Galicia

Emily Kastl  

Witches, bagpipes, and seafood, oh my! Welcome to Galicia, the last stop on our walking tour of Spanish gastronomy. Our 500 mile journey along the Camino de Santiago is slowly coming to the end as we approach our final destination: Santiago de Compostela, the capital city of the region and the home of the resting place of Saint James the Apostle. At this point, we’ve walked over 400 miles, had blisters on top of blisters (yes, it’s possible), met people from around the world, and had some of the best cuisine imaginable. Little did we know, Galician food would be the “chocolate on the churro;” my most memorable meals of the Camino were a direct product of the Celtic-inspired seafood found in Galicia.

Wait — we’re in Spain, so what’s all this Celtic talk? And how exactly do witches and bagpipes fit into the picture? To explain this cultural hodgepodge, let’s start with the settlements of the Celts in the land of Galicia during the 11th century. Fast-forward to present day Galician culture and you’ll find traditional Celtic influences in music (remember the bagpipes I mentioned?), festivals, holidays, and, of course, food. But what about the Galicians’ apparent obsession with witchcraft? Meigas (good witches) are thought to be the descendents of the Druids who practiced pagan rituals. When we explored towns in Galicia, we saw more witch figurines in gift shops than you can imagine, and lots of bagpipes too — but never a witch playing a bagpipe. Bummer…

Now that we have a basic understanding of culture and where it came from, let’s get down to the matter at hand: Galician gastronomy. Due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Biscay, this region boasts some of the freshest and most delectable seafood in the world. In fact, Galicia brings in more seafood than any other region in Europe! And if you’re looking for pasta or rice, forget about it! It’s all about the potato as a side dish here. Let me give you an example of this by citing one of the best meals of my life; “Seafood Fest 2011” served as a celebration for completing our 500-mile journey and arriving in Santiago de Compostela. This aptly named dinner consisted of no less than 6 courses, all of which were of the “surf” variety. Cuddle fish cooked in its own ink? Yes please. If the thought of that makes you a little squeamish, how about fresh empanada made with tuna that was most likely swimming earlier that day? As if it couldn’t get any better, bring on scrambled eggs with shrimp and a lobster cream sauce. Heaven.

If you aren’t a fan of “surf” and “turf” is more your style, try the alternative version of Seafood Fest 2011: Meatfest 2011! After our crustacean carousal we were all ready to sample Galician-style meats. We arrived at the restaurant for lunch and were promptly served wine from bowls; I knew I liked Galicians. Before we knew it, they were bringing out vats of sizzling meats. This is not an exaggeration by any stretch. We tasted pork, sausages, ribs, and whatever else they brought out in mini charcoal grills. You’ve probably heard of the infamous “meat sweats.” If you haven’t, they occur when one consumes a sizable amount of meat and literally begins to sweat. For the first time in my life, I witnessed first-hand a man with the meat sweats. Judging by this picture, it’s easy to see why.

Though the Camino may have ended, our gastronomical exploration has not. Next time we’ll look at an average day-in-the-life of a Spanish eater. What better way to describe this than with a few personal food etiquette faux pas? ¡Buen provecho!

Searching for Bits of Home

Laura Kobak  

Staying in London for nearly 9 months, I had to find the best spots for two items my life would not be complete without — cupcakes and lattes. As many people know, I have a serious sweet tooth, and there’s no hiding it. I’m from New York City, home of the cupcake craze, so London faced the serious competition of “Crumbs,” “Magnolia Bakery,” and “Buttercup Bake Shop.” After a ton of online research I had my compiled list of go-to bakeries.
Labeled as having “US-style cupcakes,” “Hummingbird Bakery” looked promising. With a location on Portobello Road (home to the famous Portobello market), the wait on a Saturday was nearly twenty minutes. With great online reviews, my expectations were high. Unfortunately, with the plain vanilla, I was left disappointed. Neither the cake nor the frosting did it for me. Another bakery off my list was “Violet,” a stall at the Broadway Market in Hackney, which I traveled to with directions in hand. These small cupcakes had the best frosting of all my tastings, but the cake I found dry and lacking in flavor. Additionally, I tried “Lola’s Cupcakes,” “Ella’s Bakehouse,” “Beas of Bloomsbury,” “Crumbs and Dollies,” and “Buttercup Cake Shop” to no avail. (See, I wasn’t kidding about my sweet tooth.) The place that took the cake (pun intended) was “Primrose Bakery.” Not perfect, and not up to the standards of my New York comparisons, but definitely the best of the lot. The cake was moist enough and the frosting was sweet enough, and the rose-flavored cupcake was surprisingly tasteful. Jude Law, Kate Moss, and U2 frequent the bakery’s locations, so at least my taste is agreeable amongst celebrities.

