Moving From Reservations to Rituals

"Savor the ritual of the table" -Alice Waters; The Art of Simple Food

   From left to right: My "Gramio", my brother Justin, My friend and sister-in-law Vicki, and my loving boyfriend, "Garbster"

In just a day or two we will be celebrating, quite possibly, the foodie's favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! But what makes it a foodie favorite? Good food makes even the greatest of times that much greater, but there is obviously so much more to enjoy than food ...

My New Book!!!

Found this gem in the bookstore yesterday and just had to buy it! I read 20 pages and so far I am in love! 

The Last Supper

As promised, waffles!

Supper, breakfast, it's always a good time for waffles

And not just any waffles, Belgium Waffles! Belgium is most famous for the following foods: waffles (duh!), french fries*, chocolate, speculoos, and in some places, such as Brussels (where we were), Mussels. The diet has been described as combining the heartiness of German cuisine with the attention to detail afforded by the French. Being situated between the two nations, this most certainly makes sense, and for the most part I would have to agree. So which food was my favorite? Keep reading to find out...

Walk a Bit Further

                                  

                                               You never know what you'll find 

While Amsterdam might be better known for its other kind of edibles (also delicious!) I was fortunate to find a quiet place on a quiet street (a real rarity in Amsterdam) that served up some delicious homemade hot chocolate. As is the case in much of Europe, The Netherlands is known for their chocolate. However, if your looking for a hot cuppa coco in the city center, most shops will serve you an instant-nesquik-like powder mixed with boiling water. That will be 4 € please.

Fortunately that wasn't my experience. With a little bit of searching, Brian and I managed to find a real gem and paid less then we would at any tourist trap. See, walking is good for you! 

                                     

When we walked into Black Gold (specialty coffee & vinyl shop) we were greeted warmly by the gentleman behind the counter (sorry I wrote down his name but have now misplaced it, sorry nice man who makes amazing hot chocolate!!!) we ordered two cocoas to go for our canal tour and were pleasantly surprised to find someone who actually took the time and effort to melt down real chocolate! Sure it took a bit longer, but in the mean time we made chit chat, learned about the neighborhood, and exchanged foodie talk.

The cherry on top, well actually the cream, was that our freshly frothed cocoa was smothered in it; chemical free, hand-whipped cream that is. There were no swirly hearts or fancy designs as you can see in the photo above, but both Brian and I agreed it was the best hot chocolate we tasted throughout our travels.

 We were freezing our buns off in front of our hostel, "The Clink", but that didn't deter us from our mission.

Rather than a sit down dinner, we walked and walked and walked and eventually stumbled upon several foodie finds that proved to be satisfying, usually in more ways than one. 

 Nutella covered waffle and jelly donut. #DeliciousLunch.

    

   Rainbow Space Cakes. Enough said.

     And finally later that evening After 45 minutes of walking... dinner at Jacketz! where you can enjoy 

    a massive baked potato stuffed with a filling of your choice. On the left: sweet and tangy pulled pork

    in whisky maple sauce. On the right: Beet root with an ensemble of mixed nuts.

    

 

   A close up of my grub, which was locally produced without pesticides or hormones.

   This photo is of me trying to look like a serious journalist in front of tantalizing chocolate. Well I tried.

Overall I was delighted with all the "edibles" we discovered while in Amsterdam, many of which, we would have never found if not for a desire and willingness to literally go that extra mile and explore our surroundings. Our long walks led us to some delicious encounters, not to mention helping us burn off the extra calories (nutella waffles aren't exactly "diet" food). I'm so glad we decided to put forth some effort and not simply settle for overpriced, underwhelming tourist traps; our tastebuds were too!

Next meal? Belgian waffles...

    Brussels here we come!

    

Gutten Tag Germany!

No Weckmann is complete without a smoking pipe.

    Some very German food at a very German beer garden in Düsseldorf. Brian and I both ordered the main dish, which was an assortment of cabbage in apple sauce, potato dumplings, and pot roast. While I wasn't overly impressed, Brian polished off both his meal and half of mine along with a frosty Füchschen Alt, Düsseldorf's dark, home-brewed ale.

