Flashback Friday - Breakfast

Just the other day, my mum turned to me and said, "I'm sorry for the frozen foods we fed you as a kid. We didn't know any better back then!" I can't recall what compelled her to say that, but she's referring to the microwave mac n' cheese, french bread pizza and Toaster Strudel they bought so I could make it for myself when my mum or dad were traveling for work. A typical breakfast was a Toaster Strudel or two, and maybe a glass of OJ. At my grandma's house during the summer, my daily breakfast would be two eggs over easy, with buttered toast and grape jelly. To this day, that combination of salty egg yolk and sticky, sweet grape jelly makes my mouth water, and I recall the days I sat in my grandparents' dark, cool kitchen while my grandma sipped her vanilla Slimfast and smoked her second or third cigarette of the day. 

Now my breakfasts are more varied, pastries and coffee one week, homemade juice and greek yogurt the next. But it's interesting to recall those childhood breakfasts and what impressions last longest about certain types of food. I remember being surprised when Pem explained in France that eggs aren't commonly eaten for breakfast, or finding salad at the breakfast buffet in Asian hotels. 

Check out this NYT magazine article, which takes a look at what kids around the world typically eat for breakfast. Which one comes closest to what you ate as a kid?

(Photo credit: NYT article photographer, Hannah Whittaker)

When in Rome, Mangia! - Best Eats

 

Silky pumpkin and sage custard. Crumbly sour cherry and ricotta frolla. Fragrant, thin slices of potato rosemary pizza. These are some of the new tastes I encountered in Rome, a food-obsessed city that has delicious vegetarian options at reasonable prices (Traveling to Italy as SE Asia resident means everything seems comparatively expensive. Except for wine. Thank god for small miracles.). Here are some of my recommendations for veg-friendly feasting, guilt-free gelato and gifts for foodies.

*Where to Unwind with Friends for Hours over Wine and Good Conversation*

On our first night, we had dinner with Sebastiano and Diana, who we met via our Italian friend in Bangkok. They brought us to Meridionale in the hip Trastevere area across the river from Rome's centro storico. Sebastiano explained that Trastevere is so interesting because it's right in the heart of the city, yet it's built just like some tiny villages in the Italian countryside. This trattoria, tucked away from the bustling crowds of tourists, is instantly welcoming with its low-key but funky interior. This is where the aforementioned pumpkin and sage custard happened, incredibly creamy and bursting with rich flavor. After the antipasti, I had a decadent, perfectly peppery cacio e pepe with a lovely Italian white wine that helped cut the richness. 

Over the meal, we discussed Rome recommendations, talked about what it's like to live in Bangkok, and how challenging it is for young professionals in Italy to find suitable jobs these days. But despite the difficult times, it seemed like everyone still recognized the importance of good food, drink and company. The flow of patrons to Meridionale's few tables never stopped, even as our jet lag came crashing down and we had to leave. By then, the streets were much quieter, emptier as we strolled back to the river and I got a sense of what Sebastiano meant about the tiny Italian village. It was undoubtedly the perfect way to kick-off our exploration of Rome. Thanks, Sebastiano and Diana!

*Where to Enjoy Guilt-Free Gelato*

After our Vespa tour of the city the next afternoon, we were well overdue for some gelato. On our way back to the apartment (AirBnB = best decision ever), we popped into Cambiovita - an organic, vegetarian/vegan cafe and gelateria. Vegan options were abound, including vegan pistachio, dark chocolate and hazelnut, in addition to the usual fruit-based gelato. I went for a sour cherry and (non-vegan) cream combination that absolutely hit the spot, especially after a morning spent on the back of a scooter in relentless sun. With a mission to promote healthy and smart eating, I figured Cambiovita was a good cause and as I daintily threw back the melted dregs of my cup, I promised to return the following day.

