tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post5209214981824758486..comments2024-03-29T01:47:48.560-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Traveling FoodiesJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13552073297822523852012-02-26T08:47:26.314-05:002012-02-26T08:47:26.314-05:00Fish sperm sacs?Fish sperm sacs?Rosemary Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033747422699443024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-41252797142802155452012-02-25T22:59:13.236-05:002012-02-25T22:59:13.236-05:00The most adventurous thing I ate overseas was a fr...The most adventurous thing I ate overseas was a frog leg. It did have a slightly chickeny texture, but I couldn't get over the strong butter garlic sauce. I didn't have another. Oh, and I ate and loved fried alligator in New Orleans. It tastes like chicken and squid combined.<br /><br />I've eaten tons of slightly strange things in Japan: different kinds of roe, bi-valves I've never seen anywhere else, fish sperm sacs (they're creamy and delicious, kind of like a lighter, seafoody foie gras). The best thing I've ever eaten there -- oysters as big as my hand.Shizukanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57688497337608099572012-02-25T19:30:07.069-05:002012-02-25T19:30:07.069-05:00Hallie, oh yes I'll try it all. And usually wi...Hallie, oh yes I'll try it all. And usually with a big grin.<br /><br />Some food memories are more than the food, don't you think? Bundled to the max against the freezing chill of an October night in London, wind from the North Sea biting my bones. Fish and chips from a street stall. Scrumdidiliumptuous. <br /><br />Here's a strange one. Tofu ice cream to die for (!) from a coop-run Atlanta GA cafe. I don't expect to ever taste anything to rival it.<br /><br />I've a childhood memory of Indiana's Brown County apple butter with fried biscuits. Nothing has ever come close.<br /><br />Hank, a mention of peaches and I am reminded of another gourmet delight of childhood. Daily peaches, milk and orange blossom honey when we stayed at the home of my grandfather - citrus grower, beekeeper. Fresh as fresh can be.<br /><br />Tickle the memories, more start to trickle out...Avi Lovenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58410421663845956272012-02-25T19:22:48.026-05:002012-02-25T19:22:48.026-05:00Hank, I'd never heard of pecorino until I went...Hank, I'd never heard of pecorino until I went to Italy. Now it's a favorite ingredient in our family. I love it served alone with red pepper jelly, or fig paste, or apricot jam. Mmmm. <br /><br />Rhys, I didn't mean that ALL pubs served so-so foods, but I have been to a couple that did, very possibly trying to appeal to tourists. But the steak pie I had at one in the financial district was incredible. Also, the restaurant in the Victoria & Albert Museum has some of the best food I've had anywhere. The mushroom soup we had for lunch one day is the standard by which I judge all others, and so far they've all been sadly lacking in comparison.Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1531155399815488342012-02-25T17:02:19.083-05:002012-02-25T17:02:19.083-05:00Me too, Lil. xxxxxoxxxxMe too, Lil. xxxxxoxxxxMaureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35926831771286536672012-02-25T14:26:34.278-05:002012-02-25T14:26:34.278-05:00Lil, thinking of you..xoxoLil, thinking of you..xoxoHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74973804424035143842012-02-25T14:26:02.566-05:002012-02-25T14:26:02.566-05:00Oh, you're; reminding me..we stayed at a 14th ...Oh, you're; reminding me..we stayed at a 14th century farmhouse in Castellina in Chianti..looking out over the cypress trees and huge hedges of rosemary..and had wine and fresh peaches and pecorino chesse. I can't BEGIN to tell you.. It was SO fresh..Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-33292984479770140892012-02-25T14:11:42.302-05:002012-02-25T14:11:42.302-05:00All I know is that I'm hungry. Traveled in the...All I know is that I'm hungry. Traveled in the Alps once, and they had the best rolls and butter-fresh from the cows. The other foods were fresh too. It's nice to get that. And oh yes, Baked Stuffed Lobster at Anthony's Pier 4 in Boston. Maybe it was just the city :)lil Glucksternhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09288522126331817172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86582937202597043712012-02-25T14:06:40.441-05:002012-02-25T14:06:40.441-05:00Rhys, I loved the food in England. Some of the bes...Rhys, I loved the food in England. Some of the best I ever had was even in the great hall at Christ Church College. The climb up those stairs was a killer, though, so I missed a lot of meals. Pub food was my favorite, and I went to each on a hunt for the best steak and ale pie. I think the one at the Crown was my favorite, but there was another upstairs on a place on St. Michael's St, just off Cornmarket - can't remember the name. It was was like a mini-mini stand in line and get it yourselfer but with an eating room that was like an old fashioned dining room in anyone's house.