Swiss Chocolate

A country made of chocolate!

Sweets in Switzerland

What more could i say? Look at the colors and forms, make you want to buy everything!





They are everywhere in Switzerland!

Tripe in Tomato Sauce

In Brig (Switzerland) I had tripe in tomato sauce as a main dish. Very similar to the ones I tried in France. The tripe are soft and tender, totally fits my Chinese stomach.
Brig is a small town close to Italy border. I only passed by for few hours and enjoyed that yummy lunch.

Ethiopia House

I don’t know really why I am addicted to Ethiopia food. The first time I tried it was about 3 years ago in Toronto and ever since I craves it every week.
Ethiopian cooking is very spicy. In addition to flavoring the food, the spices also help to preserve meat in a country where refrigeration is rare. However the restaurant in Canada has been adapted: not all dishes are spicy. I recommend everyone to try it! Over the years, I tried other Ethiopia restaurant, but this one always has consistent quality.

http://www.ethiopianhouse.com/

I normally get veggie and meat combo for two. It includes beef, lamb or chicken, lentils, beans, cheese, etc. The food is slow cooked with savory flavor. All food is served on a large soft sourdough flatbread. My favorite part is the bread soaked with meat sauces. Heavenly!
Don’t ask for forks. No utensils are used as their tradition. And it is great that they encourage peoples try their way in the restaurant. Not like in Chinese restaurant, they gave forks to all non-Asians, even for those who knows how to use chopsticks.

“Ethiopia was under Italian military control for a period (1935–46) when Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) was in power. Except for that time, Ethiopian culture has been influenced very little by other countries.”
http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/Ethiopia.html

Vegan Chocolate

I thought that was impossible! Will it taste good?
Just after one bite, I am convinced that I will love it forever, forever…. Especially the raspberry ones. The texture is not like the regular commercial ones; it is bit grainy and soft. But it melts in your mouth and has very strong raspberry flavor. You can taste it is made with love! Each little one is sold at HOTSHOT at Kensington market for $1.50. But worthy it!

http://www.hotshotkensington.com/wb/

The guy Fred Jene, who makes those truffles uses cacao from chocosol (The raw Cacao importers). They told me the chocolate is not cooked and have to be refrigerated. In summer, I saw Fred once was presenting his chocolate outside of HOTSHOT. He has an interesting story to tell about how he makes chocolate, you should ask!!

www.foodnotcandy.com/

Asian Legend Restaurant

The restaurant Asian Legend (in Toronto) offers decent Chinese food with a modern decoration. Some of the food is presented in an interesting way such as rolled onion pancake with sliced Beef (feel like burrito).

Other interesting dim sum such as 絲瓜瑤柱湯包: Dumplings filled with dried scallops, pork and luffa. It looks green, I guess because the dumpling skin is made of luffa. Very juicy inside because the pork fat melts after steaming. Although as a Shanghainese, I have to say it is no way to compare with the Xiao Long Bao (steamed dumplings) in Shanghai.
Luffa is a plant very popular in Asia. My mom always cooks it in soup with egg drops. They are very juicy and soft after cooked. The ripe, dried fruit is also the source of the loofah or plant sponge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa

You could order food on their website as well, with reasonable price.
http://www.asianlegend.ca/

Nota Bene Restaurant

Nota Bene is a really elegant restaurant located at 180 Queen Street West. I was there once for my birthday and happy enjoyed every dishes.

www.notabenerestaurant.com


Starter:
Nova Scotia lobster salad: Avocado, maple bacon, blue cheese buttermilk dressing (Top left)
Crisp duck salad: Sumac-dusted green papaya slaw, Cashews (Top right)

Main:
Suckling pig & boudin noir tart with truffle vinaigrette (Left Bottom)
Lake Huron pickerel filet with smoked cherry tomatoes, cauliflower puree and basil pesto (Right Bottom)

Korean bim bam bop

Korean bim bam bop comes in a bowl with rice at the bottom and vegetables and meat on the top. It also has an egg on top of the vegetables. It is very delicious and a very healthy meal. You suppose to mix it all together then eat.

