Raspberry sorbet in Paris

Watch this delight video as  Anne Ditmeyer of Prêt à Voyager, hits the market in Paris and then makes a shorbet with David .

AGLIO, OLIO & PEPERONCINO italian culinary adventures

Check out this Blog.. It is wonderful and so makes me want to go back to Italy- soon!!!!.. I understand an acquaintance is returning for 6 months in Sept to study Italian.. Oh how I envy her!

 Aglio, oli and Peperoncino is also on facebook..and she does answer any emails! her last blog was on

Smile and say "formaggio!"

Ciao

2007- Getting ready for Christmas

It Should Happen Down at the Zoo

“Where’s Rick Steves when you need him” asks Bronwyn Eyre, a columnist with the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on her recent trip to Drumheller’s Royal Tyrell Museum and Zoo.   Although she was armed with the “standard issue floor guide”, she found them unsuitable as well as some of the lights in the displays did not work. Then she got “half –lost” looking for the “museum’s rarest exhibit, Lords of land” and found this exhibit most ‘disorientating “ as needed “snappy – readily accessible details” instead of “bill-board –inscribed pensees by Charles Darwin. On through a tunnel past” coiling water”, which she felt needed some explanation and on to a dark room with a “transparent floor ‘to observe “fake sea life”. However, “loud muffed voice-feed” drowned out her voice and “interactive TV monitors” were not helpful.

Similarly at Calgary Zoo, lack of information on the animals, especially their habitat, adjustment to the zoo,” etc” was lacking in her opinion. Although she did see telephone type guides, she found these “notoriously confusing” and they ‘were picked- up by kids, at any rate - only to be promptly hung up again.”   Again, the writer longed for a “Rick Steves-like children’s guides” at the zoo.

As a former Regina resident, I quickly dismissed Bronwyn’s comments as another disgruntled Saskatooner, thinking, “here they go again!” Then I thought “wait a minute, I’m a Calgarian now”, but her article stayed in my mind as I tried to figure out exactly what her point was!

Yes, travel guides have their place while travelling; however I find them more a distraction. It’s not to say I don’t do the research on the culture and life style of a country, a long with health issues, personal security and currency for one’s safety and enjoyment of the country.  Yes, I spend hours familiarising myself with a country before visiting but to be slave to a guidebook takes away from responding to one’s surrounding, the people and the moment! That is the true experience of travel!

Some of my disappointing moments were seeing the Mona Lisa and the Taj Mahal for the first time, not because they were not beautiful but there was a sense of knowing that took away the sense of discovery. Coming upon the beautiful red and white marble Hindu temple in New Delhi was sheer joy and most exciting!

More exciting to me is speaking to locals in any country to discover local eateries, markets, wineries or landmarks.

Furthermore, in the writer’s opinion, Rick Steves guidebooks are so much better written that she found her self reading parts out loud so others with poorly written guidebooks could also benefit from her book.  To illustrate her point, she referred to Steves guidebook on Madonna and Child by Giotto in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, Rick wrote, “the real triumph is Mary” as behind her robe she had a “real live body- her knees and breast are especially prominent.”  By prominent or drawing attention, does this meaning that since Mary’s knees and breast were huge, it is a real live body!!  Two other thoughts come to mind, does one really need a guide book to recognise that a painting or statue is in proportion.  Furthermore, do others really enjoy hearing other’s reading out loud from their guidebook?  Certainly she did not like loud muffled voices in the Museum.  On another point she assumes everyone around her understands English and lacks knowledge!  Art students spend many hours familiarising them self with the art.

But I digress!  After establishing her credibility as a world traveller and user of travel guides especially Rick Steves, she describes her frustration in her visits which should have been such a learning experience.  She suggests that due to this lack of information at the museum and the zoo for her 5 year old son, the highlight of both places was the playroom! 

In reading her article, I wondered how much of her frustration was transferred to her young son and hinder his learning experience.  

She suggests the need for “Rick Steves- like children’s guides” to make it a true learning experience.  However, freedom to play in the play zone without adult input, any travel guidebook or telephone guide information should suggest to this Mom that when her 5 year old was allowed to respond to his surrounding  freely in the play zone, this was a true learning experience for him.  For her 5 year old son, this was not an evaluation of the museum or the zoo shortcoming as she may have seen them, but a true experience of learning through play.  

The Picture is of a 3 year old who is responding in terror to the “real live body” statue without the aid of a Rick Steves guidebooks.

Aubergine - in 1981, Camden, Maine

Aubergine

A French Restaurant in the new style- a small romantic inn

In a visit to Maine in the summer of 1981, Mom  Kennedy took the 6 of us to this small romantic inn in Camden. The restaurant was in a Victorian house built in 1890 and restored to its original state with antique pieces and period wallpaper.

Aubergine had been written up in the June issue of 1981 Gourmet Magazine and Ruth, my husband’s sister in law wanted to order the same dishes that were featured in the article. I can honestly say that I do not remember the starters or the salads that we ordered. However, I do remember ordering for my entrée the medallion of lobster, as did Ruth.

Medallion of lobster is slices of lobster tails, thus looking like medallions. Being accustomed to devouring a whole lobster and any one else’s if I can, the small portion was laughable.

Two medallions of lobster, shelled were served with some greenery on a very large plate.

Although dessert is not on the menu, I do remember a dessert cart that was rolled to each table for patrons to pick their own dessert. Lovely arrangements of different cakes or torte mainly chocolate were on the cart.

