We had heard from an acquaintance that there was no good cheap food in Istanbul. That could not be less true! Much like Rome, there are a lot of tourist trap places with overpriced low-quality menus, aiming to make a buck on tired tourists by providing sub-par food. However, on the whole, we probably had better luck finding good, cheap food in Istanbul than Rome. One such example of the good options available is Melekler (113 Ipek Sok, off Küçük Parmakkapi Sok). Located in the bustling Taksim district of Istanbul, this place is blink-and-you’ll miss it small. However, the enticing menu of BBQed meats keeps it pretty packed.
M ordered a plate of Spicy Urfa kebabs, delicious grilled pita and roasted tomatoes. As you can see above, the portions were more than generous. L had a broiled chicken durum wrap that was even cheaper! Durum flatbread wraps are the specialty of the house here, and are definitely worth a try. Dinner was less than 12 Lira, and the tasty BBQ spread certainly fed the two of us. Melekler is open for lunch and dinner – cash only (though you won’t need to bring much). If you are looking for another quick place for a cheap eats even closer to the touristic center, we also recommend Sultanahmet Köftecisi (Divanyolu Caddesi 12A, Sultanahmet) for amazing, cheap quick kebabs right in the heart of town.
Cheap Eats in Istanbul
Portuguese Candy Surprise Game: Caxia de Furos de Chocolate
At snack shops and convenience stores around Portugal, you will often see a perplexing yellow and red box with punch holes near the cash register. We learned that it is in fact an awesome game-of-chance involving chocolate candy, called a “Caixa de Furos,” literally a “box of holes” in Portuguese. The boxes are branded by the chocolate brand Regina, so the surprise you receive will be chocolate. So what happens is you use a little pick to punch a hole in the white circle board and then a color-coded ball falls to the bottom of the box. Depending on the color of the ball, you get a different kind of chocolate candy from behind the counter. We tried our hand at a box and got a yellow ball, which got us a Regina chocolate umbrella, one of the most iconic Portuguese treats. You can even buy a small version for your home (which might by dangerous).
“Take-Home” Caixa de Fruos de Chocolate
Filed under World Eats
Will 2015 be the year of Matcha?
Bon Appetit certainly thinks so. We have always been fans of matcha – powdered Japanese green tea, so we are look forward to seeing it become more popular in the US. From lattes to cupcakes to sugar cookies, matcha is good in everything.
Matcha Latte by cgc76
Filed under Tea
Portuguese Pastry Post-Doc: São Marcos
As the Pastry Post-Doc moves into 2015, I have reached the point where I am encountering more esoteric Portuguese pastries. At a recent visit to Chique de Belem (Rua Da Junqueira 524, 1300-341 Lisboa) – our 2012 winner of best Pastel de Nata – we encountered a rarer variety, the São Marcos. The kind waitress assured us that it was “really, really good!” So we decided to give it a shot. We recalled this pastry appearing in Fabrico Próprio. This rendition of São Marcos had a top and bottom layer of sponge cake, filled with whipped cream and topped with sticky, shiny caramel. One large piece was more than enough for two – typical of Portuguese pastries – it was a total sugar bomb!
Filed under Pastry Post-Poc
Lisbon, a city of quiosques
One of the classic sights in Lisbon is seeing an elaborate beverage and snack stand in the center of a plaza or at the edge of a park. Now these are not modern, boxy newsstand-type places, these are cool, ornate turn-of-last-century (or earlier) ironwork masterpieces called quiosques (kiosks). Quiosques typically serve an array of snacks, coffee drinks, juices, and alcoholic beverages. Typically outfitted with metal tables and chairs, you can lounge for as long as you like: indeed, quiosques remain popular day or night. One feature we particularly love is that some quiosques have baskets full of blankets for customers to use if it get chilly. Since the quiosques are open well into the night, this can definitely come in handy. If you want some munchies with your drink, you can also get pasteis de nata, fried snacks like bacalhau fritters, and simple sandwiches. Quiosques are found throughout town, and have become one of the iconic symbols of Portugal, even appearing on postage stamps (at right). Though quiosques dot the entire city, one of the most popular cafes is located in the center of the Praça de Luís de Camões in the Chiado district, where you can really be in the heart of it all.
