When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume. In particular, it was the chapter where little Fudge’s parents couldn’t get him to eat, so they brought him up to the bathtub and dumping food over his head. That inspired the phrase “eat it or wear it” which has stuck with me until this day.
It’s also the phrase that inspired us in this week’s edition of Feast Meets West. I thought to myself, ”How can we create a program in which we can get away with putting food on ourselves instead of in ourselves?” The safest answer, we discovered, was the ever-popular food-related facial. Keep reading to find out what I look like with a squash (loofah) facial plastered to my face and to get tips for creating your own facials from edible ingrediants. Read the rest of this entry »
Ellen and I have been having a hard time waking up in the morning and starting the day on a fresh note. So we’re holding a competition to learn about your suggestions for creating the perfect morning routine.
When Taiwanese living overseas think of “home”, they often reminisce about food. For Kevin Peng (pictured at left), who was born in Taiwan but grew up in Malaysia, those foods include oyster omelets, pork balls, and rice vermicelli among other things. Now that he lives in Taiwan, his food memories of Penang, Malaysia include durians (the stinky fruit shaped like a spiky football) and nasi lemak (coconut rice).
Now, at TEDx Taipei (which will be held on Saturday, October 17th), Kevin and his collaborators Jason Hsu and Eric Tsai will showcase some of the most interesting people and stories from Taiwan. Together, they have curated a day-long event that aims to bring “ideas worth sharing” from Taiwan to the rest of the world.
In 1964, Taiwan’s Cabinet adopted the plum blossom as the National Flower of the Republic of China. It’s a fitting pick for a government that was composed of the Chinese Nationalists who retreated to Taiwan after defeat by the Communists. That’s because the flower is known for its resilience in the brutal winters of Northern China.
It’s hard to overestimate the importance that water plays in daily life here in Taiwan. We are surrounded by water, and yet there are often water shortages. Typhoons can bring enough rainwater to fill reservoirs, but it often comes at a price: flooding and landslides like the ones that devastated southern Taiwan in August.
I’ve always associated corn with Native Americans. But indigenous Taiwanese serve it up too — and not just the mini-corn husks you see in stir-fry dishes.
I arranged to have dinner with my friend Lars. After all, that’s what friends do – you eat, you have a few drinks, you chat.

Dunkin’ Donuts went under in Taiwan not once, but twice. Mister Donut changed his recipes to cater to local tastes. Krispy Kreme never even made it here.