Blog | Butterfingers

Save the date: Spring Fair with WPCA 2018

Since I moved to Cape Town and discovered the Western Province Chinese Association's Spring Food Fair, I like to attend and stuff my face with Chinese treats and spend some time catching up with familiar faces in the East Asian...
Open Book Festival at The Fugard #obf2018

After receiving an invitation to be a panelist for Open Book Festival from the organisers (Mervyn and Frankie), I must say I had to reread the mail a few times just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Soon, my...
#ItMustBeThePhilly – Matcha and Vanilla Rolls

Had a lovely Sunday baking with Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The Philly team got in touch asking if I'd be interested in collaborating on a recipe and seeing as it is my favourite brand of cream cheese, how can a food...
Speaker: INTENTION at CreativeMornings CT

Last month, I was invited to be a guest speaker at CreativeMornings hosted at Friends of Design in town on the 27th of July 2018. Creative Mornings is a global platform of breakfast lecture series for the creative community, and...
Just Add Rice book launch at The Book Lounge

Now that my book launch is over, I can do the grossly soppy ‘thank you’s. Here’s a post on the process, including all those that contributed to the creation of my new cookbook Just Add Rice – stories and...
A fun giveaway #justaddrice

I'm doing the giveaway thing! WIN a copy of my cookbook Just Add Rice published by Quivertree Publications. Step 1: Find a feature on Just Add Rice – stories and recipes by a Taiwanese South African in any of the following...
Watch this space for my recipe book 'Just Add Rice'

Wow... my book is ready to go to print. Look how amazing the cover looks, I can't express my gratitude and joy in words so here are some emojis. Thank you to Craig Fraser and Libby Doyle (owners of Quivertree...
Where to buy Zongzi in Cape Town

My parents are both pretty badass cooks and are now selling Tainan-style zongzi (粽子) in Cape Town. Read up about the history of this rice cake on one of my previous posts here. This post also teaches you how...
Chinese New Year with the WPCA in Cape Town

Cape Town has a wonderful community called the Western Province Chinese Association and they are based at the Chinese School and Community Centre at Liesbeek Parkway in Observatory. I've been to some of their events before, including festival celebrations...

17 Sep 2018

Save the date: Spring Fair with WPCA 2018

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Reviews | 0

Since I moved to Cape Town and discovered the Western Province Chinese Association‘s Spring Food Fair, I like to attend and stuff my face with Chinese treats and spend some time catching up with familiar faces in the East Asian community … Read More

10 Sep 2018

Open Book Festival at The Fugard #obf2018

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

After receiving an invitation to be a panelist for Open Book Festival from the organisers (Mervyn and Frankie), I must say I had to reread the mail a few times just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Soon, my author … Read More

3 Sep 2018

#ItMustBeThePhilly – Matcha and Vanilla Rolls

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Had a lovely Sunday baking with Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The Philly team got in touch asking if I’d be interested in collaborating on a recipe and seeing as it is my favourite brand of cream cheese, how can a food blogger … Read More

10 Aug 2018

Speaker: INTENTION at CreativeMornings CT

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Last month, I was invited to be a guest speaker at CreativeMornings hosted at Friends of Design in town on the 27th of July 2018. Creative Mornings is a global platform of breakfast lecture series for the creative community, and you … Read More

14 Jun 2018

Just Add Rice book launch at The Book Lounge

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Reviews | 0

Now that my book launch is over, I can do the grossly soppy ‘thank you’s. Here’s a post on the process, including all those that contributed to the creation of my new cookbook Just Add Rice – stories and recipes … Read More

29 May 2018

A fun giveaway #justaddrice

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Reviews | 3

I’m doing the giveaway thing! WIN a copy of my cookbook Just Add Rice published by Quivertree Publications. Step 1: Find a feature on Just Add Rice – stories and recipes by a Taiwanese South African in any of the … Read More

19 Mar 2018

Watch this space for my recipe book ‘Just Add Rice’

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Reviews | 0

Wow… my book is ready to go to print. Look how amazing the cover looks, I can’t express my gratitude and joy in words so here are some emojis. Thank you to Craig Fraser and Libby Doyle (owners of Quivertree … Read More

13 Mar 2018

Where to buy Zongzi in Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Reviews | 1

My parents are both pretty badass cooks and are now selling Tainan-style zongzi (粽子) in Cape Town. Read up about the history of this rice cake on one of my previous posts here. This post also teaches you how to … Read More

27 Feb 2018

Chinese New Year with the WPCA in Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Reviews | 0

Cape Town has a wonderful community called the Western Province Chinese Association and they are based at the Chinese School and Community Centre at Liesbeek Parkway in Observatory. I’ve been to some of their events before, including festival celebrations to … Read More

15 Jan 2018

Feature: Lunar New Year for Woolworths Taste Magazine

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

In October 2017, I did a presentation on the harms of Cultural Appropriation with Studio H at New Media Publishing. I met Taste magazine’s features editor Michelle Coburn who asked to have a quick chat with me after my talk. She … Read More

4 Jan 2018

Feature: Festive recipes with Between 10and5

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Thank you to Between 10 and 5 for inviting me to take part in their “Inclusive holiday menu – 5 South African foodies share their fave recipes and memories” feature. Illustration by Aimée-Claire Smith, follow her work at @shecraftswords. My … Read More

2 Jan 2018

Cultural Appropriation VS Appreciation with Studio H

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

My friends at Studio H (a multidisciplinary design studio), organisers of many rad events like Street Food Festival invited me to their team as their cultural advisor and wanted to learn more about the harms of cultural appropriation. This is a delayed … Read More

28 Sep 2017

Sourdough masterclass at Loaves on Long

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 2

As soon as you walk into Loaves on Long the first thing you do is close your eyes and breathe deeply to sniff up all the freshly baked scents. Thank you to team Errieda and Ian du Toit for inviting … Read More

