Esterhazyschnitte
Amidst my craziness, I headed to Vienna, Austria, for the weekend. Unfortunately, we were hit with very bad weather; but from a positive perspective, it meant more time in cafes and restaurants relaxing and chatting.
Germknödel
Of course, I visited the major coffeehouses--Cafe Demel, Cafe Central, and Cafe Sperl--while walking by Cafe Sacher and Cafe Landtmann. But, I did not have the Sachertorte, the quintessential symbol of Viennese dessert. Why? Well, a friend advised that it's way over-hyped and there are so many other cakes that are just as good, if not better, to try. Plus, I have had it before; so, I took the chance to try something different. Sadly, I only managed one--the Esterhazyschnitte--a hazelnut cream layer cake with a melange, similar to a cafe latte.
The remaining food adventures came under the guidance of my local friend. The first was Germknödel with Powidl, a yeast-based bun filled with concentrated plum jam (similar to the Chinese sweet-filled buns) surrounded with vanilla sauce and topped with poppyseeds. The second was an egg/flour/milk pancake-like mix chopped up and accompanied with plum sauce. Both resembled other familiar foods but with their unique differences.
Eiernockerl
The last dish (for dinner) was Eiernockerl, a Viennese-type noodle scrambled with egg and leek, accompanied with a salad and pumpkinseed oil. The most intriguing was the pumpkinseed oil, an Austrian specialty, embodying the characteristic pumpkinseed smell with a very light flavour.
Two days were no where enough for a worthy Viennese food adventure, but I managed to cover the spectrum of fancy cakes to homestyled specialties. I definitely hope to return and try some more cakes. =) And, get a hold of a bottle of pumpkinseed oil!
Monday, March 3. 2008
Viennese Food
Saturday, December 1. 2007
Mill Road Winter Fair 2007
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As the ethnic centre of Cambridge, 2007 marks the second year for the festival with food, crafts, music, performances, and small exhibitions. Despite the strong winds, a cheery sun brought warmth to the mid-winter blues and some life to an exhausted soul. It's one of those few times where it was nice to be amongst the crowd, exploring, observing, and trying new things.
Since I live on the other side of town, I only venture to Mill Rd when I need certain Asian groceries, and I rarely have the chance to visit the neighboring shops. As for crossing the bridge, I think I've only done that twice over the past 1.5 years. In any case, it was quite nice to leisurely explore the various shops selling whole foods, Italian imports, Middle Eastern specialties, etc, as well as wandering through the elderly home and churches.
I was quite intrigued by Arjuna, a shop that sells whole food products. Their "Spicy Tuscan Bean Soup" was nice--not too tomatoey or beany but with a good spicy punch to battle against the winter cold. I liked their collection of cereals and various items, especially a self-weigh herbs and spice shelf. Across the bridge is Limoncello, an Italian shop of 10 years with a shopfront fully covered with panettones as well as tasty pesto sauces, sweets, and deli products.
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It was definitely a nice way to spend a Saturday mid-morning, walking off the stresses of the past 1.5 months, and enjoying the superficial rays of a wintry sun before darkness ensued after 3pm...
Saturday, November 17. 2007
BBC Good Food Show
Finally, the day of the highly anticipated (by me 
) BBC Good Food Show in London arrived! I could feel pure bliss coursing through my body as I stepped through the doors. Seriously, it was happiness, home, heaven... I LOVE FOOD!
The floor map was unfortunately useless to me since most of the company names were foreign to non-natives; so, I walked in a fairly systematic manner--row by row. For the Ground floor exhibit area, the perimeter mainly consisted of cooking tools. The far end carried all the alcoholic drinks, including a toffee vodka (very tasty) and a dairy-free cream liquor (a bit disgusting...). The farthest corner was the gourmet restaurant dining experience. And the rest of the main floor were the food stalls consisting of meat (fresh and cured), seafood, dairy products (cheese, yogurt, smoothie), olives, savoury/sweet pastries, biscuits, chocolates, teas, etc. The first floor circulating the perimeter offered a cooking theatre as well as several more food stands.
I think about a quarter consisted of sauces, spices, oils, and chutneys. I didn't venture to try most because I knew if I started, I'd have to try all of them in order to obtain an accurate assessment. Still, that's not to say I have no interest...
