Belgium... a look back and forward

So we booked our flight to Belgium for this summer, which cannot come soon enough. Get us out of this never-ending winter. Even more important, get us back to our beloved land of all things that are tasty! Just over four months and counting...

In honor of our trip, we recently had a taste of Belgium dinner combining two of our favorites: carbonnade à la Flammande (belgian beer stew) and pommes frites (fries). OK, so we cheated a bit and bought frozen fries, but they were of the Yukon gold persuasion- the closest you can probably get stateside. Even if we made our own they just couldn't compare to those from our favorite friterie (which will be merely a block away from our friends' house!), Maison Antoine. We did splurge, though, for a bottle of Belgian style ale for the stew- worth it! 

I used this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/beef-carbonnade-with-vegetables-belgian-beef-stew-recipe.html (I did not add the potatoes as we served it over the fries.)

While it may not have been 100% authentic, it certainly brought back memories of our favorite little under appreciated European country. It got us thinking of of all the chocolate, waffles, waterzooi, vol au vent, and frites we've savored during our previous visits; it also gave us inspiration for July: chocolate crawl, Liège meatballs and stoemp (which have both somehow eluded us for three visits), seeking out the ultimate Liège waffle... oh, and about a dozen more sauces chez Antoine! Not to mention bringing a spare suitcase for all those jars and bottles of sauces we'll be bringing back!! (That's in addition to the spare suitcase for our chocolate haul, of course.)

À bientôt, chère Belgique!

Germany for lunch

As we cooked and ate dinner tonight- schnitzel, spaetzle, and red cabbage- I couldn't help but think back to this past July when we were visiting Jeff and Melissa in Brussels for two weeks. There was a day hanging around for which we had no plan, so after some option weighing we decided to go to Germany for lunch. That's right, we drove to Germany basically to have lunch. Sure we walked around the cute little town of Monschau and bought the obligatory gummy bears, but it sounds so much cooler when you say you're driving to another country to eat. When in Germany... eat schnitzel! (And yeah, it was realllllly good!)

Prost!

Trader Joe's

Oh my... how have I just recently discovered this foodie heaven? (Well, actually, there isn't one within an hour of me, so that's probably the reason.) Anyway, I sought some advice on what are some "must buys" from TJ's and now I'm seriously addicted. Not having a cooler made it a bit difficult as I had to pass up many delicious looking refrigerated and frozen goodies, but I managed to find some new addictions: reduced-guilt guacamole, dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds, curry and masala simmer sauces, to name but a few.

What does this have to do with food memories? Here you go: I am now able to relive delicious memories of some of the places I've been by enjoying foods I can't normally find in a regular store.

• Cookie Butter: I got a "lead" on this product, so I just set out around the store looking for something I knew nothing about. I assumed it was some kind of special butter used to make cookies. Was I wrong! I bought the cookie/cocoa swirl version. Think Nutella (minus the hazelnut flavor) swirled with speculoos cookie flavored peanut butter (minus the peanut flavor). You have to try it to really understand it... it is divine. And I've only ever eaten it as a dip for pretzels (or my finger). Speculoos, I think, is the national cookie of Belgium. It's a spicy little biscuit that is basically in, on, or on top of almost anything there. You can't swing a waffle in Belgium without hitting something to do with speculoos. Now I need to go back to Brussels...

 

•  Fleur de Sel Caramels: Having just traveled briefly to Normandy, France this past summer, I was already seeking the deliciousness of the caramel lifestyle they live in Honfleur. (Think speculoos as above, but the caramel version.) Since Trader "Jacques" harvests their "Fleur de Sel" (flower of salt) from the French coast, I felt I had to give these caramels a try. While they are made with a few more ingredients (like corn syrup and coconut oil, for example) than their French cousins, they are a decent stand-in. Now I need to go back to Honfleur...

• Cheddar & Horseradish Potato Chips: If you've been following me, you know my obsessive addiction with odd potato chip flavors. Well, add this really spicy one to my list. I could just see this on the shelves at the Tesco in London or at the local pub. Add a nice pint and you've got yourself a cozy (or "cosy") evening, English-style. Now I need to go back to London...