Some quiosques – called “quiosques de refresco” – even specialize in traditional beverages like the rarer mazagran, an iced coffee mixed with rum. Though quiosques are usually classic in design and menu, there are a few outliers, including the Bananacafe quiosque in Belem that is located in a refurbished yellow tram; and the bright red Soundwich cafe in Cais do Sodre that serves gourmet sandwiches (below) with an eclectic soundtrack. Other updated quiosques are found in the parkway of the main thoroughfare Aveneida Liberdade.
Quiosques are also usually located in Lisbon parks with views called miradouros (literally “golden views”), which adds another wonderful element of relaxation to the quiosque experience. Enjoy your bica (strong Portuguese coffee) with a view. One of our favorite miradouro quiosques is in the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara where you can get a good cappuccino and a cheese, prosciutto and arugula sandwich on French bread along with your view of the city below (see below). Though quiosques have been an integral part of the city forever, they have been experiencing a major revival in the past 5 or so years. We can definitely see why Lisboetas are flocking back to the quiosques. We have found that there is nothing more relaxing than sitting back with a coffee and watching the world go by.
Filed under Coffee, World Eats
Fabrico Próprio, a field guide to the world of Portuguese pastries
We are back in Portugal for the third time and there are still so many pastries to try! An invaluable resource for my pastry post doc has been the book Fabrico Próprio (which means “made in house,” a label you will see on many bakeries), which I purchased in Lisbon in 2012. The book, by Rita João, Pedro Ferreira and Frederico Duarte presents a social history of semi-industrial baking in Portugal, and also serves as a field guide, identifying 92 emblematic pastries and many iconic cafes through lovely pictures and Portuguese/English bilingual text. The book was clearly a labor of love, and the authors were quite thorough in their documentation of pastelarias throughout Portugal (but especially in Lisbon). We love using this book’s detailed photos and drawings as a guide to the sweet offerings in Lisbon, since the Portuguese pastry experience can sometimes be overwhelming. You can learn more on the book’s comprehensive website. We highly recommend this book! Fabrico Próprio is available on the book’s site for 35 euros – and with free international shipping!
Filed under Books, Pastry Post-Poc
Lisbon Gastronomic Tour 2k15
Back to the land of Pasteis de Nata
We are excited to be back in Lisbon, Portugal, one of our favorite culinary locations! One of our ETW team members has been in Lisbon for a week and has already indulged in the chouriço, cheese, olives, and our favorite: the pastel de nata (Portuguese egg tart), among other delights. However, now the second member of the ETW team is here – so the gastronomic adventures can really begin. Most importantly, how do our ratings for the best pasteis de nata in Lisbon hold up in 2015?
Filed under Note
How to make Mexican chocolate
In Oaxaca we were floored by the delicious chocolate, and its almost-ubiquitous presence. There was even a chocolate street, Mina street, where you can load up on chocolate in all forms (definitely worth a future post). Many of the stores on Mina street demonstrate how chocolate is made right in the front of the shop. We were surprised to see how (relatively) easy it is to make, though the huge quantities are a little daunting. Saveur has a short instructional video showing you how it’s done, though you do need a grinder, even at home.
Making of a Kronos Gyros Cone
Inspired by both our hunt for the perfect gyros, and our undying love for al pastor trompos, we were excited to this video about how the emblematic Kronos gyros cone is made. If you are from Chicago, the sometimes-cheesy “Kronos” gyros signs are nearly ubiquitous.
Ask for Kronos Gyros! by Chris Walts
Filed under Links
Our Favorite Tacos Al Pastor in Chicago: Taqueria Los Barrilitos
After our trip to Mexico City, we became obsessed with finding the best tacos al pastor in Chicago. We found some excellent tacos al pastor at Xoco – but there were some downsides – it is only available once a week, and was a little pricey. We wanted somewhere we could get a cheaper tacos every day of the week to satisfy our true al pastor cravings. One name that kept coming up on our radar was Taqueria Los Barrilitos (3518 West 25th Street, Chicago, IL), so we knew we had to visit.