17 Aug 2017

Speaker: Visa Street Food Festival in Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

Received an invite to speak at Cape Town’s Visa Street Food Festival (2–3 September), think this will be plenty of fun. This year’s is the fourth annual Street Food Festival and there’ll be a market with a variety of food vendors, … Read More

29 Jun 2017

Bacon, broccoli, bok choy & brown rice stir fry

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

I love alliteration. Bacon, broccoli, bok choy & brown rice stir fry (and bean sprouts if you can get yours hands on that). And I love vegetables. Oh and bacon. Brown rice is something I don’t often eat but want to … Read More

26 Jun 2017

Bitterballen and dill gherkin slaw hotdogs

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Bitterballen isn’t quick, but if you make them (recipe here) and have them frozen ready for rainy days (or buy them frozen) this can be a quick and simple meal. Kyle’s heritage is Dutch and one of his favourite Dutch … Read More

25 Jun 2017

Green green green with udon noodles

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Many have been asking if these simple recipes are available on my blog. Though I don’t feel they require recipes, I decided to start a series for Simple Meals showing which flavours work with each other. This one is a … Read More

23 May 2017

Review on Doggobone (active raw food for my dogs)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 10

This isn’t a human food post, but a dog food post, a review on Doggobone. Kyle and I have three dogs, Buttons, Pepper and Louis. Buttons is a mutt, full of brak – we have no idea what she is. … Read More

16 May 2017

Chinese garlic chives fried dumplings 韭菜盒子

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 2

One of my favourite fried dumplings is Chinese garlic chives fried dumplings (韭菜盒子). It contains garlic chives, mung bean glass noodles (which are readily available at all Asian supermarkets), scrambled egg and pan-fried baby shrimp. My mama came to visit for a … Read More

15 May 2017

Thank you for listening Simply Asia South Africa

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 0

This is an appreciation post to say well done to Simply Asia advertising and their branding team. Simply Asia is South Africa’s biggest Thai food franchise and I must say, I do enjoy having a take away from them when I’m … Read More

13 May 2017

Guest speaker at Deloitte Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

I was invited to speak at Cape Town’s Deloitte, a financial consultant company on Tuesday, 2 May 2017. I was fortunate to get the gig because my brother suggested me to them. He referenced my Media24 article on my life experience … Read More

12 May 2017

Food styling with Chopsticks – getting it right

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 1

I was born in Taiwan and raised in South Africa from the age of three but my parents made sure that I never forgot my Taiwanese roots. Whether it was speaking Hokkien and Mandarin or using Feng Shui to arrange … Read More

2 May 2017

Nicole & Matthew’s wedding at Sea Trader, Britannia Bay

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

My dearest friends, Nicole and Matthew, got married recently in Britannia Bay (along the West Coast) at an events location with beach house cottages called Sea Trader. Their wedding was an intimate one, celebrated by family and close friends. I … Read More

26 Apr 2017

Russian Red: Guguta’s Hat Cake for a wedding concept shoot

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 0

A wedding concept collaboration shoot with one of my favourite photo photographers and friend, Grethe Rosseaux. Guguta’s Hat Cake Layered buttery biscuit logs of brandy-infused cherries, smothered and left overnight in a thick coat of double and sour cream … Read More

29 Mar 2017

Guest lecture at CPUT – Food Communications

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Last year when Kyle and I got married, we did our paperwork and very short/private ceremony at Iziko South African Museum, here in Cape Town. I met a Garrett Eriksen, the marketing & PR coordinator back then, who’s also a … Read More

22 Mar 2017

Dutch Bitterballen – beef ragout-style meatball in a crispy coat

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Bitterballen. Oh glorious bitterballen, my favourite lekker eten – so they say in the Netherlands, if I’m correct. The first time I tried these were at Slugg and Lettuce in Newlands, Cape Town and we ate them with a yellow mustard. … Read More

16 Feb 2017

Frozen Matcha, Coconut and Sago pudding

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Matcha in Chinese-Mandarin is ‘抹茶’ which is pronounced ‘moah-tsa’ (this is how I would spell the pronunciation) – the first part of the word meaning ‘ground’ and second ‘tea’. This special ingredient is uniquely Japanese and used all over Asia … Read More

30 Jan 2017

Whole fish and peppers in a sweet and sour sauce

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

This was published in newspaper print: Sunday Times | Food and Lifestyle PG 46 (The story and extra info had to be cut out due to space constraints, please see the full story below) –– May there be fish every year … Read More

26 Jan 2017

ClemenGold for the Chinese New Year 2017

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year is to be celebrated this year (2017) on the 28th with a New Year’s Eve dinner on the 27th of January. I’m 28 years of age now, and as I’ve celebrated … Read More

16 Jan 2017

Chicken hearts with a sticky Taiwanese basting sauce

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Offal, you either like it or you don’t. I grew up enjoying giblets and my favourite is the chicken heart. I truly enjoy the unique textures and flavours. Hearts are nothing but specialised muscles with more nutrition (like most organs) over … Read More

11 Jan 2017

I am Asian South African – let me roar

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 4

So this isn’t necessarily food-related but more about a topic that led me into my food journey. Growing up as an immigrant in South Africa was hard but it provided the opportunity to learn tolerance and acceptance. Big ups to everyone I … Read More

9 Jan 2017

Coconut milk sago pudding with summer fruit

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 1

Sago is one of my favourite starches. Much like the tapioca pearls in a Taiwanese Bubble Tea, sago pearls/balls is smaller, gluten-free and with a chewy texture. Tapioca and sago starches are made from the same cassava tree – a type of … Read More

3 Jan 2017

2016 with the dingus we call Louis the Weim

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 2

In 2016 Kyle and I decided to get our first ‘big’ dog and it’s been a pretty epic journey with Louis our Weimaraner. Kyle has never had his own dog before so this was a good time. We took our time … Read More

