Focaccia = SandWISH from now on

This is the second in a series of posts about our recent trip to Italy. There was so much awesome food and so many amazing experiences that I couldn’t fit it all into one without you all losing interest.

We just returned from two weeks in Italy and to say that I ate my weight in carbs would be an understatement! Between the bread (not all of it good), the pizza, the sandWISHes, and the pasta, not to mention the local craft beers, I was in Carb-a-Palooza.

I’ve always loved a sandWISH*. From chicken salad to cold cuts to meatball subs, and so forth. Our recent trip to Italy has forever changed the way I will look at them. It’s basically about the bread! Instead of a roll, or a wrap, or basic sliced bread, each sandWISH we ate was served on split focaccia. Why did I never think of that? It’s not like I hadn’t had it before. In fact, I ate focaccia sandWISHes at by Ismael Romano inside Ellis Island Casino, but for some reason the concept resonated more for me in Italy…go figure!

Like all good foodies, in preparation for the trip, we researched the amazing offerings in the cities and towns we planned to visit. Of course, All’Antico Vinaio popped up because so many “influencers” (UGH) had videos and pics on their socials. But, unlike many good foodies, we DO NOT take “influencers” seriously. So, we talked to bartenders, servers, other bar patrons and ALL of them said, without exception, to skip All’Antico and go for ANY other ‘WISH shop. The locals informed us that nearly any locally owned joint would have a ‘WISH as good as, or better than, All’Antico and we wouldn’t have to wait in line for more than 30 minutes to be fed. (If you know me at all, you know I don’t like waiting in line for food…or anything else really).

Around the corner from our rented apartment, we found a fabulous little place – I’Girone de Ghiotti. The porchetta was out of this world and the mortadella with pistachio pesto was insanely good. But, not only were the fillings amazing, the focaccia they were served on was incredible. Light airy pockets in the crumb and a crisp, but sturdy crust to hold all the goodness. In fact, both of our sandWISHes were so good that we went back a second time when we returned to Florence. We also had good versions at the Marketo Centrale at Massimiliano Parri’s stall with fantastic prosciutto and marinated artichoke hearts. And again, the focaccia was amazing. Admittedly the sandWISHes at the Marketo were more expensive, but it was to be expected since it’s a huge tourist destination and I am sure the overhead partially drives their pricing.

Upon returning home, I woke up my sourdough starter and started making bread again. I began with English muffins, in part because I enjoy making them, in part because I can easily share the bounty and I can use “unfed” starter. Of course, that includes trying my hand at focaccia so I can recreate some of the luscious sandWISHes I ate. So far, mixed results on the focaccia; it tastes good, but the crumb doesn’t have the big air pockets and lightness of the ones I enjoyed in Florence. Trial and error, practice makes perfection, and try, try again until I get it right. And don’t think for one second that I didn’t buy shelled pistachios to recreate that pesto either. Yes, there is mortadella, ham, and other fixings in the fridge and I will be eating all of it. I think I may never eat another sandWISH unless it is on focaccia. I said what I said.

*FYI – I always write SandWISH

Things I Learned While Traveling in Italy

This is the first in a series of posts about our recent trip to Italy. There was so much awesome food and so many amazing experiences that I couldn’t fit it all into one without you all losing interest.

In case you didn’t know, I became a travel agent right before COVID hit. Not my smartest business move ever, but after traveling to Egypt, I decided I needed a kickback on our travel. Since that time, we have explored different cruise lines, countries, and areas of the US in new ways. When you are ready to travel, be sure to reach out so I can share my experiences and expertise with you.

We just returned from two weeks in Italy. While we had stopped in a few ports of Italy on a cruise, we had never really spent a lot of time in Italy. For me personally, two weeks was more than enough. We flew into Florence, stayed a few days, then drove to Cortona, then back to Florence on the way home. One of the things I learned was that I will never fly into Florence again, that airport is a shit show.

Here’s a run down of some of the things I learned:

  • Tuscan bread has no salt. It’s pretty awful. Except for the focaccia. More on that in the next post.
  • I don’t care for most of the red wine in Tuscany.
  • They take their food SERIOUSLY!
  • They take their coffee very seriously. John didn’t have a bad cup of coffee the entire trip. And don’t order a cappuccino after 11 am.
  • Pici is my new favorite pasta, and I am hoping a certain restaurant in my ‘hood will make it a special one of these days. More on that soon.
  • Wild boar ragu and Chianina ragu are amazing. I knew about the wild boar, but it was astounding in Italy! Chianina was a whole new thing for me. More on that soon as well.
  • In the center of Florence, the streets are so narrow and none of them paved (all stones) that the cars, bicycles, and pedestrians share the streets. The drivers honk or ring a bell to get you out of their way.
  • Michaelangelo’s David is truly marvelous.
  • The Birth of Venus by Botticelli made me incapable of speech it was so gorgeous.
  • I’ve got to learn to pack lighter! None of the places we stayed in Italy had elevators, and dragging suitcases up steps is my idea of horror. I think all of the accommodations we enjoyed were in buildings over 200 years old.
  • Getting back your VAT is a pain the ass and not worth the trouble unless you buy a LOT of high-end goods.
  • I ate more truffles in two weeks in Italy than I did the entire past year.
  • White truffles should only be eaten raw as a garnish and black truffles should always be cooked. More on truffles and our truffle hunt soon.
  • The Perugina chocolate factory MAY in fact be the first factory to have on site childcare! When the men were called to war in WWI, and the women went to work in the factory, childcare was set up on site. Even though the factory has a new location, the childcare center still exists on site.
  • Pistachios and Pecorino are good on nearly everything!

