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 19, 2013 · 8:27 AM

Fêtes de Bayonne: Omelette aux Piments in Basque Country

The most famous Bull-fighting festival in the world may be in Pamplona, but the gigantic Fêtes de Bayonne in the Basque region of France features not only bull-fighting, but a festival dedicated to omelettes (Championnat du monde d’omelette aux piments) at the end of every July. Indeed, there is an championship for nearly everything, and this one has been running since 2004. One of the most emblematic foods of the French Basque county, Omelettes aux Piments (Omelette with Peppers) is an egg dish with potatoes and the famous sweet Espelette peppers (piments doux in French or Ezpeletako bipera in Basque).

Fetes de Bayonne

Fetes de Bayonne by Greg.road.trip

Espelette peppers are a mild red pepper originally from Mexico, and were brought to France in the 16th century, but they are so much a part of Basque cuisine that they have governmental status as a protected destination of origin product. In the town of Espelette, it is not uncommon to see large strings of Espelette peppers drying in the sun. French Basque Country, which is in Southwestern France, and shares a border with Spain, is known for their unique cuisine, and the Omelette aux Piments marries both the Spanish and French influences (classic French egg omelette and Spanish tortilla). Eat Live Travel Write has a wonderful write-up of the entire Bayonne Fest, along with coverage of the Omelette Championship. The Chopping Block has an omelette recipe calling for Espelette peppers. Another use for Espelette peppers is in Piperade, a typical French Basque condiment used on almost anything.

EspelettePeppers

Espelette Peppers in Espelette, France, by Franck Barre

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July 18, 2013 · 11:56 AM

Cheese at Brick Street Market in Delavan, WI

Brick Street Market
104 E Walworth Ave
Delavan, WI 53115

We took a little trip to Lake Geneva this past weekend to get away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago. We hit up our usual haunts, but are happy to report we found somewhere new (to us). We were going to our favorite antique store in nearby Delavan, WI (where we found some interesting postcards and stereograph slides), when we spotted Brick Street Market, right across from Delavan’s signature giraffe statue.

Brick Street Market Cheese Cooler

Brick Street Market Cheese Cooler

The front of the store is given over to a cheese cooler, along with a cute seating area. In the back there is a little wine cellar with an international selection of wines, along with other cheese related products (knives, boards, etc), coffee, jam and mustard. There is also a well-curated menu, including a selection of excellent-looking sandwiches, salads and a selection of cheese plates. 

Brick Street Market Cheese Flight

Brick Street Market Cheese Flight

A small cheese plate is only $3.50, but we opted for the heartier Single Cheese Flight ($9). While advertised as serving 1-2 persons, it easily served both of us for lunch. The staff selects the cheeses for you. Our plate included Manchego from León, Spain, Wisconsin-made Holland’s Herbed Gouda, and Hook’s Little Boy Blue sheep’s milk cheese. We also received crackers, quince jam, dried fruit and nuts, a bit of local raw honey for the blue cheese, and a delicious local salami from nearby Milwaukee. We were completely astounded at the quality of these cheese plate for a mere 9 dollars! Everything was completely delicious, and it was one of the most well-composed cheese plates we had recently, at any price.

Brick Street Market

Brick Street Market

On our way out we bought some 4-year aged Hook’s white cheddar to take home (our old favorite from the Dane County Farmer’s Market in Madison). Now after our travels, we are a pretty jaded bunch, but we felt more pleased after our visit to Brick Market than most of our recent trips. We have to go back very soon.

Delavan Giraffe

Delavan Giraffe

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July 17, 2013 · 9:01 AM

Cone: Irish Ice Cream in Chicago

Cone Ice Cream from Thrillist

Cone Ice Cream from Thrillist

Ireland

It’s no secret we are huge fans of ice cream, gelato and paletas, and we are happy when a new place for these treats opens up in Chicago. But the latest place for ice cream in Chicago fills a different (and new) international niche: Cone, an Irish ice cream shop in the West Loop (1047 W Madison St.). Until now, we never associated Ireland with ice cream, though the country’s well-known cheese and butter products, in addition to a growing dairy industry, should have given us a clue. Cone is run by Irish expat Sean McGuire, and features all locally-made ice cream. McGuire’s menu highlights some classic Irish flavors, like Guinness and Jameson, while still providing the more typical mint and Oreo, among others. The store sells some Irish candy and beverages. Though Cone may seem unusual, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Irish ice cream: it turns out Irish citizens are among the top 10 consumers of ice cream a year, even beating out Italy.

