Exploring the world through food
Traveling and learning about a region’s food and food culture
Sometimes I do the super touristy things and take silly photos like this!
Aside from eating, one of my favorite things to do is travel. I love being able go somewhere new and explore. Sometimes that means getting on the hop on, hop off bus to get the lay of the land, sometimes that means going to the super touristy churches, monuments or museums, often it means wandering down streets and back alleys and enjoying the architecture, but it ALWAYS involves food!
Before I go on a trip, I do a bunch of research on what the area is known for and the best places to get the local cuisine. This may be online, asking friends or posting a question on Facebook. Once I get there, I make sure to ask the locals where they like to eat as I really want the insiders perspective. I do not want to eat at the tourist spots unless it’s absolutely amazing. I would rather go somewhere family owned where Grandma is in the kitchen.
Exploring the markets in Campo dei Fiori
If you are reading this and nodding, we can talk for days about food you have eaten on your travels. Maybe you have even given me a recommendation for one of my trips. Here are some highlights worth sharing….
Ireland- while driving around the Ring of Kerry I spent a lot of time admiring the sheep on the road and in the fields. When we were done it was cold out and we warmed up in a local pub and their specialty was Irish Stew. It was delicious with carrots and potatoes and chunks of tender meat and the sauce was deep and flavored with Guinness. It wasn’t until after I was done that I leaned that Irish Stew is made from lamb….poor little guys, but they were tasty!
Club Mediterranee- I went as a teen and again as an adult and the beauty of the food is that it was fresh local seafood. You could always count on an amazing grilled fish for lunch or dinner but what I really remember and can taste right now are their chocolate croissants they had at breakfast. They are a French company after all so it comes as no surprise. They were buttery, flaky and warm and filled, I mean FILLED with chocolate, not that little nub you get in some chocolate croissants. Worth the trip back.
Italy- my heart and stomach belong to Italy and it may surprise you that the dish I am going to mention is a sandwich. This was a local recommendation while we were in Florence and I would go back again and again to get it. The bread was freshly made and the porchetta was stuffed with herbs and garlic and thinly sliced. You could choose any filling you wanted and mine had the most delicious grilled zucchini and sundried tomatoes. I mean look at it…it’s a work of art, but not so beautiful that I didn’t dive right in!
The EPIC sandwich that I can taste just by looking at the picture!
Greece- while traveling through the Greek Isles, I ate all of the things, but what I could not resist at every meal, even breakfast, was a greek salad. It’s not what we get here in the US. It is simply, a block of creamy feta cheese, incredibly fresh tomatoes and crunchy slices of cucumber topped with olive oil and a little oregano. It’s the quality of each ingredient that allows a dish like this to be a masterpiece.
New Orleans- if you have been, you know…..beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Oh my God, they are good and worth the wait. They are warm pillows of goodness covered in powdered sugar. Can someone please bring me a bag??
Turkey- there are many local delicacies, but a stand out for me was the potato borek. It’s like a Jewish knish, but a really good one and not one you get at a hot dog cart in NYC. It’s kind of like flavorful mashed potatoes wrapped inside a flaky crust. Wash it down with some warm Turkish tea and it’s the perfect afternoon snack.
All of this food talk has me dreaming of my next trip. It’s been so long since we have been able to really travel and I am counting down the days until my culinary retreat begins in March of 2022. I have created this trip for you because I want to introduce you to the way I like to travel….eating all of the things along the way and really getting to know an area through it’s food. This one happens to be in Napa and it’s aligned with my farm to table food philosophy. If this sounds good to you, take a look at https://www.theeffortlesskitchen.com/napa2022. It’s small group so we can really connect during our culinary adventure. I am really curious what local food will make my list of OMG, I can’t stop thinking about it. Come find out with me!
And if you have been somewhere and cannot stop thinking about the food, I would love to hear from you. What are your favorite dishes from your travels? Send an email to debbie@theeffortlesskitchen.com to share.
See you in the kitchen or on a food adventure!
Debbie