The Blissful Glutton

After France, we took a short flight to Bilbao and immediately made our way to check out the Guggenheim before before driving a little over an hour to La Rioja, the wine region of Spain. The architecture of the building (designed by the fabulous, Frank Gehry) was unbelievable. The Spanish love (and respect) architecture and it is not uncommon to see the architect's name on a plaque outside the buildings they have designed. I like that.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Upon arriving in Rioja, we drove up the winding streets to Laguardia, an enclosed village on a hill, for a quick bite and some exploring.

The streets of Laguardia

Every "block" has a bunch of restaurants and bars, so we just popped into the first one we saw and grabbed a couple of tapas and a glass of wine.

Assortment of tapas

Hams and sausage

After checking into our hotel and grabbing a quick siesta, we made our way to Meson Chuchi in Fuenmayor for some dinner. Chuchi is a typical asador or restaurant where many items--like the baby goat my parents shared--are cooked in fire.

Fried chorizo

Mushrooms with parsley and garlic (OMG)

Shrimp cooked on the plancha (I can never resist whole shrimp)

I crashed hard that first night. I guess I did not realize how tired I was from all the traveling. After ordering a strong pot of coffee, I opened my curtains to this view:

A lovely start to a relaxing day centered around winery tours and serene scenery.

Winery# 1: Viña Real

The winery

One of the caves built into the side of a mountain

Some of the barrels located underneath this glass floor:

Great winery and I was a fan of the Imperial Grand Reserva.
It was time for lunch, so we drove to Logroño for a little walk and some tapas.

One of the side streets

Assortment of tapas

Chorizo on toast

Winery#2: Viña Tondonia



This was my favorite winery because of the knowledgeable tour guide who guided us through the mold-lined walls of the old caves. It was kind of dark and creepy (I expected Bella Lugosi to emerge from the shadows at any time), but I learned so much.

Barrels

Wine bottles covered in mold (they are only cleaned with a damp cloth before being sold)

Our guide serving us wine during the tasting portion

Manchego and Marcona almonds (I could live off both)

Winery #3: Marqués de Riscal

The hotel (designed by Gehry) located on the same land as the winery

Just a shot of this crazy pollen that was falling from the sky during our entire visit. It looked like it was snowing. So bizarre.

A view from the town of Laguardia where we went for dinner that night.

Jamón ibérico

Spinach and shrimp croquetas

Pochos: a mixture of white beans, chorizo and pork fat. Delicious!

Winery#4: Muga (the final tour)




A little of this might have made its way back in my suitcase...


Our final meal for the trip was at another asador in Fuenmayor, Alameda. I had left my camera at home to give my family a break from all the picture taking and just let them enjoy. But (of course), my sister insisted I take pictures with my mother's camera because the meal was so impressive. The executive chef was a seriously talented older lady accompanied by a grill master. This was my hands down favorite meal of 2008. Simple, clean and so flavorful food in a modest setting. Here are some highlights:

Smooth gazpacho with a crisp piece of chorizo

Perfect croquetas

My parents and I chose a bone-in ribe eye which the chef told us was aged 10 years. Not sure if something was lost in translation (even though we were speaking Spanish), but the steak was seriously the size of a something you'd see on the "Flinstones" and the best steak I have ever eaten in my life. The chef cut it from this large block of meat before slowly (and, I mean slowly) cooking it on a gentle fire so all the fat would melt off. No salt or seasoning was added until the very end.

This was the end result:

Like butter. I will dream of this steak for a very long time.

Well, I am home now and still catching up on the work I missed when I was gone. But, it was a great trip overall. I am just so thankful my family is able to take these trips together even though we are all grown up and have our separate lives. I don't know what I would do without them or the memories. Until next time...

~Bliss~

Sotto Sotto continues to be one of my favorite Italian places in the city. Went with a friend for an impromptu dinner and it was great as usual. My salad and pasta were perfection and so soothing. Since I wasn't drinking any wine, we got out of their for $25/each after tip. Not bad considering the quality and portion size. Still going strong after all these years.

