Well ladies and gents, I've been home for a little over a week now. Although I miss being able to pop into a pub for curry and a pint or exploring hidden streets to find a real foodie gem, I've eaten well since I've been home and had time to reflect on my experiences. Between Christmas baking and savoring holiday roasts, one of the things that initially struck me about leaving London was that I no longer had a pretense to blog and I was going to miss it. So, I decided I'm going to continue blogging about restaurants, recipes, escapades, and culinary mishaps at school in DC, home in St. Louis, and anywhere else I go.
My time in the states so far has been filled with a trendy eatery in Chicago, rich Italian food in Louisville, and decadent surf and turf in St. Louis. I'm excited to try several places on my list at home in the next few weeks before returning to DC where I have an extensive list of restaurants and recipes to try. I can't wait to share my forthcoming culinary experiences with all of you and thank you for your loyal support during my time abroad this past semester! Happy eating in the new year!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tea at Harrods
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of enjoying afternoon tea at Harrods and it was quite the experience. The Georgian Restaurant, where tea is served, is a very large room resembling a catering hall or country club dining room. One stumbles upon this oasis of bourgeoisie decor after wading through the children clothing section. The incredibly large room was covered with silver balls and Christmas decorations, and trees heavily adorned with silver ball ornaments. Upon being seated, we were asked to choose which tea we wanted. I settled on the Moroccan mint while my friends chose the classic Georgian afternoon tea. The mint tea had a strong tea flavor but the mint kept it very refreshing with particles of mint still in the brew. The Georgian was also good, although slightly more traditional. Then our food arrived! We were served, in the traditional fashion, a large silver three-tiered serving platter. The lowest tier contained a variety of delicious sandwiches, the second scones, and the top level desserts. The first sandwich I tried was a delightfully mini lobster roll. The roll had the appropriate crustiness for a lobster roll and the lobster mixture was great: I could taste the lobster but also several seasonings, celery, and several other additions. The lobster rolls were, not surprisingly, my favorite sandwich and we all proceeded to ask for and eat a second round of them. The next tea sandwich I had was some sort of ham sandwich with ham, rocket, and a seasoned mustard. It was really good because the ham was fresh, as was the bread, and the mustard was very delicious. The third sandwich I had was smoked salmon and cream cheese and I obviously loved it. The other two sandwiches weren't really my favorites. One was a mix of I'm not really sure what, possibly pear and goat cheese with a little watercress. It had too many flavors and an unfavorable texture. The other one I didn't really care for was a curried chicken salad on little toasts but I thought it had a little too much curry powder.
The scones were easily one of my favorite parts of the tea. We were served raisin scones as well as plain scones, with clotted cream, rose petal jelly, and strawberry preserves. The scones themselves wee crumbly and moist with a lot of flavor! The clotted cream was like a sweeter, less salty butter so it was definitely a hit. The strawberry preserves were great with big pieces of strawberry and went excellently with the scones and cream but the real knockout was the rose petal jelly. The jelly was runny, with a much thinner consistency than the jam and an equally delicate flavor. Yet, despite it's delicateness, it was full of subtle sweetness and was very nice. The final part of tea was the dessert! We were faced with a plate full of intriguing, colorful, beautiful, and unique looking sweets, most of which I tried. The first sweet I tried was the fruit tart with orange creme. The fruit on top was colorful and fresh and the orange creme filling was delicious! It went perfectly with the fruity flavors of the topping and kept the tart from being too rich. The pastry shell was also flaky, buttery and ideal. Next, I tried the chocolate and cherry Financiere. This treat was shaped almost like a circle cookie but then had layers of rich chocolate, cherry, and nuts. It had a very interesting flavor, possibly due to a small amount of anis, and I wasn't originally a fan. Yet, as I continued powering through, it grew on me, probably due to the chocolate. After my fluctuating feelings about the last dessert, I decided to try something I knew I'd like next: the white chocolate and cranberry delice. This was a scrumptious little pastry bite with incredibly creamy white chocolate followed by a layer of cranberry compote and finally a crunch of ground nuts. It was really good and had the perfect texture balance! Finally, I had the gingerbread and toffee macaroon and I definitely saved the best for last. The top and bottom layers were soft and chewy with a full toffee flavor while the middle was almost like a mousse it was so light. The "mousse" filling was an incredibly flavorful blend of cinnamon, gingerbread, and nutmeg that worked so well with the sweet toffee taste. It was great! We were also served a Brandy Dundee cake which I didn't try because 1. it looked like a fruit cake and I don't like fruit cake and 2. I was full/wanted to save room for a second plate of sandwiches.
Tea was a fun and delicious way to spend a few hours with good friends on one of my final days in London. Although it was a bit expensive, I think it was a great value because we were served so much food and you're able to ask for endless amounts of anything. I understand now why tea in London, especially somewhere with a long-standing reputation like Harrods, is a must-do for every visitor to the city. I only wish I'd known sooner so I could have enjoyed afternoon tea more often, although I'm not sure how many times my wallet could have.
The scones were easily one of my favorite parts of the tea. We were served raisin scones as well as plain scones, with clotted cream, rose petal jelly, and strawberry preserves. The scones themselves wee crumbly and moist with a lot of flavor! The clotted cream was like a sweeter, less salty butter so it was definitely a hit. The strawberry preserves were great with big pieces of strawberry and went excellently with the scones and cream but the real knockout was the rose petal jelly. The jelly was runny, with a much thinner consistency than the jam and an equally delicate flavor. Yet, despite it's delicateness, it was full of subtle sweetness and was very nice. The final part of tea was the dessert! We were faced with a plate full of intriguing, colorful, beautiful, and unique looking sweets, most of which I tried. The first sweet I tried was the fruit tart with orange creme. The fruit on top was colorful and fresh and the orange creme filling was delicious! It went perfectly with the fruity flavors of the topping and kept the tart from being too rich. The pastry shell was also flaky, buttery and ideal. Next, I tried the chocolate and cherry Financiere. This treat was shaped almost like a circle cookie but then had layers of rich chocolate, cherry, and nuts. It had a very interesting flavor, possibly due to a small amount of anis, and I wasn't originally a fan. Yet, as I continued powering through, it grew on me, probably due to the chocolate. After my fluctuating feelings about the last dessert, I decided to try something I knew I'd like next: the white chocolate and cranberry delice. This was a scrumptious little pastry bite with incredibly creamy white chocolate followed by a layer of cranberry compote and finally a crunch of ground nuts. It was really good and had the perfect texture balance! Finally, I had the gingerbread and toffee macaroon and I definitely saved the best for last. The top and bottom layers were soft and chewy with a full toffee flavor while the middle was almost like a mousse it was so light. The "mousse" filling was an incredibly flavorful blend of cinnamon, gingerbread, and nutmeg that worked so well with the sweet toffee taste. It was great! We were also served a Brandy Dundee cake which I didn't try because 1. it looked like a fruit cake and I don't like fruit cake and 2. I was full/wanted to save room for a second plate of sandwiches.
Tea was a fun and delicious way to spend a few hours with good friends on one of my final days in London. Although it was a bit expensive, I think it was a great value because we were served so much food and you're able to ask for endless amounts of anything. I understand now why tea in London, especially somewhere with a long-standing reputation like Harrods, is a must-do for every visitor to the city. I only wish I'd known sooner so I could have enjoyed afternoon tea more often, although I'm not sure how many times my wallet could have.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas
Not only is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in London, but it's beginning to feel like it, and I don't just mean the weather! Each area or street in London comes together and organizes street-wide Christmas lights. They range in style from blue icicles in Covent Garden to giant stars and snowflakes on Oxford Street. The lights were hung in early November though, so that's not what's making London so Christmasy. Nor is it the incredible store windows! All of the stores here, particularly the large department stores, spare no expense on their window displays and it definitely shows! One of the corner displays at Selfridges is a giant fan blowing fake snow all around (the theme for all of their windows is white). Harvey Nichols' is decked out in a fantasy theme with large model animals and mystical colors while Harrods is simply opulent. Each display reveals something about the store's character while giving the onlooker quite the spectacle. What's really making London seem like a fairy-tale Christmas is Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
It's a well known fact I've been obsessed with Christmas lights well, since forever but this is something completely different. Winter Wonderland is a Christmas market modeled after those common in Europe, a theme park, and a foodie's wonderland. Rows and rows of small vendors sell a variety of items including ornaments, hand-carved wooden utensils, candles, jewelry, handmade clothes, and London trinkets. The amusement park is pretty cool with a range of kid rides, haunted-house style attractions, carnival games and several larger rides. Of the larger rides, I've only been on one: the drop. It was one of the rides that goes straight up very high and then drops you fast back down and up again and down and up until it just starts getting fun, and then it's over. This drop was cooler than some because from that height and location at night, I felt like I could see all of the lights in London. The best part of Winter Wonderland though is, in my opinion, obviously the food. The most common type of food vendor is "Bavarian pubs" and German eateries offering sausages and potatoes. I tried the potato pancakes from one and despite being slightly overfried, they were good. I always thought they were a Hanukkah food but apparently they're really German: who knew? There's are several vendors selling tantalizing flavors of homemade fudge, colorful candies, and marshmallows a meter long! Another staple of the Christmas market is the drinks: hot chocolate with baileys, mulled wine, and German beer. The hot chocolate is rich and creamy and when it's served sans alcohol is topped with a generous amount of fresh whipped cream and chocolate powder. Yum! It's pretty good with the Baileys too. The most unique and interesting thing I tried at the market however was the mulled wine. Mulled wine is a traditional European winter treat, goes by a few different regional names, and has a taste difficult to describe. Imagine a winter beer full of spices and warm seasonings such as cardamom and cinnamon. The mulled wine was sort of like a hot version of those flavors, in wine. The initial sip just tastes like heat followed by the aftertaste of red wine. Yet, the next taste gives you an idea of the full range of spices and flavors in the wine. It's incredibly interesting but I haven't decided yet whether I actually enjoy drinking it or not. Verdict to follow. Other vendors boast exotic burgers like ostrich while a few others, such as "Santa's Pub" serve more traditional British grub and pies.
The best thing I ate a the market though was, not surprisingly, my dessert. Choosing between waffle carts and crepe stands proved too difficult so I went with the wildcard and it worked out almost as well as the Cardinals' wildcard position in the MLB playoffs this year. I got a chimney cake, an old German cake. The chimney cake was made of dough which was placed vertically surrounding a column and then rotated as it bake to a lovely golden color. It was then brushed with a little butter and rolled in whichever topping you chose. I got half rolled in chocolate sprinkles and the other half rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix. It was awesome! The cinnamon sugar bites were sweet and the topping melted in your mouth and into the cake. The chocolate side was also sweet and gave a nice crunch. The cake itself was really unique. The outside was crisp with a crunch almost like a wafer-thin cookie and then there was about a quarter inch of more pastry textured soft dough before the hollow center. And it was healthier than funnel cake since it was baked!
And to make the night better, I saw Bill Nighy there! I love the Christmas market and how perfectly they put you in the mood for Christmas. Not to mention all of the sweets, goodies, drinks, and inviting food choices. I'm definitely going back again this week.
 |
| Food vendors and stalls fill several festive rows. |
It's a well known fact I've been obsessed with Christmas lights well, since forever but this is something completely different. Winter Wonderland is a Christmas market modeled after those common in Europe, a theme park, and a foodie's wonderland. Rows and rows of small vendors sell a variety of items including ornaments, hand-carved wooden utensils, candles, jewelry, handmade clothes, and London trinkets. The amusement park is pretty cool with a range of kid rides, haunted-house style attractions, carnival games and several larger rides. Of the larger rides, I've only been on one: the drop. It was one of the rides that goes straight up very high and then drops you fast back down and up again and down and up until it just starts getting fun, and then it's over. This drop was cooler than some because from that height and location at night, I felt like I could see all of the lights in London. The best part of Winter Wonderland though is, in my opinion, obviously the food. The most common type of food vendor is "Bavarian pubs" and German eateries offering sausages and potatoes. I tried the potato pancakes from one and despite being slightly overfried, they were good. I always thought they were a Hanukkah food but apparently they're really German: who knew? There's are several vendors selling tantalizing flavors of homemade fudge, colorful candies, and marshmallows a meter long! Another staple of the Christmas market is the drinks: hot chocolate with baileys, mulled wine, and German beer. The hot chocolate is rich and creamy and when it's served sans alcohol is topped with a generous amount of fresh whipped cream and chocolate powder. Yum! It's pretty good with the Baileys too. The most unique and interesting thing I tried at the market however was the mulled wine. Mulled wine is a traditional European winter treat, goes by a few different regional names, and has a taste difficult to describe. Imagine a winter beer full of spices and warm seasonings such as cardamom and cinnamon. The mulled wine was sort of like a hot version of those flavors, in wine. The initial sip just tastes like heat followed by the aftertaste of red wine. Yet, the next taste gives you an idea of the full range of spices and flavors in the wine. It's incredibly interesting but I haven't decided yet whether I actually enjoy drinking it or not. Verdict to follow. Other vendors boast exotic burgers like ostrich while a few others, such as "Santa's Pub" serve more traditional British grub and pies.