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-39298295293465563972012-02-25T13:50:27.294-05:002012-02-25T13:50:27.294-05:00Linda, real and true Mexican food is a staple in o...Linda, real and true Mexican food is a staple in our house-- that and Indian tacos. My mother used to make the frybed, and I did the beans. You have the way of bringing out good memories. [... working on that writing exercise. Thank you.]Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55677771130387066552012-02-25T13:14:27.430-05:002012-02-25T13:14:27.430-05:00English food used to have a bad reputation--overco...English food used to have a bad reputation--overcooked veg, gray meat etc, but today there is superb food to be had, at country pubs as well as fancy restaurants, all focusing on fresh local produce, meats and fish. <br />(and there always was good food--roast beef at Simpson's, tea at the Ritz, steak and kidney pies even fish and chips, and those who badmouthed it often hadn't strayed beyond their friend neighborhood Hilton!)Rhys Bowenhttp://www.rhysbowen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10947175405072557642012-02-25T11:46:23.407-05:002012-02-25T11:46:23.407-05:00Linda, I agree with you on both counts. But too ma...Linda, I agree with you on both counts. But too many tourists choose to eat in pubs when they're in England, and they miss the amazing offerings at other types of places. It's pricey to eat in London, especially, though. <br /><br />My daughter and her boyfriend, who has Mexican heritage, spent a month in Mexico last winter, and they raved about the food. The diversity of different kinds of regional dishes astonished me, and made us want to go and experience the cuisine ourselves. <br /><br />The saddest thing I've ever heard was about the same daughter's trip to Italy, with a school group. It was run by a tour, and at every meal the kids were offered American "French fries", and pizza. I had just been to Italy and had gone on and on about the food, and she was so disappointed that the tour made such a point of catering to American tastes. The same thing happened with my youngest daughter, when she went to London for the first time, with her church youth group. The majority of the kids only wanted American-style food, and refused to eat anything else. How disappointing, that they missed a golden opportunity to broaden their horizons.Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-82655463803999748132012-02-25T11:32:08.767-05:002012-02-25T11:32:08.767-05:00I think that just about any time I've been out...I think that just about any time I've been out of the US I've had wonderful food because elsewhere they eat fresh, real food. <br /><br />Mexico is a country with a wonderful diversity of menus, but don't try to tell that to most Americans who think the Tex-Mex of their local restaurant is the sum total of Mexican cuisine.<br /><br />Everyone badmouthed English food, but when I was there, I found it delicious, fresh and prepared well. Our B&B provided us the most swoon-worthy scones, and for lunch, I'd run to the covered market for fresh bread and meat and vegetables and fruit.<br /><br />But there is no barbecue anywhere to rival Kansas City's. And our steaks are fabulous, too.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-8909086592043691242012-02-25T11:15:24.131-05:002012-02-25T11:15:24.131-05:00Down spellcheck! That's a "glop" of ...Down spellcheck! That's a "glop" of mayonnaise.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9543631077506835702012-02-25T10:53:05.889-05:002012-02-25T10:53:05.889-05:00Hallie, I'm not much of a foodie. I'm a fo...Hallie, I'm not much of a foodie. I'm a foodand. Batter fried lobster is something that I originally tried in Boston at an old and long gone place called Bob Lee's Islander. A nephew of the Wong family, that had owned the restaurant, told me it was a Chinese-Hawaiian recipe. Their version came with coconut and whole cherries.<br /><br />Just to kill my food reputation forever and prove that no sensible person should ever take me on a foodie trip I will add my experience of the freshest tasting and best fish and chips anywhere in the world is the meal I crave most, and that I have travelled many times to Bakersfield, California just to have at the Westchester Bowl. Still the best in the world, and I've had it everywhere. But don't listen to me. I like Kraft Dinner with little hotdog roundies and a hunk of lettuce with a few pop of mayonnaise that I call salad.