TBG Reader, Nicci Robertson, has found fresh mangosteens in Atlanta. She sent in the following report with photos. Thanks, Nicci.  

I get the occasional hankering for chocolate, but a square or two is really all I need to satisfy the beast. And, since I prefer sweet and savory combinations rather than the basics, these Vosges gift sets are perfect for me. For around $25, you get 9 mini candy bars in some of their most popular "exotic" varieties (the bacon and chocolate is not included). Available at Whole Foods and on Vosges' website.

I am back in the States and still a bit out of it from the time change (I promise my Rioja post will be up soon). However, nothing gets me back into the swing of things like my weekly trip to the Local Farm Stand at Star Provisions. Whether you support the local food movement or not, there is no debating the quality of ingredients available to us from our local farmers. 

This mound of veggies (not including the yummy bag of Batdorf Organic French roast coffee)--a bag of cauliflower, 4 sweet onions, a bunch of scallions, garlic, spring onions, 2 bunches of turnips, 2 bunches of carrots, 2 bags of endive mix and a cluster of scapes--cost me $40 and it will last me throughout the week. Moon is in for some good cooking this weekend.

One of the best things about the Côte d'Azur is the variety of towns within a short drive. One morning we woke up and decided to drive to Italy for lunch. It only took us about 40 minutes but the trip was well worth it. We went the town of Ventimiglia which looked unassuming from the outside but was full of treasures once we we started exploring.

A street shot.

We asked a couple of locals for a lunch recommendation and they pointed us to this little pizza spot up the road run by a cute father and son team. The food was good and it was funny to suddenly be in Italy after a short drive.

Perfect calamari


Wood-fired pizza with porcini mushrooms.

After lunch, we went to check out the large outdoor food market which was very busy due to the weekend. There were loads of tables with mountains of these sun-dried tomatoes.

I got a couple of handfuls to take home. And, since I am addicted to any type of salumi, I was immediately drawn to this stand:

I asked the owners of the stand if it would be okay for me to take a photo and in true Italian fashion, they asked me for a photo of them too. Saying they were much better looking than the salumi. Funny guys.


More scenes from the market (Europe has such superior produce):

Strawberries.


Fennel.


Rabbit.


Porcini mushrooms.

After loading up on goodies from the market, we sat down at an outdoor cafe for a little coffee and one of these Sicilian beauties. They were soooo good and I am not a big sweets lover.


On our way back into France, we took a little driving diversion into Monte Carlo, Monaco.



The city was packed and there were barricades everywhere for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.


It was getting late so we started making our way towards Nice for dinner. What a beautiful little town. We just walked the narrow streets and took in the scenery. I spied these amazing street lamps in the main square near the massive museum of modern art. So cool.




Our dinner reservations were at a tiny little restaurant called, La Table Alziari owned by the same people that make this gorgeous olive oil (you can buy it at certain stores in the states ).

The restaurant's owner was a bit scattered we quickly forgave him because the food was delicious.

Salad with fresh white beans and shredded tuna.


The best tartare (no joke) I have had in a long time.


Homemade frites.

We did not have much time the next day because we had to make it back to the festival, so we drove to Saint-Tropez for a quick tour of the town. What a cute city!

It just so happened that it was a local holiday and the whole town was dressed in red and white. Quite festive. We even caught a local marching band near the water.

I found a great seafood spot, Astoux et Brun,  in Cannes for our last meal after the festival that night. They don't take reservations, but the wait is not an issue when you consider the quality of the seafood you are getting. The place was packed with industry folks and every table had a large platter of assorted oysters and the like. Great meal.

Baby snails.

An all in all great trip to France and I can definitely recommend the area to any fellow Francophiles who would like to go somewhere aside from Paris. We are now spending our last days in La Rioja before heading home. Stay tuned for those pictures and my recap as soon as I get a moment! Heading to Muga right now for a tour.

Every year my family and I try to take a trip together in May. Being the world traveler that he is, challenging my Dad when it comes to locations has become a little a game for us. So, this year, I jokingly suggested we got to Cannes for the film festival thinking there was no way in hell he was going to pull it off. I am a huge film fan so going to the festival has always been a dream of mine. Instead of a "yeah right," he replied to my email with "I'll get back to you." I did not know what to think. A month later, he forwards me an email confirming tickets for the 4 of us for some of the showings. I was shocked and so excited.