*Where to Fuel Up Before Visiting the Vatican*

Recommended by Italian food expert/blogger Katie Parla and her amazing food app, Romeo was a much needed treat after a long morning of spontaneous exploration devolved into two hangry people (okay, maybe only one) getting lost. This restaurant/deli offers just the fuel needed to face the hordes of tourists at the Vatican later that afternoon - huge slabs of varied pizza cut and weighed to order, fresh sandwiches on pillowy foccacia, and an interesting selection of wine and craft beers. Pem had a nice glass of wine wine with an Asian take on spaghetti - green beans, sesame and some soybean paste. It was creative and tasted good, but a little too heavy and salty for me. I opted for a ladylike and delicious Duchessa beer, paired with two un-ladylike slabs of pizza - a heavenly potato-rosemary combination and another with plump cherry tomatoes, oregano, hollandaise and fresh mozzarella. Sharing was tough and the service was wonderful - a winning combination. 

*Where to Have a Romantic Dinner*

Thoroughly battered from an afternoon touring the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica, we treated ourselves to a relaxing, romantic dinner al fresco at Obika. Although a global chain, Obika started ten years ago and has been a long-time partner of the Italian Slow Food Presidia, committing to using local products and traditions. Interestingly, contrary to what one may believe are staples of Italian cuisine, none of their dishes feature garlic or onions (I was dubious, Pem was thankful). We chose their Parlamento location - tucked into the corner of a tiny piazza, it felt more like a neighborhood locals' spot.  Our waiter, who excitedly shared he was also vegetarian, recommended us a refreshing chickpea and mint salad, which we paired with a wonderful smoked mozzarella and grilled vegetable pizza. Everything went down smooth and easy, and no one remembered the missing garlic or onions at all.

*Where to Find Breakfast and Snacks for the Train to Naples*

After Katie Parla's Romeo recommendation, I decided to also follow her advice on pastries and baked goods - Roscioli. A deli/bakery with a separate restaurant, Roscioli is basically a carb-lovers' dream. Breads, pastries, and other carb-y goodness piled atop one another, smelling fresh and inviting on our last morning in Rome. We (I) determine we are going to starve on the one-hour train ride to Naples and buy enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next two days. And even then, I wish I had bought more of their pizzette rustiche - mini tarts with a dollop of the most delicious tomato sauce I've ever had. Even soggy and crushed from the train ride, these were delectable. And for more days than probably recommended, we kept nibbling on their ricotta e spinaci torta, a heavy, quiche-shaped pastry that was actually much bigger, and more delicious, than it looked.

*Where to Buy Local Food Products/Gifts*

On our way to the Vatican (before the hangry phase kicked in), we stumbled upon a cute shop in Trastevere that I ended up buying basically all of my gifts from. La Cardellina is a bio/eco-friendly shop with citrus and herb-infused olive oils, organic honey grappa, and loads of natural beauty products. The fellow there was very friendly and enthusiastic about the products and the prices were right. Also, the bottles of honey, grappa, and olive oil come in various sizes so it's perfect for gift-giving to family and friends!

Ciao Bella!

Does the photo make you hungry? I don't know about you but I can practically taste the charred, chewy dough and tangy tomato sauce. But I will have to resist until I arrive in the motherland. The motherland of pizza, that is!

In less than two weeks, Pem and I will be Italy-bound for our friends' wedding. We are so lucky to have friends who get hitched in awesome places. :-) This is my first time ever to Italy and per usual, I have spent an inordinate amount of time choosing where we'll be spending our precious few days. Our final itinerary starts in Rome, onto Naples (birthplace of pizza, no brainer), and then Vulcano in the Aeolian Islands before traveling onto Reggio-Calabria for the wedding. 

During my research, I've come across some great blogs with recommendations from locals and expats alike, shared below. Is it any surprise these are mainly food-focused? 