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Per Capita Ice Cream Consumption by Business Insider

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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 15, 2013 · 2:53 PM

Alternative Swedish Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake) Recipes

sweden_flagIn an earlier post we wrote about Sweden’s iconic multi-layered Princess Cake (Prinsesstårta) – which seems equally delicious and daunting. Swedish Prinsesstårta was the May 2013 challenge for Daring Bakers, an online baking group, and the result was a lot of delicious-sounding takes on this tricky tart. May Daring Bakers Host Korena in the Kitchen has a very thorough description of how to make the cakes, for those of you that want to go traditional. Alternative versions include: Prinsesstårta cupcakes, Strawberry-Oreo Prinsesstårta, and Green Tea Prinsesstårta, among others.  

Prinsesstarta diagram

Prinsesstarta diagram from Baking Obsession– complicated!

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July 12, 2013 · 11:33 AM

Festive foods for Iftar, Breaking the Ramadan fast

Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, started on July 10th. During the month, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk, and break the fast with a meal known as Iftar each night. What is eaten at an Iftar meal varies widely from country to country and from home to home, ranging from a small family meal to a huge party with an elaborate spread of dishes. Asia Society has a list of classic Iftar dishes from each country, and Time.com has a photo gallery of global Iftars, both showing the diversity of Iftars around the world. So where to begin? The possibilities are nearly endless. Time Out Abu Dhabi has recipes from reknowned chefs, About.com has a list of Traditional Moroccan Iftar recipes, and Veg Recipes of Indian has a wealth of Vegetarian Iftar options.

Iftar in the UK

Iftar in the UK by Reway2007

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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 10, 2013 · 11:39 AM

Moqueca at Terra Brasil in Salvador Shopping

Terra Brasil
Av Tancredo Neves, 2915 Piso L3 – Salvador Shopping
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

brazilWe are not ones to go to the mall very often, but on a terribly rainy day in Salvador we decided it might be fun to go to Salvador Shopping, considered the most luxurious mall in the city. Coincidentally, its food court also houses Terra Brasil, one of the highest rated restaurants on Trip Advisor for Moquecas. Since the moqueca came pretty highly recommended, we decided we would give it a try, even though the food court location made us a little wary. Sure enough, there it was in a large corner location, though for what is worth, it had a more of a botequim environment, and was partially enclosed. 

Terra Brasil

Terra Brasil in Salvador Shopping

The menu at Terra Brasil is primarily northeastern Brazilian food. On this day, they had a lunch special where all moquecas for two (with the choice of shrimp, fish or vegetarian) were only R$48, which is a pretty reasonable price. Other options include German sausages (R$ 38) and Casquinha de siri, a crabmeat gratin baked in a crab shell, (R$ 16) as well as a wide variety of empadas and of course the ever-important Chopp (draft beer). Our moqueca came out pretty quickly, served on a hot stone, which we have found out is a very good sign for some quality moqueca.  The moqueca was on the small side, and we made pretty quick work of it. Overall, we were pleased that the shrimp in the moqueca were some of the best we had at any restaurant! For sides there were farofa, Bobó de Camarão (an atypical side dish for a moqueca in Bahia) and rice. M had to ask for extra pimenta to spice things up a little bit. The flavors were good, but a little mild.

Moqueca at Terra Brasil

Moqueca at Terra Brasil

Overall, the moqueca was very good, but perhaps a little overrated as one of the top bowls in the entire city. The setting alone does leave a little bit to be desired, and we’re not sure if eating a moqueca next to a Bob’s Burgers and a KFC is the most “Salvador” experience that visitors hope for. On the other hand, if you find yourself at the city’s biggest mall on a rainy day, hungry, why not?

 

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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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July 8, 2013 · 10:39 AM

A Visit to the Argyle Night Market

We wrote last week about our visit to the Argyle night market, a brand new weekly event in the Argyle neighborhood of Chicago, known for its Vietnamese and Chinese culture. We decided to visit the fair on its opening night, and its second installation is this upcoming Thursday, July 11 from 4 to 8 PM.

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The fair itself was only a block long, which was a little smaller than we imagined, running on Argyle street from Sheridan to Kenmore. There were at least a dozen stalls, featuring mostly food and snacks. On that note, there was also a feature M especially enjoyed – a whole roast pig on a spit. Beyond the food, there was a face painting booth and activities like a Bean Bag Toss for children. The day we visited there was a dragon dance scheduled, but it seemed to have been delayed due to the intermittent rain (note the umbrellas).

