Tag Archives: food

Travel Flashback: Reykjavik and Traditional Icelandic Food (2008)

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As I’ve mentioned a few times in my blog, Iceland has a very small population and the majority of it is in the capital city of Reykjavik. So what’s it really like?

Unfortunately, I don’t have much to show you.  This was the very first destination with my digital camera and I didn’t anticipate that I would ever be writing a blog about it.  However, upon reviewing my photos of Reykjavik I realized that almost all of them were dominated by a large umbrella, as it was raining for almost our entire visit.

The Bautinn in Akureyri, Iceland - we ate dinner here once
The Bautinn in Akureyri, Iceland – we ate dinner here

We spent a lot of time indoors in Reykjavik.  I wasn’t going to include the photograph below, which was clearly not taken with my usual care, until I realized that there really wasn’t much blog-appropriate photography from Reykjavik. Most of the photos in today’s post are from elsewhere in Iceland.

Part of the cafeteria menu at Reykjavik's bus station
Part of the cafeteria menu at Reykjavik’s bus station

Many travel guides spend considerable time describing some of the more unusual traditional Icelandic foods.  Iceland was once a poor country and it was necessary to eat whatever was available.  As you can see from the Svið (sheep’s head) in the above menu, some of those traditional items have managed to stay popular today.  I took a look at the Svið (which does not include the brain) but did not actually have any.

A church in Húsavík, Iceland
A church in Húsavík, Iceland

At one of the big markets in Reykjavik, we encountered the legendary hákarl:  putrefied meat from the Greenland shark.  It has to be buried underground and allowed to ferment for a couple of months because the meat in its “original” form is toxic to humans.  The poisons include uric acid…it seems that this particular shark urinates through its skin.  However, the fermentation process, followed by another extended period of air-drying, removes the toxins from the meat and it becomes edible.

Buildings near the harbour in Húsavík, Iceland
Buildings near the harbour in Húsavík, Iceland

I did not try hákarl either:  while it may not have been toxic, it apparently smells like very strong ammonia and rotten cheese…and can cause gagging for the uninitiated.  At the market, we could not smell it because it was kept tightly sealed.  Given the way it was presented at the market, it did seem to be aimed more at adventurous tourists than at everyday Icelanders.

Assorted ducks in Húsavík, Iceland
Assorted ducks in Húsavík, Iceland

Another traditional item I did try was Brennivín.  It is the equivalent of brandy, as the name translates into English as “burning wine.”  It is actually a powerful schnapps-like drink made from fermented potatoes and caraway seeds.  Many travel writers speak poorly of it (indeed, its nickname is “Black Death”) but I enjoyed it enough to bring some home from the airport’s duty free shoppe.

Mývatn: a lake in northern Iceland
Mývatn: a lake in northern Iceland

I also developed a taste for chocolate-covered licorice in Iceland: like most northern European countries, Iceland is crazy about licorice and there are many different ways to enjoy it.  I later had a variation on this theme in Finland (licorice-covered chocolate, which I liked even more) but it was in Iceland where I first discovered and enjoyed this unusual combination of sweet and salty.   If you like dark chocolate with sea salt, you will surely enjoy the combination of chocolate and licorice!

Uppsala and Squeaky Cheese (2012/2016)

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Our 2012 trip to Scandinavia started off with 2 nights in Uppsala.  Although it’s the 4th largest city in Sweden, it only has about 140,000 inhabitants.  We chose it because it was close to the Stockholm airport and it looked like a good place to acclimatize for our upcoming journey into the former Soviet republic of Estonia.  As our return flight was also departing from Stockholm, we thought we’d defer spending time in the capital until we returned from the east.

Bees at Uppsala's Botanical Gardens
Bees at Uppsala’s Botanical Gardens

Everything about Uppsala was pleasant:  the parks, the streets, the historical sites and the university (founded in 1477 and Scandinavia’s oldest centre of higher learning).   As we had hoped, it was easy to get into the European rhythm.  We did some very mundane things to start:  we went to a local mall to buy shorts, as it was warmer than we had anticipated and I had also forgotten to bring shorts with me.  As a result, I remain the proud owner of Swedish “pirate shorts”:  a little longer than usual but still comfortable on a hot summer’s day.

