Top 10 Destinations for Foodies

1. Rome: Italy will always be a symbol of delicious recipes and gourmet ingredients and it's capital embodies this idea into one city. Rome's vicinity to fresh seafood, farming and ancient recipes make it home to the best Pasta and traditional Italian food anywhere. 

2. Paris: Paris is a famous travel destination for both it's historical landmarks and classy culture yet it's food often overlooked. Paris not only boasts some of the best bakeries in the world but it's french bread is almost always accompanied by exquisite handcrafted cheeses and native wines. Paris itself is a hub of bakeries, butchers, and markets that collectively compete to make every bite of food just as amazing as the architecture that holds it.  

3. Istanbul: Turkish food is complimented by a dichotomy of both delectable street food as well as high class restaurants giving the best of both worlds. Istanbul is a perfect representation of the unique Turkish cuisine which evolves from the Ottoman empire and middle eastern recipes. Along with Kebobs the Turks also hold many delicious deserts including the "Turkish Delight", if you ever get the chance there is a great and relatively cheap street vendor on Church street that hooks up a great example of Turkish street foods!

4. New York: The sheer size and immensity of New York city bestows it with an incredible amount of diversity which all compete together so that it is hard to find a restaurant that isn't above average. That being said New York boasts some native dishes such as it's famous Pizza or Burger joints that are second to none. The size and diversity is what really puts New York on the list though with China town, the huge Italian influx, and American cuisine influencing every street corner to perfection. 

5. Barcelona: Spanish food had to get it's name on the list at some point and there's no better example then the mezcla of Catalan, Traditional Spanish, and Mediterranean influences that define Barcelona. Barcelona's proximity to the Mediterranean sea allows for both easy access to foreign spices but also some of the best seafood in all of Spain. These aspects perfectly compliment many Spanish dishes such as Paella so that Barcelona beats out other major cities like Madrid to win a place on the list. 

6. Tokyo: Tokyo signifies all the traditional Japanese cuisine that makes people's mouth water all around the world. Fresh seafood, perfectly crafted sushi, miso soups, rice noodles and more all live in their best form in this sprawling city. 

7. Sydney: Sydney is a modern city that mixes foods from around the world as well as many Australian foods that have evolved from it's tribal influences. Both South East Asia and Australia are home to unique seafoods and vegetables that have allowed the cuisine to evolve to something both diverse and original. 

8. Bangkok: Thai food encompasses all the spices of Southeast Asia with the unique asian recipes of China and Thailand. Jasmine rice, native noodles, street foods and more litter the blocks of Bangkok so that one could never get bored with all the interesting tastes and vibrant culture. 

9. Fes: The only African country to make it is due to it's long history of influence in the Mediterranean region to create a fascinating blend. One can trace the country's long history of colonizers and immigrants; the Berbers, exist today in the staple dishes like tagine and couscous. While The Arab invasion brought new spices, nuts and dried fruits,  the Moors introduced olives, olive juice and citrus and finally the Ottoman Empire introduced barbeque (kebabs) which added to the great array that exemplifies Moroccan food today. 

10. Brussels: As well as the addition of having France next door, Belgium is furthermore famous for their Waffles and amazing chocolates. Potatoes and unique fries also fill the city as well as the added bonus of acclaimed breweries making Brussels yet another travel destination for some great food. 

RECIPE 4: Dulce de Leche Pionono

And... YES! Tristan took us a journey to Argentina, and the pictures that he brought back are gorgeous. So today we are going to learn one of the famous recipe for making Argentina food, which is called Dulce de Leche Pionono. Dulce de Leche Pionono is a jelly roll cake that people in Europe have it during the celebration. Pionono can have sweet or savory fillings, but this recipe calls for lightened whipping cream. Adornment is what this cake really need for, which is a dusting of icing sugar. It has a really delicious flavor. 

So, here we go!

