End of Summer Slow Down

I don't know where it went, but summer flew by in a blink of an eye. The summer season was intense. A week of fireworks. 60 person barbecues. Six-course pintxos tours that end in massive food comas. Weekly pub crawls that end in massive hangovers. Opening a new reception and chill out area for the hostel. Friends coming. Friends going. Whew. Now that it's calmed down a bit I can take a few minutes to sit down and write about it all.

It's been quite an intense lifestyle change, working at a backpacker's hostel in the small, tourist-packed city of San Sebastián.

I've traded my apartment with an actual bed, my own kitchen, and bathtub that I could actually feel safe bathing in, for a mattress on the floor in a room the size of a closet, a kitchen I share with 40 other people, and waiting in line for the bathroom. It feels a bit like going from the real world back to living in the college dorms.

 

But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Eating The Philippines : BALUT!

It's been nothing but go-go-go for the past month now... hopping around the Philippines, Taipei, and Shanghai. It's now my last day... and I'm so sad to be leaving. I want to get in one last post before I leave here - I'm dying to get all these experiences up on the blog - so here it is. My adventures in eating BALUT.

One of my most vivid memories of the Philippines came rushing back that first night in my Lola's house. Once the sun sets, the haunting chants of the balut vendors begin. "Baluuuuut! Baluuuuut!" Like clockwork, they make their rounds through the streets pushing carts of steaming balut, or simply carrying them in a woven basket. Their calls sound the same today as they did when I was here last... 16 years ago.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Filipino delicacy, balut is a boiled, fertilized duck egg. To put it bluntly, it's like a hard boiled egg with a baby duck inside. The embryo is partially developed, complete with feathers and a beak. No wonder it was on Fear Factor. I'll warn you in advance, if you're planning on Googling photos of balut, I hope you have a strong stomach. In fact, just the sight of them makes me a little puke-y. I had to mentally prepare for about 6 months. No joke.

A couple weekends ago, all the cousins got together for some quality time - without the parents. The boys packed the day full of sight-seeing, shopping, movies, and street food... which in turn, meant I had to eat balut. 

We didn't have enough time to go through the streets eating meat-on-a-stick and balut along with the locals, but my aunt made sure to have a heaping supply ready that night when we came home for dinner. She rounded up the vendor as he passed by and filled a wicker bowl with about 2 dozen of them. If everyone in the family was going to eat it, I had to try it. No backing out.

If you think of it as a cross between a hard-boiled egg and chicken stew, the thought of balut is a little easier to swallow. The hard things to swallow, literally, are all the little bones and feathers that you have to chomp on as it goes down. You eat everything... bones and all. And then there's the beak.

Our oldest cousin (after me), the doctor, gave us the 101 on the anatomy of balut... and how to eat it like a pro. First you crack the shell at the blunt end, and suck out the juice. Then you eat the yolk, the large and not so scary yellow part. Then, the hardest part... the embryo... with the feathers... and the beak... that's the last part to go down the hatch. GULP.

Following in his footsteps, our youngest cousin showed us all how he could stick it out with the big guys.

So after all that, the rest of us did our first round together. 

And just to one up everyone, Butchoy showed us how to put some real hair on your chest. 

So I did it. I may not have eaten the WHOLE thing, but I ate a few good bites of balut. It actually doesn't taste half bad... kind of good actually, no where near as bad as I imagine stinky tofu would taste. I would eat balut 1 million times before trying stinky tofu.

Traveling The Philippines & KCC Challenge: Diniguan & Pinakbet Pizza

I'm sitting here in my Lola's living room... the breeze of a swaying fan keeping me cool-ish on this hot and humid evening. I missed this, and uncomfortably endure the 94°F with a smile. I've been in the Philippines for about two weeks now, and finally have a moment to sit down and write a little something. I've seen, experienced, and EATEN so much already! My journal is exploding with random impressions, scribbled recipes, and spur-of-the-moment sentences. I can't imagine how much I will end up writing about this trip.

I'm starting off with the 4-day road trip I just took with my family. Thirteen-deep in one van. 12 hours of driving. Lots of pee breaks. Not to mention the 6 who followed in a second van, and lastly our cousin who took the overnight bus to meet up with everyone for only one day. Whew.

