Category: food

Food Notes for February 1, 2010

Anyone know what the “WHEN?” billboards all around the city are about? Though the campaign seems to be working because I’m asking the question, doesn’t it seem passé to use a similar technique so close to Southgate’s “August 5” campaign? At any rate, here are this week’s food notes:

  • ZINC, the restaurant inside the sparkly new Art Gallery of Alberta, opened for full service today. Menus aren’t up on the website yet, but Liane wrote two articles about the establishment that provide an idea of what to expect. Also worth a read – a NYT article published this weekend about the trend of solid eateries in museums (partly as an effort to help make the museum some money).
  • Though I liked Liane’s article about the current “rock star” quality of local butchers– I couldn’t help but think of this similar article in the NYT, published last summer.
  • I forgot to link to this article last week, but I think it’s a clever idea – kitchen demos are the new showhome hook. Homes By Avi hired a chef to create appetizers for four different showhomes as a means of encouraging visits, and for potential buyers to see the kitchen “in use”.
  • The second annual Winefest returns to the Shaw Conference Centre on February 27. Looks like tickets are available for the afternoon session at this point.
  • Century Room, the revamped Century Grill lounge, is set to open this week.
  • Unfortunate news – Sysco takes over Fin’s.
  • To celebrate their one year anniversary, Flirt Cupcakes is giving away cupcakes to the first 100 visitors on Valentine’s Day!
  • The Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market is hosting a Customer Appreciation Day on February 11.
  • Speaking of farmers’ markets, this is pretty cool – the CBC Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto will be hosting a farmers’ market every week until April. How great would it be to have access to local food year-round in the core?
  • Valerie (aka A Canadian Foodie) is inviting prosciutto lovers to take her taste challenge – she picked up prosciutto de parma, Serrano ham and Iberico ham for a savoury taste-off.
  • Second Cup is really pushing their coffee – we found a card in our mailbox that entitles one to a free medium coffee after each similar purchase…11 times. Too bad I didn’t have one close to my office, or I’d be heading for numerous coffee breaks during the day.

 

Second Cup’s new loyalty program card

  • Sweet Lollapalooza announced that they will be hosting chocolate making workshops in the coming weeks (February 20 and March 9) – contact them to sign up. I swung by there this evening and picked up some of their chocolate chip cookies I’d been wanting to try. Though the chocolate coating wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected, I think the cookie would have been better if it had been soft and chewy.

 

Sweet Lollapalooza cookies

  • Before the wine tasting last week, I stopped by Blue Plate Diner for a comforting bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese. It was a cheesy bowl of warmth, but surprisingly, the soup of the day (Southwestern potato and sausage), stole the show.

 

My blue plate special

Consistent Quality: Origin India

Given the news that another Indian restaurant is joining the Old Strathcona fray (where New Asian Village, Daawat and Origin India have already staked their claims), it looks like Whyte Avenue is becoming quite the hotbed of Indian cuisine.

Origin India is my favourite in the area, owing to their elegance and attention to detail. Their dining room, accented with spot lighting and dark furniture, is intimate and polished. The naan, prepared fresh to order every time, is excellent, and their service is gracious and timely.

Mack and I dined there again in the late fall, but this time opted to order from the a la carte menu, a departure from our usual buffet harvest. We were told by our server that two dishes would suffice to share, though we ended up having to supplement our basmati rice accompaniment with an additional side ($3.00).

Mack, ever the butter chicken faithful, made that dish a necessity ($16.00), while my personal favourite, mutter paneer ($15.00), rounded out our meal. It was a quiet night at the restaurant (we were the only party early on), but it did allow for quick kitchen-to-table service.

Naan

The plates were beautifully arranged – tiny pomme frites in a rainbow of colours and an artful mound of rice bookended each entrée serving, and made it seem like we had ordered a buffet for two. Their butter chicken is one of the best in the city – moist and tender, I find the heat just perfect for my palate. The mutter paneer was equally good, the velvety cubes of cheese and pop of peas enrobed in a thick and creamy sauce.

Butter Chicken

Mutter Paneer

Even with the competition, I think Origin India will remain my favourite – its consistency and food quality will keep me coming back, regardless of its neighbours.

