Batzen

In the small city of Bolzano or Bozen to the German speakers...

At the Batzenhausl (Address:  Anreas Hoferstr, 30,  Bolzano, Italy) I enjoyed true comfort food: Austrian style.

But wait, I’m in Italy. How is this possible?

I was so unaware of the cultural essence of this Tyrol region of Italy before finding myself visiting this interesting region for 4 days, on a pure whim. 

According to Bolzano locals, this is the place to be for traditional pub fare, good brews, and friendly ambiance. All the while, I found myself nestled in the middle of this small city in a refurbished and modern eighteenth century home. This place, I was told, is the oldest continuously run restaurant in Bolzano.

They brew their own beer here too, the Batzen Braü selections are well known for their crisp and flavorful characters. I tried the Batzen Weisse- their wheat beer. Definitely cloudy, and very refreshing with some very pleasant floral notes… 

I was dining alone… (As I found out after a month of travelling, dining “toute seule” is not one of my favorite things to do- but essential if I was going to make sure I experienced local flavors. The corner pizza joint could only get me so far…) The waiter was very friendly, and helped me decipher the menu, which was all in German with Italian translations. My Italian, I discovered, was not that bad, but I definitely needing a helping hand if I was going to have any luck ordering at this place. After a lengthy conversation in my broken Italian and a few English words here and there, I placed a full order. Bad news is that I found the portions SO hefty (plus all the beer) that I could only get through the appetizer…

That’s okay! I’m glad I did, there’s plenty to share regarding this wonderful dish:

Semmelknödel

(or the Italian varation: Canederli)

are in broad terms, German and Austrian bread dumplings that also found in the North of Italy. These are made, like you’ve gathered, from bread, cheese, milk, eggs, and even potatoes. All are very inexpensive ingredients, but they can be garnished with other accent flavors like Speck (a type of cured beef) and other vegetables as shown below. 

Because of the hefty portions, I had mine as a main course, but they are usually a starter or an appropriate accompaniment to meat dishes. Sometimes, I heard, they can be made into soup form with a light broth. 

I can't begin to describe how delicious this knödel sampler was. Each round dumpling was flavored with different flavors and on a bed of creamy and zesty vegetable purées. My favorite one was the tan one to the far right. It was full of creamy cheese pieces (rolled into the bread, not as a filling) and on a bed of seasoned tomatoes.) A winning combination. Consequently, the red knödel was made with meaty pieces and on a bed of creamy horseradish. Very strong! 

Add some variation of coleslaw, beets, and you've got yourself some very powerful combinations. The knödel themselves are soft to bite into, and of a very solid consistency. They are not fried, so they're not greasy at all. Instead, I believe they are dunked and steamed in water or broth. 

Finally, no meal is complete with a basket of assorted breads. I had the bread in Bolzano on a few occasions, especially at my breakfast brunch every morning. They look like buns don't they? Ahh... but don't be fooled. These small breads are not soft and delicate. They're actually quite tough, but make a perfect accompaniment to sauces, savory ingredients like cured meats and cheese, and even butter and jam. The darker ones were my favorite. They were infused with fennel and other herbs. Perfect for scooping up some leftover knödel and sauce. 

Guten Appetit! 

Food... how the Romans like it

No trip to Italy, especially Rome is complete without having an apperitivo.
Imagine an all-you-can-eat buffet spread at the counter of a bar. Little plates and little forks... and unlimited trips. The only catch is you need to buy a drink. Not bad... A drink and full dinner all for 10 euros approximately. Some places do charge a cover to enter, but that guarantees a delectable selection of the best variety of salada, pastas, and crostini.

Then if you're still hungry, why not head to dinner? Pizzerias are easy to come by in Rome, but they are mostly, according to some native Romans I talked to, tourist traps. For real Roman cuisine, head outside the center, or look for Pizzerias with Italians on the terraces and menus for less than 12 euros.

Trattorie were by far my favorite kind of restaurant option in Italy. The same tourist-trap rules apply. But when you find a family-owned, friendly, and unpretentious trattoria in whatever city you find yourself in... don't let go! Trattorie are friendly family-style establishments whose focus is not high-brow cooking, but simply making local comfort foods which please the clientele day after day and keep them coming back for more. A trattoria will be less formal than a ristorante but a bit more substancial than an "osteria."

A typical Roman Piazza in the evening. People chatting, getting ready to decide where to go for a meal. 

Bruschette: Olive spread, fresh, sweet tomatoes, and artichoke spread on robust white bread.

Some typical Antipasti (appetizers) at pizzerias include these little delights, Supplì, which are made of seasoned rice, shaped into egg-shapes with cheese, then breaded and deep-fried. 

