My Gelato Tour of Bologna Italy

Aside from all the pasta I ate when in Bologna last week, I also consumed a large amount of gelato.  The temperatures most days were around 90-ish degrees (30+ in Centigrade).  My pasta class was quite intensive and physical and was held in a non air-conditioned environment.  My hotel also did not have AC other than in the lobby.  With a humid, sticky atmosphere both outside and in wherever I seemed to go, this was the perfect excuse to eat ice cream for dinner.

Before I left for Italy, I had done some research on the topic of where to find the best gelato in town.  There were several lists from which to draw, plus I had some recommendations from people whom I met while there.  What is really interesting, as one of my Italian classmates agreed with as well, is that when I lived and studied in Bologna many years ago, it wasn’t particularly known as having great entries in this food category.  Pasta, yes, Lasagna, yes, other great dishes, yes, but gelato, while good varieties could be found in several neighborhoods, wasn’t really considered the city’s strong suit.

 

Grom (Via D’Azeglio, 13)

Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s in London

My mother loved to do tea anywhere we traveled.  Of course, this was especially true anytime we were in London together.  I find that I’ve ended up keeping up the same tradition without even realizing it, and each time I’ve visited this city, I try to find one afternoon, at least, when I can take time out for tea.  Last time I was there, my friends raved about the service at Claridge’s.  I tried but couldn’t get a booking then.  This time, I managed to get a seating on Friday afternoon.

From the minute you sit down at the table, the staff is by your side making sure that you are comfortable and familiar with this pastime associated with another era.  You’ve stepped away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Oxford and Regent Streets and the beckoning luxury shops of this Mayfair neighborhood and into a quiet, serene world.  To start, you can choose between a traditional Afternoon Tea or splurge a bit and go for the Champagne Tea.  The first comes with sandwiches, sweets, and scones while the second has the same items plus a glass of champagne and an individual chocolate creation added to it as well.  I opted for the Afternoon Tea.

Tea and Sandwiches at Claridge’s

 Once you’ve decided which version of this respite to have, the next task is to pick out which tea to enjoy.  The list of about 30 teas covers the globe as well as many varietals, including some exclusive ones like Royal White-Silver Needles.  I picked out the Tregothnan one, which is English-grown from an estate in Cornwall that dates back several centuries.  It is possible to change teas during your meal, so if you can’t decide between a couple of them, note the ones you’d like to try and talk to the server about sampling those as well.

Then, I needed to select which sandwiches to have.  All of them are served on different varieties of organic bread.  I went with the typical selection which had Smoked Salmon with an orange butter than went perfectly with the salty, smoky fish; Ham, butter, and watercress; Organic Roast Chicken with tomato; very English Cucumber with cream cheese; and my favorite Egg Mayonnaise and watercress.  I was also able to try the vegetarian sandwich plate which had the last two of the above sandwiches plus a Red pepper and hummus; Cheddar cheese and chutney; and Mushroom and lettuce.  The cheese one of those was my favorite as the chutney’s sweetness and hint of curry kick cut through the dairy fattiness of the cheddar.

Scones with Clotted Cream and Marco Polo Tea Jelly

After the sandwiches, I was brought a tray that included two types of scones with clotted cream and their own Marco Polo Tea Jelly.  The fluffy scones were the traditional raisin and an apple one.  I really enjoyed the contrast that tart green fruit slivers brought to the clotted cream that I dolloped on top of each half.  I also put a generous helping of the jelly on top of that.  The jelly gave a slightly sweet, floral, fruity essence to every bite of the scones and was a delightful combination with the buttery, rich cream and is exclusive to Claridge's.  When I discovered that I could buy a jar of the jelly in their gift shop, I snapped up a it so that I could re-create this experience back at home.

Along with the scones came two sweet treats.  The one on the left is basically a millefeuille with vanilla bean-speckled pastry cream.  Done wrong and these confections taste horrible, sort of like glue and cardboard put together.  Done perfectly, as this one was, you get crisp, toasty puff pastry with delicately-flavored vanilla cream slathered between each layer.  The star of this plate for me was, however, the Passionfruit Shot.  So much beautiful, tropical flavor was came together in this small glass.  I wish that all desserts could be this wonderfully constructed.

 Millefeuille and Passionfruit Shot

 Burnt sugar style tuile pieces and cubes of fresh pineapple decorated the top of this dish.  Then, the spoon touches the passionfruit mousse which has the exact right balance between fruit flavor and fluffy mousse-iness (combining cream, sugar, and eggs).  As the fruit in its native state can be somewhat tart and acidic, the chef was a genius in bringing out the tropical, floral notes without those other features showing through.  At the bottom of the glass, for that extra punch of flavor was a thin layer of passionfruit curd, further tying together the dish by going back for a sweet finish.  I could have eaten a whole tray of these.

To say that it was a special experience to take tea at Claridge’s might sound a bit trite, but this was really one of the best and most enjoyable times that I have every had with this afternoon ritual.  The food was fantastic and showed the care and craft that is a hallmark of the hotel.  The music was lively but not intrusive at all.  The staff was superb and attentive to everything, making sure that I and the other guests had everything that we needed so that we could enjoy taking a moment out to stop the world and relax.  The lobby with Art Deco and Art Nouveau finishes brought together in modern harmony is an exquisite setting for any meal.  Once I finished, I felt recharged and refreshed, ready to take on more of the adventures that London had to show me.