Canadian Oysters

Canadian Oysters
Don’t matter if the French say they have the best oyster in the world. Honestly I have tried both, and the Canadian oysters are also very good! There are many various to choose from when it is in seasons (From Oct to Jan). In Toronto, I always go to OysterBoys to buy them and open by myself. The price is cheaper than Rodney's Oyster House at King/Spadina Street. However, the later one does offer more varieties.

www.oysterboy.ca

Malpeque oyster from P.E.I. is always tasty with clear sea flavor, subtle. They are meaty and easy to open. (The center ones in the pic) Most people will like them.
The other kind in the pic is from Northern Emerald, also good.

My favorite ones are the oysters from Tatamagouche Bay, Nova Scotia. Not everyone will love its strong sea flavors. But for me they are simple a treat. I ate them with no lemon or sauce. Simply want to taste the original flavor. It is not easy to find them with a good price.

Crunchy Pig ear

It is really ear from pigs, but at least they are sliced thin and lost its original form. You can buy them in a container in China town: pre-spiced and ready to eat. They are spicy and crunchy. Since it is ear, it is not about meat, it is about the texture!
In Madrid, I had it with salad, quite good!

Blue crab

You can buy them from China town in Toronto with the cheapest price $4 -5 CAD per pound. They are much smaller and less meaty than the Vancouver crab. But when they are in season, just for the orange crab roe, it worthy fighting over with other Chinese grandma to pick the bigger crab.

Those little guys are quite feisty. Be careful don’t let their claw catch your finger when washing them. Like once they did to me, I can only steam it to death to release my finger. From then on, I use a cooking thong. ☺

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_crab

I normally steam them with ginger or lemon for 12 mins after water is boiling. Sometimes just eat like that, or sometimes with sauce: vinegar, grated fresh ginger and sugar (Shanghai style).

Vancouver Crab

I love the sweet sea meat from Vancouver crab! In Toronto’s China town they are sold $8 or 9 CAD per pound (best price in town). I normally steam the whole crab for 15 mins then eat just like that! The meat is sweet, tender and soft. No sauce needed!

Beef bourginon (French)

The first time I had beef bourginon was in Dijon, France. The beef was braised in red wine for many hours and it melt in the mouth.

Beef bourguignon is one of many examples of peasant dishes being slowly refined into haute cuisine. Most likely the particular method of slowly simmering the beef in wine originated as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been too tough to cook any other way. The slow cooking and simmering in the wine tenderized the meat, while keeping the meat flavor in the dish. Over time, the dish became a standard of French cuisine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_bourguignon

Chicken feet (Phoenix claw in Chinese)

When speak of chicken feet, most of my non-Asian friends think they are disgusting. But for me they are addictive. It is a pure enjoyment of skin and tendons, very gelatinous.

There are many ways of cooking chicken feet. In Toronto, since many Cantonese own the restaurant, it is much easier to find it in dim sum style. The chicken feet are deep fried or steamed first in order to make them puffy before being stewed and simmered in a sauce flavored with black fermented beans, bean paste and sugar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_feet

Salicorne – sea asparagus

Salicorne (French word) is a wild, succulent plant that grows along the seashore and in salt marshes. It comes in bushes of crisp and juicy twigs that are harvested in late spring to early summer and can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled.

I tasted fresh green salicorne in Jean Talon Market in Montreal. It is taste of summer by the sea. It is slightly salty with a fresh, crunchy, not overpowering, herbal taste.

Jean Talon Market in Montreal

I am totally in love with Jean Talon Market in Montreal. Every time I visit Montreal, that place is a must go. You could find really cheap veggies from farmers or you could spend a fortune for some exotic wild mushroom that you couldn’t find at other places. You can also get any kinds of meat, seafood, fresh squeezed juice and daily freshly cooked lunch. Also you can’t miss dessert, bakery and coffee shop. It is always packed with people.
I love it when some many fruit and veggie venders so generously offer the product samples. What a great way of marketing their products!

Cactus Burritos at Johnybanana

I am surprised that I can eat cactus in Toronto. I don’t know which kind I was eating (maybe from Mexico?) but it is very soft like Aloe. Check out Johnybanana at Queen and Bathurst Street. For a large cactus burritos cost $6.99 CAD.

http://www.johnybanana.com/

A list of best burritos in Toronto:
http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_burritos_in_toronto/

Homemade Lasagna

Yes, homemade, doesn’t mean I made it. Even better I had an Italian friend cooked for me in Rome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagna

There are many varieties of receipts out there. He used scamorza and Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese. He simmered ragù on the side and made béchamel sauce also. The Lasagna is even better the next day!!