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup almond flour (optional) or 1/4 cup additional all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 cup dulce de leche

Confectioners sugar 1 recipe caramel frosting (optional)

Preparation:

Line a 11" x 17" jelly roll pan with wax paper. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Sift the flour with the salt, almond meal, and baking powder, and set aside. 

Place the egg whites in a (very clean) bowl of a standing mixer and beat until soft peaks form. 

Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. 

Transfer beaten egg whites to a clean bowl. 

Add the egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to the mixing bowl, and beat until pale yellow and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. 

Add the vanilla and mix well. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the egg yolk mixture until just blended, then carefully fold in the egg whites. 

Spread batter evenly into the prepared jelly roll pan. 

Bake cake until it is golden and just starts to spring back to your touch, about 8-10 minutes. 

Do not overbake, or it will be difficult to roll. Loosen the edges of the cake by running a knife around them, then turn cake out onto a dish cloth that has been dusted with confectioners sugar. 

Peel off the wax paper, and dust top of the cake with more confectioners sugar. 

Roll cake up carefully in the dish towel and let it cool in the rolled-up position. 

Place cold whipping cream in a large bowl and beat until medium-firm peaks form. 

Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar and a touch of vanilla if desired. 

Whisk 1/4 cup of the whipped cream into the dulce de leche to lighten it, then fold dulce de leche mixture back into the rest of the whipped cream. Unroll cake and spread whipped cream/dulce de leche mixture over the cake. 

Reroll cake, wrap with the dish cloth or saran wrap, and chill for 1-2 hours or overnight. Once the cake is thoroughly chilled, place it on a cutting board, unwrapped. 

Prepare caramel glaze according to the recipe, using only 3 cups confectioners sugar. 

While the icing is still warm, pour it over the cake, letting it run down the sides until covered. Remove excess icing from bottom of cake and let set. Slice off ends of cake to neaten the edges (extra treat for the chef!) Chill cake until ready to serve.

Country Profile: Argentina

As I recently got accepted to a study abroad program for the spring semester to Argentina this year, I decided to dedicate this week's post to leaning about Argentina's culture, food and travel ideas!

Argentina has a significant Mediterranean cultural influence and this manifests itself widely in their foods as well. Spanish and Italian ingredients are abundant in most of Argentina, while the capital Buenos Aires is an international hub where any type of high class food is right around the corner. Argentina boasts a very protein centric diet where many of their meals focus around asado beef or chicken. Asado is the colloquial term for "Barbecue" which is the essential Argentinian dish. Asado does not just mean Barbecue in our meaning though it also encompasses the unique herbs and process by which it's cooked while referring to the actual social gathering of having barbecue as well.
Another staple of Argentine food is the Mate drink which is extremely widespread through the many regions and is usually used in a very social nature. Mate is made through the dried twigs and leaves of the Yerba Mate plant similar to a tea, but there are various other spices that can be added while it is also drank through a straw, known as a bombilla. These are just a couple typical aspects to the broad range of Argentinian food, yet both Mate and Asado also represent the extremely social aspect and tradition to eating in Argentine culture.

So besides eating until you burst.. What are some of the main attractions to Argentina?

First of all, the capital city Buenos Aires. This sprawling metropolitan city incorporates both the cultural allures of a distinct third world and the modern characteristics of a European city. Buenos Aires is filled with diverse architecture and every type of neighborhood. Some of the more notable things to do in buenos aires include going to see the infamous local soccer team "Boca Juniors" play in the intimidatingly packed Bombabera stadium or hit the expansive bar scene that the city is famous for.

If your not the city type, the next most captivating part of Argentina is the expansive rural Patagonia which is known for it's beauty. Hiking the Patagonia can be both an intimate experience with very local rural cultures as well as incredible sights of waterfalls, glaciers and wildlife. So if you ever plan a trip to South America do not miss out on all the beauty that Argentina represents.

I am itching to start my study abroad program now to experience all these delicious tastes and activities that Argentina has to offer!