Origin India
10511 82 Avenue
(780) 436-0558

A Love Letter to Local Food: Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill

When I saw the menu for the third Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill, I couldn’t look away. Sylvan Star Cheese fondue? Nature’s Green Acres short ribs? Greens, Eggs and Ham duck confit? Not only did every dish sound delicious, but the ingredients for nearly the entire dinner had been sourced locally. Moreover, several producers would be joining us for the meal. We were in.

The fact that the dinner cost $70 per person (plus $30 for wine pairings) was a moot point when I made our reservations two weeks prior. But after the fact, I can wholeheartedly say that the experience was worth every dollar.

It was a little comical that we made our way to the Union Bank Inn on Friday via public transportation, but then again, it didn’t make sense to drive, particularly in the dinner’s context of sustainability. After our coats were taken, we joined a couple seated at one of the two tables in the Vintage Room, right by the fireplace. Meals at a communal table have to do with the luck of the draw sometimes, but fortunately for us that night, Monique and Patrick and Slow Foodies Nicole and Steve provided us with good company, and enhanced our evening with lovely conversation.

My only criticism was the packed quarters – I felt bad for the servers who had to work between a too-narrow space between the two tables (resulting in a few dropped dishes). I had to wonder if the decision to include an additional eight seats beyond their original limit of twenty was the right call.

The cocktail hour was accented by dainty hors d’oeuvres – including smoked salmon, beef tartar, and Fairwinds Farm goat cheese tartlets. The beef tartar was particularly excellent.

Smoked salmon tartlets

Before the meal began, Chef Blair Lebsack invited the two producers up to provide some background on their farms. Andres Gruenberg (of Greens, Eggs and Ham) and Eric and Ruby Chen (of Peas on Earth), gave us snapshots of their production, and were ever gracious about the work that they do. Blair then proceeded to introduce the appetizer course – descriptions also accompanied every subsequent dish, and was much appreciated. It was obvious that Blair has a lot of respect for local producers (having visited their farms and all), so it was great to hear about some of the cooking processes he used to create the dishes.

The Sylvan Star Cheese fondue came in individual servings, much to my delight (not that I wouldn’t have shared, heh). The grilled apple, Saskatoon berry compote and spicy pine nuts were fancy accompaniments, but I probably would have been happy just with baguette slices and cheese. Yum.

Sylvan Star Cheese Fondue

The Northern Alberta Pike fillet (from Lesser Slave Lake) was a favourite of some around our table. Wrapped in Pembina Pork bacon and topped with candied bacon(!), it was a surprisingly subtle course, with each element holding its own. The fish had been cooked perfectly, and the underlying shellfish and golden beet broth lent an earthy note to the dish. Not surprisingly, Mack loved the candied bacon.

Northern Alberta Pike Fillet

The cleverly named Duck, Duck, Goose was my personal favourite. Andres had asked Blair why he hadn’t been ordering goose, which spurned experimentation in his kitchen. Both birds were served two ways – in-house smoked duck breast atop potato-onion hash, an absolutely sublime pulled duck confit with braised leeks and parsnip puree, slow roasted goose breast with sour cherry pan jus and goose rillette on toast points. The servings may look deceivingly small, but it packed a hefty punch – and had Mack been momentarily distracted, I would have swiped some of his duck confit.

Duck, Duck, Goose

As I had the chance to visit Nature’s Green Acres last summer, I was looking forward to trying their Nouveau Beef again (butchering at seven months lends the beef its name). The braised short ribs did not disappoint – meltingly tender, the flavour in the meat was inherent. The mushroom confit and mushroom-marrow farce were great accompaniments, and mirrored the beef’s richness.

Braised Nouveau Beef Short Ribs

By that point in the meal, I’m sure I would have been satisfied with flavoured whipped cream for dessert, but of course, Blair did not disappoint, and ended the dinner with a bang. The white chocolate pecan brownie had been doused in a duck egg-EnSante wine sabayon and macerated berries – every bite was a textural firework of nutty, tart sweetness.

White Chocolate Brownie

The dinner was a love letter to local food, no question, and I was especially thankful for the opportunity to share a meal with some of the city’s wonderful producers. Shopping at a farmers’ market or even visiting a farm is one thing, but breaking bread is something else altogether. Blair said that another Farmers’ Market Dinner is in the works for March, though patrons would probably get something similar by ordering the chef’s 6-course “Menu Surprise” – a tasting menu that allows the chef to utilize producers that cannot offer great quantities of ingredients.

