KFC and McDonald's

I have seen four McDonald's restaurants since I arrived in America, but the times for KFC is zero. Then I realized that McDonald's has more market share than KFC in American.

I was really surprised at the beginning because I expected to see an empire of KFC dominating fast food sector. That was what I always saw in China. In my home city, there are a chain of about 20 KFC restaurants. By contrast, McDonald's owns only a half of the stores. On a street where a KFC and a McDonald's are open next to each other, you can see Chinese people are more willing to enter the KFC's door. KFC really has a great influence in China. It's like the symbol of fast food. Therefore I would naturally suppose that KFC had a dominant position as well in America, its original country. However, American roles of KFC and McDonald's are changed.

What made KFC so successful in China? With curiosity I did some research. One reason makes KFC at an advantage is that Chinese people like eating chicken more than beef. Nearly everything in KFC is based on chicken while McDonald uses more beef in its food. What's more, according to Chinese actual conditions, KFC has developed many new flavors catering Chinese taste like spicy chicken and snackers. Also, the breakfast specially designed for Chinese in KFC contains lots of Chinese traditional food. In a word, KFC is always renovating and developing new styles and flavors for Chinese. Meanwhile McDonald's is doing nothing.

From my perspective, KFC is more than a business in China, it has a tight relation with people and society. When I was about 10, KFC came to my primary school and taught us aerobic; and when I was in high school, KFC organized basketball competition for us every year. It is no longer news that KFC donates money and helps build schools for poor children. I think participating as if a part of Chinese society is an important reason that Chinese people like KFC and the image of the kind old man.

Enjoy Stink!

I am sure that all Americans know what tofu is, but maybe they have never heard of Stinky Tofu!

Stinky Tofu is a famous course in China. As the name suggests, the smell of the tofu is stinky. If there is a shop selling Stinky Tofu, the entire street would be filled with stink that smell like a pile of putrid garbage.

You may wonder why people like such nasty food. In fact, Stinky Tofu smells nasty but taste delicious. The stink serves a foil to the savor, and gives it a long aftertaste. It is a chemical process that makes the tofu smell stinky. When tofu is fermented and pickled, the protein would be decomposed to produce chemicals such as H2S. These chemicals contribute to the stink. Also, in the process of fermentation and pickling, the interior of tofu becomes more palatable.

In the past, Stinky Tofu was considered as unhealthy food because of the fermentation and pickling process. Nevertheless more and more people start to believe that Stinky Tofu has the function of sterilization and helping digestion just like yogurt.

Stinky Tofu is one of my favorite foods. There was a shop that frequented near my house. Its slogan was ' get money back if not stinky' . People regard the cook that can make the stinkiest tofu as the best maker.

However, in order to reduce costs and seek high profits, some vendors outrageously use shit to make Stinky Tofu! It was reported that about 50 family workshops in Nanshanqu marinated the tofu in liquid dung. They thought it was a cheap and convenient way to make tofu stinky, but they didn't think anything about people's health.

So never buy Stinky Tofu from small family workshops or vendors!

If you want to eat traditional and orthodox Stinky Tofu, go to formal shops or restaurants that have business licenses.

BBQ Cheeseburger

This is a very good cheeseburger. It has won many prizes and been on the news several times. I would have to say this cheeseburger is one of my favorite summer time/cookout meals. It is great with potatoes chips and Cole Slaw. Every time I have this cheeseburger I struggle eating the whole thing because of its size.
BBQ Cheddar Cheeseburger

• 2 cups of cheddar cheese
• 1 lb of bacon
• 2 lbs of hamburger
• Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce

Oriental Cole Slaw
• 2 16oz bags of slaw mix
• 1 bunch of green onions
• ¾ to 1 cup of sunflower seeds
• 2 packages of romain oriental noodles (crunched up)
• ¾ cup broiled almonds

For the dressing you want to wait until you are ready to eat before you add it to the Cole Slaw mix.
• Seasoning packages from the noodles
• ½ cup of sugar
• ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup of vegetable oil

For the cheeseburgers to prepare them you want to fry the bacon. While the bacon is frying make 12 good size patties from the ground beef that you have. When the bacon is done frying crumble it up and put it in a blow mixed with the cheddar cheese. When the cheese and bacon are thoroughly mixed in the bowl take two of the patties and set a ball of the cheese and bacon mix in the center of one of the patties and then put the other patty on top of the one with the ball in the middle and compress hard until both patties become one. Once you are done with all the patties it’s time to put them on the grill.