1. Parla Food. A long-time American expat in Rome, Katie Parla pretty much covers everything and anything you want to know about eating and drinking in Rome. She is a renowned local culinary authority and regularly does food tours. This blog offers particularly helpful information like which restaurants will be open during August in Rome and features mouthwatering photos (the photo above is hers). She even has an app for roaming travelers to find nearby restaurants/bars/gelaterias. 
2. Rome Digest. Top local F&B experts, including Parla, share their recommendations on where to eat, drink, shop and learn in the Eternal City. 
3. Surviving in Italy. Mostly tongue-in-cheek observations of an American expat on the realities of living la dolce vita.

And of course, please feel free to send me any recommendations of things to see/eat/do! 

Best of 2013 - Top Eats

With new places always come encounters with new, unusual flavors. Travelers are rewarded with tasty experiences that cannot be found elsewhere. Som tum (papaya salad) eaten while sitting on the sidewalk of a busy Bangkok soi is not the same as som tum eaten in your neighborhood Thai restaurant (it's probably a fair bit spicier too!). So my top eats from 2013 are not so much about the tastiest things I've eaten, or the fanciest restaurants I've been to, but more about my best food-related memories. 

1) Crunching into a freshly baked banh mi (above), after we stumbled upon a bakery while roaming Hoi An's old city. Nothing can compare with this light-as-air baguette, still warm from the oven - and it cost about 10 cents.  

2) After a full day of touring Fes, nursing warm, fragrant mint tea and nibbling on buttery almond biscuits on the rooftop of our riad and hearing the calls to prayer from the medina's one hundred mosques build and blend until there is no other sound in the evening sky.

3) Tucking into a steaming plate of stir-fried noodles with crunchy spring onions and tofu, sitting amidst rice paddies and soaking in the sweeping scenes of the verdant Sapa valley below. 

4) Sharing a gigantic paper dosa (nearly two feet tall!) and fragrant, richly flavored curries with Pem and my parents at Hanoi's best Indian restaurant, Namaste, whose veg-friendly food we enjoyed at least once a week! 

5) Savouring a slice of my mum's incredible bourbon pecan pumpkin pie after a family lunch once I returned home from a challenging and draining work assignment. 

Now that this trip down memory lane has my mouth watering and my mind wandering, I'll leave it at that. Up next are some of the top drinks I've downed in 2013!

Goûts du Maroc

Sweet, juicy orange slices à la cannelle before boarding our train to Marrakech - Plump purple and yellow olives, bursting tartly in our mouths as we watched the evening scene unfold in the Meknes' zoological garden - Fighting for the last miniature crispy briouates oozing with warm Nutella after a morning spent exploring le Jardin Majorelle - Sampling spoon after spoon of herbed honeys in Casablanca's old quarter - A local Meknes mother stopping in the street to let us try freshly made kaab el Ghazal, still warm from her oven - Savoring homemade confiture d'abricot and tangy yoghurt on spongy pancakes in a quiet olive grove - Sipping hot, sweet mint tea with almond cookies on the roof, as dusk descended over Fes and the evening calls to prayer began, one after another after another, the chorus enveloping us until there was no other sound.

Last night Pem and I went to Hanoi's one and only Moroccan restaurant, Le Marrakech. Our dinner brought me back to these favorite gastronomic memories from our adventure in Morocco two months ago. If you were able to read that previous paragraph closely enough, without your tastebuds urging your mind elsewhere, you may have noticed that not once did I mention 'tajine' or 'couscous'. Don't get me wrong - we had some tasty couscous and tajines during our trip. However, being vegetarian severely limited our tajine and couscous choices and though some restaurants offered slight variations, I thought they all tasted pretty much the same. Most lunches and dinners hardly left a lasting impression. Rather, it was at the breakfast table, in the souk, or during tea time that I had some of my most vivid encounters with the tastes of Morocco.

Below are a few tidbits, if you'd like to see...

Hue for the Holidays

We made the decision to visit Hue and Hoi An for the holidays in early November, partially driven by our eagerness to get a headstart exploring Vietnam beyond Hanoi as well as the availability of direct flights between Bangkok and Danang for my parents to easily join us. Both UNESCO World Heritage sites, Hue and Hoi An are rich in culture and history and they're close enough to tie together in a one-week itinerary. Of course, the real clincher was the lure of delicious food. We had read in multiple guidebooks that Hue and Hoi An had cuisines considered to be some of the best in all of Vietnam. Well, that settled it!