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Many local favorites had set up shop: one booth sold sandwiches from perennial favorite Ba Le, and prepared dishes from Hai Yen. Tai Nam Market, a local grocery store, sold various items, including sweetened dried plantains and mango, sauces and Vietnamese candy. Local tofu producer Phoenix bean tofu sold fresh tofu and soy milk.

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Though the majority of stalls were Asian there were some international treats – especially for dessert. One of our favorites was the Brazilian Beijo de Chocolat, who sold brigadeiros, along with other American baked goods like cookies and muffins (some were even gluten-free). Another sweet treat came from Uptown Brownie, with their assortment of gourmet brownies. Overall, we think Argyle Market is off to a great start, we are sure it will gain followers as the summer goes on (and hopefully if the weather cooperates). We hope to be back soon!

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July 4, 2013 · 8:33 AM

Happy 4th of July (and Chicago BBQ)

Barbeque sign

Barbeque sign in Bryson City, North Carolina, by Eric Fink

Happy 4th of July! A classic American 4th of July means barbecue, so we are excited to share a few new Chicago BBQ-related links for those in our neck of the woods. First and foremost, the Serious Eats ranking of the best pulled pork in Chicago. Lillie’s Q comes out on top, and our perennial favorite Smoque comes in 2nd place. Chicagoist has their own recent roundups of the top BBQ overall in Chicago. For something a little different, Time Out Chicago dishes on their pick for the best new BBQ joint in Chicago, Bub City.

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July 3, 2013 · 1:06 PM

A winning combination: Pie and Vinyl in Southsea, England

united_kingdomThanks to this Twitter post, RTed by Michael Nagrant, we learned about the Pie & Vinyl combination cafe and record shop in Southsea, England (61 Castle Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth PO5, UK). Now we love both pies and vinyl records, so this seems like one of the winning-est combinations yet. M is a little blue that there are only savory and not sweet pies, though. This is perhaps not surprising, given that the term “pie” in the UK generally would refer to a meat pie, as opposed to a sweet pie, as it would in the US. Perhaps the inclusion of sweet pies is an idea for a future menu expansion? In any case, we love the idea of such a symbiotic combination, and we hope to visit it one day. Along those lines, we are also fond of the cafe/restaurant/book/antique/vinyl shop combo we found in Rio (more on that soon).

PieVinylExterior

The Exterior of Pie & Vinyl – from http://www.pieandvinyl.co.uk/

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July 2, 2013 · 1:01 PM

A Visit to “Delícias do Porto” Street Food Market in Salvador da Bahia

brazil

July 2nd (Dois de Julho) is celebrated as Independence Day in Salvador da Bahia, and was considered the definitive end of Portuguese rule in 1823, so it’s the perfect day to celebrate Bahian food! Bahia has great street food, and you can find wonderful Acarajé on nearly any corner, so what could be better than an Acarajé stand surrounded by tons of other great eats? On Friday evenings during the summer (December – April in the southern hemisphere) there is a great street market put on by the Instituto Mauá in the neighborhood of Porto da Barra in Salvador called “Delícias do Porto (Delicacies of the Port)” Though the summer is now over in Brazil, it appears to be a yearly event, so check back for further updates. We highly recommended this fair for its variety, and for bringing a little culinary nightlife to the Porto da Barra area, which can feel empty during the evening hours.

???????????????????????????????You can recognize the market by its characteristic yellow booths, which seem to pop up out of nowhere on Fridays. In addition to food, there are also artisans selling traditional crafts as well as jewelry, clothes and other items. However, of course for us, the draw was the food! There was all sorts of Bahian food for sale: street favorites like Beijus, Abará, Queijo coalho, Acarajé – and even some things less commonly found in street stalls – Sarapatel, Bolo de Aipim and Xinxim. In between all of the stalls is a large, open seating area, so eating your food at a leisurely pace is encouraged.

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The Xinxim (whick we had before, but in reference to a VERY different dish) was made of ground nuts, dendê (palm) oil, coconut milk, okra and shrimp. Though perhaps not the most visually appealing dish, we loved the unusual combination of savory flavors. Don’t forget to add the hot sauce and dried shrimp!
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Of course no outdoor market in Bahia would be complete without Acarajé – the trusty black-eyed pea fritter that is pure “Bahia.” This one was from Dona Emilia (whose booth is there even when the whole fair is not), and was cooked fresh to order. Everything at the fair was very reasonably priced, and we couldn’t think of a better way to spend a balmy evening – watching the sunset and washing down our Acarajé with some Guaraná soda in hand.

