My (Accidentally) Chinese Fusion Thanksgiving Dinner

The veggies draining.
I have such a small kitchen now they had to be
relegated to the sink area for awhile.

Earlier this week, I didn't remember Thanksgiving was approaching until I talked to my parents and they reminded me.  It's such a stark contrast from my first year in Taiwan.  Last year, I felt down because I wasn't able t return home for the holidays.  But now, I've acclimated to life here, and I'm busy.  Holiday season has arrived and I didn't even notice!

After speaking to my parents, I thought to myself, "What should I do for Thanksgiving?"  Last year, I had dinner with a friend at a popular restaurant close to where I live.  This year, I thought of doing nothing, but then I decided to try to cook myself Thanksgiving dinner.

I buy a rotisserie chicken to eat over the course of 7-10 days every time I go to the grocery store, so I decided to save some of it for Thanksgiving in place of turkey.  I bought instant pumpkin soup as clam chowder imported from America costs more than I wanted to pay.  I decided I needed some veggies, so I bought a can of beets and a can of mixed veggies, rinsed the can water out, mixed the two, boiled them for a little while, then voila! - a vegetable side-dish.

However, there was one major component I wasn't sure I could pull off.  One thing I missed a lot last year and started to miss again this year when I realized Thanksgiving was around the corner was my mom's amazing stuffing!

Shilin Night Market

Shilin Night Market is probably the most famous night market in Taipei - if not Taiwan - and is frequented by many tourists.  However, it is not a tourist trap.  Well, at least the outdoor portion of it (which has the better food) isn't.  There's a huge variety of snacks to try at Shilin Night Market, and the kinds of food there seems to expand every time I go.

The view from Jiantian Station on a sunny day.

Shilin Night Market is also awesome because it's quite easy to access. Simply go to Jiantian Station on the red line and take exit 2.  Then, walk straight and cross left at the first intersection you hit. Then bam! - you're there.  It's a large market, so I suggest wandering without any sort of agenda.