South American buses have a reputation-they are supposed better the business class on an airplane. Not that I have flown business class, but I had some high expectations. After many a sleepless night on overnight buses in Southeast Asia, I was a little concerned. With only a couple weeks of "touring" travel before I arrive in Chile to work, I'm trying to get optimal sleep to maximize general awareness. The employee where I booked the ticket promised it would be nice, worth the extra $X amount to get a nicer bus, and they would have a meal or two.
I can't speak to comparing comfort but I did sleep a surprising amount. And thankful for it. And as for the meals? Two! Breakfast was full of packages cookie treats and a muffin. But dinner. Now we're talking. This meal was full of surprises and unknowns, so let's dissect and discover the anatomy of an overnight bus meal.
First, the unknown roll-top middle. Hard boiled eggs wrapped in a sweet pastry. I had to take a bite to find out what it was and only one bite to realize-ahhh yuck. No gracias. No idea if its for dessert or what but, no. Just no on this one. Moving on hoping for more!
On the top left, a cold potato salad with cooked carrots and peas. For those who know my food choices-you know I'll eat anything. But for whatever reason I do not like cooked carrots. Again, I choked it down and moved on.
To the bottom right carrot, pineapple, cherry salad. Interesting combination, but I'll often take anything that remotely resembles fruits and veggies at this point.
Next to the warm meal, bottom left. Chicken with what looked like ham 'bits' on potatoes. Heavy on the potatoes at this point, but calories are calories and this wasn't half bad, the sauce was actually nice and the chicken wasn't dry. So, minus one piece of questionable chicken which I cut off and set aside, all good!
On to my mini sando, top right-taking the roll, processed cheese and ham and the mayo and going for it. Probably a highlight!
The true highlight? Vino incluyo. Yes please. Two glasses outta that styrofoam cup on the top right of Argentina's famed Malbec will be justtttt fine, thank you! I am en route to Mendoza after all...
And for dessert, some orange like flan like creation! On the right in the container. Not too bad, and also had my weeks worth of sugar, double score!
Most impressive part is that all of this was served, eaten and picked up in about 15 minutes. Except the wine, I kept my wine but the girl moved quick!
So I got a good nights sleep, enough decent food-while saving to splurge on lunch in Mendoza. Lomo al Malbec con ensalada mixta.
Delicious steak, perfect weather to eat outside and I am one happy gal to be off that bus, at the foot of the Andes & ready to taste some wine.
I have been SO delinquent in the postings. My last two weeks have been crazy, but incredibly besutiful, fun, and awe-inspiring. I have so much to write about and will spread it out over the next few days. I am currently in Milan, but will be leaving in just 11 short hours for home. Yes home. I am leaving Europe, and all the 6 countries that I have called home the last three months. I say six countries because they have all in some way have been some place special, some place where I could see myself, if given the chance, living for some time in my life. Obviously, my time in France became my home and I really miss all that I was able to get to know and meet.
Friend's & I at a dinner party
Caitlin & I at the Cenac Rugby Bodega
Albert & I at the St Cyprien Night Market
I went to England, and found myself wanting to spend much more time there with a certain someone.
I would say that this fireworks at the last Night at the Proms explains the feeling quite well
I went to Italy to follow my food passions and learn what 5,000 farmers from 150 countries are doing to preserve their food heritage and culture.
Wishes at the Trevi Fountain
Terra Madre 2010
I went to Germany, to get in touch with my family roots.
Market in Munich, no WONDER I love these swings so much
I went to the Czech Republic not knowing what to expect and only to find that Prague reminded me so much of my favorite city in the world, San Fransisco.
So not the Golden Gate Bridge, but there was just something that connected this city to home
And finally, I went to Switzerland, to discover some of the greatest beauty I have seen in any landscape.