We drove from Manila to the Ilocos Norte region of the Philippines. It's where my "true roots" stem from, with Sarrat as my family's hometown. We passed by all of my Lola's properties in Sarrat, and even visited the now demolished lot (right across the street from the Marcos Museum) where my great grandfather's house once stood.

We had lunch above the river where my mom, aunt, and uncles used to play in and bathe when they were younger.

Munching on Filipino empanadas and tupig - an Ilocano rice cake made by cooking a mixture of glutinous rice, buko (young coconut), coconut milk, and sugar inside a banana leaf - we beat the blazing heat by relaxing in the coolness of the flowing river.

One of the stops along our 12-hour road trip up to Ilocos Norte was in Paoay. I'm skipping to this point in my Philippine travels because it ties in perfectly with this month's Kulinarya Cooking Club theme. One of the main attractions of Paoay is Paoay Church, an over 300 year old, virtually impenetrable mass of brick and coral. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this church boasts nearly 2-meter thick stone walls and 24 massive buttresses that classify its architectural style as "Earthquake Baroque". Seriously, this thing is solid. 

This month's KCC Challenge is brought to us by Lala at This Little Piggy, and April's theme is: DECADENCE. A few words immediately come to mind: over-indulgent, luxurious, gluttonous. Filipino food has been widely categorized by Western cultures as a cuisine rich in meat and rice. While there certainly hasn’t been a lack of meat and rice during my past two weeks here, there has been a wide abundance of vegetables and fruits. 

To give a glimpse into both sides of the Filipino health spectrum, I give you something good and something bad, but dually decadent. Across the street from Paoay church was Herencia Café, where our herd of 20 hungry road-trippers stopped to have some dinner. The house specialty: Pinakbet Pizza.

Since my last KCC post just-so-happened to be pinakbet – this was a perfect dish to up the ante and take it to the next level. Between 7 cousins we ordered two pinakbet pizzas.

The pizza was better than we all imagined. Green beans, eggplant, okra, and tomatoes all cooked until shriveled and then piled atop a thin crispy crust and smothered with cheese.

To balance out all the “healthiness” we also ordered another over-the-top specialty, Diniguan Pizza. Diniguan is traditional Filipino dish made by stewing pig parts in it’s own blood. It may sound a little, um, how should I put it… - different - to many, and trust me, even my aunt (who is American) loved it… until we told her exactly what it was. Oops. Hehe.

The diniguan pizza was just damn naughty. A thick layer of pig’s blood was slathered over the crispy crust, topped with the stewed pork bits, melted cheese, and a healthy (haha) sprinkling of chicharonnes (crispy pork skin). I got weak in the knees before I even took a bite. I think we all went a little nuts. Everyone at the table with a camera started snapping away as if we were the paparazzi. 

Final verdict? We all agreed; the pinakbet pizza was much tastier than the diniguan pizza, but both rightfully earned their spot in the decadence category.

Kulinarya Cooking Club Members:

Kath – http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Trisha – http://sugarlace.com/
Trissa – http://trissalicious.com/
Olive – http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Caroline – http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/
Ninette – http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/
Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/
Asha – http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/
Malou – http://www.skiptomalou.net/
Cherrie – http://www.sweetcherriepie.com
Acdee – http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie – http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Sheryl – http://crispywaffle.com/
Divina – http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna – http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/
Dahlia – http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy – http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/
Maribel – http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Tressa
Jen – http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/
Pia – http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/
Malaka – http://thegrandinternational.com.
Mimi – http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com
Erika – http://ivoryhut.com/
Kat – http://twitter.com/alanokat
Lala – http://thislittlepiggywenttothemarket.blogspot.com/
Selfie – http://eats.sefiebee.com/
Connie Veneracion - http://homecookingrocks.com/
Oggi - http://oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com/
Katrina - http://lardonmyfrench.blogspot.com/
Rochelle Ryan - http://www.whydiss.blogspot.com/
Marica – http://cuppycreme.blogspot.com
Diona – http://titaflips.blogspot.com/
Rowena - http://saraplicious.blogspot.com
Theodore – http://chefbyday.wordpress.com/
Gianna – http://the-empty-fridge.blogspot.com/
Mireille – http://dirtyicecreaminyourlunchbox.blogspot.com/
Marishka – http://rishka.multiply.com/
Annapet – http://moonglowgardens.wordpress.com/
Boyet – http://reelandgrill.blogspot.com/
Adora – http://adorasbox.net
Yaz – http://whoatemytomato.wordpress.com
Marvin – http://www.eatmarvin.com