Thanks to Blair and the staff at Madison’s Grill for a wonderful evening!

Madison’s Grill (in the Union Bank Inn)
10053 Jasper Avenue
(780) 401-2222

Food Notes for January 25, 2010

I know I am probably going to be saying this a lot this year, but I can’t believe it is already the last week of January! Help make it count by voting for Edmonton so we can be a part of the latest edition of Monopoly Canada. On to this week’s food notes:

  • This is your last week to participate in Original Fare’s Fork Fest, with pre-fixe deals at some of Edmonton’s best restaurants going for $25 and $45. Marianne filed a review about The Blue Pear last week.
  • Looking for something different to do with your loved one on Valentine’s Day? Check out Love is Freedom – for $195 per couple, you will get a 4-course cooking lesson, wine pairing, chocolate tasting, live band, and limo service home. Talk about decadence!
  • Looks like L1, the lounge accompaniment to the Fantasyland Hotel’s L2 Grill, is set to open in March.
  • Vue Weekly published an interview with Paulina Meza Romo of The Old Bread Factory last week.
  • Bruce posted some shots of a delectable creation by Delux’s latest celebrity chef: Warren Smith of Wild Game Consultants. I have to say Bruce has the best job – he gets to sample each burger!
  • Slow Food Edmonton has some great events planned for 2010 – I have to say I am particularly looking forward to the grilled cheese smackdown in February, and of course, Indulgence.
  • The Journal published a story this weekend about why it’s tough to get reservations in some of your favourite restaurants. They also had a story about three lovely cafes to visit – The Wired Cup, Mandolin Books and Coffee Co. and Zocalo.
  • I spotted a new-ish Vietnamese restaurant called the Basil Leaf (10023 107 Avenue) on a walk back from Chinatown today. It looked open, with cars outside and people inside. Around the corner from Basil Leaf was another new-to-me restaurant – Samurai Bistro (10003 107 Avenue). No activity around it though, so not sure if it is yet open.

Basil Leaf Kitchen & Sports Bar

  • Hurrah – Edmonton finally has its own Starbucks mug! I have mentioned before that Mack and I collect these mugs on our travels, but of course, wanted to have one that celebrates our own city. I’m not sure I would have chosen the Edmonton Queen as our “defining image”, but then again, apart from the River Valley, I can’t think of anything else that would be suitable. I found the mug at the Starbucks on Jasper and 109 Street (thanks Maria for the tip!).

Starbucks’ Edmonton mug

The Cooking Chronicles: Gnocchi in Sage and Garlic Butter

In search of a rich but fast dinner idea, I remembered the package of gnocchi I had picked up from the Italian Centre a few weeks back (like Foodie Suz, I’m not yet at the stage of attempting my own gnocchi), and an Eric Akis recipe I had bookmarked some time ago.

Even though the directions were straightforward (and were written so the transfer and combination of ingredients could be timed perfectly), I still managed to cook the gnocchi too quickly and burn my garlic slightly. I also expected the gnocchi to plump up somewhat – but alas, the dumplings pretty much remained the same pre-bath size. It would have been fine, except I was expecting a larger output in the end – I think Akis’s “3-4 servings” was a bit exaggerated unless he meant for the gnocchi to act as a side dish.

Gnocchi in Sage and Garlic Butter

The sage and garlic flavours were quite prominent in the thin butter sauce, but I didn’t end up taking to the sage as much as I thought I would, and as a result, I’d be more likely to use thyme or oregano next time. Or, even better, make Gordon Ramsay’s gnocchi recipe that incorporates peas and a white wine cream sauce instead – yum. Regardless, I’m happy to have finally tried gnocchi at home – the pre-packaged variety makes it easy to satisfy any cravings for the pillowy potato dumplings.

Salad Nights: The Greenhouse

Mack and I were attending a seminar over the supper hour on Wednesday, so needed a place near the University to grab some take-out. I remembered Chris’s post on The Greenhouse, a salad bar that shares a space with the Good Earth Cafe on campus, and after consulting their website, decided to give them a try.