So it only makes sense that I am here in Milan, on my last night in Europe, with a wonderful family. They are the family of our friend Tony, and graciously accepted me into their house very last minute. Mom and Dad don't speak any English and Ivana, their daughter, does her best in translating our conversations (and she is REALLY good at it). But even without directly speaking to one another, I have again found myself in a place that feels like home. It only seems appropriate to be in this home before I embark on my 18 hour journey in the morning back to the Bay. We spent a few hours "talking" about our respective homes, their love for their native Calabria, and my love for Sonoma County. I showed the pictures of my family and friends. But without speaking anything at all, we bonded over the language of food.
lunch for us four
Wonderful salumi-like cured pork from Calabria
1st course-antipasto of the pork, cheese, pickled vegetables
2nd course-pasta with a DUCK and pork ragu. She started cooking this before I got up for even breakfast!
3rd course, 'fried' chicken and potaotes
And a wonderful pannacotta that we had to eat a view hours later after a nap because I was so full. But, sitting in their living room, we laughed and enjoyed the meal together, and I couldn't help but feel part of the family.
Now I head home to my own family and I say goodbye to this three month chapter in my life. It was an amazing experience and I know that my adventure is not yet over. There is too much good food and good people to not just get out there to taste and meet everyone. And this blog is not over either! During this last two weeks I have had some incredible encounters with people and food, just not enough time to write about them. So on my 12 and a half hour flight from Zurich to Los Angeles (and my two one hour flights before and after), I will be writing away and posting upon my return to the Bay. From there, I will see where my life will take me as I begin the real quest to figure out what I want to do with my life, and of course, document and share with you my food moments along the way.
When I came overseas on my little adventure, I had no idea I would find myself in the UK, but last weekend, after a hour car ride, an hour and half plane ride, and a forty five minute train from Stansted Airport, I found myself in Liverpool Station in downtown London. I had been to London twice before this trip, but was rest assured that I would experience London in a way that most tourists do not and do things that people from London, and certainly, people from the greater London (or people from the greater Southern England area) would want to do and luckily, I had a semi-local tour guide to guide me the way :)
I started the day on Friday casually, with a stroll through Camden Lock and then a tube over to Portobello Street where we had lunch at an Italian place. Seems counter-intuitive to go further from Italy then where I am in France but it was a nice selection of lighter lunches of cured meats and lovely cheeses. Plus, we were saving up for a a six o'clock dinner reservation at St John Bread and Wine before a surprise theater show.
St John the original is one of London's finest restaurants, and located in Smithfield in an old smokehouse for ham. I had dined there with my family in 2006 and it was a very memorable meal. The walls are all white, and the dining room has very natural light and an open feel that lets you see right into the kitchen. At St John, you can order more of the 'parts', as my father would like to put it, and they serve the likes of calf’s liver, lamb sweetbreads, and beef & kidney pie. I strongly remember my Dad digging out bone marrow from a pig’s foot when I was last there. They do also sell wine and baked goods until the bakery got too big for the original spot, which is why they opened St Johns Bread & Wine in 2003 in Spitalfields. Getting off at the tube spot, we walked up to discover we were in the central of a business district (I mean, it is located on Commercial Street) but after asking a few people and walking a few blocks, we found it. Looking oh-so similar to its mother restaurant with its stark white walls and simple settings, but with a more homey, less butcher shop feel.
We were greeted and seated promptly and given the menu, full of items that you are meant to share, much like a Spanish Tapas place. Their menu changes daily and we ordered:
Yummy olives
Raw rock oysters
Deep fried lamb with a minty vinaigrette
The best mussels I have ever had
Let me tell you, nothing disappointed. It was all so delicately prepared and delicious. Plus it came with fabulous bread from their bakery, which was used to mop up any last bit of sauce from the plates.
The bread with the bakery in the background
We left with just enough time to get to the show, The Lion King. Such an amazing production!