19 Dec 2016

Chewy Matcha Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chips

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

This year was a toughie, one of my high school friends had to stop eating gluten. Shem. And with so much gluten-free ingredients and dishes in Asian cuisines, I decided to play around so that she can still enjoy baked … Read More

5 Dec 2016

How to make Taiwanese Gua Bao 割包 (steamed cut buns)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Heard about the famous bao? My friend Chi and I made this video on how to make gua bao dough. This humble Taiwanese street food is a steamed bun, folded like a taco with filling of interesting textures, has made its … Read More

9 Nov 2016

Gluten-free Chinese Turnip Cake (蘿蔔糕)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes | 0

Asian turnip, daikon or in Chinese-Mandarin we simply say white carrot, is the main ingredient used in this dish, along with rice flour (and I used the one leftover from my Faithful to Nature challenge). This lovely vegetable has a mild … Read More

4 Nov 2016

Sesame, Vegetables and leftover Rice Stir Fry

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Sesame seed oil is a beautiful thing and the Lemcke team sent me some of theirs to play with. Being one of the healthiest oils, Lemcke’s sesame oil is cold pressed from organic sesame seeds. Light hue of gold, subtle … Read More

28 Oct 2016

Crispy & chewy Sweet Potato Puffs – Taiwanese street food

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

My mama used to make this quite often, one of my favourite Taiwanese street food snacks made from the humble sweet potato (a staple in Taiwan) along with tapioca flour as a binding agent and brown sugar for sweetness. When … Read More

29 Sep 2016

Steamed rice cake and veg bowls – Taiwanese-style

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 5

Imagine a pudding … a savoury pudding but without butter, milk or eggs in the mixture. What? No dairy? Yes, most dishes I grew up with don’t include dairy as the ingredient doesn’t play a major part in a traditional … Read More

21 Sep 2016

Dutch Baby – buttery pancake with fresh fruit

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Reviews | 0

I saw my food friend Ishay Govender post this on her Instagram the other day, and having a husband who loves his butter, I thought I’d give it a go. It’s so simple but decadent and filled with buttery goodness. … Read More

8 Jul 2016

Gluten-free Pork Short Rib and Daikon Noodle Soup

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 1

One of my favourite combinations growing is pork and daikon. Daikon is a root, and resembles a very fat white carrot. It tastes a tad like radish, but milder in flavour – a lovely winter vegetable. You can find these … Read More

18 May 2016

Brioche Dough for Doughnuts

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes | 1

For our wedding day, we decided to indulge a bit and make freshly fried doughnuts with freshly made dough. Before Kyle was in the scientific industry, he was a baker and for our wedding day brunch he made fresh brioche … Read More

17 May 2016

Our Civil Union #kmwedding

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 14

My best friend and I bought a house together in April 2015, and then later got engaged over the December holiday in 2015. Even though we already knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, Kyle still … Read More

13 May 2016

Congee – Gluten-free Asian Savoury Porridge

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 1

I recently wrote about Freekeh, White Rice and Bone Marrow Congee, now this post is for a humble alternative of that congee recipe. Congee is a gluten-free Asian savoury porridge, usually eaten as breakfast, made when you’re feeling unwell or even … Read More

11 May 2016

Dark Muscovado Honeycomb on Afternoon Express

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes | 0

Yesterday, I made honeycomb as a topping for apple pie pastry discs with host, Jeannie D. Sebastian and the Afternoon Express team invited me to make something using Selati Muscovado sugar, a dark somewhat refined to unrefined brown sugar that has strong … Read More

11 May 2016

Why bone broths are better for your budget: Yuppiechef

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes | 0

Man , I love a mean broth. But what is a broth? Is it the same thing as a stock? How is it better for my budget? Do you use vegetables, bones or meat? And why is it healthy? Here’s my article, … Read More

3 May 2016

Butterfingers and Yuppiechef

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

As one of my first foodie projects, I’ll be contributing to Yuppiechef’s blog as a food writer on Taiwanese food, drawing from my personal experiences and research. My first piece is an introduction to why I love Taiwanese food, and … Read More

27 Apr 2016

Freekeh, White Rice and Bone Marrow Congee

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes, Recommendations | 1

Oh fun, thanks to Freekeh South Africa and The Really Interesting Food Company – Trifco I got to experiment with this precious ancient grain. Make something with it, and compete against nine other foodies. Now, some of you might know that I … Read More

19 Apr 2016

Spicy Dutch Speculaas Cookies

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 3

Kyle is South African-born Dutch. His oma from his dad’s left him a wonderful family cook book with an extensive selection of traditional Dutch recipes. This book has seen its days and is now held together with duct tape. In addition, … Read More

15 Mar 2016

Making Baozi on SABC3 Afternoon Express

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

On Wednesday, 20 January 2016, the SABC 3 Afternoon Express team invited to me to join them in studio to make… whatever I felt like. Now that’s a bit a hard. But since Kyle and I just came back from … Read More

15 Jan 2016

Tasting and Travelling in Taiwan

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations, Reviews | 0

This was Kyle’s first trip to Taiwan, so I was incredibly excited to go on missions with him in my home-country. From food and drink to tourist destinations and historical monuments, we covered quite a lot in our time there. … Read More

15 Dec 2015

Guess where I’m going #butterfingersintaiwan

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations, Reviews | 0

Taiwan, my home country, a country slightly bigger then Belgium, and filled with local food vendors around every corner, in addition to the Seven Elevens. Each specialising in something unique and magical. I was born in the south – Tainan, … Read More

26 Oct 2015

#wwFlavourSociety – Say hello to Sriracha at Woolworths

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes, Recommendations | 0

Thanks to Woolworths, I cooked up a storm with a flavour from their new range of ‘Flavours from around the World’. My flavour to work with was Sriracha. I’ve tasted it before throughout my missions, but never actually cooked with … Read More