Salad bars are all the rage in larger metropolises, and fall into the trend towards healthy, fresh fare. Though The Greenhouse does have an option for the “undecided”, I was impressed by their very creative menu. For example, the “Sleepless in Seattle” features a Bailey’s and espresso dressing and  white chocolate garnish. The Caribbean-inspired “You Jerk”, includes (of course) jerk chicken, mangoes and a coconut lime vinaigrette – these are definitely not your average salads! I also like their “80% healthy, 20% naughty” philosophy – in moderation, particularly when the base greens are nutritious anyway, it’s only right to include some *other* embellishments!

I called in my order about a half hour before, and when we arrived, we found our meal nearly ready, and took some time to chat with the friendly owner while waiting. They’ve been open for about four months, and though many of their customers have been calling for their expansion, he said they are still coming to terms with this location. We commented on the lovely decor – bright green walls with red accents and a cozy fireplace – he responded that they had to do quite a bit of work to liven up the space. The only change we would have recommended would have been an easier-to-read menu. Posted high above the order counter, the font size could have been increased somewhat.

Interior

Once settled into our seminar room, we opened up our boxes. Unfortunately, for the price we paid, we were expecting a larger serving. Mack had ordered a large Sol Caesar ($12), which had a blackened chicken breast, sundried tomatoes, turkey bacon, whole-wheat croutons, Pecorino cheese and a golden Caesar dressing. While he loved the croutons and the cheese, he would have preferred a more traditional creamy Caesar dressing, or to have had no dressing at all, particularly as his salad had been quite overdressed.

Sol Caesar

I had ordered a soup and salad combo ($11.50). The tomato chickpea soup (one of their two soups of the day) was disappointing – there were no chickpeas! The Greens and Protein salad was great though – the lemon and roast garlic steak (albeit a small portion) was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and I loved the inclusion of eggs (a play on steak and eggs, perhaps?), edamame beans, chickpeas, peanuts, apricots and camembert. The slightly thicker consistency of the balsamic dressing was also appreciated, even though my salad was also overdressed. The proetin variety in my salad left me completely satisfied, though it is worth noting once we returned home after the seminar, we were both hungry again.

Greens and Protein

I would consider going to The Greenhouse in the future, if not only to see what other innovative salads they have introduced to their menu (on special that day was Tandoori chicken), but I would look to supplementing the meal with something else.

The Greenhouse
8623 112 Street
(780) 757-1731
Open daily 11am-7pm

Korean Delight: Lee House

On a fine fall day (you read that right), I met up with Annie at Lee House, a Korean restaurant tucked away almost unseen in an Old Strathcona strip mall. I hadn’t been there before, though Annie had, but the ultimate reason we chose Lee House was because of its proximity to Annie’s school and my ability to get there on one direct bus after work.

About half of the tables were full upon our arrival, but continued to pick-up throughout our stay. And though we were seated at the odd table out (most of the furniture was wood; our table and chairs were seemingly spared from an 80s furniture cull), we still benefited from the warm surroundings – wood floor, wood paneling, simple grey wallpaper and incandescent lighting. Service was conversely pleasant, as our waitress respected our desire to linger.

Neither Annie or myself deviated far from our Korean favourites – I ordered my usual stone bowl bibim bab ($12.95), while she opted for the spicy noodle soup with seafood ($12.95). I did succumb to the intriguing vegetable pancakes ($10.95), however, and selected them to start our meal.

The vegetable pancakes were the weakest part of our experience, and weren’t worth it. The plate contained what was essentially battered zucchini – the dish could have been good, but had a texture that neither of us enjoyed – not quite crispy, yet not quite tender.

Vegetable Pancakes

On the other hand, my dolsot bibim bab was fantastic. I’ve never had a stone bowl version stay hot for the entire duration of my feast (being a slow eater and all), but this bowl was absolutely sizzling. I love the combination of pickled carrots, bean sprouts, and a creamy fried egg to bind the mixture together. Of course, the bits of crunchy rice are the best – a reward for reaching the bowl’s bottom.

Dolsot Bibim Bab

Annie liked her entrée as well, and in particular, the flavour and heat of the soup. She commented that the seafood was a bit lacking though, and would have traded the large mound of rice noodles for more mussels, prawns and squid.

