Food fantasies and fetishes - what are you craving?

We have avocados in Dalian.  Pricy    6 / 100rmb 

A few things I havn't made in a while, because I've been too lazy busy. Cheese and onion bread. Leek and potato soup. Roast chicken. I should do one or more of these while my mother in law is visiting. Maybe this weekend. Pancakes with maple syrop and either bacon or brekkie sausages would be a fantastic weekend brekkie! Hmm, can I get pancake mix here? I'll have a look at my favourite haunts on Saturday

avacodos - I have seen in chengdu quite often at Sabrina's country store across from Sichuan uni. and here in Shanghai I see them quite often at every store I have been too including century mart - and not a bad price either.

Pancake mix is also quite widely available. Metro carries a few different brands, carrefour, Auchan, City shop all also carry some. I have found it in every city i have been too as I love my pancake brekkies. Usually with some fruit added. The hard part to get is the maple syrup (at a decent price).

The foreign grocery store has avocadoes for 38 kwai for 500 grams. Problem is that you must buy 3 at a time and they are small

We also have an "Avocado Lady" who brings them in from Yunnan for 18 kwai each. Her's are the size of cantalopes! But not big on taste

goodnews/badnews

Jusco in Guangzhou always has avocadoes, just can't remember how much they are though. Now everyone's talking about them, think I'll buy some this weekend to put on toast  .

Specialty foreign food shops like Corner's Deli in Guangzhou/ Donnguan and Metro stores have pancake mixes (Betty Crocker)- I've seen blueberry, and buttemilk as well as plain in 1kg boxes. I've gone off pancakes for awhile- all the oil/ fat it takes to make them! But I do have a box in the cupboard for when I do feel the need to tear into some again, as well as a BIG bottle of maple syrup to drown ém in!

I just wish Corner's would hurry up and get the 'Better for Bread" flour back in, it's been a few weeks now and I want to keep my stash up for pizza making!

I'll put up a recipe for Pancakes in the Recipe Section, by Friday evening (my time).

Pancake mix is also quite widely available.

We always made our own Pancakes back home - I have never tasted the packet variety. It is a pretty basic mixture of self-raising flour/eggs/sugar/milk. Our pancakes are cooked in butter - a dab wiped around the pan - so there is no oil taste. I look forward to seeing Amonk's recipe.

New Zealand is not big on maple syrup. The two standard dressings are:

1. Golden Syrup - so sweet that after 2 pancakes you think that you will throw up if you have one more (kids love them)

2. Lemon juice/Sugar - sprinkle sugar over the pancake and then squeezes of lemon juice (a taste sensation)
   

Since I'm in Canada (in the land of the French to be more precise), I'm missing me some sweet and sour beef I had at the Teddy Bear Hostel in Emei Shan.  Hostel food had only been so-so until behold, this plate of pure taste-awesome hit my tongue.  Oh man I wish I had ordered on the first night and not on the last!

I know, though, that I'll be jonesing real bad for some poutine when I'm abroad.  Anyone know any place that has this?  I believe while I was in Shanghai there was a fancy shmancy restaurant owned by a Canadian in the Shanghai Financial Tower, but I don't know if she would serve that...it's not exactly a fancy food.

where? -- good price!

I'm already plotting to gain about 5 kg while visiting the US.  I can already hear the call of wild Cheeze-it's waiting to be hunted down and eaten.

Don't worry EL, you'll soon find a way to work  it off!

I know, though, that I'll be jonesing real bad for some poutine when I'm abroad.  Anyone know any place that has this?

The Bookworm in Suzhou used to serve poutine. Don't know if they still do.

I brought something back with me in September.  Sitting in my lap now is the ONLY box of reduced fat Cheez-Its in all of China (at least the only one I'm aware of).

I've defended this box valiantly.  My best friend almost opened it out of curiosity in September and I snatched it away from her and tossed some chocolate her way as a distraction while I hid it.  My wife wanted me to take it to her hometown for Spring Festival.  "Get your own box" was one of the better mottos used to promote Cheez-Its.

The expiration date is approaching.  If I don't do this now, I'll have a box of stale Cheez-Its.  I'm about to rip it open and go face down into the box.  If I don't make it back, please know that I was happy during those last moments.

I brought something back with me in September.  Sitting in my lap now is the ONLY box of reduced fat Cheez-Its in all of China (at least the only one I'm aware of).

City Shops in Shanghai carry them, though at 74 RMB a box, I'm not that big a fan of them.

http://is.gd/KnH5kO

Go to Taobao and type in "Cheez-It" and you'll get about 10 hits and most of them cheaper than CIty Shop. So you can have them delivered to your door the next time the urge strikes.