24 Aug 2015

Asian Peanut Pancakes on Afternoon Express

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes, Recommendations | 0

This was fun. I met the lovely Nikki Albertyn of the food blog – Gathered and we made dessert together. Thanks to the Afternoon Express for inviting me to take part in the dessert-off. Check the segment out our Lindt dessert-off. … Read More

21 Aug 2015

Lindt Chocolate Hamper Giveaway on Afternoon Express

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 16

Fun times, I’ll be in a dessert-off against the lovely Nikki Albertyn on the Afternoon Express, SABC 3 between 4 – 5 PM on the Friday, 21 August. If you weren’t able to catch it, see the video here (hint … Read More

26 Jul 2015

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup – street food DIY

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 3

This dish is the national dish of Taiwan, but it actually originates from Mainland China. The KMT (nationalist’s party) that fled China to Taiwan were the inventors of this dish. What makes it so uniquely Taiwanese? It’s the toasted soya … Read More

30 Jun 2015

Winter Special – Japanese Fine Dining at Kyoto Garden Sushi, Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 1

‎”You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients”- Julia Child Oh Julia, you are too right. Kyoto Sushi Garden is well-known for their sushi, but this is not what I want to … Read More

8 Jun 2015

Graciales, the new tapas restaurant at Peddlars & Co. in Constantia

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations, Reviews | 1

Those who stay in the southern suburbs of Cape Town should be familiar with the renowned Peddlars & Co. (or formerly Peddlars on the Bend), a restaurant and bar space hiding out in Constantia. In April 2015, they expanded their … Read More

19 Jan 2015

Chopping off the locks for CANSA

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 25

My brother had a haircut recently and donated his hair to CANSA to be made into a wig. It was such a lovely gesture, and I’ve been itching for a cut too… So I decided to follow suit. I called up … Read More

5 Jan 2015

Cinnamon Apple Roses and Cherry Pie

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Pie, pie, oh wonderful pie. For Boxing Day 2014, we hosted my teammates for a day of Jaffle-making and pie-eating. I decided to make some festive pies, an Apple Roses and Cherry Pie, and a Speculaas Pumpkin Pie. For 1 … Read More

5 Jan 2015

DIY Short Crust Pastry with Blind Baking Method

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 3

I love pastry. It’s not worth making pastry from scratch if you don’t use real butter. This recipe is adjusted slightly from the original recipe I got from pastry school through Chez Gourmet, Institute of Hospitality Education SA (City and Guilds). … Read More

25 Nov 2014

Fusion: Championship Boerewors Shui Mai (Dim Sum)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes, Recommendations | 2

Thanks to Checkers, I received a braai package to do a product review on the new 2014 Championship Boerewors. I invited my team mates over for a braai with Championshop Boerewors appetisers and a Championship Boerewors braai. Championship Boerewors Shui Mai … Read More

24 Nov 2014

Championship Boerewors Braai with the Storm Riders

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations, Reviews | 2

Product Review: Have you tried the 2014 Checkers Championship Boerewors yet? Enter this competition on my blog before the 30th of November to stand a chance to win a braai pack! This special recipe was developed by a regional meat … Read More

21 Nov 2014

Stand a chance to WIN a Championship Boerewors Braai Pack

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Reviews | 14

I had my team mates over for a lovely braai, thanks to Checkers and Championship Boerewors, and you could WIN a braai pack too. The Championship Boerwors pack comprises: 3 packs of Championship Boerewors 1 bag of charcoal 1 pack … Read More

12 Nov 2014

Dusty Rebel and Bombshell Rockabilly Festival South Africa 2014

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

In November 2013, the Cape Town Rollergirls participated in the very first Rockabilly Festival on the N7 Ostrich Farm, Cape Town, South Africa, and in 2014 . The Dusty Rebels and the Bombshells organisers, Maria and Zigi, threw a great festival packed with all … Read More

30 Oct 2014

Cape Town Rollergirls Friday Night Derby – From the Announcing Table

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

What a game! #yourmothercityderby On Friday, 24 October 2014, my roller derby league (the Cape Town Rollergirls) held our third and last Friday Night Derby for the year. The theme was Rocktober, and the skaters, comprising of level 1 skaters … Read More

1 Sep 2014

Braaied Corn on the Cob with an Asian Twist for Heritage Day

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Heritage Day in South Africa, extended to Heritage month, where South Africans all over celebrate their heritage, and many choose to over a braai. Braaing is a much-loved activity in South Africa and even my sister and I celebrated our … Read More

22 Aug 2014

Baby Animal of the Week: 18: Pug Puppy

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

Baby Animal of the Week series. My dear friend Suné Storm and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Today, we talk about pugs. These little dogs … Read More

15 Aug 2014

Baby Animal of the Week: 17: Baby Hedgehog

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My dear friend Suné Storm and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. My brother, Frank, told me he really wants … Read More

14 Aug 2014

Throwback Thursdays – The Moon Represents My Heart by Teresa Teng

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

Throwback Thursdays – Nostalgic tunes. My folks moved back to Taiwan recently. And yes, I miss them a lot. This song is one of my favourites, it is a love song, but it will always remind me of my mama … Read More

11 Mar 2014

Peter’s House on Kloofnek in Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 1

My roller derby team, the Storm Riders of the Cape Town Rollergirls, had a photoshoot with the awesome Jon Meinking from ishotimages this past Saturday at 6am in the morning. After the shoot, the most important thing to do next … Read More

6 Mar 2014

Open Air Movie Screening at Spier Wine Farm

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 0

This past Valentine’s Day, I received tickets to join the Spier Wine Farm‘s Breakfast at Tiffany’s outdoor movie screening and my oh my, what a rad time we had. My GPS did some amazing rerouting, we missed the traffic and … Read More

11 Feb 2014

Featured: Spar Savour Magazine Issue 10

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recipes | 0

I got to hang out with Lynn-Leigh Brandt, the feature’s writer at Spar’s Savour Digital Magazine, to chat about my blog, food and more food. Thanks for the fun shoot! Check out the full interview here Check out the recipes … Read More

