By Derk Richardson  July 28th, 2010 7:43 am  |  Comments (2)

Photo by Francisco Guerrero

A pot of long-cooked meats, including slices of pancetta or bacon, hearty vegetables and legumes, and a savory broth that becomes a vehicle for fideos (thin Spanish noodles)—how can you go wrong? In the September/October issue of Afar, Leah Messinger dives into the cultural history of cocido Madrileño, the filling stew long popular in Madrid, Spain.

According to food historian David Gitlitz, one-pot meals incorporating chickpeas and/or lentils have been ubiquitous around the Mediterranean since Roman times, mentioned in the writings of Pliny and Apicius. A dish called olla podrida (rotten pot) turns up in Don Quixote from the early 1600s.

So you can try it at home, Messinger provides a slightly more contemporary recipe—from Madrid’s Taberna la Bola, where cocido has been on the menu for a mere century or so.

By Nicole Solis  July 21st, 2010 8:00 am  |  Comments (0)

Nasi Kandar from Line Clear in George Town, Penang.

Joe Sidek, the Resident in our September/October 2010 issue, is a huge booster of his hometown, George Town, Penang, Malaysia. A true Renaissance man, Joe not only works as a managing director of a company and runs the Community Works non-profit (as well as its shop, Sentuhan). He has also owned a club, run a modeling agency, and designed costumes for an opera. He recently directed One Harmony, One Heritage, One Hope, an event celebrating the first anniversary of George Town’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As with many of our Residents, there were far more places he wanted to send our readers to than we had space to run in the magazine. So, here are more of Joe’s excellent picks to help you plan where to go–and especially where to eat–during your next trip to George Town.

In George Town

Hai Nan Town
“This restaurant is right on the seafront and has really nice Peranakan food. The Peranakans are the Chinese people who came here and adopted Malay culture. It’s food the way the Malays cook, so there is a lot of tamarind, herbs, and chiles, but it’s the Chinese version. It’s very fragrant.”
Tanjung City Marina, Pengkalan Weld
604/263-8633

Liyaqat Ali
“This is a really famous stall that serves nasi kandar, an Indian dish, which literally means ‘rice on a balance’ because there used to be a guy who would carry on his shoulder a long pole with a basket on each end with rice and a mixture of curries. This stall is open until the wee hours of the morning.”
98 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling

Mamak mee stall
“Mamak mee is an Indian fried noodle dish served with egg and lamb or chicken. This guy’s father used to have a stall nicknamed Mee Agong, which means ‘King’s Mee,’ because the mee was so good it was said to be the favorite of visiting kings.”
Corner of Jalan Hutton and Jalan Penang

Beach Blanket Babylon
“This is a small café/restaurant on the seafront, named after the Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco. It’s also owned by the people who own 32. They have a really nice crab laksa, which is a version of the national dish but with crab and a fish broth.”
32 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
604/261-0289

Beyond George Town

Bagan
“Bagan is a jazz bar in a beautiful old house that feels like the house in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; it was owned by an old man who looks and behaves like Quentin Crisp. Now it’s been converted into a transvestite bar by the same owners of 32, but I like the music and it has fabulous Peranakan food.”
18 Jalan Bergan Jamal
604/226-4977

Bellevue
“Go here in the evening and have a drink. You can see all of George Town. I love being up the hill when it’s dark, looking out at the lights in the city.”
Bukit Bendera, Penang Hill
604/829-9500

The Spice Garden
“You hear about cinnamon and you hear about clove, but you never imagine what the plants and the flowers look like. You can see them here. The Spice Garden is a really beautiful, landscaped little space where you can go and chill out, and it’s very peaceful.”
Lone Crag Villa, Lot 595 Mukim 2,
Jalan Teluk Bahang
604/881-1797

Reporting by Dave Zuckerman. Nasi kandor photo by scaredy_kat. (CC 2.0)

By Jeremy Saum  June 24th, 2010 8:00 am  |  Comments (4)

Those of us who only know ramen noodles as those things that come in the styrofoam bowls you can buy at the 99-cent store might be surprised to know that ordering ramen in Tokyo is actually rather complicated.

