A Wedding in Maine

My childhood memories of summer visits to Maine often include mosquito bite souvenirs, dips in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, and playing late-night capture-the-flag. I hadn't been back to the beautiful state for ages, but last August, I attended my cousin's wedding at the Barn at Flanagan Farm in Buxton, ME. The ceremony took place in the magical woods under a canopy my cousins and uncle had constructed out of driftwood. Before arriving to the ceremony, everyone walked through the sun-dotted woods and got a drink (delicious gin cocktails which helped keep my vicious cold at bay) before heading to the seating area. The ceremony was short and sweet (just like I like it) and after taking photos, we all headed back to the barn area for cocktail hour.

There was a gorgeous spread of cheeses, meats, dips, crackers, and other finger food, while servers came around with other appetizers. 

As night began to fall, we moved into the barn for dinner and enjoyed amazing lobster pasta (caught by the groom's uncle!) and other dishes.

In true Maine fashion, the wedding cake featured blueberries and we were all given jars of the fruit to take home.

The lovely evening concluded with a sparkler send-off for the bride and groom. Congratulations!

Squash on Toast Recipe (from ABC Kitchen)

It took one viewing of Mark Bittman's video with Jean-Georges Vongerichten to know the next thing I wanted to make in the kitchen- squash on toast. Imagine this: pan-toasted rustic bread slathered with a layer of fresh ricotta (I love this California brand, Bellwether Farms) and topped with a butternut squash-caramelized onion mixture. Finally, a dash of fresh mint is sprinkled on top. It was probably the best thing on toast I have ever eaten. In fact, my dinner last night consisted of this toast and red wine. 

I followed the recipe pretty much to a T (I think it tastes great with butternut squash) but I might even add more onions next time. The caramelization makes them deliciously sweet but they break down in the process, so a bit more wouldn't have hurt. It's the first time I've truly caramelized onions (it took about 30 minutes overall) and I used apple cider vinegar and maple syrup a friend brought from Canada. 

As Bittman mentions, the mint on top takes the dish to another level. Somehow, the sweet and tangy onions, the smooth squash, and creamy ricotta all come together with the herb.

Caramelizing onions (patience required!)

Café du Grütli: Fondue in Lausanne

The gloomy October weather in Lausanne didn't stop us from enjoying the city. It did, however, make us crave comfort food, and what better way to indulge in Switzerland than with fondue? Upon recommendation by a salesperson at the Globus department store, we headed to Café du Grütli on our last evening. 

I love restaurants run by a husband-and-wife team and we instantly felt welcomed by the friendly pair as we walked in the door. The humble and cozy cafe specializes in traditional Swiss dishes and despite an obnoxiously loud and drunk British man a few tables away, we appreciated our dinner. Bread and melted cheese may not be the most complete meal (at least from the point of view of nutritionists), but I can't think of a better combination. 

I was thrilled that Café du Grütli had Gruyère double cream on offer. (I was determined to try it after hearing David Lebovitz write about it.) A true Swiss dessert, double cream is not for the faint of heart. (In Switzerland, it is regulated and must be at least 45% fat content.) I like to think its richness is meant to give sustenance to hearty Swiss mountaineers. It comes with meringues and you can simply spoon the cream on top. While overconsumption of Gruyère double cream could definitely lead to a heart attack, I can't think of a better way to go. (Well, maybe with kaymak.)

Café du Grütli is located at Rue de la Mercerie 4 in Lausanne. Reservations recommended.

Istanbul Eats Food Tour: Some Highlights

While J. went to work, I kept myself busy. I'd never been to Istanbul and I had a lot to cover in a short period of time. First stop: a food tour with Istanbul Eats. It kicked off with tea outside an esnaf lokanta (tradesman restaurant). We stood in a leafy, crumbling courtyard, sipping tea and watching an older man feed some straggly cats a dish of milk. He jokingly informed us that the cats weren't fasting (it was Ramadan) and neither was he.

My love affair with Turkish food starts with breakfast. The food tour did not disappoint, taking us to another family-run lokanta, for a full-on Turkish breakfast. While not photographically-appealing, kaymak, thick buffalo-milk clotted cream, is a life-changing experience. I was so in love with this stuff, I even bought some before I left Istanbul, which I enjoyed on my flight to Lisbon.

As decadent as the kaymak was, we had more to try. Housemade jams, including rose, went perfectly with the cream and pastries.

The restaurant's owner brought over a hot pan to the table and scooped spoonfuls of fluffy menemen (an egg dish) onto our already full plates. "Pace yourself," I told myself, without heeding my advice.

 Menemen (egg dish) and savory rolls

Following our breakfast, we took the ferry to the Asian side for lunch at Çiya. The restaurant specialized in Ottoman cuisine- this meant lots of fruits and nuts incorporated into dishes, as well as stuffing and drying techniques. Here we enjoyed a plate of stuffed peppers. 

Still at Çiya, we tasted meatballs steeped in tangy cherry sauce (left) and sipped on Subye, a watermelon seed drink (right).

Lunch had to be followed by one of the best desserts of my life: sobiyet baklawa w/kaymak. 

This small pastry shop takes baklawa to another level, invigorating the often overly dry and cloyingly sweet pastry into perfection.

Kaymak-filled baklawa needed to be followed by coffee so we took a caffeine break down the street. We learned that nothing goes in Turkish coffee once it's ready (no sugar, etc. can be added after).

 After filling up on strong Turkish coffee, I got to be a kid in a (Turkish) candy store. Not just any candy shop but a 203-year-old store filled with both familiar and unusual "desserts." 

