From the monthly archives: July 2012
Tomatoes are at their peak in the market, and I’ve always been a fan of heirloom tomatoes – with the many varieties creating a different eating experience each time.
But when I think of tomatoes, my mind goes right away to a Bloody Mary. I don’t know what that says about me, but I do [...]
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LONDON
Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver’s charity work probably began 10 years ago when he opened his Fifteen restaurant, named after the 15 under-privileged, unemployed young adults hired as apprentices and given a chance to find a career in the food industry.
Through the years more than 220 apprentices have worked in the kitchen (and [...]
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Del Popolo is a food truck taken to a whole other level. In fact, it’s not even technically a truck but a shipping container fashioned into a mobile pizzeria and equipped with a 5,000-pound wood-burning oven custom-made in Naples, Italy.
And behind the wheels (figuratively, if not literally) is Jon Darsky, former opening pizzaiolo for [...]
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I’ve been back from Spain for more than two weeks, but I’m still thinking about the food I enjoyed there, especially from the food vendors at the La Boqueria market in Barcelona.
So one night when I wanted to make something simple and light, I remembered the brilliant squid dish I had that was simply [...]
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I’m back to posting about the San Francisco Bay Area after my Spain vacation, but this post takes you to Italy – courtesy of Casa Vinicola Zonin in Vicenza, Italy.
Last Friday night I was invited to a private wine tasting hosted by Zonin, a widely known wine producer in Italy, as common a [...]
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BARCELONA
When I first visited Barcelona eight years ago, I read a lot about the tiny restaurant Cal Pep close to the waterfront, as well as from friends who raved about the fresh food. But I never got a chance to try it.
So I always regretted not giving it a try, since it’s [...]
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BARCELONA
You can’t come to Spain without paying homage to Chef Ferran Adria, the master of molecular gastronomy who led the restaurant El Bulli to the top of the world’s best restaurant list for years before it officially closed last year.
Because the restaurant closed, I can never experience Adria’s brilliance. True, he opened [...]
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BARCELONA
For my last tasting dinner in Spain, I visited Gelonch restaurant in the bohemian neighborhood known as Eixample.
Gelonch is a tiny restaurant and its reputation of creating innovative Catalan dishes draws a lot of visitors from different countries to taste the food of Chef/Owner Robert Gelonch. On a Monday night when I [...]
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MADRID
Apparently just as popular as the afternoon siestas in Madrid is the treat of hot chocolate and churros. You don’t have to go very far to spot a hot chocolate shop, almost like how you’d spot a Dunkin’ Donut.
One chocolateria steep in tradition is right in the shadows of the Church of [...]
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MADRID
I’ve been impressed by the cutting-edge creativity of the chefs in Spain, which isn’t surprising given the influence of the great Chef Ferran Adria. The meals I’ve tried in Madrid and Barcelona have ranged from mind-blowing to refined comfort.
Lua Restaurante, helmed by another young chef, Manuel Dominguez Carrete, falls somewhere in between.
[...]
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BARCELONA
There are several dishes that are iconic to Spain, and paella is one of them.
But when I think of paella, I think of a grill and a sandy beach as a huge pan of rice and seafood is cooked up for a hungry crowd. And I also associate the dish with Valencia, [...]
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