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Category Archives: DINING
Gambas al Ajillo
It was a very long season. We left Spain in April. The trip took us to Sicily, Athens, the Greek Islands, Istanbul, South Turkey , Thessaloniki, the Sporades and the Ionian Islands of Greece, before crossing the Ionian Sea to Italy again.
After dropping off the guests in Olbia, we did not wait long and immediately left for Spain. It would be nearly three days passage before we would arrive in Palma de Mallorca.
Can you imagine the excitement?
Going back “ home “ to Spain again. It would take us almost 3 days to reach Palma…
Everyone was dreaming of sitting down somewhere for vino and tapas.
Ah tapas.. at the bodegon, meson, cerveceria.
Tapas either are of cosas de picar, pinchos and cazuelitas.
Cosas de picar are normally cheeses,ham and sausage, omelette, bunuelos (fritters) montaditos , empanadas, bocadillos and boquerones.
Then you have the pinchos, food served on toothpicks.
The last, cazuelas are main dish food but served on smaller plates like stuffed pepper, fideua
(noodles with seafood) and are normally cooked in earthenware cooking plates.
One of the of my favourite is gambas al ajillo. Sizzling shrimps with garlic
A very simple tapa but full of flavour. I have done this few times on the boat and it has not never failed . With my fusion way of cooking I add a wee bit of ginger … Sometimes chillies.
One of the best gambas ajillo I had was somewhere a wee far from the sea, well not so far away that the shrimp is not fresh anymore. It was perhaps the mountain air and the company that made it a lot different
I was in Palma de Mallorca and was told we were going for a drive up the mountains. I have been to Mallorca few times for work and once a long weekend many years back and we stayed in Valdemossa. This time it was catching up with yachting friends and with Stephen who is finally back in Europe after a short gig in Malaysia and Florida with his boat, my travel buddy is just an hour flight away from me.
It was a sunny but cold day, winter is creeping in. Deia is on the north west coast of Mallorca. The drive towards there takes you along the rugged coastlines of the island which is a very spectacular view, adding to the fact that the next day we flew over with a helicopter with Stephen piloting.
Approaching Deia from Palma will take you to some bends with towering mountains of Serra de Tramuntana.. I was half asleep I admit, the fresh mountain air and just to be away from my own cabin was just so relaxing. But as soon I noticed the lovely colours of the village ; ochre, olive green, blue, , my senses woke me up and at the same time I was eyeing places to eat.
We parked at the end of the village and walked back. I guessed from their pace they were so hungry and just wanted to find a place to have lunch. I mentioned to Stephen that as soon as we entered the village, I noticed an outdoor restaurant with a shade covered with grape vines.
While the two of them , Stephen and Andy, went through the menu of the restaurant,( Il Xeline) I made sure that if we have the calamari and the gambas ajillos and they could order what ever else they wanted to eat.
See I am not missing gambas con ajillos… they ordered pardon pepper, some spicy longanisa, potato tuna salad… it was a long lazy lunch while soaking up some autumn sun.
We rounded up the lunch with crème catalan and a brisk walk up the hill to the village’s ancient church where it offers a spectacular view of the valley with all the olive groves all the way to the sea where fishermen cast their nets.
Here is a simple recipe how to cook gambas con ajillos.
Olive oil
3 to 4 cloves of garlic minced
half teaspoon of pepper flakes
sweet paprika
500g shrimps, peeled and deveined.
2 tbsp sherry or white wine
salt . pepper
chopped parsley.
In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic , paprika and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they begin to brown
Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp,sherry or wine
Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink around 3 mins
Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Also posted in Sea Treasures, Spain, Travels
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A hike and unexpected bbq treat – St John’s US Virgin Islands
Best food and best meals are not from the Michelin studded stars restaurants. Although I have dined in fine restaurants, maybe it be in Aspen, Zurich, Athens, London, Oslo, most of my memorable meals are from the beaches of Lombok, back streets of the old city of Athens, food stalls in Singapore, small tratorria in Genoa and elsewhere.
But to be honest most of the memorable meals are either shared with friends or some unexpected places…. That brings me back to St John’s , US Virgin Islands.
We were just finishing our trip with the boss when I wrote in my facebook status “St Thomas, Virgin Islands.” Within an hour I received an email from a chef I used to work with saying…. “ Where in St Thomas, am at Haven Grande”
I just went out and there it was on our starboard side. As soon I had I had free time I went and looked for Jeff.
Jeff and I worked together for a short while long way back 2007. We went all over Bahamas with the boat and whenever I had free time, would help Jeff in the galley cleaning up. Jeff was always up by 6am to bake and start breakfast without a break work until dinner done.
I asked Jeff if he could take a day off the next day to hang out with me. After travelling with crew, I just needed to go away from everyone else and since Jeff been based there for a while he would make a perfect companion.
As planned we met at 9am at the dock and took a taxi to Red Hook where we would take a ferry to St John’s.
While on the ferry Jeff and I caught up with our lives, last year we were exactly on the same route except he was 24 hours ahead as they left Monaco heading to Venice and we left France for Amalfi. When Jeff managed to find an off, I was already on a long weekend in Florence, so we never saw each other in the Mediterranean.