Stay tuned for more of our adventures. In the meantime, go check out my Facebook page or my Instagram to see pics of the adventures! Oh and BTW – did you know you can SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a spoonful? Well, you can…and I don’t share your info with anyone.

Eating Everything – The Tastiest Things from 2023

I always find myself eating tasty things. Sometimes I am eating recipes I created at home, other times I am eating fantastic dishes from amazing culinary professionals and chefs. Once again, however, I had a year of NOT eating dangerously. I don’t know if it is a leftover from COVID isolation, but I have found myself gravitating toward the comfortable and familiar. There were, however, a few standout dishes that I will share with you. Of course, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen these. Enjoy them for the first, second, or third time!

We had spectacular Indian and Bangladeshi food in London. Fabulous French Bistro fare in Paris and there was a LOT of local eating as well. Because the Hubs and I each marked a major city off our Bucket Lists, many of these bites are from our travels. When you travel you will be able to enjoy them. And when you decide to travel, I do hope you will get in touch with me to let me help you plan a memorable trip.*

In no particular order, here you go.

I will never know the special voodoo magic that Chef Brian Howard (2024 James Beard Nominee for Best Chef Southwest) and his team get up to in the kitchen. What I do know is that while eating this, there was no talking, just yummy sounds. It’s everything you want a great bite to be. It’s sweet and salty; it’s soft and crunchy, and made even more decadent with the duck confit in the center. And it is just gorgeous to look at.

Because the menu changes there seasonally, I suggest getting your happy ass in there and eating this while you can. May I suggest making a reservation? They are packed all the time!

This past spring, I finally realized a lifelong goal of seeing the Eiffel Tower and visiting Paris. I can say without hesitation, it is my most favorite of all the cities I have visited so far. Forget everything you have ever heard about the French being rude and hating outsiders. We did not experience that AT ALL.

I am not a Michelin Star hunter like some other people I know. In fact, before I went to Paris in April 2023, I had only been in one Michelin starred restaurant. In Paris, I found myself eating in two Michelin starred restaurants and several Michelin recommended restaurants. Before our trip to Paris, I chatted with James Trees (Esther’s Kitchen, Al Solito Posto, Ada’s Wine Bar) who had just returned from a research trip to France. I thank him for the recommendation to Racine’s. This meal was a true highlight of the trip. While I found myself eating croissants nearly every damn day…like you do…THIS meal was exceptional. Veal Tonnato is one of my “all time fave” dishes and this one was out of sight! The sauce was so velvety and smooth, I could have used it as lotion.  

The place is small and packed every day, so if you have the good fortune to go to Paris, be sure to make a reservation. The menu is seasonal, and ever changing, so be prepared for surprises. We were lucky enough to sit upstairs in the small communal dining room and watch the pastry chef work. She even invited me to work with her for a spell. A meal I won’t soon forget!

While every hotel/casino in Vegas is creating a “Food Hall”, the Burough Market is one of the originals. On a 7-day trip to London, we were there twice and completely overwhelmed both times. The market is a hive of activity and our fantastic tour guide, Pieter, told us for the best sausage roll, a London staple and must have item, go to the Ginger Pig. We couldn’t get anywhere near the place on day one, so we went back early another day and hit them up as they opened.

I am so glad that we did! While this is an indelicate picture of me eating said sausage roll, believe me when I say, my eyes rolled back in my head with joy! The pastry was flaky and perfectly salted, the sausage had the most excellent sage level and I was a happy camper. For a great version, if you live in Vegas, go to Featherblade Butcher. They have them frozen to go and sometimes hot in the “grab & go” case.

For those of you who don’t know, I grew up in Hudson, New York, and trust me when I say, it was NOT the darling of the food media that it is today. I do not miss Hudson. In fact, I hated growing up there, but I do miss seeing the leaves change, and I do miss some of the people. That being said, this past fall, we ventured to see the leaves for the first time in 30 years. We kept the entire trip on the DL, telling only the friends we stayed with we were coming. We checked out the changes in my hometown, eating in new restaurants and drinking in new breweries.

Café Mutton is tiny and served only breakfast and lunch while we were in town. They earned a James Beard Award and now I know why! This dish was crazy good. They braise a pig’s head, then shred the meat off, using the collagen rich broth to cook steel cut oats. The oats go into a bowl topped with the succulent shredded meat and the whole thing gets the poached egg treatment with an unexpected (and initially unwanted by me) dollop of house made orange marmalade. Trust me when I say eating this was a major highlight of the trip to Hudson.

When I was growing up, it was normal to have tomato plants in pots or flower beds if you were in the city, and commonplace to have more than that if you lived, like we did, in a more rural setting. There is something special about eating food you have grown.

If you have been following along, you know we moved during the pandemic, leaving behind an established, landscaped garden with perennial herbs and fruit trees. Last spring, we planted our “orchard” and during the summer we were rewarded with a few pieces of fantastic fruit, like this perfect freestone peach. This year the yield will be higher, and I can’t wait! Eating a peach while the juice drips off my chin always makes me feel like a kid.

*This blog doesn’t pay the bills. I am a travel agent by day. Email me at LeAnne@RoamingRichly.com to get your best vacay started!

My Most Enjoyed Food of 2022

If you follow me at all on social media, you know I take a lot of pics of my food. Not all dishes are created equal. Some are miserable (and I don’t post those pics), some are just ok (and most of those don’t get posted either), then there are the REALLY good and the mind blowing. That is what I am sharing here. A recap of the most interesting or surprising or delicious things I ate in 2022. Frankly, there wasn’t a ton of that going on. I stuck to tried and true places, except when I was traveling, and a lot of this food is from out of town.