When the grill is nice and hot put the patties on the grill on low heat flipping them every once and awhile so they won’t burn. While the patties are grilling start sautéing and onion. Also when the patties are grilling and the onions are sautéing start putting the Cole Slaw together but waiting to put the dressing on until you are ready to eat.

When the burgers are done here’s how I like to put my burger together. I like to toast my bun in the toaster until it is golden brown and just right then I take the Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and pour it on top of the burger. Once I have done that I have the onions on top of the BBQ sauce and then I am done. Some people like to put the Cole Slaw on the burger but I personally think that is gross. Now all that is left is to enjoy a great dinner with family and friends.

Buca di Beppo - Part 2

Yesterday after going to the orchard, we ate at Buca di Beppo and it was delicious! I got the strawberry lemonade like I always do and told my boyfriend to get it too but he said it sounded gross and got a cherry pepsi instead. When the drinks came, I made him taste mine and he thought it was soo good! I think he drank more of it than I did!

Then the house bread came. We ate that and I took pictures while we waited for our food. We ordered the fettuccine supremo. It is one of my favorite dishes, but I forgot how good it really is! The sauce is so creamy and the chicken is so tender! We ended up having tons of leftovers, so I plan on eating it at home for every mean until it's gone!

I had a coupon so our bill ended up only being about $15.

Something else that I really like about Buca di Beppo that I didn't mention in my previous post is the atmosphere. The lighting is low and there are statues and pictures everywhere. Actually, the walls are totally covered in stuff. They have photos, ads, those little Christmas lights, all kinds of weird/cool things. And the photos! They are crazy! One of my favorites is this black and white picture of nuns in bumper cars. I tried to take a picture of it, but it didn't turn out so well (and people were staring so I didn't want to try again).

Even the bathrooms are decorated like that!

Another really cool thing is when they are taking you to your table, you get to walk trough the kitchen. There is even a big booth table in there but I've never gotten to sit there.

I know I could sit here and describe Buca's to you all day long, but instead, I think you should just go check it out for yourself!

P.S. - I took all of the pictures in this post too! I would have taken more, but I felt weird. And yet again, I forgot to take a pic of our food!

Apple Orchard Adventure

My boyfriend and I went to the orchard yesterday afternoon. It was so crowded! I have never seen it that busy before! It was a really nice day though. It was a little hot at first, but there was a nice breeze.

First, we got some concessions. I got a cider slushy and a caramel apple (of course) and my boyfriend got a cider slushy and an elephant ear. The slushies were excellent as always! I could drink them all day! The elephant ear was really good too. I'm not sure I've ever had an elephant ear from the orchard before, but I will definitely get one again!

As for my caramel apple, I was a little disappointed. I got a plain caramel apple like I always do, but I wish I would have gotten one with nuts. The caramel was good, but the apple was a little softer than I like them. It still had a good flavor, but the nuts would have given it even more flavor.

After eating, we walked through the apple trees. I guess it's kind of late in the season, because there weren't very many apples on the trees. I was really disappointed about that. I wanted to take some pictures of the apples, red and green, but the only kind that I saw on the trees (there were tons on the ground) were golden delicious (which are green). They tasted pretty good though.

Then we picked our pumpkins. I picked a nice 12.5 pound pumpkin and my boyfriend got a 9.5 pound pumpkin. They are perfect. No lumps, dents, or anything. We haven't carved them yet, but we plan on doing that later today. I'm excited to carve my first pumpkin that's not just a jack-o-lantern face! I hope it turns out alright (I'll post pictures)!

Overall, I had a really good time at the orchard and I can't wait to go back!

P.S. - I took all of the pictures in this post. I forgot to take a pic of our food though.

Word of the Day: marzipan

To Drink Tea or Not to Drink Tea...There is No Question

As of last Saturday, I have become addicted to tea. We're not gonna talk about why I'm now addicted to tea, but just know that I am. I know lots of people who are in the same boat, and then again, I know lots of people who hate tea. Face it, when it comes to tea, you either like it or you don't. There is no "Well it's ok..."