6 Feb 2014

Chinese New Year recipe – Savoury Rice Cakes with Shiitake Mushrooms, Bok Choy and Chinese Cabbage

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

年糕 “nian gao”, which is commonly known as Chinese rice cake, is often eaten at Chinese New Year celebrations. Nian gao, the rice cake, rhymes with an extract from a New Year phrase 年年高升 “nian nian gao sheng”. Roughly translated … Read More

2 Feb 2014

Celebrating Chinese New Year 2014 – Year of the Horse

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 4

BLOEMFONTEIN – Growing up in South Africa, it has always been difficult to truly enjoy the entirety of this two-week celebration. Chinese New Year is an elaborate and festive holiday in Asia but here we hold rather modest celebrations. Ever since … Read More

7 Nov 2013

Dusty Rebels & The Bombshells – the 1st Rockabilly Festival in South Africa

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 2

This Saturday, 9 November 2013, my roller derby league, the Cape Town Rollergirls, is taking part in the very first Rockabilly Festival in South Africa! The Dusty Rebels and the Bombshells comprises a crew of rockabilly lovers and legends that … Read More

16 Sep 2013

Waterblommetjies, Mushrooms and Chorizo with Sesame Oil on Pasta

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes, Recommendations | 1

I love visiting the market at the Palms Centre on Victoria road (main road) in Salt River for an early quick breakfast and fresh produce to cook up a storm later that same day. This Cape Town market occurs every … Read More

30 Aug 2013

Baby Animal of the Week: 16: Baby Giraffe

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

Baby Animal of the Week series. My dear friend Suné Storm and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Every time my sister, Jasmine, goes travelling – … Read More

29 Aug 2013

Cape Town Rollergirls ROAD RAGE Roller Derby Bout 24 AUG 2013

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 4

If you’ve been following my roller derby adventures, you’ll know that I’ve been playing this full-contact women’s sport for over two years and what started as a hobby became an obsession. Find out more about roller derby here. This past … Read More

26 Aug 2013

You could WIN R1000 Checkers Voucher!

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 15

It’s hard to say no to such a rad competition. The rad folk from Checkers are doing a #3WeekGiftGiveaway campaign and have given a R1 000 gift voucher to give away to one of my followers. How to enter with Butterfingers: Step1: Follow me … Read More

5 Jul 2013

Bitten TV Show with Sarah Graham

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

‘Bitten’ is a story about a remarkable lady, who I follow on Twitter, who evolved from food blogger to author to TV personality. Her Twitter handle is @foodieliveshere and her real name, Sarah Graham. Sarah invited myself and another fellow food blogger … Read More

8 Apr 2013

A Beautiful Surprise 25th Birthday with the Cape Town Rollergirls

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

This past Friday, the 5th of April 2013, the Cape Town Rollergirls (my roller derby league) threw me the most special surprise party for my 25th birthday! Nattie Nitrox, the league secretary and my dear friend, organised the whole event without … Read More

8 Mar 2013

Baby Animal of the Week: 15: Baby Goat

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. This week, there’s been two goat … Read More

25 Feb 2013

Cape Town Rollergirls: Open Night

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Tonight, the Cape Town Rollergirls will be recruiting for fresh meat, officiators, referees and roller derby supporters at our first Open Night of 2013. This poster is the first of our Open Night posters, designed by Marike Herzberg known as … Read More

22 Feb 2013

Baby Animal of the Week: 14: Baby Walrus

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Walrus fun fact: Walruses are capable … Read More

20 Feb 2013

WIN a Foodie Hamper from V & A Market on the Wharf

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Reviews | 27

As some of you already know, the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town has started a market filled with glorious food. I have check this market out before and found a selection of my favourite local traders there, including … Read More

23 Jan 2013

WIN 6 Bottles of Wine & 2 Tickets to the Stellenbosch Wine Festival

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 31

Presented by Pick ‘n Pay, the Stellenbosch Wine Festival 2013 opens on 25th January till 3rd February, including an extra ten-day program showcasing the town of Stellenbosch. This festival boasts a great variety of wines for all types of wine … Read More

18 Jan 2013

Baby Animal of the Week: 13: Baby Armadillo

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Armadillo fun fact: Female armadillos have … Read More

21 Dec 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 12. Baby Reindeer

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Reindeer fun fact: In extremely cold weather … Read More

7 Dec 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 11. Baby Otter

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Otter fun fact: Otters are the … Read More

30 Nov 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 10. Baby Llama

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Llama fun fact: The llama is … Read More

27 Nov 2012

The Cape Town Rollergirls – Derby Diner

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Cape Town Rollergirls Derby Diner. Our final fundraiser for 2012! Design by rollergirl G.I. JoJo (Jolize Jacobs) – Check out the event on Facebook here! Join the Cape Town Rollergirls on Facebook and Twitter.

23 Nov 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 9. Baby Platypus

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Platypus fun fact: The platypus is a … Read More

16 Nov 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 8. Tiger Cubs

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. We’re dedicating this Indian baby animal … Read More

12 Nov 2012

Dogs Deserve Better: Meet Buttons & Pepper

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

My sister, Jasmine, and I have been wanting to get dogs for a while now, but having grown up with dogs – we knew it was a responsibility that we can’t take on half-heartedly. In September, we decided it was a good … Read More

10 Nov 2012

Asian Peanut Pancake 面煎粿

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 5

I have fond memories of this dessert. It’s a flapjack-like base but is commonly called a pancake. My buddy, Candice, came over the other day and my mama made this for us. Biting into the soft cake-like dough contrasted by … Read More

9 Nov 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 7. Gray Wolf Puppies

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

2 Nov 2012

A Few of my Favourite Things: Morinaga Milk Caramel

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 6

Morinaga Milk Caramel is one of my favourite Taiwanese sweets when I was a lightey. These sweets are milky caramel flavoured with a wonderful chewy taffy-like texture. Morinaga is a Taiwanese product and you’ll find it in many Chinese supermarkets.

