• food blog
    Market

    How to Start a “Fast” Food Blog on WordPress

    Food blogging has done a great favor to discourage eating fast food. Despite the slower pace of life in cooking delicious meals, we need our websites to work fast. Even if just blogging for fun, there are so many ways to monetize a blog that it’s hard to pass on. In fact, some of the most successful food bloggers started by just doing something they loved. But this passion is not always enough to succeed or even to get visitors to enjoy your recipes. Nowadays one needs to think about all those techy concepts of search engine optimization, site performance and speed, optimized lead conversions, and much more!

    No one likes slow websites, and even though the well-known WordPress blogging platform is extremely easy to use, it tends to get bulky and many of the cheap web hosting plans are just not optimized for speed. When one does something with passion such as blogging, it’s essential that everything works smoothly and easily. But don’t take my word for it and read this excellent “HostGator WordPress Hosting Review” that explains just how easily and most importantly why dedicated WP hosting is a must for anyone serious about blogging.

    Yes, with HostGator you will be paying a premium. However compared to other dedicated WordPress Hosting plans, it is not only one of the more affordable. It is also one of the easiest, quickest ways to get up and going with your shiny new blogging platform. Domains are included of course and with an automatically managed system. It’s the most worry-free option so that you can concentrate on what you know best: food blogging. Also what you get, is plenty of saving (in fact unlimited) for saving all the many photos of your recipes and food that you will most probably want to show to your readers. Amongst all the types of blogs out there, ones related to food is the most picture consuming. It is in fact, one of the key successes of running such a blog. With your readers scanning through hundreds of photos, they want them to load as quickly as possible. It can be just one photo out of a hundred, that captivates a visitor to try out one of the recipes. This promotes user engagement which will increase the chances of this person coming back to your site for more. And that’s how it all works, together with Social Media. Great content is the idea behind Google on how to make a website successful.

    Starting a blog is always exciting and from my experience, HostGator has been one of the fastest experiences for both, the beginner blogger as well as the visitor loading the page of course. Read the review I linked to above and tell me what you think, are you ready to start food blogging with excitement?! Scroll down for additional tips and examples on how to run a successful food blog:

    Update your content frequently

    You should make sure to consistently and frequently update your food blog with new and exciting content. Nobody likes to look at the same meals everyday so, you will have to think of a way to consistently come up with new content. Although it is not advised you “steal” or plagiarize other foodie’s ideas, you can in fact get your creative inspo from other successful food bloggers. Additionally you can even feature plates which are not your own as long as you tag the source. Check out for example, how even a long-term care insurance company ,features daily recipes from other sites every friday on their own site. This allows you to get in on all the food blogging fun without running out of content ideas.

  • Chengdu Taste,  Menu

    The Most Popular Dishes at Chengdu Taste

    The cumin lamb on toothpicks is one of the most popular dishes at Chengdu Taste, and rightly so. The dish is prepared to perfection and features perfectly spiced bites of lamb shoulder. Just like the wanton, you’ll want to make another order as soon as you’re done with your first order of cumin lamb.

    The braised fish with silky tofu and chilli oil is also a fantastic choice. The flavour and spice levels are well-balanced and promise a delightful experience. While fantastic, the braised fish would find a tough time against the cumin lamb.

    The crisped rice and shrimp is quite an exciting affair and nothing like what you would expect. The rice is more puffed than crispy, and just like all the other selections on Chengdu Taste’s menu, this dish features a perfect balance of spices. The shrimp is made to perfection and leaves you craving for more.

    One selection that visitors overlook when they first visit Chengdu Taste is fried rice. However, you should definitely try out the fried rice. It will blow your mind away. Everything about the fried rice is perfect, from the texture to the spices and flavour. It is fried rice so you wouldn’t expect it to be a life-changing experience. However, what you can expect is that this is hands down the best fried rice you have ever had, and it complements the rest of the meal quite nicely.

    The chicken chunks fried with pepper and coated with tangy, delicious sauce filled with hot green chillies are also a must-try.

    When you order for a boiled fish with green pepper sauce and Numb-Taste Wonton, the waiter will probably serve you with the boiled fish first which comprises a huge dish of fillets inside a broth with sliced Serrano chiles, a plentiful amount of Sichuan peppercorns as well as a handful of peppery oil, since they believe that the sauce on the delicate, fluffy dumplings will ravage your capacity to appreciate the subtleties of the fish. Although the fabulously soft fish is quite numbing, it is the effect produced by the peppercorns that really brings out the flavour of the chiles and the fillets. The taste darts around your tongue and lips, creating a unique vibrancy similar to a Las Vegas sign. Like a mysteriously exciting blow in the mouth, the Wonton and pepper sauce ravages anything standing in its way. They say that Sichuan pepper alleviates tooth pain, and there’s no arguing with that.