Uppsala's Cathedral up close
Uppsala Cathedral up close

We shed our jet lag with leisurely visits to Uppsala Castle, the adjacent Botanical Garden (both pictured at the top of this post), and the  Domkyrka (Uppsala Cathedral).  The Cathedral goes back to the 13th century and dominates the skyline of the small city.   While I wouldn’t say that Uppsala has a lot of bucket list sights, we enjoyed wandering around the city and soaking in the academic vibe.  We both thought it would be a great place to attend university, should we ever decide to pursue further  studies!

Uppsala Cathedral at a more sensible distance
Uppsala Cathedral at a more sensible distance

I was prompted to write about Sweden today because I decided to try a Scandinavian cheese called Juustoleipa (in Finnish) or Ostbrod (in Swedish) for lunch. The name translates as “bread cheese” and it’s described on the package as a “buttery-flavoured flat and squeaky cheese”.  I found it at our neighbourhood supermarket, among the other specialty cheeses.

Frying up some Juuhtopapesi
Frying up some Juustoleipa at base camp!

To make Juustoleipa, you just heat it in a skillet for four minutes on each side.  The end result is quite similar to fried halloumi with hints of mozzarella and the texture of cheese curd.  It was warm throughout with a bread-like crust on the outside.  While the instructions recommended serving it with jam, honey or syrup, we went with plain fresh croissants instead.  It was delicious; I look forward to trying it again with something sweet.  Speaking of sweet Swedish food, that is my favourite culinary memory of Uppsala:  we enjoyed terrific crepes al fresco at a charming downtown cafe.

Downtown Uppsala
Downtown Uppsala

This post was delayed a bit because of some photo uploading challenges, although everything seems to be sorted out now.  In the meantime, we were able to take care of immunizations and some logistical planning for our summer journey to the southern hemisphere.  This is one of my favourite parts of travel planning: seeing everything slowly fall into place and realizing that “yes, this is actually going to happen!”   We’re really going to see three new countries!

Fun with Food in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market district

(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Even though I lived in Toronto for three years in the early 1990s, I cannot claim to have seen all the city had to offer.  In particular, for reasons that are unclear, I never made it to St. Lawrence Market while I was living there.  Given its proximity to Union Station, I have managed to stop by on a couple of recent visits to Toronto.  If you are at all interested in “specialty foods”, I think it is well worth a visit.

Jarvis Street, just north of St. Lawrence Market, in downtown Toronto
The corner of Jarvis and King Streets, just north of St. Lawrence Market, in downtown Toronto

While the Market clears out as its 7:00 p.m. closing time approaches (that’s when I took the photo at the top of this post), it is extremely busy during the day.  Some of this is tourist traffic but there is still quite a local presence:  tourists generally aren’t showing up at the 7:00 a.m. opening.   Weekends are particularly busy and you may be tempted to give it a pass in the late morning or early afternoon.

I was in search of unusual cheese on this visit.  One of the vendors had lengthy descriptions of its imported offerings and something called “Parrano” caught my eye.  One of its slogans is “the Dutch cheese that thinks it is Italian”, so I asked for a sample.  Indeed, as advertised, it combines the texture of Gouda with the taste of Reggiano Parmigiano…I quickly declared it my new favourite cheese and picked up a wedge to bring home.

"G For Gelato" on Jarvis Street in Toronto
“G For Gelato” on Jarvis Street in Toronto

I also picked up some red Cerignola olives from one of the other vendors.  These are very large and mild-tasting olives but their radiant red colour makes them an interesting, albeit not essential, olive for snacking.

There has been a considerable amount of recent development in the Market neighbourhood.  While not all of it appeals to me, there was one restaurant that I wanted to try:  the innocuously-named “G for Gelato”, specializing in pizza and gelato.  These are two very important foods and I wanted to find answers to two burning questions:  did it live up to its billing as having Toronto’s best gelato?  And did its pizza also attain the heights suggested by its many positive on-line reviews?