I sit down at the computer every day with the best of intentions of writing you something informative or fun or thought provoking and then I get distracted…The smart person in my brain knows that those who make “to do” lists accomplish more each day than those who don’t, so yesterday I sat down and made a list that included writing this for you (and me quite frankly). Enjoy this list of fantastic food in no particular order

Birthday Surf & Turf

The Lobster en Croute and a beautiful piece of wagyu made up the surf & turf for my Birthday dinner at Carversteak. Chef Dan Ontiveros always hits it out of the park. And this picture and the cover picture of the post say it all!

Surf & Turf at Carversteak, Las Vegas
My Birthday dinner consisted of beautifully prepared dishes by Dan Ontiveros and staff, including this fabulous version of surf & turf.

Coastal Margherita

On our spring trip to Portland, we hit up a bunch of breweries and a cool tiki bar (The Alibi). While we were there The Hubs gets a text from Chris Decker at Metro Pizza telling us we HAD to go to Apizza Scholls. When Chris says you HAVE to go, you go. And we are so glad we did! This was literally a life changing pizza for the Hubs because he normally hates anchovies on his pie. He is now a convert.

Coastal Margherita at Apizza Scholls
This pie is actually half & half – Coastal Margherita and Pepperoni & Mushroom. With Owner Brian Spangler

Farmhouse Tart at Pine Dining

The Pine Dining series was fantastic all the way around. They were single weekend events with outrageous menus and fabulous food. This dish was the one I embarrassed myself over and asked Chef Nicole Brisson if there were leftovers could I take them home…and there were, and I did. Flaky pastry filled with sausage, fontina, and walnuts. In case you are wondering, it reheated beautifully.

Farmhouse Tart by Chef Nicole Brisson
Farmhouse Tart by Chef Nicole Brisson with sausage, fontina, and walnuts.

Bratislavan Food Specialty Halusky

Whenever we travel overseas, we attempt to try as much local food as possible and “eat like the locals”. We try all the local beer we can, and while at the bars ask the folks there where we should eat. In Bratislava we were told the national dish is Halusky (hal-oosh-key). They are little potato dumplings, somewhat like a cross between gnocchi and spaetzle, covered in a decadent sour cream sauce loaded with a local sheep’s milk cheese and topped with bacon & green onion. Incredibly rich and this plate was more than enough for The Hubs & I.

Halusky
Creamy, rich, and decadent are three words I would used to describe this dish. I really need to learn how to make it!

Mortadella Agnolotti

Chef Oscar Amador at EDO and Anima is a marvel! Pal Gemini invited me to lunch at Anima and we shared these agnolotti. They were so good I was speechless for a moment. I am sure my eyes rolled back in my head and a groan escaped my lips. Gemini laughed aloud because she had never seen me speechless over a dish before.

Mortadella Agnolotti at Anima by EDO
Mortadella is my fave cold cut, and this just put it over the top!

Tony’s in San Francisco

While we do have an outpost of Tony Gemignani’s here in Vegas (Pizza Rock), when my sister-in-law Gretchen says “go to Tony’s”, you go. I have only had coccoli twice and both times they were revelatory for me. If you are unfamiliar, they are like salty beignets. The ones at Tony’s were served with thinly sliced “Italian Beef” and horseradish. I was supposed to be sharing them and had to stop myself from hogging all of them. The salad is pictured just to prove I do eat healthy-ish food now & then.

Coccoli at Tony's in San Francisco
Both the beef and the coccoli were amazing. Add horseradish and giardiniera and you have a hands down winner.

Fried Food

I love fried food and I love all the fish (except catfish), but I have a special love for anchovies. These ones were whole, coated in cornmeal, and lightly fried at the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The Hubs even liked them and as mentioned before, he is NOT a fan of anchovies. The aioli was the perfect accompaniment and we scarfed them down in a flash!

Fried Anchovies at Hog Island Oyster Bar
Fried Anchovies at Hog Island Oyster Bar

“The Crime Scene”

In February I went on a real vacation entirely by myself. I took a cruise with Virgin Voyages* and it was superb. We all know that the food on cruise ships is notoriously mediocre at best. That is NOT the case on The Scarlet Lady! Each meal was much better than any mass market cruise line’s meals and the Test Kitchen was the showstopper for the entire cruise. This menu changes regularly, so you may not ever see this when you travel with Virgin Voyages, but it was superb. I nicknamed it “The Crime Scene” because of the splashes of beet juice, but it was a perfectly cooked venison loin with a Vietnamese salted caramel sauce and pickled blueberries.

venison on board the Scarlet Lady
Venison loin “crime scene” on board Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady.

*when you are ready to try Virgin Voyages for your next trip, give me a call and I will happily help you book it.

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Food in the COVID Times

Why do we go out to eat? We have food at home! I know how to cook. If the size of my ass is any indication, I am pretty good at. So why do we go out to eat? I’ll tell you…

I Can Do Anything for 30 Days!

When this pandemic and self-quarantine situation started, I said – out loud mind you – “As long as I can get fresh produce, I have enough meat to last us at least 3 weeks.” I knew we wouldn’t be dining out, so I took stock of the chest freezer and did quick nonsense mental math about food to meal ratios and figured I was good. I knew we wouldn’t starve. I thought without dining out at least twice a week we’d save some cash. This was looking pretty good. I can do anything for 30 days! I’ve got this! Then 30 days stretched into 60 days. And even though I love to cook, I grew tired of cooking my own food. I really missed dining out.

And then came the ennui associated with being alone…All. Of. The. Time…and the boredom eating…and the crying. Thanks COVID, now I am a blubbering mess with tighter jeans and a freezer full of meat. Why the hell was I crying? I’ll tell you why – I was lonely. I missed my friends. And I missed the social interaction of eating with other people.