2 Nov 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 6. Baby Loris

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 1

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Today’s baby animal was requested by … Read More

26 Oct 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 5. Baby Pygmy Hippos

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Pygmy Hippo fun fact: Pygmy Hippos have slightly … Read More

19 Oct 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 4. Baby Koalas

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 3

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Koala fun fact: Koalas have two thumbs … Read More

19 Oct 2012

WIN a signed copy of Gordon Ramsay’s The Ultimate Cookery Course

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 0

Checkers, a local shopping centre we’ve all grown to love, is doing a campaign on their premium meat ranges. Renowned chef Gordon Ramsay is appearing the in this NEW Checkers’ campaign, think about it one of the world’s toughest food critics … Read More

12 Oct 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 3. Baby Tortoises

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 3

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Tortoise fun fact: Adwaita is the … Read More

1 Oct 2012

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations | 4

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) also known as Full Moon Festival usually occurs over late September or early October (this year it was September 30). Traditionally, we eat “Moon cakes” and pomelo after a family dinner. Family dinner has evolved into … Read More

28 Sep 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 2. Baby Teacup Pigs

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Baby Animal of the Week series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Teacup Pig fun fact: Teacup pigs are born … Read More

21 Sep 2012

Baby Animal of the Week: 1. Baby Skunks

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 2

This is the start to a new series. My derby friend Suné Storm (Azzy Starr) and I Google search baby animals to smile and warm the cockles of our hearts when we have a bad day. Skunk fun fact: A snake bite … Read More

10 Sep 2012

K!ff Posters by Nothief

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 0

This post is more of a feature because I want to share the wonderful world of K!ff Posters to you. In a friends’ band “Tonightwedie”, the raging drummer, known as Nothief, is also the graphic designer at Gloo Design Agency. Nothief … Read More

4 Sep 2012

Chinese Cream Corn Soup with Poached Egg Drop

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 1

I recently started a new job as a copywriter at Liquorice Digital Agency and I’m loving it! The agency oozes team-spirit juice and I have to say, it’s quite infectious. Every Wednesday, the Liquorice soccer teams plays Fives Futbol together and every … Read More

30 Aug 2012

Ming’s Top 10 Quirks

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

Just a few things that make me… me. At The Company’s Garden in Cape Town. I was born in Tainan, Taiwan. I was originally named ‘Lin Cheau’, ‘Ming’ only came in when I was 1. I got my ‘b’s and … Read More

20 Aug 2012

Socrates’ The Test of 3

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 0

One of my roller derby friends Azzy Starr(Sune Storm) and I chat like old tannies sitting on a porch. We focus on a wide selection of topics from flat-faced hounds, to exotic spices like saffron, to how toned our legs … Read More

10 Aug 2012

Derby Origins: Wolverming

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures | 15

Okay, it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything new, but I promise I have a good reason. I started playing a sport called roller derby in March this year and I can’t express how much it has done for me. … Read More

22 Jun 2012

Zongzi – Glutinous rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves 粽子

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 3

I love my folks and visiting them always includes many foodie highlights. This visit up, my mama taught me how to make zongzi, also known as rice pyramids, Chinese tamales, glutinous rice cakes and glutinous rice tamales. Zongzi is traditionally … Read More

12 Jun 2012

What’s in Chinese Five Spices

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 3

Chinese 5-Spices provides a myriad of flavour bursts and can be found in a wide variety of dishes in Asia. The five different spices consist of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, Sichuan pepper and star anise – they don’t need to … Read More

2 Jun 2012

Sweet Douhua (Black Bean/Soy Pudding) 豆花

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 8

Asia’s equivalent of panacotta, but a gluten-free, vegan-friendly pudding. Douhua 豆花 (dòuhuā) is a soy pudding made from soy milk with a velvety smooth and silky texture that’s served drenched in a brown sugar syrup. My papa told me stories of … Read More

14 May 2012

Feature in Balanced Life May 2012 – A TFG magazine

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Another Foschini Group feature with Balanced Life May 2012. In this feature, I chose 4 recipes from my blog. Styled by myself and the magazine’s art director: Lesley Mallon Photographer: Greg Cox Pickled cherry Tomatoes with Chinese cured Plums Chicken … Read More

9 May 2012

Feature in Balanced Life March 2012 – A TFG magazine

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

I was approached by the group editor (who’s also a dear friend of mine – Claire Barnardo) of The Foschini Group magazines to be featured in the March 2012 edition of “Balanced Life” a few months ago. This subscription magazine, … Read More

26 Apr 2012

When in Bloem (part 4) Margaritas Seafood and Steak Restaurant

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 2

Finding a “the best of” restaurant is not exactly the easiest task, especially if it’s a more “generic” menu item like steak, ribs, schnitzels etc – everyone has their own opinion and most restaurants offer those meals. Now, Margaritas is … Read More

24 Apr 2012

A South African Cheese Festival giveaway

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 10

This picture was borrowed from The Cheese Festival on FB Hi everyone! I was given two double tickets to giveaway to two lucky followers, provided by the PR team at Go4word. Each ticket is worth R110, so you can really … Read More

20 Apr 2012

Sautéed sliced Lamb and Chinese Spinach in Chinese BBQ Sauce 羊肉燴飯

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 1

For the past few days, waking up has been more difficult than usual with winter creeping up on us, and I think back about my most fond food memories. My ultimate favourite winter dish is my papa’s Sauteed sliced Lamb and … Read More

11 Apr 2012

Papaya Milkshake 木瓜牛奶

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

The papaya, also known as paw paw, is one of my favourite fruits because of the incredible flavour and soft texture, melting instantly in your mouth. This Asian beverage is refreshing and healthy, containing vitamins A, C and E. In most Asian … Read More

