Category Archives: Links

September 17, 2013 · 10:25 AM

Drawn the Road Again: A Visual Travel Blog

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Drawn the Road Again is an amazing blog of Chandler O’Leary’s travel sketchbooks created while criss-crossing the USA. But perhaps sketchbook is a misleading term, since each one of these Moleskine and Watercolor creations looks like a little work of art. Though this is not mainly a food blog, naturally there are many posts that touch on food, such as a visit to Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia, our favorite! (above and below images), the peach orchards of the Columbia River Gorge in Washington State, and the culinary delights of Dogpatch, San Francisco. We’re looking forward to the next trip.chandler_oleary_franklin_fountain3-720x543

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September 10, 2013 · 8:48 AM

Refreshing Agua Fresca Recipes for Hot Weather

Mexico FlagIt may be September, but the thermometer in Chicago is still peaking in the 90s. One of our favorite remedies for a blisteringly hot day in any month is a nice batch of Aguas Frescas. Aguas Frecas (“Fresh Waters” in Spanish) are cold water-based drinks flavored with combinations of fruit, grains, herbs, sugar and spices popular in Mexico and the US. You can find Aguas Frescas sold by street vendors and in many restaurants and bodegas, often in large, iconic glass dispensers. The range of Agua Fresca flavors is almost infinite, but our two favorites are Sandia (Watermelon) and Jamaica (Hibiscus). It won’t be long before everyone is dipping into their hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes, so enjoy the Aguas Frescas while you can. We also think these combinations would make excellent paletas.

Aguas Frescas in San Jose, California

Aguas Frescas in San Jose, California by Lifeofpie

Agua Fresca Recipes:

New spins on the Agua Fresca classics:

Aguas Frescas for sale in Mexico City

Aguas Frescas for sale in Mexico City by Frankenschulz

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September 9, 2013 · 8:03 AM

Free Flavour Blog: Beautiful vintage food packaging and design

Vintage Orangina Poster from France

Vintage Orangina Poster from France

Though often considered an afterthought, food packaging and design can sometimes be particularly beautiful and creative. Enter Free Flavour, an ever-changing visual collection of vintage American and foreign food packaging and advertising. With an incredible collection of unique images, Free Flavour is making us wish food product design and advertising still looked this way!

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September 2, 2013 · 8:24 AM

(Almost) End of Summer Peach Pie

Happy Labor Day! If you live in the US, you’re probably going to be attending a BBQ/cookout or two. Though Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer, we refuse to let go until September 21st. Either way, there was still plenty of delicious fruit at the farmer’s market so we decided to celebrate the almost end of summer with a delicious, classic peach pie. This recipe from Smitten Kitchen turned out well for us (we also decided to add a handful of raspberries). Don’t let summer go, yet!

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August 28, 2013 · 7:48 AM

Tracking down Turkish Breakfast in Chicago

Turkish Breakfast

Turkish Breakfast by Massimiliano Trevisan

turkeyAfter writing our recent post on Asitane restaurant in Istanbul, it got us hankering for some Turkish food. We had excellent food in Istanbul, and even some particularly good breakfasts. We enjoyed the hearty spread of baked goods, cheeses, halva, fruit, yogurt & honey and excellent coffee (naturally). While we have attempted to recreate our Turkish breakfasts on a smaller scale, it turns out there are even some places in Chicago that turn out a Turkish breakfast/brunch. Serious Eats Chicago recently had a feature on what was deemed the best place to catch a Turkish brunch, Pide ve Lahmacun (1812 W Irving Park Rd.). It was already on our list, but with this additional news, we definitely have to go!

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August 27, 2013 · 8:55 AM

Japanese recipe site Cookpad, now in English

Japan[Via MetaFilter] I recently learned that the huge Japanese user-contributed recipe site Cookpad, which has over 20 million users and 1.5 million recipes, now has an English version. Cookpad seems similar to Food.com, and you can browse recipes by category or ingredient. Over 1,500 recipes have been translated into English so far, with more planned (the translations are not by a machine, though there are a few errors anyway). There are a ton of cool-looking recipes including Taro Root Croquettes, Somen noodles, Udon with Yuzu and Tofu with dashi sauce. Any fans of Japanese food should definitely explore. Did you find any favorite recipes?

Tonkotsu Ramen Style Somen Noodles via Cookpad

Tonkotsu Ramen Style Somen Noodles via Cookpad

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August 21, 2013 · 7:28 AM

Globally-Inspired Iced Tea for Summer

Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than iced tea. Tea (in its many forms) is one of the most universal drinks, whether in hot or iced form, so why not give the Snapple and Lipton a rest and try something new? Even though the end of summer is sadly approaching, there are still plenty of hot days to enjoy some cool drinks (preferably on a balcony or beach).