So what are the best kinds of tea? Well since my tea kick has started, I have been drinking a lot of Peace Tea and Arizona Tea. When it comes to their green teas, Peace and Arizona pretty much taste the same. But, Peace Tea has Razzleberry flavored tea which is AMAZING! It's kind of weird at first, but then you become addicted to it. If you like tea, then I recommend that you go try it right now.

Another kind of tea that I really like is Bellini peach or raspberry tea. I don't know where you can buy Bellini tea, but I had it at Olive Garden. I would say the peach and the raspberry are equally delicious. Same with Snapple. They have amazing peach and raspberry teas.

Something else about Snapple that I like is that they put random facts on the insides of their caps. For example, did you know that a goldfish's attention span is three seconds? Or that slugs have four noses? Or that camels have three eyelids?

These are all cold teas by the way. I am not a fan of hot tea. However, this might change as it is getting colder.

My dad is also a tea addict, but he likes more of the hot teas. Some of his favorites are Yorkshire Gold and Twinings. In my opinion, he is a tea connoisseur. He is always trying new teas and going to weird stores to look for different kinds.

Soo...Go drink some tea.

Word of the Day: antioxidants...for obvious reasons...and if it's not so obvious, I'll tell you. Tea is full of antioxidants. Now you know! (This is an inside joke between me and my friends...it's from Bill Nye the Science Guy)!

Grills

• 16 gauge 304 Stainless
• 4 Cast Stainless burners at 60,000 BTU's total w/15,000 BTU Infrared back burner
• Rotisserie included
• 5 Sure-lite gas valves
• 5 Heavy-duty push to turn Zinc knobs with Piezo ignition
• 600 sq. in. of cooking area
• Warming rack - 210 sq. in. of area
• Full size drip Tray
• Smoker box
• Built-in twin lights
• Stainless steel flavor bars
• Heavy Duty built-in thermometer
• Hose and regulator included w/ LP models
• Gas regulator included w/ NG models
• Fire tested, CSA certified, NSF approved
• Dual lined hood
• Comes with 2 door cart

The Bull BBQ: Angus Cart grill is a grill I can only dream of having. It is made by Bull BBQ and a great durable propane grill. It comes with literally everything! The only downfall of this grill is the price at $2,149.00. If you have the money for this grill get it!

With the 600 square inch cooking area and it's 4 cast stainless steel burners you can grill anything you want on this grill and not have to worry about not having enough room. It also comes with rotisserie to grill wonderful roasts or chicken. Another awesome feature of the Angus Cart is it comes withe a smoker box which allows you to smoke meat for the ultimate flavor.

This grill also comes with two lights for night grilling. This would be helpful when you are checking to see if the meat is done because sometimes porch lights just don't cut it. The 210 square inch warming rack is great for putting vegetables or toasting bread.

If I had a chance to get this grill I definitely would because it come with everything you need and more.

Mutton shashlik was once my favorite food when I was young, but since my mother forbid me from eating roast food for health sake, I never eat mutton shashlik publicly at home. Instead, I often buy it from the vendors after school and finish eating before I arrive home.

Mutton shashlik comes from Xinjiang, a place where some minorities of China live. Mutton is the most common food there, and their special cooking made Mutton shashlik outstanding among all the shashliks. I don't like big roast nuggets because the seasonings cannot get into the massive meat. Therefore shashlik is the best way for me to enjoy roast meat. The mutton is cut into small parts which taste more delicious than a whole nugget.

I have eaten mutton in several different ways like boiling and steaming, but no way could get rid of the nasty smell of mutton better than roast. So if there is a big piece of lamb in front of me, I prefer roast it, especially by shashlik.
Cumin is an essential component of Mutton shashlik. I didn't know this unique seasoning until the first time that I tried mutton shashlik. That is really a flavor of nature.

I hope my mother won't see this post, otherwise I should be constrained by her diet more strictly.

food differences between countries (part 2)

There is a strange difference of food values between China and America. In most dinning courts, I can find big chicken nuggets which are possibly made from the breasts. Chinese don't like the big nugget because they think it is tough and lacks flavor. However, the stuffs that Americans never touch on the dinning table, like chicken feet and duck necks, are treated as delicacy in China. Chicken and duck feet, which are supposed to be in Americans' trash bin, are sold more expensive than chicken breast in Chinese market. There are many popular restaurants specially and only sell duck necks in China. Americans has no interest in the duck neck because the meat is really tiny.

