“It is always sad to leave a place to which one knows one
will never return. Such are the melancholies du voyage: perhaps they are one of
the most rewarding things about traveling.”
Gustave Flaubert
For me, experiencing new things when I travel is why I travel. I especially love trying new foods that are specialties of that country. I am not quite as adventuresome as Anthony Boudain. If you watch the travel channel on television you know that he travels the world trying very unusual foods (bugs, brains, etc.) I don't go that far, but if a country has a food that it is famous for, then I want to try it.
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| Dinner in China |
You may say that you have tried foods from other countries from restaurants here at home. Just because you have tried foods in the United States that is supposedly from a different region of the world, doesn't mean you have actually tried food from that country. Restaurants here cater to American tastes, and the food is quite often different than what you will get when you are actually in that country. As an example, I have eaten Chinese food here in the states thousands of times. But when I went to China I found the food to be quite different from the food I had here in the states. I enjoyed the food in China, and tried just about everything I was served, but it did not remind me of the food I had here.
Sometimes I will have a food and it immediately calls to mind a trip I have taken. I remember having that food and it reminds me of the place where I ate it and the fun I had in that country. Certain foods I will always associate with a place. Moussaka is certainly one of those foods. I had never had Moussaka until I went to Greece, now I have it often and even make my own. None will ever taste as good as that very first taste though. But whenever I have it, I think of sitting in the Plaka in Athens at a little sidewalk table, and I remember our waiter, who chatted with us and was quite funny. And I fell in love with Moussaka. I was already in love with Athens by then.
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| Greek Salad |
Actually moussaka is not the only food I fell in love with in Greece. The country has some of the best food I have ever eaten. I really like the food of Greece. I love lamb, and the Greeks use a lot of lamb in the dishes they prepare. And Panzanella salad became a favorite, which is made with big chunks of bread. The Greek salad is so different than the salads by that name here in the states. The Greeks seldom use lettuce in anything, including their salads. A true Greek salad is chunks of tomatoes, green peppers, sliced red onions, kalamata olives and fresh feta cheese, with a little olive oil and some herbs over the top.
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| Tapas |
In Spain we went out each evening for tapas, which are small bites of food served either hot or cold, usually with a glass of wine or beer. The tapas are served in the early evening to tide people over till dinner which is never eaten before 10:00 p.m. Sometimes we ate so many tapas that we didn't need dinner. But I did love the dinners there. I really fell in love with gazpacho in Spain. Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup. It is delicious, and I ordered it almost every night while in Spain, as a starter to my meal. Of coursethey are famous for their
paella and everyone who goes to Spain should try it, it is better than any paella you will get anywhere else. And the Costa del Sol area where we were, had wonderful seafood dishes.
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Plaza Mayor in Madrid, getting ready for
the dinner crowd |
One of the things I love about dining out in some of the European cities is that they dine outside all year long, in wonderful little town square areas. They set up tables and all the neighbors come out with their kids and their dogs and they wander around the square, saying hello to each other. The kids and the pets are playing, and people are having their dinner. We have nothing like that here.
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| Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich |
We traveled to the Canary Islands in 2003. We were on the island of Tenerife. The food that I remember most from that trip was a tomato and mozzarella sandwich, on a long bagette type of bread. It had basil leaves on it, and sometimes a thin sliced Spanish ham. We were there with friends from Scotland, and almost everyday we would stop at a little outdoor restaurant somewhere and have one of those sandwiches with a beer, and watch the people, and enjoy the sunshine. I have had other sandwiches similiar to them since that trip, but none seem quite as good as those were. Maybe it was the company, or the sunshine, or the atmosphere, I'm not sure. But I will always associate the Canary Islands with those sandwiches.
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| Squid in its own Ink |
While in Croatia in 2010 I was told that the best seafood in the world was to be had there, and in particular that I should try the squid. So one night my husband and I were at a typical outside restaurant, like the ones I described above, in a town square with children and pets, and families. I decided to order the squid. I have eaten squid here in the states, usually breaded, and had always enjoyed it. When this arrived it really surprised me. It was in a bowl, and it looked like a bowl of black rubber bands. It was served in its own ink. My first thought was, that it didn't look too appetizing. My husband was looking a little askance at it. But I will try almost anything, so I took a bite, and I was hooked. It was delicious. I practically licked the bowl. It is a meal I will always remember, and it is one I loved.