My "Prosciutto Contadina" pizza at G For Gelato (featuring lots of arugula)
My “Prosciutto Contadina” pizza at G For Gelato (featuring lots of arugula)

The gelato was excellent.  It’s made on site so it wasn’t cheap…but neither was it extortionate.  I tried two scoops (Dark Chocolate Whiskey and Amaretto DiSaronno) in a cup and I’d have to agree that this was the best gelato I’ve had in Toronto, if not Canada.  There were about 30 flavours and they all were artfully presented.

Although we had intended to have gelato the night before when we had dinner at the same restaurant, our pizzas were quite substantial and we didn’t want to stuff ourselves before the concert.  The pizzas were also very good – certainly in the first tier, with top-quality and well-matched toppings.  Prices were comparable to other Toronto restaurants  but “G is for Gelato” includes taxes in its price.

Friday night in downtown Kingston
Friday night in downtown Kingston

We will definitely return here for more gelato…and, if it is at the right time of day, we will sit down for a no-nonsense but high-quality Italian meal.   Between “G For Gelato” and “Jumbo Empanadas” in the Kensington Market, I always look forward to eating in downtown Toronto!

We expect to go on another road trip next week – stay tuned!

Food Highlights of the Year – Part 2

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Even though I shied away from some of the more adventurous options (guinea pig, to name just one), the food in Peru was definitely the highlight of the first part of my travel year.  Here are some of the highlights from the second part…

My main course of Momo at Restaurant Tibet in Luxembourg City.  There was more rice and sauce in separate dishes on a burner, but I couldn't fit them into the picture.
My main course of Momo at Restaurant Tibet in Luxembourg City. There was more rice and sauce in separate dishes on a burner, but I couldn’t fit them into the picture.

9.  Tibetan Momo in Luxembourg

I never expected to find Tibetan food in expensive Luxembourg City, let alone such enjoyable and tasty Tibetan food.  It wasn’t necessary to have an appetizer but how could I turn down Bhutanese Cheese Soup?  It was delicious and, with the equally unnecessary yak butter and salt tea, it set the tone for the rest of the meal.  The sauce for the dumplings was properly (but not overpoweringly) smoky and spicy and the dumplings themselves were stuffed with goodness.  This was definitely one of the best “expat” Asian meals I’ve ever had.

IMG_4095

10.  Thai food at a Chinese Restaurant in Zuidlaren (the Netherlands)

My wife and I had a very enjoyable Thai meal with my cousin (and her significant other) in this small town just south of Groningen.  I was skeptical of how well a “Chinese” restaurant would do Thai food, but as you can see the presentation (and taste) was excellent.

Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan (Haarlem, the Netherlands)
Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan (Haarlem, the Netherlands)

11.  Rijsttafel in Haarlem (the Netherlands)

Other than my wife’s dish and rice portion (at far left in the photo), everything in this photo was part of my rijsttafel.  Lots of coconut and chili – and it looked even better in real life, as this photo suffers from the restaurant’s dim lighting.  This colonial legacy is my favourite “Dutch” food:  if you like spicy Asian food, you should definitely give rijsttafel a try!

Bigos in Krakow, Poland
Bigos in Krakow, Poland

12.  Bigos in Krakow, Poland

I had far more expensive meals in Eastern Europe (see below) but this was probably my favourite.  I bought it from the Polish equivalent of a chip truck and ate it at a picnic table from a plastic bowl with a plastic fork…but what a tasty stew! It contained all kinds of meat, sausage and cabbage in a very tangy sauce:  given the significant Polish diaspora, I don’t think it will be long before I try bigos again!

My main course at dinner:  goose breast with caramelized apple and bliny
My main course at dinner: goose breast with caramelized apple and bliny

13.  Goose breast with caramelized apple and bliny (Budapest, Hungary)

By far my most expensive meal in Eastern Europe was this “last-night-in-Hungary” splurge.  I am somewhat distrustful of haute cuisine, but I have to admit that having dessert in my main course was delicious.

Casado carne en salsa
Casado carne en salsa

14.  Casado carne en salsa at Sabor Tico in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Some people criticize the lack of variety in Costa Rican food, as rice and beans are present for every meal (yes, including breakfast).  However, when it is well done, it is extremely satisfying.  This tender meat dish reminded me of Hungarian Goulash with some Latin-American accents.

Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)
Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream) in Monteverde

15.  Cheese-stuffed plantain with honey and caramel (Monteverde, Costa Rica)

Little did I know that this last-minute dessert at an almost-deserted hotel restaurant in Monteverde would end up being my favourite dessert of the year.  The plantain was perfect and the slightly salty cheese was a perfect counterpoint to the very sweet honey and caramel sauce.

A delicious "pollo en mole" (chicken in a chocolate/chile sauce) at El Tucan in Ottawa
A delicious “pollo en mole” (chicken in a chocolate/chile sauce) at El Tucan in Ottawa

16.  Pollo en mole at El Tucan, Ottawa

I found this humble family restaurant in the gritty Ottawa neighbourhood of Vanier…and what a find it was!  I have never thought about El Salvador as a travel destination, so I really didn’t know what to expect.  Much of the food seemed like a cross between Mexican and Costa Rican cuisine; the pollo en mole was my favourite (yes, I went more than once).   Once again, dissimilar flavours (chocolate and chili, in this case) combine in an extremely effective way.

Pastilla appetizer at Bedouin (Cambridge, England)
Pastilla appetizer at Bedouin (Cambridge, England)

17.  Moroccan Cuisine at the Bedouin in Cambridge

While my main course was a decently-prepared tajine, the highlight here was the ethereal appetizer you seen pictured above.  Ground warm chicken and all kinds of savoury spices inside, with a cinnamon-and-sugar dusted pastry on the outside, it really could have been the main course by itself.  If the stuffed plantain was the best dessert, then this was definitely the best appetizer of the year.  The atmosphere was cozy too:  the restaurant appears in the photo at the top of this post.

As you can see, there were many food highlights this year.  Stay tuned for some cultural and experiential highlights!

Food Highlights of the Year – Part 1

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I ate very, very well this year.   So well, in fact, that it is impossible to compile a single list of my dining highlights…even if I disregard the restaurants where I didn’t take pictures of my food!   As a result, I’ve decided to assemble two food lists and intersperse them with my other “best of” lists.  Here’s the first list of food highlights!

My lunch at Rumerlo - Insalata Carciofi (artichoke, reggiano parmigiano, walnuts, pomegranate, etc.)
My lunch at Rumerlo – Insalata Carciofi (artichoke, reggiano parmigiano, walnuts, pomegranate, etc.)

1.  On-mountain dining in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Who says you can’t eat well while skiing?  I’ve always enjoyed European ski food, as the mountain restaurants have a demanding clientele and also need to justify their existence outside of the ski season.  The photo at the top of this post shows one of the best on-mountain places at Rumerlo:  everybody in our group raved about their food.

In this part of Europe, they call it " Bečka šnicla" rather than Wienerschnitzel. (Durmitor Restaurant, Žabljak, Montenegro)
In this part of Europe, they call it ” Bečka šnicla” rather than Wienerschnitzel. (Durmitor Restaurant, Žabljak, Montenegro)

2.  The Schnitzels of the former Yugoslavia

I was so taken with the schnitzels in Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina that I ate them almost every day.  I forgot to take pictures of most of them but the quality was generally excellent and the portions were huge.  Typically, I had already eaten a bunch of the fries before taking the above photo.

"Pierogi Max" at the Café Tachles (Vienna, Austria)
“Pierogi Max” at the Café Tachles (Vienna, Austria)

3.  Perogies in Vienna

I had plenty of Wienerschnitzel before arriving in Austria, so I was more than happy to try something else for my only dinner in Vienna.  I found an unassuming café just outside of the downtown core and was served the best perogies I’ve ever had:  the filling was not mere filler!  Expectations were low but sometimes that creates the best food experiences.

Lemon Chicken at Yung's Chinese Restaurant (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)
Lemon Chicken at Yung’s Chinese Restaurant (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)

4.  Lemon Chicken in Ireland

I rarely eat Chinese food in Canada but I tried it a couple of times in the British Isles.  I found the Irish take to be the best:  I ordered lemon chicken in both Cashel and Dun Laoghaire and each time it blew away any version I had in Canada.  Hardly any batter, lots of chicken and a very tart sauce…not high cuisine, perhaps, but very tasty.