The best thing I ate a the market though was, not surprisingly, my dessert. Choosing between waffle carts and crepe stands proved too difficult so I went with the wildcard and it worked out almost as well as the Cardinals' wildcard position in the MLB playoffs this year. I got a chimney cake, an old German cake. The chimney cake was made of dough which was placed vertically surrounding a column and then rotated as it bake to a lovely golden color. It was then brushed with a little butter and rolled in whichever topping you chose. I got half rolled in chocolate sprinkles and the other half rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix. It was awesome! The cinnamon sugar bites were sweet and the topping melted in your mouth and into the cake. The chocolate side was also sweet and gave a nice crunch. The cake itself was really unique. The outside was crisp with a crunch almost like a wafer-thin cookie and then there was about a quarter inch of more pastry textured soft dough before the hollow center. And it was healthier than funnel cake since it was baked!
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| Chimney cakes being made and decorated. |
And to make the night better, I saw Bill Nighy there! I love the Christmas market and how perfectly they put you in the mood for Christmas. Not to mention all of the sweets, goodies, drinks, and inviting food choices. I'm definitely going back again this week.
Haggis, Tatties and Neep
Ok so I didn't actually have a traditional Scottish serving of haggis, tatties, and neep (haggis, mashed potato, and turnips) but I did have haggis and several other traditional foods on my trip to Edinburgh this weekend. I surprisingly enjoyed it very much, which makes me a little reluctant to tell those of you that don't know what haggis is, but I guess I can't live in denial. Haggis is basically several different parts of a sheep, namely organs, mashed up with oatmeal, onions and spices, and then prepared in a casing. For my first haggis experience, I ordered fried haggis balls from a nice little pub and they were really good! Once you get past thinking about what you're eating, the breading gave a nice crunch but wasn't overpowering and the haggis was creamy and incredibly flavorful. The oatmeal and some sort of thickening agent, probably a stock, gave the filling a consistency almost like a rice ball. The haggis balls were a great start to the meal and I am happy to be able to say I have now tried haggis, and liked it! (Oy! Me a year ago would have died to say, or even think, about something like that!)
Besides haggis, probably the most well-known Scottish food, Edinburgh has very good seafood because of its proximity to the water. My second night, I had a very fresh serving of salmon accompanied by hearty leeks and potatoes. I feel like the dish was very characteristic of Scottish food with its hearty nature but fresh fish. I also had mussels which were perfect! Each one tasted fresh and was well cooked while the sauce was a to-die-for concoction of butter, white wine, and garlic that I proceeded to soak up with bread after enjoying the mussels. And I had all of that from a pub! What also made the meal so great was the local beer I enjoyed alongside the food. The Caledonian Brewery is a landmark in Edinburgh and has been since it was founded in 1869. As soon as I stepped out of the train station, I could smell the beer brewing in the nearby brewery and I knew I was going to love this city. Their most famous beer is the Deuchars IPA which was a great brew and the perfect accompaniment to my meal. Caledonian's second-most popular beer is the Caledonian 80/- which is much darker but still very good. Many of the pubs and bars in Edinburgh served more unique, locally-brewed beer than I have seen in the rest of the UK and so I made sure to try a healthy sampling of Scotch Ales.
Another really cool place I went in Edinburgh, although not quite as Scottish, was Elephants and Bagels. This is a smaller and more food-oriented restaurant run by the same people that own Elephant House: the famous coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter. Elephants and Bagels was cozily tucked away in a little square and offered a unique menu of bagel sandwiches including the classic cream cheese and salmon to a homemade pesto chicken. Being a traditionalist, I opted for the cream cheese and salmon and was not disappointed. Later in the day, I walked past the original Elephant House and saw how the warm inviting atmosphere, combined with the spooky, old surroundings definitely gave JK Rowling inspiration for the epic series.
I had a wonderful time exploring all the winding streets and closes of the beautiful old city and wish I'd had more time in Edinburgh. I do feel like I accomplished some of the Scottish musts though: beer, salmon, and haggis.
Besides haggis, probably the most well-known Scottish food, Edinburgh has very good seafood because of its proximity to the water. My second night, I had a very fresh serving of salmon accompanied by hearty leeks and potatoes. I feel like the dish was very characteristic of Scottish food with its hearty nature but fresh fish. I also had mussels which were perfect! Each one tasted fresh and was well cooked while the sauce was a to-die-for concoction of butter, white wine, and garlic that I proceeded to soak up with bread after enjoying the mussels. And I had all of that from a pub! What also made the meal so great was the local beer I enjoyed alongside the food. The Caledonian Brewery is a landmark in Edinburgh and has been since it was founded in 1869. As soon as I stepped out of the train station, I could smell the beer brewing in the nearby brewery and I knew I was going to love this city. Their most famous beer is the Deuchars IPA which was a great brew and the perfect accompaniment to my meal. Caledonian's second-most popular beer is the Caledonian 80/- which is much darker but still very good. Many of the pubs and bars in Edinburgh served more unique, locally-brewed beer than I have seen in the rest of the UK and so I made sure to try a healthy sampling of Scotch Ales.
Another really cool place I went in Edinburgh, although not quite as Scottish, was Elephants and Bagels. This is a smaller and more food-oriented restaurant run by the same people that own Elephant House: the famous coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter. Elephants and Bagels was cozily tucked away in a little square and offered a unique menu of bagel sandwiches including the classic cream cheese and salmon to a homemade pesto chicken. Being a traditionalist, I opted for the cream cheese and salmon and was not disappointed. Later in the day, I walked past the original Elephant House and saw how the warm inviting atmosphere, combined with the spooky, old surroundings definitely gave JK Rowling inspiration for the epic series.
I had a wonderful time exploring all the winding streets and closes of the beautiful old city and wish I'd had more time in Edinburgh. I do feel like I accomplished some of the Scottish musts though: beer, salmon, and haggis.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Fish & Chips: the winner
I FINALLY had great fish and chips this weekend! As I mentioned in one of my first blog entries, my first famous chippie visit was tremendously disappointing. Since then, I've had fair fish and chips at a few different pubs and several weeks ago, I had good fish and chips at the Golden Hind in Marylebone. I was beginning to get discouraged and was considering either giving up the search or going back to the Golden Hind for a second tasting and to possibly declare it the winner. Yet, just in time, no settling was necessary; I had really great, can't-get-enough fish and chips.
I'm sure you're all dying to know where so you can add it to your London bucket lists and join this chippy's cult-like following. Well ladies and gents, the best chippy in London is... Mickey's Fish and Chips by Paddington Station. The eatery is extremely unassuming, located just off a decently sized street only minutes from the buzzing train station. Mickey's itself is made up of two large shopfront style windows, roughly a dozen tables with seating for maybe 30 people, and a small counter and kitchen area. Since we were eating in (I'm thinking take away counts for a lot of their business) we were encouraged to sit down and look over the menu instead of standing to order. We ordered 5 medium pieces of whichever fish was freshest and two large orders of chips for the five of us. Our waiter told us he would check whether the cod or haddock was fresher and our food would be ready shortly. Minutes later, massive amounts of steaming, inviting food arrived at our table. The fish itself was a generous piece of cod but, not as grossly huge as many chippys offer. The breading had an incredible crunch to it and each taste was filled with delicious flavor and a bite of flaky, fresh fish. The fish was perfectly cooked which, combined with a delicious breading, gave the fish a perfect texture and flavor. The chips were good too, although I'm far less picky about those. The heaping plates of chips were made up of several different sizes so you could choose if you wanted a more potatoey or crunchy side dish. I opted for the medium-size cut chips so I got a bite of potato and some crunch with each chip, similar to the texture of the fish.
Another thing that makes Mickey's so great is the cult-like fan base. When we ate there, there were three other parties in the restaurant including a family and an elderly man. The third was another of our friends showing his visitors "the best fish and chips in London" just as I was. Beyond that, people that love Mickey's go all the time and tell everyone about it. Despite this being my first visit, I've listened to my friends rave about it since the first week in London. All my friends love it so much they insisted thats where I take my visitors and the next night, two of them got it take-away for dinner again. I'll definitely be making another visit before my time in London is finished. The chips were good, the prices ideal, the community vibe great, and the fish was excellent! Go to Mickey's now!
I'm sure you're all dying to know where so you can add it to your London bucket lists and join this chippy's cult-like following. Well ladies and gents, the best chippy in London is... Mickey's Fish and Chips by Paddington Station. The eatery is extremely unassuming, located just off a decently sized street only minutes from the buzzing train station. Mickey's itself is made up of two large shopfront style windows, roughly a dozen tables with seating for maybe 30 people, and a small counter and kitchen area. Since we were eating in (I'm thinking take away counts for a lot of their business) we were encouraged to sit down and look over the menu instead of standing to order. We ordered 5 medium pieces of whichever fish was freshest and two large orders of chips for the five of us. Our waiter told us he would check whether the cod or haddock was fresher and our food would be ready shortly. Minutes later, massive amounts of steaming, inviting food arrived at our table. The fish itself was a generous piece of cod but, not as grossly huge as many chippys offer. The breading had an incredible crunch to it and each taste was filled with delicious flavor and a bite of flaky, fresh fish. The fish was perfectly cooked which, combined with a delicious breading, gave the fish a perfect texture and flavor. The chips were good too, although I'm far less picky about those. The heaping plates of chips were made up of several different sizes so you could choose if you wanted a more potatoey or crunchy side dish. I opted for the medium-size cut chips so I got a bite of potato and some crunch with each chip, similar to the texture of the fish.
Another thing that makes Mickey's so great is the cult-like fan base. When we ate there, there were three other parties in the restaurant including a family and an elderly man. The third was another of our friends showing his visitors "the best fish and chips in London" just as I was. Beyond that, people that love Mickey's go all the time and tell everyone about it. Despite this being my first visit, I've listened to my friends rave about it since the first week in London. All my friends love it so much they insisted thats where I take my visitors and the next night, two of them got it take-away for dinner again. I'll definitely be making another visit before my time in London is finished. The chips were good, the prices ideal, the community vibe great, and the fish was excellent! Go to Mickey's now!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Amsterdam
My trip to Amsterdam was full of surprises and shocks, including how beautiful the city was! I was expecting the entire city to look seedy like the red light district (oy what an experience) but was pleasantly surprised to discover a picturesque city full of sparkling canals, colorful houseboats, clean streets, and many large museums. The huge number of cyclists also gave the city an almost quaint type of feeling. Some of the foods the Dutch are most known for are waffles, pancakes, and fries with mayo so I thought I'd let you know my take on them al.
1. Waffles: I mean what's not to like? They're waffles? Dutch waffles are typically sold from street vendors or in small walk-up bakeries. Mine was from the latter: a small cafe with about 5 seats and 10 choices for sweets. I settled, with no hesitation, on the waffle with chocolate sauce. The sauce was melted and definitely homemade because you could taste some of the sugar used to make it so sweet. The waffle itself had a nice slight crunch to it around the outside and the rest was airy and great. It tasted like someone folded the egg whites in perfectly to get the airiness of the waffle and tempered the chocolate ideally as well to get a sauce that wasn't too runny or congealed. It was great, but in fairness I'm a waffle kind of girl. And in the mornin', we're makin' waffles!
2. Pancakes: ah pancakes, my second favorite breakfast food (to waffles). Before going to Amsterdam, I'd imagined Dutch pancakes to be extremely thin, like a crepe. However, I was happy to discover the pancakes had a texture slightly thicker than a crepe, albeit thinner than an American pancake. We got our pancakes from a vendor in a Christmas market where they were individually spread over a skillet, like a crepe. They were then filled with our first topping of choice, chocolate for me, before being rolled twice so it resembled a thin pancake log. They were then covered in our second topping choice: powdered sugar or maple syrup. Taking my pancake filled with oozy chocolate and covered in powdered sugar from the woman was the happiest day of my life! Not really, but I was very excited. Sometimes I feel crepe's extreme thinness makes them slightly flavorless so the added thickness really countered this problem. The pancake itself tasted like the ideal hybrid between the fluffiness of an American pancake and the stronger condensed flavors of a French crepe. The chocolate and powdered sugar were great additions too!
3. Fries and Mayo: I know, it sounds gross or in the very least weird. For so many reasons this pairing did not appeal to me, probably because I don't particularly care for mayonnaise and I like foods that are different colors because I like my food to look appealing. The first day, I refused to try the duo and stuck to my security blanket (ketchup) but by the second day I was a little curious after seeing it on the menu nearly everywhere we went. Nervously, I dipped my fry into the mayonnaise and prepared to try it. I was surprised that, as long as I only added a little mayo, I didn't really mind the flavor. The mayo somehow brought out the potatoes hearty flavor and gave the fries a completely different flavor. I finished the rest of the dish with much less trepidation and learned an important lesson.
In these experiences, I learned a crucial lesson: try the famous dishes in a country regardless of whether you think you won't like them or know you'll love them, you may be surprised! Plus, for a foodie's perspective, like my own, what better way is there to learn about a culture than by experiencing it's famous dishes, food service style, and its unique culture surrounding dining.