These were my favorite: Fiori di Zucca. Zucchini flowers filled with anchovies and cheese then deep-fried to a golden perfection. People may ask for the Fiori to be filled with just cheese and no anchovies. I found I liked them with anchovies- they added a burst of saltiness at the end of the mouthful which was a nice contrast to the mild cheese and batter. 

Pizza Capricciosa: mozzarella, tomatoes, artichokes, olives, ham, egg

Notice the thin crusts and sparse ingredients.

A white pizza is just as common and well-liked as a red pizza. A white pizza is just cheese and no tomato sauce. This one was a creamy and salty delight. Quattro formaggi e funghi. (four cheeses and mushrooms)

Something which completely took me by surprise was the pasta- which came at the beginning of the meal as a first course and not as an entrée (the english meaning, the main course.) The portions were always huge. Just good pasta with the sauce and that's it. By the time I was done, I didn't have any more room for the main course! (And there, you would have a wide array of meats an more delicious sauces)

Carbonara. The photo does not do it justice, the color was rich and vibrant. I can't even begin to describe how creamy the sauce was. 

What made this thick pasta so delicious was the black pepper sauce. 

The airiest, most simply delicious tiramisu. No frills, just homemade cream and strong coffee flavor. This trattoria was about 40 minutes away from the main station, Termini. 

No evening meal could be complete without a bit of citrus delight. Limoncello, the classic and well-known digestif was as good as I imagined it to be. I had never had it before, and it was a perfect cap to a delicious meal. 

Crèpes continued...

The first Crèpe post by Valentine explained the story and technique behind real crèpes and galettes from Brittany.
Now here are some examples of galettes and crèpes found in a few crèperies around the city of Nantes (which a lot of people would say is now no longer really Brittany... I tend to disagree. But hey, I'm not a real Breton...)

Goat cheese, Egg, and Provençal vegetables on a buckwheat galette

Smoked Salmon, Sauce Ciboulette (chive) and algae

Chocolat maison (home-made dark chocolate) and roasted almonds

Long live Brittany!

I'm back! and the first post is... Italian Gelato!

Now that I am back in Boston, I have a lot of time on my hands for reflection and writing. Before leaving Nantes after living there for two years, I travelled for one month throughout Italy, Belgium, and Great Britain. In the coming weeks, I will share with you a bite of my travels... I will share with you some of the wonderful things I ate.

Because it's hard to write on the road, I took many photos, but unfortunately was not able to write much. Now is the time to catch up on all the meals worth sharing with you that I was lucky enough to discover in the last couple of months.

For this reason, the timeline will be a bit choppy, and for that I apologize. I just have so much to catch up on!

Let's waste no time. Let's start with a classic food blog entry: ice cream.

Gelato Italiano is by all accounts, just ice cream. But for some reason, the Italians do it so well. At every single Gelateria, from the most simple and tourist infested to the artisanal parlors, their ice cream never seems to disappoint. Maybe it's the insane variety of flavors. Or maybe the rich creamy-ness. Or maybe it's just the fact it's ice cream in ITALY. Whatever the reason, true Italian gelato always seems to taste heavenly. Here are a few snapshots of some of my favorite ones, and mind you, I tried a lot. I was travelling alone for a few days in Florence and then Verona. What is a girl to do?


*As always, I urge you to click on each photo for an enlarged version of it. That way you can savor each snapshot even more! Thanks!

My First Gelateria. 

Gelateria dei Neri in the Santa Croce Neighborhood in Florence.

Via dei Neri 25, 50122 Firenze, Italia

Nope, not vanilla. It was half Gorgonzola gelato and half hazelnut. 

This Gelateria is also known for its Granita, which is similar to what we know as Italian ice. 

This place, I'm told is old, traditional, family owned, and very well known with queues usually reaching the back and flowing into the street. I, though, was SO lucky and got there early. I was the only one in the shop! 

Gelateria Santa Trinita in Florence. In the Santa Trinita Neighborhood. 

Piazza Frescobaldi, 11-12/r

50125 Firenze, Italia

Coffee and White Peach. Melting fast!!! It was scalding hot that day in Florence. 

This gelateria is good, but I heard way too much English in there. Tourist trap? I don't know, but it sure was trendy, and very polished. 

And only a bridge away, Gelateria La Carraia

Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r Firenze, Italia 

My now FAVORITE flavor: Pistacchio. also, Chocolate, and Cherry.  