Spicy Korean Red Chili Noodle Soup

It was a solid meal overall with few blemishes. Lee House’s relative accessibility on public transit is also a bonus (compared with, say, B-Bim-Baab), so I know I will be back in the future.

Lee House
7904 104 Street
(780) 438-0790

Food Notes for January 18, 2010

I am loving this warmer weather, and though the slush is hard to wade through at some junctures, I’d much prefer this to colder climes. Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

  • Original Fare’s Fork Fest is on! Running January 17-21 and24-28, pre-fixe meals are on for $25 and $45, and is a great way to try out a new restaurant (or return to an old favourite). Remember to sign up for a VIP card if you haven’t already.
  • The NAIT Culinary Arts program’s next Chef in Residence is Restaurant Makeover’s David Adjey (you may remember the school brought Rob Feenie in 2009). Adjey was in town recently for Capital Ex, where he conducted some cooking demos at the Sip stage.
  • Liane posted that Century Hospitality is on track to finally open its second Delux Burger Bar in May 2010 in West Edmonton Mall (Chris Lachance had originally pegged the expansion to take place by November 2009) – curious that they would choose a location so close to Crestwood, where their first branch is, but then again, they are probably actively seeking the same clientele that would patronize Cactus Club.
  • Also from Liane – a feature on The Bothy and three pubs with good grub (Red Star, Bibo and Filty McNasty’s).
  • Twisted Yogurt, the frozen yogurt outlet in Sherwood Park, has a website up with its forthcoming locations listed. I’m looking forward to their growth!
  • Also growing is Avocado (how could you not love the name?!), a Mexican restaurant. A St. Albert location opened up in the fall of 2009, but it looks like several more franchises are coming to Edmonton, including one in Ellerslie, coming soon.
  • Shark Club in the west end of the city has shuttered after 18 months of business.
  • Julie van Rosendaal wrote about her experience introducing Anthony Bourdain to a crowd of ravenous foodies in Calgary last week. While I wasn’t there, I’m sure she did a fabulous job – it’s too bad some people chose to rain on her parade.
  • Chris posted about the first Five Guys location in Canada, to be in Medicine Hat of all places. Mack and I had the chance to visit Five Guys while in DC – I hope they expand to Edmonton soon.
  • I guess it was just a matter of time: Guy Fieri will be hosting a game show on NBC, debuting in March.
  • Mack snapped a photo of the new lower-calorie snacks now available at Starbucks. While I don’t often buy food at Starbucks, it’s always nice to have more options, just in case.

Starbucks’ snack display (at the store on Jasper Avenue and 109 Street)

  • I heard about the Le Gnome closing early this week – they were unable to come to “reasonable terms” with their landlord, and will cease operations as of January 31, 2010. With a gift certificate I got for Christmas I needed to spend, Mack and I headed to WEM on Sunday. It was pretty busy (as you can see from the photos), but our wait in line wasn’t long. Everything was 30% off, but even with the discount, many things were still out of our price range, and like Brulee Blog, we kept our spending to a minimum. We ended up picking up a quartet of Emile Henry ramekins, a vegetable scrubber, and a soap dispenser – things we wanted anyway.

At Le Gnome

Inside the store

The Cooking Chronicles: Tandoori Quesadillas

I love borrowing cookbooks from the library. And though I am not able to make more than one or two dishes in the time that I have the book (and yes, I usually take advantage of the option of multiple renewals), having time to peruse the recipes helps me determine if it’s a volume I’d like to permanently add to my collection.

Everyday Indian is a lovely publication, and one I first came across while browsing the shelves at the library. Written by Vancouver-based author Bal Arneson, the recipes capture Indian flavours with a North American slant, and to someone with limited kitchen expertise, didn’t seem overly complicated. Although some of her anecdotes seem misplaced and forced, the photos are bright and inviting, and make the book a breeze to read.

Mack loves quesadillas, so Bal’s tandoori version caught my eye. A quick stir-fry of onion, garlic and tandoori paste formed the flavour base, which was combined with chicken, some yogurt, then baked off in tortillas with mozzarella. The result? A spicy, slightly tangy quesadilla that was wholly satisfying – the yogurt mellowed the heat, and the sweetness of the onion added another dimension to every bite. It was an interesting departure from the salsa-based snack.