Since we were going to be in Cannes, we decided to add on some days and see the whole Côte d'Azur/French Riviera because my sister and I had never been to this part of France. We chose a hotel set in on the picturesque hillsides of Tourrettes (about 35 minutes from Cannes) and planned on seeing as many neighboring towns as possible. We have only been here for a few days but have already gotten plenty in. Let’s just say, I know where I am going to retire.

The first night, we went to Restaurant de Bacon, a little place renowned for its bouillabaisse. Not only was the view beautiful, but the food was just plain amazing. Best bouillabaisse I have ever had in my life and the rest of the meal was gorgeous too.

View from the restaurant


Brandade

Crostini and rouille for bouillabaisse


Bib the placed on my Dad for his supper.


Bouillabaisse with langouste.


Mille-feuille with fraise des boise.


Fraise des boise.

View from our room.

We woke up the next morning pretty tired from out trip from Marrakech but tried to rally as best as we could to get out the door and see some of the neighboring towns before returning home to get ready for the festival that night. We just drove around the countryside (amazing) and stopped in Fayence for some lunch at a little cafe.

Town sign.


Frites


Niçoise salad.


My Mom's steak tartare

Just some scenery from our walk around town after lunch:






That night, we headed to the festival and I was an absolute bundle of nerves. I am such a klutz and had the sick feeling I was going to trip over my gown on the red carpet in front of all the celebrities and press. This is what was waiting for me when I got out of the car:

I don't know how the celebs do this all the time. I got out of the car and made my way trying to look as normal and composed as possible. And...

...I actually made it to the top without tripping! Since beggars can't be choosers, we took whatever tickets we could get and ended up with "Kung Fu Panda" for the first night. Moon, who gave me a "pass" if I happened to meet John Cusack (some crushes never die), got a really kick out of that and texted me, "You traveled all the way to Cannes to see that? Classic!!"

Art film or not, the whole experience was very surreal and it was crazy to be standing next to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (who both look amazingly normal in real life). I have never been much of a celebrity whore, but I have to admit I was the tiniest bit starstruck at the sight of them. It was also very strange to be sitting in the same theater as them, Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu and all the other cast members while watching the movie they acted in (even though it was animated). I cannot imagine how it will be when we are watching a regular flick in the coming days.

After the movie, we headed to a seafood restaurant near the water where I had some amazing belon oysters and loup de mer baked in a salt crust while fireworks blasted over the waterfront.

Oysters


Loup de mer.

I am so in love with this place. We had an even crazier day today, but you'll just have to tune in later for that report. I am beat and hitting the sack.
~Bliss~

Finally able to get into my account! Seems the Blogger website is not accessible in Morocco. Perhaps it was banned like Youtube once was? Aside from that minor annoyance, my visit was extremely enjoyable and full of such contrasts. The Moroccan people are quite possibly the most hospitable and accommodating people I have met on any of my trips and the food, oh the food. I took lots of great photos and saw many of the sites—yes, I actually do things aside from eat on my trips! A shocker, I know. So, I’ll pepper this post with a few of my favorite sites, but you can see my full album HERE. Let’s start from the beginning.


Driving from the airport.

After arriving early in the morning, we visited a Hammam to have treatments—a recommended activity as it really helped me loosen up after the long flight. When I say this was the best spa experience ever (and, I consider myself a bit of a junkie), believe me. After sipping on some strong fresh peppermint tea (the first of many glasses), my sister and I were led into a steamy blue tiled room with fountains overflowing with pink rose petals. After relaxing on some towels for a few minutes, two women entered and washed us with black soap (Savon noir) before scrubbing the heck out of us with these little mitts. After the scrub we were covered in a special mud and left to dry. The treatment finished with a good wash in some Argan oil-laced hot water and a relaxing massage with rose oil. It was absolute heaven and we came out with glowing skin smelling like rose petals.