Now, as anyone college-aged and older will agree with me, coffee is a necessity of life. Studying film abroad, many mornings were spent in the dark watching movies. I needed something in hand to help get me through. Exchange rates are never fun, so price was a key factor in my decision-making. Starbucks, of course, was available on several corners, but I vowed to myself that I would not frequent any American chain while abroad. With Starbucks off the list I had to find a viable alternative. The other two main chains available were “Costa Coffee” and “Caffe Nero.” After looking at the prices, there was really no competition: “Caffe Nero” was the winner. With a stamp card for every 9th cup free, I was a relatively frequent customer of this chain. During the winter season I had an amaretto latte, which was to die for. “Monmouth Coffee Company” made a deliciously creamy latte as well, but with a hefty price tag and no “skinny” option, a visit there was more of a treat.

So, if you ever visit London and need a pick-me-up or a sweet treat, you know where to go!
Fun Fact: The British version of a cupcake is called a “fairy cake”. (It sounds much more enchanting than plain old “cupcake” if you ask me.) Also, a “tall” at Starbucks in America is equal to a medium-sized drink in Europe.
Updated 11/19/2011 4:45pm

Basque Country

Emily Kastl  

If paella and bocadillos in Madrid weren’t enough to satiate your appetite for Spanish cuisine, you’re in for a treat! The next destination on our walking tour is Basque Country. This region, in the northern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, takes its culinary influences from a variety of areas. Near the coast you’re likely to find fresh seafood, but once you cross over the mountains (and by cross, I mean walk—something I had the exhausting “privilege” of doing) and move inland, you’ll come across cured meats and legumes. Not only is the food of Basque country unique, but so are the people; instead of speaking Spanish they speak Basque. You can imagine my surprise at being immersed in yet another language I didn’t know. The list is up to two, in case you’re counting.
My food-hangover from Madrid turned into a literal illness shortly after we started walking the Camino de Santiago (our 500 mile pilgramage originating in the 10th century); apparently gulping water from a mountain “drinking fountain” is a good way to get the stomach flu. Therefore, I am sad to report my first Basque cuisine experience was less than ideal. And of course I had to become deathly ill while we were in an awesome town with lots of sight-seeing opportunities: Pamplona. With my culinary quest in mind, I mustered my last bit of strength to head out for lunch. Unfortunately, such a festive experience as lunch in Pamplona at a traditional Cideria (cider mill) became a spectator sport for me. I looked on as my group members had some of the most delicious looking fish, pasta, and salads I have ever seen. I also observed as they retrieved “sidra” (cider) from a giant tapped barrel and enjoyed the good cheer that comes along with Basque cider. “Good cheer” from cider, you may be asking? The Basque people let their cider ferment for one month in order to let the natural sugars found in the apples turn into alcohol. There’s your good cheer.

Here are some of my group members collecting “sidra” in Pamplona

Once I was able to recover a little from “Santiago’s Revenge,” I was eager to get in on the food fun that all of my group members were having. Since I had been surviving on Aquarius (Spain’s version of Gatorade) and bread for a week, I couldn’t wait for some actual substance and to embrace all Basque country had to offer. Here’s what one of my first meals after coming back to life looked like:

This plate was Basque food in a nut shell…or chickpea? Since we were inland, we saw more meats than seafood and had lots of stewed vegetables. What struck me most about Basque food was its simplicity. Rather than spicing everything to death, they accentuate the natural flavors of the ingredients. I mean, this plate looks pretty simple, right? Meat, potatoes, veggies-it’s got all the basics, and that’s the best part.
As I tried to ignore the fact that my body still wasn’t too keen on eating solid foods, I was lucky to have a welcomed distraction: pintxos. These little guys are the Basque version of tappas and are to die for. No matter what you’re in the mood for, there’s a good chance you will find something to satisfy your cravings…and in mini form! That’s the joy of pintxos—they’re small so there’s lots of room for sampling. Staked on top of a small piece of bread, you’ll find a wide variety of toppings: cured meats, fish, tortilla de español (egg and potato quiche), and croquettes, which are my personal favorite. What can be better than a small fried roll stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese? They’re served best while watching a soccer match at a local bar.

Croquettes

I hope your feet aren’t too tired yet! Next time, our walking tour of Spanish cuisine takes us to the region of Galicia. Get ready for Celtic traditions, witches, bagpipes, and some of the best seafood on this earth.

