CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!
This will not surprise my newsletter readers but today I am announcing a giveaway of a copy of Lonely Planet A Moveable Feast (Travel Literature). Travel the world with famous food writers like Anthony Bourdain and David Lebowitz with this book that is published by Lonely Planet. All you have to do is leave a comment with a postcard-size foodie adventure story and a way for me to contact you. Contest closes Saturday night. Winner will be announced Sunday.
MY STORY
Way back in 2000 my husband (who was my fiance at the time) and I got to travel to Disney World in Florida for his work. Yes, for his work. I know!
When we were there I was not a vegetarian but I was completely off pork thanks to the movie Babe. The only frustration I had while visiting Disney World was with eating at the resort we were staying in. Absolutely everything had pork in it when it came to breakfast.
Not knowing what else to do, I asked for the breakfast special but to hold the meat. The ladies working there looked so confused! They both said, “Hold the meat.” It was clear they had no idea what I meant, they were just repeating what I said. So I tried to clarify, “I will pay full price but I just do not want any meat.”
Eyes blinked several times.
“No meat?”
Ah, now we were getting somewhere. I thought.
“Yes, no meat.”
“No meat?”
“Yes, no meat.”
“No meat.”
Oh my God!!!! “Yes, just hold the meat!!!”
They looked at each other and muttered, “No meat??!!!”
As hysterical and surreal as it was to feel as though I was speaking a language from Mars, I hated getting all this attention and it was becoming clear I was making a bit of a scene. All I wanted to do was eat some eggs and toast for god’s sake!
It was clear everyone behind me at this point thought I was from a planet far, far away. Or some political vegan trying to make a point. Needless to say, I didn’t go back there the next morning! I think I skipped breakfast for the rest of the trip.
MICHELLE’S STORY
My friend Michelle, upon reading about this contest, wrote me immediately and wanted to do something special for it. Michelle is a destinations wedding photographer and has had tons of experience travelling. Because Michelle went the extra mile I am putting her name in the contest three times. She says she never wins anything and it is the least I can do considering she introduced me to my husband! Here is her story:
I have been fortunate enough in my life to have traveled extensively. I’ve been hooked on travel from an early age: taking vacations with my parents to the Caribbean, Spain and Alaska, road-tripping with my brother throughout Europe and from Ontario to California (and back!), and driving across Canada to visit my wonderful friend Suzie and her husband when they lived in BC. Now, I travel up to ten times a year to the Caribbean and Central America as a destination wedding photographer. But in most of my travels, I must say that I always seem to be stuck playing the tourist, visiting hotels made for foreigners, seeing the “wonders of the area”, single-file, on a guided tour. As much as I love local culture and local cuisine it is difficult at the best of times to get a true experience of the area when you’re sitting in the back of a tour bus or even wandering through the “safe” tourist areas designed to empty your wallets as you fill your suitcases with cheaply made souvenirs.
But I was thrilled when I arrived in Costa Rica for my brother’s wedding in 2005. My sister-in-law’s family lives close to Puntarenas and when we arrived we were picked up in true Costa Rica fashion – with the whole family there, eager to meet us with open arms. I could write for hours about the kindness, generosity and passion of Jenny’s family and the Costa Rican people, how beautiful the wedding was, the amazing the traditions. I could go on about the playful monkey at the place we stayed, how thrilled I was to meet a live scorpion in my bathroom sink one morning, how the potholes in the roads could swallow small cars whole… but the story here is how I became consumed by Costa Rican cuisine, hand made by family, eaten in roadside stands, dined on in off-the-beaten-track restaurants on mountain tops. Rice and beans, queso fresco, tamarind and starfruit juice, fresh papaya and mango and seafood for breakfast. Coffee that is made from fresh grounds in a cotton “sock.” Seriously – it’s the best coffee I’ve had anywhere. We caught our own fish and after throwing back the poisonous ones, created an amazing dinner over an open fire. I was taught how to make shrimp ceviche by Jenny’s mom. I became utterly addicted to Rambutans bought in large bags from roadside vendors for a dollar or two. We cracked coconuts under a massive tree on the beach while watching the local surfers play in the waves then I slept in a hammock under a mango tree. Fourteen days of utter bliss and food memories to last a lifetime. Everyone should have this experience. Everyone should eat this well. Everyone should live, as that Costa Rican’s would say, with “Pura Vida.”