Balm For My Tortured Soul

Truthfully, with the closures of all the places we enjoy eating, and most of them not offering take-out, I honestly thought I’d be making all of my own food. And I did. I tried new things, learned a few vegetarian recipes (My son’s GF is a vegetarian and they join us for dinner each Sunday), and I cooked nearly every day. I made bread. I tackled things I don’t normally make, and we ate well. Trying new things aside, I quickly found myself bored with my own food. Secretburger.com saved me from kitchen boredom. The cooking kits and “cook along” events with some of my favorite independent restaurants here in town were a balm for my tortured soul. I was able to “dine out” even though I had to cook it myself, but I got restaurant quality ingredients and expert instruction from the chef/owner of the resto, and we ate good food. Why did I love this so much? I’ll tell you why – it was like getting a one on one master class for the price of ingredients and my food boredom was cured, if only for one meal.

I Love to Be Pampered

I learned things, or remembered things I had forgotten, during this. James Beard Award Nominee (Best Chef Southwest) Chef James Trees deserves 1000 thanks for sharing his technique on how to make the perfect cacio e pepe. It only has like four ingredients and you’d think that would make it easy. And you’d be wrong. It’s one of my favorite dishes and mine was good, but not great. I couldn’t figure out why it always tasted better when I ordered in Esther’s Kitchen. I thought I was using all the same ingredients. Maybe it was one of those “it always tastes better when someone else makes it” things? NOPE! There is a technique to it that I wasn’t doing. You can watch the video HERE and I’ll let you figure out which step(s) I was skipping or skimping. Thank you, James, now mine is great too! But knowing how to make it won’t stop me from ordering it when I go out to eat, and do you know why? I’ll tell you why – there is something intimate and pampering about eating your favorite dish that someone else has made for you.

At Long Last, Food IN a Restaurant

Finally the restaurants slowly began opening. My very first meal outside my home was with pal Antonio Nunez at his The Stove for brunch. I sat alone at a high topped table and visited with Antonio between his duties as chef/owner. It was glorious. I’ll tell you why – it was the first meal in over two months that I didn’t have to cook or clean up after. Not doing dishes is another reason why we like to go out to eat.

Corned Beef Hash & Eggs at The Stove in Henderson, NV
Perfectly runny eggs-over-easy top a mound of house made corned beef. Instead of cubed meat, it is shredded and wickedly tender. It was perfect for my first meal outside my home.

Friday night we went to Sparrow + Wolf for their third anniversary dinner. As always, Chef Brian Howard made me happy with his food. As always John Anthony and the front of the house made me happy with their service and attention to detail. Most important of all, we were with friends celebrating a birthday. We celebrate with food, whether it is at home or in a restaurant. We laughed, drank champagne, and left happy and full of food that we didn’t have to create. And we felt good about ourselves for doing it. I’ll tell you why – many of our friends (actual friends, not Facebook friends) are in the restaurant community. They have been out of work for months and we were thrilled to be able to support them upon reopening.

Enjoy these pics of our starting dishes and our lovely dessert. To see ALL of the wonderful food, go visit me on Facebook or Instagram.

So why do we go out to eat even when we have food at home? We do it for the socialization. We do it to relieve food boredom. We do it to get pampered with our favorite foods. We do it so we don’t have to do the dishes. We do it to support our friends and neighbors and our community. I have a list of places and dishes and cocktails that I can’t wait to revisit. Who wants to go with me?

As I sat down to edit this piece this morning, I realized yesterday was the 9th anniversary of this blog. I know I haven’t written as much as I did when I first started, and I have no more excuses. I am just out of fresh ideas. If you have a topic you’d like me to write about, let me know.

And in celebration of my 9 years of being on the web, I started a YouTube channel with all the Quarantine Kitchen videos from Facebook. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss one even if you can’t watch live. There are other fun nuggets there as well, like sabering a bottle of champagne in Egypt. Go check it out. And subscribe to Good for Spooning on everything, including this blog. Thanks!

The Best of 2019


2019 was decidedly NOT a year of eating dangerously or experimentally…

Toward the end of 2018, I went to the doctor to arrange for my knee replacement (Jan 2019) and she said to me, “Quit smoking. Quit drinking and lose 30 pounds.” I looked at her said, “SURELY not all at the same time!” I did quite smoking (for a while). I did have the surgery successfully, but then my weight ballooned up because of inactivity.

We went to Egypt, and once we got back home I started on a weight loss path (don’t call it a fucking “journey” a JOURNEY is a vacation and weight loss is no vacation – it’s WORK). Since then the Hubs and I have lost a combined 90 pounds and we feel great! No fake foods, no weird eliminations, nothing off limits. Just watching what we were eating, removing “hidden” calories, listening to our bodies tell us when were hungry or full, and voila! The weight came off!

Because of the dieting, watching portions, and tracking exactly what has been going into our mouths, we haven’t dined out as frequently. I’ve been cooking more at home, and we’ve been staying smart in our choices. So, this year’s “Best Of” list will be VERY abbreviated for a couple of reasons:

  • We didn’t venture into the dining scene that much
  • Cooking at home was all fresh, natural ingredients that contained no surprises
  • Nothing was particularly NEW or INSPIRING once we started dieting – with a few noted exceptions


Without further ado, these are the most interesting things I ate this past year

ALL the bread in Egypt – literally ALL of it.

For more detailed info, read this blog

Even small restos make their own bread in Egypt
Pita fresh from the gas fired oven

The Fesikh at the souk in Aswan.