The BEST pistacchio gelato I had in Italy

Gelateria Giolitti

Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40

00186 Roma, Italia

Historic 1900s dairy turned Gelateria and tea room, this bustling and over crowded spot DID deliver in the quality and taste department. The price and relatively long wait was worth it for the best gelato in Rome (in my humble opinion.) All the servers, dressed in black and white had to be quick and efficient in order to handle the throngs of locals and tourists alike. When Clare and I finally made it to the front, the server was actually quite nice and very polite. 

 Nocciola (hazelnut) and wait for it... Champagne sorbetto. Don't judge me on the weird combination of flavors- I just really wanted to try both!

For my last gelato in Italy I headed for 

Gelateria Artigianale Pistacchio

Via XX Settembre Verona, Italia

I couldn't leave Italy without having my favorite flavor of all time (pistacchio, of course.) This time I combined it with Lime Sorbetto. The lime was so refreshing and smooth. I couldn't get enough. 

my own Raclette experience

Like Jessica explained in the previous entry, La Raclette is a dish with many parts, but easy to prepare. You just need a "Machine à Raclette"

I was lucky to have been invited into a French home for some. It is the perfect dish for a convivial soirée, and often it is precisely the dish to serve when inviting people over. This particular occasion was a birthday.

Lots of cutting/slicing. But after the lengthy preparation, it's self-serve! 

A wonderful spread

A special cheese for Raclette is used. Flavorful and perfect for melting at hot temperatures

getting ready... à table. 

A 8-10 person machine.

The cheese takes just a minute or two to melt. You take it out when it begins to bubble!

You must not forget the Cornichons (small pickles) for an added touch of flavor.

Yummy, delicious, melty, cheese, potato and MEAT goodness.

La Raclette

Thanks Jessica, for the following entry! 

Here is the recipe of what we French call La Raclette.

For 6 people, you need :

- 2 pounds of cheese from Savoie or Switzerland

- 2 pounds of potatoes (it is better to cook them in boiling water with

the skin)

- cooked pork meats (sausage, salami, bacon, ham, smoked ham...)

With a special appliance (like on the picture), you can melt the cheese

(but you can also make it melt in the oven). Cut 5mm thick pieces of

cheese and let them melt in the appliance for a few minutes (as much as

you like it melted).

After peeling the potatoes and cutting them into pieces in your plate, you

can pour the melted chesse onto it.

Add some pieces of cooked pork meats and savour it all!

Just for a change, you can do it with seafood and add more vegetables

(lettuce, tomatoes, pickles...).

Bon Appétit!

"Everybody who produces food, produces love"

A quote by Antonio Carluccio from the BBC show, "Two Greedy Italians"

I was told of this show by a good friend, and have since watched a few episodes. For anybody who hasn't been to Italy, I think this is a wonderful  show that  really gives a sense of Italian society and culture as it is today, and why the society has evolved in such ways. 
Not to mention, it is extremely entertaining! You won't ever witness a more lovable pair, who KNOW their food. 

It is hosted by the aforementioned Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo (Italian chefs, and restauranteurs based in London). So much of what they see in their travels is so honest and straightforward; I couldn't help but feel like I was along for the ride. If only I could actually taste everything!

 Their observations on food, life, and the essence of human nature are surprisingly poignant, and I found, can be carried over to so many other culinary traditions around the world. It really goes to show what a truly universal language food is. 

                                                                                                  ~~~

This is one of the few statements I've ever heard spoken, that in my experience, happens to be completely true. What a better representation of someone's love or appreciation than a batch of homemade cookies. Or perhaps some warm, slow-cooked chicken soup, served to an ailing loved one. Or some freshly-baked bread. There is a reason we (I) opt for self-made nourishment sometimes over canned, wrapped or frozen meals. It is because the warmth and energy put into making a special dish is somehow (at least I hope) transmitted to others.

There is a certain mysticism or magic surrounding the intrinsically human (well, at least ever since the early homo erectus) habit and need to combine ingredients and to control heat in order to create something completely different and delicious for our taste buds. Our efforts, though sometimes small, to prepare meals should never go unnoticed. They are little acts of kindness and love.

Crèpes

Crèpes

By Valentine

            In Breton (Celtic language spoken in Brittany), the same word krampouezhenn means both a «crèpe», which is a thin and sweet pancake made with common wheat, and a «galette», which is made with buckwheat. The term «galette» comes from the 

North of Brittany. In the west part of Brittany, people say «crèpes sucrées» for the 

sweet ones and «crèpes salées» for the salty ones. 

             Although now people enjoy going to «crèperies» to eat «galettes», it was originally reserved for poor people since it is simply made out of buckwheat, some water, one egg and some salt. People used to eat it without anything else. Sometimes they would dunk it in buttermilk (lait ribot). Traditionally, people drink cider with galettes. 