As you can see, I'm obviously going to be busy traveling a lot in the near future! With so many places yet to visit and many delicious ones to revisit, choosing where to go will be extremely challenging. But it's a challenge I'm willing to taste, er, take!

My foodographic memory in action

Don went to the bakery grand opening on his birthday to get something for breakfast. Pain au chocolat (chocolate filled croissant) is always a good choice! As we were enjoying our warmed goodies, he recalled having them when we arrived at Heathrow airport in London two years ago. Enter my curse/blessing of a memory... I knew exactly what we had at Heathrow- baguettes with bacon- AND where we had the pain au chocolat that he recalled- at the train station in Brussels. Not bad, though... at least he remembered it had something to do with transportation!

Crisps... again

One would not think that a trip to Brussels and Amsterdam would yield a post about crisps (aka potato chips). Well, enter one funky concept hotel known as CitizenM. In the lobby is their "Canteen" where you can get snacks, drinks, lip balm and stuffed animals 24/7. Lo and behold, prominently featured were (among others) the following bags of salty snacks: 

OK, so the bag on the left isn't THAT weird, right? Seems kind of normal next to the other one, doesn't it?! Of those in our party, I was the only one yearning to delve into the wonderful world of roast ox crisps. I wasn't winning over many friends and I almost had to go it alone. After carefully checking the ingredients, I found that there is no ACTUAL ox in these crisps. Ox flavor, yes, but not real ox. (Ox flavor?) Anyway, I could resist no longer and had to have them. To appease everyone else, ham and English mustard was purchased, as well as sweet Thai chili. 

I must admit, the roast ox crisps were my favorite! They tasted akin to very salty roast beef (but way more crunchy). The ham and mustard crisps were interesting, too. A slap in the face of wicked salty baked ham, then a lingering taste of zesty mustard. As for sweet Thai chili, I've had that flavor before and while they were tasty, they didn't blow me away.

So, keep your eyes open during your travels. You never know where you'll find some interesting crisps in unusual flavors!

Waffles, Part Deux

Back to Brussels for Christmas this year. Man, I love this place! First of all, we had amazing hosts and a gorgeous place to stay. Aside from that, Belgium may be a small country, but they're huge on tasty things. 

We arrived on Christmas Day and in an effort to keep jet lag from getting the best of us, we headed out in Brussels in search of the perfect Christmas waffle. (That should be a tradition, no?) Well, we ended up at the same stand we encountered six years ago. Though they had a little different set-up, the waffles were still lovely works of culinary art and tasted absolutely scrumptious. 

Choices, choices!

What have we learned since our last encounter with these delicacies?

1. Stay away from powdered sugar! Upon first bite, your tendency is to be so excited that you inhale in anticipation, thus resulting in a coughing fit during which you end up blowing powdered sugar all over yourself and your companion(s).
2. Avoid going for "the works." There's only so much space on a waffle. Sure, who doesn't love bananas AND strawberries AND chocolate AND whipped cream? There is physically no way to get that all in your mouth at one time. Order a couple different waffles and share.
3. Waffles are best enjoyed in close proximity to Manneken Pis. (Yes, the peeing boy statue.) Who knows why the combination works, but it seems to be the thing to do. When in Rome, er, Brussels!

Live and learn. Then eat more waffles!

Crazy Train, Italian style!

Wood-fired pizza at Cosimo's the other night inspired another memorable pizza moment... the Crazy Train in Italy.

While staying at our truly awesome villa outside of Florence, we'd have to pass through the little town of Compiobbi everyday. Along the way was a little dive called the Crazy Train pizzeria right next to the train tracks. We'd all joke about how we HAD to eat there, though one of us was not keen on the idea. "We didn't travel all this way to eat at some dive pizzeria." Remember those fateful words...

Finally, majority ruled and we descended upon the Crazy Train. Individual pizzas abounded and we each ordered our own. Wanting to try different things, we all swapped slices and enjoyed a piece of everyone else's pie. Fantastic! Every bite of every pizza was amazing. Even better was the fact that 7 of us each ordered a pizza, drinks and several of us ordered desserts and the bill came to well under $100!!

