I AMsterdam.

Adventures with Matty Part 1

I was very blessed to have my older brother Matt come to Europe within a week of my mother’s departure. Together we visited Paris, Munich, Berlin, Prague and Milan, with our adventure starting in Amsterdam. During this time a Nor'easter was hitting the East Coast and we assumed that his flight was going to get canceled. We planned to meet at a cafe in the Amsterdam airport, yet there was no way of getting into touch with each other since he did not have a working European phone. Still, I took off alone, crossing my fingers and praying that I would not be stuck in the Netherlands by myself. After my arrival, I sprinted to our meeting point and I noticed a familiar head of dark hair in the distance. It was Matt. He turned around at that very moment and flashed his bright smile. He had arrived only 10 minutes before and was enjoying a Heineken. I felt like it was a scene from a movie. His flight was the last one departing out of New York City for the next three days and they had to de-ice his plane multiple times during the flight. Thankfully, he made it safe and sound and it was time for our escapade to begin.

Our first stop was at the Rembrandt Cafe. We caught up with each other and munched on some Dutch specialties. We had Bitterballen, which were these juicy meat ragout filled fried dough balls, and I had a delicious brie, walnut and honey sandwich.

We explored the city for the rest of the day and stumbled into many different cozy cafes. One that particularly stood out in my mind was called Toastables. We sunk into the fluffy chairs and sipped on warm hot chocolate. We also encountered a strange fast food joint called Febo where you put a Euro into a tiny slot and the food comes out of the window. It was almost like a fast food vending machine. Later that night we went to the classy Brasserie Harkema. I had French Onion soup to start and a brioche filled with crab, gambas and pinenuts in a lobster sauce. It blew my mind.

If you go to Amsterdam, you have to eat stroopwafels. They were hands down one of my favorite desserts in all of Europe. They are two thin crispy waffle cookies with an oozing caramel center. I brought a package back to America and warmed them up in the microwave for a few seconds. Though they were not as good as when we got them fresh from a truck, they did the trick and brought me back to our times in Amsterdam. 

Stay tuned to read about the rest of our trip and our heavenly food discoveries...

Erin go Bragh

      When I first contacted my cousin (who studied abroad in Dublin) for advice on where to eat in Ireland she told me that she thought the cuisine was mediocre at best. Though she recommended Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street, the rest of my culinary choices were up to me. Tripadvisor guided me to a few places, but my experienced nose primarily took the lead. 

On our first morning, we followed her suggestion and had a traditional Irish breakfast at Bewley’s with poached eggs, tomatoes, bacon, potatoes, and white and black pudding. Thank goodness I did not google the ingredients of black pudding until AFTER I ate it. We also had Irish soda bread and grainy toast with Kerrygold butter. Butter was an unexpectedly special treat, as I commonly chose olive oil in Italy. 

In America, I probably have something with buffalo/hot sauce at least once a week. By the time I arrived in Ireland, it had been a long two months since my last fix. Because of this, I was determined to try the wings from Elephant and Castle in Temple Bar. I was bummed because the wait was too long, so I regretfully stumbled next door to Gallagher’s Boxty House. We were greeted by a picturesque Irish lad with dreamy blue eyes and dark hair. His warm voice welcomed us and the cozy atmosphere pulled us in. We started with a dark Murphy’s stout and a dunbarra Irish brie cheese encrusted with a golden crumb and drizzled with a honey apricot sauce. 

      I had a filling and flavorful traditional beef stew, but the star of the table was the sautéed portobello mushrooms and boxty potato dumplings. These fluffy Irish potato dumplings were served in a velvety cashel blue cheese sauce. We finished off the meal with a Bailey’s cheesecake with a fruit compote and a shot of Jameson to celebrate my friends 21st birthday. Slainte!

 O’Neill’s Pub was the epitome of a lively, yet hospitable Irish bar. We had huge portions of fish and chips and sang along to the traditional Irish live music.

Unfortunately I did not have any memorable meals in Galway and at the Cliffs of Moher, but the scenic drive through the rolling green-hilled countryside and the views of the breathtaking coastline made up for it. 