Tandoori Quesadillas

Paired with a salad, it’s a quick go-to meal, and one that we’ve made a few times since.

Culinary Q & A with Jennifer Cockrall-King

Occupation: Food writer

What did you eat today?

Apart from chocolate, you mean? While I do derive a significant amount of my daily caloric intake thanks to the stash of dark chocolate in my kitchen, today was a good food day. Breakfast was some peanut buttered toast with  tea. I’m not very motivated in the morning. But my husband and I had rack of lamb for lunch (!! I know) that we seared off in a frying pan and then plastered with a mash of chopped parsely, garlic, black olive tapenade, lemon zest and olive oil. We put the pan into the oven and let it cook some more until it was about medium. I don’t like rare lamb. We had a parsley salad with capers, thin onion slices, lemon juice and olive oil. (That’s a Nigella recipe from one of her shows and we simply call it “Nigella Salad” in our house.) We kind of eat big lunches in our house. Dinner was just soup because we were running out the door to see the Olympic torch relay.

What do you never eat?

I don’t think of myself as a picky eater, but neither am I a fearless omnivore. I don’t really like steak tartare. I detest liver. I’m not fond of foie gras, but I will eat it if it arrives on a plate and I’m at a dinner party. No brain, ever. No kidneys, heart, and other offal. I also don’t eat beef / beef products unless they are grassfed and grass-finished if possible. (I eat a lot of bison.) Oh, and I try really hard to not eat tuna, especially Blue Fin, and other absolute no-nos in the commercial fishing world. The fact that it tastes like heaven is not an argument to eat irresponsibly.  Most food I don’t eat are on a taste or texture ground, but I have a few items that I just don’t eat on moral or ecological grounds.

What is your personal specialty?

You can’t tell because this Q & A is not done in real time, but it is taking me a long time to answer. I guess I’m a generalist. I am better are savory dishes than sweet. I’m not a baker or a dessert-maker. I make a good French onion soup from scratch, because I’ll take hours to simmer and caramelize the onions. In the summer I make a really great roasted beet, fresh apricot and goat cheese salad with a shallot vinaigrette. It’s the best of summer all in one bowl.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

…half-full / half-empty jars of “impulse buys” like gourmet pestos, strange mustards, and pickled things and such. It’s a bit of a disaster because I have difficulty throwing stuff like that away, even if I don’t really like it as much as I thought I would when I bought it.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Caesar Salad with chicken. We make it from scratch so often that we usually just make a big jar of our homemade Caesar salad dressing and good quality Parmesan ready to roll. I’m pretty addicted to salads of all kinds because they are easy and I’ll use up little bits of leftovers — quinoa, green beans, steak, cheese — in my “salads.” They’re not just a few delicate leaves artfully arranged on a plate! Basically salads in our house may or may not contain leaves, but almost always contain cold leftovers.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

A wine-bottle opener for obvious reasons. After that, a good, sharp, heavy cleaver. It’s really satisfying to split a squash in half  in just one whack.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Well, if the world really is coming to an end, then Blue Fin Tuna it is!!! (Under those circumstances, I’m sure it would be OK.) My last meal — on the eve of global collapse — would involve several bottles of good (French) Champagne, a raw oyster buffet, pan-fried baby eggplant and baby artichokes with Maldon sea salt, Poplar Grove Bench Blue cheese, tree-ripe Okanagan peaches, plums, cherries, …

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Somewhere within walking distance of our condo. We’re lucky, we’re close to the new Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, Matahari, Famoso Pizzeria, La Shish-Taouk, Cafe de Ville and such. Further afield I like to try new places and I definitely prefer smaller places or independents like Culina, Wild Tangerine, Blue Pear (though it’s been waaayyy too long since I’ve been there) and many of the other “Original Fare” restaurants. The food is better, the atmosphere is better and the money goes into the pockets of other Edmontonians. That’s very important to me. Having worked at Hardware Grill for almost three years, the place is like going home.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

That’s totally impossible…and I’ll get in trouble if I name just one.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I would love to go to Turkey, Morocco, and southern Spain (are you listening, travel and PR companies???). Ha. No those are my dream culinary vacations and I would eat everything in my path while there. Except for brains and such (see above list of my ‘Don’t Eat” foods..) I was meant to live on or near to the Equator.