~ Michelle
Thanks Michelle! So please, share your travelling foodie stories here! Try and keep them brief and make sure to leave contact info. If you do not have a profile and do not leave contact info, you will not be included in the contest. Contest is open until Saturday night. Winner will be announced Sunday. Good luck everyone!
My trip to Japan was one giant, 18 day foodie adventure. We budgeted $1000 for food alone and ate like royalty the entire time. We started with Yakkinikku, where I ate Cow’s Tongue for the first time. I was shocked to find how similar it was to bacon. I almost caught my clothes on fire while cooking it. Yakkinikku means “grilled meat”. It is similar to fondue in the fact that you get everything raw at your table and then you use the individual grill provided to each spot. The grill is large, the flames are angry and it’s fabulous. Other exciting Japan foodie adventures included The endless pork belly ramen bowl that was 3 times the size of my head, Melon Soda Float a-top a super swaying Tokyo Tower, trying to communicate with the maids in the sweets shop(and failing miserably), the best $9 small pieces of chocolate ever, conveyor belt sushi, eating in the Milky Way and the Nishiki Market, which holds some of the most amazing culinary knives on the planet. Please check out this link for more info on both the market and those glorious knives: http://whiteonricecouple.com/travel/nishiki-market-kyoto-aritsugu-knives/ Ah, I wish I could explain them all in detail, and that barely scratches the surface of all we ate!
Sounds like a really interesting book:). I haven’t really traveled anywhere yet so I dont really have any foodie stories :(, but I do know I love traveling within books :). I have a book from Jamie Oliver where he travels to Italy. He shares amazing recipes,stories, places and interesting people he meets:). It is a goal for me to travel and try different cuisine :), but for now I’ll stick with traveling in my books š
BD_657@hotmail.com
Alot of times when I travel outside of North America, I look for places to eat that are not foreign to that country. In other words, I try to avoid the usual fast food chains that have proliferated the globe. That said, I guess the best food experiences have been in Asia. In 2007, I had a chance to visit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Japan (for the 4th time). Each place had different things to offer. In HK, I remember visiting the giant Buddha there and dining on a vegetarian meal. The dimsum in HK was also pretty amazing. In Shanghai, there was hotpot. In Japan, well, it varied from the onigiri picked up at the local combini to dinner at a small family restaurant. I really wish now I had taken pics of some of the foods I’ve eaten!
Wonderful! Keep them coming!!! š Yay!!!
I don’t have any great foodie stories, except for the time I went on a blind date (out of state, so okay, I traveled). The waiter asked me how I wanted my steak. Huh? I had never been asked that question before and it seemed kind of silly to a teenager whose daddy always cooked her steaks just right. So I ventured, “Cooked?” I thought my date was going to howl!
Anyway, I love travel and food reads so am tossing my name in the hat and look forward to reading more food stories here.
I don’t want to enter myself for this cookbook, although it does sound like a great book. However, reading these great food stories has inspired me to share my own. I always try to branch out and try different things, including the best meatloaf I’ve ever had in North Carolina and a Middle Eastern dish called shakshuka that I devoured in an old courtyard in Jaffa.
However, I think the craziest food trip was when I was in Australia. I ate all sorts of crazy things there, including camel and kangaroo. What takes the cake is when I ate ants. I was in the tropical north of the country, and a local pointed out this small ant with a bright green behind. He told me it secrets a mild acid that tastes like sour lime candy. I was skeptical at first, but they definitely the tastiest (and only) ants I’ve ever had.
In 2004 my husband and I travelled to Cuba for our first adventure abroad. One one of the last days we were there we went on a day trip to Cayo Saetia. We went on a safari-type trip through the wildlife park similar to what I’d imagine an African Safari to be like. We saw many animals. After that we went horseback riding along the beach and then went on a boat ride along the coast. We were very hungry at the end of all the adventure so we were served a wonderful buffet style meal overlooking the crystal blue waters. What we did not expect to be presented with as a food option was ANTELOPE. We thought this was a “sanctuary” so to see one of the animals we had just watched in their natural habitat now on our dining table was a little bit shocking to say the least. When in Cuba do as the Cubans do…it was actually very tender and tasty!