Other than those, I probably tried nearly all the available samples. The Godminster cheese offered a unique grainy texture while another stall had a variety of flavour-infused cheddar; the garlic and herb one was very nice. One stall even had its own oven to warm up their freezer-to-oven savoury pies which were quite tasty. Yet another baked a fresh chocolate cake using vegetables and no oil; it definitely didn't taste indulgent, but it was quite light, airy, and moist. (I'd like to research further the scientific basis behind the hype of its special cookware; apparently, the design helps control temperature and cooking to retain moisture and eliminate the need for oil and salt.) Of the chocolates, I was fairly amazed by Vanini, an Italian-based company that offered a surprisingly creamy 70% dark chocolate. The chocolate covered desiccated fruits by Zeina were surprisingly nice! The dehydration process gives a more tart flavor with an airy crunchy texture. One carried a decent wine-infused milk chocolate (merlot, shiraz, and pinot noir), while the sugar free chocolate of another seemed more enticing in the concept rather than the taste from the lower grade quality of chocolate.
Obviously, there were lots more. There's definitely a noticeable regional difference in the types of food exhibited when compared to the American Dietetics Association (ADA) Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) one I attended a few years back. Neither was it as big nor did it provide as many free samples. Still, it was a VERY enjoyable experience; so enjoyable, it took me nearly 30 minutes to finally drag myself out the door. It wasn't a harvest (since I'm so stingy 
), but I did get some stuff. Will I go again next year? I think I might, just for the fun of it since I LOVE trying things.
Wednesday, October 31. 2007
St John's Cheese Tasting
My college, St. John's, has been propagating a string of tastings this year, and I have definitely been a big fan of it. A few weeks ago, we had a tea tasting with a Cambridge graduate who returned to open a tea shop carrying teas from all over the world. It was definitely a first for me, and I enjoyed it very much.
Tonight, we had a cheese tasting of 5 cheeses made by small local regional English farms:
- Sharpham Rustic (South Devon) -- Made from Jersey cows and aged for 6-8 weeks. It's a very creamy, soft, and mild-flavored Brie that spread almost like butter. I didn't taste much of the metallickiness that I find in many mass-produced Brie, although it did have a slight bitter aftertaste.
- Golden Cross (East Sussex) -- Made from goat's milk and matured for 4 weeks. Soft, more creamy than crumbly goat's cheese rolled in ash. It tasted almost like eating lamb. Unique and delightful
- Wigmore (Risley Berkshire) -- Made from sheep's milk and aged for 2 months. Semi-soft with very very mild flavor.
- Lincolnshire Poacher (Alford) -- Cheddar cheese aged for 12 month. Definitely has a sharp matured flavor with an oaky taste.
- Suffolk Blue (Suffolk) -- Made from Guernsey cows. Very mild for a blue cheese without the characteristic sharp mold flavor and saltiness.
Overall, the evening was much more fancy than expected and extremely enjoyable. I absolutely loved the Golden Cross; and the Sharpham Rustic went lovely with the biscuits. Seriously, we are so spoiled at John's!!
Sunday, October 28. 2007
The Foods of Belgium
A chance encounter with a street stand at the Korenmarkt in Ghent unveiled a local delicacy--"vlaaien." Ginger-spice flavored, the texture resembled a pumpkin pie filling--custardy yet puree-like. The only crust was the top and sides formed by the direct contact with the oven fire. It was definitely a nice dessert on a cold day.
Next came the search for the meat and beer stew called "stoofvlees" or "stoverij." I found one serving "stoofvlees met sla," a Flemish beef stew, with frites. Hearty, slightly sweet, and flavorful, it was beef stewed in beer, bay leaves, maybe tomatoes and onions, plus a mix of sauces/spices/herbs. The frites themselves resembled the !McDonald's thin strips, and with the typical Belgian mayo pairing, it was delicious! Add a little stoofvlees sauce, and it was beyond delectable!
Finally came the moules at the Rue de Bouchers in Brussels. Gauntlet might just begin to describe the atmosphere. Every restaurant sold moules. Criss-crossing awnings barricaded the sky while bright neon signs bathed the enclosed alley with an eerie glow. Tables spilled out from both sides forcing pedestrians to walk single file in either direction. Large poster signs surrounded the tables, chairs, and storefronts advertising moules, other seafood dishes, menu du jour, and suggestions du jour; some even included pictures. The finishing touch were the hired sirens beckoning guests to enter their restaurant, where undesired service began with any accidental eye contact.
After circulating the street a couple times, I ultimately chose one without a hawker that happened to fit the vague descriptions of the best moules restaurant recommended by my gourmand friend. Soon, a big bowl of moules with an equally big empty metallic bowl for the shells and a small plate of frites arrived. The moules were simply poached in white wine, butter, and celery to create tenderful meat with a light refreshing soup. Simple, bountiful, and relatively inexpensive, I wonder how the more than 20 restaurants on that street differed...