Bellocq Mint Tea from Design Sponge

Bellocq Mint Tea from Design Sponge

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August 19, 2013 · 12:17 PM

Jean-François Mallet’s “Take Away”: Global street food photography

French photographer Jean-François Mallet has a lovely (somewhat) new book called “Take Away” which is an amazing chronicle of street food sellers and customers from all over the world. We were intrigued by his pictures of both familiar and new takes on street food. You can check out some more of Mallet’s food and travel photography on his portfolio site.

A mobile bread vendor in Beirut, Lebanon

A mobile bread vendor in Beirut, Lebanon by Jean-François Mallet

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August 9, 2013 · 6:41 AM

International Street Food Menu at Chicago’s iNG

One of our favorite dining experiences in the US was the Thai menu at Next, which was heavily influenced by the country’s superb street food. We recently learned of the new menu at Homaro Cantu’s restaurant iNG (951 W Fulton Market), which is a mash-up of elevated global street foods. The 8-course menu ($105) includes street food favorites like falafel, Korean BBQ, Tacos, Sno-Cones, and more. You can check out the complete menu on iNG’s website [pdf]. None of the interpretations are literal – check out this deconstructed riff on falafel – with pureed eggplant, Ethiopian Awaze, and a yogurt mint sauce. It’s only open for two months – so check it out soon!

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August 7, 2013 · 10:35 AM

International Chef Summit in NYC

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It’s like the UN of food – well, not exactly, but close. This past week there was a meeting of the chefs of the head of state (Called the Club des Chefs des Chefs) of 20 countries, including France, India, Poland, Thailand, Germany, and the US, among others. The New York Times covered the 2013 event, which happens yearly (since 1977). The chefs cooked emblematic dishes from their nations and sought to bring “diplomacy through gastronomy.” We’ll drink to that.

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August 5, 2013 · 11:25 AM

The story behind Madison favorite, Stella’s Spicy Cheese Bread

We absolutely love the Dane County Farmer’s Market in Madison. It is gigantic, and you can get pretty much any type of produce or baked good there. However, we are creatures of habit, and we make a fairly predictable round of purchases (Hook’s Cheddar, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cilantro, possibly honey, and a few others). One of things we have to get every time we visit is Stella’s hot and spicy cheese bread (which is as awesome as it sounds), and we know many others who feel the same. However, we never really knew the backstory behind the bread. WXOW has the inside scoop, and you may be surprised to learn its origins are actually related to tamale production. You can find the bread in other locations around town, but getting it at the farmer’s market is the best since it is delivered fresh and hot several times throughout the day. If you are far from Madison and craving some cheese bread, Stella’s ships. Or for the more ambitious, Badgerlicious has a DiY recipe.

Stella's Spicy Cheese Bread Stall

Stella’s Spicy Cheese Bread Stall & Crowd by Adam Fagen

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July 24, 2013 · 8:40 AM

Food 52’s Heirloom Recipes

We love the food site Food 52, and we are really enjoying one of their newest features: Heirloom Recipes, where a different blogger each week shares a family recipe passed down to them. There is something very satisfying about recipes that are passed on from generation to generation, and almost everyone can think of something that their grandma, grandpa, aunt, etc. made that was absolutely THE BEST. Heirloom recipes on Food 52 is a weekly feature, and so far they have included recipes for Zucchini Bread and Norwegian Boller (Cardamom rolls).

Norwegian Boller

Norwegian Boller from Food 52

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July 22, 2013 · 1:19 PM

Marcus Nilsson’s Travel Food Photography

I was first introduced to Marcus Nilsson’s photography by a feature in Swallow Magazine about food culture in Mexico City. Intrigued, I then went on the peruse some of his portfolio, and I love all of the travel food images. Here is a very small sample of some of his captivating photography from around the globe. A former chef, Nilsson talks to Fstoppers about his photography philosophy.