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90757692285742305062012-02-25T08:54:32.379-05:002012-02-25T08:54:32.379-05:00Karen, you can come with us... Tuscan and France w...Karen, you can come with us... Tuscan and France were epiphanies for me, too.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54629617183143216802012-02-25T08:53:12.571-05:002012-02-25T08:53:12.571-05:00Batter-fried lobster?? Really, Reine? I'm with...Batter-fried lobster?? Really, Reine? I'm with you on the croissant.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-14717431769827932102012-02-25T08:52:32.726-05:002012-02-25T08:52:32.726-05:00Other than the US, I had never traveled until Marc...Other than the US, I had never traveled until March of 2001, when I joined a group of entertaining and adventurous women for a week in Paris and a week in Tuscany. Which changed my opinions and attitudes towards food, forever. <br /><br />When you eat fresh, local produce, in season, simply prepared, it makes our homegrown fast food pale in comparison, doesn't it? I so vividly recall a lovely salad at Thiemiuex in Paris: mache, shredded beets, and a light coating of olive oil. Divine. A lunch at Chartiers: shredded celery root tossed with remoulade as accompaniment to lightly broiled fish (plaice? I can't remember now, darn it), and chestnut creme for dessert. <br /><br />In Siena, the big surprise was a course of three perfectly prepared truffled pumpkin ravioli with a mere tablespoon of sauce. And it was just enough, rather than the giant portions we have here. The perfect focaccia in Fiesole--no sugar, just a sprinkle of sea salt, and lusciously olive oil glazed. Bread was also an eye-opener. Why do we need more than flour, yeast, salt and water in our bread? The variety of potato dishes in Peru was another amazing discovery. Did you know that of the 4200 varieties of potatoes in the world, 3500 of them are native to that country? And I lost weight while there, eating potato at nearly every meal.<br /><br />On the wild side: kangaroo roast in Sydney; roast antelope in Cusco, Peru; grilled guinea pig in Urubumba, Peru; fabulous fish dishes in the Galapagos; and tripe in Florence, Italy. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your food experiences; I think everyone should have the chance to break out of our little shells and expand our food horizons!Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43946211610141667092012-02-25T08:52:05.079-05:002012-02-25T08:52:05.079-05:00Avi, I'm traveling with you! I'll bet you ...Avi, I'm traveling with you! I'll bet you even tried (and liked??) haggis in Scotland.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89755401052672995272012-02-25T06:10:21.042-05:002012-02-25T06:10:21.042-05:00Oh, I LOVE hearing about your favorite food advent...Oh, I LOVE hearing about your favorite food adventures. Great post.<br /><br />My exotics are: snails 2 ways - French, in butter and Belgian, boiled with pepper. Tripe from an African student cafe down a narrow alley in Paris. A sample nibble of chocolate ants.<br /><br />Bliss however belongs with these 3: Best yogurt ever in Swiss cafe in the Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong. I still swoon to remember it.<br /><br />Thai food I had on the way home from Thailand at Keo's in Honolulu. Fresh gorgeous fish, yum. <br /><br />And baby veal outrageously tender, skewered pieces rolled in fresh ground black pepper and roasted over the cafe's open flame firepit by my own hand. Served with a tangy tomato relish and washed down with sljivovitz (plum brandy with a kick). Zagreb, Croatia (Yugoslavia).<br /><br />Ah, drool, the memories.Avi Lovenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21833324426014084542012-02-25T04:13:19.749-05:002012-02-25T04:13:19.749-05:00Rhys, i love the description of your eating advent...Rhys, i love the description of your eating adventures in Greece. Wonderful!<br /><br />Trying not to be so late in commenting... most memorable meals for me have been at Woodman's in Essex, Massachusetts for batter fried lobster and clams and fried clam rolls at Devereux Beach in Marblehead.<br /><br />One other that I can't leave out is the breakfast at the Chateau de Villeray in Condeau http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z89wFuP7FRk where they served fresh - very local cream, home made yoghurt, croissant, jam, and perfect coffee. That is a beautiful place we stayed one summer. I was visiting relatives and on my usual hunt for church history in and around the cathedrals and village churches.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.com