Below is a list of where we stayed, some notable restaurants and other highlights of our stay in Hue.

Where We Stayed
- La Residence: My parents stayed at this refurbished art-deco hotel, the former residence of the French governor when Hue was under French rule. It overlooks the Perfume River and is close to the Hue train station. A fleet of dedicated cyclo drivers can take you around the citadel and the concierge can arrange for outings to the royal mausoleums of the Nguyen Dynasty. We enjoyed a festive Christmas Eve dinner here complete with a lion dance!
- Gerbera Hotel: With nightly live music that goes late, the Gerbera may not guarantee a peaceful night's sleep but it's close to the restaurants and bars of the backpacker street. This tidy, modern hotel has agreeable room rates (usually including breakfast) and with nearly 10 floors, offers a great nighttime view of the colorfully-lit Trang Tien bridge.

Where We Ate
- Les Jardins du Carambole: This recently opened establishment in the citadel is the second from the owners of La Carambole, located on the opposite side of the Perfume River. The ground-floor veranda is an ideal setting to enjoy a glass of chilled white wine and dig into a spicy green mango salad accompanied with crunchy, light-as-air rice crackers. Treat yourself after trekking around all those tombs by ending the meal with mango and passion fruit crepes and homemade coconut ice cream.
- Hong Mai Restaurant: On the citadel-side of the Perfume River, this small local restaurant only serves one thing - banh khoai, a Hue speciality. This crispy pancake, made of rice flour and egg batter, is usually topped with pork and shrimp but we got ours with beansprouts. Top a slice of the pancake with some mint, some green starfruit, paper thin slices of unripe banana and wrap it in a leaf of lettuce, and you've got yourself a very tasty snack.
- La Boulangerie Francaise: This bakery is a perfect place to recharge after a dreary, rain soaked morning trying to find the urns of the Imperial City. Order a tasty pastry or baguette sandwich (or both!) and warm up with a hot tea while reading about the bakery's mission to provide valuable vocational training to Hue's youngsters.
- Sunshine Restaurant: At the end of backpacker street, at the corner of Chu Van An and Tran Cao Van streets, the outdoor seating at Sunshine is an ideal spot to sip a 25-cent beer and watch the evening scene go by.

What We Saw
-  Off the main drag of Le Loi, Quoc Hoc High School where a statue of former student Ho Chi Minh stands in the center of the schoolyard.
- Aside from the must-see tombs and imperial city, we really enjoyed a morning walk around the bustling Dong Ba Market and an afternoon tour of the Au Lac Vien garden house. Tours of the tombs and citadel are heavy on the structural or architectural, whereas the market and garden house differ by offering glimpses into Hue's natural beauty.

Some photos below from the market and garden house... Next in the series, we head south to Hoi An where we get a pleasant surprise!

The Chillest Weekend

After the last few busy weeks, we decided this long weekend would be all about chilling. No plans were made, except for a haircut appointment far overdue for me.

Saturday morning we enjoyed an amazing brunch of buttermilk banana pancakes topped with homemade fruit compote and greek yoghurt sauce, all to be washed down with fresh orange-carrot-pineapple juice. Afterward, we took a quick nap before we commenced planning for our evening meal. We ended up snacking on popcorn tossed in melted truffle butter (thanks for the idea, Ina!), crisp apples and juicy grapes, creamy cheese and avocado mashed with Hawaiian pink salt and butternut squash oil.

This morning we explored the Dupont Circle farmer's market. Being one of the last weekends to get fresh peaches and nectarines, my mum made it a mission to buy as many as we could carry. Below is a picture of her picking the best ones (you can see the determination in her eyes) among some other shots from our morning stroll at the market. Afterward we rewarded our morning efforts with a tasty dim sum brunch at Ping Pong Dupont and rolled home feeling as round as steamed buns.