1. Waffles: I mean what's not to like? They're waffles? Dutch waffles are typically sold from street vendors or in small walk-up bakeries. Mine was from the latter: a small cafe with about 5 seats and 10 choices for sweets. I settled, with no hesitation, on the waffle with chocolate sauce. The sauce was melted and definitely homemade because you could taste some of the sugar used to make it so sweet. The waffle itself had a nice slight crunch to it around the outside and the rest was airy and great. It tasted like someone folded the egg whites in perfectly to get the airiness of the waffle and tempered the chocolate ideally as well to get a sauce that wasn't too runny or congealed. It was great, but in fairness I'm a waffle kind of girl. And in the mornin', we're makin' waffles!
2. Pancakes: ah pancakes, my second favorite breakfast food (to waffles). Before going to Amsterdam, I'd imagined Dutch pancakes to be extremely thin, like a crepe. However, I was happy to discover the pancakes had a texture slightly thicker than a crepe, albeit thinner than an American pancake. We got our pancakes from a vendor in a Christmas market where they were individually spread over a skillet, like a crepe. They were then filled with our first topping of choice, chocolate for me, before being rolled twice so it resembled a thin pancake log. They were then covered in our second topping choice: powdered sugar or maple syrup. Taking my pancake filled with oozy chocolate and covered in powdered sugar from the woman was the happiest day of my life! Not really, but I was very excited. Sometimes I feel crepe's extreme thinness makes them slightly flavorless so the added thickness really countered this problem. The pancake itself tasted like the ideal hybrid between the fluffiness of an American pancake and the stronger condensed flavors of a French crepe. The chocolate and powdered sugar were great additions too!
3. Fries and Mayo: I know, it sounds gross or in the very least weird. For so many reasons this pairing did not appeal to me, probably because I don't particularly care for mayonnaise and I like foods that are different colors because I like my food to look appealing. The first day, I refused to try the duo and stuck to my security blanket (ketchup) but by the second day I was a little curious after seeing it on the menu nearly everywhere we went. Nervously, I dipped my fry into the mayonnaise and prepared to try it. I was surprised that, as long as I only added a little mayo, I didn't really mind the flavor. The mayo somehow brought out the potatoes hearty flavor and gave the fries a completely different flavor. I finished the rest of the dish with much less trepidation and learned an important lesson.
In these experiences, I learned a crucial lesson: try the famous dishes in a country regardless of whether you think you won't like them or know you'll love them, you may be surprised! Plus, for a foodie's perspective, like my own, what better way is there to learn about a culture than by experiencing it's famous dishes, food service style, and its unique culture surrounding dining.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Barcelona: mi nueva favorita ciudad
When I get back to the real world next semester, I expect many people to ask me, after seeing all of these places this semester, what my favorite city is. I can't say definitively but Barcelona is definitely a top contender. I loved the city's energy, architecture, beach, food, people and culture! I arrived early Saturday morning and exhausted from an insanely early morning of travel, went to Teresa Carlas for breakfast. I ordered local Catalan bread with a homemade spiced jelly. The bread was cut in thick slabs full of grains with a very subtle sweetness while the jelly was incredibly unique. I then met up with my friend who's studying abroad there and she showed me around Barri Gótic. We popped in a small shop for fro yo and it was crazy good! The fro yo itself, tart of course, was basically the same but the toppings are what made this place so cool! There were several fruit jellies, a variety of candy toppings, cereals, and a few different chocolates. I got banana and a topping basically made of partially melted and mixed up Ferro Rocher candies. The warmth of the melted chocolate with it's thick goodness and the crunch from the candy shell, paired with the smooth tartness of the fro yo was literally to die for. Incredibly happy, I ventured to the Picasso museum where I admired the true depth of his work and skill. Hungry again, I stopped by a small restaurant for a snack of patatas bravas, a signature Catalonian dish. My friend explained that every restaurant serves theirs a little differently and these were prepared like fries topped with the signature sauce. The fries were crunchy and the sauce, some type of spicy red pepper aioli, were a great snack before heading to Camp Nou to watch FC Barca beat Real Zaragoza 4-0. My first European "football" game was really fun and what better way to experience my first game then by watching the best team in the world? In Barcelona, everyone eats really late (like 10pm) so we headed to dinner after the game. We went to Attic, a delicious restaurant right on La Rambla, where we feasted on traditional Spanish dishes as well as modern fusion food. The menu was extensive and the variety was tantalizing but I ended up choosing ham croquettes for the table and lettuce wraps for my meal. The croquettes, another Barcelona food staple, had a slight crunch from the bread crumbs on the outside and the inside was a warm mix of ham and cheese with a consistency like mashed potatoes. They were a great starter before I dove into my modern and creative lettuce wraps. The wraps were delicately rolled in thin wraps and filled with fresh shrimp, spinach, onion, and carrot. The rolls were drizzled with a thick, sweet teriyaki sauce and plated next to a yogurt mint sauce. The plate was attractively and deliciously garnished with extra teriyaki sauce, strawberries and shrimp. Before calling it a night we headed to L'Ovella Negra (the black sheep): a large drinking hall serving delicious sangria.
Sunday, we started the day with a breakfast picnic in Parc Güell: the park famous for Gaudi's creative constructions. For my breakfast, I picked up a sandwich on the way to the park filled with oozy, sharp Brie, mild prosciutto, and rocket served on a type of focaccia bread. The park was beautiful, provided breathtaking views of the city, and the design of the buildings was crazy. The colorful mosaics and extremely inventive ways of using, converting, and changing the space of the park made the Gaudi architecture something to see. We then continued with our day of Gaudi to the the Cathedral he designed that is still being realized today: Sagrada Familia. As one approaches Sagrada Familia the first thing you see isn't tourist shops or the church itself, like many famous sites around Europe, but the large cranes and scaffolding which remind you that the place you're about to visit may be an architectural wonder of the early 1900s yet is still in fact, unfinished. The church is a thought-provoking, frightening, and awe-inspiring mix of traditional cathedral facades, unorthodox uses of lines and curves, large spaces of starkly intimidating columns, and brightly colored modern mosaics. Deciding I'd seen enough Gaudi for the day, I meandered through Eixampale towards the beach. Near the beach in Barceloneta I stopped for a paella lunch at Hotel Peru. The paella was comprised of soft delicate rice with a rich tomato broth that was still reducing slightly as we were served the dish in the traditional giant pot. The rice and sauce tasted almost like a richer, better, tomato rice soup only topped with large mussels, giant head-on shrimp, clams, peppers, and onions. The paella was full of warming flavors like saffron which brought out the seafood's freshness and own seasoning: likely some type of seasoning salt and cayenne. Stuffed from the rich paella, we headed down to the beach for a walk and to dip our feet in the ridiculously cold water. Chilled from the ocean we went to Opium Mar, a trendy bar on the beach for a drink. The outdoor area was filled with long, winding couches big enough to really recline on as you watch the waves crash on the shore and listen to the DJ spin tracks. My mojito was delicious and it was a very cool bar. For dinner, we went to Navarro near Plaza Catyluna. To start with, I had a mantadito (a very small dish generally served on toast) in the form of a mini burger. The burger was perfectly cooked and the melted gorgonzola added a sharp bite. We then enjoyed some lightly breaded calamari before my main course of gazpacho, another Spanish speciality. The tomato based soup had a little cream, making it a lighter red almost orangey color, and was very well pureed. The broth was smooth and the pieces of raw pepper, onion, and other vegetables gave the soup a nice crunch. Since my main course was so light and healthy, I definitely needed desert so I ordered a crema catalana: the region's signature desert. It was served in a custard dish, similar to a creme brûlée and even had a flambéed sugar topping, but the similarities ended there. Beneath the sugary crunch was a dessert with a less eggy and more sugary flavor, almost like vanilla pudding. The desert wasn't as rich as creme brûlée but also not as good. As a snack Sunday, I also picked up panellets de pinyons: a delicious potato based sweet that is a staple in Barcelona bakeries. The outside was flaky almost like rice and the inside was a melt-in-your-mouth mixture of almonds, pine nuts, almond extract, and potato that almost resembled a slightly less sweet marzipan.
Monday, I began my day in La Boqueria: Barcelona's famous market. As soon as I entered the market I was overcome with colors, sights, and choices. The first area of vendors mainly sold vibrantly colored dried fruits by the weight, including things like dried kiwi, nuts, candied nuts, and candy. And oh my god this candy! There was gummy candy, 20 different types of licorice, and chocolate. Not surprisingly, I blew my money on the chocolate, which was well worth it. I had a porcupine shaped chocolate coated in colorful sprinkles, a thin layer of milk chocolate, a thick layer of white chocolate, and filled with a milk chocolate and nougat center. I also had a coconut cream covered in coconut and filled with white chocolate and coconut inside, a dark chocolate truffle covered in chocolate sprinkles and filled with almost fudge-like chocolate on the inside. I enjoyed a few other pieces as well but those were the clear standouts. From the front section of the market, I also noshed on candied walnuts which were sinfully sweet and sugary. The market's next section consisted of every kind of fruit, both tropical and not, imaginable: bananas, apples, star fruit, dragon fruit, cactus flower, guava, coconut, papaya and several I couldn't identify. Most fruit stalls in the giant market also sold fresh fruit juices and I opted for the kiwi coconut juice. The light green drink was exceptional! The kiwi's flavor was sweet and the coconut made the juice both creamy and refreshing. Other vendors sold cheese, mostly manchego, while meat vendors sold chorizo, ham, sausage, and parts of an animal a converted vegetarian cannot even begin imagine eating. Ever. The sprawling market also boasted fishmongers and restaurants ranging from more gourmet dishes to simple sandwiches, all made with the market's own ingredient. I opted for a basic ham and manchego cheese sandwich. Stuffed and in a chocolate coma, I wandered down La Rambla to the marina, around the Born neighborhood, peeked into the Cathedral (I didn't want to pay 6 euros to actually tour it), and made my way through the winding side streets of the old city. Deciding a hair of the dog that bit me was the best way to get over my chocolate coma, I stopped for churros and chocolate. The sweet treat is basically fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and served with a decadently rich chocolate sauce for dipping. They were insanely sweet, the chocolate was way too rich, and I absolutely loved them! I spent the rest of the afternoon working off some of those sweets and simply wandering the inviting streets.
Dinner my last night, Monday, was my favorite meal in Barcelona. A sorority sister who studied in Barca last spring suggested I go to Cervecería Catalana, her favorite restaurant, for diner and it was an excellent recommendation. The restaurant was incredibly crowded and we had to wade through crowds of trendy-looking people enjoying a drink at the bar simply to put our name on the list for the equally trendy restaurant. Once we were seated, it was time to chose which tapas we wanted to order, and this task proved incredibly difficult: everything sounded great! To help us decide, we ordered the house sangria which was sweet, light, and refreshing. We finally settled on four tapas and a cheese plate. For starters, our semi-soft manchego cheese plate was just sharp enough to have a nice flavor but not too sharp as to make it unpleasant to nibble on the slices without crackers. Our next dish was one of my favorite: escalavida con fromage chevre. This dish was basically a giant free-formed tart with a round slice of goat cheese on top followed by a layer of marinated grilled red peppers and then a bottom layer of marinated legumes. As I cut the dish, the goat cheese softened into the peppers and veggies, which were marinated with some type of vinegar and sugar before being grilled. The escalavida was a juicy and flavorful combination. Next, we enjoyed a tortilla, which, in Spain, is a potato casserole of sorts. The outside of the casserole was a little tougher, allowing the tortilla to retain its shape, with several layers of flavors and textures on the inside. Initially, I tasted the potato, some of which was more pureed while other pieces were left as chunks. Then, I noticed a corn taste, likely from the outside layer, before finally tasting the eggs that keep the whole dish together and the cheese that gives it a little bite. As I continued to eat the tortilla, in each bite I could make out different flavors and each ingredient's unique texture. As a sort of tapas side dish, we decided to try patatas bravas again, since we'd been told they were different everywhere. If Saturday's other patatas bravas were fair, these were marvelous: these were Paul McCartney to that guy playing guitar in the underground station. I am not exaggerating. The potatoes were cut like breakfast potatoes and some had a nice crisp to them while others were softer. They were then topped with two sauces: a spicy white sauce, likely containing horseradish or something of the like, and a red pepper sauce that initially seemed mild but packed a real kick after a few seconds. It was a spicy and delicious one-two punch. For protein, we ordered fried cuttlefish andaluzan style. The lightly breaded, thin pieces of fish were good but probably my least favorite dish. For desert, we got flan because despite not being my favorite dessert, I mean we were in Spain. Drenched in a sugar-carmal cocktail, the custard was delicate, not overly eggy, and surprisingly good! The restaurant was great overall and despite it's trendy atmosphere, boasted great service and generous portions, particularly for tapas. The sangria was pretty damn good too!
Completely full, I returned back to a fog-covered London with a new favorite city and a new appreciation for Spanish food.
