31 Jul 2015
by scolgin
in Eating Out, On the Road, Recipes
Tags: Au Pied De Cochon, Canada, food, Montreal Poutine, poutine, Poutineville, Quebec City, Quebecois cuisine, Ruffles, Trader Joe's
It began with our first meal in Quebec City at a joint across the street from the loft where we were staying called Poutineville — our love affair with the uniquely French Canadian comfort food called poutine.
Poutine with smoked meat and jalapeños at Poutineville in Quebec City
I had heard about poutine and read more about it while researching for our trip — it is, in its simplest form, french fries, gravy and cheese curds. As you travel through eastern Canada, you will see all manners of creative and — in some cases — obscene variations.
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24 Jul 2015
by scolgin
in Recipes
Tags: bak kwa, chili crab, food, Hainanese chicken rice, humor, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, Singaporean cuisine, travel
“There must be more to Singapore cuisine that bak kwa,” I thought to myself.
The dried sweet meat our friend Shoba brought us back from the tiny island nation — her home turf — was certainly delicious. But there had to be more.
Hainanese chicken rice
Other than writing a marketing blurb here or there for one or the other cruise line about the Jurong Bird Park, breakfast with tigers at the zoo or Singapore slings at Raffles Hotel, I hadn’t really thought much about Singapore before Shoba entered our lives. More
07 Jul 2015
by scolgin
in Beverages, On the Road, Pork, Recipes
Tags: Adirondacks, Au Pied De Cochon, Big Wolf, Brooklyn Brewing Co., cocktails, New York, Tupper Lake, wild mushrooms
We arrived at the lake, the last destination and second half of our epic East Coast road trip, on the eve of Independence Day. It felt uniquely American, crossing the border from distinctly French Quebec, to be winding along northeast country roads, past farms and cottages and through quaint villages, adorned with American flags, one and all.
Sunset on the lake
It had been raining on and off all week in the Adirondacks, and one of the first things I noticed walking the Buck Summerhill Camp at Big Wolf Lake was a mushroom — a surprising revelation for a summer day. On a July 4 morning walk, up with the sun, I found not only Lost Pond but also a bag full of mushrooms — including several birch boletes, some black trumpets and a single lovely porcini. More
19 Jun 2015
by scolgin
in On the Road, Recipes, Starlets
Tags: Barley Forge Brewing Co., Camping, Cub Scouts, green papaya salad, Joshua Tree, pad thai, Santa Maria grilling, Thai food, Topanga Pack 24
Our last Cub Scout camp out ever — and I wanted to make something special for the Saturday group dinner.
Already being in the cultural mash-up mode, I opted for traditional Thai — a tropical cuisine whose flavors might adapt nicely to the particular leisurely pace of a desert camp out.
Willa, the desert and stormy skies
We got to our friends Greg and Mary Ann’s private property, Camp Nylen in the Joshua Tree desert around 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, the first ones to arrive. After opening camp and getting settled in, I began simple dinner preparations for the three families that would be there that evening. I had made a pesto pasta and brought a couple steaks. Greg arrived with his son Gram, pal Vic and his sons Miles and Logan got there with five different kinds of Aidells sausages, and we got ready to throw some red oak logs on the Santa Maria grill. More
11 Jun 2015
by scolgin
in Observations, Pork, Recipes
Tags: antojitos, Au Pied De Cochon, birria, Ferran Adria, foie gras, Mercado de la Merced, Mexico City, Montreal, Nobu Matsuhisa, tacos
I was up in the street the other day chatting with Max Waterman, son of our neighbors Chris and Glennis. Max is a food-loving chap — he spent time working on a graduate degree in London, where he hosted dinners and sussed out the best street foods, watering holes and gastronomic destinations.
Watermen and their margaritas
He was now on summer break from Berkeley and his further educational pursuits, Chris and Glennis would be temporarily relocating to New Orleans soon, and it would be one of our last opportunities to get together. I suggested margaritas at our house. For food, I would serve a handful of antojitos — the Mexican equivalent of tapas: small bites and street foods. More
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