RECIPE 3: Indian-Style Curry

Our blogger Tristan went to Vietnam for a long journey, and brought back many pictures and information about his favorite Vietnam Cuisine. That actually reminds me how wonderful Asian Cuisine is. Let me take you to another journey to Indian! So, today I am going to teach you how to make Indian-Style Curry. 
Before that I am going to talk a little about the background of Curry.  
Curry was first adopted by Western culture as the significant cuisine of Indian food. Curry, literally means vegetables and/or meat cooked with spices with or without a gravy. Most of time Curry is made for practicing national traditions and religions. Curry has the taste of spices, which are used both whole and ground; cooked or raw; and they may be added at different times during the cooking process to produce different results.

Indian-Style Curry with Potatoes, Cauliflower, Peas, and Chickpeas Indian

INGREDIENTS 
2 tablespoons curry powder (sweet or mild) 
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 
1/4 cup vegetable oil 
2 cups chopped fine onion
2 cups Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon) 
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 
1 - 1 1/2 serrano chiles, ribs, seeds, and flesh minced (see note above) 
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
1/2 medium head cauliflower, trimmed, cored, and cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups) 
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, pulsed in food processor until nearly smooth with 1/4-inch pieces visible 
1 1/4 cups water 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Table salt 
8 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups) 
1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk 

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Toast curry powder and garam masala in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove spices from skillet and set aside. 

2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and potatoes are golden brown on edges, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium if onions darken too quickly.) 

3. Reduce heat to medium. Clear center of pan and add remaining tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, chile, and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add toasted spices and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute longer. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring constantly, until spices coat florets, about 2 minutes longer. 

4. Add tomatoes, water, chickpeas, and 1 teaspoon salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in peas and cream or coconut milk; continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust seasoning with salt and serve immediately, passing condiments separately.

My Favorite Foreign Taste

Pho is a noodle soup from Vietnam that happens to be my all time favorite thing to eat. There are two main types of Pho: either Beef known as pho bo or Chicken, the pho ga, personally I'm partial to the pho ga but both are similarly delicious. I usually starve myself for several hours if I know I will be eating pho that day so that I can thoroughly stuff myself, as a soup and asian cuisine lover, I have never found a more perfect match. So what exactly is so special about this soup? 

1. First off, as a college student I feel obliged to tell you its very CHEAP. Pho was first made as a street food and sold in boxes, it has since spread to renown vietnamese restaurants around the world but the idea of making in bulk has stuck so that you should be able to find a giant bowl of pho for under six dollars in your local city.
2. Garnishes. Pho is typically served with several garnishes that allow you to be the master of how your own bowl tastes so every customer gets to be a bit of a chef. As a foodie and a soup lover this is a huge plus for me because I never get can get bored of the always unique tastes of pho. The garnishes typically include Green onions, white onions, thai basil, chili peppers, lime, and bean sprouts. While for sauces it is usually accompanied by a spicy chili sauce usually Siracha and a sweet hoisin sauce. 
3. The Ingredients and preparation to Pho explain it's savory and hearty makeup. The broth usually takes the better part of a day to make; simmering in cinnamon, star anise, ginger, cardamon, clove, coriander and fennel seeds as well as other spices and the bones or intestines of the chicken or beef. The rice noodles are then added later. The recipe to Pho varies from restaurant to restaurant but they all share similar methods that developed in the city of Hanoi in the early twentieth century when vendors started making bulk soups to feed the streets.

So where can you find a taste of pho for yourself? If you live near a Chinatown or any Vietnamese restaurants it shouldn't take you long to locate a big bowl of deliciousness. If, like me, you live in burlington there are several decent options...

• Pho Hong. Located at 325 North Winooski Avenue is my personal favorite. A simple setup that has fast service and great pho. Highly recommended.
• The other pho place I've experienced near Burlington is called M-Saigon and is located on 370 Shelburne Road. M-Saigon goes for an more all encompassing cuisine with more Thai options as well as Vietnamese so that Pho is not there primary focus. Nonetheless it is still a great bowl but not nearly as authentic or complete of an experience as most Pho restaurants.