San Sebastian - Paella

 

When in Spain, one usually thinks of paella, right? Earthy, creamy, saffron-infused rice that's speckled with all sorts of ocean creatures. Yeah, I think of it too. A few of us were hungry for a little more substantial meal (pintxos aren't always very filling), so we went in search of a good paella joint. Apparently, San Sebastian is not known for it's paella, but we were determined to find a decent one. I mean, it has to be more authentic than the paella in Paris.

Three of us set out on this paella adventure. Walking through the parte vieja (old city), we took a turn down a small alley-way and stumbled upon a hole-in-the-wall that had a menu out front with paella for 10 Euros. Not too bad, we agreed. Plus, the place looked like one of those family run establishments... mother running the register and daughter waiting tables while dad hacks away at huge slabs of beef with a meat cleaver. 

We went inside and sat down in the corner of the restaurant, chatting to each other about just how hardcore the man with the meat cleaver was... and how excited we were about this paella. The daughter-waitress brings us the menus, and before we even open them, lets us ever-so-kindly know that they are out of paella. Of course. Glancing at each another with a look that only says, "Do you think we should leave?" our friend Tim suggests we stay. We were all starving. We can get paella another time. 

The rest of the menu was quite expensive compared to the reasonably priced paella. Both Quentin and Tim ordered appetizers... I think to try and save money, but I went all out and ordered the prawns at 20 Euros a plate. Eeeek. I figured for 20 Euros, I'd definitely get enough food to fill me. I was picturing grilled prawns on a bed of something with a side of something... and after waiting what seemed like forever, our plates started to come out. First came Tim's cured meat. Yes, that's how I'm going to describe it, because he actually thought he was ordering fish... but to his surprise was handed a plate of about 12 thin slices of meat. That's it. Ok, it was an appetizer... so then Quentin's blood sausage came out. A plate of about 8 slices of blood sausage. That's it. 

I was starting to worry about my own plate, not because of the quantity of the food, but because what I had ordered was about three times as expensive as what the guys ordered. I held my breath as the plate made it's way to the table. 

Let me just preface this by saying that I would like to go back to this restaurant again. As my plate hit the table I looked down to see about 10 medium-sized prawns in a neatly grilled row on a clean, white plate. Yep. That was it. No veg, no starch... just 2 Euro a piece prawns staring right back at me. Oh, there was a basket of bread on the table, but we later figured out that we had to pay for that as well. We all looked at each other in utter shock. Did we do something wrong? Is there more food coming that we don't know about? We took our sweet time nibbling on our measly plates and grabbed the bill and got out of there.

Later we were told by Sara, the girl running the hostel, that we went to one of the best restaurants in San Sebastian. That old man with the cleaver? Apparently he's the master of the grill. All we could do was laugh.

Paella count: Zero.

Still starving (what, 10 prawns fill you up?), we figured we would give paella another go. Earlier that night we walked past a place that was advertising about 10 different variations of paella. We hesitated going, as it seemed like more of a chain-restaurant. The back-lit plastic "picture menu" on the wall reminded me of those fast food Chinese joints... and I wasn't very optimistic. But after the ridiculous "meal" we just spent a fortune on, we just wanted a little bite of paella, no matter how bad it was going to be.

I can't even remember the name of this place, that's how much it left an impression on me. The three of us split one order of paella, and ordered some much needed beers. I can't tell you if it was good or not; in crazy starvation-mode I burned my entire mouth on the first bite. I couldn't even taste the rest of my meal. Fail #2.

Still craving paella.

The next day we did what we should have done in the first place. We asked Sara, the girl working at Urban House, for a paella recommendation. Of course, she knew a really good place that wasn't too expensive. We took another friend along to join in the paella-ness. As we got down near the marina, we found the restaurant, Txoko (pronounced "choco") and grabbed a table inside. Being very optimistic, we did it up big... and ordered two plates of fried calamari, paella for four, and a bottle of cider. 

