My mind's random access memory feature keeps on hitting more and more bad sectors with the passage of time, making it increasingly difficult to quickly recall names, places, etc. Therefore, this is the first in a series of posts that is (hopefully!) a pre-emptive attempt to capture and archive some of my favorite memories before they get too hazy.
The subject of this post is my top ten foodie memories from our international trips over the last 30+ years. They are in no particular order, because it is very hard to pick one over the others and they all evoke special and lingering one-of-a-kind memories.
1. Zurich, Switzerland - bratwurst and rosti: Bratwurst or sausage is a staple in the German speaking world (i.e., Germany, Switzerland, Austria). The Zurich spin on this humble offering, often featured in both homestyle and posh restaurants, is a well-spiced and perfectly grilled pork sausage, swimming in zwiebel or onion sauce. It is typically paired with rosti, a pan fried (to crisp golden brown perfection) Swiss potato dish that reminds one of hash browns and potato pancakes at the same time. The rosti can also be topped with a single fried egg. Wash this combo down with a stanger of Feldschlosschen or Hurlimann beer and stop worrying about the cholesterol count - das schmecht gut!
2. Vienna, Austria - tagliatelli milanese: After a long day of sightseeing in Vienna, we wandered into a little Italian trattoria run by an Indian brother and sister duo (of all people!) wanting nothing more than a carb-laden and reinvigorating meal. Boy, were we in for a pleasant surprise! The hostess recommended tagliatelli milanese as one of the house specialties and crowd favorites, so we ordered it. Wide strands of egg pasta, tossed with thin strips of ham in a spicy onion and garlic based tomato sauce - simple in concept, but heavenly in taste. Add to it some fresh focaccia bread to sop up the sauce and a couple of glasses of the local Gruener Veltliner (Austrian white wine) - cibo buono!
3. Kyoto, Japan - ramen with assorted tempura: One evening, following a long day traipsing around the old city, we stumbled upon a ramen bar in central Kyoto with a long queue outside. When we entered after a bit of a wait, the place was packed along its lone counter and at the few tables for standing customers. There were several cauldrons of ramen being prepared, and fryers where all kinds of tempura were being freshly fried. The clientele was primarily Japanese, but they had an English menu for the occasional gaijin like us. We opted for the basic ramen with the obligatory pork and slices of semi-soft-boiled egg, topped with scallions and tempura pieces of choice - made with either eggplant, potato, pumpkin, green pepper, beans, asparagus, onion, shrimp, or chicken (choices, choices). Half an hour later, we rolled out feeling warm, stuffed and delightfully satisfied - that simple yet superb meal for 4 having cost us only about 25 USD - oishikatta desu!
4. Rome, Florence and Bologna, Italy - eggplant stuffed with minced lamb + seafood ravioli + sphagetti alla chitarra con gamberi: Needless to say, Italy is synonymous with "see food, eat food, enjoy food" and that has been the case for us over several visits. Still, there are a few special memories that stand out. From Rome, there is the large eggplant with its flesh scooped out, sauteed with herbs and spices and mixed with minced lamb, re-stuffed into the eggplant shell and baked - and then served by the owner humming Italian operas while supervising his daughter's homework. Florence brings back memories of a succulent seafood ravioli dish in a light saffron cream sauce, paired with a robust Chianti, and prepared from Nonna (grandmother)'s recipe - who was busy greeting customers outside the family trattoria with a wide toothless grin. In Bologna, there was the spaghetti with square cross-section (alla chitarra) prepared with grilled prawns (gamberi) - tossed in a saffron-tomato sauce, and paired with a spritzy Asti Spumanti. All in all - fantastico!
5. Edinburgh, Scotland - fish pie: The Scottish capital is famous for its fish, so we wanted to check out the famous "Fisher's" fish restaurant for its wares. I had the traditional fish pie, which had flakes of cod, haddock, salmon, prawns and boiled egg pieces. It was held together by a creamy parsley béchamel sauce, topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and generous helpings of parmesan and cheddar cheese, and baked until the top was golden brown and the inside was sizzling. Each fragrant spoonful was a joy for the tastebuds - with the fish, potato, cheese and sauce blending together in a delectable concoction. Paired with a nice South African Chenin Blanc, it created on outstanding effect, or as the Scots would say - bia iontach!