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| Paella |
Monday, I began my day in La Boqueria: Barcelona's famous market. As soon as I entered the market I was overcome with colors, sights, and choices. The first area of vendors mainly sold vibrantly colored dried fruits by the weight, including things like dried kiwi, nuts, candied nuts, and candy. And oh my god this candy! There was gummy candy, 20 different types of licorice, and chocolate. Not surprisingly, I blew my money on the chocolate, which was well worth it. I had a porcupine shaped chocolate coated in colorful sprinkles, a thin layer of milk chocolate, a thick layer of white chocolate, and filled with a milk chocolate and nougat center. I also had a coconut cream covered in coconut and filled with white chocolate and coconut inside, a dark chocolate truffle covered in chocolate sprinkles and filled with almost fudge-like chocolate on the inside. I enjoyed a few other pieces as well but those were the clear standouts. From the front section of the market, I also noshed on candied walnuts which were sinfully sweet and sugary. The market's next section consisted of every kind of fruit, both tropical and not, imaginable: bananas, apples, star fruit, dragon fruit, cactus flower, guava, coconut, papaya and several I couldn't identify. Most fruit stalls in the giant market also sold fresh fruit juices and I opted for the kiwi coconut juice. The light green drink was exceptional! The kiwi's flavor was sweet and the coconut made the juice both creamy and refreshing. Other vendors sold cheese, mostly manchego, while meat vendors sold chorizo, ham, sausage, and parts of an animal a converted vegetarian cannot even begin imagine eating. Ever. The sprawling market also boasted fishmongers and restaurants ranging from more gourmet dishes to simple sandwiches, all made with the market's own ingredient. I opted for a basic ham and manchego cheese sandwich. Stuffed and in a chocolate coma, I wandered down La Rambla to the marina, around the Born neighborhood, peeked into the Cathedral (I didn't want to pay 6 euros to actually tour it), and made my way through the winding side streets of the old city. Deciding a hair of the dog that bit me was the best way to get over my chocolate coma, I stopped for churros and chocolate. The sweet treat is basically fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and served with a decadently rich chocolate sauce for dipping. They were insanely sweet, the chocolate was way too rich, and I absolutely loved them! I spent the rest of the afternoon working off some of those sweets and simply wandering the inviting streets.
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| Candy, chocolate, and nuts at La Boqueria |
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| Flan from Cervecería Catalana |
Thursday, November 17, 2011
48 Hours in Rome
Is not enough time. I was blown away by how much there is to see, explore, ingest, and imbide With every turn I discovered a different piazza or a new narrow winding street filled with it's own shops and history to discover. I could have easily spent a whole week there and still felt like I didn't see everything I'd want to. Since I didn't have a week, I had 48 hours, I tried my best to squeeze everything in, and definitely had some delicious food along the way.
After arriving in Rome midday Sunday, we checked into the hostel, near Termini station, and began walking towards the colosseum: a walk taking us through a wide area of the city. On the way, we stopped for a pizza lunch. The pizza wasn't the best I had while in Italy but it was still very homemade tasting. The cheese was slightly less fresh than in Florence while the dough was more "Italian" and soft in the middle but the true star was the spicy salami. It packed a lot of flavor and really made the pizza. After lunch, we continued our walk to the Colosseum where we toured the unbelievable structure. The most amazing part to me was not its incredible condition today or the elaborateness of it for the time it was built, but the remarkable history of the stadium. During its use as a sight of gladiator battles, over 700,000 people were killed there, animals were made to fight prisoners who'd been rubbed with a female animal scent, and patrons were whipped up the stairs to expedite the time it took to fill the stadium. The richness, perverseness, and all out gore of the stadium's history, plus the architectural wonder and cultural pervasiveness of the building itself made it an incredible place to visit. After our walk around in the sun (oh how I missed the sun) it was absolutely necessary to get gelato. Instead of regular gelato however, I opted for mousse, which is commonly sold along side gelato many places. I chose a honey almond flavor and oh my gosh was it good! The first flavor was of the airy cream of the mouse, followed by a crunch of an almond and then the lingering sweetness of the honey. It was gone in about two minutes. Next, we wandered through many of Rome's famous piazzas, past monuments such as the "wedding cake monument" (Ermilio Vittorae II) and over to the Pantheon. I'm sure the open dome of the Pantheon always looks cool, except maybe when's it's pouring rain, but at twilight it was amazing. The sky was a dramatically bright shade of royal blue which seeped in through the opening casting a hue over the ancient church. We then continued on to the Trevi fountain where we made a wish and threw our coins in, according to the legends of the fountain. Hungry, from a long day of sightseeing and traveling, we got dinner from the casual, La Famiglia by our hostel. The restaurant was small and rather unassuming in decor but filled with mainly Italians. The bread was a strange foccacia bread with too many olives for my taste, although one is too many for me. To start, I got a tomato salad which was perfect and fresh. Comprised simply of tomatoes and basil, I took the liberty of covering it in olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. For my dinner, I had the homemade lasagna. I've never been a big lasagna person, and then I didn't eat meat for forever, so I decided Italy was the ideal place to make my ruling about lasagna; I am now a lasagna fan. La Famiglia's lasagna was delicious with layers of soft pasta and oozey cheese topped with crumbled meat and all covered in homemade red sauce. To make the meal "healthy" we got a side order of mushrooms with truffle oil. Not exactly keeping the meal light but definitely keeping it delicious.
Monday, I woke up early and boarded the bus to the Vatican City. Luckily, we only had a short wait to tour St. Peter's Basilica. The cathedral was gorgeous with a huge number of mosaics, statues, and smaller chapels that ranged in style from incredibly opulent to simple and modest. Then we proceeded to the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel where, by some miracle, we had NO line! The museum was full of interesting information and beautiful old rooms. My favorite room was the map room: a long room completely filled my ancient frescoes detailing ever region of Italy on separate maps. The Sistine Chapel was unbelievable and make me marvel, for the second time in a weekend, at the incredible talent of Michelangelo. Walking from the Vatican City back across the river, after getting a pair of great fake sunglasses on the street, we wandered through the old Jewish Quarter. For lunch, we ducked into a very small shop selling pizza and salads from behind a counter and full of entirely Italians. It's no wonder it was so crowded: the pizza, and the price, was unbeatable. The counter was constantly taking giant pizza squares out of the oven and as you ordered, they chopped your requested amount off the block. Then, in a way to rival NY, folded the pizza pieces in half and wraped it in a piece of recycled paper. The best part was, instead of tasting like a NY slice, the crust was thin and crackery while the cheese and sauce tasted fresh and Italian. We then went on a tour of the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Being a history nerd, I really liked the tour and loved imagining how the Romans lived, which is easy to do due to the high number of intact ruins. Since it was only about three in the afternoon, I couldn't yet justify dinner so we instead went for a snack. Sipping my wine in the Campo de'Fiore and soaking up the mid-afternoon sun was truly a character building afternoon activity. To make it better, we ordered suppli, a famous Roman dish, to go with the wine. Each suppli was fried and filled with rice, a rich creamy cheese, a little sweet tomato sauce and a lot of goodness. Despite the somewhat off-putting name and motto, Sloppy Sam's - classy in the front, sloppy in the back (a reference to the tranquil outdoor seating area compared to the frat-house decor of the bar inside) - the suppli were delicious and a perfect afternoon snack. Relaxed and rejuvenated, we wandered along Via del Corso, a main shopping street, before making our way back across the Tiber river to Trastavere. The area is very picturesque with narrow cobblestone streets, blocks of restaurants ranging from kitchy to gourmet and beautiful old buildings. My dinner at La Scala was the best meal of my time in Italy! We began with the house Chianti and bread. The bread basket includes these great sweet breads. They were heavy, dense breads and each was a different flavor. My favorite of the sweetbreads had a roasted hazelnut in the center giving the bread a dessert-like quality. The regular bread was also very good, ad were the oil and vinegar. For our starter, we split a Roman artichoke, another of the city's specialities. The medium size artichoke was prepared with olive oil, tarragon, thyme, basil, and several other spices. The whole thing was cooked perfectly from the delicate texture to the lasting flavors of the seasoning. It was so tender even the stem was delicious enough to savor and the tarragon really gave it a fresh flavor, keeping the whole dish from being lost in the oil. For my main course, I had the fettucini fruti de mare. The noodles themselves tasted and looked hand cut. The pasta was filled with succulent, head-on shrimp, a generous serving of mussels, a few clams, calamari and octopus that were all very fresh. The sauce was a light red sauce with a dash of cream that really complemented the fishs' freshness and natural flavor. Despite being ridiculously full, we got a chocolate torta for dessert. The top of the cake was almost like a thin layer of meringue followed by moist cake and then a large layer of ricotta cheese, followed by a layer of chocolate and then some type of biscuit crust. What made the cake so good though was the ricotta. It was infused with orange and orange liquor, giving it a very summery flavor whilst the chocolate worked to give the cake a taste fit for November. It was a truly great meal and a perfect end to a wonderful weekend in a fascinating city. A city in which 48 hours is not nearly enough to explore the thousands of years of history, culture, and architecture that make Rome the incredibly multi-faceted city it is today.
After arriving in Rome midday Sunday, we checked into the hostel, near Termini station, and began walking towards the colosseum: a walk taking us through a wide area of the city. On the way, we stopped for a pizza lunch. The pizza wasn't the best I had while in Italy but it was still very homemade tasting. The cheese was slightly less fresh than in Florence while the dough was more "Italian" and soft in the middle but the true star was the spicy salami. It packed a lot of flavor and really made the pizza. After lunch, we continued our walk to the Colosseum where we toured the unbelievable structure. The most amazing part to me was not its incredible condition today or the elaborateness of it for the time it was built, but the remarkable history of the stadium. During its use as a sight of gladiator battles, over 700,000 people were killed there, animals were made to fight prisoners who'd been rubbed with a female animal scent, and patrons were whipped up the stairs to expedite the time it took to fill the stadium. The richness, perverseness, and all out gore of the stadium's history, plus the architectural wonder and cultural pervasiveness of the building itself made it an incredible place to visit. After our walk around in the sun (oh how I missed the sun) it was absolutely necessary to get gelato. Instead of regular gelato however, I opted for mousse, which is commonly sold along side gelato many places. I chose a honey almond flavor and oh my gosh was it good! The first flavor was of the airy cream of the mouse, followed by a crunch of an almond and then the lingering sweetness of the honey. It was gone in about two minutes. Next, we wandered through many of Rome's famous piazzas, past monuments such as the "wedding cake monument" (Ermilio Vittorae II) and over to the Pantheon. I'm sure the open dome of the Pantheon always looks cool, except maybe when's it's pouring rain, but at twilight it was amazing. The sky was a dramatically bright shade of royal blue which seeped in through the opening casting a hue over the ancient church. We then continued on to the Trevi fountain where we made a wish and threw our coins in, according to the legends of the fountain. Hungry, from a long day of sightseeing and traveling, we got dinner from the casual, La Famiglia by our hostel. The restaurant was small and rather unassuming in decor but filled with mainly Italians. The bread was a strange foccacia bread with too many olives for my taste, although one is too many for me. To start, I got a tomato salad which was perfect and fresh. Comprised simply of tomatoes and basil, I took the liberty of covering it in olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. For my dinner, I had the homemade lasagna. I've never been a big lasagna person, and then I didn't eat meat for forever, so I decided Italy was the ideal place to make my ruling about lasagna; I am now a lasagna fan. La Famiglia's lasagna was delicious with layers of soft pasta and oozey cheese topped with crumbled meat and all covered in homemade red sauce. To make the meal "healthy" we got a side order of mushrooms with truffle oil. Not exactly keeping the meal light but definitely keeping it delicious.