The paella came out, and so did our cameras. 

This thing was beautiful. Steaming, golden-yellow rice with mussels, langoustines, and prawns peeking through... we were so happy.

This time, I made sure to let my food cool down before shoveling it into my gullet. It was delicious. Lusciously rich with bright, fresh crustaceans. Yum. It might not be the best paella in all of Spain, but it was by far the best paella I've had to date. 

So fellow travelers, take my advice. It never hurts to ask a local.

San Sebastian - Pintxos

A breath of fresh air... and a sigh of pure contentment. I don't know how else to describe San Sebastian in words other than to call it perfection.

I'd been planning this trip to San Sebastian for a while now. Yes, being the foodie that I am, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations episode on Spain sparked my interest in the city... but after reading up on it, it became more than just a food pilgrimage. I'd been having a hard time with the bitterness of the Parisian winter... and images of sandy beaches, sunshine, and waves were calling my name.

We spent the first two nights at Urban House hostel... a homey place with a warmth that overrides the need for a five star breakfast and turn down service. I knew I was in the right place when Sara, the girl working the desk, actually wrote me a list of where to go and what to eat... complete with sketches.

Originally, I was planning on going a little overboard, splurging on the 5+ course tasting menu at the world renowned Arzak. After battling back and forth in my head on whether or not I should spend that kind of money for one dinner, I came to the conclusion of not going. I would much rather spend a little more money on each meal than shelling out the big bucks on one meal and spending the rest of the week eating at McDonald's. Good thing I did.

Pintxos (tapas) are the attraction here. Little 3 Euro bites of pure, unadulterated bliss. In my personal opinion, you don't need to sell your first born to go to all the 3 star Michelin restaurants that are in an earshot from San Sebastian. If you can afford it, hell, go for it. For me, I experienced so much more crawling from bar to bar... eating a few plates here and a few plates there.

Usually at pintxos bars the food is set out on multiple plates along the bar... and you pick and choose as you wish. In some places you have to order as you go - which can be a bit more expensive, but you're most likely getting fresher and better quality food. The first pintxos bar we went to, Borda Berri, is head up by an ex-chef at El Bulli (known to be the greatest restaurant on Earth). To me, that's more exciting than 3 Michelin stars. There were no plates on the bar here... which is usually why it gets passed over by tourists. Thankfully, Sara told us about this place, and exactly what to order.

Risotto Negro con Txipipron... Squid Ink Risotto. Even though it was made with orzo, and not rice, it was still incredible.

Magret de Pato Asado Lentamente... Slow roasted duck breast. Drool.

Vieira Asada con Puré de Coliflor... Scallops cooked perfectly with the smoothest cauliflower puree I've ever had in my life.

... and then there was this:

Carrillera de Ternera al Vino Tinto. Beef Cheeks braised in Red Wine. This literally melts in your mouth. To. Die. For.

For pintxos that look as fabulous as they taste, we headed to A Fuego Negro. With the list from Sara in hand, we ordered everything she wrote down... and then some.

Mini Kobe beef burgers cooked to a beautiful medium rare. If only they were bigger... 

The famous Jamón Ibérico on a crostini with goat cheese and sun dried tomates...

... and enormous green olives with peppers and anchovies. Yum.

Dove breast so tender and juicy, with a wicked presentation. Complete with beet blood splatter and edible bullets.

Risotto like I've never experienced before... full of flavor from all the herbs and with hidden sprinkles of puffed rice, which gave it a surprisingly fun crunch.

... and then there was this chocolate & licorice thing... oh my goodness...

The name of this dessert was called "Regalize It!"... a play on words as the Spanish word "regaliz" means "licorice." A seemingly strange combination, especially in my case as I'm not a huge licorice fan, but once I put it in my mouth, everything clicked. Like an electrified Oreo. Trust me.

There were plenty of pintxos bars we popped into for a bite, but these two were by far my stand-out favorites (and this post would get really long if I talked about every single one). So ta ta for now... I'm breaking up this trip into multiple posts... stay tuned!!!

Side Trip: Luxembourg - Luxembourg City

I'm about 3 months behind at finishing my three-part "Side Trip: Luxembourg" series. Whoops. I've been a little sidetracked; with a couple months of back-to-back deadlines, the holidays, and a bit of the winter blues, I seemed to let the most important part of my trip to Luxembourg slip right through the cracks.

