Simple

Sometimes you don’t need much to create a masterpiece in the kitchen. Just buy some very fresh blue fish, such as red mullet or sardines, flour it lightly and fry it in olive oil. Let it rest for a few minutes in a paper towel to get rid of the excess of oil, and serve it while still hot and crunchy. The fish will melt in your mouth. If you accompany it with a dressing made of parsley, extra virgin olive oil and lemon, the healthy, cheap and tasty chef-d’œuvre will be complete.

Photo: Pescaito, Valencia, 2010 © loudsoul

Aperitivo

As far as I know, no country in Europe, not to speak about other parts of the world, has developed a culture of the aperitivo as Italy did. These days one could completely skip dinners, and go instead for this combination of drinks and early dinner, sometimes light, sometimes more substantial, in which you only pay for the drink and food arrives magically at your table. The closest practice could be that of the free tapas when you order a glass of wine or a beer in some Andalucian villages, but these would not qualify for a meal as the aperitivo does. Today, some Camparis with soda at the beautiful and a little figuetto (posh) patio of the Hotel Locarno deserved a series of small delicatessen dishes served twice without even ordering them, and yesterday, the funky Freni e frizioni, at the Trastevere, welcomed us with some nice cocktails and -courtesy of the bar- a delicious veggie buffet, plus the nice deep-house music of a guest dj and an animated terrace where a gorgeous crowd scattered to enjoy salads, mojitos and conversation. Could there be a better way of bringing to an end these warm days here in Rome?

Hotel Locarno

Freni e Frizioni

Photo: Ice cubes I, 2007 © Just in time

Happy noshing in great company

A culinary summary of this weekend would include a très bonne bouillabaisse in the frenchiest bistro in Vancouver -not just because of the food but also because the Le Marais like atmosphere and a very European and rare to find sense of humour in the air-, where you can really feel at home; the freshest fried cod and salmon in a well-known stall by the water, surrounded by boats, the friendly and warm sunlight of the afternoon, and some “dangerous” seagulls above, as they proved to be… And a super yummy Italian dinner -previous visit to the public market- consisting of spinach and nuts salad, mozzareline with prosciutto, basilico and pomodori secchi, pasta with pancetta and pomodoro, and cannoli with ricotta and pistacchio, with Italian, Argentinian and Spanish wines. The company with whom I shared all these treats? Well, let´s just say it could not be better. Ah, foody happiness in three acts…

Photo: Yesterday’s lunch, 2007 © Pink Daisy

Asian delicacies

Chives and minced pork steamed buns, Japanese utane sweet bread (a special baking technique makes it extra soft), Taiwanese aloe vera yogurt, two kinds of soju (rice liquor), one strong (from North Korea), the other smoother (from South Korea), amazing sockeye salmon sushi, warm sake, Japanese multi-layered milk cake, special octopus balls made with squid and kimchi (spicy Korean cabbage), veggie teriyaki pancakes, homemade Cantonese rice with chicken, baby bamboo shoots, crunchy pork ear, and the best black sesame ice-cream ever. All this food was enjoyed in the same weekend, and amounted to a delightful culinary trip to the four corners of the Far Eastern world. Eatable bliss.

Photo: Cantonese dishes, 2009 © Loudsoul