My ramen dinner. I would've taken a wider shot if I could've moved my seat any farther back.

The process starts deceptively simply. Outside the door of the restaurant, there’s a little machine with pictures of various dishes and their corresponding prices. You put your money in and get a little ticket. I’m figuring that for someone like me who doesn’t speak Japanese, this is pretty much as simple as ordering food gets.

No. If your experience is like mine,  the nice hostess shows you up a cramped, dark stairway and hands you a laminated card. You take a seat at the L-shaped bar, using what little space there is between the stools and the wall to squeeze past the other patrons without touching them inappropriately. The six other seats are filled by people who obviously know how this works. When you sit down and consult the card, you realize the whole ticket thing downstairs was just a ruse to lull you into the false sense that there was nothing mysterious about ramen.

The card is an English translation of the sheet that someone hands you from behind the bar. You can’t see who it is, because the area behind the bar is pitch dark and whoever’s back there seems to be on some sort of platform because his or her head is way above where your head is, and anyway, you can’t see that high because there’s a banner hanging over the bar that blocks your view. All you see is an arm emerging from the darkness to take your ticket and hand you some kind of checklist. Turns out that ticket you bought was actually your admission to the World of Customized Ramen.

The checklist allows you to specify, on a range from 1 to 5, how you would like your ramen prepared in seven distinct categories: noodle thickness, noodle firmness, pork or no pork, leeks or no leeks, spiciness, oiliness, and, if I recall correctly, something about sauce. (By the time I got to the seventh category, I was a little overwhelmed.) Fortunately, they had suggested levels for first-timers. I went with those, except on the oiliness scale, where I took it down a notch.

In the few moments I had before my noodles arrived, I helped myself to a glass of water from my own personal tap, and declined to put a coin in the tiny coin-operated red lantern that demarcated each spot at the bar.

The disembodied hand returned to serve me my bowl of noodles. And I must say, it was delicious.

By Nicole Solis  May 26th, 2010 9:56 am  |  Comments (16)

Newspapers are almost as ubiquitous as coffee at Vienna's coffeehouses.

Vienna’s coffeehouses are more of a cultural institution than merely the precursor to Starbucks. In these cafes, customers are invited, and even expected, to linger for hours over a single cup of coffee and the newspaper. This highly civilized tradition developed in the 19th century when Viennese would leave their unheated homes to socialize, read, or just think in their second living room, the cafe. Though the waitstaff are notoriously aloof, their lack of attention is designed to let you relax without unnecessary intrusions. Be patient, and someone will eventually take your order, then return efficiently with your coffee, always served with a glass of cold water on the side.

The coffee itself is an experience. My friend Heather recently told me about her first taste of Viennese coffee, more than 10 years earlier:

I workshopped in Vienna for a month while playing with a college orchestra — and had my first cup of Viennese coffee on a cold January day while walking back from our rehearsal hall to the hotel. It was decadent. I’m still trying to replicate the exact mix of espresso, milk, cinnamon, clove, etc. So yummy …

Despite what General Foods might want you to believe, there are many variations on Viennese coffee, each with its own name and particular combination of coffee, milk, chocolate, and spices. A quick Google search will turn up many lists to help you navigate the choices. This one is fairly comprehensive; this one has a nice design.

If you’re in New York City between June 2 and June 10, you can try some of these coffees yourself. Austrian Airlines Cafe-to-Go truck will stop at several locations in Manhattan and serve a different style of Viennese coffee each day. A donation of $1 is encouraged, and all donations go to the Learning Afar Foundation. Follow twitter.com/AustrianAirUSA or facebook.com/austrianusa to get the truck’s daily schedule and coffee of the day.

If you’d rather get the full coffeehouse experience, these articles will help you plan your visit:

• Telegraph’s Top 10 coffeehouses in Vienna
• Spotted by Locals’ guide to Vienna’s coffee culture

Photo of Vienna’s Cafe Hawelka by Cha gia Jose (CC 2.0).