            We cook our galettes on a specific utensil: the bilig. However the array of terms 

to call it is quite large!  We can hear words such as galetière, galetier (galettier), 

galettoire, tuile etc. You roll out a galette with a rozell (or a rouable, or a raclette) 

which is a sort of small rake. 

            The production of buckwheat being not sufficient to supply the 8,000 tons 

currently consumed in a year, France imports wheat from China, Poland, or Canada.          

            Since the 1950s, most often, people do not eat plain galettes any longer. We can find all sorts of foods to put inside: ham, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, cheese…          

            Sometimes, especially in Brittany, we eat galettes during public events. In this 

case, we eat “galettes saucisse” – a sausage, which has just been grilled, wrapped in a 

cold galette – that we eat like a hot dog.  

You can watch the following highly professional video!         

I apologize for my voice which can be quite annoying haha!         

You will hear a song; that's a famous song that most of French children learn at school...

Banoffee Pie

Banoffee Pie

by Marie

When I was in Ireland, my favourite dessert was the banoffee pie… I’m not really sure where this dessert comes from but I honestly don’t really care because it is soooo delicious!

Last week end, it was Paddy’s day, we all gathered for an Irish day starting with a traditional breakfast accompanied with the right amount Guinness, Bailey's and other funny liquids and some of us brought desserts….

I decided to make my first banoffee pie (yes when I was in Ireland a simple stop at Tesco would give me one, but in France … impossible so I had to make my own!)

Here are the several steps of the pie making…. And if you wonder: Yes it was as delicious as it looks!!

Step 1: Melt fudge and cream

 

 Step 2: After having crushed biscuits and mixed them with butter, spread the mixture in a dish and bake it for 10/15 min.

 Step 3: look at the wonderful and delicious mixture!!

Step 4: Pour the caramel over the biscuit paste.

Step 5: Cover with banana slices.

Final step: Cover with homemade whipped cream and draw a shamrock stay in the Irish spirit!

An important announcement

Dear readers,
I am very excited to announce a first for this blog. I am pleased to welcome ten guest writers who will each contribute an entry to My life in food. en France. This blog is about celebrating and appreciating food and everything that comes along with that, and what better way to expand the reach of this food blog in France, than by having some of the students I teach here each express something related to food, in their own words.
These are students in my MEF 1 class. MEF stands for Master Education et Formation, from within the Lettres Modernes Faculté of the University of Nantes. They have been a joy to interact with every Wednesday at 10:30 AM, and I hope you enjoy what they have to share with us.

Read this article from The Guardian

It really makes you think and help you form your own opinions about the food culture in your own country...
                  Is the food revolution just a great big fat lie?

The best salad in the world

So, it might not be the healthiest, but it sure beats every other salad I have had in the taste department. 

Behold the deliciousness....

Okay, well, I'm not delicious. But I liked this photo of me sitting on the patio at the restaurant. It's on one of the most lively streets in Nantes. Note: the food coma-induced, dreamy look in my eyes.

 

I think technically this is still a salad because there is a bed of lettuce there... underneath all of the other, more important ingredients: Herb-roasted home fries, melted "Raclette" cheese, cured ham, and garnished with turnip chips and a honey and poppy seed wafer. 

And where can you get such a salad you ask?

Café Cult'
2 Rue des Carmes 
44000 Nantes, France
+33 2 40 47 18 49

and on their menu:

Salade Alpage
(salade de pommes de terre ailées persillées avec jambon de pays et fromage à raclette fondue) 14,30 €

A Breton pork stew

So now for something completely different… ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Kig ha farz.

It is a Breton stew made with pork. After eating one of these, all I felt like saying was “oink oink.”

This traditional hearty dish from the Brittany region in France is made by stewing some vegetables (leeks, potatoes, cabbage, and carrots) with different pork elements- like the belly, cheeks and shoulders and buckwheat stuffing (the "far" or "farz"). This is not exactly haute-cuisine. It's simple but hearty country cooking able to satisfy even the biggest appetite. It takes a long time to stew- the longer the better, so that the broth, vegetables and the buckwheat stuffing (which sometimes come in the form of little dumplings) are all moist and oh-so-tender. Traditionally, the stuffing- made from slightly sweetened and buttery buckwheat dough- is cooked along with the pork and the vegetables, but inserted in a special canvas pouch which prevents the stuffing from disintegrating. How ingenious of the Breton! 