It was the SINGLE most surprising and unusual thing I ate all year. Super salty – right up my alley – and with a metallic tingle that can only be described as akin to licking a 9 volt battery, but not in a weird way. Straight from the jar it was wildly complex, but when mixed with hummus and tahini, and served for lunch by Chef Hamdy, it was an altogether different dish.

Duck “Ramen” at EDO Tapas

One of the Secret Burger dining events we enjoyed in 2019 was made more enjoyable by being with dear friends on a “date night”. What made this dish so unique was there were no noodles in the “ramen”. The “noodles” were mushrooms and the broth was out of this world. EDO Tapas has a fantastic tapas menu perfect for sharing. Check them out!
(if you don’t know about Secret Burger…what exactly are you waiting for? click that link and find out!)

Duck Ramen at EDO Tapas
Photo Courtesy of Friend Gemini

I learned to love farro

This is one of those things that seems like a no brainer. I liked farro before, but now that we are making different choices in what we eat, using it as a base for a “bowl” instead of rice is something on regular rotation at our house. Top it with nearly anything and the wonderful nutty, chewiness of it shines like a beacon of healthfulness and flavor.

mage from https://cookthestory.com/cook-farro/

2020 will have more in store

Of course, with a new year already having begun, and some travels already in the bag, I am making a concerted effort to try new things and actually keep track of them! As I have stated in previous posts writer’s block sucks, and I find I am ALMOST breaking through the wall.

Happy New Year!

Travel – Egypt – Part One – the Souk

I have often said if I won the lottery, I’d sell the house and travel and you’d probably never see me again. If money were no object, John and I would travel ALL of the time. In fact, I’d travel just to see new places and try new experiences and of course, EAT. ALL. THE. THINGS.

Do As the Locals Do

As I write, I am sitting on the sun deck of the Uniworld River Tosca on the Nile in Aswan (yes, tomorrow I am seeing the dam). Up until last night the cruise has been wonderfully packed with gorgeous history, monuments, ancient temples. Our Egyptologist, Ayman has been extraordinary in THE very sense of the word (more on that in separate blogs). But when I travel what I really crave is a “do as the locals do” experience as we had on our first Uniworld cruise, checking out the local markets and such. Because we are “repeat offenders”, and I have kept in touch with Chef Daniel from our first cruise, he suggested I chat with Sameh (the Hotel Manager) and share my desire with him, and lo and behold, last night we had the BEST night of the cruise so far. We had a private guided walking tour through the local souk and I ate all the street food Sameh and Chef Hamdy recommended.

What the Fuck was She Thinking?

Now there are some of you out there thinking, “What the fuck was she thinking?!” or “She ate stuff off street carts and didn’t freak about about getting sick?” or “Wasn’t she worried about food poisoning?” I am here to tell you this: if you are going to eat like you are at home, travel may not be for you. Stay the fuck home and watch a documentary! I am also here to tell you that none of the places I ate from would have passed “code” in the US and frankly I don’t care. If it was good enough for Anthony Bourdain (RIP) it is certainly good enough for me. Most, if not all, of the passengers on this cruise would NOT participate in this type of event and it is not offered as a scheduled excursion for that very reason. For me it was perfect! And what made it even more perfect is that there wasn’t a crowd of other people there from the ship. I had a one-on-one experience with just John and I. No question I asked was too stupid, all answers were given frankly and openly, and many great moments were shared. If this had been a scheduled tour, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. It was just me and 3 guys, walking around eating snacks, smelling the smells, and taking in all of it. Every lush moment.

Shopping Where the Locals Shop

When you walk into the souk, the first thing to hit you are all of the aromas. The smell is literally intoxicating, heady, and energizing all at once. Spices. Meat cooking. Bread baking. Fresh produce and herbs. The second thing to hit you is all of the action. Throngs of people of all ages, shopping, eating, and visiting LATE into the night. Egypt is full of night owls and shit doesn’t really start to go down until after the sun does. Up until now, all we had seen shopping-wise had been touristy knick knacks and cheap souvenirs, but this was different. I was shopping where the locals shop, so there was no haranguing, bartering, or hassling. In fact, the vendors didn’t even speak to me unless I stopped to look at their displays and ask what something was. Truth be told, I am not sure if this was because I was obviously with Egyptians (Sameh and Hamdy), or if it was because that’s how it just IS, but all the same, I was in hog heaven (though obviously there was no pork to be had).

Pita Being Freshly Made

First off, I want to mention the bread. ALL of the bread here had been out of this world and I was enthralled seeing all of the pita being freshly made. They come off the hot oven tiles puffed up like a football and deflate as they cool. Last night we had ones so hot we had to toss them back and forth in our hands because they were simply too hot to hold on to for very long!

Pita puffs up to football size and deflates while cooling.
Sameh holding the fresh from the oven pita

Let’s Talk About Food Baby

So let’s talk about the food. I told Sameh that I eat everything except pineapple (allergic), and he questioned me TWICE to make sure I was game for anything. First up was the sautéed beef liver sandWISH*. A skinny, airy French baguette filled with thinly sliced sautéed beef liver seasoned only with salt. Superb! Then on to a spleen – yes, you read the correctly, SPLEEN – sandWISH done the same way. Would I have tried it in the US? Would I have tried it if I knew what it was? Maybe, maybe not, but I’ll tell you this – I am glad that I did! In very much the same way that beef heart makes a tartare that is beefier than regular tartare, this was like liver that was both beefier and liver-ier than liver alone…if that makes any sense at all.