    You might find Chengdu Taste restaurant to be quite uncompromising. Even a single touch of a to-go container’s broth condensation can evoke a unique sensation on your hands that last for about 30 minutes. A lot of people find pleasure in this kind of sensation, and Chengdu Taste is one of the Chinese restaurants with the highest profiles in America.

    Most restaurant critics in Las Vegas are in love with Chengdu Taste. Quite recently a New-York based writer declared Chengdu Taste to be hands -down the best Sichuan restaurant in America. Although there are a number of restaurants in the United States offering Sichuan-style dishes, none of them is more ambitious than Chengdu Taste. Since 2013 when chef Tony Xu launched the establishment, he has never looked back. Xu’s expansion to Las Vegas was a smart move that builds on the success of the entire Chengdu Taste establishment. It comes as no surprise that other Los Angeles based Chinese restaurants have also decided to venture into Las Vegas.

    If you would like the best Sichuan experience in Las Vegas, no place beats Chengdu Taste. The restaurant excels in authenticity and balancing of spices. Chengdu Taste offers a rich selection of delicious meals which are difficult to exhaust, and you will find that there’s always something new to try out every time you visit this fantastic restaurant. However, ensure that you try out the cumin lamb first. Whether you are native Chinese, Chinese American, or simply want to experience Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu Taste is the place to be.

  • Culture

    The Holy Trinity of Spring Onion, Garlic & Ginger

    The Chinese are no longer religious folks, but religion has stayed in their cooking. The worship of spring onion, garlic, and ginger is commonplace in any Chinese kitchen. Without them you can’t cook real Chinese food, however, nowadays these three ingredients are readily available in most supermarkets all over the developed world.

    If you are not familiar with these ingredients, just try them and fall in love with them! After all, Chinese cooking skills are one of the world’s oldest, and its influence has affected the rest of the world. A massive country where different areas, climates, and habitats all share the goal of bringing harmony through the kitchen. Through color, through form, and the holy trinity of these three ingredients, used as the basis of all Chinese food. So let’s call upon the gods and enjoy this ritual for a well-balanced taste and experience. If it wasn’t the Chinese who first said “we are what we eat” I would be surprised.

    Something that still prevails in Chinese culture is the attempt to live a long life. Living a healthier lifestyle and eating a healthy diet is one of the many ways to prolong one’s life and further delay the need for long-term care along with exercise and daily mental health activities. You will find that in the Chinese culture, they regularly put these health choices into their daily way of living and have managed to live longer without needing long-term care services. Despite the doom and gloom of disastrous food ethics in China, portrayed by the western media. If the Chinese can afford it, they will buy the healthiest and best ingredients. Unfortunately, not everyone can jump on the bandwagon. 

    The Chinese restaurants spread around the world commonly have a very modest variety of dishes. So if you didn’t eat in a restaurant in China, it is likely that you have no real concept of what Chinese cooking is. Thus, we will attempt to break the mold and show you some of the most intriguing foods we can find, along with the old-time favorites. Plus discuss some of the concepts of cooking the beast!

    Chinese Cooking Doesn’t Need to Be Hard

    We have some good news for all the food lovers out there. Anyone who told you that Chinese cooking is hard was lying to you! We set out to reveal the secrets to easy, simple, and delicious Chinese cooking! From the country of 4000-year-old noodles, they can’t be wrong about their cooking.

    So please stay tuned as we go over the basics for you. And prepare to accept the teachings of the Chinese cleaver!

  • tang dynasty dinner show
    Culture

    Introduction to the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show

    This spectacular dinner show blends a recipe of historical tradition; rich, colorful entertainment; and exemplary cuisine. Located in central Xi-an (Shaanxi Province, China), about 2 kilometers from the Bell Tower, the Tang Dynasty Show is a must-see for visitors to the city. Many overseas visitors highlight the evening as the best experience during their trip, it’s unsurprising then that 5.5 million guests have enjoyed the show and food since its debut in 1988.

    For those who want to know more, please check out the Tang Dynasty Restaurant homepage, or please read on so we can make sure you will be hooked! 