Buon appetito!

 

Artichoke Salad with Shaved Parmesan

 

Artichokes are another one of those things that took me a while to really like to eat, along with asparagus, mushrooms, and a few other foods.  Then, a few years back, I had them raw and thinly sliced dressed with olive oil and parmesan cheese.  I think I kind of fell in love with them then.  The creamy nuttiness of the cheese went along perfectly with the crunchy vegetable which picked up the fruitiness of the oil and the slight tang from the lemon juice and carried it along in delicious harmony.

Panel on “Markets 2.0 – The Resurgence of Traditional Markets in New York City”

One of my favorite things about living in New York City is the various and varied markets that exist here.  I’d fallen in love with shopping for local food from small-scale vendors when I lived overseas and have been delighted that I could continue to buy that way back here.  I’ve also always been a big fan of knickknacks and antiques fairs just bursting with treasures to find.  Add to that all the creative and delicious things to discover at the artisan food markets.  Last year, Karen Seiger put together a book called Markets of New York City about all the wonderful items that could be found at these venues in each of the five boroughs.

Sausage-Tomato Pasta Dish

With Hurricane Irene rapidly approaching New York City and getting ready to dump lots of rain on us, it was bound to be an indoor weekend anyway.  Then, the mayor announced that the public transportation would be shut down by noon today.  With friends being told that they had to leave their homes as they live in the lowest lying areas of the city, I ended up hosting one of them to ride out the storm in my neighborhood.

New Amsterdam Market’s Second Annual Ice Cream Sunday

For days, heck, weeks, I’ve been waiting for this particular food festival.  That’s not just because, as someone else put it to me today, “Ice cream is my favorite food group.”  So, of course, I planned my whole day around getting to the New Amsterdam Market‘s Second Annual Ice Cream Sunday and fundraiser.  With my precious ten tasting tickets in hand, I scoped out the scene to work on my strategy.  I opted for one cool sample per stand of the ten vendors who were there, although it was a tough challenge to pick just a single flavor from many of them.

Wok+Wine and Foodspotting Event in New York

 

Wok+Wine signage photo

Last night, in the Tribeca offices of Luminary Labs, Wok+Wine teamed up with Foodspotting to host one of their dynamic, seafood-fueled events.  I was one of the 40 folks who helped consume some of the “40 pounds of jumbo shrimp and 40 bottles of delicious wine” that they had laid on for us.  It was definitely one of the more unique and napkin-worthy food get-togethers I’ve ever attended.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

When people ask me about this website, I explain that the name comes from a love of eating – the Gourmand part – and a love of trying new things – the Experimental part.  Both of these are combined in this post about making Vietnamese Spring Rolls.  I don’t remember the first time that I ate them, but they are one of my favorite things to order at Vietnamese restaurants.

Flushing Queens Food Crawl

Yesterday, I got to take part in something that I’ve been dying to do for ages.  I went on a food/eating tour of Flushing, New York, a dynamic and diverse part of Queens.  What was nice was that I was part of a group of folks organized by the New York Social Network, so we had a good guide, and I got to check out what everyone else was eating as well.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

For the past few weeks, I’ve been on a big Asian food kick.  It stems partly from the course that I took back in early July at the Institute of Culinary Education.  The other driving factor has been the steamy weather, which hasn’t inspired me to turn on the oven to cook a huge, big meal.  Quick, flavorful bites like the Coconut-Citrus Chicken Skewers have been more up my alley.  These Vietnamese Summer Rolls are much the same type of small-bite meal.  Cool, crisp, minimal cooking over a hot surface, and easy to prepare, they are the ideal starter or even an entire a dinner with several of them.

Smorgasburg Return Trip

Today, a friend of mine and I went to check out Smorgasburg.  For me, it was a chance to meet some great new vendors.  She’d never been there.  She’s been my food and wine wing person on several excursions, so I knew that she’d let me drag her around the market to check out the wares on display.  The pile of stuff in the top photo is an indication of what a great shopping day I had.

Coconut-Citrus Chicken Skewers

Last month, when I was at the Fancy Food Show, I had a chance to check out a few new products in Schoolhouse Kitchen‘s range.  Their new Coconut Citrus Vinaigrette is a fantastic addition to their product line.  It is deeply flavorful with a smooth texture from the coconut milk, a dash of spice from the curry, and a zing of citrus shining throughout.  The tastes are all so well balanced and would be perfect for drizzling over a salad of seasonal summer greens.  For me, this brought back memories of eating Thai Chicken Skewers when out with friends. 

Dekalb Market in Brooklyn

You’ve probably never wondered what happens to the old shipping containers once they’ve outlived the uses for which they were built?  For Urban Space, the organizers of several of the markets in New York City, it meant launching a design competition using shipping containers as the storefronts for its newest location, the Dekalb Market in Brooklyn.  Yesterday, I dropped by to check it out and to see what was going on over there.