Local Meat More Readily Available in New York

An article by the New York Times about how local and ethical meat is now more readily available to chefs and home cooks in New York...

Markets Series: Shanghai, China

Ever since I was young, I have almost always gone to a food market at my holiday destinations. To be honest I hated going to them during my earlier years (eight to thirteen years old) but my parents would drag me along with them. I hated the smell of the unrefrigerated meat and seafood and all the flies around my feet. I remember going to a food market in Pagan, Myanmar, and I held my breath as not to inhale the almost rotten aromas. I didn't even like following my mum to the Tekka market in Little India when I was living in Singapore, but now I would make sure that I go there when I go back for a visit. As cliche as it may sound, the food market is really where you can see the food culture of a country. Places like Shanghai, Singapore and Cuba may have supermarkets, but outdoor markets are always more fascinating. I feel like an idiot for taking photos of foods that are every day ingredients for the locals, but I guess tourists do it all the time. It would be so fun to actually go grocery shopping and cook with local ingredients but I've never really had the opportunity to do that. Surprisingly I didn't see anything too bizarre at this market in Shanghai.

Travel Series: Pan Fried Xiao Long Bao!?!?

Yang's Fry Dumplings (Shenjian Mantou)
54 Wujiang Lu

My father and uncle had been raving about these pan fried soup dumplings so I went there with high hopes. I saw the lady pan frying them and I couldn't picture those crisp looking dumplings having soup in them. We got eight pieces for less than fifty cents. My aunt told me to be careful when I bite into them because they are very hot. When I bit into one the juices just burst out- they were even juicier than regular xiao long baos. Juicy xiao long baos with a crispy factor= amazing!