What's more, lots of Chinese love eating hog feet, hog ears, chicken heads, duck tongues and livers and hearts of some animals. Even some crazy people eat chicken ass! These parts of animals are not in favor with Americans.

Also, many delicious Chinese foods, for example snakes, finless eel, loach and freshwater fish etc are not popular in America. Americans don't eat freshwater fish due to fishiness and too many small fishbone. They eat sea fish only.

In China, every dinner or banquet, no matter what the purpose is, would just be in one form that is some 10 people sitting together around a round table and enjoying the food from the same plates. Eating separately or buffet dinner is not prevailed. From their perspective, eating together creates a polite and amusing atmosphere and will makes people more united. The foods are not only the objects for eating, but also become the medium of people's affective interaction. It is a bit like King Arthur's round table in purpose. This banquet form is better for collective interaction which the American banquet is better for personal interaction via buffet.

The post is just based on my limited information and knowledge. If you have better ideas please share with us!

It's Fall!

Welp, the leaves are starting to change colors and it's getting colder which means it is definitely Fall. And the best part about Fall is going to the apple orchard.

I'm REALLY excited about next weekend, because I get to go to the apple orchard by my house! (so this is kind of a pre-apple orchard blog, but don't worry, I'll totally write a post-apple orchard blog...with pictures.)

When I go to the apple orchard, I like to pick my own apples. It is so much fun wandering around through the rows of trees and getting lost. I also like to get cider slushies and caramel apples.

The orchard where I live has the best cider slushies. The flavor is perfect! And their caramel apples are so fresh and crisp. You can get them with nuts or plain. I kind of like the plain ones. They also have things like honeys and jams, apple butter, seasonal vegetables like pumpkins and squash, indian corn, gourds, potpourri, and candles.

If I'm feelin' crazy, I'll buy a pumpkin. I love carving pumpkins, but I haven't done it in years! It kind of grosses me out to clean out the pumpkin, but it's still fun. It feels all weird and gooey.

When we were little, my sister and I would each get to pick out a pumpkin to carve. Our mom would cut it open and we would start pulling the insides out. Then we'd draw faces on them and she'd cut them out for us. Afterwards, she'd season and roast the seeds in the oven.

Now that I'm older, I'm going to try to carve a cool design into my pumpkin. Nothin' too intricate, but something better than just a jack-o-lantern face. For example, I think these are pretty cool, but I don't think I'm talented enough to do that. (I'll post pictures if mine turns out ok...and probably still if it doesn't.)

Word of the Day: chutney

Charcoal vs Propane Grilling

The first thing you have to consider when it comes to grilling is heat up time. You want to have a grill that heats up fast. For propane grills all you have to do is screw the tank on to the grill and light it. Charcoal you have to add the charcoal pour lighter fluid on it and then light it and wait for the charcoal to get hot enough to start grilling. I personally like propane grills better because they are more convenient.

Another thing about propane grills is that you can actually control the heat. With charcoal you can't do that it is just one temperature throughout the whole time you are grilling. One good thing about charcoal whenever it burns it sets off a really good smell.

Many people believe that charcoal adds wonderful tastes and propane won't. I believe this is wrong because propane will give you the same smokey taste as a charcoal grill. The smokey flavor occurs when the fat drips onto the heat source. The fat causes smoke which ads the flavor.

Clean up on the grills. No one I know likes to clean a grill so who would want to take a long time on a grill? Not me. I want to get done cleaning the grill as quick as possible. Cleaning a propane grill is pretty easy all you have to do is scrape off the grates on the grill and you are basically done then cover it up with a grill cover to keep it looking nice. Charcoal is a little different you have to get rid of the ashes and then scrape off the grate then cover it so I'd rather have two steps of cleaning then three. This is why i choose propane grills over charcoal grills.

My favorite thing to make with my dad on the grill is pork roast. It is a tradition that we go out on the porch and grill it together. It all started back when I was in the fifth grade when he asked me if i wanted to help make dinner with him. He then taught me all the secrets to grilling how grilling everything slow on low heat is the right way to do it.

Then, he showed me the secrets to seasonings and what goes good with things and what doesn't. I helped him that night and the roast that we made was the best roast that we have ever made. We can never duplicate it because whenever wrote down the recipe and can't remember it.

The key to grilling the roast is the seasonings because you want to keep all the flavorings inside to make it nice and juicy when it comes off the grill. You also want to make sure that you grill it nice and slow and if you have a rack that sits higher than right above the flame put it on there so it doesn't burn. All this will take approximately one and a half hours. Yes it's a long time to wait but it's worth it because it is a really good meal.

