You know when you go grocery shopping it’s a good idea to go full, so that you don’t buy everything? Well when you go to Borough Market, you should go hungry. Last Friday I had lunch with Ryan at Ippudo, which is my favorite restaurant. Afterwards Ryan went back to work and I went to Borough Market. Only, I was stuffed full of delicious ramen, which was awesome, but meant I wasn’t so tempted by the market. And the market has so many delicious things to eat. 

Every time I go to Borough Market, I walk down a staircase with the Southwark Cathedral on my right and on my left are all the sounds and smells of food vendors making delicious meals. There are giant paellas, sausage rolls, and savory pies. I once had the most delicious sweet potato and goat cheese pie from the market. Anyway, after pushing through the crowds and further into the market, there are even more mouth watering goodies to take home with you.

Borough Market is a semi-enclosed market that is 1000 years old! Fruit and vegetables are the cornerstone of the market. Lots and lots of vendors have displays bursting with mountains of gorgeous colors. Look at that lettuce above! It’s all crinkly and green – it actually makes me excited to eat a salad. And the apples above are glowing from the sunshine. How could you walk away without at least one healthy piece of food? I bought myself some lemons and freshly pressed apple juice.

But it’s not just about the produce, there are amazing cakes and cookies, breads, meats and cheeses. I always want everything. Once, Ryan and I went at the end of the day on a Saturday. The vendors were giving discounts because it was the end of the week and as a result we bought thick beef burgers, artisanal cheese, and fresh bread – all to make some juicy burgers when we got home.

Although I don’t really eat pork, I was taken with the pig’s foot (above center) where the vendor would slice off fresh prosciutto straight from the bone. That seems like quality service. I also liked seeing the scallops in the shells. So often in the grocery store we’re shielded from where our food comes from and what it actually looks like. I enjoy the market because it shows food’s freshness and reminds me that food comes from the land or an animal.

I took a small break from browsing the food to check out the cooking demonstration. The person was making a savory pie with lots of layers of thin flaky pastry. Alongside him was a sign language interpreter – which I thought was so cool. I’ve seen sign language interpretation a lot throughout the UK and I’m impressed with how accessible things can be. I also stumbled along a bit blackboard wall where people wrote down names, jokes and something they wanted to do before they die.

Beyond the food, the space itself is a fun place to take in. There are so many people and I heard half a dozen different languages as I walked around. Since it was sunny the nearby pubs were filled with people and the sidewalks had people sitting on the curb and eating. I thought, I think I deserve a mini picnic on this sunny day off. So, I went and bought myself a Pimm’s cup No. 1 (a gin cocktail with some juice and fruits and veg in it – and it’s apparently iconic of English summer). The vendor asked me if I was older than 18, which was nice and made me laugh. When I told him I was old enough to drink, he gave me my cocktail and I ran off to sit on a bench and soak up the sun. Hard life, right?

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Fruit leather also makes me feel a little nostalgic for back to school and my colleagues at Live It Learn It who are back in the US. My coworker Erica and I were a little crazy for fruit leather at the end of last school year. It was our snack of choice during the many meetings we were having. She’d have a big stash in her backpack and I’d peak through and pull out my favorite flavors. Snacks are always a nice way to pep up the workday. 

But I almost never buy fruit leather because it’s usually expensive. It’s like $2 for four inches of dried fruit that I can eat in one second. With this recipe I made a 10.5×15.5″ baking sheet sized piece for less than £3 (about $5)! I’ll be honest it is way easier to buy it at the store. This is so easy to make and takes almost no hands-on time, but it takes forever – and I could still eat this whole tray in one second. However here are three reasons why I like this recipe:

1. I really like making things that I previously thought only came from the store. It makes me feel accomplished that I’m capable of DIY-ing something that seemed like a mystery.

2. It’s cheap! Seriously £3!!! The plums were £2, the lemon was 50p, and I don’t know what 3 tbsp of sugar costs, but you could swipe it from your local coffee shop if you wanted to.

3. Every ingredient in this recipe is normal and familiar and pretty healthy. It’s sort of nice to have a yummy and healthy snack where you can pronounce all the ingredients.

If you’re not into plums, you can do this recipe with any sort of stone fruit. But I do recommend the plums. They are so flavorful and the lemon makes it nice and tart. I also wholeheartedly believe you can do this with any kind of fruit if you just follow the pattern of the recipe.