7 Apr 2012

Doujiang (Soy Milk) 豆漿

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 12

Growing up, soy-based products were never strangers in my home, but it took me a good few years before I could truly appreciate and enjoy the flavour of soy milk. Ironically, I was given soy milk for babies when I … Read More

22 Mar 2012

85°C Bakery Café

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 0

Before going to Taiwan, my cousin, Christine, advised us to take a trip to a certain cafe. It’s become one of my favourite cafes and is called 85 °C Cafe and Bakery. This coffee shop specialises in desserts and afternoon tea. Their menu … Read More

20 Mar 2012

Egg Pancake Rolls on Expresso Show

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Michael Olivier, a chef and well-known personality in the food industry in South Africa has a food show on SABC 3’s morning show “The Expresso Show”. Michael invited me to join him and presenter, Katlego,onto the show last week Thursday … Read More

19 Mar 2012

Green Tea and Vanilla Cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 7

I don’t actually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but I thought these cupcakes fit in perfectly with the theme. One of my favourite new baking ingredients is green tea powder.The very first time I had a green tea flavoured anything was … Read More

6 Mar 2012

Listings of Asian Supermarkets in Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 155

I often shop at two specific Chinese supermarkets, living in the northern suburbs in Cape Town: Live Mart and 96 Chinese Supermarket. These two are Taiwanese-owned stores, which means I can always purchase brands that I grew up with. There are … Read More

5 Mar 2012

Bubble Tea in a roasted Barley Black Tea (Boba Tea 珍珠奶茶)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 17

Bubble tea, a Taiwanese beverage that has become quite a popular drink amongst all Asians. Bubble tea, also known as milk pearl tea, boba tea and boba milk tea, originated from tea cafes in Taichung (central Taiwan) during the 1980s. … Read More

23 Feb 2012

The Dogs Bollocks burger joint in Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 5

After having read several reviews on this burger joint, I decided to get involved and visit The Dogs Bollocks Restaurant in Cape Town. Most of the comments pointed out that this spot is unpretentious, with affordable wine, has a relaxing … Read More

21 Feb 2012

Earth Fair Food Market in Tokai, Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 1

The Earth Fair Market in Tokai, Cape Town is located at the Builders Warehouse, being the ideal location for a market on that side of the city. This market also trades in town at St. Georges Mall, a beautiful strip … Read More

15 Feb 2012

Sweet red bean dessert soup for all occasions 紅豆湯

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Valentines Day. Meh… So I’m not a loyal supporter of this “holiday” but I will never say no to roses and gifts 😛 My plans on making rose-petalled cupcakes were disrupted by a series of unfortunate occurrences, and needless to … Read More

13 Feb 2012

Market at the Palms in Woodstock, Cape Town

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 7

On Saturday, a new market had started in Woodstock, Cape Town. The Palms Market is a bimonthly market bringing us the freshest of foods from the Platteland. I received an email from Social Plus One, inviting me to the market’s … Read More

6 Feb 2012

Taiwanese Breakfast: Egg Pancake Roll (蛋餅)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 4

One of my favourite Taiwanese foods is our breakfasts. Dan bing, which means egg pancake, is part of a typical Taiwanese and Chinese breakfast. You’ll find that different areas make their pancakes differently. Some make them into a roti-like pancake, … Read More

31 Jan 2012

Pickled cherry tomatoes with cured plums

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 7

In Taiwan, we went to a restaurant in Taichung well-known for their exquisite menu and the marine fossils on display. One of the dishes that tickled my interest was such a simple, yet lovely Asian appetiser – cold and lightly pickled … Read More

25 Jan 2012

Taiwanese Cucumber Salad (小黃瓜)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 6

My mama came down to Cape Town to visit us (my sister and I) from Bloemfontein a few months ago and we always hit the usual spots. These locations include, Heng Sheng in Sea Point, Tong Lok in Parklands and … Read More

23 Jan 2012

What Cape Town Food Bloggers made for Chinese New Year recipes for 2012

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes, Recommendations | 18

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Chinese New Year works according to the Lunar Calendar, unlike the New Year here in South Africa, which uses the Gregorian Calendar. This year, Chinese New Year falls on the 23rd of January. I have … Read More

23 Jan 2012

Pekin Duck – Hidden Dragon – Chinese New Year 2012

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 10

For Chinese New Years, my sister and I cooked up a spread for our friends. The highlight dish is the recipe I’ll be sharing with you today – Pekin Duck. The duck I bought for our dish is a freerange … Read More

18 Jan 2012

Taiwanese cold noodles (liang miàn)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 3

Recently, Deidre Donnelly (Senior Features Writer/Books Editor of O Magazine) contacted me to participate in a feature in South Africa’s Oprah Magazine. The brief was to choose a picnic/summer recipe from my childhood. I decided to choose Taiwanese cold noodles 涼麵 (liang … Read More

4 Jan 2012

Taiwanese Dongzhi Festival 冬至節

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Reviews | 2

Also known as Winter Solstice Festival The 22nd of October 2011 is a very special day for all yellow folk. Dongzhi Festival, also known as the Winter Solstice Festival, is a very important festival and is celebrated around the December … Read More

1 Jan 2012

Some of my favourite Asian Fruits

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 68

One of my favourite aspects of Asia, is the variety of fruits available there. Ranging from the small longan to the giant jack fruit. Read below to find out more about the fruits I enjoyed on my holiday back to … Read More

22 Dec 2011

Teppan-style beef in a toasted coffin bread/loaf 棺材板和铁板牛肉

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 4

Coffin bread is something that is most commonly found in the south of Taiwan, my papa’s hometown – Tainan. This crispy loaf with filling is very similar to our South African bunny chow. The traditional filling is a creamy-based seafood … Read More

