Top Ten National Dishes
National Geographic has just released its beautiful new book, "FOOD JOURNEYS OF A LIFETIME: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe," so we've partnered with them on an exclusive excerpt about the world's top national dishes. Let us know in the comments section if you agree/disagree with the picks below, plus about any of your favorite places or foods to eat around the world!
2. Ackee and saltfish, Jamaica
3. Coo-coo and flying fish, Barbados
9. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, England
 |
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
October 08, 2009
Taking It (Real) Slow at Caffè Al Bicerin in Turin, Italy
Taking it slow at Al Bicerin, Turin (courtesy, Città di Torino)
The historic Caffè Al Bicerin in Turin, Italy, is the purveyor of the city's signature Bicerin, a smooth blend of coffee, chocolate, and cream. Small and intimate, Al Bicerin is to be found in Turin's atmospheric quadrilatero Romano. Opened in 1763, this coffeehouse has served brain food to Nietzsche, Puccini, and Dumas. Duck in there after a day of sightseeing that should include a trip up the city's landmark 548-foot-tall Mole Antonelliana (also home to the Museo Nazionale del Cinema), where you'll get good views of this interesting industrial city and the surrounding Italian Alps. Recommendations for evening fare include the multi-course Slow Food masterpiece that is the rustic Osteria del Paluch in the Baldissero Torinese, the hills that slope up from the eastern bank of Turin's Po River. Stay at the urban-chic Le Méridien Art+Tech in Il Lingotto, a former Fiat manufacturing plant that was awakened by the genius of Italian architect Renzo Piano prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics, hosted by Turin. Now filled with the sound of flirting mallrats, high-tech conference facilities, a classy rooftop restaurant, and a museum housing priceless works of art by the likes of Matisse and Modigliani, the butter-colored Lingotto is a glossy symbol of Turin's urban renewal.
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
September 21, 2009
Nagasaki Insider's Guide: The Perfect Bowl of Noodles
A bowl of champon noodles, a Nagasaki specialty (courtesy, Wikimedia Commons)
The city of Nagasaki in southwestern Japan is one of the country's most, well, un-Japanese cities. Given its proximity to the facing shores of both China and the Korean peninsula, many elements of its history, architecture, cuisine, and culture can be traced back to regional trade connections with the Asian mainland. More recently, relatively speaking, the arrival of Portuguese missionaries and Dutch traders during the 16th and 17th centuries exposed this corner of Japan to western-influenced religion, fads, and goods while the rest of the country was essentially in a 200-year cultural lockdown under the Tokugawa shogunate's strict policy of isolation.
When I lived in Japan, I would ride a ferry and bus for over two hours just to get a taste of one of Nagasaki's distinctly cosmopolitan flavorings, champon, a ramen-noodle broth that originated in China and which is made by frying pork, seafood, and vegetables with lard. In the local dialect, champon literally means "hodgepodge," so the dish can take many forms. You can order a bowl of this delicious local staple at any number of izakayas (bars) and noodle stands. Other must-do ideas for Nagasaki include a visit to the quirky Dutch trading enclave of Dejima, tours of Glover Garden (home of the European trader behind Kirin lager!), and the Nagasaki heiwa koen ("peace park"), epicenter of the devastating August 1945 atomic bomb blast that brought World War II to its tragic end.
Continue reading "Nagasaki Insider's Guide: The Perfect Bowl of Noodles" »
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
September 09, 2009
Beach Bytes: Celebrate Oyster Season
Shucking oysters (courtesy, Arcata Bay Oyster Festival)
The arrival of Labor Day and September in the United States heralds thoughts of fall, whether or not the summer temps have cooled. And though summer is known for its bounty of fruits and vegetables, fall brings its own flavors as well, with crops and seafood that arrive with the cooler temperatures.
Fall means oyster season. Though harvesting usually occurs during months that end in "r," weather and water temperatures determine the actual open and close of harvesting season for each state. Along most of the East Coast it begins mid-September. The mighty mollusk lives on the seabed in shallow coastal waters, which rapidly change in temperature and salinity in fall. There are more than 200 appellations of oysters in North America, with subtle changes in flavor determined by its growing environment in Atlantic or Pacific waters.
Continue reading "Beach Bytes: Celebrate Oyster Season " »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
August 24, 2009
Top Ten Foodie Destinations
Spices in the Fes medina (Martin Child/Photodisc/Getty)
There are those who travel, and those who travel to eat. Although I wouldn't say I fall exclusively into the latter category, discovering the local food of a place always ends up being some of my favorite memories from any given trip. From appreciating fine wine and organic food on the bluffs of California's Sonoma County, to scarfing down late-night street eats in Bangkok with mingling backpackers and locals, to discovering a love of barbecued red meat and tango in Buenos Aires, there's no doubt travel and food go hand in hand. And even if you don't consider yourself a certified epicurean (or even if you do), you probably know a good meal when you taste one. So here are our top ten don't-miss foodie destinations, both in places close to home and other more exotic locales abroad. Happy eats!
10. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, British West Indies
8. Southwest London, U.K.
6. Fes, Morocco
|
Comments (2) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
August 07, 2009
Utah's First Legal Distillery Since Prohibition: High West Distillery
(courtesy, High West Distillery)
In honor of Utah recently shunning one of its antiquated drinking laws, celebrate by heading to Park City’s High West Distillery. The first legal distillery since prohibition in the state, High West opened its doors this July.
David Perkins, the man behind High West, first got the idea to build his own distillery after touring the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Kentucky back in 2002. Leaving unsatisfied and yearning for a more educational and sophisticated approach to whiskey, David returned home with a notion that he could build a great western distillery.
Later, he met Jim Rutledge, the COO and Master Distiller at Four Roses Distillery in Kentucky and one of eight masters of bourbon distilling, who taught him the ways of making truly good whiskey. David moved to Utah, uprooted his family from Northern California, made several batches of tasty whiskey, and found a 100-year-old livery stable in Park City to house his distillery.
Continue reading "Utah's First Legal Distillery Since Prohibition: High West Distillery" »
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
August 05, 2009
Beach Bytes: Saturday Night Alive in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale beach (Mark Lewis/Digital Vision/Getty)
Fort Lauderdale is a popular strip of Florida’s east coast just north of Miami and near the Everglades. I probably don't have to tell you that it's got a reputation for big time fun along its 23 miles of beaches, and has lots of attractions for all ages.
But if you think you’ve been there and done that, it’s time to revisit and see what’s new. On the scene this year is a series of block party-like events every Saturday in August, showcasing new venues and improvements around the business district, which have been created to attract new and returning visitors.
Continue reading "Beach Bytes: Saturday Night Alive in Fort Lauderdale" »
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
August 04, 2009
Dumpling Man: East Village Neighborhood Restaurant
Believe me when I say a really delicious dumpling is hard to come by. (I've had horrible to mediocre ones everywhere, including in Shanghai and various Chinatowns around the world.) Luckily for me, my mom perfected the recipe decades ago. But as much as I love her dumplings, she admittedly doesn't make her own dough. Dumpling Man, a small restaurant in New York City's East Village, apparently does the traditional Chinese dish justice—or even one better, with the owner claiming people have praised his dumplings as even tastier than those in the motherland. These small locally-owned restaurants are just the types of establishments that give neighborhoods like the East Village their flair and personality. Although I've never been to this dumpling diner, this video definitely intrigued me, and I'll definitely have to try it out next time I'm in the Big Apple.
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
July 22, 2009
Eat Your Way Through Melbourne
Melbourne's Yarra Valley (courtesy, Victoria Tourism)
Fans of Anthony Bourdain—consummate cook and author, intrepid traveler, chain smoker, and host of The Travel Channel’s No Reservations—can now follow in his footsteps. Inspired by last Monday’s episode, “Australia,” Swain Tours has created a new package trip entitled “Eat Your Way Through Melbourne," which includes $560 round-trip airfare from L.A. or San Francisco on United Airlines; five nights in Melbourne at the Crown Towers; a Colonial tram-car dinner; a behind-the-scenes look at the city’s markets; a chef-led tour through the Mornington Peninsula; a tour of a Yarra Valley vineyard; one night at Apollo Bay and two nights at both Port Fairy and Dunkeld; a total of ten breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners (one a ten-course tasting menu); car rental for seven days; and whatever other epicurean adventures you can find. Total price? $3,199 per person, based on double occupancy. The travel window is from now until March 31st, 2010 (to secure the discounted $560 round-trip airfare, book by August 20).
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
July 14, 2009
Beach Bytes: Sipping Along the East Coast
Grape vines at Channing Daughters Winery on Long Island (courtesy, Channing Daughters Winery)
Sometimes there’s more to the beach than getting too much sun on the sand or splashing with the kids. Here are some seasonal events along the East Coast where grownups can enjoy the coast as well and add some flavor to their travels.
The Shoreline Wine Festival in Guilford, Connecticut, August 15-16, features samples from more than ten Connecticut wineries, along with local crafts, food, wine seminars, and live entertainment by New England bands. Guilford is a lovely historic town along the scenic coast with an abundance of house museums, as well outdoor activities.
If you can’t get to the festival, Bishop’s Orchards Winery hosts weekend wine tastings and pick-your-own-fruit opportunities with blueberries currently in season plus raspberries, peaches, pears, and apples expected by mid-August. The winery is one of 19 on the state’s wine trail, with eight of them being along the coast. Take a day to tour those along the coastal trail, find a comfy bed and breakfast, and then slide on over to the western trail for another day of tasting.
Continue reading "Beach Bytes: Sipping Along the East Coast" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
