China’s salt buying spree yesterday was glimpse how quickly it can all go fubar here and the rush to the supermarkets for anything will happen faster than in most western cultures. Its all rooted in generations of food insecurity. My mom would probably do it. The basic instincts are still there. She came from the generation that fought for broken [...]
I enjoy working with clients’ ayis because I often end up learning as I teach. Typically I get to explore local and regional food beliefs and practices with them and that inspire me to think a little more about certain issues, particularly about cross-cultural communication regarding nutrition. One of the common themes that crop up in my encounters is the [...]
When in Beijing sometimes it can be hard to get over the cultural shock. This is especially so when it comes to food. Your ayi may not know how you like your food prepared and eaten. So never assume she really knows when you are telling her how to prepare the meals. Try to be specific and bone up your [...]
I can be terribly unromantic in the classical sense. The hubby knows that roses are nice when its a surprise, but not really when forced upon you by some arbitrarily set date at ridiculous prices. Spring festival price hikes are bad enough. However in a small concession to the hallmark holiday, I figured why not just make it tasty without [...]
Last month the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau started promoting the use of low sodium salt in the city by making it accessible to most consumers and restaurants. Citing this as part of drive to improve the blood pressure (BP) health of Beijing citizens, you can now find 450g bags of low sodium salt in many of Beijing’s supermarkets. Many people [...]
If you ever find yourself with a bounty of ripening fruits, this is wonderfully quick and simple recipe to help you use them up. It is incredibly versatile and there is no need for additional sugar as the ripe fruits provide plenty of flavor without the cloying sweetness found in most cookie recipes out there. The fiber levels is quite [...]