mold, filling it, baking, pop them out and repeat, repeat, repeat.

I really like them with some lemon zest or dried lavender added in. There are so many flavour options to try - you'll just have to make multiple batches too!

Notes:

To obtain the little characteristic 'mounds' on the madeleines, be sure to let the batter rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. During the first 5 minutes in the oven, heighten the temperature up to 400C, then lower it back to 350C for the remaining oven time.

Madeleines

 Ingredients:

4 eggs

175 g caster sugar

225 g flour

100 g melted butter

2 tsp baking powder

Beat the eggs with the sugar by hand using a whisk for about 5-10 minutes. The mixture should become airy and mousse-like.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add to the sugar-egg mixture, followed by the melted butter. Mix well using whisk.

If adding a flavour/mix-in (vanilla, lemon zest, lavender, chocolate chips, etc.) do so now and whisk to combine.

Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350C

Butter and flour your madeleine mold. Fill the molds with a dollop of the batter so that it sits in the middle, but does not touch the edges of the shell shape. 

Bake in the oven for about 12-14 minutes, until the cakes have puffed up and are starting to lightly golden. Remove cakes immediately from tray the wire-rack to cool.

Home

After over a year in Europe, I was flying home.

With a last minute flight booked and too many farewells, it didn't really hit me that I was finally returning to Canada until I was actually in Canada... and realized how much I had forgotten it.

I felt like a tourist in my own country!

I had forgotten the small and simple things that define Canadian living, and here I was rediscovering them.

I was welcomed home by a smiling and tearful family, a bitter cat, an overexcited pup and a 12 kg bag of flour.

I found myself once again among family, long lost friends, and my dearest and most truest friends. 

We reunited together over drinks, afternoon teas and sunny walks, flowering with smiles and laughs.

I baked.

Everyday. Sometimes twice a day. Sometimes three times. 

I wanted to share all the lovely and divine French dishes and creations I had come to love during my time away, with everyone at home. But I was also so very happy to taste again the things that I had been missing so much that remind me of home.

My kitchen presented me with a chance to create fresh and fun Canadian and French fusion dishes and desserts!

Cakes

Tarts

Brioches

Puddings

Pastries

Crepes

BREADS

I baked breads. Oh, so many breads. 

I didn't really have a choice did I? I had a 12 kg bag of flour to get through!

I don't have a bread machine, but I have decided that I really love the process of making bread. 

I spent an obscene and slightly embarrassing amount of time in the kitchen.

I don't know why I love baking so much. It's for so many reasons that I love to fluff up egg whites, beat in sugar, and watch little blobs puff and turn golden and fragrant in the oven.

I know I cook and bake because I love to share these wonderful treats with people and I love how it brings everyone together. It's a great excuse to invite others over, and gather round a table laid with fresh cakes and tea, or meals hot off the BBQ. I must say that many of our get-togethers with family and friends revolved around eating, and I was totally on-board. 

But my time home would be short and sweet.

 I barely had time to unpack before repacking my bags. Barely enough time to say hello before I had to wave goodbye.

Because I was off again, on my next adventure.