Los Barrilitos
We rolled up to Los Barrilitos on a cold night just before Christmas, and before we committed to dining, M peeked in the window to make sure there was a trompo piled high with marinated pork. There was! We had been burned before by places that were rumored to have a trompo, but did not in reality. Score a point for Los Barrilitos! We were excited the place was festooned up brightly for Christmas, lights, decorated tree and all (even the cactus had bows for Christmas). There was no menu: you just chose from a small selection of tacos including steak, al pastor and tripe. The trompo looked pretty amazing, so we went with only the al pastor tacos ($1.75) each and a horchata rice drink.
Al Pastor at Los Barrilitos
The tacos were brought out pretty quickly by a kind waitress, along with pickled habaneros and two salsas. The tacos were bigger than we expected, and came on warm corn tortillas with the traditional onion and cilantro toppings. The al pastor was a standout, with a great color, flavor and a nice char. It definitely reminded me of some of our favorites from Mexico City. Our only knock against them was that there was no pineapple, part of the intrinsic al pastor experience.
Trompo at Los Barrilitos
We polished off our tacos pretty quickly and the cook even let us take a few pictures of the trompo on our way out. He actually seemed kind of humored that we took such an interest in the trompo. We left Los Barrilitos in a better mood than after most meals of 2014. These tacos al pastor are the real deal, and for the right price! Please visit Los Barrilitos ASAP (for both the al pastor and for the festive cactus).
Cactus with bows at Los Barrilitos, our spirit plant
Filed under Reviews, World Eats
Finding La fève, the king cake trinket
Legend has it, if you find the toy inside the King Cake (or Gallette des Rois: recipe here) on Three Kings Day on January 6th, you become king or queen for the day. The classic king cake trinket in the US is a plastic or porcelain baby, though it was traditionally a fava bean (la fève in French). Now the term “la fève” has come to refer to any kind of trinket that may be found inside the cake, and may be any assortment of tiny characters, foods or animals (though some bakeries in the US are doing away with them altogether). There is something of a collectors market around particularly artistic or rare fèves, and their collectors are called “favophiles.” We came upon a particularly cute assortment of fèves at La Fournette bakery in Chicago, they may just entice us into becoming favophiles.
King Cake Fèves at La Fournette in Chicago
Filed under Holidays, World Eats
Dinner at Sobremesa Supper Club
Happy 2015! We’re back from “break,” and we wanted to kick off the year with a review of one of the top dining experiences we had in 2014: Sobremesa Supper Club. Have you ever wanted to have an amazing Michelin-caliber dinner in the record-filled dining room of a house in Pilsen with an assortment of uber-cool friends you haven’t met yet? Well, now you do! Sobremesa gives you that experience and more. We had been meaning to try Sobremesa for months and in November we finally got our chance.
Sobremesa, the brainchild of Chef Gabriel Moya and husband and wife team Efren Candelaria and Mayra Estrella, is a pop up supper club that has dinners every few weeks (more in summer, less in winter), driven by creativity and local produce. Beyond amazing food, it is definitely the little touches that put this dinner into a whole other realm. For one, each dinner has its own original limited edition mini-poster and handwritten menu – each tucked in a 45 record sleeve. The musical theme carries into the rest of dinner, and diners are welcomed to rifle through the extensive record collection which included the likes of Jorge Ben (our favorite), Ray Barretto and Fela Kuti.
The dinner was BYOB in the front room of a cool Pilsen house, and the long table seated a maximum of 12 people. There were a couple of groups of friends there and one other “lone” couple, who we talked to. I am not usually one for the whole communal table experience, but it was nice to chat with like-minded food lovers. Efren also was great about talking to everyone and explaining the mission and concept behind Sobremesa. After some mixing and mingling, we took our places at the table. We each received a handwritten menu with the dishes of the day, though the descriptions were cryptic enough to make you wonder about the true shape of the dish.
*We started off with plantain chips and aji amarillo, served family style (below). We love anything with Peruvian aji amarillo, so we totally gobbled this all up.
*The next dish was simply titled: Pear, hibiscus and onions, and was a delightfully composed, simple plate. The sweetness contrast between the pears and onions was delightful.
*Next was something a bit more substantial: Cauliflower soup with a quail egg and fried leeks. Really, this was fried leek roots; it was here the chef made a point of discussing how chefs often ignore or discard potentially wonderful parts of plants, in this case, the roots. This soup was super creamy and delicious, and the use of the fried leeks was truly inspired. L also enjoyed the Lilliputian quail egg.