Marcus Nilsson: Parma

Marcus Nilsson: Parma

Marcus Nilsson: Marrakesh

Marcus Nilsson: Marrakesh

Marcus Nilsson: Detroit

Marcus Nilsson: Detroit

Marcus Nilsson: Mexico City

Marcus Nilsson: Mexico City

Nilsson: Spain

Marcus Nilsson: Spain

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July 16, 2013 · 10:09 AM

The International Origins of Nando’s Peri-Peri

Over at Africa is a Country, our favorite African news and opinion site, historian Sarah Emily Duff has a fascinating write-up on the multinational origins of Nando’s Peri-Peri, a self-described South African peri-peri chicken joint with locations throughout Africa (including Gaborone, capital of Botswana, from where she writes this piece), Europe, and a few in the USA. M visited a location in Washington, DC last year, and raved about the food. Now, we have a much greater understanding of the surprisingly complex history of the chain, with ties to Portugal, Mozambique, South Africa, and the UK during the second half of the 20th century. We’ll take all this cultural learning with us when we return to the DC Nando’s again in October!

Nando's peri-peri chicken with extra spicy sauce, rice, and cole slaw in Washington, DC.

M’s favorite: Nando’s peri-peri chicken with extra spicy sauce, rice, and cole slaw in Washington, DC.

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July 11, 2013 · 9:46 AM

Enough Popsicle and Paleta Recipes to Last the Whole Summer

We recently bought new popsicle molds, and we are excited to make some recipes. We are especially fond of Mexican-style popsicles, paletas, which often combine sweet and spicy flavors. In honor of our new popsicle/paleta maker, we curated a collection of pop recipes from simple to avant-garde. The first recipe we made was yogurt and black raspberry (very similar to this recipe). We pretty much winged it and the result was great – so just let these recipes be a jumping off point for inspiration. Anything goes!

Paleteria in Texas

Paleteria in Texas, by Steve Snodgrass

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July 9, 2013 · 9:58 AM

One Sweet Course: Carpigiani Gelato University

ItalyAs graduate students we’ve taken our fair share of classes, but this class in particular caught our eye – the master Gelato course at the Carpigiani Gelato University outside of Bologna. Run by Carpigiani, an Italian company that manufactures gelato machines, the Gelato University course is 4 weeks long, and attracts students from all around the world hoping to get into the business of gelato. The course not only teaches about gelato-making techniques, but about gelato history and culture, as shown below in a video by Monocle.

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June 13, 2013 · 12:10 PM

A quest for Belgian Frites in Brussels (and Chicago)

BelgiumThis New York Times piece about searching for the perfect frites in Brussels, Belgium is right up our alley. We are quite fond of Belgian fries, or “frites” and also of quests. Though we have never been to Belgium, some of our favorite places for Belgian fries in Chicago are Frietkoten Belgian Fries in the Chicago French Market (131 N Clinton St.) or Hopleaf (5148 N Clark St). We also learned that there is now a late night Belgian fry take-out, Backwoods (3335 N. Halsted St.), though we haven’t tried it yet. Anyone have any other frite favorites in Chicago?

Belgian Frites

Belgian Frites with Sauce Andaluse by Su-lin

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brazilThe BBC recently did a short video piece on the culinary renaissance in Brazil’s favelas, brought about by the recent pacification programs. The Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio (“Gastronomical Guide to Rio’s Favelas”), mentioned in the video, was recently released, giving intrepid foodies a roadmap of 22 restaurants in eight comunidades. We’re always for unique food options – so let’s go!

Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio

Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio

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June 5, 2013 · 8:53 AM
June 3, 2013 · 3:03 PM

Miniature Waffles from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mini Waffles

Mini Waffles from Immigrant Kitchens

DRCFlagImmigrant Kitchens has an awesome post about a food we would love to try: Congolese mini waffles (Here’s the recipe). Now, we love waffles, and every food certainly tastes better in miniature form. Though initially it seemed a little strange that waffles might have turned up in the DRC, it makes sense given the country’s colonial past. Immigrant Kitchens is a great blog, with the goal of sharing home recipes from around the world, by talking with international cooks living in the US and sharing their stories. We are looking forward to reading through all of the archives.

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May 24, 2013 · 11:16 AM

São Paulo vs. Buenos Aires in Pictures

Our time in Salvador is drawing to a close, as is our time in Brazil, if you can believe it (we can’t)! We will be spending our last week in Brazil in São Paulo. So we thought it was particularly appropriate that we came across the blog Sampa versus Buenos as we prepare to leave for São Paulo. Taking a cue from the popular blog (and now book) Paris vs. NYC, the blog humorously compares the differences between the foods, culture, and icons of South American rival cities Buenos Aires and São Paulo (aka Sampa) in graphic form. Our favorite picture so far is that of the rival sweet treats, the Brazilian brigadeiro and the Argentine alfajor. We love both!

BrigadeirovsAlfajor

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