    A view of the brewery from our table 

     Brian enjoying his grub.

    How about a refreshing German Aperol Spritz from the top of Rheinturm (tower)?

     View from the top

... Next stop Amsterdam!

From Crepes to Chestnuts: Flavors of the Fall in Europe (so far)

        

    

Last Friday my friend Brian joined me in Paris to partake on the last part of my adventure through Europe. After a long weekend of seeing all the sights and tastes that Paris has to offer (including a mind blowing cabaret performance at Crazy Horse) we jumped on a train to Zurich, Switzerland. With no expectations or prior knowledge of what the city had in store, we were delighted and well, completely blown away(as was our cash), by the beauty of Zurich. I won't even try to put into words--instead here are a few photos capturing a glimpse of magic from the old town. And yes, it was well worth the price.

                

               

                                       

           The crazy delicious and crazy expensive Cafe Conditorei Schober all ready for the holidays 

Our next stop is Dusseldorf, Germany, for which we, once again, have no expectations. But before we get there let's take a timeout to savour the flavors of Paris and Switzerland. 

Some of the best highlights from my time in Paris with Brian included sampling local cuisine, both classic and new.

Brian enjoying his first Croque Monsieur. 

For those who are unfamiliar, it's a really fancy french grilled cheese, with gruyere on the top of the bread and ham in the middle. Our meals were accompanied by a simple, but vibrant salad of tomatoes, olives in parmigiana, and romaine. But what Croque Monsieur would be complete without french fries? No ketchup needed! With crisped potatoes seasoned to perfection condiments would only be a detriment to this tasty dish. Perhaps some dijon mustard though :)

Next up...

Un petit bistro pres de mon apartement where we enjoyed a lighter, more modern meal de poisson; pour moi, I enjoyed saumon with pesto and alphalpha sprouts atop olive oil and balsamic Ratatouille*. Brian had un poisson blanc, seabass with the skin left on and cooked to a delicious crisp, over rosotto. We were brought sel de fleur (flower salt) and as is custom, a freshly baked baguette to enjoy alongside la repa. 

Happy Halloween! Someone is very happy with his meal! Me and Brian (aka Ms. Muro the beauty pageant queen) enjoying our homemade dinner woth fresh ingredients all bought at the local marchè. Pictured: pineapple curry chicken, green beans with mushrooms sauteed in garlic and olive oil, fromage and fresh baguette, all washed down with a french sauvignon blanc.

Welcome to Switzerland!

 Here in the land of chocolate we were welcomed with hazlenut hearts on our pillows! And that was just the beginning...

               

Hot chocolate with, you guessed it, more chocolates...

               

   Yummm hot chocolate with Rum and whipped cream

Death by chocolate. At cafe Conditorei Schober.

         

              View of Cafe at night.

Believe it or not we did eat other foods besides chocolate. The first evening we sampled local Swiss fare at Cafe Zahringer...

                                       

I'm so excited I just can't hide it! Roasted wild boar with carrot, glazed chestnuts, spaetzel, cabbage and orange slice. With this hearty supper I'm ready for winter!

And alongside out hot chocolate we enjoyed what I would describe as the most delicious bagel of my life, at a mere 11 franks what a bargain!

                                                         Pictured: salami, red pepper, pepperoni, romaine, and pesto.

Brian's sandwich: goat cheese, romaine, pesto, tomatoe.

Everything has been so delicious, unique and above all, fresh. Everyday Brian and I find ourselves trying new flavors and loving what we taste; today glazed chestnuts, tomorrow who knows? Perhaps wienerschnitzel and a microbrew from a German Biergarten, the possibilities are practically infinite. And the best part of it all? We are having a blast, taking in each new (sometimes strange) and exciting sensory experience all while being true to our outrageously goofy selves. See...

                                                                   

                                            

                                     

                                       Miss Muro riding in cognito on the TGV train to Zürich 

So what flavors and fun times does the rest of Europe have in store for Miss Muro and Heather?

We can only imagine...

       

  

                                                                 Sashay Away!

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