Spleen tastes like beefier and liver-ier beef but it is a different texture than both.
Sameh and I eating spleen sandWISHes

We made our way through the souk and Sameh and Hamdy wanted me to try several things so they talked amongst themselves and settled on shawarma with a garlicky aioli, falafel in pita (not as good as Hamdy’s and he gave me the recipe), crunchy salt brined pickled carrots that had very little vinegar to them, and this crazy salted fish called fesikh (pronounced fee-SIKH – the KH in the final syllable like the CH in Challah bread – in your throat). The shawarma is served like a “wrap” in a flatbread similar to lavash instead of pita, and much lighter. The meat shaved off a revolving spit like gyro meat by a wild knife wielding vendor.

I am not sure that fesikh would meet "code" in the US, but the umami packed flavor punch was worth it!
Picnic in the park – L-R – Sameh (the Hotel Manager), Chef Hamdy, and me eating the Fesikh.

Travel Makes You Try New Things

While the spleen was totally off my normal grid, let’s get to the fesikh. This is the most authentic, and off the wall, totally off my radar and special thing I have eaten in ages. In fact, I would say it was the single most interesting thing I have eaten in a decade. Not for the faint of heart to be sure, this is an umami punch in the face. Not a flavor bomb…an umami punch in the face. I ate it drenched in olive oil and wrapped in a pita, but it is also served pureed with tahini into a dip or served wrapped in a pita with veg like you would enjoy on a gyro. It is a celebratory staple for Ramadan. So…they take a mullet fish, gut it, and ferment it in salt. It’s not hard salt cured fish like bacalao, it’s soft, like an anchovy, with ten times the umami kick. As I ate it I could imagine all kinds of applications for it in place of anchovies. HAmdy said it was like being electrified, and he wasn’t that wrong. The Egyptians on staff were flabbergasted that I ate it and that I liked it. Apparently most westerners are too afraid to try it. I am not the usual westerner to travel here.

Fesikh is salted fermented mullet
Fesikh in part of the freshly baked pita
Fesikh on display in the Aswan souk.
Salt fermented fesikh in a display case. And yes…it is vertical!

While I have enjoyed nearly every moment of this trip so far (despite irritating fellow passengers) and the historic sites and sight seeing have all been amazing, for me this trip is now complete. I want to see, do, and eat like a local. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just authentic. And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…Stay tuned for more on this cruise coming up soon.

Notes:

  • I have, for years, typed sandWISH instead of the regular spelling
  • I know the header is fucked up, I’m still working on it.

Travel Egypt – Part Two – the Hotel and Bread

Usually when you take a cruise, your itinerary begins when you board the ship. Unlike other cruises, this one started and ended at a hotel. Let me explain. We arrived in Cairo, toured there for a couple of days then flew to Luxor to board the ship; sailed for a week and then flew back to Cairo for another couple of days culminating with a trip to Giza and THE pyramids. And I ate ALL. THE. BREAD.

A better than average breakfast

We were lucky enough to stay at the Four Seasons and it is a lovely hotel. Like every Four Seasons in the world. The service is lavish, rooms are spacious and the food…well let’s just say it’s not all great. There is definitely some room for improvement. The breakfast buffet included with our room was above average.

The pastry shop in this hotel knows a thing or two about croissants and all of the bread was delicious (more on that further down the page). They offered American and European staples, along with traditional Egyptian fare, like ful (pronounced fool). Ful is the national dish of Egypt and it is stewed fava beans. The most surprising thing about the breakfast bar was the gorgeous honey display. Several varieties to choose from, plus a local honey that you could scrape right off the comb or break off a piece of the comb to enjoy. Delish!

Dinner however was another story all together. I am not sure what it is about the meat in Egypt, but they cook it to death. It doesn’t matter which meat – beef, lamb, veal – it is all COOKED. The meat dishes at the Four Seasons were cooked within an inch of their life. Almost to the point of being inedible. The fish and chicken were treated beautifully though, and were really tasty.

Great Bread is a THING in Egypt

As in most cultures, bread is a staple in Egypt. And nearly all of it is better than the average bread here in the states. Even the street markets had better bread than we get in the states. The croissants I enjoyed at the Four Seasons were some of the best I have ever had. The little rolls and mini baguettes, served with the cheese and charcuterie on board the ship, were really well executed. Bread making is a THING in Egypt. We saw housewives laying dough in the sun on balconies so it could rise. These were average housewives, not Martha Stewart-y kinds of women with too much time and money on their hands.

It’s not just the big hotels that make their own bread, small Mom & Pop places make their own bread daily as well. We had lunch in Alexandria at a bright fish place filled with tile and large glass windows to see the Mediterranean. They had a gas fired brick oven and turned out their own pita. Yes, it was delicious. While in Aswan, we enjoyed high tea at the historic Cataract Hotel. All of the finger sandwiches were exceptional, even though they had been sitting out waiting for our arrival.

I am forever ruined for the pita that we have access to here; those are pale imitations of what a pita can truly be. Walking through the souk you can smell the bread being made and then you round a corner and see it. Imagine one of those toasters you see on a buffet that takes your bread on a little conveyor belt, and spits your toast out of the bottom. Now imagine it as big as the hood of a mid-sized SUV spitting out perfectly puffed pita that are so hot you have to pass it back and forth in your hands like you are playing “hot potato” with yourself. (Yes, I took a pic. No, it didn’t come out well.) Shawarma wrapped in light thin lavash and petite baguettes filled with all manner of things. The fillings were immaterial, the bread was the star of the show for me. Hi, my name is LeAnne and I am a carb-aholic.

fresh pita is everywhere
New pal Sameh holding the pita fresh from the oven in the souk

Can terroir change the flavor of produce?

