Hello all, welcome to my blog. I have been meaning to start one for a long time, but I am a notorious procrastinator. My name is Erin, and I am from sunny Myrtle Beach, SC. I have had quite the love affair with China over the past 5 years, and now I am in living and working in the not-so-sunny Shanghai.
As any expat (who cooks) will tell you, a big challenge when moving to China is cooking at home. The kitchens in most apartments are tiny with one or two gas burners, a microwave if you’re lucky, and almost always sans oven. What’s an expat to eat?
As a self-admitted foodie (I don’t claim to have extensive knowledge of cooking techniques or food culture), I didn’t really know what to do when I got here six months ago, besides eat my weight in gutter oil laden street food that costs $1. So I went out and bought a toaster over, determined to be able to bake my cookies, albeit in batches of 6, and scoured my neighborhood for good places to buy those oh-so-precious things no westerner can cook without. (hint: cheese)
MSG anyone?
For the food lovers, Shanghai is definitely the ideal place to be in China. Not only are those elusive ingredients a little bit easier to find, but the abundance of restaurants and types of cuisines to choose from is overwhelming. I will try to mostly post recipes that I make in my tiny kitchen (pictures to follow), but I will definitely share when I venture out into the Shanghai food scene. Part of being a foodie is exploring other cuisines right? Trust me on this, China is definitely the place to try things you have never seen (and probably never wanted to see) before.
So this, my friends, will be my debut into the world of food & travel blogging. My recipes are simple, my methodology is strange, and my photography is done on an $80 samsung phone so let’s not be too judgey.
I am here to share my love of all things cooking, eating, and China with anyone who has a minute to read the sarcastic rantings of a semi-jaded expat living in Shanghai, enjoy! Welcome to Shanghai Spice.
Shanghai Spice 