Monday, I woke up early and boarded the bus to the Vatican City. Luckily, we only had a short wait to tour St. Peter's Basilica. The cathedral was gorgeous with a huge number of mosaics, statues, and smaller chapels that ranged in style from incredibly opulent to simple and modest. Then we proceeded to the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel where, by some miracle, we had NO line! The museum was full of interesting information and beautiful old rooms. My favorite room was the map room: a long room completely filled my ancient frescoes detailing ever region of Italy on separate maps. The Sistine Chapel was unbelievable and make me marvel, for the second time in a weekend, at the incredible talent of Michelangelo. Walking from the Vatican City back across the river, after getting a pair of great fake sunglasses on the street, we wandered through the old Jewish Quarter. For lunch, we ducked into a very small shop selling pizza and salads from behind a counter and full of entirely Italians. It's no wonder it was so crowded: the pizza, and the price, was unbeatable. The counter was constantly taking giant pizza squares out of the oven and as you ordered, they chopped your requested amount off the block. Then, in a way to rival NY, folded the pizza pieces in half and wraped it in a piece of recycled paper. The best part was, instead of tasting like a NY slice, the crust was thin and crackery while the cheese and sauce tasted fresh and Italian. We then went on a tour of the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Being a history nerd, I really liked the tour and loved imagining how the Romans lived, which is easy to do due to the high number of intact ruins. Since it was only about three in the afternoon, I couldn't yet justify dinner so we instead went for a snack. Sipping my wine in the Campo de'Fiore and soaking up the mid-afternoon sun was truly a character building afternoon activity. To make it better, we ordered suppli, a famous Roman dish, to go with the wine. Each suppli was fried and filled with rice, a rich creamy cheese, a little sweet tomato sauce and a lot of goodness. Despite the somewhat off-putting name and motto, Sloppy Sam's - classy in the front, sloppy in the back (a reference to the tranquil outdoor seating area compared to the frat-house decor of the bar inside) - the suppli were delicious and a perfect afternoon snack. Relaxed and rejuvenated, we wandered along Via del Corso, a main shopping street, before making our way back across the Tiber river to Trastavere. The area is very picturesque with narrow cobblestone streets, blocks of restaurants ranging from kitchy to gourmet and beautiful old buildings. My dinner at La Scala was the best meal of my time in Italy! We began with the house Chianti and bread. The bread basket includes these great sweet breads. They were heavy, dense breads and each was a different flavor. My favorite of the sweetbreads had a roasted hazelnut in the center giving the bread a dessert-like quality. The regular bread was also very good, ad were the oil and vinegar. For our starter, we split a Roman artichoke, another of the city's specialities. The medium size artichoke was prepared with olive oil, tarragon, thyme, basil, and several other spices. The whole thing was cooked perfectly from the delicate texture to the lasting flavors of the seasoning. It was so tender even the stem was delicious enough to savor and the tarragon really gave it a fresh flavor, keeping the whole dish from being lost in the oil. For my main course, I had the fettucini fruti de mare. The noodles themselves tasted and looked hand cut. The pasta was filled with succulent, head-on shrimp, a generous serving of mussels, a few clams, calamari and octopus that were all very fresh. The sauce was a light red sauce with a dash of cream that really complemented the fishs' freshness and natural flavor. Despite being ridiculously full, we got a chocolate torta for dessert. The top of the cake was almost like a thin layer of meringue followed by moist cake and then a large layer of ricotta cheese, followed by a layer of chocolate and then some type of biscuit crust. What made the cake so good though was the ricotta. It was infused with orange and orange liquor, giving it a very summery flavor whilst the chocolate worked to give the cake a taste fit for November. It was a truly great meal and a perfect end to a wonderful weekend in a fascinating city. A city in which 48 hours is not nearly enough to explore the thousands of years of history, culture, and architecture that make Rome the incredibly multi-faceted city it is today.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Firenze
The duomo, the old streets, the ponte vecchio, the chianti, the food, oh my god! Florence was incredible! The city was beautiful and the food was divine. Or maybe it should be the other way around since it seem like you can't walk five minutes without hitting another famous church... Either way, delicious!
We arrived late Thursday night which didn't give us much chance to explore or eat, but let us get off to an early start Friday. We began the day with cornettos (the Italian word for croissant) from a small cafe, but not before walking around the Duomo which was a block from our hostel. Mine was buttery and flaky with a sweet jelly filling and my friend had the chocolate, which was basically just filled with a ton of Nutella. Yum! Then, in an attempt to find the train station and a walking tour of Florence, we ended up basically doing our own and passing by every tourist sight along the way including the Arno river, Piazza della Signoria and Loggia de la Signoria, Basilica de San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella church and the Piazza Republica. We then made our way to the the San Lorenzo leather market and the central food market. The street was filled for about a mile with vendors selling gloves, jackets, bags, wallets, and a few tourist gimmicks while the stores that actually line the street sold "finer" leather. In the middle of all this haggling and commotion is the food market. The market is essentially housed in a HUGE warehouse with types of food divided by section. In one section, butchers sell all types of meat imaginable, including some intestines not fit to name in a food blog, and in the next section are a few sandwich shops utilizing their neighbors' goods. Nearby there were stalls selling fresh noodles and a huge variety of sauces while across the aisle a shop sold, and sampled, cheeses and oils. There were also a lot of shops selling fresh sun dried tomatoes and dehydrated porcini mushrooms that all looked delicious! In the back was my favorite area, the fishmongers, selling very fresh looking fish and seafood. Wandering the market left us very hungry so we poped in a small pizza restaurant for lunch. I ordered the four cheese and it was perfect! The crust had a nice crunch, the cheese tasted very fresh and the olive oil on top was so fresh you could really make out the flavor of olives in the oil. Reenergized, we admired the Cathedral of the Duomo before climbing to the top of the dome. The 463 steps was tiring but the view from the top left us breathless, or maybe we were out of breath from the steps. From the balcony, I could see all of Florence in every direction: the richly orange clay tile roofs, luscious green countryside and mountains just past the city, and the villas that call the mountains home. Exhausted from the climb, it was absolutely necessary to get some gelato. Unfortunately, we chose an extremely touristy and overpriced place but the stracciatella was deliciously creamy and the strawberry fresh, almost like sorbet. With the sugar boost, we went to the Uffizi where we examined all of the ancient and religious art. Exhausted, we went back to the hostel to rest and enjoy their complimentary wine and homemade bruschetta before heading to dinner. For dinner, we went to Antica Trattoria Il Giardino where we noshed on crunchy bread, fresh olive oil and delightfully tart balsamic vinegar while pouring over the menu. I settled on a simple spaghetti ala pomadoro. The fresh tasting noodles were truly prepared al dente and the tomato sauce was fresh with a little garlic, some basil, and a dash of cream. It was delicious!
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| Fresh pasta (above) and a variety of mushrooms and truffles (below) for sale in the Central Food Market. |
Saturday, we began the day in a sweet shop for breakfast, because what better way is there to start the day? I ordered a cannoli from Gran Cafe San Marco that was to die for! The dough was flaky yet buttery and nearly melted in your mouth. The cream filling was delightfully sweet with flavors of some liquor and mini chocolate morsels. The filling on both ends was covered in a layer of finely chopped, fresh, pistachios and the whole thing was doused in powdered sugar. It was the perfect start to the day! We then walked across the Ponte Veccio to the Palacios Piatti where we explored the magnificent state rooms and apartments. Out of all the castles I've visited so far in Europe, besides maybe Versailles, this was hands down the best value. For only 13 euros, we got to see around 35 palace rooms and two art exhibits. Each room also had placards detailing the use of the room under several of the different families who resided there, including the Medici family. The rooms ranged in style from noe-classical Italian frescos to more opulent gold decor. For lunch, we went to I Fratellini, a tiny sandwich shop and wine bar off a side street right near the very touristy street connecting the Uffizi and the Duomo. Despite its proximity to a giant tourist area, we were among the only people in line speaking English and the sandwiches tasted incredibly authentic. The shopfront was so small one man took orders while the other prepared my crudo and pecorino sandwich. Pecorino is the main cheese made near Florence and it's incredibly fresh flavor supported this fact. The ham was just salty enough to pair nicely with the warm bread and the fresh, creamy, and slightly nutty cheese. The tiny restaurant also sold very cheap local wine by the glass, which people could enjoy right there on the sidewalk. It was then time to meet David, or more accurately, pay a lot to go to the Academia and see Michelangelo's famous David. I was a little dubious of everyone's said awe at the statue, I mean I'd seen the image thousands of times, but my doubt was instantly erased as I walked up the hallway towards the behemoth of a statue. The first thing that strikes you is the sheer size, the next is the lifelike proportions and the final is the incredible details like veins in the arm, hand, and feet which stick out in a frighteningly realistic manner. I definitely get the awe now. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the side streets in less touristy areas and going to see the synagogue, which I couldn't go into on a Saturday. To make up for my disappointment at not being able to go inside the synagogue, I went to get more gelato. This time, the place was far less touristy and my tiramisu mouse and pistachio gelato were delightful. The pistachio had a lovely nutty richness to it and the mouse was airy with a great blend of flavors: liquor, coffee, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate. Dinner Saturday night was definitely my favorite meal. We went to Osteria del Gatto e la Volpe, which came highly recommended by basically every American who's ever been to or studied in Florence. As I was warned before, the bread and balsamic are delicious enough to fill up on. The bread is chewy, almost like American pizza dough, and seasoned with Italian seasonings and a little tomato paste. The balsamic is their own concoction resembling a balsamic dip more than vinegar because of, I'm guessing a simple syrup, that makes the vinegar thick and sweet. It was so good! I then had some bruschetta, which was apparently invented in Florence. The toast was crispy, saturated with olive oil and delightful. The tomatoes were fresh and very lightly seasoned, although I poured a generous amount of the balsamic syrup on top. For my main course, I ordered the ravioli with ricotta,spinach, and tarfuto (truffle). The ravioli was incredibly fresh and the ricotta inside had a mild sweetness. The light cream sauce was made up of spinach, which helped balanced the incredibly rich flavor of the truffle oil. The rich truffle oil also served to bring out more of the cheese's sweetness. I ate every last bite and soaked up the extra sauce with my bread. It was that good! After dinner, we walked with some friends studying there to a "hidden gem" gelato spot near their homestays in a very residential area. We were the only people inside speaking English, a good sign, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of flavor choices. I finally chose the dark chocolate which was so dark it was almost black in color. It was very good, tasting almost like brownie batter, but incredibly rich; it was too rich to even finish. The coffee gelato I had on top however was my favorite of my time in Florence with it's creamy wonderfulness and delightful coffee taste.
Florence was a beautiful city, exactly how I imagined Italy to be, and the food was incredible! As I write this entry, I'm on a train through the picturesque countryside to Rome, so expect another gelato and pasta filled entry soon!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
A Meal Fit For an Indian King
Wow! This may not be my most articulate entry because the meal I'm going to describe left me, at times, speechless and an unique blend of spices and flavors are what made the meal so great. Upon entering Moti Mahal, my mom, a friend and I were aware of the ambiance and atmosphere instantly. Our table in the downstairs seating area was surrounded by a richly upholstered curving couch. The real leather-bound menu is set-up more like a narrative than a list of dishes. The first page includes a welcome from the chef explaining that the menu is based on his personal pilgrimage on the Great Trunk Road through India, the history of the Great Trunk Road, and his family's love of cooking. He explains the menu's attempts to "mingle the regal with the rustic" in order to convey "the explosion of colour and the variety of flavour that make Indian cuisine a canvas of myriad maestros." Understand the wow factor yet? The next page consisted of an old map of India with the GT road drawn on as well as region names. Then began the pages of food choices, which were also told in a personal and narrative fashion. Each item had three parts to it: the Indian dish name, a description of the dish, and a few sentences explaining where the dish is from, it's cultural significance in that region, and when it is typically consumed. For example, I learned that torai aur wadi, lentil dumplings, are typically served as part of a vegetarian Sunday brunch. Opposite each page of food choices was a vibrantly colorful photograph taken somewhere along the Great Trunk road.
The decisions were difficult to make but after finally ordering, we were delivered the house salad. This salad was no iceberg lettuce from a bag. Served on a cutting board were two fresh plump tomatoes, a mini cucumber, crunchy fresh radishes, radish sprouts, a red onion, and a pepper that we were to cut and mix as we pleased. Accompanying the salad was a small jar of mustard oil, a mortar of pepper, cumin and other spices, and a mortar of large pieces of sea salt and spices. They was undoubtedly the most delicious and incredible spices I've ever had, probably the best salad I've had the pleasure of eating and potentially one of the best dishes. That's how out of this world the spices were!
For the meal, we ordered several dishes to share. To begin with, we devoured Torai Aur Wadi, a dish originally from Punjab containing gourd and lentil dumplings simmered with a tomatoey yougurtey goodness of a sauce. The dumplings are served cold which I feel intensifies all the seasonings and flavors. The dumpling itself had a pleasant crunch to it, the filling had a nice texture and the sauce was smooth and creamy: the dish was texturally awesome! Our other starter was tandor "glazed" paneer, Malai Saunfia Paneer. The dish, inspired by the chef's great grandmother, left me speechless with its intoxicatingly complex flavor. For one of our main courses we enjoyed the Gosht Biriyani: a delicious blend of lamb, saffron, cardamon. The biriyani had a real depth to the flavor and each bite contained so many different levels of taste. We also had skewers of chicken tikka, Murghi Nazakat, that contained three pieces of chicken each flavored a different way. The first, my favorite, was cooked with a mint and basil mixture that gave the chicken a very fresh flavor. The second was prepared with poppy seeds and Indian chili, while the third had a simple seasoning of pepper and dill. For our vegetable, we chose the Lehsooni Saag. The blend of spinach, kale, garlic and onions was perfect! It was creamy but not too heavy. One could clearly still taste the spinach and certain pieces were left crunchy. The saag was full of bitter green flavors but maintained a subtle sweetness. To accompany the meal, we ordered tokri, the chef's choice of breads. Ours included a partha and stuffed bread.
My favorite thing in Indian restaurants is raita and I order it everywhere as a sort of staple to test a restaurant by, plus I just love the stuff. The raita at Moti Mahal definitely lived up to my expectations. It was thick with the consistency of yogurt (it is generally more of a soup consistency in the states) and full of spices and seasonings. There were also large pieces of cucumber and lots of cumin, one of my favorite spices.