Later that week, seeking inspiration for our last dinner together, someone had the idea to get food to bring back to the villa rather than shopping and cooking. Why not revisit the Crazy Train? That we did. And no, we did not travel all that way to eat at some dive pizzeria. We traveled all that way to eat there twice! :)

Not the Crazy Train, but the view from our villa fabuloso!

Belgian Waffles

Every time we go shopping, we are reminded of these delectable treats. The following picture adorns one of our credit cards*: 

How many different ways can you top your waffle?

What's not to love? And to make things even tastier, there are two types of Belgian waffles ("gaufres" in French): the Brussels waffle and the Liege waffle. The Brussels waffle is typically a lighter textured waffles with deep pockets to fill with various toppings, whereas the Liege waffle tends to be on the richer, denser and sweeter side. It's almost as if it has a subtle caramelized sugar coating. There are many other nuances to Belgian waffles, but those are the very basic distinguishing characteristics. I'll take either one right now. While we do have quite an awesome waffle maker, it's not quite the same. Only a true Belgian waffle is enjoyed on the streets of Brussels while jockeying for the best shot of the wee little Manneken Pis statue (pun intended), shopping for chocolate and Smurfs, and seeking out where you'll stop for a fine Belgian brew. Enjoy a gaufre while strolling through a Bruges flea market where you'll find a 5-Euro souvenir toaster. It could happen...

A few words of warning: While it is tempting to pile the toppings on your waffle, use caution and a little bit of common sense. Powdered sugar is very tempting, but as soon as something catches your eye you'll want to take a breath as you try to exclaim to your companions, thus bringing on a major coughing fit. Chocolate will also lure you in, but beware! It just might be molten chocolate lava that makes eating your waffle with any kind of tact seemingly impossible. Strawberries are good, but they're too darn healthy. If you must have them, slather them with a heaping pile of whipped cream!

*Yes, this is our photo, taken when we went to Belgium in 2005. Thanks to Capital One, we were able to customize our card! (What's in YOUR wallet?)

Deep-fried pickles!

I know what you're thinking... heart attack on a plate with a side of ranch dressing. Absolutely! We first encountered these a couple of years ago when we went out to dinner with our friends who were visiting us in Bar Harbor. Looking for someplace with decent food at reasonable prices, we stumbled upon the Thirsty Whale. Not much to look at, but we took a table and perused the menu. Deep-fried pickles? Hmmm... intriguing. According to Rich, you should find the one thing on the menu that scares you the most and try it. Done. 

How can you not love 'em?

These were no measly little slices either, they were whole spears that were battered (with something decidedly spicy in there), deep-fried until golden and served up with some cooling ranch in which to dip these evil spears of death. Well, there's something to be said about taking a chance. These were goooooooood!

So good, in fact, we returned to the Thirsty Whale the other day just to relive their glory. Sure enough, just as good. Though we could have just gotten away with just those for dinner since the rest of the meal was so big. But I digress...

The moral of the story: Find the one thing on the menu that scares you the most and try it! You just might be pleasantly surprised.

Limonata

What's another name for a can of quenching, lemony goodness? Limonata. Lemon soda. Made by the San Pellegrino company (of bottled water fame), we first discovered this tasty drink while on vacation in Italy.

One day we took a ferry boat from Varenna and upon setting foot on land in Bellagio, Don decided he needed something cold and refreshing to drink. As luck would have it there was a drink cart stationed right off the dock. Wanting to go for something a little more exotic than a Coke, he opted for a Limonata. From that moment we've been hooked. Not long after that we hiked up to Castello di Vezio, a centuries-old castle perched high on a hill overlooking beautiful Lake Como. What did we find at the top at the entrance to the castle grounds? A bar! Seriously, these Italians know what it's all about. Well, it was a bit early for the heavy stuff so we decided on a cold can of our new favorite soft drink.

After returning home, we longed for the bubbly, citrusy drink we had in Italy. Lo and behold it existed here in the States! We also discovered Limonata's sister: Aranciata (orange flavored) It's not cheap ($4-5 per 6-pack), but every once in a while we indulge and take ourselves back to Lake Como even if for a brief moment.

Old-school beverages

We ate at Ruby Tuesday's recently, not that we eat at chains often but it was the day before our kayak trip. We didn't have much food, didn't want leftovers and hoped for at least the choice of something healthy. Knowing they had a salad bar, off we went.