On my way out of Ireland, I had another traditional Irish breakfast at the airport. It was only 9 am and a group of 12 rowdy Irish men were already chugging beers around me. Although they charmingly invited me to join, I remained in my booth and savored my whole wheat bread and creamy butter, consciously knowing that I would soon be stuck with white loafs and olive oil.

Slan!

Fall Food Finds in Firenze

The summer before I departed for Florence, I envisioned a life filled with an abundance of pizza, pasta, and gelato. Though I did consume these staples on a frequent basis, I was introduced to many other interesting and traditionally Tuscan options. I learned that the Italians deeply value seasonality and cook with 'the fruits of the land'. They primarily base their meals on what is available at the time, which leads to a plentiful diversity of food.

I loved anything and everything with truffles. I never would have thought that this gasoline-smelling mushroom oil would be so delicious. I tried pasta drizzled with truffle oil and paninis smeared with truffle creams. Unbelievable. Both black and white truffles will forever remind me of my fall semester in Florence. 

Here are some recipes of my favorite fall finds:

Tuscan Bread Soup: Pappa al Pomodoro 

*a filling meal for a chilly autumn night*

Ingredients

3 tablespoons cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried hot peppers

1 (12-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup water

1/3 loaf day old French or Italian bread (drier the better)

20 fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil and crushed garlic. When the garlic flavors infuse oil, add the crushed peppers being careful not to burn them. Add the whole can of tomatoes into the pot, then using a wooden spatula cut the tomatoes into chunks. Add salt and ground black pepper, to taste. (Remember, bread chunks will be added to this so make it a bit saltier then you would like it to be.) Add water and stir. With your hands, pull the bread into bite-sized chunks, then add them to the pot. "Toss" (do not stir) bread chunks in to the soup. Add basil leaves, lightly toss, serve.

       Grape Focaccia: Schiacciata con l’uva

*After the harvest season in Tuscany, the Italians took advantage of the extra grapes and created Schiacciata con l’uva. It was a sticky focaccia bread that bursted with dark red grapes.* 

Ingredients

200g (7 oz) white flour

100g (3 oz) light brown sugar, and a little for the top

Half tablespoon baking powder (enough for 250g/8oz flour)

1 egg

4 large sprigs rosemary

100g (3 oz) walnuts, shelled and broken up

Half a cup extra virgin olive oil

1 kg (2 lb) small flavoursome red grapes, washed (the Tuscan ones have lots of seeds!)

Directions

Preheat your oven at 175°C/ 350°F

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and the egg.

Remove the rosemary from the stems and add to the olive oil in a saucepan.

Put this on a slow flame and allow to bubble gently for a few seconds.

Add the oil and rosemary to the flour mixture.

Mix this well to amalgamate the ingredients.

Work in the grapes and walnuts using your hands, breaking up the grapes a little but not too much.

Line a baking dish with baking paper and use your hands to spread out the mixture.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Buon Appetito!

Belgian Indulgences

I had no idea what to expect when I booked my flight to Belgium, but what I did know was that I was going to have to navigate multiple trains and buses and somehow comprehend signs in Italian, French, German and Dutch in order to arrive in Leuven, the small town where my best friend was studying abroad. My knowledge of the country was minimal, yet I imagined a land of premium beers, rich chocolates, and fluffy waffles. 

As I walked out of the airport I immediately smelled something frying. I assumed that it was the batter from a waffle pressing between two iron plates, but I soon realized that it was actually one of Belgium’s specialities: french fries. They were being served piping hot in a paper cone with a dollop of mayonnaise. I was unaware that Belgium had such a fixation with french fries. Even when I was at a fancy restaurant called Troubadour, a waiter wearing white gloves served fries with shiny silver tongs as a side dish to my pot of mussels. Though this custom seemed very strange to me, they actually went well with my mussels, which were unbelievably fresh and plump. Another interesting meal that I had was a turkey fricassee with a raspberry glaze. It paired perfectly with a raspberry beer. 