My dinner at Moti Mahal was hands down one of the best meals I've ever had and without a doubt the most unique and flavorful. The rich range of spices, sauces, textures, colors, flavors, and layers of taste was remarkable and made to a dining experience I will not soon forget.
The decisions were difficult to make but after finally ordering, we were delivered the house salad. This salad was no iceberg lettuce from a bag. Served on a cutting board were two fresh plump tomatoes, a mini cucumber, crunchy fresh radishes, radish sprouts, a red onion, and a pepper that we were to cut and mix as we pleased. Accompanying the salad was a small jar of mustard oil, a mortar of pepper, cumin and other spices, and a mortar of large pieces of sea salt and spices. They was undoubtedly the most delicious and incredible spices I've ever had, probably the best salad I've had the pleasure of eating and potentially one of the best dishes. That's how out of this world the spices were!
 |
| Fresh do-it-yourself salad |
For the meal, we ordered several dishes to share. To begin with, we devoured Torai Aur Wadi, a dish originally from Punjab containing gourd and lentil dumplings simmered with a tomatoey yougurtey goodness of a sauce. The dumplings are served cold which I feel intensifies all the seasonings and flavors. The dumpling itself had a pleasant crunch to it, the filling had a nice texture and the sauce was smooth and creamy: the dish was texturally awesome! Our other starter was tandor "glazed" paneer, Malai Saunfia Paneer. The dish, inspired by the chef's great grandmother, left me speechless with its intoxicatingly complex flavor. For one of our main courses we enjoyed the Gosht Biriyani: a delicious blend of lamb, saffron, cardamon. The biriyani had a real depth to the flavor and each bite contained so many different levels of taste. We also had skewers of chicken tikka, Murghi Nazakat, that contained three pieces of chicken each flavored a different way. The first, my favorite, was cooked with a mint and basil mixture that gave the chicken a very fresh flavor. The second was prepared with poppy seeds and Indian chili, while the third had a simple seasoning of pepper and dill. For our vegetable, we chose the Lehsooni Saag. The blend of spinach, kale, garlic and onions was perfect! It was creamy but not too heavy. One could clearly still taste the spinach and certain pieces were left crunchy. The saag was full of bitter green flavors but maintained a subtle sweetness. To accompany the meal, we ordered tokri, the chef's choice of breads. Ours included a partha and stuffed bread.
My favorite thing in Indian restaurants is raita and I order it everywhere as a sort of staple to test a restaurant by, plus I just love the stuff. The raita at Moti Mahal definitely lived up to my expectations. It was thick with the consistency of yogurt (it is generally more of a soup consistency in the states) and full of spices and seasonings. There were also large pieces of cucumber and lots of cumin, one of my favorite spices.
My dinner at Moti Mahal was hands down one of the best meals I've ever had and without a doubt the most unique and flavorful. The rich range of spices, sauces, textures, colors, flavors, and layers of taste was remarkable and made to a dining experience I will not soon forget.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Chocolate overdose
My trip to Lausanne, Switzerland this weekend can be categorized as only one thing: a chocoholic's dream. The weekend began however, with my other culinary craving: cheese. In the village of Gruyere, yes this is where the cheese bearing the name originated, I lunched on perfect Gruyere fondue with crusty bread. The cheese was flavorful, yet not overpowering, and perfectly melted. After the deliciously heavy lunch, I explored the town and its medieval castle, before heading to the Callier chocolate factory and tour. Sadly, we were too late to go on the tour that day so instead we bought nearly a dozen different chocolate bars from the adjoining shop in order to still get the chance to "sample" them all obviously! During the drive back to Lausanne, we tried the milk chocolate with nuts, milk chocolate with a praline filling, and Figaro Noir (their dark chocolate bar). My favorite was the chocolate with praline, although I can't complain about any. We also got a milk chocolate with caramel, a white with honey, milk with almonds, and a few Figaro bars, all of which I have yet to sample.
Saturday morning, we went to a market in the center of Lausanne. It was set near the top of the hill and high end shops surrounded the plaza which is filled twice weekly with rows of bread vendors, cheese stalls, meat trucks, fruit, and vegetables. With our limited French knowledge, we ordered and sampled three cheeses. We bought a mild soft cheese, sort of like a milder Brie, a medium cheese with an initially mild flavor and spicy after-bite, and a very blue blue. The spicy cheese was definitely the most delicious and unique of the three. To pair with the cheese, we got a yummy "pizza" tart, fresh sweet beets, a ham baguette, nut bread, and fig bread. The fig bread was a great companion to the mild cheese. To go with our market meal, we naturally sampled more of our chocolate from the factory shop.
After a bike ride to the next town along Lake Geneva we went for a walk through the vineyards and stopped into a very small village to taste one of the local wines before dinner. Saturday night's dinner was one of the most visually appealing meals I've ever had. We went to Auberge Communale le Mont-sur-Lausanne. Set in a picture-worthy village above Lausanne, the restaurant was in an unassuming building decorated in a way befitting the name. The name means "community public house" and the restaurant was decorated modestly with bookshelves overflowing with French cookbooks and had a very easy-going approachable feel. The food however, stands in a bit of contrast to the decor with elaborate and beautiful platings and presentation. We began the meal with a bottle of the local Pinot Gris: a light, dry, crisp wine perfect for a fall day. After ordering, we were served an amuse bouche of two types of toasts. The first was shmeared with a rich buttery spread and topped with a spoonful of pâté and a splash of oil. My first pâté was flavorful, rich, and smooth. The other toast was also covered in the butter but was topped with a quenelles of beef tartare which was fresh, light and had a great texture thanks to the capers. For my first course, I ordered a fish risotto. The dish was hardly a risotto but delicious nonetheless. It was made of black rice with a light sauce and topped with a generous filet of fresh white fish which was grilled and lightly seasoned, all of which wad served on a black slate slab. The seasoning in the fish brought out all of the dish's flavors. On the side, was a lettuce wrap with lettuce, cucumber, sprout, chive, and a lightl drizzle of a balsamic vinegar. The others at my table ordered a rich foie gras, scallops and ravioli. One of the ravioli fillings were biscuits which gave the ravioli an incredibly unique crunch and subtle sweetness. After our starter, we were all brought a mirabelle plum (a native variety) and meringue sorbet served in an adorable little jar. The sorbet was delicious and although it was a little sweet as a palate cleanser, I love sweets and it was awesome so I can't complain. For my main course, I had a rack of lamb served with honey infused au jus. The lamb was juicy, tender and full of flavor, particularly when topped with the subtly sweet au jus. If was really the perfect sauce by not overpowering the meat flavor but instead complementing it and working to bring out the lamb's own sweetness. The lamb was accompanied by a cooked fig stuffed with a sweet and crunchy mixture and a side dish of vegetables and potatoes. For dessert, I settled upon the creme brûlée. Served in a thin, long, custard dish nearly a foot long, it was unlike anything I'd seen before! It was ideally flambéed on top, and the custard itself was unusually runny which helped make the massive dish less rich--which is very good since I obviously wouldn't waste dessert. It was served with a yummy coffee ice cream. I also tried the chocolate lava cake which was moist and had a heavenly fudgy center that oozed onto the ice cream melting it all into a chocolate goodness.
The next day we drove around Lake Geneva, of course "sampling" more chocolate on the way, to the medieval village of Yvoire near Evian in France. It looked straight off a postcard (or out of Game of Thrones), in a Disneyland sort of way. The ground floors of the ancient stone buildings were converted into shops and ice cream vendors. For lunch, we went to the Restaurant des Pescheurs Yvorie for a local specialty, filet de pesche. The dish was served family style with a large green salad, crunchy golden pomme frites, and fried pieces of the fish, all served with a decadently tart lemon butter sauce. After lunch I got great Nutella ice cream before continuing our drive to Geneva where we walked around the waterfront and old city until it was time to fly back to London, chocolate in tow. It was a delicious and beautiful weekend made possible by my generous and gracious hosts, thank you!
Saturday morning, we went to a market in the center of Lausanne. It was set near the top of the hill and high end shops surrounded the plaza which is filled twice weekly with rows of bread vendors, cheese stalls, meat trucks, fruit, and vegetables. With our limited French knowledge, we ordered and sampled three cheeses. We bought a mild soft cheese, sort of like a milder Brie, a medium cheese with an initially mild flavor and spicy after-bite, and a very blue blue. The spicy cheese was definitely the most delicious and unique of the three. To pair with the cheese, we got a yummy "pizza" tart, fresh sweet beets, a ham baguette, nut bread, and fig bread. The fig bread was a great companion to the mild cheese. To go with our market meal, we naturally sampled more of our chocolate from the factory shop.
After a bike ride to the next town along Lake Geneva we went for a walk through the vineyards and stopped into a very small village to taste one of the local wines before dinner. Saturday night's dinner was one of the most visually appealing meals I've ever had. We went to Auberge Communale le Mont-sur-Lausanne. Set in a picture-worthy village above Lausanne, the restaurant was in an unassuming building decorated in a way befitting the name. The name means "community public house" and the restaurant was decorated modestly with bookshelves overflowing with French cookbooks and had a very easy-going approachable feel. The food however, stands in a bit of contrast to the decor with elaborate and beautiful platings and presentation. We began the meal with a bottle of the local Pinot Gris: a light, dry, crisp wine perfect for a fall day. After ordering, we were served an amuse bouche of two types of toasts. The first was shmeared with a rich buttery spread and topped with a spoonful of pâté and a splash of oil. My first pâté was flavorful, rich, and smooth. The other toast was also covered in the butter but was topped with a quenelles of beef tartare which was fresh, light and had a great texture thanks to the capers. For my first course, I ordered a fish risotto. The dish was hardly a risotto but delicious nonetheless. It was made of black rice with a light sauce and topped with a generous filet of fresh white fish which was grilled and lightly seasoned, all of which wad served on a black slate slab. The seasoning in the fish brought out all of the dish's flavors. On the side, was a lettuce wrap with lettuce, cucumber, sprout, chive, and a lightl drizzle of a balsamic vinegar. The others at my table ordered a rich foie gras, scallops and ravioli. One of the ravioli fillings were biscuits which gave the ravioli an incredibly unique crunch and subtle sweetness. After our starter, we were all brought a mirabelle plum (a native variety) and meringue sorbet served in an adorable little jar. The sorbet was delicious and although it was a little sweet as a palate cleanser, I love sweets and it was awesome so I can't complain. For my main course, I had a rack of lamb served with honey infused au jus. The lamb was juicy, tender and full of flavor, particularly when topped with the subtly sweet au jus. If was really the perfect sauce by not overpowering the meat flavor but instead complementing it and working to bring out the lamb's own sweetness. The lamb was accompanied by a cooked fig stuffed with a sweet and crunchy mixture and a side dish of vegetables and potatoes. For dessert, I settled upon the creme brûlée. Served in a thin, long, custard dish nearly a foot long, it was unlike anything I'd seen before! It was ideally flambéed on top, and the custard itself was unusually runny which helped make the massive dish less rich--which is very good since I obviously wouldn't waste dessert. It was served with a yummy coffee ice cream. I also tried the chocolate lava cake which was moist and had a heavenly fudgy center that oozed onto the ice cream melting it all into a chocolate goodness.
The next day we drove around Lake Geneva, of course "sampling" more chocolate on the way, to the medieval village of Yvoire near Evian in France. It looked straight off a postcard (or out of Game of Thrones), in a Disneyland sort of way. The ground floors of the ancient stone buildings were converted into shops and ice cream vendors. For lunch, we went to the Restaurant des Pescheurs Yvorie for a local specialty, filet de pesche. The dish was served family style with a large green salad, crunchy golden pomme frites, and fried pieces of the fish, all served with a decadently tart lemon butter sauce. After lunch I got great Nutella ice cream before continuing our drive to Geneva where we walked around the waterfront and old city until it was time to fly back to London, chocolate in tow. It was a delicious and beautiful weekend made possible by my generous and gracious hosts, thank you!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Liverpool
This weekend, I visited Liverpool, which was a shockingly cool city! In 2008, it was awarded the European Capital of Culture Award. This award basically means it's a place with a lot of culture and potential, that's become a little run down and could use a boost rebuilding parts of the city and generating tourism. And rebuild and re-energize they did! When I arrived at the train station, I walked out in a plaza surrounded by a ornate, old, marble-columned building, a street of shops and pubs, and a large, very new looking shopping center. As I spent the day walking around the city, I saw a ton of very cool and unique areas. First, we stopped by Liverpool ONE, a commercial area, and although it was populated by national and chain stores, it was full of shoppers with bags: they were doing a ton of business! Next, we walked to an older shopping area, this time filled with local and colorful shops, also all filled with customers! We then made our way towards the Mersey and the Albert Docks, passing through a park that has been recently cleaned up as part of the culture award. A beautiful, manicured green space was encircled by nice restaurants and the whole area was full of people walking around, picnicking, and families playing on the lawn. The docks and waterfront, another area fixed up by the culture award, includes the Tate Liverpool, the Museum of Liverpool, The Beatles Story, and the Liverpool eye. Farther from the city center, the vibrancy of the city is still very visible. A street called Lark Lane is filled with trendy bars, gastropubs, shops, cute restaurants, and nightclubs. The area is situated near some of Liverpool's nicest homes and exudes the vibe of a well-off, safe, family neighborhood with an artsy, young, community flair. Near Lark Lane is Sefton park, the site of Sunday's incredibly unique festivities.