Steak 'n Shake

One of my favorite fast food restaurants to go to is Steak 'n Shake. It is a very good and fun place to go and it is open to the wee hours in the morning.

For instance last night my brother his three best friends and my best friend all went to Steak 'n Shake at 2:00 in the morning and they were still open. I had a very good cheeseburger the was grille to perfection in my book.

I think the best meal the I have had at Steak 'n Shake would be the Steak Burger with bacon and cheese with cheese fries. Every time I order it it's always the best and never gets old. Not only are their cheeseburgers good they also have great ice cream and shakes. I like to get a side by side strawberry and chocolate shake and it is amazing.

Another good thing about this restaurant is that it is fairly cheap. You can walk in and have a meal that costs you less than eight dollars plus tax. If you have never been to Steak 'n Shake I highly recommend it if you are wanting to have a good quick meal that is cheap and has great service.

food differences between countries (part 1)

I have been in American for nearly two months. After trying all the dinning courts in the university, tasting many restaurants around campus, talking with some people, and considering my previous knowledge, I got some conclusion about the difference of food and diet between China and America.

Mostly those difference com from the factors of culture, region , weather, history and economy, and appear in the form of materials, flavors, cooking styles and eating habits.

Chinese food is mainly focused on the flavor while American food is paid more attention on nutrition. When Chinese are in pursuit of good taste, they ignore the quality and nutrition in the food. For example, Chinese tend to put much salt and MSG in cooking which makes food tastier but would cause many blood pressure and heart problems. American use about half the quantity of salt and nearly no MSG.

Chinese people like soups cooked by all kinds of materials and styles. They use vegetables, meat, sea food, Chinese medicinal plant and potherb etc to cook soup which are good for health preserving. Soup is so important in China that it is indispensable in every meal. In contrast, it's uncommon to see that Americans have soup on their tables every day. Soup is really rare in the university dinning courts.

Chinese eat more vegetables while Americans eat more meat. According to my research, there are about 600 sorts of vegetables, which are 6 times of those in Western countries, in Chinese diet. As a result, American seen taller and stronger than Chinese.

The seasonings which are necessary in Chinese cooking such as vinegar, shallot, ginger, and garlic etc not only better the flavor, but also sterilize the food and help digestion. They are not used much in American food.

Traditionally, Americans prefer to have some dessert with coffee after meal when Chinese choose fruits with tea. However, Sodas and juices are more popular among the teenagers in both countries.

Halloween "Treats"

It's October! You know what that means?!? Halloween is right around the corner! Kids in costumes (and sometimes adults) running around, knocking on peoples doors trick-or-treating.

What's the best part about Halloween? THE CANDY!!! I mean I've seen some pretty cool costumes but let's face it, if candy wasn't involved then no one would dress up like that just for shits n giggles. Kiddies want Twizzlers and Milky Ways and Smarties and Reeses. But sometimes you aren't so lucky and you get icky candy that only your parents and grandparents like.

Soo...

Note to elderly people: Bit-O-Honeys suck! Those stupid little peanut butter-ish candies that are in the orange or black wrappers and kind of taste like Bit-O-Honeys SUCK! Pay Days suck (the candy that is)! Adults like em', but kids HATE nuts! Black licorice sucks! Butterscotch and cinnamon hard candies suck! AND, I'm sorry if this offends you, but candy corn SUCKS!

Here's another thing. "Treats" that aren't candy suck. We don't want stickers or pencils. We want candy! Which reminds me...

Dear dentist that used to live in the neighborhood that I went trick-or-treating in when I was a kid,

I know that the only reason you gave out pencils is because candy rots your teeth. But come on buddy! Think of it this way. You are a dentist. It is Halloween. People give out candy for Halloween. Candy gives kids cavities. When kids get cavities, they have to go to the dentist and get fillings. That costs money. More kids with cavities equals more money that parents have to pay the dentist. Candy = Cavities = MORE MONEY FOR YOU! What were you thinking giving out pencils?!?

Soo...When shopping for candy to give to your trick-or-treaters, take my suggestions from this blog into consideration. If you don't, then your house and your car may get egged. Just sayin'.

P.S. - This blog totally reminds me of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

Word of the Day: horseradish