1. The Grand-Place: THE place to be for locals and tourists, and if you have only a day or two in Brussels, this is where you need to start your foodie mission; you can find everything, with the exception of a certain premier chocolatier (see #2), in the streets around the Grand-Place. Brussels’ central square […]
Travel
The Haute Couturier of Chocolate
This week’s obsession…. is chocolate, not just any chocolate, but the haute couturier of chocolate, world renowned Pierre Marcolini. Brussels may be known as the international capital of Europe as host of the administrative offices of the European Union and the center of international politics since World War II, but some consider it the Capital of […]
Queen’s Day Soup
It was sheer serendipity that we were in Amsterdam for Queen’s Day on April 30th. What a way to kick-off our week-long bike/barge tour of the Netherlands! Queen’s Day commemorates the (former) Queen’s birthday and is the most widely celebrated national holiday and, with a carnival-like atmosphere, the biggest street party in Amsterdam – much […]
Brussels and Belgian Waffles
Famous for its chocolates and beers, Belgium also lays claim to Brussels sprouts and Belgian waffles: this week’s obsession… What distinguishes Belgian waffles from other waffles is its larger size, lighter batter (a result of using yeast batter instead of pancake batter), and higher grid pattern which forms deep pockets: the better to hold silky, […]
Broodje Haring in Amsterdam and Beyond
Famous in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands, I could think of no better place to experience my first Broodje Haring (raw herring in a roll) than in Zierikzee, a fishing village in Schouwen-Duiveland in the southwestern Netherlands. In Amsterdam you can have haring broodje from street carts where its served on a soft roll with […]
Images of Ireland
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I could think of no better tribute to the Irish than to share a few photos from our first visit to Ireland, a stunning and mystical land of unsurpassed beauty. Its ancient history, steeped in legend and myths, is apparent everywhere you go. One can find ruins of ringed forts and […]
Tet Traditions
How has a humble rice cake with three simple ingredients (rice, mung bean, and pork) come to symbolize Tet, the most celebrated of Vietnamese holidays? The gift of Banh Chung during the New Year has become the most important tradition of Vietnamese culture and was passed down from one generation to the next. Always curious […]
Cooking at L’atelier des Chefs
One of the most exciting culinary experiences during my fall fling in Paris was preparing a three-course meal in a cooking class offered through L’Atelier des Chefs. The afternoon class got off to a rough start but one of the tomes I live by is that things happen for the best, and this adventure was […]
Paris – Cupid Awakening Psyche
I am thankful for the beauty that exists in our world. For this week’s obsession, I offer you a glimpse of Italian sculptor Antonio Canova’s exquisite Cupid Awakening Psyche (1793) at the Louvre. Absolutely breathtaking- it is love carved in stone. According to myth, Cupid awakens Psyche from eternal slumber with a kiss.
Picnic in Paris
While a picnic for one may sound frightfully lonely in most cases, a picnic for one in the Garden of Les Halles in Paris while savoring a French roll and salad from famed baker Eric Kayser, can only be described as an earthly pleasure that you hope exists in heaven. When faced with the gorgeous […]