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July 1, 2013 · 10:04 AM

Oka Cheese for Canada Day

canadaThough the most familiar Canadian cheese to American may be the cheese curds on Poutine, in honor of Canada Day, July 1st, we are featuring Oka, one of Canada’s native cheeses. Oka was created by trappist monks in Deux-Montagnes, Quebec in 1893 at the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac (known as Oka Abbey), where it earned its name. The recipe for Oka was sold by the Trappist monks in 1981 to a cheese co-op Agropur. The cheese is modeled after French Port Salut cheese, but was tweaked to have an original taste and to adapt to local conditions. Oka is a buttery, semi-soft cheese with an orange rind, which lends itself to a wide variety of recipes calling for a melty cheese (Grilled cheese or Mac and Cheese seem suited to Oka).  Food Network Canada has a gussied up version of Poutine with Oka, or how about Oka Fondue or an Oka and Tomato tart.

OkaCheese

Oka Cheese (left), a Canadian Classic by Christopher Porter

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June 28, 2013 · 11:44 AM

Eating Cheap and Well in Jardim América, São Paulo

brazilThe area southwest of Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, bordered on the west by Avenida Rebouças and on the east by Avenida Nove de Julho, encompassing the neighborhoods of Jardim América and Cerqueira César, is one of the swankiest and most upscale neighborhoods in the Americas. It is home to São Paulo’s finest restaurants – i.e., some of the finest restaurants in the hemisphere – and thus is a must for any foodie. Yet this high concentration of culinary awesomeness comes with an annoying tradeoff: eating there can be exorbitantly expensive. But, determined eaters as we are, we did some exploring and came up with a tasty, cheap snack itinerary for those of you wanting to explore the area without breaking your wallet.

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Street art in Jardim America

Start out at Casa Bauducco (Alameda Lorena, 1682), a well-known Italian bakery famous for their Panettone. Sample the wide variety of cookies and pastries available, but do yourself a favor and get a fresh slice of chocottone (chocolate panettone, R$5.80), heated with cinnamon and sugar on top. The recipe supposedly takes over 40 hours to make, and you can taste every bit of effort in that chocottone.

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Casa Bauducco

A few blocks away, continue with the Italian trend and cool off your mouth with a few scoops of the finest gelato in Brazil at  Bacio di Latte (Rua Bela Cintra, 1829). Get a grande size for R$12, and up to three flavors. We recommend the maracujá (passionfruit) and negrissimo (super dark chocolate) flavors, especially in combination. Be sure to sit on one of the converted milk jugs as seats.

If you need a little relaxation time, take a load off in the excellent book selection and beanbag chairs at the famous Livraria da Vila (Alameda Lorena, 1731), where you can admire the famous bookshelf-doors while sipping a coffee or cappuccino at their cafe and wondering why anyone would pay R$ 10 to valet a car at a bookstore.

Still hungry? Walk south to the unassuming Pão de Queijo Haddock Lobo (Rua Haddock Lobo, 1408), serving up the best cheese bread in the city, if not the country. If you have time, wait for a fresh batch to come out: you will get the most for your R$4.50, which is worth it [full review here].

Having had your fill of cheese bread,finish up your explorations by deciding what other flavors could entice you at Folie (Cristiano Viana, 295), purveyor of excellent French macarons. Choose from Brazilian-inspired flavors, including brigadeiro and beijinho; or go with something even more inventive, such as drink-themed macarons with flavors like Gin & Tonic and Green Tea.

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June 27, 2013 · 11:58 AM

The First Argyle Night market in Chicago is Today

We love the concept of the night market that is extensively popular in Asia – food, music and general fun milling about during the evening and night hours. Most markets in the US tend to be morning and early afternoon affairs, so what’s a night owl to do? Fortunately there is a new night market in Chicago on Argyle street from 4-8 every Thursday evening. Argyle is home to a large Asian community, especially Vietnamese and Chinese communities. The first night market is tonight, June 27th, and they run through the fall. There will be food, farmers market stalls, and even entertainment. Expect a report back, soon.

Argyle Street in Chicago

Argyle Street Lion dancer in Chicago by Chris Bentley

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June 26, 2013 · 10:25 AM

Q Bar: see and be seen in Rio de Janeiro

Q Bar
Rua Dias Ferreira 617
Leblon, Rio de Janeiro

brazilQ Bar is a place to see and be seen – it’s no surprise it has been earning accolades from the international press, and attracting a cosmopolitan clientele. M’s father read about it a magazine as a bar that was a “must try,” so we figured it would be fun for a night on the town. This was a big change for us since we are usually more likely to be found in corner lanchonetes or old school cafes than anyplace favored by trendy Rio denizens. Happily, contrary to many “scene-y” places – the service at Q Bar was actually excellent, which we found to be exceedingly rare in Rio (and Brazil in general). Q bills itself as a “gastrobar,” and the focus is on small plates and creative cocktails. One of their most famous cocktails is the “Rocket Collins” – a Tom Collins with the addition of arugula, making it a shade of bright green $12 (R$ 23).