I don't know what's next up for us on this chill weekend (ice cream? movie? nap? so many choices...) but I do know I could really get used to this...

Let's Roll!

Though I was in Vietnam for work, I was lucky enough to visit Ha Long Bay for my first weekend. How could I be so close to one of the newly announced natural world wonders and not see it?

While there are plenty of pictures of the actual scenery coming soon, I first wanted to share a delicious recipe for fresh spring rolls. We got to assemble and enjoy these on the roof deck of our boat, while soaking in the incredible sunset sweeping over the bay. It was a surreal experience and these tasty rolls made it all the better!

FRESH SPRING ROLLS

The original recipe has been adapted for vegetarian sensibilities :-) I haven't specified exact measurements since the original recipe is all in grams, but exact measurements aren't particularly needed here!

Ingredients:
Spring Rolls
- Cooked rice vermicelli noodles
- Omelette, sliced into thin ribbons
- Fresh mint and coriander, leaves only
- Fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- Fresh lettuce, torn
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Thinly sliced chili pepper (optional)
- Rice paper

1. Place an individual sheet of rice paper onto a plate and lightly brush the entire surface with water (only one side of the sheet)
2. Spread a thin layer of noodles across the diameter of the rice paper. Repeat with the omelette ribbons.
3. Layer the torn lettuce and herbs on top. Sprinkle with the ginger, sesame seeds and, if you like, sliced chili.
4. Carefully wrap one end of the rice paper around the fillings, and then slowly roll towards the open end of the rice paper. You can leave the ends open or tuck them in like a burrito.

Dipping Sauce
- Water
- Sugar, to taste
- Garlic, minced
- Lemon juice, to taste
- Minced mint and coriander
- Rice vinegar, to taste
- Sesame oil

1. Combine the minced garlic, herbs, lemon juice, dash of rice vinegar and sugar in a small dish, and add sesame oil and water to taste. This was adapted from using fish sauce - if you prefer fish sauce, the ratio is 1 part fish sauce to 5 parts water.

Some variations I'm dying to try include using curried tofu instead of egg and making a spicy peanut dipping sauce. To me, the fresh herbs and ginger are key, but really the possibilities are endless!

It's Always Yummy in Philadelphia

I'm not sure if I mentioned this already, but we ate a lot of food in Philly. No, really - a lot. And it was all incredibly tasty.

I spent nearly a week researching restaurants in Philly (I take my food seriously!) and got great recommendations from colleagues and friends (thanks, guys!). What a challenge - so many places to eat and so little time! I finally narrowed it down to a few choices for brunch and dinner and we left the rest up to where our stomaches led us.

The highlights:

- the 100% vegan restaurant Vedge, which takes veggies to another level. Trust me, you will want to finish your vegetables. Plus, the atmosphere is upscale but comforting, kind of like dining in someone's really nice house.

- waiting an hour for a table at Tria to discover that it was completely worth the wait and more. Devoted to delicious beer, wine and cheese, this cafe covers basically the trifecta of any great diet, in my opinion.

- goat cheese, sundried tomato and pistachio guacamole at El Vez, with a salty Pink Cadillac margarita made the perfect Sunday morning brunch - part 1.

- washing down thick, golden brown slices of chocolate stuffed french toast with piping hot coffee while observing the Sunday morning scene unfold upon Rittenhouse Square, for Sunday morning brunch - part 2.

- the creamiest, lick-your-plate sheep's milk ricotta drizzled with balsamic, on a crusty piece of grilled bread as the start to an incredible dinner at Barbuzzo. We were so full we couldn't even fit in dessert - that night. We ordered their salted caramel budino to go and savoured it the next day (with spoon, below). This dessert has attained a cult-like following and I am now a believer.

- tapping our toes to a live band playing old school tunes and sipping on deftly mixed cocktails at the lively, atmospheric Farmers' Cabinet.