22 Dec 2011

10 things I learnt about Taiwan

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 5

Since I left Taiwan (20 years ago) I haven’t really gone back to experience and understand my culture fully – that’s why, this family trip is very important. Our first stop was in Taipei (North of Taiwan), the main airport … Read More

1 Dec 2011

Fried Spring Onion Pancake 蔥油餅

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 4

Directly translated, 蔥油餅 means spring onion / green onion / scallion oil pancake and it is a fantastic side starch to add to a dish or to eat as an appetiser. In Taiwan and China, it’s as “common” there as … Read More

10 Oct 2011

When in Bloem (part 3) Mike’s Butchery/Slaghuis in Bloemfontein

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 6

Being in Bloemfontein is the ideal spot to find really good biltong, and I mean REALLY good. Around every little corner, in almost every store, you’re bound to find a wide selection of biltong in either local butcheries, delis, convenient … Read More

9 Oct 2011

Steam-fried pork buns 水煎包

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 12

In Taiwan, you can find a wide range of delightful snacks at night markets, which is, also known as street food. One of my favourites is the steam-fried bun. The direct translation for 水煎包, is “water fried bun”. The bun … Read More

12 Sep 2011

My search of plenty at Oded’s Kitchen – The book launch

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes, Recommendations, Reviews | 6

How it came to be: After resigning from a full-time position as an SEO copywriter, I turned towards my passion – food. After spending an incredible amount of time looking for the perfect job, I stumbled across a food-related part-time … Read More

10 Sep 2011

When in Bloem (part 2) The Boeremark

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 9

Being Taiwanese, we have two main festivities, our New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival). So this weekend my sister, Jasmine, and I came back home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival with our family. When … Read More

27 Jul 2011

Cooking class at Silwood with Le Creuset

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 3

Every Thursday is my day in the kitchens at Oded’s Kitchen HQ at the Old Biscuit Mill, but this Thursday was a special one. I finished up early and headed over to Rondebosch for an exciting evening of food. The … Read More

13 Jul 2011

Oded’s Kitchen demo at the City Bowl Market

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 2

A few months ago, I resigned from a position that I no longer enjoyed and started working for Oded’s Kitchen by working at markets, while searching for freelance copywriting, design and social media work. I continued working for them and started … Read More

23 Jun 2011

Red velvet chocolate truffles for St Valentine

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 9

Inspired from Add to Taste’s red velvet cupcake recipe (which you can find on her blog), I used her same recipe to create the cake inside the truffles. Much to my disappointment, I found most red velvet truffle recipes online … Read More

13 Jun 2011

Shiitake mushroom and chicken soup

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 7

For the past two days, I’ve been slightly under the weather, weakish and my throat feels slightly itchy, revealing signs of bronchitis. My sister is sleeping in her room next door, also suffering from the same effects. At times like … Read More

11 May 2011

Earth Fair Market at St. Georges Mall

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 0

In my endeavour to write about food, I wanted to learn as much as I could about it because I want to be a credible food writer. My journey started with Oded’s Kitchen, working as a part-time sales person under … Read More

9 May 2011

Three cup chicken (三杯雞)

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 7

Three cup chicken is a classic Taiwanese dish and the chicken can be replaced with squid for a seafood option. The name is “three cup chicken” owing to the quantities of the three main ingredients; 1. rice wine, 2. black … Read More

23 Apr 2011

When in Bloem (part 1) Sosaties at Preller Plein

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 4

Every year, it’s important for me to revisit my roots, and by that I mean Bloemfontein. For those who don’t know, I migrated to South Africa at the age of three and spent over fifteen years in the City of … Read More

5 Apr 2011

Food and wine pairing with Mount Nelson

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations, Reviews | 10

Thanks to Cape Town Magazine, Mount Nelson and The Orient Express, I won a wine and dine dinner at Mount Nelson Hotel for four. I booked the dinner for the 25th of March and friends and I indulged in an … Read More

30 Mar 2011

Lettuce wraps with prawns

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 1

This dish is very common amongst us Yellow folk as a palette cleanser dish. It’s refreshing owing to the crispy lettuce and is eaten with hands – like how all wraps should be eaten. I remember how my cousins, siblings … Read More

24 Mar 2011

Caturra Coffee Bar

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Adventures, Recommendations, Reviews | 5

Caturra Coffee Bar has relocated to 315 Main Rd in Sea Point. This delightful little restaurant is in Sea Point, nearby where my old flat used to be. Caturra Coffee Bar is one of my favourites for a reunion with … Read More

22 Mar 2011

Chicken fried rice with ginger and sesame oil

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 7

In my student days, I didn’t really have a large selection of utensils or pots in my kitchen. Even though I use a wok now, you don’t necessarily need one to make fried rice – I used to fry rice … Read More

20 Mar 2011

Breyani magic and red shoes

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 1

I have never really had the pleasure of attending a David Kramer performance, unless you count that one time I went to the Crystal Towers’ bar, where one of the rooms was dedicated to him. I was first astonished at … Read More

18 Mar 2011

Butter and garlic with glass noodles and prawn

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 5

My mom used to make this all the time when I was still living at home. It’s quite a typical Asian dish and you’ll smell overwhelming afterwards. The butter and prawn combination provides a wonderful aroma that draws you towards … Read More

18 Mar 2011

Red velvet and deadly cupcakes

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recipes | 0

Having followed the Twitter foodies in Cape Town for quite a while now, I came across an event the lady behind Add to Taste was organising. This red velvet cupcake course was to support Nosh4Noah. This is the first I met the Cape … Read More

12 Mar 2011

Pesto Princess Passion

by Ming-Cheau Lin | posted in: Recommendations | 2

Hi my name is Ming and I’m addicted to Pesto Princess. Pesto Princess has a wide selection of pastes, sauces and pesto, and is managed by the kindest and most generous food lovers. My relationship with Pesto Princess started off … Read More