Q Bar in Leblon

Q Bar in Leblon

The menu at Q Bar is eclectic and internationally-inspired, and seemed similar to places we had been in Chicago. In fact Q Bar would probably be at home in many cities around the world. For starters we had fried goat cheese salad, and frankly, what salad ISN’T better with goat cheese? Keeping with that feeling, L had truffle goat cheese mac and cheese gnocchi, which came baked in a miniature cast iron skillet. The tiny skillet was a cute touch, and the mac and cheese itself was creamy and delicious, and not at all overwhelmed by truffle flavor. M ordered a deconstructed moqueca – a nod to our upcoming trip to Salvador – which was a moqueca risotto with shrimp and a filet of fish. The risotto was very well cooked, with a moqueca’s signature palm oil flavor, and the fish filet was excellent. M’s parents ordered the signature Q Burger and tuna tartare with caviar, both of which they heartily enjoyed.

Moqueca Risotto at Q Bar

Moqueca Risotto at Q Bar

Visiting Q Bar was a nice change of pace, and it is a great place to bring your international guests. Even if you are not a scenester (as we are not), you definitely feel cool eating your small plates on Q’s fun outdoor patio, in an already-buzzing street full of chic restaurants. Many of the servers spoke English, which is not common in Rio, and would likely make non-Portuguese guests feel more comfortable. Beware though, the prices are a little steep, with many entrees over $25 (R$ 50). However, if you are looking for a big city dining experience that is much more cosmopolitan than a boteco, Q Bar is your place.

Fried Goat Cheese Salad at Q Bar - everything IS better with goat cheese

Fried Goat Cheese Salad at Q Bar – everything IS better with goat cheese

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June 25, 2013 · 9:38 AM

Food traditions for the Festa do São João do Porto

portugalThe June festivals in the Lusophone world, commonly called “Festas Juninas,” are most associated with Brazil. But one of the biggest is actually held in Porto, Portugal: the Festa do São João do Porto. Though little known outside Portugal, the festival for São João (St. John) is one of Europe’s biggest street parties. Lasting from the night of June 23rd until June 24th, the holiday celebrates St. John the Baptist (whose feast day is June 24), and was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. However, the Portuguese celebrations are a little different, though there is the same merriment, dancing and fireworks that Brazil enjoys, along with some quirky Portuguese food-related traditions. 

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Fireworks (and mallet) for Festa do São João in Porto by Black_wall

There is a ton of food at the Festa do São João do Porto, and one of the most traditional foods, seen on nearly every street corner, is grilled sardines, Sardinhas Assadas (and the recipe couldn’t be easier). Other somewhat stranger food traditions, whose origins are pretty much unknown, are also part of the festivities. First, a tradition is bopping other revelers over the head with plastic mallets (which were substituted for leeks or garlic flowers in former times, a tradition that is actually coming back). The other food tradition is the exchange of basil plants (manjericão) with your sweetheart. The plants traditionally even come with a romantic four-line poem:

Se eu me podesse afogar / If I could drown myself
Na tua pele perfumada / In your perfumed skin
Poderia flutuar, / I would waft away,
Viver sempre apaixonada. / Living passionately forever.

Who’d have thought a little basil plant would have such a major part in any festival?

Sao Joao Mangericao

A Basil Plant (manjericão) sign for São João by Tantegert

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June 24, 2013 · 11:04 AM

The Burgeoning Food Scene in Luanda, Angola

angolaEspecially in the US, Angola many be pretty far off the culinary radar. However, living in Brazil and Portugal we got to sample Angolan cuisine and it is awesome! It turns out that in Luanda, the capital of Angola, a pretty amazing homegrown food scene is emerging, drawing on both local and international food influences (including, of all things, a Scandinavian Cafe). The link from Africa is a Country also includes a recipe for Moamba de Galinha (Chicken Moamba) one of the country’s most iconic dishes. Even more diverse places to eat in Luanda are highlighted on a site started by expats, Luanda Nightlife. It seems like Luanda has nearly every type of restaurant you could want!

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