My Top Ten dishes...

The beautiful NOPI

Europe, Oh Europe, you distant memory! Nothing erases the relaxation and sanity of a good holiday quite like coming home. 
Then I got lazy, trying to catch up on my beloved Masterchef before it's premature end and neglected to fill you in on the rest of my adventures. Alas, I am too late now (probably too late as soon as I landed, whatevs) lucky for you I won't force you through a recap of the events... instead I will focus on the most important thing. The food. 
So I present the Top Ten dishes.... of Europe* 

1. Frankfurt in Frankfurt
It seems obvious right? 24 hours in Frankfurt the first thing you would think to eat is a Frankfurt. Turned out to be a lot harder to find that initally anticipated but we did pend most of that day walking around in a haze of fatigue. But the deliciously warm fatty filled sausage was amawesome!

2. NOPI
A lavish treat if ever there was one! This beautiful restaurant is owned by the fabulous Mr Yotam Ottolenghi - who is also the guy behind my most favourite lentil salad!

The restaurant, hidden away in a side street of Soho, has a superslick interior making hour half hour tardiness even more embarassing. Surrounded by white marble and gold flickering lanterns I was a little in awe, then I saw the spread of fresh salads and veg and bread and I diiied! The menu is short and sweet with a few tapas selections to share, four mains and three desserts. Obviously, as his cookbook PLENTY is all veg, this is a VERY vegetarian friendly restaurant. I can't tell you how wonderful and fresh everything was... but hey a picture says a thousand words right

    

        

3. La Diable Verre

This was a surprise. This little local hang was mentioned in the SMH. The waiter spoke little English (which was kind of nice) so meant it was a kind of game of translation tryng to order - which inevitably means we pointed at things on the black board. For someone who has a reputation for fried, my favourite dish at this restaurant was the fresh tomato salad!

The perfect mix of fresh green and red tomatoes with croutons, the smallest dash of balsamic and an indescribably possible goats cheese cream, oh and crisped onions. Also the pair in the kitchen were trained in our very own Tetsuya's - Bonus!

4. œuf on top of Galleries La'Fayette

Best thing evaaaaaaar! Will be incorporating it into my $10 meals. Fab, fresh, fast. 

5. French Onion Soup

Probably not fast or fresh but who can go past a French Onion Soup?! Especially in Paris! 

6. Dinner at the Villa

Our amazing hostess in Parma did an all inclusive service! So whenever there was the desire her and her cook would cook up a storm! All hand made, all from the local area - if not the garden and all delicious! 

7. Trattoria La Buca

So, this place is probably all over Trip Advisor, but if you are in the area (which would be unlikely, unless you too got lost looking for a castle) this is an amazing little family run place. Trattoria La Buca has been around for hundreds of years (I kid you not!) and for good reason. Fresh hand made pasta, their own little Culatello, which I will crudely say (although I'm sure someone in Italy will die reading this) is like prosciutto/pancetta. Bonus treat they have the cellar just out the back and will gladly take you for a little tour! 

8. Anchovies at La Cinque Terra

So probably not a meal by any means - I don't care. It was fresh, salty and super

9. Cabonarra @ Angelo D'or

THIS WAS THE BEST CABONARRA IN THE WORLD! and it was the entre. My main was actually pretty disappointing but who cares - I have even recreated this at home (already). It tastes soooo creamy but, thankfully, without the cream. 

Just a barely poached egg (or you could do as I did because I am beyond incapable of making a presentable poached egg... at this time, and soft boil an egg for 2 minutes or 1 and half and crack it over individual serves) and pair it with some parmesan cream - Must be served hot, must not be served with zucchini "pasta" trust me. 

10. 

So it just sounded good, 10. A good round number, but when I brainstormed there were many dishes I could have added to plump up the list but when I thought of the best these nine just stuck out. I don't even have to tryyy and remember what they looked or tasted like. 

So that's it. My Top Ten Not Ten dishes of Europe. Yum!

*in no particular order

ROMA!!

Parma ham, parmesan!

AKA prosciutto di Parma and Parmegiano Regiano

City of luuuuuurve - recap

Oh Paris! The city of love, here you will find all things celebrating passion and romance! streets of love, lover's lanes, love bridges etc etc. Luckily for those of us travelling with family or without lovers there is still plent to do! (much of it involving food...or shopping, but mainly food)


First up I've been to Paris an embarassing amount of times so I tended to skip most of the big tourist attractions, which turned out to be a blessing... NEVER, where possible, go to Paris in June/July for the following reasons:


1. No one is a local. 
2. There are lines for everything, long lines, beyond Sydney restaurant lines that take hours upon hours. 


But if you do, I suppose you could just get up early and get in before everyone else.. novel idea really. 

You may recall we arrived in Paris at some ungodly hour after boarding the bus from hell... So we decided to take things at a more leisurely pace than London, spending lots of time waking through gardens. To add to our cultural experience we even attempted to mingle with the locals by treckong out to the hip part of Paris to catch a DJ set. Alas, poor Oli, we got lost and missed the show but any night where I fall heavily on my shoulder after a 4am crepe must be a good one.

In Paris we continued to troll down mum's wish list, searching for restaurants, bars, and secrets all through town! I was particularly excited about an article recommending we go off the beaten track to visit some apparently untouched archades in the middle of Paris. We now know to be wary reading the Sydney Morning Herald Travel section... apparently off the beaten track means next to Hard Rock Cafe and Holiday Inn. 


Obviously the arcades weren't as untouched as initially imagined and many of the shops have been replicated in Surry Hills etc. but they were super pretty to look at!


At the end of one of the arcades was a restaurant that according to the same article  french food blogs rave about it, and I can see why! Le Diable Verre had the most spectacular pre fixed lunch menu - the best meal I had in all of Paris! And as an added bonus we met the chef who spoke a little english from living in Sydney for a year.. he interned at this little restaurant, you may have heard of it... TETSUYAS!? I die.


It's become clear this trip that local knowledge is invaluable whilst travelling, and makes for some interesting adventures, but I've narrowed down five things I would reccomend in Paris.

1. Visit Notre Dame
2. See Mona Lisa - Louvre is huge so I'd pick a few must sees before heading there otherwise you're looking at a potential 3 day Commitment.
3. Muse D'Orsay - level 5... Like being slapped in the face with genius at every turn.
4. Be consumed by the wonder of the Eiffel tower, by day or night.
5. Find a perch, top of Eiffel tower, visit to sacre cur, or wonder up to the top of Galleries La'Fayette to have a good squiz at the city! Some of the greatest views of Paris around.


Obviously, I'm no local AND there is so much to chose from but if you can squeeze in a few sights in between shopping/eating you can start your own love affair with Paris! (cringe)

Ps sorry if the format is whacked..



xx

30 Euro for bread and tea... nice one Paris

Parma, Parma, Parma