Adapted from Sweets Made Simple.

Ingredients:

6-8 plums (I used 8 because mine were small)

200ml water (that’s .84 of a cup)

juice from 1/2 lemon

3 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Remove the pit from the plums. (TV tip: cut the plum perpendicular to the ridge and twist to remove the stone).

2. Roughly chop the plum flesh.

3. Put the plums and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. It will turn a beautiful color!

4. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Take a potato masher and squash everything in the pot.

5. Heat for 10 more minutes.

6. If you have an immersion blender, mix up the fruit in the pot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the fruit to a blender and mix it until it is a smooth puree.

7. Cover a baking tray with plastic wrap. (Check that it is microwave safe). I know it seems weird to do this but I promise it will be ok.

8. Preheat the oven to it’s lowest setting. For me it was 50°. Maybe for you 130-140°.

9. Slowly pour the fruit puree onto the baking sheet. Use a silicon spatula and spread the mixture evenly on the tray. If you don’t have a rimmed sheet don’t worry, the mixture doesn’t ooze and spread too much. Make sure the plastic wrap doesn’t fall back on the fruit puree – if it does that part won’t get dry and harden.

10. Heat in the oven for 10 hours. I know, that’s forever. Do it before you go to bed and in the morning it will be ready. Or, do it on a weekend when you’re home all day.

11. When it cools peel it off the plastic wrap. It’s a pretty stained glass piece of fruit leather!

12. Put it on a cutting board. Cut it up how you like! You could do it in strips, roll it into bundles, cut it into shapes with a cutter, or roll it with parchment and store in an air tight container.

Messy level: I would say 1 spoon if you have an immersion blender, two spoons if you don’t. It’s easy, simple, and doesn’t make much of a mess.;

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Over the weekend Ryan and I had dinner with some friends who were visiting from out of town, and they were telling us all the DC things they were going to do before they left. The next day they were going to Farmers, Fishers, Bakers on the Georgetown waterfront, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I was jealous. I know some people who had just ok experiences there, but I really loved their brunch. I think it’s a pretty sizable buffet with a diverse array of choices. For example, there’s chocolate chip waffles, carved meats, Bloody Mary’s, chips and guacamole, and brûléed grapefruit.

The grapefruit is so simple, yet really delicious and I realized I could make it at home! My brother bought me a kitchen torch for my birthday, so I can have grapefruit brûlée whenever I want. I’ve been excited and scared to use the kitchen torch, but this seemed like the perfect first use since I wasn’t make something too complicated.

So Sunday morning, I walked to the grocery store,  I bought two grapefruits, I made Ryan “supervise” the torch set up, and then we were good to go. It was pretty easy to make and really yummy. I think Ryan and I were startled by how much a little caramelized sugar can enhance a grapefruit.  If you don’t have a torch, you can still do this with your oven broiler. Anyway, here’s how we did it – and there’s even the first ever Cooking is Messy video.

Ingredients:

1 grapefruit

2 tbsp raw sugar (I’m sure you can use granulated, but all the recipes I found recommended raw)

Directions:

1. Cut grape fruit in half along the equator.

2. Cut a little bit of skin off of the bottom of each half. This is so it will sit flat when you’re torching it.

3. Place the grapefruit fruit side down on a paper towel. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This is to absorb excess juice.

4. Flip the grapefruit halves over. Using a paring knife, make a cut all the way around between the fruit and skin. Also cut between the fruit sections. Don’t get crazy with this, you’re doing this just to loosen the fruit so it will be easier to eat in the end.

5. Sprinkle the tops with 1 tbsp sugar.

6. Using the kitchen torch, heat the sugar until it turns caramel brown. It will smell awesome and look awesome and that’s how you’ll know it’s done. Here’s a video of me using the torch.  If you are using a broiler, put the grapefruit in the broiler until it reaches desired color. Check it regularly, but it should take about 6-8 minutes.

7. Eat it! We probably could have browned it more, but it was so wonderful smelling that we couldn’t wait any longer!

Messy level: Low! This requires almost no utensils and there’s nothing to spill. It’s so easy to make as long as you’re not afraid of fire.

