Eating our way through our travels

One of the things Richard and I love best is the opportunity to taste and try new things.  And many of our favorite memories seem tied to the food.  The first fish and chips in London for example.  Those mashy peas they served on the side were something I'd never seen before.  And not especially something I wanted to see again in that instance! I  think I referenced another England memory in an earlier post regarding a Traditional Christmas Dinner.

We were gone over Thanksgiving that year, and when we returned my daughter immediately said we needed to do a Turkey Dinner.  Fortunately, in the airport on our way home, someone had left the very article I was waiting for but thought I would miss, the Sunday edition with a very detailed listing of an English Traditional Christmas Dinner!  So it was a final parting gift from our trip, and we immediately went about translating all the measurements into their American equivalents.  Then off to the store for supplies!  What else should you do when you're jet lagged but serve up an intricate large family meal?  Truly, this was perfect for Corinne and I, we both love to cook.

It was a good bird, having passed Thanksgiving we were forced to get a really expensive and organic turkey at our local Whole Foods, the only one that was thawed and not frozen.  But the best part was the Sticky Toffee Pudding!  So we were able to create an ambience and a taste experience for our traditional Thanksgiving holiday that reflected our time in England.  Things like that are awesome.

From Paris, we got our so called "Parisian" sandwiches.  French crusty bread, butter, good sliced cheese and soprasetta slices.  We mix it up and put brie on it sometimes as well.  It never fails to remind us of our stops in the train station at the bakery picking up a quick breakfast sandwich before heading into Paris from the suburbs.

In Lugano, we had amazing Beaujolais Nouveau, fresh tangerines and extraordinary cheeses and crackers in Switzerland near the Italian border.  We immediately came home and stocked up that wine, and every sip reminded us of that magical time in Switzerland.  Not to mention that I will never now eat a tangerine without triggering that serendipity moment with the owner of that cafe.

In Rome, it was Misto!  All of it and everything that was served to us one wonderful night at a neighborhood restaurant that catered to the locals.  Linguini with clam sauce and an appetizer of marinated vegetables and now I feel the urge to go find a really great recipe for both!

On a recent trip through New Orleans we got to try something called "Charbroiled Oysters".  Oh my!  Those were some of the best eating I've had in my life, and now I'll go find a way to recreate them as well.  The restaurant we were sent to was an amazing gem, Deanie's, that was Zagat rated, and if I'm very, very sweet to them, perhaps they'll share their recipe with me!

Sometimes it's the other way around and the food will inspire me to places for travel that I wouldn't ordinarily have on my bucket list.  For example, it turns out that I love Moroccan food.  I wouldn't have said Morocco was on my list of places to see, but because I love the food, I will most definitely consider traveling there.   I feel the same way about India and Thailand.  I love the food, so now I would consider traveling there.

And now, I want to see if I can sneak in a quick trip down to Switzerland when we go to Dublin later this year, because, somehow, I missed eating Raclette!

Redneck Riviera!

What an amazing return to a beloved location for both of our families!  My mom was able to join me and my husbands' family to go to Destin, FL.   Forty years ago, we had lived up the street in Fort Walton for two years while dad was working civil service for TRW.  I remember this white sand, in part because mom often spoke of it, but also because when we cleaned out my grandmother's home in Chicago seven years ago, we found a jar of it in her basement!   It now has a place of honor with some seashells in a crystal bowl she gifted to me at some point.  

Richard's famiy had vacationed here annually up until seven years ago, so this was a grand reunion for his side of the family as well.  His mom, husband Ben, father Poppy, sister's family and brother were able to be there as well as my two step kids. 

Crabbing, swimming, eating, walks on the beach, and even some spectacular shopping took place.  The  weather was extraordinary, we had sunny skies for almost the whole time, one sprinkle of rain, and lovely temps not yet in the 90's.  I remember the clouds every bit as much as I remember the ocean and waves.  As a child, I spent a lot of time looking at the shapes in the clouds, watching them change and shift into new shapes, and it's something I'd forgotten until we were back in humid country.  

I've lived my adult life in dry climates.

Arriving at night, we went straight to the beach.  The ever present and somehow relaxing sound of surf crashing greeted us.  Once we got the shopping done, we tried not to go out on the main drag.  The traffic rivals California now, and with only one road up and down the shoreline, it never ceases to be rush hour.

I loved my first true swim back in the Gulf!  Warm waves crashing over you, toes finding precious edges of buried shells or sand dollars, it was definitely like coming home for me.  I've experienced that type of beach too infrequently; most recently in Puerto Rico and Guymas San Carlos, and those were 10 and 30 years ago.  Barbados was a close third five years ago.  I'm clear I'm a water baby, and I want my water swimmable!

So I'm already planning next year's return to the beach of my youth, but this time, we want a less crowded place and fewer drives into town!