The park itself is huge: about 200 acres, with a large green house, fields, a lake, streams, paths, and an area people in nearby apartments can rent small plots of land for gardening. During the day it was full of grandparents, young children, dogs, runners, cyclists, geese, and beautiful swan. (Did You Know?: all swan in England are technically property of the Queen?) On the Sunday night nearest Halloween, the park hosts the annual Halloween Lantern Carnival. This was the festival's fourth year and a fellow attendee told me it gets bigger every year. It is sponsored by the Liverpool Lantern Company who hosts workshops during which, for a five pound donation, you are given the supplies to design and decorate your own lantern. The evening of the festival, the park was filled with people including many kids dressed for Halloween. Large lanterns sculpted as skeletons or animals were carried like floats by 5-10 people while others of the party danced around the outside of the float collecting donations. Then, anyone who'd made a lantern marched them around before stringing them to poles around the park. Throughout the parade, performers, illuminated only by colorful lights, danced while others released store-bought lanterns. Releasing lanterns is an old Chinese tradition apparently symbolizing releasing all of your stress and worry, simply watching it float away into the night. I can't say I'm completely worry free (thanks dad for passing that on to me) but there was a certain magic to watching our lanterns fly off. The festival, which attracted nearly 8,000 people, ended with music and a coordinating light display, culminating in a brief firework show.
Musing over my trip the next day, I found myself pleasantly surprised, and also impressed by the city of Liverpool. Not only was the festival one of the coolest and most unique things I've ever been to, but it truly brought people from all over the city together. Furthermore, the city is a model example of smart regeneration. It has turned itself from a industrial town, to a city simply thriving on the legacy of the Beatles, to an economically vibrant and culturally happening city full of smart planning and lively events.
I know this is supposed to be a blog about food but I really wanted to share about my experience in Liverpool and since we cooked most of our meals there, I couldn't really tie it in through food. But since if is a food blog after all, here's a recipe for easy, cheap, delicious risotto-style rice we made this weekend.
"University Student 'Risotto'"
1 yellow onion
Frozen peas
Rice
Water
Chicken stock cubes
Salt, pepper, basil, any spices lying around
Frozen, pre-cooked shrimp
Begin to saute the onions in a wok, add the uncooked rice and water to the wok, stirring constantly. As it thickens, add more water a little at a time. Fill the water to near the top the wok each time you add more water to the rice. When the rice seems about halfway cooked, add a cube of chicken stock. Add the peas and shrimp as the rice is nearly finished. Stir constantly adding more water until the rice is finished. Stir in spices, as desired and enjoy!
The park itself is huge: about 200 acres, with a large green house, fields, a lake, streams, paths, and an area people in nearby apartments can rent small plots of land for gardening. During the day it was full of grandparents, young children, dogs, runners, cyclists, geese, and beautiful swan. (Did You Know?: all swan in England are technically property of the Queen?) On the Sunday night nearest Halloween, the park hosts the annual Halloween Lantern Carnival. This was the festival's fourth year and a fellow attendee told me it gets bigger every year. It is sponsored by the Liverpool Lantern Company who hosts workshops during which, for a five pound donation, you are given the supplies to design and decorate your own lantern. The evening of the festival, the park was filled with people including many kids dressed for Halloween. Large lanterns sculpted as skeletons or animals were carried like floats by 5-10 people while others of the party danced around the outside of the float collecting donations. Then, anyone who'd made a lantern marched them around before stringing them to poles around the park. Throughout the parade, performers, illuminated only by colorful lights, danced while others released store-bought lanterns. Releasing lanterns is an old Chinese tradition apparently symbolizing releasing all of your stress and worry, simply watching it float away into the night. I can't say I'm completely worry free (thanks dad for passing that on to me) but there was a certain magic to watching our lanterns fly off. The festival, which attracted nearly 8,000 people, ended with music and a coordinating light display, culminating in a brief firework show.
Musing over my trip the next day, I found myself pleasantly surprised, and also impressed by the city of Liverpool. Not only was the festival one of the coolest and most unique things I've ever been to, but it truly brought people from all over the city together. Furthermore, the city is a model example of smart regeneration. It has turned itself from a industrial town, to a city simply thriving on the legacy of the Beatles, to an economically vibrant and culturally happening city full of smart planning and lively events.
I know this is supposed to be a blog about food but I really wanted to share about my experience in Liverpool and since we cooked most of our meals there, I couldn't really tie it in through food. But since if is a food blog after all, here's a recipe for easy, cheap, delicious risotto-style rice we made this weekend.
"University Student 'Risotto'"
1 yellow onion
Frozen peas
Rice
Water
Chicken stock cubes
Salt, pepper, basil, any spices lying around
Frozen, pre-cooked shrimp
Begin to saute the onions in a wok, add the uncooked rice and water to the wok, stirring constantly. As it thickens, add more water a little at a time. Fill the water to near the top the wok each time you add more water to the rice. When the rice seems about halfway cooked, add a cube of chicken stock. Add the peas and shrimp as the rice is nearly finished. Stir constantly adding more water until the rice is finished. Stir in spices, as desired and enjoy!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Saturday on Portobello Road
This Saturday, I went to the incredibly famous,and ridiculously crowded Portobello Road market in Notting Hill. Luckily, I chose to go on a warm sunny day, yes those happen here. As soon as I got off the tube at Notting Hill Gate, I knew I was nearby by the crowds of people slowly meandering in a general direction. We followed the masses towards Portobello road where I spent the day exploring the market and area. The first block of the market is on a part of the road filled with colorful houses and street vendors selling a variety of antiques and obscure "collectibles" (an incredibly random assortment of just as random items). The next few blocks had antiques, obscurities, tourist gear stalls, and a store-lined street. I was surprised to see many of the permanent store were actually upscale clothing vendors, which seemed a little contrasting to the market and the street flooded by tourists. The next section was obviously my favorite though: food. There were many fruit and veggie stands on both sides of street and several stands selling street food. Among the food stalls, there were cheese vendors offering samples of sharp local cheese and other stands with 15 different types of oils to try. By time I reached the food stalls I was insanely hungry but luckily, that didn't cloud my judgment on where to get a snack from. I chose to stop at a stand selling fresh homemade bruschetta. The line was tedious but the worst part was the final preparations. I felt like I was living the scene from Love Actually where Alan Rickman is trying to buy a gift surreptitiously and fast, while the sales clerk is bent on the painstakingly slow and perfect presentation. As my stomach growled and rumbled, the vendor carefully sliced the bread from a fresh baguette, hand grated the cheese, toasted it, covered it with the tomato and goodness mixture the other man was stirring, and then with the precision of someone performing surgery, topped it was a few pieces of fresh basil. Despite taking FOREVER and my extreme hunger, the bruschetta was definitely worth the wait! The bread was crunchy, the cheese gooey and melted, the tomato mixture was fresh and flavorful, without overpowering the taste of the tomatoes. The basil on top was a nice touch as well.
After satisfying my urgent hunger, I meandered the market some more before settling on a lunch locale. By this point, the market was a mix of veggies and stuff, while the street itself was home to lots of restaurants. After stopping by the travel bookshop, from the movie Notting Hill, we decided to eat at a small Italian restaurant down a side street. Made in Italy is decorated like a neighborhood eatery in Italy, and we were shocked to learn it's part of a group of restaurants with several locations around the city. Italian music is streaming from the speakers and the windows all around face the backs of old brick buildings and window plants complete the ambiance. The pizzas were served on a long wooden board, further adding to the atmosphere, and they were delicious! The crust was crunchy around the edges and soft under the pizza. The red sauce tasted homemade and the spicy sausage had a great kick and flavor. The mushrooms and cheese were a nice complement for the garlic of the sauce and spice of the sausage, all in all making a truly successful pizza. My table was very into sharing so I also got to try the spaghetti alla carbonara napolenta. The pasta was really good and the smoked pancetta was a nice touch. The sauce was not overly creamy or oily, but oily enough it was delicious to dip my bread into after!
After a delicious meal, I wandered back along the stalls when a churro and chocolate stand caught my eye, hear, and stomach all at the same time! I received a cup full of delicious homemade churros they were molding and frying right there, sprinkled (doused) with sugar and served with a smaller cup of rich chocolate for dipping. I was in heaven. They were perfectly cooked and the chocolate was warm and runny. It was the perfect end to a great day!
After satisfying my urgent hunger, I meandered the market some more before settling on a lunch locale. By this point, the market was a mix of veggies and stuff, while the street itself was home to lots of restaurants. After stopping by the travel bookshop, from the movie Notting Hill, we decided to eat at a small Italian restaurant down a side street. Made in Italy is decorated like a neighborhood eatery in Italy, and we were shocked to learn it's part of a group of restaurants with several locations around the city. Italian music is streaming from the speakers and the windows all around face the backs of old brick buildings and window plants complete the ambiance. The pizzas were served on a long wooden board, further adding to the atmosphere, and they were delicious! The crust was crunchy around the edges and soft under the pizza. The red sauce tasted homemade and the spicy sausage had a great kick and flavor. The mushrooms and cheese were a nice complement for the garlic of the sauce and spice of the sausage, all in all making a truly successful pizza. My table was very into sharing so I also got to try the spaghetti alla carbonara napolenta. The pasta was really good and the smoked pancetta was a nice touch. The sauce was not overly creamy or oily, but oily enough it was delicious to dip my bread into after!
After a delicious meal, I wandered back along the stalls when a churro and chocolate stand caught my eye, hear, and stomach all at the same time! I received a cup full of delicious homemade churros they were molding and frying right there, sprinkled (doused) with sugar and served with a smaller cup of rich chocolate for dipping. I was in heaven. They were perfectly cooked and the chocolate was warm and runny. It was the perfect end to a great day!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Lake District
This past weekend, I went to the Lake District in Northern England with all of my study abroad program. Before going, I was excited but also curious as to how I would tie an adventure weekend into a food blog, luckily for me, I was placed in the accommodations with an "award-winning kitchen." Students were split among three hostels and an adventure center, and by some stroke of luck I was assigned to stay at Glaramara in Borrowdale. It was gorgeous! The building was humble and rustic in its appearance with a brick building that housed the rooms and an old siding building with sloped roof that held the kitchen and dining room. The location was picturesque, to say the least, with sheep on both sides of the center, mountains all around, and luscious green grass in every direction. As soon as I disembarked the bus, the air smelled fresh and crisp. For dinner the first night, we had a choice of several appetizers, mains and desserts. The appetizers included the options of tomato basil soup, shrimp cocktail with a sort-of remoulade sauce, a salad, or a pasta. I opted for the pasta composed of penne noodles, olive oil, garlic, and artichoke hearts. The pasta was really good (I love artichokes) as was the soup, which I tried as well. For the main course, we had four choices including a lamb pie, salmon, chicken, and a vegetarian dish. I choose the salmon with mussels and a saffron cream sauce and it was to die for! The serving size was very reasonable and was topped with four or five mussels, all of which were perfectly cooked, and the sauce struck an ideal balance between too creamy and too runny. For dessert, we choose from homemade vanilla ice cream, fresh fruit or a sticky toffee pudding. Knowing I'm not a big ice cream person and wanting to be healthy, I opted for the ice cream. It was definitely homemade: certain bites were very good, creamy, and sugary, while the next bite contained chunks of sugar and others almost entirely cream. It's flavor reminded me of the ice cream we used to make at science fairs as a kid, although I'd ordered it with the intent of not eating much so I guess it was successful in that regard...
For breakfast the second day, there was a self-service buffet of toast, several jams, cereal, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, British bacon (which is basically ham), and sausage. It was fine and for mass-made eggs, they actually still tasted like real eggs. For lunch, we went through an assembly line to pack our lunches to take with us to the day's activities. We had a choice of sandwich halves, options of crisps (potato chips), a homemade brownie or some type of lemon berry cake, a choice of fruit, juice, and a mini Kit-Kat bar. The tuna sandwich was actually very good while the cheese was very bland and the cake was also very delectable. I opted out of the Kit-Kat though after consuming mass amounts of chocolate, Cadbury yummmm, on the bus ride to the Lake District. For the day's activity, I chose to climb England's tallest mountain, Scafell Pike. The hike was not too strenuous and the hardest part was the areas where the trail was comprised of giant rocks you had to just sort of jump between. From 3,209 feet above England though, the views were incredible! We were incredibly lucky with the weather that day but it was still a little too cloudy to make out Ireland, we could however see to part of Scotland. And who knew, sheep even climb up that high! Yes, there were sheep right near the summit! After such a great accomplishment, I was very excited for Saturday's dinner. To start with, we had a choice of a rocket (arugula) salad, mussels with a white wine cream sauce or potato leek soup. I ordered the potato leek soup after a long day on the windy side of the mountain. The soup was really good and had the envisioned warming effect. For the main course, we choose between a pork loin with whole-grain mustard sauce, a fisherman pie of shrimp and fish, beef with red wine and mushrooms, or a goat cheese phyllo roll. I decided for the vegetarian phyllo roll, out of nostalgia for my vegetarian days I guess, and it was delicious! The phyllo was flaky and not overly greased or cooked, the goat cheese was just melted to be softer and the veggies inside brought it all together perfectly. After climbing the mountain, I reckoned I deserved a good dessert so I chose the apple crumble toffee pudding. Other choices included homemade strawberry ice cream, cheesecake, and fruit. The crumble toffee Saturday night was very disappointing. It tasted like escalloped apples, mixed with soggy breading, and a sauce reminiscent of Play-Doh.