Some very hot peppers/tamales at Huchuy Qosqo
Some very hot peppers/tamales at Huchuy Qosqo

5.  Andean Feast in Huchuy Qosqo (Peru)

This was my first Peruvian feast and it featured a remarkable assortment of dishes.  These peppers were an appetizer but the other courses were extremely tasty and colourful too.  As with the pachamanca meal below, I was completely stuffed but still wanted more.

The pachamanca, just before we helped ourselves (Urubamba, Peru)
The pachamanca, just before we helped ourselves (Urubamba, Peru)

6.  Pachamanca in Urubamba, Peru

This was so good that I’m posting two pictures, one of the “spread” and one of my (first) main course.

My pachamanca main course (Urubamba, Peru)
My pachamanca main course (Urubamba, Peru)

A pachamanca meal is prepared in large pots that are (ideally) cooked underground for hours and hours.  Everything is cooked together in layers:  potatoes, vegetables, chicken, plantains…it is extremely filling but it is almost impossible to stop eating because of the wonderfully intermingling flavours.

Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru
Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru

7.  Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru

I rarely eat red meat but I was convinced to try alpaca in Peru.  I always ordered it well-done and it suited me perfectly:  the taste of well-done steak but much leaner and healthier.  I also had alpaca with a spicy “criolla” sauce in Aguas Calientes and it was almost as good as the blueberry version (but didn’t have the same supersized fries).

My completed lomo saltado - I ate mine with brown rice, but French fries are often added too.
My completed lomo saltado – I ate mine with brown rice

8.  Lomo Saltado, from Cusco Culinary Tour (Peru)

I wrote a long post about my culinary tour of Cusco back in July.  After the tour, we made our own lunch and prepared our own drinks in a real restaurant kitchen.  I ate lomo saltado (an Asian-influenced stir fry) on several occasions but I’d have to say that my own version was the best.   I didn’t create the recipe, of course, but I did tone down the garlic a little bit and took a few other liberties to customize the flavour for my palate.

Peruvian food was likely the culinary highlight of the year…but there is still lots of interesting food to come in the second part of this list!

English Food

(London, England, U.K.)

After being so excited about the food possibilities at the beginning of this trip, I didn’t really write much about food on this blog.  I was a little distracted by all of the music and sights, especially in London.

Despite my initial musings about a “dhansak tour of England”, I did not have any more dhansak on the trip.  In fact, I didn’t make it into another East Indian restaurant after my first night in Cambridge. However, I still enjoyed a lot of interesting food in London.  Any lingering misconceptions about the sorry state of English dining ought to be permanently “consigned to the dustbin”, as they say.

Oddly-named establishment on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia
Oddly-named establishment on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia

Friday’s lunch was a delicious (and vibrant) chicken paella at a small place called Café Deco just two blocks from my hotel.   I had big plans for a Lebanese dinner that night in Putney before the Los Pacaminos concert…but the restaurant was fully booked.  With time running out, I had to settle for a take-out place called “Flavas Peri Peri” for dinner.  It was extremely cheap (and plastic) by London standards and I didn’t have a great feeling about it.  Luckily, the chicken sandwich was OK and the peri-peri sauce was better than expected.

On Saturday evening, I went to upscale Kensington for the concert at the Royal Albert Hall.  I thought that there would be a lot of restaurants between the Kensington High Street tube station and the concert hall…but I didn’t see very many at all.

Christmas shopping chaos on London's famed Carnaby Street
Christmas shopping chaos on London’s famed Carnaby Street

Once again running a little late, I decided to try a humble Chinese restaurant humbly called “Stick & Bowl”, vaguely remembering the name from an on-line review.    The restaurant thrived on low comfort and high turnover but I still enjoyed my dinner of  BBQ Pork with crispy noodles.  In fact, the turnover was so fast that I was able to explore the neighbourhood a little before the concert.