By Nicole Solis  May 19th, 2010 2:48 pm  |  Comments (4)

Calabaza en Tacha

We had hoped to run this recipe for one of the delicious traditional Mexican dishes in our May/June 2010 issue, along with the cover story, “Mexico’s Soul Food.” We had so many wonderful photos that we ran out of space in the magazine, so we decided to publish the recipe online.

Calabaza en Tacha
(Winter squash cooked in syrup)

Serves 16

This sweet, syrupy squash is often served with warmed milk for breakfast or dinner (comida, the midday meal, is the biggest meal of the day). In Michoacán, the dish is often made with locally grown calabazas de castilla. Cristina Potters, who supplied this recipe and writes about Mexican food at Mexico Cooks!, says that to break through the extremely hard shell, cooks often resort to using a machete or throwing the squash against a concrete floor.

The ingredients: squash, piloncillos, white sugar, cinnamon, and spices.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups water
14 2-oz. cones of dark piloncillo (coarse brown sugar) or a mixture of 3 ½ cups dark brown sugar and 3 tbsp molasses
2 cups granulated sugar
4 sticks Mexican cinnamon, each about 2.5″ long
1 tbsp anise seed
1 tsp whole cloves
1 medium-size calabaza de castilla or other winter squash (about 3 lbs.), cut into wedges and seeded
Whole milk, for serving (optional)

MAKE IT
1. In a large pot, combine the water, piloncillo (or brown sugar and molasses), granulated sugar, and cinnamon sticks. Place the anise seed and cloves on a cheesecloth square and tie closed. Add the spice bundle to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer until the liquid is thick and syrupy, approximately three hours.

2. Add the squash pieces to the syrup and simmer until the squash is soft and turns a deep brown color.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Place one or two pieces of squash in each bowl. Ladle syrup into the bowl, and pour hot milk, if desired, on top.

Cook’s notes: I made this in the spring, with an heirloom squash from Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch, in Half Moon Bay, California. Sadly, I forget which variety it was, but happily, a 10-inch chef’s knife did a fine job of cutting it into slices. No machete required.

I found piloncillos at a local Mexican grocery store, in the bulk section. The store had two sizes of piloncillos, but I used the smaller, roughly 2-oz. cones and weighed them until I had 28 oz.

Though Calabaza en Tachs takes a fair amount of time on the stove, it releases one of the most amazing scents I have ever smelled in my life: spicy, sweet, and perfect for warming up the house on a chilly day.

The dish itself is delicious, but exceedingly sweet, as least to my taste buds. As a breakfast, it would be excellent as an alternative to French toast (especially for someone who is gluten intolerant). As a dessert, it’s rather filling. You may consider cutting the wedges in half for more manageable portions. Be prepared to either halve the recipe or feed a large crowd.

By Nicole Solis  February 19th, 2010 3:29 pm  |  Comments (1)

Today, Afar’s cofounder, Joe Diaz, appeared on a travel-themed episode of The Martha Stewart Show. In addition to being the doyenne of beautiful living, Martha is also an exceptionally well-traveled lady. She chose Afar as one of her daily Finds for “its focus on travel as a way to explore and connect with other cultures.”

Joe and Martha chatted about their favorite trips—China and the Galapagos for Martha, India (the birthplace of Afar) and Argentina for Joe—and of course, one of the best ways to truly get inside a culture: its food.

The other guests joining Joe and Martha were best-selling author and Afar contributor Susan Orlean, environmental advocate Alexandra Cousteau, and Flight 001 cofounder Brad John.

By Julia Cosgrove  January 28th, 2010 4:51 pm  |  Comments (2)

Irish cheese at the Temple Bar farmer's market in Dublin's Meeting House Square.

An oversize new cookbook landed on my desk right before the holidays: The Country Cooking of Ireland, by Colman Andrews. For many years, Irish cooking has been the subject of ridicule, and this book aims to change that. Andrews—the co-founder of Saveur magazine, winner of numerous James Beard Awards, and an upcoming Afar contributor—is the author to do it.