This was much fancier than the RT's I remember growing up. One in particular will always stick in my mind: Pigeon Forge, TN. Most of you have probably never even heard of it much less been there. Well, it was one of our many road trip vacations... either to the World's Fair in Knoxville or to Nashville in the mid-80s. (Maybe both.) Anyway, besides the memorable name of the town, one thing will always bring back memories- the kiddie drinks. Everyone knows that a Shirley Temple is 7-Up or Sprite with grenadine syrup. Given the time period, RT's was too cool for curly-haired cuties from the 30s and 40s. Bring on the Princess Leia! Ah, yes. The era of Star Wars and all its glory. Being huge fans of the franchise, my sister and I were all over this one. Of course, if you felt like sipping over to the dark side, you could order the Darth Vader (Coke or Pepsi with grenadine)!

May the force be with you!

Fish & Chips

You can't go to London and not have fish & chips. Seriously, you can't... it's the law. O.K. maybe not, but it's just one of those 'When in Rome" kind of things. Of course, me being me, I had to do extensive research on where to find the best in London. I had a short list of little take-away joints, including the awesomely named Fishcotecque. Well, plans are just that. Plans. Things went differently than planned and that's o.k. If we never stumbled across the Porterhouse in Covent Garden, I would have never left my hat there (I'm convinced that where it defected) and I never would have had an excuse to buy a funky, furry new hat!

Back to the food... Porterhouse is an Irish gastropub. Four locations in Ireland and one in London. Lucky us! This was our first day in London with Jeff and Melissa, so we had some catching up to do. We didn't eat before they came, figuring we'd do what we do best together- EAT! So we were good and hungry. Three of us went for the classic fish & chips and Don opted for Bangers and Mash. Our portions were huge pieces of beer-battered (what else?) cod, thick chips and mushy peas. I'm not a pea person, but I had to at least see what this whole mushy pea thing was all about. Well, say the name- mushy peas. That's what you get. Not blown away, I focus on what I'm really there for- the fish & chips. Big, yes. Heavy, not at all. Delicious with tartare (sic) sauce and a nice pint. Cheers!

Porterhouse 

We never did get to Fishcoteque. I guess that gives us a reason to go back!

$7 Hot Dog

No, I'm not talking Yankee Stadium. This pricey tube steak was enjoyed in London. Seriously, who goes all the way to London to eat a hot dog? Not us, but when you need food sometimes good old street food just hits the spot.

It was a rainy day, perfect for visiting the British Museum and all its treasures within. As we left, there was a hot dog cart right outside the gate and boy did it smell good. We waited a little while to order and wouldn't you know it, just as I got up to order the Bobbies came and closed the cart down! Apparently operating without the proper license is a no-no. So, no bootleg dog for me. 

As we walked onward, the need for a hot dog still had a hold of me. All I needed was that initial whiff and I wouldn't settle for anything else. So we came across a tiny little hot dog stand. Not a cart, but not an actual food service joint. Basically, picture a newsstand that sells hot dogs, candy, salty snacks and drinks. Two hot dogs ordered, $15 spent. Were they worth it? Cost-wise, no. Definitely not the world's best hot dog. Hunger satisfaction-wise, oh yeah! When the food jones calls, you'd better answer it!

Christmas in London (part 2)

So Christmas Eve was enjoyable and provided us with a laid-back day to ease into London. Christmas morning greeted us heartily with a humongous breakfast (see English Breakfast post) and allowed us to venture out for a lovely day of walking most of central London.

A major concern in booking this trip was the fact that everything we read said that EVERYTHING was closed on Christmas Day. Figuring most restaurants would be closed, I did exhaustive research online to find something- anything- that would be open for a decent holiday meal. Along came Ozer, a Turkish restaurant. Indeed they were open, with a regular menu even. Reservations made. Of course it wasn't right near our hotel, so we had to walk as the Tube IS closed on Christmas Day. No worries- no snow and good food made it worth it.