Sunday, we woke to the same breakfast and lunch options, but we all opted to eat lunch in the quaint town of Keswick instead. For our Sunday activity, we ventured into Keswick which definitely filled the image in my head of a quintessential English village with cobblestone streets, old buildings, and a constant light mist. The town is geared towards outdoor activities so many of the shops were outdoor stores but there were also a number of cute sandwich shops and cafés. I ordered arguably the best hot chocolate of my life from a small café in town while wandering the village. Keswick is famous for a pencil museum, but due to time constraints and a three pound entry fee, I didn't make it there.
I had a wonderful time in the gorgeous Lake District and was incredibly lucky and satisfied with the wonderful and rich food at Glaramara. Although the desserts were disappointing both nights, I will rise above and acknowledge the work of award-winning chef Gareth Speight, who was trained in a Michelin-stared restaurant and has cooked lunch for the Queen. Because after all, who am I to stick up my nose at a meal deserving of the Queen?
And did you know, the sheep in the Lake District, Herdwick sheep, were original inhabitants of the land but now the government subsidizes farmers who breed this variety of sheep for the historical feel they give to the land? Also, the sheep are purely aesthetic and bred for this purpose, the coat of this variety of sheep cannot be used to make wool and they do not really eat mutton. Also, the sheep prevent trees from growing on the land and mountains because they like eating grass and other plants, such as shrubs. It was really cool seeing so many sheep up close but it's a little weird the government is paying farmers to breed sheep for aesthetic purposes especially since the sheep are actually detrimental to the land, in terms of foliage.
For breakfast the second day, there was a self-service buffet of toast, several jams, cereal, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, British bacon (which is basically ham), and sausage. It was fine and for mass-made eggs, they actually still tasted like real eggs. For lunch, we went through an assembly line to pack our lunches to take with us to the day's activities. We had a choice of sandwich halves, options of crisps (potato chips), a homemade brownie or some type of lemon berry cake, a choice of fruit, juice, and a mini Kit-Kat bar. The tuna sandwich was actually very good while the cheese was very bland and the cake was also very delectable. I opted out of the Kit-Kat though after consuming mass amounts of chocolate, Cadbury yummmm, on the bus ride to the Lake District. For the day's activity, I chose to climb England's tallest mountain, Scafell Pike. The hike was not too strenuous and the hardest part was the areas where the trail was comprised of giant rocks you had to just sort of jump between. From 3,209 feet above England though, the views were incredible! We were incredibly lucky with the weather that day but it was still a little too cloudy to make out Ireland, we could however see to part of Scotland. And who knew, sheep even climb up that high! Yes, there were sheep right near the summit! After such a great accomplishment, I was very excited for Saturday's dinner. To start with, we had a choice of a rocket (arugula) salad, mussels with a white wine cream sauce or potato leek soup. I ordered the potato leek soup after a long day on the windy side of the mountain. The soup was really good and had the envisioned warming effect. For the main course, we choose between a pork loin with whole-grain mustard sauce, a fisherman pie of shrimp and fish, beef with red wine and mushrooms, or a goat cheese phyllo roll. I decided for the vegetarian phyllo roll, out of nostalgia for my vegetarian days I guess, and it was delicious! The phyllo was flaky and not overly greased or cooked, the goat cheese was just melted to be softer and the veggies inside brought it all together perfectly. After climbing the mountain, I reckoned I deserved a good dessert so I chose the apple crumble toffee pudding. Other choices included homemade strawberry ice cream, cheesecake, and fruit. The crumble toffee Saturday night was very disappointing. It tasted like escalloped apples, mixed with soggy breading, and a sauce reminiscent of Play-Doh.
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Yes, it was this pretty the entire hike up |
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| One of the views from the summit of Scafell Pike |
I had a wonderful time in the gorgeous Lake District and was incredibly lucky and satisfied with the wonderful and rich food at Glaramara. Although the desserts were disappointing both nights, I will rise above and acknowledge the work of award-winning chef Gareth Speight, who was trained in a Michelin-stared restaurant and has cooked lunch for the Queen. Because after all, who am I to stick up my nose at a meal deserving of the Queen?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Trifecta
This is a week of tri-fold culinary goodness: London restaurant festival, national cocktail week, and London chocolate week. The overlapping timings are just planning coincidences but the combination is excellent for a London foodie on a budget. Restaurant festival is basically like restaurant week in the states but better! The festival lasts for two weeks and is sponsored through a website, bookatable.com, which is similar to Open Table. The website organizes the hundreds of participating restaurants by price point, ranging from 10 pounds to 30 and also my neighborhoods and types of food. The large number of choices and price points made the decision more challenging for me, being as indecisive as I am, but the option to sort by neighborhood and food allowed me to narrow down my choices more easily. We decided to eat at Piccolino in Exchange Square which is near trendy East London and the City, the financial center. The outside bar area was filled with young professionals grabbing a drink after work when we arrived around seven. The inside of the restaurant was very modern with dark ambiance lighting and a large glass wine cellar functioning as a main wall. The restaurant was featuring a two-course 15 pound menu so we either got to choose a starter and main, or main and dessert. Before we even had the chance to order, our waiter brought over focaccia bread and olive oil, something you usually need to pay for in English restaurants. After ordering a bottle of Pinot Grigio, which was great for the price, I ordered a primavera risotto to begin. The risotto consisted of asparagus and fresh goat cheese, which melted into the risotto as I ate. It was a perfect balance of flavors with the tartness of the cheese, richness of the risotto, and crisp crunch of the asparagus. The portion was huge and big enough for a main! One of my friends ordered the mushroom risotto which was also very good. For my main, two of us ordered the steak and one ordered an “Italian burger.” The steak was very thin and unfortunately, rather dry and overcooked. Despite the steak’s disappointing flavor and consistency, it was served with a juicy and flavorful portobello mushroom and stewed and seasoned tomato, which were both very good. It also came with chips (fries), which were thin, crispy, and delicious. The burger however, was very good, well cooked and full of flavor. For dessert, we ordered a tiramisu to share which was delicious! Although the steak was disappointing, the risotto was satisfying and delectable enough to make it a good meal. The restaurant festival is truly a great deal and especially when you work as a group, for example two of us ordered starters to share and one ordered dessert, it is a really good way to try several of a restaurant’s signature items. I want to dine out at another restaurant festival venue before it ends next week and because they offer so many price points, I think I will!
For cocktail week this week, I meandered through the food halls of Selfridges where they were sampling a variety of cocktails. Most samples featured Beefeaters, which meant a lot were not to my liking, but a few were good and it was still a fun atmosphere and environment. Chocolate week includes many events this week including tours of several chocolate factories and a lot of gourmet chocolate stores offering samples. I hope to stop by Harrod’s tomorrow and sample some mouthwatering chocolates but in case I don’t make it there, I already stopped into a small shop and enjoyed the benefits of chocolate week.
Even though I am not participating in any larger events of chocolate or cocktail week, I really like the way the entire city is just as into food as me! But on a more serious note, it says a lot about the business and community values of London for a city of this size to be teaming together for such a range of community events: all types of restaurants from local chains to incredibly expensive locales, neighborhoods, liquor stores, food halls, and shops are participating the culinary festivals this week. The city’s ability to team together for events uniting people all across London is really unique.
For cocktail week this week, I meandered through the food halls of Selfridges where they were sampling a variety of cocktails. Most samples featured Beefeaters, which meant a lot were not to my liking, but a few were good and it was still a fun atmosphere and environment. Chocolate week includes many events this week including tours of several chocolate factories and a lot of gourmet chocolate stores offering samples. I hope to stop by Harrod’s tomorrow and sample some mouthwatering chocolates but in case I don’t make it there, I already stopped into a small shop and enjoyed the benefits of chocolate week.
Even though I am not participating in any larger events of chocolate or cocktail week, I really like the way the entire city is just as into food as me! But on a more serious note, it says a lot about the business and community values of London for a city of this size to be teaming together for such a range of community events: all types of restaurants from local chains to incredibly expensive locales, neighborhoods, liquor stores, food halls, and shops are participating the culinary festivals this week. The city’s ability to team together for events uniting people all across London is really unique.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The McDonald's Effect
As a liberal arts student, I'd come across the McDonald's Effect, often called McDonaldization, several times in my studies, but never was it more apparent to me than during my trip to Paris. For those that don't know, the McDonald's Effect does not refer to an obesity epidemic but instead references McDonald's widespread international success. McDonald's is often studied and referenced as an example of globalization because it adjusts its restaurant establishments according to the customs of the country in which they're operating. These adjustments are in large part, the reason McDonald's has done so well internationally. Most commonly in classes, I'd read about the example of McDonald's in Asia, where it styled its restaurants as more sit-down institutions to accommodate the dining culture in those countries, namely China and Japan. The McDonald's locations in these countries also include several local items, such as a teriyaki burger in Japan, a rice cake burger in Singapore, McAloo tikaa burger in India. The use of local menu items and culturally adjusted service methods results in McDonald's global success.
When I was in Israel, I noticed that McDonald's used a barbeque grill instead of a frier to cook their burger, used only Kosher beef, and operated several Kosher locations. The Israeli locations also sold several unique items such as McShwarma and an Israeli Salad, in addition to a more traditional menu. In Paris however, the McDonald's were incomparable to anything I'd seen before. Every location was fashioned with a sleek glass decor, which is becoming increasingly common among newer US locations, but the inside was remarkably different! Towards the front of each store was a café and patisserie! Each was filled with cases of surprisingly delicious looking macrons, croissants, chocolate croissants, and other pastries. The café menu also consisted of gourmet coffees. Once you walked past the café, one is faced with several machines resembling ATM machines. These machines are actually ordering computers, on which you can make your menu choices, pay, and receive a number to collect your food by. Several of the locations I went inside were two stories and all were filled with modern, clean, trendy furnishings and lots of French people enjoying their food. In fact, the only people I overheard speaking English in the whole restaurant, were those waiting in line for the free restrooms! After mentioning my shock over the classiness of Parisian McDonald's my Australian friend told me that all McDonald's in Australia rely on local and fresh ingredients. She said that when you order an Egg McMuffin for example, signs at the location will declare what farm and where the eggs in that dish are from.
In London, similar to the city's culture itself, the McDonald's locations aren't really sure what type of identity they're trying to convey. They offer more or less the same menu as American locations and about half the locations I've seen have the appearance and atmosphere of a traditional, American fast-food restaurant. The other half, offer an ambiance more similar to the European locations. It is interesting to observe how McDonald's differs country to country, and also what these culinary and atmospheric differences say about the respective cultures. I will definitely make a point to stop by a McDonald's in all of my future travels to observe these differences and use these visits as a framework to help understand the local cultures.
When I was in Israel, I noticed that McDonald's used a barbeque grill instead of a frier to cook their burger, used only Kosher beef, and operated several Kosher locations. The Israeli locations also sold several unique items such as McShwarma and an Israeli Salad, in addition to a more traditional menu. In Paris however, the McDonald's were incomparable to anything I'd seen before. Every location was fashioned with a sleek glass decor, which is becoming increasingly common among newer US locations, but the inside was remarkably different! Towards the front of each store was a café and patisserie! Each was filled with cases of surprisingly delicious looking macrons, croissants, chocolate croissants, and other pastries. The café menu also consisted of gourmet coffees. Once you walked past the café, one is faced with several machines resembling ATM machines. These machines are actually ordering computers, on which you can make your menu choices, pay, and receive a number to collect your food by. Several of the locations I went inside were two stories and all were filled with modern, clean, trendy furnishings and lots of French people enjoying their food. In fact, the only people I overheard speaking English in the whole restaurant, were those waiting in line for the free restrooms! After mentioning my shock over the classiness of Parisian McDonald's my Australian friend told me that all McDonald's in Australia rely on local and fresh ingredients. She said that when you order an Egg McMuffin for example, signs at the location will declare what farm and where the eggs in that dish are from.
In London, similar to the city's culture itself, the McDonald's locations aren't really sure what type of identity they're trying to convey. They offer more or less the same menu as American locations and about half the locations I've seen have the appearance and atmosphere of a traditional, American fast-food restaurant. The other half, offer an ambiance more similar to the European locations. It is interesting to observe how McDonald's differs country to country, and also what these culinary and atmospheric differences say about the respective cultures. I will definitely make a point to stop by a McDonald's in all of my future travels to observe these differences and use these visits as a framework to help understand the local cultures.
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