Gourmet Scientist - Travel/Tastings

Crème de Marrons

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:53:51 -0400

Breakfast biscuits

I've just returned from a week-long trip to Paris on a short language exchange program with my department. I didn't manage to try anything fancy nor embark on a pastry/confectionary/chocolate tasting, but I did enjoy a few nice meals encompassing french onion soup, grilled lamb, steak au poivre, steak au roquefort, frites, smoked fish salad, chocolate mousse, and the obligatory baguettes and sandwiches. =) I also came across the breakfast biscuits that my friend introduced to me when I visited her 2 years ago in Montpellier, France.

Still, I did learn of one new item: crème de marrons (chestnut cream). I'd just read about it on Tartlette's blog, and fortunately enough, it was offered as one of the toppings for our first convivial meal of homemade savoury and sweet crepes. One bite and I was instantly hooked. It was a creamy paste of roasted chestnut flavour with a hint of sweetness. I'd only recently learned of the joy of roasted chestnut, and this was even better as it eliminated the work of roasting and cracking the nuts and there was the added tinge of sweetness. It's just as bad as nutella, as I can eat it straight out of the can! Too bad I only bought one small one for myself...

Tiramisu

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:48:00 -0400

I have been searching for the authentic tiramisu for a very long time, although I'm beginning to think that it's impossible as there can be so many variations, and it ultimately depends on what you like.

I only found out two years ago that some people add amaretto. Then there's the instant coffee or expresso punch. More alcoholic burn (boozy), coffee caffeine rush, or chocolate depth. It can be moussy creamy that is densely flavoured or lightened with whipped cream. Or it can be more cake and bread-like with a moist or lighter texture.

In any case, I was most amazed by the one we had in Venice. It was cake-like with less marscapone and zabaglione. The alcohol and coffee was also minimal. The balance was perfect with both the texture and flavour light but present. Completely contrary to practially all the tiramisu's that I've had, this one was perfect for the end of the meal. It was neither heavy nor overpowering. I never knew tiramisu could be so ethereal.

Pasta in (Venice) Italy

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:08:00 -0500

Spaghetti carbonara

Being in Italy, pasta is, of course, a must; but unfortunately, I'm not able to eat much of it due to digestive problems. Still, I managed to sneak small tasters from my friends. As with any food, you don't know what you're missing until you've had the real thing. Maybe it's because the pasta was handmade. Maybe it's the flour, water, or production process. Maybe it's a local factor (After reading Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection, you realize that one can only replicate a dish so far due to the effects of regional differences). Whatever it was, the pasta definitely tasted softer with a nice tender chewy texture. It was not the dead hard or soggy soft of dried store bought pasta.

Sauce, as many have mentioned, was just enough to coat the pasta yet provide satisfying flavour. The pasta was not swimming in it. Simply amazing how little sauce can provide such a flavourful punch, something the Italian cuisine is often described by: using minimal fresh and high-quality ingredients for maximum flavour. Although, I do have to add, I sometimes like extra tomato sauce!

Pasta with squid ink

While in Venice, we tried one of the signature dishes: pasta coated with squid ink. The ink itself is not very flavourful, but the colour is certainly amusing, especially when you're not the person eating it. I wonder if there is any other reason for using the squid ink...

Horse meat in Verona

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:26:00 -0500

Horse meat tartare

Am I a hypocrite?? I remember reading an article many years ago about Europeans butchering wild horses for their meat and how despicable it sounded, especially since I like horses. Well, I was quite young then and fairly naive.

Late last year, when an unexpected visit to Verona, Italy, led to an equally unexpected discovery that horse meat was a specialty, my curious nature got the better of me, and I HAD to try it. So, for lunch, my 3 friends and I ventured into a local restaurant in search of horse meat. My friends had the lunch set menu with 2 courses, while I went for the a la carte both for the greater choice and the more manageable portion of food. What did I order? Something extreme enough for our server to ask at least twice whether I knew what it was that I ordered: horse meat tartare. Yup. I went for the most extreme of extremes. :-P

Bistecca (well-done)

All 3 of my friends had the "bistecca," a thin piece of meat that was pan-fried, but all managed to be different. There was a raw (recommended by our server), medium, and well-done, although the raw was still slightly cooked. So, we managed to have horse meat cooked in every which way.