On Saturday, we started the day off early and went to Borough Market, located near the Tower of London. Our main goal was to buy food for a picnic for the Night at the Proms at Hyde Park that evening. Little did I realize how immense this market was, or how cool it was that I would want to get lost in it for hours, but we made it through with barely enough time to get back to the room, drop off the food, and head off to a rugby match. Before we left we scored some awesome pastries for breakfast and left with a bounty full of food:
Some lovely apples from England
Pork Pie
Two cheeses! The one shaped like an Eiffel Tower was one, a very smooth and creamy goat cheese
Wild Boar salami
olives
Turkish Delight
The rugby match was between The Harlequins and the Northampton Saints in the Harlequins’ Stadium in Twickenham called The Stoop. I have never been to a professional rugby game before, so the entire time I had to have the rules explained, which meant I asked a question I think before the first was even answered. But it was a fun game, the visiting Saints won, much to the like of half our group and to the dismay of the others. I however, decided to try and be ultra-local and get the fish and chips at the stadium, a decision that would eventually cause the end of my culinary discovery in London.
The Stoop
Harlequins in the Black, The Saints in the Day-Glo Green
Wine and Flags
That night we picked up our bounty from the room and went over to Hype Park for the BBC Proms in the Park. It is an outdoor concert series but the second Saturday in September is always the last night of The Proms, and it is always a special event. The first was a wide array of groups consisting from ABBA tribute bands to Neil Sedaka and you were meant to enjoy the music while eating alongside 40,000 other people. The second half is a live broadcasted event, that is a full of very patriotic British songs-full of tradition and spirit.
The FEAST
Dinner with 40,000 of your closest British friends
Second half of the night
Fireworks!
Sadly, with my weakened system from two weeks prior, plus a particularly potent batch of fish and chips, I was left not enjoying the picnic nor the second half as much as I would I wanted to. I couldn’t even enjoy brunch the next day at the famed Wolseley Restaurant on Piccadilly. So frustrating for a young foodie to have food dilemmas.
Eggs, smoked salmon, so good, if only I was able to enjoy!
My trip in London ended with a lovely BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, toast) diet, meant to ease stomach pains in the hotel room on Sunday night.
Jealous, right?
However even through that, it was simply a superb weekend, spent with some amazing people. Never once did I see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace or any other major London tourist landmark most would frequent. But I did experience a truly amazing local British time in the big city ;)
In this area, there are tons of little towns and villages that each hold they're own fairs, functions, antique shows, and wine festivals. Today, we visited one of these wine festivals in a town called Cenac, only a ten minutes drive. When someone from the US thinks wine festival, the instant thought is to think of some sort of benefit, charity event, or something that is going to cost more than a few bucks. Sure Napa and Sonoma Valleys each have there own wine festivals, but typically, you aren't going to get anyone just walking right in and within minutes securing a spot for lunch and tasting wines, which is exactly what we did.
We (meaning Caitlin &Albert, the owners of the B&B and I), were greeted by this large, tissue paper/dried leaves wine bottle. It was quite large, but I appreciated their spirit in the event. All over they had hung up wine and gold paper flowers and streamers. They sure know how to make their wine festival festive! Not very big, it was easy to scope around to see all the different winery booths, as well as the various foodstuffs people were selling. We were quick to reserve a lunch ticket, as they said they would be starting in about ten minutes. But, this is a French lunch so that ten minutes turned into nearly an hour, and the lunch after lasted at least another hour after that if not more. Thats what I like about the French. They eat slowwwwwwly, and appreciate what they are eating, even if was just some 'festival' food. A meal here, does not have to be at a five star restaurant for people to actually want to sit there and enjoy it. We had four courses, and none were over the top or extravagant, but they were good and simple. And that's just what these people want.