    History

    Xi-an has long been known for the rich history of its 13 dynasties since 1067BC. Home of the terracotta warriors, and thousands of ancient tombs and ruins, Xi-an is the best place to see this dazzling showcase of Chinese history.

    The Tang Dynasty ruled over China between the years 618 to 907 AD. At the time it was one of the largest cities in the world, rivaling Constantinople (Istanbul) and Baghdad. It was a time of wealth and affluence in China.

    Tango music and dance blend traditional dance cultures from past dynasties, with other cultures that wandered into Xi-an down the Silk Road. The new and open Tang Dynasty was the most progressive and prosperous in terms of Chinese music, arts, and dance. Wonderful staging and lighting effects transport guests back to this prosperous time in China’s history, where Xi-an’s ancient art-form comes to life.

    Dinner Restaurant

    The Dynasty Dinner is created by one of China’s greatest chefs, Mr. Sang Hua Rung. Served an hour before the show starts, and accompanied by a band playing traditional music on stage, the meal is a truly sumptuous experience in a unique restaurant setting.

    The menu includes delights fit for royalty, with delights such as The Royal Marriage: a black mushroom consomme; The Heart of the Dragon: crispy king prawns with honey glazed cashew nuts, and The Princess’s Pin: a beef fillet in sweet and sour sauce. A starter, after dinner sweets and jasmine tea, are also provided at the prestigious Chinese restaurant.

    You may also choose the dumpling banquet, during which you try 20 different varieties of freshly made dumplings, including chicken, pork, prawn, abalone, beef, pickle, walnut, and many others. The meal comes with beer and rice wine. For this meal, you will dine in another restaurant and then move to the theatre afterward for the show.

    The Show

    Folk dances originated from dance and music rituals, performed to appease the gods and goddesses and to ask them for a good harvest or a better life. Tang musical instruments include bells, drums, and zithers (a type of harp with a box body), to emphasize the connection to the gods. 30 master musicians play various traditional instruments to give the most accurate rendition of life during China’s ‘golden age.’

    104 highly gifted and rigorously trained dancers and artists grace the stage, thoroughly learned in the history of the period. Preparation began four years before opening, to ensure perfection at every level. The enticing acts include the White Ramie Cloth Costume Dance: a flowing cloth invented by the Chinese 1,500 years ago; The Da Nuo: a masked dance performed every New Year’s Eve to expel ghosts; and The Warrior Dance: composed by Emperor Li Shimin, who was Emperor of Tang 627-649, to express the powerful and forceful spirit of his troops.

    These are a few examples of the eight different acts that will thrill and excite you throughout the hour-long show. And you get to enjoy it all while sipping champagne!

    Things to know

    You may see reviews of this show stating that people are unsure how authentic it is, but it has been recommended by people from UNESCO, who should know what they are talking about!

    There is no dress code as such to the show, but as it is a classy experience you may feel out of place if you turn up in shorts and flip flops!

    There are three different options for the show: Dynasty Banquet and Show; Dumpling Banquet and Show; and Champagne Show. Most tour operators will sell you the Dumpling Banquet and Show, which is fantastic, but just be aware there are other choices.

    This show truly has something for everyone, so go and enjoy this unique recipe for a successful trip to the magical city of Chinese delicacies, with both an amazing show and restaurant experience combined. Only in the mystic capital of Xian, China!

     

    The Religion of Chinese Food

    A famous Chinese writer, “Lin Yutang” once said: “If there is something we take seriously it’s not a religion but food”. Cooking is a way not only to learn how to make food but a learning tool for life itself. In regards to food preference as well as the respect and appreciation towards food, the eastern kitchen could be considered as the best.

    Many have forgotten how in the past the Chinese use to seek perfection through a good quality and balanced ingredients. Originally as a Confucius belief, this tradition is still carried from generation to generation despite the unpopularity of Confucius thinking in modern-day China. A common misconception is that the quality of food is not good and a developing society prefers cheap ingredients. While this is somewhat true and food scandals are an everyday reality in the country. Despite the doom and gloom, this is not happening out of choice, but out of necessity. The living conditions have yet to improve to the level, where if reached, every Chinese person would prefer fresh quality ingredients for their food.

    Everyone has a level of food consciousness and unlike the neighboring Mongolians, in China vegetarianism is no stranger. In fact, eating only meat is considered unhealthy as one must keep a balance between the yin and yang by eating a good variety of ingredients. If you believe in oriental philosophy or not, it is obvious that such thinking promotes nutrition and health.

