European Culinary Adventure Part II

From Prague, we boarded a bus to Nuremberg, Germany. Nearly tracing the route which my grandmother traveled to escape from Czechoslovakia during WWII. This was where she met my grandfather, an American solider.
In Nuremberg, we sought out a few familiar treats in the old city:

Lebkuchen (a gingerbread-like spice cookie):

and sauerbraten with dumplings and red cabbage

Next Post: Munich, Germany

European Culinary Adventure Part I

This past summer, my mom and I took a trip to Europe together in early July. It was a fabulous experience that I'll always remember fondly. We spent 10 days exploring Prague and Paris and visiting with friends and family in Germany and France. No doubt, it was a culinary adventure for the ages (about 70% of the photos I took are of food). We even took a cooking class in Paris! Oh mon dieu!


This was my first trip to Prague, a city I've long dreamed of visiting. It has special significance to me because it's where my grandmother grew up and planned to attend university before WWII broke out and she escaped by foot to Nurnberg, Germany to rendezvous with other family members. Many people say it's the most beautiful city in Europe because it's one of the few that wasn't bombed during the war, leaving intact its beautiful architecture.

We walked all over the city for two days visiting Prague's major landmarks like St. Vitus, an impressive gothic cathedral on a hill in the old city, and the astronomical clock in the bustling old town square. Besides cultural attractions, finding a few special meals ranked high on our itinerary...

yeast dumplings (in my top 5 favorite foods of all time)

...and Polichinka

The hotel we stayed in, the K+K Central, beautifully exemplifies Art Nouveau style. It was built in the early 1900s where it first served as a theater. Interestingly, Kafka once orated on its stage. Today, modern elements are beautifully incorporated to accommodate it's new function as a hotel. In the space which was once the theater, a two story glass structure supports a dining area which appears to be floating on air. This is where we enjoyed the hotel's breakfast spread each morning, a fantasy buffet that has rendered me hopelessly dissatisfied by all future hotel breakfasts.



Next Post: Nuremberg, Germay...

Dolcelinos

While on vacation in Maine this August I had the luck of stumbling upon a table offering tasting samples of Dolcelinos frozen treats at the Annual Customer Appreciation Day at the Belfast Co-op (a grocery market in downtown Belfast).

Dolcelinos are a delectable dessert similar to an ice cream sandwich, but decidedly more sophisticated. They are made with natural ingredients, no yucky artificial colors or preservatives. I sampled two of the four flavors – Coco Azteca (cocoa with a delightful zing of cinnamon and kick of chili) and Coco Coffee (creamy and smooth coffee deliciousness). There are two other yummy flavors available: Ginger-Lemon and Coco-Chocolat.

What I really love are the serving ideas described on the Dolcelino's site. You'll find all sorts of creative inventions such as a recipe to pair Coco Coffee Dolcelinos with roasted figs and caramel sauce. In this picture, Coco-Chocolat Dolcelinos are plated "topless" with fresh strawberries, chocolate and raspberry drizzle, whip cream and a blueberry branch garnish. These were served at a Museum Gala.


Currently, Dolcelinos are only available in Maine at these retail locations, but plans are under way to expand to more states by next summer. The company behind this genius treat is Swan's Way, a catering business in Camden, Maine. Their event designs are absolutely stunning, pairing menus, china, linens, flowers and more (check them out here in their gallery).

Coffee Plantation

In August, on a brief trip to Arizona, I stopped by Coffee Plantation on Frank Llyod Wright Blvd. in Scottsdale to visit my friend Megan, the manager, and to work on a commissioned illustration on my laptop (yay free wifi!).

If you're already a Coffee Plantation regular, you're probably well acquainted with Megan — and she no doubt remembers your name, your drink and how you like it, your significant other and/or kids names and the last subject you talked about. It's nice to feel like you're a real person, not just an order number on a receipt. Plus you can get your caffeine fix supporting a local business rather than another big-name chain.

Besides friendly service, Coffee Plantation offers a selection of games, a take one/give one library of books, and as I mentioned before, free wi-fi. The works of local artists are featured on the walls and updated monthly. All these comforts make it a nice place to hang out with friends, sip your coffee, read a book or work on your laptop. But if you're in a hurry there's also a drive up Window.


I chose a scone from the tempting selection of baked goods by the register. They come from a variety of local bakeries. (all baked goods are served freshly warmed). Next, a coffee to go with my scone, iced because it's Arizona. I have to report how perfect this iced coffee was - no cream or sugar required, the taste was that good on it's own. Megan explained to me how Coffee Plantation makes it's iced coffees with a 24 hour cold brew (called a Toddy brew) so it has a smoother flavor. Most coffee shops take a short-cut and just ice a hot brew. They also feature a cute kids menu since caffeine's probably not a good idea for toddlers and tweens.

If you live in the area or you're in town for a visit be sure to stop in or drive through.