The verdict was that horse meat was less chewy and less strong in flavour as compared to beef; and it was well-received by all. Now I understand why so many people enjoy it.

But, you may still be wondering what raw horse meat tastes like. Well, with tartare, the flavour comes mainly from the added sauces/ingredients rather than the meat itself as raw meat is essentially tasteless. Texturally, it was quite chewy since it's not cooked. Rest assured, nothing happened afterwards, although I was quite stuffed from all the uncooked meat that my poor stomach/intestines had to digest!

Macaroons

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:36:00 -0500

So far, I've encountered three sweets under the name ''macaroons'': a Scottish flapjack made with coconut and chocolate, a coconut biscuit/cookie, and a sandwich biscuit/cookie made with crushed almonds. It's the last that's of interest.

My first encounter with these was at a local dessert shop back home in Columbus, Ohio, called Pistachia Vera (formerly ''Pistachio''). The batter is left to air-dry for a day before baking to create a thin crunchy exterior followed by a moist bread/cake-like interior. Sandwiched between two pieces is a creamed filling. Priced at 1 USD for the size of a medallion, it's definitely an indulgence; but once you've tried one, you can't help falling in love with the mixture of texture and flavour.

Recently, I encountered them at two other shops. One was French Tart in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the macaroons were shipped daily from France. Slightly smaller and more expensive, I wanted to know why someone would go to such an extent. The second was Laduree, a famous French patisserie with a branch in London, UK, next to Harrods; this store was well-reputed for their macaroons, and at 1.20 GBP each, it was not cheap. Amazingly, neither tasted as good as the one from ''Pistachia Vera''! The one in Pittsburgh was no where as flavourful while the one in London did not have the unique texture (dare I say, bordering over-moist).

Who would have thought: a local store could produce something that surpasses internationally-reputed standards!

Viennese Food

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:16:00 -0500

Esterhazyschnitte

Germknödel

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.

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.

Eiernockerl

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.

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!

Mill Road Winter Fair 2007

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:18:37 -0500

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.

Along the "Avenue of Lime Trees"⁞ were various food stalls. I targeted Cotto, a bakery/cafe/restaurant I've been interested in visiting but have never had the chance. The cakes were okay, but their biscuits were decent. I'd be interested in trying their bakery products in the future. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to attend their cooking demonstrations.

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...

BBC Good Food Show

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:55:00 -0500

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.

Exhibition area (Grand Hall Olympia, London)

My small harvest (Purchased: Toasted Oats, Flavours of the World chocolate fruits; Rest: free)

Harvest from ADA FNCE 2005 for comparison (everything was FREE! and that was day 1 of 3!)

St John's Cheese Tasting

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:16:00 -0400

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.

In addition to the cheeses, we had Miller's Damsels, wafer thin biscuits with a deep wheat flavor that dissipated finely and added a hearty richness to the cheeses. We also had a nice sharp Bramley apple juice made from Cheshire.

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!!

The Foods of Belgium

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:00:00 -0400

Vlaaien

Moules, frites, and wafels...some of the most well-known of the touristified Belgian culinary attractions. The sweet dough smell of wafels pervaded through every city, gently dissipating into a mysterious sweet potato aroma from afar. In the city centre, it was either the click and flash of cameras or the white sticks pricking into baskets or cones of fresh frites served with mayo. Seriously, no one could starve themselves of carbohydrates in Belgium with the chocolates, frites, and wafels saturating every nook and cranny. I definitely didn't have enough time to try all of them, but I did attempt a few.

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.

Stoofvlees met sla

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...

Rue de Bouchers at night

Rue de Bouchers by day

Moules with frites