Never having eaten Turkish food, we were up for the challenge. No challenge here except how to narrow down our choices! With it's Mediterranean location, Turkey offers many foods similar to Greek cuisine (which we love). To start, we ordered an appetizer sampler- falafel, salads, eggplant, spinach & feta and the like. Score one for Ozer. Don found a more classic Christmas dish- turkey- for his entree. Yes, Turkish turkey. I went for the house special of grilled meatballs in a tomato and yogurt sauce. Score two more for Ozer. We had to top it all off with dessert, so we opted for Baklava. Once again, Ozer delivered. A nice holiday feast that will surely be our only Turkish Christmas dinner!

Ozer @ Oxford Circus

Christmas in London

Christmas Eve 2009 was our first (real) foray into English food. The salt-lick, yet strangely intriguing, baguette sandwich we had at Heathrow upon arrival doesn't really count. So, other than stocking up on crisps, not knowing if anything would be open where we could get food on Christmas Day, we ventured into the Jack Horner Pub for dinner. 

At first it felt a little weird to be in a pub at Christmastime, but a pint of Fuller's and some cheeky Brit fare changed our attitude entirely. The fish and chips came highly recommended by some fellow guests and then we took a chance on the Jack Horner Pie (specialty of the house)- a shepherd's pie type dish filled with meat and veggies. Both delivered on being delicious and filling. Who said English food is bland? We found it quite enjoyable; nothing a wee shake of salt couldn't cure! ;)

Score one for the London food scene so far. Sure, this was one of many in the Fuller Ale and Pie House chain, but it had the feel of a nice cozy local pub. Good beer, great food and fun people watching! Cheers to the Jack Horner Pub!

Jack Horner Pub, Tottenham Court Road

Of course, we opted out of dessert and decided to stock up on crisps, biscuits (aka cookies) and chocolate! Then off to the hotel to relax, watch some BBC on the tube and indulge in some nontraditional Christmas snacks.

English Breakfast

It's not just a meal; it's an adventure. English Breakfast is not for the diet-conscious and/or the conservative eater. I'm pretty sure you could eat this meal in the morning and bank enough calories and fat until the next week!

So what is included in a full English Breakfast?

• Bacon (back bacon, actually... most likely mistaken for ham)
• Poached eggs
• Fried tomatoes and mushrooms
• Toast
• Sausages
• Baked beans
• Hash brown potato cake
• Tea
• Angioplasty (Well, it should come with it!)

Yes, everything is fried. Even the toast. (I think.) So when you stay at a hotel in London around Christmas and you're not sure if anything will be open on Christmas Day, stuff your face with a full English Breakfast just in case there is no food to be found for the rest of the day. Of course, we were really paranoid that this would be the case, so we even added fruit, cereal, juice and pastries! Contrary to what everyone told us, however, there were plenty of places to grab a bit to eat, like the Charles Dickens Coffee House. While Chuck was not known for being a barista, apparently he actually lived and worked in that actual building. But I digress...

In summary, the full English Breakfast is NOT to be eaten daily. (Have you ever seen "SuperSize Me?") Though if you need to fill up or fulfill your fried food jones, it's exactly what you need. Just bring lots of Tums. Just couldn't get enough the first two days- we went out our last morning and had to get one last fill!

Thanks, Arosfa Hotel, for serving a killer breakfast!
 

London

English food? Really? Really! 

Despite many warnings about bad food, we jetted off to London last Christmas anxious to experience life across the pond. Don and I still reminisce about our British food encounters, trying to rationalize why we actually loved everything we ate there. Now, we generally will eat just about anything and tend to be moderately adventurous when trying new foods. (We draw the line at organs, insects, and worms!) We do, however, try to avoid chain restaurants; not only do we prefer to support local businesses, but we are not fans of relatively unimaginative, processed food we can get anywhere. So does everyone else who has been there have really high standards while ours are really low? We can't imagine that's the case. Sure, British fare is not known for its intense flavor and seasoning. Then again, we sometimes can't resist some good old comfort food like fish and chips or meat and potatoes. We were told to go ethnic, so we did. We also just delved right into the local dishes and loved them. When in Rome... er, London!

Stay tuned...