Comet Coffee

Belle Cheves  

My last column discussed Café Ambrosia as an excellent study spot. Today, let’s just take a few steps into Nickel’s Arcade and go to Comet Coffee. For those who enjoy an early morning, classy, exotic cup of coffee at a refreshing study spot, Comet Coffee is an excellent alternative to the norm of crowded, noisy coffee shops.
For example, on a Sunday morning such as this - take a stroll through the arcade (for those of you who may not know, the arcade runs between State and Maynard and the entrance off of State is right by Bivouac and Espresso Royale) and order your cup of coffee. However, this coffee isn’t just a regular, “house” brew. You must choose between four or five coffees that constantly change. My cup is from Ecuador! They brew each cup individually, and you can get either drip, French press, or made in a vacuum pot (I consider myself an avid coffee drinker and even I had to look that one up - it is coffee prepared by an air vacuum and vapor pressure).
The atmosphere is very welcoming - soft, slightly strange yet interesting music playing in the background, a very amenable staff, and a bar area with a couple of tables where you can sit and enjoy your freshly brewed, individualized cup of coffee.
My favorite part, however, is what’s outside in the arcade. Two tables with a couple of chairs about them present the ideal place to sit on a warm (while it still is…) morning and enjoy your coffee and book. The sun streams in the windows of the arcade, the occasional bird flies through chirping away, and the people watching, while perhaps a bit distracting at times, is excellent.
As a small, out-of-the-way place, Comet Coffee is the exotic coffee-lover’s paradise. It is the perfect beginning of the day study spot where you can quietly wake up and get acclimated to the tasks of the day and the work that lies ahead.

Madrid!

Emily Kastl  

The first stop on our Spanish gastronomical tour occurred even before the first steps of the Camino de Santiago were taken: Madrid! Located in the center of Spain, this capital city has been the lucky recipient of regional foods from all over the country as people made their way to settle in the area and brought their recipes with them. As soon as I stepped off the metro and climbed the stairs to the bustling city of Madrid, I fell in love. It was chaotic in the most perfect way-honking taxis, people flying by on Vespas, and shouts from food cart vendors. Since we had been flying for who-knows-how-many hours and were disgustingly jet-lagged, we were eager for some comida. Also, as Spanish food etiquette newbies, we decided to have a nice lunch…at breakfast time. We had just flown 8 hours and the Spaniards were just getting out of bed at 11:30! My first food experience came in the beautiful form of a bocadillo-basically what we would consider to be a sandwich. Despite the simplicity of the bocadillo itself, I was still in heaven-partly from finally being off the plane, but mostly because I was in a new country trying something new.

Enter the bocadillo: A staple of our trip

For dinner we decided to be a little more adventurous and explore beyond the café 50 feet from our hostel. This meal was the precise moment when I realized that I had hit the foodie jackpot by going to Spain: PAELLA. This was also the moment when I realized just how Spanish-food-illiterate I was. Since I had never heard of paella, I watched as my groupmates (better known as “Spamigos”) ordered this magical dish. I think I ordered some sort of pasta, but who cares. Back to the paella: originating on the east coast of Spain, this traditional dish usually consists of rice, red peppers, tomatoes, peas, saffron and your choice of chicken, seafood or both (paella mixta). When you order it, be ready to wait because it can take up to an hour to be prepared, which actually equates to the perfect time to order more sangria!

Paella can be found all over Spain and usually takes on different in each region

Along with their love for paella, the Spaniards are not bashful about their love of pork, especially in Madrid. They kind of give it away when they have chain restaurants called “Museo del Jamón”: museum of ham. Upon entering one of these swine shrines, it becomes quite evident that things are done a little differently here. Jamón ibérico is a type of cured pork that is used in many forms of Spanish cooking. The Spaniard’s love of ham results in some pretty pampered pigs-they must be bred at least 75% Iberian to be considered “good” and are given a strict diet of acorns. In Madrid, we ate jamón ibérico on bocadillos and in tappas (Spanish appetizers). The taste is quite a bit less salty than American ham and has a much finer texture. It’s also served in very thin slices, much thinner than your average hunk-o-ham. As someone who doesn’t like ham a la American, I enjoyed the Spanish version so much I often opted for bocadillos con jamón along the Camino.

Museo del Jamón

After 3 days of exploring and eating all Madrid had to offer, I was eager to set of on the rest our adventure. I knew that many more wonderful experiences and delicious delicacies were in my future-I was so eager in fact, the prospect of walking 20 miles a day didn’t seem too bad! The next stop on our Spanish cusine quest is Basque country; I hope you like seafood!