Scamorza is an Italian cow's milk cheese, similar to mozzarella.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scamorza

Rustic Roman restaurant - Da Enzo

Da Enzo is an original rustic Roman trattoria on the less-touristy side of Trastevere. It serves up classic fare such as spaghetti amatriciana, with a mouth-watering selection of home-made desserts. I had lamb and was tasty but bit dry. The price is reasonable.

Check out their menu in the pic. But it is in Italian.
I went there at Saturday night and it was fully packed. Many people didn’t get it. Too bad I had to eat on the street tables and didn’t get an chance to take a good look at inside decoration.

Zucchini flower pasta

I am not the only one who loves zucchini flowers. A friend in Rome cooked zucchini flower pasta for me. Very interesting flavor!
First cook zucchini by themselves till soft while in another pan simmering anchovies with pin nuts and raisins. Till the last minutes add zucchini flowers with the anchovy sauce. The salty anchovy sauce balances well with the sweet zucchini pasta.

Little-ear pasta -Orecchiette

A friend picked up at metro station and we went directly to his friends’ dinner party. When we got there, food was still on the stove. The dinner started at 10pm with little-ear pasta (Orecchiette), sausages, veggies really tasty) and backed potatoes with red pepper. Of course, followed by dessert and cookies. Eat till your heart content!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orecchiette

It is interesting to discover that there is a Chinese counterpart in city Hangzhou. “In Chinese cuisine, a kind of noodle called Maoerduo (Simplified Chinese: 猫耳朵, cats' ears) is similar to orecchiette. Maoerduo may be steamed and served with sauce, or cooked as a noodle soup.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maoerduo.JPG

Don’t know why it is called “Cat’s ear”. Don’t be scared, they are just pasta.

OX-heart tomato

What an interesting name! My first time saw those tomatoes was in a Rome’s supermarket. Their color and interesting shape surprised me. They are big tomatoes with a bottom-heavy shape. Very meaty flesh contains few seeds making this a favorite for slicing and for sandwiches. Good flavor and productivity keep gardeners growing this heirloom variety.

Truffle sandwich

When we think it is such an exotic thing, but it is so accessible in Italy. Love that country! They have summer or winter black truffle paste and the famous white truffle in the winter season. They put some ham, cheese with black truffle paste on nice Italian sandwich bread. Or you could ask them to put whatever you want on the sandwich. You know I love truffle! Ok, it was not the fresh truffle, but still taste good!

Porchetta – roasted pig

“Porchetta /por'ket:a/ is a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The body of the pig is gutted, deboned, arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolled, spitted, and roasted, traditionally over wood. Porchetta is usually heavily salted in addition to being stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel, or other herbs, often wild.

Porchetta is one of two iconic culinary products of the Lazio region, the other being the sheep cheese pecorino romano.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porchetta


I had it for the first time in a small village (castel gandolfo) 30 mins south of Rome. Few slices of porchetta in white bread for lunch. Really savory!!

Puntarelle salad

My friend in Rome bought Puntarelle salad so that I could try it for the first time. But he forgot to buy some anchovies. Apparently it is better with it. So I had it with some fresh lemon, very refreshing! Accompanied with gnocchi with pesto sauce and pecorino cheese.

Carbonara pasta

“Pasta alla carbonara is an Italian pasta dish based on eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale (un-smoked Italian pig's cheek bacon), and black pepper.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonara

My friend cooked for me one day. But I am not sure if he strictly follows the traditional receipt. Did he really use pig’s cheek bacon? But it was classic and tasty!

There is a receipt I found online:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/02/seriously-italian-pasta-alla-gricia-recipe.html

Zucchini flower, anchovy with mozzarella

It is always my favorite combination, doesn’t matter on a sandwich or on a pizza. I know it is quite common to see that in Italy. But in Canada, it is hard to find zucchini flower. Rareness becomes exotic. I could only hope to steal some zucchini flowers in my friend’s garden this year!

Italain Christmas dessert – Pandoro ("golden bread")

“Pandoro (pan d'oro) is a traditional Italian sweet yeast bread, most popular around Christmas and New Year.
Breads enriched with eggs, butter and sugar or honey were served in the palaces and were known as "royal bread" or "golden bread"”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandoro

The pandoro comes with a pack of white sugar. They put sugar on top then shake with the bread. When it is done, the bread looks like cover by white snow. Perfect for Christmas season! It was soft and sweet with chocolate flavor.