Few months later however we managed to meet in Ft Lauderdale and he in few days after, was on his way to Puerto Rico then St. Thomas.
Since Jeff has spent time hiking St John’s he looked for a trail that he has not been yet. With a little help from the they suggested we start our hike at the Annenberg sugar estate ruins then to Leinster Bay (great place for snorkelling) , uphill hike to Johnny Trail that would lead us to Coral Bay which was around 2 miles, but would take us at least 2 hrs to hike. Well a bit longer as we spent time marvelling the sweeping view of the bay .
At the start of the trail we saw a turtle as we walked towards Watermelon Bay. But above the bay where there were ruins which was a old guard house, the marvellous Watermelon Bay was just so engrossing. Further up the trail where we found another ruin of a house, you can see the British Virgin Islands across Sir Francis Drake strait.
Johnny Trail after few mins turned out to be so steep that I felt if I did not lean forward I would roll back to the bottom, while Jeff was already far ahead he stopped and waited for me maybe wondering if I could make it.
Coral Bay was at the end of the hike and we stopped at Skinny Legs for drinks but the food there did not make the chef hungry at all…. After waiting for the bus for ages, island time of course we finally made it back to Cruz Bay. We followed our nose to this little yellow bbq shack along the main road opposite the post office.
Jeff and I had our bbq that tasted one of the best I have ever tasted. I asked J what was the name of the place since there was no sign or whatsoever.
I started asking the old man who was doing the bbq and he thought I was asking for the recipe.. the name of the place is Uncle Joe’s.
The place has few tables and Jeff kept asking me if I was alright eating in a shack. It was certainly one of the best meal I ever had…….
While I was hiking with Jeff, the boys, Dane and Stephen took their bikes out and were also at St John’s. The last three photos of the gallery are courtesy of Stephen (left), his favourite photo of tamarind tree and Dane who has now left our boat and gone back to South Africa.
Also posted in Butcher's, Travels, USA & Bahamas
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Moments…
While we were in the main port of Ischia the crew went out for dinner with the kids…
Also posted in Italy food & culture, Photo Essay, Stigmiotipa
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Perfect Table Setting…
I just came from Ft. Lauderdale to see friends who have arrived from France. The annual Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show opens next week and one of the highlights for the interior crew is the Perfect Table Setting competition.
Last year’s competition , the first ever been was divided into two categories: Formal setting and outdoor informal outdoor, Neptune, God of the Seas. My friend Lani of MY Beeliever joined in both. I was so busy with work that I did not even know she competed for it until the day the winners were announced.
Lani won the Grand Prize for over all points ,her Neptune theme which she set on the upper deck of the boat won the first prize. She called me if I have time to take photos before the show closes.
This year’s competition will be Putting on the Ritz, a formal table setting and the second category is foreign affair. The latter reminds me of when we were cruising Greece, the chef bought statues to decorate our dining table and I worked on the Greek menu.
The crew then dressed up for the part, Greek costumes of the ancient day, where I remember ripping up an old sheet to make it like a Grecian dress.
See we yacht crew are knack of creativity to make every trip memorable for our guests.
Congratulations again Lani….
Lani glad am back in the area as she also cooks for the crew and when she can’t deal with some complicated recipes, she would text or call me asking for help.
vermicelle with sauteed pumpkins
Having left France a month ago, I found myself back in Florida, renting an apartment and looking for work. The original plan was I should have been mid Atlantic ocean now cooking for a crew while the yacht plods her way on her own bottom to Florida from Spain.
So I thought what options do I have. Stay home in Athens and wait for a job offer which I have been doing for years or fly to the location where the jobs are. I’ve chosen the later and was rather shock with the quality of rooms some agencies let out for crews.
With the help of great friends…. Cliff, Anna and Ella, I am now renting a good place with Anna in Ft Lauderdale. One category I was looking at the place is the kitchen, even its small as long there is a fridge and a stove it will be ideal for me. As soon we have settled in our flat, I went to the supermarket to buy the basics.
When looking for a job and on a tight budget, I rather cook , simple yet nutritious meals.
I could not resist the pumpkins. Its autumn after all and its something I look forward to, chestnuts, pumpkins, sweet corns, beans, romanesco cauliflower, all glorious the season brings.
While pushing my cart I suddenly miss the Marche Provencal in Antibes where locally grown vegetables are so fresh and other than that I miss the interactions of the stall owners and the shoppers.
The bonjours, the sniffing and pinching of the vegetables and to my green grocer offering me an espresso, or a glass of wine and the other green grocer letting me taste the fruits that have just arrived for the season.
But as much as I miss that French way of life, I have to assimilate again to the life here again.
I wanted to cook balance and healthy meal , after spending half day visiting crew agencies, I was so famished and was also sick. I was craving for pumpkin soup but alas I don’t have a food processor nor a hand held blender. I even thought of using a sieve and mash the pumpkins but nothing.
Vizcaya with downtown Miami at the background…..
So I had the moment to be creative , thus my vermicelle with sauteed pumpkins.