As you can see, I wasn't joking - these are only the highlights! We hopped into the car Monday morning and I didn't even think once about snacks for the return drive home. Oh yeah, except for those chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels...and those peanut butter malt balls...

Stay hungry my friends and if you're a foodie like me, get yourself to Philly!

The Key to Anyone's Heart...

To lighten things up around here, I thought I'd share a recipe. Celebrating February 14th usually involves lots of indulgences - chocolates, champagne, a nice dinner. This Nutella swirl pound cake recipe is just as decadent but comes from humble beginnings. Aside from the usual pantry staples, the only game changing ingredient is one full jar of Nutella. 

I like to use less Nutella than the recipe calls for. A full jar tends to overwhelm the pound cake and sometimes get burned on the bottom. I also like to swirl a bit of Nutella on the top layer to make it more interesting (see above). I made this yesterday for the second time, so I can guarantee it will help you keep that warm, fuzzy feeling even after Valentine's Day is over. 

(p.s. - I added an extra stick of butter by "accident", but the results were incredible! Despite what the recipe says, definitely do not wait two hours for it to cool. You want the cake to be warm and the Nutella to be gooey. This goes incredibly well with morning coffee.)

Cupcake Wars

Georgetown. Baked & Wired. Hello Cupcake. Cake Love. Red Velvet. Where do you cupcake? Though the cupcakes from Georgetown, of DC Cupcake fame, are certainly tasty and cute (example, above), my loyalty lies with Baked & Wired. B&W is down the street and it has a shorter line. A variety of sugary goodness (hippie crack, hand pies, smores bars, homemade jams, in addition to cuppycakes) served up with less tradition and way more 'tude.

See for yourself...

Brooklyn Charm: Part 1

Many thanks to those of you who sent your recommendations for my first ever visit to Brooklyn. We had a wonderful weekend in New York - a good portion of which was spent in Brooklyn. Though I always love observing the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, Brooklyn's pace feels more like my tempo.

On Saturday, we kicked the day off in Williamsburg with an incredible sunrise-colored beet and carrot juice, freshly made from Lokal. I have vowed to return and try their vegetarian pinto bean-mushroom burger. We then made our way down towards the Grand Army Plaza.

We took a little walk around Prospect Park. We saw plenty of kite flying, some serious barbeques and even a gladiator battle.

After so much excitement, we were hungry. Luckily the Wafels & Dinges Truck was just around the corner and we stuffed ourselves with Belgian wafel goodness. If you think Nutella is good, you must try Spekuloos. Spekuloos is a spread made out of cookies. Enough said.

On our way to the subway, we stopped by the Wolf & the Deer for drinks. They serve up the most refreshing cucumber mint cocktail and their menus are bound into old books with content sure to enliven conversation.

We returned to Manhattan for dinner. I'm not sure how the wolf theme came about, but we enjoyed the rustic intimacy and fresh flavors of Edi and the Wolf. Recommended to us by Pem's sister, this Austrian restaurant has a surprising number of vegetarian options. After a nightcap at a place called Mama's Bar, we called it a night. It was a day full of exploration punctuated by delicious food and wonderful company - it's a tough life, I know.

With visions of the Brooklyn Bridge and wafels in our heads, we planned to return to Brooklyn the next day.

To be continued...

The B-List

This weekend was full of lovely things like...

....books...    

(I want my house to look like this one day!)

 

...berries....

(these raspberries and their cartons were the exact colours of my friend's wedding!)

 

 ....and brunch where I broke bread with wonderful company. 

Pem had family in town this weekend and we battled the heat by spending most of our time inside a few of our neighborhood's tastiest restaurants. This included cheesy, crusty pies from all-organic Coppi's, a small plates dinner at Cork (their grilled artichokes - to die for) and the richest eggs Florentine at the funky Tabard Inn. We ended the weekend at El Centro D.F. with some salty margaritas and shared their rooftop with Kal Penn on what must have been one of his final days in DC.

Blisteringly hot? Yes. Boring? Never. Stay blissful, my friends!