This is the 3rd and final component in my Luxembourg travels, which covers the capital of this perplexing and enchanted country, Luxembourg City. And it's a long one. Better late than never, right?

After our 2 day stay in Vianden, and our day trip to Echternach, my dad and I spent the remainder of our Luxembourg journey in the country's capital, Luxembourg City. Living here for a summer when he was (roughly) my age, it had been 40+ years since my dad had been back. I could tell he was excited as ever. I've heard countless stories of how he lived above a bar, coming home from work with a baguette tucked underneath his arm and a string of sausages flung over his shoulder... How he navigated his way down treacherous basement openings delivering armfuls of Coca-Cola, the stair treads almost completely worn away from decades of use. The thing I loved most was how he described the city, a seemingly fairytale description that you had to see to believe.

River-cut gorges and food lover's dream gardens...

Streets so narrow you could stand in the middle and touch the buildings on either side.

Buildings that looked like castles, and castles that looked like, well, castles... stone bridges spanning the valley... and some of the most breathtaking views imaginable.

He wasn't exaggerating.

The easiest way to get to Luxembourg City from Paris is by train. With the lightning fast speed of the TGV, you can make it in under 2 1/2 hours. The train station drops you in the center of the city, where you can easily get your bearings and start exploring.

Know before you go: Luxembourg City is a town on two levels. Be prepared to do some serious up and down hiking. I am 26, and have never felt pain in my knees (going downhill, mind you) like I did on that trip. Comfy shoes (and stretching) are a must.

We stayed at the Hostelling International Youth Hostel, which is located in the Pfaffenthal/Clausen quarter of the city. Having a very positive experience with the HI Youth Hostel in Vianden, we thought we would give the Lux City hostel a shot. Getting to the hostel from the train station can be achieved (inexpensively) in one of two ways; by bus or by foot. Going to the hostel is easy on foot, as it is all downhill. You can get a city map from the information office at the train station to make sure you don't get lost along the way. Coming back though, I would 100% recommend taking the bus. Trudging uphill with heavy luggage and a deadline to catch the train can make for an uncomfortably sweaty ride back home.

The hostel was warm and welcoming. Fully equipped, this place has a bar, restaurant, free wi-fi, ping-pong tables, free breakfast, and very helpful staff. For the money and the ambiance, it is worth the tiresome morning hikes up to the Ville-Haute (high-city). After a full day of walking we spent the early afternoons lounging outside on the deck, watching other backpackers playing ping-pong. We ended most of our nights with a cold pint of beer and some delicious grub from the hostel bar.

Here are a few of the places we went (all easily walkable, just make sure you have a map that distinguishes the different levels of the city):

MUDAM (Musée d'art moderne Grand-Duc Jean) - Located in the Kirchberg quarter in the north-east, the modern art museum sits high upon a plateau overlooking the city. The modern building, designed by I.M. Pei (the architect who designed the Pyramids at the Louvre) is intertwined with historical Fort Thüngen. It is a beautiful contrast between old and new, stone and metal.

From the interior, the building itself is almost more impressive than the art collection. The stone-relief handrails were pretty freakin' sexy (if I do say so myself), and the windows seemed to be placed in such a way that you would think they were framing a piece of art.

Place Guillaume II -  The town square in the heart of the Ville-Haute quarter. The center of town, and where you can find good shopping, the tourist information office, and really clean public restrooms!

Palais Grand-Ducal (Grand-Ducal Palace) - The official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and a pretty impressive building. Also located in the Ville-Haute quarter, it's amusing to watch the tourists taking pictures with the on-duty Palace Guard, making his rounds and never once cracking a smile.

The Grund - Literally translated, "The Ground", this quarter of the city is quite a romantic area of town. Ivy-coated houses line the river's edge as it winds through the lower level of the city. It's a great place to spend the day weaving through the narrow streets and picturesque parks. I also heard there's some great nightlife once the sun goes down.

A few of the things we wanted to do were closed for the cooler months, like walking through the casements, a network of underground tunnels spanning 23 kilometers throughout the city. What we did get to see was wonderful, and with the lack of tourists, made walking through the other parts of town much more enjoyable.