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!

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.

Crisps

I've always enjoyed potato chips, finding it hard to resist their salty goodness (especially with Bison Chip Dip). In England, however, they take their "crisps" VERY seriously! Funky flavors abound... I just wish I could try them all! (Well, maybe not the Prawn Cocktail flavor.) Even plain crisps aren't called plain; they're "Ready Salted." How very properly English. Of course they have the standard Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar and such, but why bother? We can get those stateside. Here's a sampling of some creative flavors:

• Steak & Onion
• Smoky Bacon
• Roast Chicken
• Pickled Onion
• Worcester Sauce
• BBQ Rib
• Paprika
• Sweet Chili
• Roast Beef & Mustard
• Smoked Ham & Pickle
• Fish & Chips

Determined to find a favorite, we had to sample a variety of flavors from various brands. While we didn't have a bad crisp (even Walker's- their version of Lay's- did a fine job), there was a definite winner: Marks & Spencer Taw Valley Cheddar and Caramelised Shallots. I don't know where Taw Valley is, but I must go there some day to pay homage to this exalted crisp.

All hail the King of Crisps!

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!)