After the concert, I was feeling very nibbly and was surprised to find relatively few late-night dining options near my hotel.  Settling for a Tesco supermarket, I found a prepackaged but satisfying feta and butternut squash salad with lemon & mint dressing.  If I had been in London longer, I definitely would have tried it again.

Christmas Bazaar on the High Street in St. John's Wood
Christmas Bazaar on the High Street in St. John’s Wood

After visiting Abbey Road on Sunday, I decided to stay in the St. John’s Wood area for lunch, where I found a Japanese restaurant called “Mori” on the High Street.  I opted for the culturally-confused and visually unappealing but actually quite good “Chicken Katsu Curry”.   If Germany can come up with “Currywurst”, why not?

Chicken Katsu Curry over rice at Mori in St. John's Wood
Chicken Katsu Curry over rice at Mori in St. John’s Wood

This left me with only one more meal in England.  I had already tried fish & chips in Southend-on-Sea but it wasn’t in a traditional English pub.  I decided that I wanted a nice pint of English cider and something tasty but filling in a warm atmosphere.  It didn’t take long to make a decision:  after walking by the neighbourhood-oriented Fitzrovia Tavern (see photo at top of this post) several times during my London stay, I finally went inside.

I grabbed a table in front of a fireplace and enjoyed an excellent “Hunter’s Chicken” and draught English cider.  It was all very cozy and a great way to end my dining adventures in England…even if the pub turned out to be part of a chain and “Hunter’s Chicken” is probably not traditional pub fare.

The Fitzroy Tavern at night, just after I ate there
The Fitzrovia Tavern at night, just after I ate there

As you have no doubt noticed, I wasn’t always able to take pictures of my food in London.    Sometimes, the circumstances made it awkward to get out the camera…and sometimes I just forgot.  It was also nice to leave the camera behind once in a while and just enjoy the moment.

This is my last post from England.  I’ll be doing some year-end wrap-up posts next:  stay tuned to find out the “best” parts of my travel year!

Food in Costa Rica

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Looking back at my blog posts from Costa Rica, it’s quite apparent that I was fascinated by all of the wildlife that I saw. I hadn’t expected to see so much diversity and to see so much of it in the wild.  While you never hear of anybody going to Costa Rica just for the food, I enjoyed almost all of the food too!  Today’s blog revisits some of the food (and related photos) from my trip.

Except for the fanciest hotel restaurants, dining in Costa Rica was generally informal.  I really appreciated this, as the temperatures were sometimes scalding and anything more than a t-shirt and shorts would have been very uncomfortable for me.

Inside the Restaurante Vara Blanca, somewhere north of San Jose, Costa Rica
Inside the Restaurante Vara Blanca, somewhere north of San Jose, Costa Rica

My first few posts commented on the fact that all Costa Rican meals (even breakfast) appeared to include rice and beans.  For breakfast, they were generally combined and cooked with other vegetables to create gallo pinto.  For other meals, they were usually cooked separately but were still in close proximity on the plate!  The photo at the very top of this post is from my river safari in the Caño Negro region and shows a typical Costa Rican lunch.   In addition to the rice and beans, there was usually meat (chicken, beef or fish), some vegetables and a small salad.

Fajitas in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Fajitas in Monteverde, Costa Rica

As much as I enjoyed rice and beans, I started to get restless and try lunch and dinner dishes that did not feature rice and beans (they were almost unavoidable for breakfast).  Most menus included some “pan-American” cuisine such as fajitas, so I tried that in a couple of places.

Limonada Hierbabuena (Monteverde, Costa Rica)
Limonada Hierbabuena (Monteverde, Costa Rica)

While the water was safe and very good, there were too many interesting beverages to ignore.  Almost every restaurant offered juices, smoothies and milkshakes made from the local fruit.  Pineapples, papayas and passion fruit were especially common, but there were usually about 8 different choices.  I particularly enjoyed the limonada hierbabuena shown above:  it was made with the local lemons (green!) and a variety of herbs (most notably mint).   It was extremely refreshing. I don’t think Costa Rica exports much of its beer but the mild local cerveza Imperial complemented rice and beans quite well.