• Meat pies of many varieties
• Turkish Christmas
• English Breakfast
• Fish and chips
• Tapas
• Pizza
• Chinatown
• Crisps
• Hot dogs (yes, in London)
• Polish New Year's Eve
• Marks & Spencer and Tesco

GIANT paella at Covent Garden (about 3' across!)

Crepes

This past weekend reminded me of some wonderful memories I’ve had with the national pancake of France. We enjoyed dinner from Simply Crepes in Canandaigua with friends after a day of wine touring. I had a scrumptious combination of ham, brie, caramelized onion and apples while Don enjoyed an equally tasty crepe filled with turkey and smoked Gouda. For dessert we enjoyed Nutella with bananas and a strawberry/blueberry with vanilla ice cream. Delish!

Of course, we reminisced about our first Erie Canal kayak trip a couple of years ago. After our first night of camping, we set out from the JCC in Rochester to Pittsford. Our goal was to make it to Pittsford in time for breakfast at Simply Crepes. We made it and enjoyed perhaps the most posh breakfast any kayak campers have ever eaten. The perfect fuel for a full day of paddling!

Then we recalled the crepes we had in Paris. During our whirlwind tour of the City of Light, we stopped briefly outside the Pompideau Centre to research how good the crepes really are. First of all, the crepe itself had the diameter of a small kitchen table. Then, the crepe was smeared with the world’s most awesome substance- Nutella. Finally, Monsieur Crepe Guy took an entire banana and thinly sliced it onto the crepe. After a few folds, we had our quintessential Parisian crepe. Other than the fact that the Nutella turned into molten liquid and nearly burned every taste bud off our tongues, it was the most decadent, delectable and delightful street food we ever tasted. 

Post-crepe posing at Pompideau

I can’t think of crepes and not be reminded of my family’s Christmas breakfast tradition. Christmas morning means crepes. Mom never makes just one or two dozen, but (what seems like) about 60! There are the sweet varieties of either strawberry or applesauce, topped with powdered sugar. Then there is the savory crepe with ham, Swiss cheese and Mornay sauce. Breakfast always includes some kind of fruit and some type of bread or coffee cake, but the crepes remain the same: homemade, delicious and comforting.

Egg Salad

I’m making egg salad for lunch tomorrow. Simple, protein-rich fare that pulls through when cold cuts just aren’t cutting it. I’m a fan of lots of color and crunch in my egg salad. I throw in chopped celery, shredded carrot, maybe some diced red pepper, parsley and a spot of mustard. Sure, I should probably enjoy it on some kind of healthy whole-grain something or other, but there’s nothing better than good old squishy soft white bread to be the vehicle for my egg salad. 

Egg salad is perfect when I don’t want big food. That way of thinking is what brought Don and me to the Blue Dolphin in Quebec City on our honeymoon way back when. We were only about 3 days in to our trip and already sick of eating big, heavy restaurant food. We were dying for small, light food. Enter the Blue Dolphin- basically a diner/coffee shop in the heart of Vieux Quebec. Lo and behold, they had egg salad on the menu! Both of us ordered one and when our order arrived, what did we get? An egg salad sandwich. That’s it. Nothing else. No chips, no pickle, not even a sprig of parsley… no frills! And it was the best egg salad sandwich we ever ate. I doubt “Le Dauphin Bleu” is still open, but it lives on every time we eat egg salad.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

What's so special about ham, turkey, and cheese on what is basically French toast? The fact that I remember my first one makes it a pretty special sandwich. While I don't recall specifically when I first had that Monte Cristo, I do know for a fact that it was on a family vacation to Walt Disney World. I can narrow the time frame to somewhere between 5th and 8th grade; I'm leaning towards 5th grade since that's the trip when I ran into Liz, a 4th grade classmate of mine, coming out of the restaurant on Main Street USA. A departure from the everyday cold cut concoction, the Monte Cristo struck me as a sandwich masterpiece encompassing the sweet and salty. My favorite parts were the powdered sugar sprinkled on top and the currant jelly served on the side. I didn't know what a currant was at the time, but my fascination got the best of me and I dove right in.

My latest Monte Cristo? The inspiration for this post, it was at the Glen Park Tavern in Williamsville. Again, out to dinner with the family. No powdered sugar. No currant jelly. Maple syrup on the side this time. Different, but not as good as my original.