1st course, a half of melon, SO sweet & good
2nd course, Entrecôte and fries, entrecôte is a sirloin cut
3rd course, a great fresh lettuce salad with vinaigrette
and finally, a walnut cake with ice cream
And that was it! Simple, non? But it was wholesome, served nearly family-style and we sat next to all the winemakers from the festival! It was one of those times when I really wished I knew how to speak better french (if any at all...). Caitlin sat and talked to one winemaker for a long time, who couldn't seem to fathom the fact that we, in California, grow all different types of grapes in the SAME region. For in France, they only grow the one, two, or maybe three grapes that have been grown in the same region for centuries. Wine here is labeled not by what grape (Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, etc) but by region(Bordeaux, Champagne etc famously, and Bergerac, Pécharmant, Saussignac etc locally). Even blended wines that are made in cooperatives have to be raised in certain percentages on each farm. For the local cooperative wine, it is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. So each of the 22 farmers with the grapes for the wine have to all have 70% Merlot and 30%Cabernet Franc produced on their land. It is a different system and takes a lot more understanding of the wine you are drinking because you need to know the area in which it comes from. A lot different then Napa Valley! But I think it brings people closer to their community, closer to their wine, and in turn, also closer to their food.
Pecou, happily pouring another tasting!
Of the 10 or so wineries and winemakers there, only one of them was a female. Wine, and specifically winemaking it seems, has been left for the men to take care of. But, Jocelyne Pecou has started a winery in Bergerac and has done quite well for herself. It was refreshing to see her behind the wines, talking to you, pouring your sample, while her male counterpart was watching. Normally is is the other way around. We didn't buy her wine to drink at our lunch, but it was fun to talk to a successful female winemaker (well I listened to them speaking French to each other and then got the translation). Her motto? Une Femme, un Vin . I think I like it.
Marché means market in French and in the last day, I have been to two markets in the area, one night market and one day market. But, it is not just one day a week that you can go to market. In just one week, there are 14 day markets and 9 night markets. That's 23 markets that one can attend in an area that is about the size of a medium county, like Sonoma County in California. What is so impressive about the marché, is the community aspect. I think the French, and probably other European countries, take pride in this. They know that they are bringing together neighboring villages to celebrate food and people. There are a few differences between a marché and a marché nocturne, the biggest is a marché is like a farmer's market we would see at home, with vegetables, fruits etc being sold, while a marché nocturne is more like a county fair, if you will. It has vendors selling prepared food from the area, with long picnic tables and live music, in our case three accordion players.
Our marché was in San Pompon, about a fifteen minutes drive. A small market, it had one produce stand, one olive vendor, a cheese guy, some olive oil and honey. But, that is all the people of this village need. Not set up for the tourists of the area, this market focused on the needs of the community, bringing in all the produce and goods they could need for the week, as in this particular village, there isn't a supermarket. They had a butcher (charcuterie) and a bakery (boulangerie) but nothing more than that. They are focused on being sustainable, living on what they can that they produce themselves, or buy once a week in the market. I know that many if not all of the inhabitants get food elsewhere, but it is nice to know that they know what they need, and aren't being overindulgent in their food shopping habits, as many people are, with our Costcos and Supercenters. Plus, all their food was beautiful, and made a nice meal of ratatouille later for us, and fresh berries and melons for the guests of the B&B in the morning
...to ratatouille, YUM
From Tomatoes...
Every week, when a town has a night market, they set up banquet tables, food vendors, music stands, and even bounce-houses for the little kids so the community can get together. Friends come and sit together and meet other friends of friends, or a casual stranger who just happens to be sitting next to them. You can buy beer and wine at the event and the whole idea is that you share your meal. The one I attended was in San Cyprien.
one of the four banquet tables
You share your moules frites (mussels and french fries) or your assiette de confits (duck confit) with your friends, they give you some wine, they go get the dessert, an apricot tart, and the whole while you are just sitting there enjoying the conversation, the friends, and the community atmosphere (for us, the accordion players were at a ear-shattering level, which made it difficult to talk over).
duck confit
moules frite
apricot tart
Why don't these events happen more frequently in the US? Of course we have our own night markets, with street vendors and tables, but there is hardly an emphasis on mingling with, GASP, strangers! Perhaps something I may bring back? Either way, I know that I enjoy them. The food was good, people friendly, and a great evening to remember.