Very green salad with chicken and Palmitos (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)
Very green salad with chicken and palmitos (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

Later on in the trip, I really began to crave fresh vegetables.  The salad shown above had a very tasty dressing and featured lots of palmitos (hearts of palm).  I still needed dessert afterwards but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)
Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)

And speaking of desserts:  I generally didn’t need any after a meal with rice and beans, but I did try the occasional dessert after a lighter meal.   I started eating the cheese-stuffed plantains (shown above) before remembering to take a picture:  this was definitely the best dessert I had in Costa Rica.  The salty local cheese was a great counterpoint to the other very sweet ingredients.  And who knew that honey and caramel could combine so well?

This almost finishes my Costa Rican reports.  The only confirmed journey on my horizon is a relatively short (but still intercontinental) trip in just under 3 weeks’ time.  I’ll be dropping the usual hints about that trip, as well as providing some more information on the exciting personal news I mentioned in my previous post.  Stay tuned!

Everybody wants to see more food!

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’m now back in Kingston after a very enjoyable trip to France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. I still intend to do a wrap-up post but first I am going to take the populist approach and write about food. I didn’t include too many food pictures in my day-to-day posts, as I realized fairly early on that I would have enough for a post devoted solely to food. I’ve noticed that food also tends to draw the most blog comments and personal e-mails.

Sometimes food can be a tasty history lesson.  Two examples on this trip were Tibetan food in Luxembourg and Indonesian food in the Netherlands. Tibet is not currently an independent nation. However, the idea of Tibet as an entity has been kept alive in several ways. Many Tibetans have fled home to establish new lives elsewhere and a significant number have established restaurants specializing in Tibetan cuisine. My wife and I have eaten Tibetan food in Montreal, Toronto and Northampton (Massachusetts), among other places.

Bhutanese cheese soup and Tibetan butter-and-salt yak tea (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)
Bhutanese cheese soup and Tibetan yak-butter-and-salt tea (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)

So, even if you couldn’t place Tibet on a map, you may still be familiar with the Dalai Lama…or Momo dumplings!  I really enjoyed my Tibetan meal in Luxembourg City and I’m glad that I can now also share a photo of my Bhutanese cheese soup.  Bhutan is an independent country but it is very small and I do not think that there is a very large Bhutanese expatriate community.  Bhutan occasionally makes the news because its leaders have taken a rather unique approach to tourism and economic development: the number of visitors is very strictly limited…and the nation has determined that “Gross National Happiness” is more important that “Gross National Product” (hence the restrictions on the number of tourists).

Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan (Haarlem, the Netherlands)
Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan (Haarlem, the Netherlands)

I have fond memories of eating Indonesian food as a child during my family’s visits to the Netherlands.  It was so colourful and tasty; virtually every town had at least one place where you could get Indonesian food. I didn’t really understand all of the nuances at the time, but the main reason for this proliferation of Indonesian restaurants was that Indonesia was once part of the Dutch colonial empire.  In some ways, the Dutch adoption of Indonesian cuisine mirrors Britain’s adoption of (East) Indian cuisine.  Much as I associate Indonesian food with the Netherlands, I also associate Indian cuisine with Britain.

The Man-Wah restaurant in 's-Gravenzande, the Netherlands.  I remember eating Indonesian food here as a child.
The Man-Wah restaurant in ‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands. I remember eating Indonesian food here as a child.

There are quirks, however.  I’m not sure exactly why, but most restaurants serving Indonesian food are also described as being “Chinese”.  The food served doesn’t really match up with this Canadian’s perception of Chinese food, but the naming convention remains in place.

Even though I could happily eat Indonesian food several times a week, it doesn’t seem to be that trendy in the Netherlands these days.  Like many other people, the Dutch have taken a liking to showarma, doners and kebabs…foods that became commonplace in western Europe partly because of the economic migration of guest workers in the late 20th century.  The fresh flavours of Thai food are also very popular with the Dutch (see photo at the top of this post – which is from a “Chinese” restaurant in Zuidlaren).  But what struck me most was the proliferation of Spanish restaurants (generally focusing on tapas) and Argentinean steakhouses.