Powdery lemon Turkish delight (left) and candied fruits and olives (right)

Even though we had just had lunch, it was time for a tantuni break. Tantuni come from the southern part of the country and are wraps filled with delicious meat and veggies. Frothy, bubbly ayran on tap was just the thing to wash down these rolls with.

 tantuni, tantuni, tantuni

Our last stop of the day was at Kimyon, located in an interesting neighborhood. We tried a lot of different dishes here, some mouthwateringly satisfying (like this acidic turnip juice) and others that didn't quite win me over (like the pale soup below).

Head-and-foot soup, aka "hangover soup" (this was more of a cool experience than a culinary highlight)

I enjoyed Kimyon's take on Künefe: shredded wheat, goat cheese, and pistachio topped with kaymak.

But the winner was this katmer (which our guide brought back from a nearby pastry shop): stuffed with? That's right, kaymak. Are you sensing a pattern here? Kaymak makes everything better.

The tour ended on such a high note, as we went our separate ways in Istanbul. 

Geronimo Balloons and Osteria Mozza Cocktails

For my mom's special birthday, we flew down to LA and had a great dinner at Osteria Mozza, starting with cocktails for the occasion.

I'd been a fan of Jihan's balloons from afar, and was excited to have the chance to deliver fun to my mom in the form of helium! I gave a general color theme and was very pleased with what they put together. I actually only bought two balloons but it looked cooler in the mirror! If you live in the LA area, check out Geronimo.

Urban Deli in Stockholm

I have mixed feelings about Urban Deli. Since our AirBnb apartment was nearby, we came here a few times and found it to be hit-or-miss. Urban Deli is a bright and airy restaurant-cum-grocery store in the hipster Södermalm neighborhood. One of my favorite things to do in a new country is explore local grocery stores and UD didn't disappoint in that arena. On our first night in Stockholm, we were too tired to eat in a restaurant and Urban Deli's expansive grocery section was the perfect solution. They offer top quality products and an array of items from all over the world. I became obsessed with Pastoret yogurt (produced in Spain) and made several nightly trips to refill my supply. Flavors are divine and include lime or rooibos & apricot. I also went to town on Swedish lingonberry ice cream and other dairy treats.  Can I just say that milk tastes even better when it's called mjölk? Strange but true.

 My goodies back at the apartment

The restaurant side of Urban Deli was a bit of a letdown. Our first two times eating there were enjoyable. (One guy working there was so kind with our questions about directions that he tore a map of Stockholm out of a magazine, ran back to the kitchen and came back having taped it together and drawn directions)  Our last visit, the people serving us were unprofessional across the board. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took us 25 minutes to get a menu, and other items requested were never brought to the table.


I can highly recommend the grocery store for unique finds. Visit the restaurant or bar at your own risk.

Solo Travel in Lisbon: Hostel Independente Review

Last summer, I embarked upon my first "solo-trip", after travel plans with a friend fell through.  It ended up being a great experience and I have plans to do it again.  I decided to stay in hostels in the cities where I had no connections, and selected Hostel Independente for my visit to Lisbon. Overall, it wasn't the experience I'd hoped for (but my stay at Hostel Malti in Malta more than made up for it), so I wanted to share what I observed there in Lisbon.

Pros:
☻Location-this hostel is located in the lively Bairro Alto district and is literally across the street from a gorgeous park looking out over the city. 
☻Price- like most hostels, it was reasonably priced and this one included breakfast
☻Cleanliness- for being a hostel, the rooms were quite immaculate

Cons: 
☻Environment- it wasn't very welcoming, and most people staying there weren't solo travelers. I think this was partly due to the size- it was quite a big hostel and didn't have a big community feel. Most travelers tended to "do their own thing" during the day and just use the hostel as a base for sleep.  I eagerly signed up for a "dine with the staff" meal on my first night and ended up being the only traveler attending (despite a full hostel!), where I ate mediocre food as the staff spoke Portuguese amongst themselves.  The hostel even has a restaurant open to non-hotel guests for dinner, so it was easy to get lost in the crowd. This ended up making it feel more like a hotel than a hostel.
☻Bathrooms- the toilet stalls were about 4.5 feet tall and many of the doors didn't lock. 
☻Rooms- this complaint is minor, but the lockers were very difficult to open and close (and insert the padlock every time) so arriving back to the room at night when others were sleeping posed a problem.
☻Bar- there were positives and negatives to this bar. The drinks were pretty good and the bartenders were friendly. The seating design was terrible.  There were tall bar stools to sit on but no room for your legs underneath the counter. Additionally, the counter was much higher than chest-height which made it really awkward and uncomfortable to sit and stay awhile. (Hence, I only ran into a few people there.)

Overall, I probably wouldn't stay here again, especially as a solo traveler.  For me, the point of staying in a hostel (more than just saving money) is to feel part of a traveling community and I just didn't get that vibe here.  Luckily, my trip wasn't finished, and my final stop on my solo trip included an amazing hostel experience (which I'll be writing about in the future).

The Greenhouse at Rosendals Trädgård in Stockholm

I'd heard about Rosendals Trädgård while looking up places to visit in Stockholm and added it to my list.  It was just the place to visit after checking out the awesome children's museum, also located on the island of Djurgården. It's a leisurely walk to the back of the island and is worth a visit for the beautiful grounds, though the food was a bit disappointing. We arrived in the afternoon and the buffet was pretty picked-over, so we ended up having tea rather than our intended lunch. You can't go wrong with a kanebullar and the prospect of drinking lingonberry juice was just too good to pass up. (Verdict: tastes just like cranberry.) The interior of the greenhouse was the perfect place to enjoy our snack as the fall sunlight seeped through the huge windows.

Afterwards, we enjoyed walking around and checking out the fall leaves and we were rewarded with a deer sighting as we walked through the island's woods. The magnificent nature all around Stockholm reminded me of my own hometown.