Hungarian Rhapsody- Part 1

Smoked parenyica cheese that you 'unwind' to eat.

                                 Intensely flavorful aubergine and paprika 'creams'.

                  The beautiful feltmaking genius Judit Pócs with her delightful family.

                                                              Kecskemét.

                                           Roasted sweet dough Kürtöskalács...

                                      ...with ground walnuts, cinnamon and sugar.

                                                     Bins of colorful candies...

                                               ...at a local Labour Day festival.

                                           A tour of the Kecskemétfilm company.

                         Learning about the three 'key poses' needed for animation...

                         ...and the hand-painted art that graces their current work.

                                          A classical zoetrope (with horse race)...

                                     ...and artifacts from their 'pre-computer' days.

                                       The way film animation is done there today.

                                            Next time: a swoon-inducing library!

"Biennial Boulder Blow-Out" (Food!)

Surrounded by excellent cooks all week...

...I enjoyed some truly amazing food:

rhubarb custard meringue pie...

                                             ...tuna salad on artisanal bread...

                                          ...with olives, capers and ripe avocado...

                                                  ...carrot top pesto (yes!)...

                                      ...with pine nuts and oodles of green garlic...

                                          ...potato latkes, salad, natural yogurt...

                       ...and delicious, thin-crust 'bake at home' vegetable pizzas!

                                                        Next time: flowers!

Charleston- Part 2 of ? (Food)

Macarons, Florentines...

...and two flavors of Buche de Noel...

      

                                               ...tiny air-brushed chocolates...

                                          ...that look like miniature works of art...

                                      ...filled pastries, bagged and jarred sweets...

                                                  ...hearty (and spicy) meals...

                              ...including stuffed French toast and biscuits (shown)...

                                     ...plus Southern favorites like boiled peanuts...

                                       ...hush puppies, and fried and pickled okra...

                                             ...plus a store filled to bursting...

                                       ...with every imaginable food and drink...

                                                 ...including unusual sweets...

                                                         ...in all varieties!

                                                           Next time: shopping!

Barcelona 2015- Food (Part 2 of 2)

Sangria for lunch... 

                             ...followed by dessert 'window shopping' in Figueres, Spain.

                               'Back home' again, in the Born district of Barcelona...

                          ...we spent a lovely morning ogling the fresh fruits and veg...

                                          ...at the Santa Caterina food market.

                            Because of the constraints of our tiny apartment kitchen... 

                        ...we satisfied ourselves with just a few purchases that day...

           ...pickled anchovies, several kinds of olives, wine, cheese, dates and bread. 

                                                       Prior to leaving home...

                                  ...I had received this travel magazine in the mail.

                    It featured a tiny, family run restaurant in the Born neighborhood...

                                                ...called 'Casa Mari Y Rufo'.

                                          We were so delighted with the owners...

                                    ...and had such a delicious lunch the first day...

                                                    ...(featuring fresh shellfish...

                                                            ...and monkfish...

                                                    ...and 'to die for' pastries)...

                                    ...that we went back again the very next day! :)

                             Next time: We visit the Teatro-Museo Dali in Figueres...

                                               ...and things get a little freaky! ;)

Barcelona 2015- Food (Part 1 of 2)

Our first 'meal' in Barcelona...

...fried sardines and beer! 

(Food of the gods!!)

                                       After hours and hours of walking one day...

                                  ...my friends and I were hungry and exhausted.

                               This 'chain restaurant' meal of fried tofu, dumplings...

                                                        ...soup and seaweed...

                                                    ...fit the bill quite nicely!

                                       We had a delicious and memorable meal...

                                               ...at the Restaurant 7 Portes...

                                    ...starting with lovely Catalan tomato bread...

                              ...baby broad beans with fresh mint and vinaigrette...

                                               ...and light-as-air spinach puffs!

                                            Our 'mains' included seafood paella...

                                  ...and melt-in-your-mouth vegetable cannellonis...

                                  ...filled with aubergine, spinach and artichokes.

                               We ended the meal with three scrumptious desserts: 

                Fresh cheese with walnuts, quince jelly and a drizzle of honey...

                                            ...profiteroles with chocolate sauce...

                                       ...and crème caramel with whipped cream.

                                          Next time: we head to our local market!