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Ryan and I recently went to Montreal for a long weekend. It was a wonderful getaway and the perfect mix of site-seeing, taking in a new place, and also sitting around relaxing. As with most vacations, we ate well and tried to seek out popular and local restaurants. I’m a little crazy about this. I read my guidebook and then I constantly talk about what I want to try, until we get to try it. I took pictures of some of our favorite meals and wanted to share in case you ever find yourself in Montreal.

I like taking pictures of food, even if sometimes the pictures come out a little weird. When I came back from my honeymoon a few of my friends teased me about how many pictures I took of the food. At first I was a little embarrassed, but then I realized that food is an important part of the vacation experience (at least for me). We’re tourists in part because we want to learn and experience a culture and life different from our own. As someone who interacts with tourists regularly for work, I’m often asked “what’s a good DC place to eat?” Food can teach us about a place’s traditions and trends. Food can teach about climate. Think of how we associate hearty foods with cold climates. Or oranges with Florida. Or olives with a sunny Mediterranean climate. Food is a part of a place’s identity.

My attempt to de-bone the fish

Mostly importantly for me, a picture of food can remind me of the way I felt and the adventures I had. One example is in Turkey, Ryan and I ordered fish and we got the whole fish. The first time, we failed miserably in removing the bones. The second time, I was nervous but determined to get most of the bones out in one swoop. And I was mostly successful, so we took a picture to mark my triumph. Pictures of food remind me of the excitement and anticipation of vacation. I’d also like to note, that when I asked people for recommendations of what to do in Montreal I only got recommendations of what to eat and where. Not one recommendation of what to see! I think that means other people are obsessed with food too. But without further ado, here are four foods/restaurants I think are remarkable in Montreal.

Poutine, from Resto La Banquise

Before we left for Montreal I knew I was going to try to poutine. I first learned about poutine when I was in grad school. I had a friend from Canada who was shocked (and possibly horrified) that none of us had heard of poutine before.  Apparently it’s a pretty legit Canadian dish. Poutine is made with french-fries, gravy, and cheese curds.  We went to La Banquise on a recommendation from a friend of a friend. We got there and the entrance was filled with about 15 people snaked around in a squished line. It went pretty fast and soon we were seated in their brightly colored and very full dining area.

The menu boasts over 20 different types of poutine. Ryan had his with ground beef, onions, and mushrooms. I had mine with hot dogs. Let me just say, I love hotdogs. Possibly I should be ashamed of that, but I’m not. I will buy a hotdog every chance I get – at the ballgame, from street vendors, at the bar, wherever it’s offered. I love it. But still, I was nervous. Last time I had eaten a hotdog off the bun it had not gone well. On our honeymoon Ryan and I wanted to have a night in and I went to the store and bought what I thought was pepperoni pizza (because I couldn’t read the package and the picture looked like pepperoni). It was HOT DOG PIZZA. It was gross and Ryan and I got sick.

But, La Banquise used to be a popular hot dog stand and so I thought they would know what they were doing. And THEY DID. It was hearty, warm, gooey, and delicious. The fries were crispy and didn’t get soggy. The gravy was so good that if it has been Thanksgiving I would have put it on everything, even the cranberry sauce. And the cheese curds were a little melty and gooey. I loved it and almost ate the whole mound. It was amazing on a cold and windy Montreal day. Seriously, I might try to make this at home next winter.

Montreal Bagel

If you’re a devotee of Manhattan bagels, this isn’t likely to change your life, but it’s worth the try. Montreal bagels are smaller, thinner, and denser than bagels than bagels sold here.  I had it with cream cheese, lox, lettuce, tomato, and their special sauce. The bagel was sturdy, filling, and held up well under all those toppings. I really liked it, until I saw Ryan’s breakfast.

Sweets

While I was eating a bagel, Ryan was eating an out-of-this-world crepe. You know how on menus the pictures almost never look as good as the actual food? This was not one of those times. The picture looked amazing, and the real thing looked just as amazing. The crepe was filled with nutella and fruits like strawberries, raspberries, bananas, and blueberries. It was decadent and I was totally jealous. You can definitely make this at home. It’s not hard at all. Here’s a recipe from Jacques Pepin. 