Flipping through the book’s recipes of brown bread and smoked salmon, shepherd’s pie, and Irish stew, I was momentarily transported to the year I lived in Dublin. During the week, I was there to study Irish literature. During the weekends, I felt it was my duty to eat and drink my way through the city. First stop: Bewley’s, for an overflowing Irish breakfast and some strong tea. Then on to the Temple Bar farmer’s market, where I stocked up on freshly baked soda bread, flaky smoked salmon, and artisanal farmhouse cheeses like Gubbeen and Durrus. By the afternoon, I hit a cafe or pub for some reading, accompanied by a pint of Bulmer’s cider. Dinners often entailed “takeaway” from the local chip shop.

When I think back to that year, it’s not the names of books that I remember (apologies to all my outstanding professors). Rather, memories of food and drink come flooding back.

I know that some of you are as obsessed with food as I am. What are your best food-related travel stories?

Photo by William Murphy.

By Jeremy Saum  December 23rd, 2009 9:12 am  |  Comments (3)

Dear Santa, I would like a subscription to Afar. And an edible hat.

In the second issue of Afar, on newsstands now, writer Christopher Hall takes readers on a delicious romp through Spain, sampling tapas wherever he goes. His dining companion in Madrid was Alicia Ríos, a woman who has a passionate, creative, wacky relationship with food. She makes hats out of meat, bakes entire cities, and constructs Flemish galleons from fruit. If you’re looking for inspiration or if you’ve just seen one too many holiday fruitcakes, check out Alicia’s Web site, alicia-rios.com. I recommend the Edible Representations page. 

Thanks to all of you who have helped Afar get off to such a great start this year. Happy holidays!

By Jennica Peterson  December 8th, 2009 6:00 am  |  Comments (6)

You'll shop for spices in the souk on the International Kitchen's trip to Fes, Morocco.

Thinking about a career change? On WPIX-TV, Afar co-founder Joe Diaz talks about five trips that might inspire you to work in a new field. After this trip in Morocco, you might pursue work as a chef:

Trip: International Kitchen’s “Feast for the Senses in Morocco” program
Overview: In the 1200-year-old Moroccan city of Fez, you’ll work with professional Moroccan chef Lahcen Beqqi to learn the essentials of the country’s cuisine.
Skills you’ll learn: How to choose the freshest ingredients at the market; how to combine spices such as dried ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric to create the distinct flavors of Moroccan cuisine; how to make traditional Moroccan dishes such as lamb tagine, couscous, and cornes de gazelles—crescent-shaped pastries filled with almond paste.
Other highlights: Visiting the tanneries and an auction of Fez’s famous soft leather. Sleeping in a renovated 14th-century palace in Fez’s medina.
Price: from $2,800 for a six-day trip

Four other career-changing trips:

• Work alongside marine biologists in Greece
• Live the life of an organic vintner in New Zealand
• Help healthcare workers in Guatemala
  
• Teach English and surf in Bali

Photo courtesy of the International Kitchen

By Jennica Peterson  November 3rd, 2009 5:30 am  |  Comments (1)

Step 2: Process the cocoa beans with the help of Belizean locals.

Step 1: Pick cocoa pods.

If you really love chocolate, why not travel to its source and make it yourself? On Elevate Destinations’ Belize Chocolate Tour, you’ll visit an organic cocoa farm, pick cocoa pods, then grind, roast, temper, and mold the beans into chocolate bars with the help of locals.

Based in Punta Gorda, the trip includes a tour of Mayan ruins, a day volunteering with Sustainable Harvest International, and a sunset boat cruise on the Moho River–chocolate rum cocktails served onboard.

Step 3: Enjoy ooey gooey chocolatey goodness.

$3700 per person. From February 13 to 20, 2010, in time for Valentine’s Day.

Photos courtesy of Elevate Destinations.