Ingredients:
Pumpkins
Garlic
Spring onions
Parseley
Left over meat and some broth.
I had some chicken breast which I poached, either to make chicken sandwiches or salad with chicken bits..
Heat up olive oil, add the garlic, the white parts of green onions. Sautee.
Add the left over meat and pumpkins.
Add a little bit of broth and simmer a bit , cover till the pumpkins soft.
Boil water for the pasta and cook al dente.
Season and add the green part of the spring onions and some chopped parsely.
Drain the pasta and serve with the sauteed pumpkins.
Et voila, cheap and balanced meal… nothing beats the comfort of home cooked food.
The photo of the pumpkins was taken in Switzerland in Heidiland. It’s on the northeastern part of the country near Liechtenstein. I have lost so many of my photo files taken all over Switzerland from all those years spending autumn months in that country, tasting the cuisine, hiking the Alps, getting to know the culture. Do I sound a proud Swiss? Almost…..
… a gem for a less, restaurant acchiardo
I wonder what made me enter that place… I was walking around the web of streets in the old town of Nice (Vieux Nice), and had no plans to eat lunch yet… I was just stopping by and taking photos. But I found myself asking for a table for one, a cosy place with gingham tablecloths. There was no minute to decide the aroma of the food literally just grabbed me in. What probably attracted me to the place was I heard no nattering of other languages other than French. I know by the look of the place , the feel and smell I found a gem. The tables inside are lined up in closed rows and walls are decorated with old copper pots and moulds as well as old lithographs of Nice. Nice or Nizza by the way was once a part of Italy, until 1860 when Victor -Emmanuel III with an agreement with Napoleon III handed Nizza to France.
So back to food I rather not bore you with history…
I did not look at the menu, I ordered the plat du jour which was osso bucco. It came with a plate of tagliatelle. I also asked for verre de vin, a glass of rose wine. I could see the people around me were locals and it had a feeling that you have entered your favourite grandmother’s house. Acchiardo is unpretentious and homey, certainly not for people who have no adventurous souls.
While waiting for the food I managed to take photos of the interior and much to my delight sneaked to the kitchen as well. I was happily lost in my thoughts, when I noticed the two waiters have the same face of the woman tending the bar. They turned out to be brothers, Jean-François and Raphaël, The Acchiardo is a family run restaurant.
The osso bucco was perfect, the flavour was well balanced and good portion too that I barely touched the tagliatelli. Just when I was asked if I want dessert , I saw the menu. It is much more a cross over of a provencal and Italian cuisine. I ended my solitary lunch with a tiramisu and a big smile on my face, for I have found indeed a jem for less, my lunch was only €19.80
A day after this lunch I was east bound to Greece with my flight via Geneve, I could see the coast lines of Cote d’ Azur which I have seem to memorize by now. Then my heart fluttered when I saw the peaks of the Alps, I may have traveled a lot but flying over the Alps is one of my favourite journeys.
Da Acchiardo en Nizza Veilhla
38 Rue Droite Tel:
+ 33 49 385 5116
Also posted in France, Food, Travel & Culture
7 Comments
oh sunny day @ plage keller
certain posts have been lying dormant on my drafts that are worth posting.
this restaurant we visited last june 2005 but hey I passed the place last summer and its still packed!
so enjoy…
Inside dining and its view.
We just left Antibes after a morning of going rounds seeing agencies. We have not decided yet where to stay for the rest of the week but I suggested to Markus we shall go for a drive along the coast of Cap D’ Antibes towards Juan les Pins. I have to see old friends, ex staff of my ex boss who remained the caretaker of one of most beautiful villa near Eden Roc.
Salad Nicoise to start with, drizzled with a good virgin olive oil.
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Also posted in France, Food, Travel & Culture
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Lunch in Salzburg, Austria
This post was written end of June 2005 and was placed on draft on my blogger account just before I left for France last summer. Since then I never had the chance to post this.
I have been cleaning files and looked at my old account and thought this is worth posting.
Reading through this the verbs were still in the present form… so I will not change this at all. Just remember this travel and food story was written June 27th, 2005.
“Tamino, shan’t we eat?”, the hungry Papageno asks in Mozart’s “Magic Flute.” But Tamino is silent because he has other worries – he is searching for Pamina and has much more important things on his mind.
We did not have Salzburg in our plan, though its on our wish list, it just happened that we are taking our things from UK to Greece. The trip started from Dover-Calais passing Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria to Ancona, Italy. We knew we are not holiday but in a mad dash to Greece because I need to get back to France this week.
Stopping at Salzburg is so tempting, I told my Swiss Cheese, of all the years of dreaming of it why cant we just stop there for lunch?
Lunch and sight see a bit, we can skip the Saturday ferry and take the Sunday one instead.
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Also posted in Rest of European Food & Culture
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Loukoumades (lou kou MAH des)
Loukoumades… the Greek pastry sometimes called HONEY PUFFS, HONEY BALLS, FRIED PUFFS. Whatever you call them, its one of my favourite Greek pastry.
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Also posted in Greek Food & Culture, Heavenly Desserts
30 Comments
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