*The fried Brussels spouts (inspired by Momofuku) with radishes made us believer in Brussels sprouts for once.
*Next up was the unusual textures of roasted pumpkin and crema with coffee with ground cherries and puffed rice. This took on a smoky and almost mole-like flavor, and was super-complex. An appropriate dish for a November dinner, Chef Moya referred to this as something of a statement on the potential of pumpkin to stand on its own without the use of sugar, as many chefs (and palates) seem to insist on using pumpkin as a sweet / dessert dish. Here, the natural flavors of the pumpkin shined through, and worked beautifully with the coffee and crema.
*Between the next 2 courses, there was a palate cleanser of pickled beets and carrots, an elevated version of what you may find in a little dish on a taqueria table.
*Next was one of our favorite dishes of the night: chicken of the woods mushroom tacos with corn tortillas and cotija cheese. We were totally surprised by the umami taste of the mushrooms- so meaty! (cue Soup clip). This was a course we could eat on a daily basis.
*The dessert of the night was billed modestly as “Apple and Yogurt and Coriander” but this turned out to be one of the most complex and surprising dishes. Originally this plate came out as smoked coriander cake topped with pickled mustard seeds and apples. After a minute, Chef Moya came out with the whey left over from the previous dish’s queso fresco, and used it as a sauce for the dish. Beautiful.
*The final dish was oats, figs and queso fresco cheese topped with chamomile honey. The texture was Oatmeal-like and perfectly complemented by the savory/sweet figs and cheese.
One of the stated goals of Sobremesa is to be veggie-forward and accessible, and they definitely succeeded. Though $55 (not including tips) isn’t pocket change, it is a great price for the amount of food you get. All of the dishes were tasty and creative, and the flow of each dish into the next was perfect. Dinner at Sobremesa has to be one of our top meals of 2014, and it was certainly our most unique dining experience. We are looking forward to trying Sobremesa in a different season – we know they will have something creative in store!
Filed under Reviews
Tourtière for New Years Eve in Quebec
2014 is rapidly coming to a close, which means its time to reflect on the year gone by, drink some champagne and make some holiday food. One of the traditional Christmas season and New Year’s foods in Quebec is the Tourtière, a meat pie that is emblematic of Quebecois, and Canadian, cuisine. Tourtière has been around since the 1600s, and usually consists of ground pork in a pastry crust. The dish has since spread south into New England and into Louisiana with the Acadian communities, where the pie has been adapted over time to suit new locations and tastes. NPR’s the Salt has a brief history and a recipe and Chatelaine has updated the recipe with a new shape.
French-Canadian Tourtière by Jack Letourneau
How to Make a Festive Jamaican Sorrel Drink
Need an alternative holiday drink to eggnog or glögg? How about Sorrel, a spiced hibiscus drink from Jamaica, especially popular at Christmas? Sorrel, as it is called in Jamaica, is very similar to the drink called Jamaica, popular in Mexico. Confused yet? No worries, it’s easy enough to make. To make some proper sorrel you need hibiscus flowers, simmered with some sugar, ginger, pimento berries and spices (and maybe rum). I think we will make up a batch for New Year’s Eve!
Holiday Sorrel Drink by Red Tail Panther
Your New Wednesday Plans: Tacos al Pastor at Xoco
So you don’t have plans for Wednesday night? Ok, now you do. You plan is to go get tacos al pastor at Xoco (449 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL)! Every Wednesday after 5 PM, Xoco’s main draw is the al pastor, made from layers of seasoned pork, topped with pineapple carved right off of a trompo (a giant meat cone – much like the one used to make gyros) Mexico City style. When we went to al pastor day at Xoco, Rick Bayless was even there to monitor and maintain the trompo. Nice – that’s quality assured!
Al Pastor Trompo (partially in hiding) at Xoco
It is $11 for 3 tacos on corn tortillas, which come in a basket with a small side of a spicy chipotle salsa. We thought the price was a little steep, but we figured we were paying for quality – and we were – everything was delicious! The al pastor meat was flavorful and had a deep red color with a nice crispy crust, just how we like it. Each taco was also topped with a crispy slaw (non-traditional) and slices of pineapple (traditional). Xoco’s was probably the best rendition of al pastor we had in the city so far, though it made us mostly want to go to Mexico City. The corn tortillas were a little cold, which was our only knock against the dish.