Horse meat? – le coppiette

In a small village 30 mins south of Rome, I saw the spicy horse strips (le coppiette) in a prosciutto store. It looked very dry.

“The coppiette are some strips of meat, cut with special blades that preserved with salt and natural spices, and make mature about sixty days. Before they use meat of horse but at present, pork (thigh of the pig) is used instead.”

http://www.gustoblog.it/post/1335/coppiette

I am not sure the one I saw is horse or not, at least my friend said is horse. You can see it is 40 Euros/ kg. Too bad I didn’t try it. That store has all kinds of Salami, very imressive!

Gelato in Rome at G.Fassi

They say there should be a big fountain in the middle of the G.Fassi, but unfortunately when I was there it was renovating. Well, December is not a tourist season, so I guess have to go back someday in the summer.

But even it was December there were many people line up for ice cream. The place has an old history(“the Fassi business dates back to 1880”) as you can see the old posters and journals about the place on the wall. Besides ice cream, they also have other desserts. Don’t mind the poorly design the websites and pictures, it definitely worth to drop by (close to metro Vittorio E).

http://www.palazzodelfreddo.it/english/boot.htm

Fried Mozzarella

Near Piazza del Popolo in Rome, there is a small cute Sicilian place (close to the metro Flaminio entrance). Food are cooked daily and placed behind the glass. People order them for lunch and eat at small table stands (only have 3).

I had fried mozzarella and it is delicious! Never thought about deep-frying cheese would taste so good! I also had typical Sicilian pasta, which looks like small circles, with tomato sauce and bread crumble on top.

Dessert bread

I had this at a friend’s place at north of Rome. But the bread is made by his mother from south. It is very hard inside out like a rock and stay like that for months. I dipped them into hot tea after the main course.

Making pizza

That was a total surprise! A Roman friend was having a pizza party in Madrid. I used the opportunity to learn how to make pizza at his place. Also he did most of the work, I was writing notes and helping out.
Have to try it myself one day!

Pizza (Four-season) in Madrid

My first night in Madrid, yet I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. My friends knew all the people works there, from the owner to the chef. The guy who made pizza for me is from Napoli.
I had four-season pizza: mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked ham, olives and oil. I liked it; almost felt I was still in Italy. I suggest cutting anchovy into small piece because they are very salty.

Pizza in Rome

When I was a student in college, I ate so many pizzas from Pizza Pizza on the campus (note: there were not many choices). They are greasy with thick dry crusts. When I graduated from the school, I swore never go into pizza joint again! I thought all pizzas are like that and just the thought gave me stomachache. However the trip to Italy really changed my mind: fresh good quality ingredients, variety of choices and all backed in traditional wood-fired brick oven. Just look at all pics, make you mouth water! All freshly made, no frozen pizzas!!!


Pizza with gorgonzola cheese (veined Italian blue cheese) and apple (in Rome).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgonzola_(cheese)

I love the sweetness of the apples mixed with creamy cheese. I also like it better because the thin crust (Roman style!) The opposite of Roman style thin crust pizza will be the Chicago deep-dish pizza. Looks interesting haven’t had opportunity to try it yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_pizza

Pizza with eggplant and cheese.



Condadina pizza with mozzarella, eggplant, zucchini, anchovy, mushroom and cherry tomatoes.


Pizza with black truffle and cheese. but the black truffle mushroom was not fresh.


Again Pizza (on the right ) black truffle and cheese. Truffle was not fresh but with very strong aroma. I am suspicious that they use synthetic truffle aroma to enhance the flavor.
Pizza (on the left )with prosciutto and arugula salad.

That is my favorite combination: Creamy hardy mozzarella, soft flowers and salty anchovies.


Pizza (on top) is mixed cheese with tomato sauce. Compare with the one I had is very simple.
Pizza (bottom) is my greedy yummy creation: artichokes, mushrooms, arugula salad, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. I basically ask them to put all my favorite ingredients.

That pizzeria also has an antique olive-oil grinding device. Nowadays was placed in the center of the pizzeria for decoration. Quite rustic homey place 30 min Nord of Rome (in Castel Nuovo).