Hong Kong: a metropolis of contradictions. There is so much I love about the city of Hong Kong that it is almost impossible to articulate in a single thought. What draws me year after year to return to the Fragrant Harbor; a name inspired by the city’s early activities as a major Asian trading post for fragrant incense?
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Vilhelms Kuze cafe in Riga. In most European cities, café culture is an institution. For me, coffee houses are more than simply a place to indulge in delectable drinks and extravagant pastries—they are also destinations enriched by an architecture that gives each place its own identity. Be it in Padua (Café Pedrocchi), Paris (Café de Flore), Porto (Café Majestic), Prague (Café Imperial), Venice (Café Florian), Vienna (Café Central) or Zürich (Café Odeon), among many other favorites, I have always considered cafes a must when traveling.
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An Architecture travel abroad program (i.e., field trips), historically coined the Grand Tour, were established in the 17th century and tailored to British aristocrats in pursuit of refining their liberal arts education through a visit to continental Europe. For students tutored under a mentor, favored destinations such as Italy and Greece introduced the Classical world of antiquity to those who were expected to be leaders of their country, especially in that time of the beginning of “greater political or economic cooperation among states and nations.”
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There are few dishes more pleasing to me than a plate of pasta with a delectable sauce. As a child, I remember wanting to eat pasta almost every single day, and now that I am grown up, I admit that I sometimes prepare pasta for breakfast (Indian Seviyan with curry leaves, turmeric, and grilled cashew nuts), lunch, and dinner. Definitely an item that I would crave on a deserted island!
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Eating at a diner. Growing up in Vienna, Austria, where I lived between the ages of 5 and 12, restaurant menus were mundane compared to those encountered today. This is particularly true when compared to menus found at road side dining establishments that blanket America; with their over-scaled pages and abundant choices, always followed by gargantuan portions.
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I am of the opinion that roasted chickens (also called rotisserie chickens) found in most grocery stores are excellent, flavorful, and rather inexpensive. Despite this, I understand that there is a desire to want to roast one’s own chicken and many other dishes (i.e. “making restaurant-quality waffles, pizza and bagels with the single touch of a button”)—especially after this year’s seasonal holiday promotion of Air Fryer Ovens. Continue reading How to use a roast chicken five ways
Almost every year, blogs, upscale magazines, and food critics define trends that restaurants and home chefs enjoy in their daily cuisine. I am always interested in how they come up with their assumptions, especially since spotlights on international food seem to be focused on discovering unknown ingredients – difficult as travel to far corners of the world has made us blasé.
Comfort food brings back memories of matriarchs cooking for their kids. Dishes were simple. For me, when my parents rekindled as a couple with a dinner at their favorite restaurant I looked forward to spaghetti with butter sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and Parmesan. When I felt sick and was in need of additional maternal love there was classic chicken soup. And, of course, perfect for anytime, an old-fashioned homemade American apple pie. I know, nostalgia and sentimental feelings of childhood are often associated with comfort foods: and why not, as we are all humans and in need of COMFORT.
Culinary memories from Switzerland: THE canapé. Sandwiches are a ubiquitous food staple around the world. From their official inception with John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792)—who had requested that his valet prepare a “piece of meat tucked between two pieces of bread” —to contemporary fast food franchises specializing in oversized, fully loaded footlong versions, each country’s identity includes some sort of bread butterflied and filled with delectable indigenous ingredients (melted cheese, cold and grilled meats, vegetables, yogurt, spicy mayonnaise, and even peanut butter and jelly). Perhaps one day, in this cornucopia of world sandwiches, one might be included as a food item on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Breakfast bread pudding ham cups. Breakfast will always be special and, as I’ve said before, the variety of items that constitute the day’s first meal remains endless. However, while I most often return to my favorite selections, I do find myself wanting to try new ways to cook, present, and interpret breakfast staples. Recently, I came across an innovative way to use three basic ingredients: bread, eggs, and ham.