Tacos Al Pastor at Xoco
We plan on making a visit to Xoco’s Tacos al pastor a Wednesday night tradition. A trompo is the key to delicious tacos al pastor, and they are relatively rare, so finding one is a great thing. We have word that the al pastor tacos will be available at Xoco until March, so make a visit while you still can.
Tacos Al Pastor 3 for $11
How Candy Canes are made
Merry Christmas! Whether you celebrate or not, hope you are having a lovely day, and something good to eat. We know we will be stuffed with sweets today. In that holiday spirit, please enjoy this awesome video of candy canes being made at Lofty Pursuits in Florida.
Filed under Holidays
A Modern Feast of the Seven Fishes menu
A traditional Italian-American tradition is to have a meal composed of seven fish dishes on Christmas Eve aka the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Tasting Table has a modern and innovative Feast of the Seven Fishes menu for your Christmas Eve table, or any time of the year you’re craving some seafood.
Feast of the Seven Fishes by Lauren Dellzia
Filed under Holidays
Bretzels at the Chicago Christkindlmarket
One of the great holiday traditions in Chicago is visiting the German-inspired Christkindlmarket in Daley plaza in Chicago. At the Christkindlmarket, you can get your fill of German and America treats, buy some of the famous German glass ornaments (including the famous pickle ornament), and pick up a commemorative mug of spiced wine, Glühwein. As for other food and drink, you can also get döner, sausages, roast nuts, stollen, potato pancakes, strudel and more. However, for us, the treat of choice is the Bavarian pretzel aka bretzel. When we were in Germany this was our favorite snack, and there are several varieties available at the Christkindlmarket from the Pretzel Haus stand (from Bad Oeynhausen) for less than $5 apiece. We go for the classic bretzel, though there are cheese-filled and sugary varieties as well. It is the prefect market day food- warm, filling, and portable! Christmas Eve is the last day the Christkindlmarket is open – so don’t delay in getting your holiday bretzel.
Superb Cuban Lechon at Señor Pan
Señor Pan
4612 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, IL
If there’s one thing you know about M it is that he loves pig: bacon, pork, lechon. You name it, he loves it. We especially love whole roast pig prepared Caribbean style, or as lechon. We have been on the hunt for our favorite lechon in the city for the past year or so, and we have come up with some pretty great options, though the hunt continues. We were going to an event at the excellent SRBCC, and we wanted someplace quick and casual to eat, and came upon Señor Pan. When we learned they had lechon we were sold.
Señor Pan is located in a strip mall in the West side, in the Hermosa neighborhood. There is not much to see on the outside, but the inside is much nicer than you would think! It is decorated like a Cuban house, with an indoor trellis and murals. It was impeccably clean and super lively -filled with families, couples and groups of friends. There was also a full bar, but most people seemed to be enjoying the food. The menu is fairly large, with a selection of sandwiches and platters, including the popular Cubano and Medianoche sandwiches. For entrees there were a variety of steaks, chicken, and even salmon and some veggie entrees.
We of course went with the lechon. L got a regular lechon sandwich (only $4.95) and M got the lechon platter with black beans and platanos maduros (grilled sweet plantains) for $9.95. However, the star of the show was definitely the lechon – it was juicy, well-seasoned and tender and perfectly complemented by the caramelized onions. The sandwich size was also excellent for the price – we couldn’t believe we got so much food for so little (and the Cuban bread was darn tasty, too). M ordered a banana batido/milkshake ($3.50); other varieties included mamey, mango and strawberry. L also got a traditional Cuban cortadito to finish the meal ($1.50) – a small cup of strong, sweetened espresso. The cortadito was excellent – no bitterness at all!
There was also a small selection of Cuban coffee and snacks to take home with you. It also bears noting that Señor Pan has a mascot, who is too funny not to include in this post. Señor Pan was definitely a great, and surprisingly-atmospheric, place for a bite. Go for the lechon and stay for the coffee.
Filed under Reviews
Eating The World 