6. Madrid, Spain - paella: When we walked into a restaurant in downtown Madrid around 7 PM one evening and asked for dinner, the waiter looked dumbfounded - no tapas? he asked. No, early dinner, we replied. Dejected, he got us seated in a near empty hall, but perked up when he realized that we were the first people he had come across from the Indian sub-continent. We ordered paella - the "national dish" of Spain, especially for tourists. As the dish was being prepared, our waiter entertained us by playing with a large octopus that was being boiled (maybe it was alive as well!). Our paella mixta was a combination of round grain rice, assorted vegetables, seafood (shrimp, mussels, baby squid) and chicken, cooked in olive oil with saffron seasoning. Accompanied by a fresh green salad, and glasses of a smooth Rose Rioja wine, this was a terrific one-pot meal. Comida increible!
7. Neuchatel, Switzerland - pizza with ham, mushroom and egg: My favorite pizza memory is from a bistro in French Switzerland, in the little village of Columbier near Neuchatel. The extra extra large pizza was light in crust, topped with a garlicky tomato sauce, chunks of fresh mozzarella, slices of local ham, fresh mushrooms, a couple of fried eggs, and finished with truffle and black-pepper infused olive oil. The owner-hostess was keeping an eye on her daughter's school work at the adjacent table, while chatting with us in very cute French-accented English. We finished several bottles of the quintessential Swiss white wine Fendant, and sauntered out of the bistro murmuring - tres bon repas!
8. Lima, Peru - fish with assorted potato appetizers: A famous archeological site in Lima is Huaca Pucllana, a great adobe and clay pyramid built during 200-700 AD and used as a ceremonial and administrative center for the Lima culture. There is a popular restaurant by the same name right next to the excavated site, where I had a very special lunch. It started with a causa sampler - a cold yellow potato puree, splashed with lime juice, cilantro and Peruvian yellow chile pepper served with avocado, boiled egg and cherry tomatoes and topped with crab meat, grilled shrimp or roasted vegetables. The main course was grilled seabass in red quinoa crust with sauteed artichokes and asparagus over a potato puree (but of course!). Outstanding preparation, presentation and taste; with full justice to the many varieties of potatoes native to Peru - almuerzo maravilloso!
9. Salvador, Brazil - moqueca: My expectations regarding food in Brazil had been limited to varieties of grilled meats with rice and boiled/mashed beans. I was pleasantly surprised during dinner one day in the coastal city of Salvador, when my host ordered a large bowl of moqueca for us - a seafood stew cooked with palm oil using coconut milk, fish broth, onions, garlic, tomatoes and cilantro, and bursting with chunks of white fish, shrimp and scallops. It was served over rice with farofa, a coarsely powdered smoky and salty side dish made of manioc (yucca) flour. The mocequa was very flavorful, not overly tomato infused like the Mediterranean cioppino. The farofa remined me of the south Indian podi powder often eaten together with rice. An unexpected regional delicacy - prato incrivel!
10. St Petersburg, Russia - Georgian, Uzbek and Russian samplers: As with the Brazilian experience, I went to Russia thinking that culinary adventures would be limited to black bread, borscht (cabbage soup), tasteless dumplings, spice-less meat and lots of potato. False alarm, to my great joy! Over a weekend in the lovely city of St Petersburg, reminiscent of Vienna's grandeur and its milling tourists, I really enjoyed sampling Georgian, Uzbek and Russian cuisine. Georgian dishes included khachapuri (cheese bread), khinkali (dumplings with mushroom and minced meat filling), and chakhokhbili (chicken stew with tomoato, onions and herbs). Uzbek dishes I tried were qutub (semi-circular savory baked goodies with various fillings), liulia kebab (ground meat cooked in skewers), and pilaf (with lamb, chickpeas and berries). The Russian offering was limited to blini - pancakes made with buckwheat flour like a crepe but folded in a rectangular shape. I had one filled with mushrooms, one with ham and one with condensed milk - prekrasnaya eda!
Postscript: Well, all this discussion of food is making me hungry (again). Bon appetit to me (and you)!
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