If I am going to give an accurate description of Belgium, I have to mention the beer. I tasted at least 30 different varieties during my stay. I visited the famous Delirium Cafe, which previously received a Guinness World Record for the largest beer selection. I paged through the beer list, pointed to a name, and hoped for the best. All of the beers that I haphazardly chose were pleasant and highly drinkable and came in all different shapes and sizes. 

Some of the best belgian treats came from Maison Dandoy in Brussels. The golden waffles lived up to my expectations and the frothy hot cocoa warmed me right up.

I also discovered a new biscuit called Speculoos, which is a brown sugar spiced cookie. Later I found out that they had it in a spread, which was similar to the consistency of peanut butter. I brought a jar home for my family and friends (though I probably wound up eating the whole thing by myself) and wished that I had brought back 100 more.

I promised myself that I would one day return to the charming town, Bruges.

I truly felt like I was living in a fairytale as I strolled the cobblestone streets. A fresh waffle with bananas, whipped cream and hot chocolate sauce from the cozy Cafe Au Lait was a splendid end to the rainy day. 

I was completely shocked by the beauty of Belgium. For once in my life my favorite aspect of my trip was not necessarily the food. I was fully enthralled by the elaborate, baroque facades and the funky, pointed roofs. I am guessing that my obsession with the architecture was because I had never seen buildings that looked like that before. 

Throwback Thursday - Halloween, Italia Style

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Celebrating Halloween in Italy was definitely a different experience. I did not spot any jack-o'-lanterns sitting outside of doorways or cobwebs hanging above me on the cobblestone streets. So, to get into the spirit I had some Halloween-themed cuisine. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Halloween is pumpkins. Luckily, pumpkins were being harvested in Tuscany so I was able to gorge on some pumpkin ravioli. 

Instead of consuming endless mounds of candy like I typically do on Halloween, I finished off the night with some pumpkin gelato and a freshly-piped cannoli. 

Nevertheless, I still had an enjoyable Halloween. Fortunately for me, it's probably my least favorite holiday, so I did not feel like I was missing out on the American-style festivities. 

The Best of Oktoberfest

    During the last weekend of September I ventured out of Italy for the first time. Ever since my first German language class in seventh grade, I had always dreamed of visiting my homeland. A pink and orange sunrise warmly welcomed us as we drove through the quaint countryside and into the city of Munich. I could not believe that the mental picture that I had crafted in my mind, which stemmed from all of the stories that my Oma told me as a child, actually matched the scenery in front of my eyes. I was in pure awe as we were approaching the city and that feeling of amazement lasted the whole weekend. 

Though I was expecting legendary beer, I did not realize how delicious the food would be. Truthfully, the Käsespätzle (mac & cheese topped with frizzled onions) and the Hendl (roasted half chicken) at the Hofbrau tent were some of my favorite meals of my whole study abroad experience. 

Over the course of the weekend I devoured pretzels the size of my head, many varieties of sausages, donuts, funnel cakes, gingerbread cookies, and roasted beer nuts. I got a genuine taste of Bavarian grub.

I fantasized about my 

weekend as we journeyed back to Italy. The green rolling hills of Germany quickly transformed into mountains, and soon we were in the middle of the foggy Austrian Alps. Before I knew it, I was back in the land of pasta and pizza.

Ciao Cinque Terre

  One of my first weekend excursions was to the beautiful Cinque Terre on the coast of the Italian Riviera. After a two hour hike through the first four villages, I wound up in the last town: Monterosso al Mare.

The view of Vernazza from the hiking trail above.

 My nose had been tempted by the smells of newly ground pesto and the catch of the day at our first stop in Riomaggiore, so I had my mind set on some pesce. We found a tiny restaurant facing the Mediterranean that could accommodate our large group. 

The freshly baked focaccia was the perfect complement to my steamed mussels that were basking in a white wine and garlic sauce. Naturally, I washed down the meal with some refreshing Vermentino. 

After filling our bellies, we let our aching bodies sink into the rocky coast and soaked up the Italian sunshine for a few mindless hours. I could not have asked for a better first trip out of Florence.