Sadly, I didn’t have the opportunity to speak with a culinarian or agriculturalist with a really good grasp of the English language to find out why all of the bread was so damn good. All of the staff on board the ship spoke English, but those who spoke it most fluently didn’t have deep culinary or agricultural knowledge. Is the wheat the same variety as we use here in the states? Is it grown differently or milled differently? Is it like grapes, where the terroir can change the flavor and the properties?

I may never know the answer. What I do know is that my husband is looking at a vacation home in Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea and I am not mad about it. At least I will get to eat the good bread again.

2018 – a Year of Loss and Love

2018 sucked. It just sucked. There was a LOT of loss. Loss of loved ones, heroes, icons, and precious items, but no weight, sadly.

There was also a LOT of love in 2018. I attended four weddings in four different parts of the country. The Hubs was the officiant at his very first wedding. My niece had a baby girl making me a Great Aunt three times over. And there were hugs, and tears, and hellos, and goodbyes. Through it all there was food, glorious food. Food to celebrate and food to drown sorrows or heal a broken heart. This my friends, is the list of the best things I ate in 2018. I had to weed out a few things that were awesome, like Maryland crab cakes IN Maryland. Many of these things made the list not just because they tasted great, but because of the memories attached to the enjoyment of or finding of the dish. I hope you enjoy this look back at my 2018 food year in review.

The Top 10 for 2018

Starting off with the locals, here they are…

Esther’s Kitchen

Local Chef James Trees, owner of Esther’s Kitchen, gave me two of my favorite bites of 2018. The Crispy Fried Cauliflower that I shared with The Hubs (he honestly didn’t get much of it) was better than any other version I have ever had. I am not sure if it was the capers or the anchovies or the texture, or the perfect combo of all of those, but I need to get back in there and eat this again!

fried cauliflower

Crispy Fried Cauliflower at Esther’s Kitchen

I thought pal Chef Johnny Church made the best porchetta (he made it for my Surprise 50th Birthday Party), but I was wrong (Sorry Johnny). The Porchetta SandWISH* made the list not only because it was delish, but because I split it with high school buddy Bob Bucci. The Porchetta is also available on the dinner menu as a main, but the pictured dish is only on the lunch menu.

Porchetta

The Best sandWISH I ate all year!

Sparrow + Wolf

On the ever changing menu at Sparrow + Wolf, you never know what you are going to find. Your fave may be taken off the menu to make room for something else that’s fabulous. I did learn from pal, Chef and Owner Brian Howard that they tried to take one of last year’s faves off the menu and there was a near riot. This was one of the nightly specials when I took Sister Nancy to dine there. Her words about this dish were, “I want this for breakfast every day for the rest of my life”. And she’s not wrong. It’s like the best French Toast you’ve ever had topped with the most decadent thing on the planet, and just so you don’t feel guilty, here’s a little fruit.

Foie Gras

Honey Toast with Foie Gras and Blueberries

Carnevino

Carnevino was one of the things we lost this year. It’s final meal service was July 21st and we were happily able to enjoy it with friends Al & Sue Mancini, Eric Gladstone and new friend Jason Harris. I had eaten at Carnevino before, and they have made this list before but I had never had the six month aged beef. Al called ahead and reserved a piece of this amazing beef for us. What a way to go! You can see all of the pics of that meal here.

Dry aged beef

180 day dry aged Prime NY Strip at Carnevino

Two From Vermont

Attending those four weddings in 2018 allowed me to try out some new places. Hen of the Wood in Burlington, Vermont was one of those places. Everything was exceptional and I really should have ordered this dish a second time. Yes, it was that good. Due to a seasonal and ever changing menu, you may not see this dish. Rest assured there will be something fabulous.

Hen of the Wood

Mushroom Toast at Hen of the Wood

The Bierhaus at the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont provided me with this perfect burger. The cattle are raised on the property and the beef is for the sole use of the Von Trapp family of restaurants on the property. The flavor is unique to that place as no other cattle can eat exactly what these grass fed cattle can. Think of the properties that terroir gives to wine and it’s kinda the same thing. Not anywhere in the same league as the steak above, but this was THE single best burger I had all year.

Farm raised beef

The best burger I ate all year!

Family Meal, Frederick Maryland

Attending Nephew Jeremy’s wedding took us to Frederick, Maryland and we toured several breweries and ate some fab food. Fried Chicken almost always makes my “best of” list in one form or fashion. For 2018 it was Bryan Voltaggio’s Fried Chicken at Family Meal. It made the list for several reasons:

  1. It was fucking delicious!
  2. We visited Rockwell Brewery and when we asked for a menu they pointed to the boring looking building in the parking lot and told us they could order from there and have it delivered. I declined. Face palm… I didn’t realize it was Bryan Voltaggio’s joint, so I was forced to return.
  3. It was served in a Revol Chicken Dish – one of my absolute favorite pieces from their collection (I have three small ones that were gifted to me). Fried Chicken served on a $60 plate? Yeah, it’s that kind of chicken!
  4. I ordered a side of Pimento Cheese Mac & Cheese and shared it with my two fave guys – The Hubs and The Son.

Family Meal

Bryan Voltaggio’s Fried Chicken

Conference Food

I often travel with The Hubs for his conferences because there are some fun locations. This year we attended three conferences and two locations made this list for 2018.

This rainbow of ciders from Schilling Cider House in Seattle was one of the best drinks of 2018! We went with friends and each of us ordered a flight of 6 and there were very few repeats because the variety was seemingly endless. Barrel aged, multi-fruit, and everything from sweet to ultra dry made the decision making process VERY difficult.