A Foodie’s Trip Across the Pond

Laura Kobak  

It’s no secret that people tend to have a love-hate relationship with food. It tastes delicious, but our bodies sometimes display the consequences. I spent the entirety of my junior year away from the small quaintness of Ann Arbor and in the “brilliant” city across the pond: London. Traveling throughout Europe I was faced with this age-old conflict between love and hate. So, to ease the struggle, I came up with my own personal food motto that applies to any situation: “Calories don’t count on vacations, celebrations, and in other nations.” Lucky for me, I would be exempt from calorie counting and nothing would stand in my way of all the fish n’ chips, desserts, and fried food I could consume.

Now London isn’t exactly the food capital of the world, but if all you’re after is some pub food or anything out of a deep fryer, then it’s certainly the place to be. To best immerse myself in British culture I figured my first dinner outing would be at a pub. Ending up at “The Porcupine” on Charing Cross Road in Leicester Square, my friend and I had no trouble sorting through the menu, definitively set on trying some meat pies. We ordered one chicken and one beef, paired with some mash and steamed vegetables. Note about pub vegetables: whether peas, carrots, broccoli, etc, they are bland and distasteful. Maybe they’re meant to balance the heaviness of the pies; I don’t know.

However, while the city doesn’t boast much British fine dining, the city does possess the outstanding food market known as Borough Market. I’ve yet to find anything comparable to this mecca for foodies. (Plus, if you’re a fellow film fan like myself, the general location has been used in both Bridget Jones’ Diary and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Only open Thursday through Saturday, traders offer their food-related products from all over the world. From homemade preserves to freshly baked goodies to meat and alcohol, it’s impossible to leave empty-handed. Plus, with all of the free samples you won’t leave on an empty stomach either.
On my many visits to the market I accumulated several favorites. “Burnt Sugar” sells some of the best fudge I’ve ever had. With flavors like crumbly fudge, stem ginger fudge, and fudge with sea salt (my personal favorite), you can’t go wrong. Diverging from the sweet tooth, there are stalls that boast huge wheels of cheese, from Comte to Stichelton to Parmesan. A cinnamon elephant cookie, berry-flavored vinegar, hard cider, dulce de leche spread, brownies, granary bread…I had it all! Borough market is just one of the many food experiences I have from my time abroad, and if I ever return to London it will be a can’t-miss stop.

My food travels through London are far from over, and that’s only beginning. No time spent in London is complete without fish n’ chips and afternoon tea. So I hope you stay on board my journey through Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Spain as I provide you with a virtual taste of some of the world’s best foods.

Café Ambrosia

Belle Cheves

Summer has come and gone and we foodies at the University of Michigan are back in Ann Arbor, looking forward to the hot cider and leaves falling. Unfortunately, with this comes fall semester and getting back in the groove of studying away. With my great love of food (and I actually kinda like studying too… embarrassing, but that’s ok) I personally enjoy combining food and studying. So, my column this year shall focus on spots where I can study with food. Every two weeks, I’ll highlight another prime spot where one can study away without worrying where to find a bite to eat.
Let’s start with my favorite. Café Ambrosia. Many students don’t realize this gem exists. Nestled between the parking garage and the bike shop on Maynard, Ambrosia has some of the best coffee in town if you ask me (they also have the best carrot cake, as seen in my dessert column last year), and I’m rarely seen without my mug of steaming coffee. Their extra small also happens to be the cheapest near campus (unless you use the vending coffee machine in Angell hall, which is just nasty and doesn’t even work half the time), and larger than any small that one might buy from Espresso or Starbucks.
But I don’t go just for the coffee and space to put my books down. I go for the atmosphere. You walk in the door and are greeted with the delightful smells of freshly brewed coffee, the hum of fingers typing away, an eclectic, ever-changing selection of music playing throughout (at the moment a very interesting flute concerto is performed on NPR, but I’ve heard everything from the classic oldies to new electronic). Ambrosia also highlights artists’ work on their walls with rotating exhibits to keep it interesting when you get lost in thought trying to figure out what on earth your professor wants you to say in the paper you’re working on. A basement table area provides a quieter, almost library like atmosphere where you can get down to business on that history paper or math homework.
And of course, I also go for the food. My favorite carrot cake will appear on occasion, as well as the best vegan cookies ever. They also have non-vegan chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, for those grossed out by the idea of butter and chocolate that doesn’t come from an animal. A favorite morning snack of mine is their apple turnovers — not too much, but just enough to get me through those first couple classes of the day.
Ambrosia, unlike some coffee shops (*cough Starbucks*), allow for individuality to shine out — be it amongst the friendly staff who choose the music, the fascinating drinks (buy 10 and get one free), or the art decorating the walls. The chill, welcoming atmosphere, coupled with the great coffee and excellent treats, make Ambrosia one of the best spots in town to meet up with friends or settle in for an afternoon of studying.