Dimly-lit North African food in Groningen, the Netherlands
Dimly-lit North African food in Groningen, the Netherlands

The Netherlands has had a new king since 2013.  His wife is Argentinean and she is quite popular with the Dutch.  Indeed, most of my relatives believe she is the reason  that tapas bars and steakhouses can now be found in any decent-sized Dutch town.   Her popularity may not last forever but, in the meantime, eating tapas or Argentinean steak seems to be almost a patriotic act in the Netherlands.

And what of “traditional” Dutch food?  I regularly ate krokets (croquettes) as a snack, loaded up on various types of excellent Dutch cheese on sandwiches, and ate hagelslag (“hail”, a type of chocolate sprinkle) whenever possible for breakfast.  Only in the Netherlands can adults enjoy this food without guilt. It’s great to start your day with some buttered (as an adhesive layer) bread and a thick coating of dark chocolate hagelslag.

Next time on the blog – a Dutch recap and my next destination!

More about Peruvian Food

(Lima, Peru)

I really enjoyed my culinary tour of Cusco and all of the food that I ate in Peru.  Looking back at my photos, even though I included a number of them in my blog already, I see that there are quite a few more food-related ones that I’d like to share.

I haven’t paid too much attention to appetizers in this blog, but they were invariably very tasty.  One of my favourite dishes was the quinoa-stuffed piquillos with honey and goat cheese; unfortunately, the photo didn’t turn out very well.  Below is a salad and some appetizers from our first day in the Sacred Valley.  There was also a very, very hot pepper that didn’t quite make the photo!

Soup, main course, desserts still to come!  Salad and appetizers in the Sacred Valley, Peru
Soup, main course, desserts still to come! Salad and appetizers in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Next, there was the alpaca.  Some people find it too dry for their tastes but I found it perfect for mine.  I don’t eat a lot of red meat and, when I do, I prefer it to be well-done.  My favourite version was probably the blueberry alpaca I had in Aguas Calientes after returning from Machu Picchu.

Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru
Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru

As a result of my preferences, I didn’t try either anticuchos (skewered beef hearts) or ceviche (raw fish/seafood “cooked” in lime juice).  However, it was easy to find other interesting food to try.  We dined in Lima on both the first and last days of the tour; on both occasions I had a variation on drunk chicken!  On the first day, I had chicken in port sauce over a local version of risotto that was made from wheat rather than rice.  On the last day in Lima, I had chicken in beer sauce with green rice (with a bottle of Cusquena to complement the meal).  It was a nice way to end the trip.

Chicken in beer sauce (Lima, Peru)
Chicken in beer sauce (Lima, Peru)

I also managed to visit another food market in Cusco, the day after my culinary tour.  The photo at top of this post was taken in the “fruit district”; the photo directly below was taken in the “potato district” of the market.  The diversity of food in Peru was astonishing – there were approximately 1000 varieties each of both corn and potatoes.  The corn was often huge:  the kernels were about 5 times the size of what we are used to in Canada.

Some of the potatoes at the Mercado de Wanchaq (Cusco, Peru)
Some of the potatoes at the Mercado de Wanchaq (Cusco, Peru)

Way back in February, Ian B. asked me whether I would ever eat at an overseas McDonald’s restaurant.  Although I didn’t deliberately set out to do so, I did just that on my final day in Cusco.  A variety of factors led to this, including the fact that the Cusco franchise was right on the main square and was showing the Belgium/Argentina World Cup quarter-final.  I settled on the “Chicken McBites” meal, supplemented with both local “aji” sauce and ketchup for the French fries.  The convenience and novelty made it interesting, although the best part of the meal was the aji sauce.

My "Chicken McBites" combo in Cusco, Peru
My “Chicken McBites” combo in Cusco, Peru

I’m now back in Canada until the first week of August.  I expect that I’ll have some more to say about Peru but right now I am enjoying spending a few weeks at home and (finally) getting to play a few soccer games.   I’m also using this time to plan as much as I can for my remaining months of travel.  I’ll be talking about this critical “halfway point” in a future posting – my itinerary will be taking some unexpected but exciting turns!

McDonald's restaurant on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru.  Note the Scotiabank next door!
McDonald’s restaurant on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru. Note the Scotiabank next door!