Rainbow of Ciders

A rainbow of Ciders from Schilling in Seattle

Orlando is…well, Orlando. We were at Universal Studios Resort and there was this. And it was so good I had to go back and order it a second time just to make sure that I wasn’t wrong. The first time I ate it I was so hungry that I thought maybe it was just mediocre. It was equally delicious the second time around. At Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, a kitschy themed restaurant in the tourist area, you can get these tater tot nachos – “totchos” – and they were loaded with toppings and flavor. I have to find a way to recreate them here because…damn.

Tater tot Nachos?

Totchos with green chile, queso and fried pork belly

And finally…from my kitchen

I love to cook and I hate to waste food, but sometimes “leftovers” aren’t what I want. I made this one day with freshly poached eggs and everything else was a leftover from something else. Jamon de Serrano crisped up in the pan with parmigiana reggiano and asparagus made for a great way to clear out the fridge and fill up my belly. Perfect leftovers? Perhaps. A little Hollandaise wouldn’t have sucked on this dish.

poached eggs

The one dish from my kitchen that made the list

I hope you have enjoyed this look back at 2018. I am ready to put all of that behind me and move on to creating and enjoying more food memories with my nearest and dearest. Wishing you all a tasty 2019.

*In case you are new here – I always write sandWISH instead of the correct word.

Hen of the Wood – Burlington, VT – First Spoonful

I had heard a LOT about Hen of the Wood, and all of it was good. So, of course when we were on the east coast for a wedding, and staying in Burlington, we had to check it out. The Burlington location is the second with the first being in Waterbury, not too far from the Ben & Jerry’s HQ (which we also visited – more on that in the next post).

First off, let me tell you I am glad we stopped in while walking around town and made a reservation because the place was packed from the time we arrived until the time we left. Always a good sign! And making the reservation was more difficult than I had anticipated. The time and date we wanted weren’t available and we had to go a different night at a much later than usual dining hour for the Hubs, but it was so worth it.

Hen of the Wood  IS a “Daily Special”

Secondly, don’t get your heart set on ANYTHING that you see on posted menus, or in this write up, and don’t ask for the daily specials – everything on the Hen of the Wood menu is a “daily special”. The menu changes each day based on what is fresh, local and available that day. They source as much locally as possible and work with what’s available. On the bottom of the menu there is a note about which farms provided the produce. Of course we looked at the menu online and made some preliminary selections and when we got there, none of the items we wanted to try were available. It was a happy accident that allowed us to try things that weren’t on our radar. The only thing that was the same were the Parker House rolls that we devoured! They were light, fluffy and topped with just a bare sprinkling of salt served with a savory compound butter. And I wish I had asked to take the dated, printed menu of the day.

Thirdly, while it was just the two of us, after a quick trip the ladies’ room, I wished we had a crowd with us. I suggest you go with a group of 6 or 8 and make a reservation well in advance for the “Chef’s Table” by the kitchen. It is literally IN the kitchen at Hen of the Wood. That is how I like to eat; watching and seeing everything that is going on. And do be sure to check out the funky cool artwork (the WuTang Clan print was my fave) and the meat aging locker on your way to the restrooms.

I Voluntarily Ordered a Vegetarian Dish

Now let’s talk about the food. For the first time in my memory, I voluntarily ordered a vegetarian dish and I was THRILLED that I did! Of all of the dishes we ordered, there was only one misstep, and it was more a preference than a poorly executed dish.

We started with the Mushroom Toast. On the menu it didn’t sound like anything special, but the table next to us had it delivered and it looked so good that we ordered it as well. Thick cut, freshly grilled bread topped with beautiful seasonal mushrooms, bitter greens, pork belly and a gorgeous, perfectly poached egg. It was simply stunning and absolutely delicious, and I was left wanting more of them. I will be creating my own riff on this at home in the future.

Mushroom Toast with Parker House rolls in the background

Then we moved on to the Beef Tartare with caraway crackers – this was the only dish we were not in love with. It was almost like a kitschy play on words between tartare and tartar. Tartare is one of my most favorite dishes to enjoy anywhere, and this one disappointed. There was a dill and mayo dressing along with nicely diced, crunchy vegetables mixed into the diced beef. It was beautifully executed, just not to our taste. Surprisingly, even though I despise caraway, I didn’t hate the crackers. They were crunchy, house made crackers with just a hint of caraway, not the overwhelming flavor I usually find with that seed.

Beef Tartare

Next up was the Halibut with Fresh Corn. Again, a simple and beautifully plated dish of pan roasted halibut on a bed of fresh corn and a dollop of a zippy little green relish (not pickles…and this is why I wish I had asked for the menu, because I can’t remember everything). The crust on the halibut was crispy, the meat moist and flavorful, and the corn…holy hell was it was fresh and good. This is the kind of dish where Hen of the Wood really excels and highlights the freshest of flavors. The relish added just the right amount of acid to cut through the richness of the fish. Each component was perfect on its own, but when combined into the “perfect bite”, the way chefs intend, it was a masterpiece.

Halibut with Corn

By far, my favorite dish of the night was the vegetarian dish that I selected! I am as surprised as you are…trust me! Broccolini with Farrow and Whipped Ricotta. The ricotta is, of course, made in house and served as the perfect sweet foil to the bitterness of the broccolini. And the sprinkling of pepitas lent the perfect additional crunch to the dish. Farrow is one of my favorite grains to play with, partly because of the texture, and this also will be riffed on in my kitchen.

Broccolini with Farrow & Ricotta

We skipped dessert because the Hubs wanted soft serve, excuse me – a creamee – from the local stand down the street (more on that in my next post too). But we did consider a cheese plate since there were so many fabulous offerings on the daily sheet.

On the whole, if you are planning a trip to Burlington – call ahead and reserve a spot at Hen of the Wood. You won’t be disappointed.

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