In Thailand everything we ate was spicey. We were eating some noodle dish and I bit into something that caused me to feel like I was breathing fire. I turned bright red and started gulping my drink. My husband laughed at me and thought I was over-reacting. Then he bit into the same thing, and realized that it really was hot. I do like Thai food, but I also learned to respect it for what it is, and to be careful.
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| Me eating gelato in Italy |
In Italy we fell in love with gelato. Gelato is not just ice cream, it is smoother, richer and more flavorful. It is in a class by itself. We were in Italy during the summer, so it was hot out. We stopped for a lemon gelato on our second day in Italy. For the next 20 days, while we toured the country fell in love with Italy, we made a point of stopping everyday and enjoying a gelato. Lemon is still my favorite flavor, I suppose because it was the very first taste I ever had of gelato, or maybe because it was just so refreshing on a hot day. We tried almost every flavor available, but somehow kept going back to lemon.
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| Lemoncello |
It is not only food that sometimes makes me think of a country. Drinks also play a large part. I found that the only thing I ever want to drink with either Chinese or Japanese food, is beer. That is the drink they serve in those countries to drink. Of course not everyone has beer, but it is the most common drink with the people of those countries. It is what I had with every meal when I was in both of those places.
In Italy we spent a week in Sorrento, which is near Naples, Capri and Pompeii. They are famous for their Lemoncello. It is a lemon liquour. It is sweet and sour at the same time. It is an acquired taste, and I am not overly fond of it. But when I think of Sorrento, I think of lemons, and Lemoncello.
In Spain we were served Schnapps after every meal. We didn't order it, it was just set before us at the end of the meal.
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| Raki in Greece |
In Greece, it was Raki, which was put in front of us at the end of the meal. Most of the time the Raki tasted like turpentine. I did not enjoy it, so I would usually pass. George drank them both, not that he enjoyed it, but he did it so I wouldn't have to. But one night, on the island of Crete, we had a wonderful meal in the hills overlooking the town of Rethymnon. They made their own Raki there, and it was smooth, and tasted wonderful. I even bought a bottle to take home. When Raki is made the right way, it is actually quite good. Of course, Greece is more famous for its Oozo, and I also drank that while there. I quite like Oozo, but then I also like licorice.
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| A Shandy |
And last year we traveled with our Scottish friends across Scotland and around Ireland. I discovered the Shandy. A shandy is a mix of beer and "lemonade". But the lemonade is not what we think of as lemonade, it is sparkling - more like a 7up with a slight lemon flavor. You mix it with the beer and it is a light refreshing summer drink. I was completely hooked on it throughout that trip. Scotland will all be associated in my mind to the Shandy.
We are looking forward to traveling to new places soon. Africa will be later this year, and I am sure I will have some new taste treats to look forward to there. Some may be better than others, but I am looking foreward to trying whatever the locals prepare, it is part of the experience. It is hard for me to imagine going to another country and instead of trying the food of the area, looking for familiar foods from home. I know people do that, I have even traveled with some who will not try new things. For me though, I would not feel I had really been there and experienced it, if I had not also tasted it. So to all of you who are traveling to new places I say "Bon Apetite!"
Here is my recipe for Moussaka. I hope you enjoy it. It is as close as I can come to the Moussaka we had in Greece.
Moussaka
6 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 Cup red wine
1 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 canned crushed tomatoes in puree
1 (1 pound) eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup grated Parmessan
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 teas. ground allspice
1 teas. salt
fresh ground pepper
Heat the broiler. In a large frying pan heat 1 T. oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the lamb and cook until meat loses its pink color (2 min.) Stir in wine, tomato paste and tomates in puree, bay leaf, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered 10 minutes.
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| Moussaka |
Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Put eggplant slices on a large baking sheet and broil, 6 inches from heat, until browned. About 5 min. Turn and broil until browned on the other side.
In a small saucepan, combine cream chees, milk 1/8 teas. salt and a pinch of pepper. Warm over low heat until just melted.
Oil and 8 X 8 inch baking dish. Layer half the eggplant in the dish, then half the meat sauce. Sprinkle with half the Parmessan. Repeat with remaining eggplant, meat sauce and Parmessan. Spoon the cream cheese sauce on top; broil until just starting to brown. Serve hot.
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