Not being a dessert person and thinking some of the desserts looked dried out, I asked the waitress if I could have a serving of fresh berries in cream. It was Blueberry season and I had seen blueberry stands on the road but had not tasted any of the berries. After some confusion in the kitchen, a large parfait glass filled with fresh Maine Blueberries with sweet cream was served to me. For me, that was the highlight of the meal and from some of the expression on tasting their desserts some of the rest wished they had done the same. Ruth, however, was delighted with being able to taste everything that had been featured in the magazine.

It was a delightful evening, one of the last with all of us together. Mom was delighted to host this dinner for us.

 Although I do not have a picture of Aubergine Resturant, here is a picture of all of us that summer in Maine

Chicken Pot Pie Dinner in Winnipeg

The last couple of days, I have been bringing my albums and old pictures to the same room so as to scan some of them. I did run across pictures taken in Winnpeg when my mother in law preparing the chicken pie for a dinner party in the apartment that my now husband and his freind had rented from a couple who wintered in the states.

What is Cuban Food????

Thinking about Cuban food as we flew into the beautiful tropical island, it just had to be seafood and wonderful tropical fruit.  Knowing the history of this island, colonization by the Spaniards and African being brought in as slaves, these influences should be seen in the cuisine.  

 

Chickens roaming everywhere including the streets of Varadero and seeing pigs in one’s yard along with cattle in the fields and some cattle carefully tied along the side of the roads to graze on greener grass.

           Although we are in a resort, which would cater to the western taste, local products should be in abundance on the menu.  We were told that rice was scarce, although this certainly was not apparent at the resort and made me think twice about leave any on my plate.  Although we had seen trucks with bags of potatoes, mashed potatoes and potatoes chunks were in some of the stews, potatoes did not seem to be a staple.  Steamed pumpkin with no seasonings was served frequently and was delicious

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Pork was referred to as the national dish.  In travelling to Havana, we did see a pig on a spit that was being cooked for those camping in the cottages by our beach.  This beautifully browned BBQ pig looked most appetizing as a line of people stood waiting for a slice of barbecued pork.   

The resort did have a BBQ on the beach for Cuban Days. A leg of pork was roasted and served with a bun, coleslaw and roasted plantains.  

 

At Cuban Days, they used coconuts as containers to serve rum drinks.  I especially enjoyed the fresh coconut after the chef used a long craving knife to hack the coconut open. To my surprise the actual coconut was about 4 inches in height, very small. 

Mahi mahi fish that was in a batter or flour coating was served separately or in a sauce.  Arroz con Pollo, Rice with Chicken" in Spanish, is a classic dish of Spain and was served in Cuba.   At the dinner buffets, roast of beef, pork, ham and roasted turkey and chicken were featured at different days and portions were craved by a chef.  Overall the chicken was my favourite.

As hot dishes, rice and beans were served separately or cooked together, along with dishes of cubed pork, lamb, beef or chicken.  The hot dishes were served in red rectangle cast iron dishes and sat on element of heat and these dishes tended to dry out.   The dishes were delicious if you were there shortly after they were prepared.. The fish that was grilling that I took of the grill was most delicious, although the chef was most upset that I took it of the grill before he thought it was ready.  My thoughts are that they may tend to over cook food due to the tropical temperature and are concerned about spoilage.

At lunch time, one could have a self designed pizza, pasta dish or Panini as could one do the same for omelettes at breakfast.

A salad bar with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, shredded cabbage and beans (navy, black or red kidney).  Prepared dressing such as ranch and vinaigrette with fresh herbs, along with balsamic vinegar and Olive Oil was offered.

 

  

The fruit bar did have tropical fruits, slices of pineapple, guava in quarters, along with slices of watermelon and melons.  The pineapples were small as were the bananas and not as sweet or juicy.  I learned that apples do not grow in the tropics!  I learned how to eat guava properly, one eats all the fruit, including the rind.  Now I still don’t know if I can accurately describe this fruit, tasted like creamy strawberries, not a distinct taste that jumps out at you, yet the texture is unusual as you see a pink center with creamy color and tons of hard seeds with  a green rind, a miniature watermelon.  I can’t say I enjoyed the taste, yet the fruit did intrigue me.   

This fruit was used in many desserts and as fillings in pastry much like apples would be. Overall, the fruit was a disappointment, although the papaya was not, it was sweet and juicy. 

 

Two types of cheese were always served, both sliced; a mild cheddar and soft young aged cheese with a tangy taste.

 

 

The desserts were lovely to look at and I did enjoy the rice pudding that was very similar to my Mom’s recipe, creamy and snow white!

 

The breads were attractively displaced everyday.  The dough was sweet with eggs and sugar although they did have savory bread with jalapeños.  

The wedding meal for Alicia and George was held in one of their smaller restaurant.  An attractive salad plate and rock lobster which was fresh but overcooked was part of their wedding menu.   

 Just had to include pictures for the reason we were here!!!

  I think this was one of the only time we ate inside, the rest of the time we at on the Patio. The tables were always set in white linens. The waiters were dressed in smart short sleeved shirts,yellow with black dolphins and black mini pencil skirts or pants for the men. Black fish net stockings seemed to be most popular.

 Overall, the food was delicious although not that differently from what we would have at home.  The dishes were mildly seasoning with most common spices used in Cuban cuisine being garlic, cumin, oregano and bay or laurel leaves.   I left thinking how globalized we are as I truly can not tell you what  is Cuban food!