Sadly, I haven’t gotten to travel anywhere outside of North America, so I don’t have any great travel foodie stories. Locally though, I was visiting my boyfriend’s family for the first time and they are from the South Shore of Nova Scotia so of course we had to have seafood. I cannot stomach the sight, smell or taste of seafood, but wanting to be liked (and not a massive pain in the bum lol), I tried to eat what was given to me. I put a muscle in my mouth and spit it out. Literally. It touched my tongue, I dry heaved and out it came, landing on the table next to the wine. Four years later, it’s still discussed every time we visit!!! My wonderful boyfriend still makes fun of me every time he cooks. The poor guy’s culinary degree/expertise is going to waste, because my tastes are so bland! haha
My most fun and unusual foodie adventure took place on our honeymoon in St.Petersburg, Florida. We heard of a great seafood place near our hotel called Crabby Bill’s Seafood. Everyone said they had the best fried clams and good, cheap lobster and crab.
When we arrived we asked for a table for 2. We looked inside the restaurant and there were just rows and rows of picnic tables. Basically they sat you wherever there was room so we were seated amongst other diners. Needless to say you have to be pretty social to enjoy this atmosphere because you didn’t get a private table, it was like a huge family picnic, but with strangers. We had the best time meeting people from Europe and other parts of the U.S., everyone was so friendly and welcoming.
As for the food, we ordered lobsters and they were served on paper plates with wooden mallets to break open the shell. It was hilarious to watch everyone bashing their lobsters open and shells flying everywhere! The whole scene was almost barbaric but everyone was laughing and having a great time hammering away.
As unusual as it was, it was truly enjoyable, the food was awesome and I got to try some blackened alligator. I was still picking lobster shells out of my hair the next morning LOL.
Does the book have recipes in it as well as stories? B/c if there isn’t any recipes I wont enter.
You guys are all cracking me up! Love the stories! Berendina, no, no recipes in this book, just stories by famous foodies.
Several years ago I owned a seafood restaurant that was rated as the best restaurant in our central Canadian city. I was concerned that we continue to upgrade our skills to maintain our reputation and stay ahead of the competition. Our wonderful chef suggested a trip to France to visit some Michelin starred restaurants. A Michelin rating is the ultimate goal of all restaurants.
So off we went. We dined at Michelin 3 star, 2 star, 1 star and recommended restaurants. We also had bouillabaisse in a cafe on the harbour in Marsailles. And shopped in the food markets of Lyon. It was an educational, entertaining and VERY expensive trip.
After all these fine dining and foodie adventures we took a couple of days to sightsee and enjoy the sun on the Mediterranean coast, grabbing a light meals, usually mussels and French fries, at seaside cafes along the way.
When we returned home I asked our chef which of all the food experiences he enjoyed most. “I think,” he said, “the mussels and fries at the little cafes along the Mediterranean.” SIGH
This little foodie adventure is not mine, but the reflections of a 16 year old boy, my son. He had the opportunity of a lifetime to go to England with his soccer team and play, live and experience the UK with a bunch of teenage boys and their coaches. This was his first trip out of the US. Stuck in the middle nowhere, he quickly learned that the hotel breakfast didn’t suit his stomach. So each morning he would run, really run down to the grocery to buy food he could eat. Having grown up in central California he was used to fresh fruit and veggies. What a shocker for the soccer boy!
Later in the trip, the fellas road the Tube to London and found a great little Italian restaurant. A four hour, five course, and two bottle of wine meal redeemed his foodie experiences for the trip.
OK… So I was in Boston for work and some of my coworkers and I decided to go out one evening for a nice meal in town. We went to MOOO, a steakhouse on Beacon St. Oh my…
The tuna tartare I had as an appetizer was amazing!!! So amazing in fact that I don’t even remember the salad that followed it. For the main course, I ordered beef Wellington. Well… this was not just any ordinary beef Wellington. It had foie gras and duxelle under its golden crust! Oh my… the memories!!! For side dishes, we decided to order a bunch of them as a group (there was 5 of us) so we could have a taste of a little bit of everything. WIld mushroom risotto, steamed asparagus with butter and… french fries cooked in truffle infused oil which were served sprinked with salt and parmesan!!!
The whole meal was amazing (so was the wine that accompanied it) and it ended on a sweet note with a classic creme brulee (one of my favs)!
Voila!!!