I had my own portion of Kig ha farz at a Brasserie here in Nantes called Le Coq en Pate. It was by chance that this Breton name caught my eye while I was looking over the menu. I asked our server what it was, and her description sounded appetizing enough and I was feeling brave (a common occurrence, though I know perfectly well it's either hit or miss with me at restaurants...) so I said, "je prends le Kig ha farz!" 
Fifteen minutes later, the whole table let out a tiny collective "ahhh!" when they brought out a small cast iron pot, mustard, and bread just for me! It contained a very large individual portion, and I, well, finished the entire thing... and left feeling very satisfied. 

My other dinner companions got their duck dish with a delectable sweet sauce. Maybe next time I'll try the duck... 

Christmas breads

So let’s move on to the Holidays and talk about three different but equally delicious types of bread that I had while I was at home. I took a three-week break and went home to Boston where I relaxed, saw family and friends, and ate. A LOT. It was wonderful.

#1
The first bread comes to us from Venezuela and is called “Pan de Jamon.” It is a traditional bread made during the holiday season and is a true crowd pleaser. I know I should do a little more reading on it, so I am unsure at the moment whether it is made only around the holidays. The information I have regarding this yummy and doughy bread comes from our next door neighbors- the matriarch of the clan Elizabeth was nice enough to share with us a loaf out of the many she was preparing for her own family’s celebration.

So here you go, feast your eyes on this: 

I probably do not need to emphasize just how delicious and satisfying a slice of this bread was. The only trouble was stopping after just one slice. As you can see from the photo, the dough is rolled up with ham, olives, and raisins. It was a perfect marriage of sweet and salty without one overpowering the other. Can't wait until next Christmas. If only I could steal the recipe....

#2

This second one is French. Pain d'épices. 

The direct translation is Spice bread, and while it is sold in almost every supermarket in air-tight packaging in all its traditional variations with different types of dried fruit, the original recipe centers around one ingredient. It is the one that gives the French pain d'épices its distinct flavor and texture: Honey. In my opinion, the honey is what makes this holiday bread in France different from similar breads, namely gingerbread. 

Rye flour, honey and spices is what packs a serious flavor punch! One bite of this decadent, moist, and hefty bread is like biting into a jolly and fragrant Christmas market (if that was even possible...)

Though there are different variations in France, and throughout Europe, I loved the one I bought at the Christmas market here in Nantes from a man who baked hundreds of pounds of pain d'épices in huge molds, and cut customers hefty slices, which he sells by the kilo. He added nuts, figs, and even chocolate to his artisanal pains d'épices. I brought a chunky (and heavy) slice home for everyone to try. It had flavorful dry figs in it. 

I stood in line for what seemed like hours, but in reality more like 30 minutes, and ordered  by gesturing with my hands the approximate width I wanted. The Pain d'épices man (I have sadly forgotten his name) asked me where I was from (clearly my accent gave me away) and when I said the United States, he asked me if I was travelling with the bread. It's as if he had a Spidey Sense, because he proceeded to give me detailed instructions about how to travel with the bread. He stared at me with a fixed gaze when he told me that under no circumstance could I unwrap the bread. I was to unwrap it only when until I was ready to eat it at my final destination. He knew he had to tell me that. It's his bread after all, and he was well aware of the inescapable temptation to want "goûter un tout petit peu" (to try just a tiny piece...)

I'm happy to report I did not cave, and unwrapped the tightly sealed hunk of break only after I had arrived in Boston. 

Be proud. It was tough. 

#3

The final bread might be my mom's favorite, and definitely in my top ten breads of all time because of the fact that I make it! I like feeding people (okay, that sounds weird) but you get it. It's so rewarding to spend time making/baking something only to see that people enjoy the final product. 

This is the Rosca de Reyes. 

I use a recipe from a great cookbook my mom got a few years back entitled "Bread: The Breads of the World and How to Bake Them at Home" by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter. The recipe in here is based on a Spanish recipe, but from the first time I made it, I thought the flavor was spot on, and reminded me and my mom of course, of the Rosca in Mexico. In Mexico, the Rosca is made and served on January 6th for Epiphany, or Dia de los Reyes which translates to the Day of the Kings. Of all the recipes I have seen, this one- though not so simple- is quite straight-forward and comes out moist and quite tasty. A little plastic figurine is usually hidden inside it. The person who cuts a piece of the rosca containing the figurine gets to throw a party with tamales and atole later on for the "Día de la Candelaria" on the second of February (in France, it is known as La Chandeleur and they make lots of crêpes!) So, obviously it is not to one's best interest to find the figure. In my roscas, I substitute the figurine for a bean or even a piece of dried fruit like an apricot. Here are some photos of this year's Rosca de Reyes.