Bon Appetit

Tired of eating the same old thing again and again? Concerned that those Twinkies you're eating are made out of something that could withstand a nuclear blast? Dissatisfied with loads of dishes to wash? Try some of these tasty dishes I stumbled upon during my travels this past week.

If being at the top of the food chain excites you more than it should, might I suggest some snake? There are several options as to its preparation. If variety is the spice of life, then "hot" is the spice of snake. (Does that even make any sense?) To send your tongue salsa dancing south of the equator, I suggest a healthy dosage of "Fire Snake." Fried up bits of snake encased in dozens of spices and sauce is cut up into tiny pieces, perfect for the chopstick loving individual. Spices not your thing? Want to stay a bit more American? Then why not try "Barbecued Snake"? With the meat still encased on the ribs, this slab of snake is barbecued on the grill before smothered in finger lickin' good BBQ sauce. Snake goes best with a great bottle of Taiwan beer. Located in the heart of snake alley, this destination is the perfect location for a first date.

Want to brave the ocean air? Mist in the face? Wind in the hair? Then take a short bus ride over to Keelung and there you can find their famous Boiled Squid Soup. I was lucky enough to have a couple next to me at a restaurant to recommend the soup. Being one for good dining suggestions, I ordered it. Sure it smelled a bit fishy, and of course it had white stuff in it that looked like fish, but oh no, it's not fish. When the boiled purple tentacles are swishing their way down the back of your throat, you know for sure this can't be anything else but good old squid.

Want to head back to land? All right. This last one is sure to get your mouth watering or I'm not a food critic. In Taipei, in the heart of Gonguan Night Market, a street vendor comes out to sell his foods. Innocent looking of course, since it has the symbol for rice on it. But alas, there is no rice to be seen (or what one considers rice normally looks like). Rather, this man takes out a black chunk of something on a stick, dips it in sauce, crunched peanuts, and dashes a bit of cilantro over the top. When you bite in, its delicious flavor deceives you and you nearly forget your eating a rice cake soaked in pig's blood. Yummy!

So next time the gang's all here, remember there are some alternative cooking ideas out there that will have your guests talking for months on end. So until next time, from your stomach torturing, tongue tasting culinaire magnifique of the fine Bistros in Taipei, Michael.