  • Chengdu Taste,  Menu

    Chengdu’s Offerings On Full Display

    Chengdu Taste is an exquisite dining destination. It always features an exciting scene. When you visit Chengdu Taste during the weekend, you are likely to see the place packed with tour buses with Chinese patrons who are eager to eat frog and tofu mousse in spicy sauce, or cumin lamb using toothpicks. The weekdays are similarly exciting. If you make a trip to Chengdu Taste during any day of the week, the chances are that you will have a spectacular time at the communal table enjoying your boiled fish and green pepper or any of the other amazing selections that Chengdu Taste has to offer.

    While at Chengdu Taste, it hits you that majority of the Chinese families in the dining area are having such a great time with their hot pot and may want to indulge yourself in the large metal dishes of sliced pig intestines, cubes of congealed blood and gizzards on your way to cauliflower. However, if this is not the meal for you, you need not worry since there is a variety of other meals you can try.

    Chengdu Taste’s menu offers a variety of dishes you can indulge in. You will soon realize that five or six trips are not sufficient to exhaust all the items on the menu. One of the spiciest selections at Chengdu Taste is the mala, which is created using a combination of Sichuan peppercorns chilli oil and potent papers. This dish is something that makes you tingly and unhesitant to mingle. Robert Sietsema, a New York writer, put it best, “it’s sort of like your mouth is suddenly on LSD” It’s quite a unique feeling when you are numb, but your entire senses are elevated, and the only thing you want to do is eat more. The rush is quite addictive. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Schezuan-inspired Chengdu Taste is setting Las Vegas’ Chinatown on fire.

    The Wonton with spicy chilli is one of the best you can find in America. It features a perfect balance of spicy-sweet tingly delight. You will easily find yourself ordering another Wonton as soon as you are done with your first.

    If you have never had mung bean jelly with chilli oil, then a trip to Chengdu Taste is all you need. The mung bean jelly dish with chilli oil features tender strands of udon noodles that look like mung bean jelly. Veterans and non-veterans of this type of dish will appreciate the excellent way it is made.

    Sliced beef and shrimp salad with chilli oil is another excellent option at Chengdu taste. The only thing that you will find close to this dish anywhere else is at Nan Xiang restaurant. However, the two versions are quite different. While Chengdu Taste’s version is nuanced and perfectly balanced, the Nan Xiang version is a bit more flavorful and spicy.

  • Chengdu Taste

    Welcome to Chengdu Taste

    If you like exploring local Chinese restaurants, you have probably heard a thing or two about Chengdu Taste. Chengdu Taste is a new restaurant that makes meals that are native to the Chinese city of Chengdu. Since it was established, it has been acclaimed as one of the best Sichuan restaurants in America.

    Before expanding to Las Vegas, Chengdu Taste was located on the space where Alhambra Shanghainese restaurant had been for years. The latter Chinese restaurant neither displayed its English name, Wok and Noodle, on the restaurant’s menu nor the storefront. Wok and Noodle specialized in offering a distinctive version of Classical eastern Chinese cuisine to a generation much older than the typical patrons that occupy San Gabriel valley eateries. If you are a Chinese-American who regularly went to Half and Half and Luscious Dumplings, then this is most likely the eatery where your folks enjoyed seaweed-fried fish and pork knuckles. Wok and Noodle was quite a likeable place. You could easily have thought that the storefront was a typewriter repairing store. After some years, Wok and Noodle Changed his name to Golden Shanghai, but not a lot of people realized it. The establishment of Chengdu Taste brought a significant practical transformation to the former establishment and has since expanded to Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Chengdu Taste features a dining area that has been lightened and streamlined, decorated using red paint, coffee cup embellished chairs and is a little bit opened up to the streets. It is the sleekest you can get to a Valley Boulevard storefront. If your Sichuan food experience is mainly from Chongqing-style eateries that have recently popped out in the San Gabriel Valley, then you’ll probably appreciate what Chengdu Taste has to offer. Chengdu-style cooking is a bit cleaner, lighter and not likely to wake you up in the wee hours of the morning with chile-oil caused nightmares. Since it’s Chinese cuisine, it’s still a bit spicy. It is flavoured using a variety of dried, fresh, pickled and ground chiles. Interestingly, Sichuan peppercorn rich aroma comes to the front of a few dishes creating a powerful sensation in dishes such as the chile-accentuated noodles prepared in room temperature referred to as dan dan mian and the sliced beef inside chile oil known as fu qi fei pian.