Ingredients – 3/4 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/3 cup cold water, 2 tbsp canola oil

Combine the flour, eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add remaining milk, water, and oil. Stir well until smooth. Heat a small skillet and butter the pan. Pour about 2-3 tbsp of batter into the pan. Immediately after pouring in the batter, lift the pan and swirl it around so the batter lines the whole bottom of the skillet. The batter can set quickly so you have to be fast moving the batter all around! Cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute, maybe 2 at the max. It should be cooked on one side and can be slightly brown but should not be dark. Flip the crepe over either using a spatula or with an awesome quick flip of the wrist. You’ll probably only need to cook the second side for 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter. Butter pan between each crepe.

Hey look at that, I included a recipe!

We also saw macaroon carts all over the place. I had never had one before and was drawn to the beautiful array of colors. I went up to a kiosk in the Underground City Mall (seriously called the Underground City, how cool is that?!) and I asked the vendor what I should get. I was overwhelmed by how pretty they all were and I couldn’t read any of the labels which were printed in French. He pointed one out (unfortunately not colorful) and said it was the most popular and tastes like Ferrero Rocher. Um, sold. Which, if you don’t know what that is it’s a delicious candy that has crunchy hazelnut pieces embedded in silky chocolate. That macaroon did taste just like them – delicious chocolate and hazelnut! It was chewy, soft, and sweet without making my teeth hurt. It was nice introduction to macaroons.

Ryan and I didn’t eat anything maple while in Canada. It’s surprising because it was the only food product I really associated with Canada before our trip. And we saw maple tea and lattes and such, but only in touristy places so we avoided them. But, with our last remaining Canadian coins I bought us some maple cookies for our plane ride home. They were touristy because we bought them in the airport and they were shaped like leaves, but they were surprisingly good. Like maple flavored animal crackers. They were nice, light, and yummy plane food.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Schwartz’s

Before going to Montreal, everyone Schwartz’s Deli. We walked there and it was a bit of a hike from our hotel and mostly uphill, and then when we arrived there was a long line. We were hungry and tired and hoped the hype was going to be worth it. It was. The place is tiny and different groups get sat together at the same table. The waiters squeeze in between people, and great you with “bonjour, hello,” trying to gauge what language you speak.

Regardless of language, everyone ordered the smoked meat sandwich. There are other things on the menu, but I did not see anything else come out of the kitchen. The sandwich is basically a pastrami type of meat piled high on white bread with a smear of mustard. So simple, and yet so good. The meat was tender but crumbly and fell out of the bread (and my mouth) with each bite. Those fallen pieces were a great delight to pick over once the sandwich was eaten. The sandwich was the highlight of our three-day eating tour of Montreal. We considered getting a third sandwich to share, but decided to make the smart decision and be satisfied with what we’d already eaten. The way I know it was an incredible sandwich was because Ryan asked me to take a picture of him with his sandwich. He doesn’t usually ask for pictures so I knew we had a winner. If you’re ever in Montreal go here. It’s cheap, the line moves fast, and the food hits the spot.

Our trip to Montreal was great. We saw beautiful churches, watched curling on t.v.,  wandered the old city streets, and ate really well. During the trip, after all this talk of food, I asked Ryan to name his favorite meal he’d had on vacation. It ended up being a lengthy conversation and we couldn’t pick just one thing. We laughed, remembered forgotten experiences, and salivated over delicious meals of the past.

What’s your favorite vacation meal?

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The next day after moving was Mother’s Day. With all this hubbub of packing, graduating, and moving, I didn’t have a real present for my mom. But in my defense, her birthday was a week before. Anyway, my papa and I cooked my mom a delicious brunch of french toast and yogurt parfait. It was nice to cook for my mom, but also fun to hang out with Papa and learn his cooking secrets. I served more as the sous-chef, but I wanted to share what we made anyway

Yogurt Parfait

I was responsible for the brunch “appetizer.” Papa’s secret is to put the bowls in the freezer to make them extra cold. The next step is to fill each bowl with 1/2 a cup of vanilla Greek yogurt. On top of the yogurt arrange a variety of cut fruit. I used cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries – you of course could put whatever fruit in it that you like. Serve immediately! Once you prepare everything it’s important to serve it quickly so you can maximize the prefrozen bowl.

Papa’s French Toast

Ingredients:

Messy level: I think French toast is at least a two spoon meal. Dipping bread into egg means that eggs drips everywhere and gets on your fingers. I want to give it one spoon, but I just can’t. 

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