After the Hammam, we jumped in taxi to go check out a spot in the Medina recommended a local. He referred to it as a “meat boutique” and informed me there are many of these around Morocco. Any mention of lamb and grilling to my father and we are there. The way it works is you choose your meat and then they go grill it over charcoal. There is a small glass case filled with freshly butchered cuts, but we just chose the mix of merguez sausage (my favorite sausage in the world), ground lamb patties and lamb chops. While the meat is being cooked, the waiter arrives with bowls of freshly ground cumin, crunchy salt, an assortment of local olives, some small tomato salads and loaves of slightly sweet bread.

Cumin and salt


Bread and tomato sauce


Olives


Meat

When the main comes, you grab the meat with the bread—your utensil—although I saw many people using their fingers, which were subsequently covered in hot lamb fat. This is a meal that definitely brings the out your inner carnivore, because I abandoned the bread halfway through.

To ensure we did not fall into a meat coma, we headed to the Djemaa el Fna, a market around the corner. This market is know for being a foodie's paradise after dark and Bourdain hit it on his TV show, but we had other plans every night. Instead, we walked around the maze of vendor-lined alleys after buying a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice at one of the stands in the main square. The juices in Morocco are insane and we actually had a couple of orange trees outside our bedroom window.

Street leading to the market


Citrus at the juice stand


Glass of orange juice


Spices for sale 


Dried flowers


You can't see it but there were honey bees that seemed trained to hover over these type of stands. Really amazing to see and the sweets were very good.


Dates

Upon returning to the hotel with my tagine in hand (if you do go and want to buy one, make sure you don't get talked into one that is for decor only. Look for unadorned ones with a heavy feel), we plopped down on the couches in the bar for some afternoon tea and sweets.


Tea with my father, the hand model.


Assorted sweets

That night we went for a diffa, or a multi-course feast, at Le Tobsil. After arriving to the area where the restaurant is located, a representative greets you and leads your party down a long abandoned alley. My family and I nervously smiled at each other, but I know they were all thinking, "what the hell has Jennifer gotten us into this time?" All of sudden, we reached a large wooden door and it creaked opened. A smiling woman peered out and greeted us as she opened the door to a gorgeous old house decorated in warm yellows and reds.

A pair of musicians played in the corner and rose petals were strewn everywhere. I had done good. You don't place an order at this type of restaurant, so we just sat down a sipped on our fresh fruit juice spiked with a little vodka.

After a bit, our waiter brought us a large assortment of salads and bread.

Next came the first tagine, a lemon and chicken variety, that was so tender and full of flavor.

After the chicken, we were treated to a lamb and fig tagine which was out this world. There are no words to describe this.

A massive bowl of couscous (the best I have ever had) covered in vegetables came next. It also had a small bowl of light gravy to drizzle on top.

To finish, we were given a poached pear and some of that wonderful Moroccan mint tea. I am addicted and will be replicating this at home as soon as I get a proper pot (I was told the more silver the better).


Our check came in a small box filled with rose petals. What a lovely evening. I would definitely recommend the restaurant.

The next day was our day with a guide when we went to see the city's many attractions. On our way to one of the locations, I spied an open door to the fires beneath a Hammam. Locals bring their tagines to such places and leave them to cook all day before picking them up. See the cluster of them in the corner? The smell of cooking meat and fire was unreal.



Bags of goodies on the side of the street.

One of the most beautful places we visited was the Ben Youssef Madrassa, an old Islamic College. The architecture was gorgeous. Here are some pics.







For lunch, we headed to Al Fassia, a place I'd found in my guide book (Time Out puts out such great travel books). The restaurant is run by sisters and an all woman staff. They source their ingredients from small producers rather than large distributors and the flavor was definitely there. Such a quaint little place and excellent service.


Pastilla with pigeon.


Lamb kebabs


Couscous with braised lamb and vegetables.


Lamb tagine with eggplant.


Lamb tagine with prunes.

Just a few more pics of some of the sites, I promise...

At doorway at the Majorelle Gardens

Some random architecture:






When we saw this little patisserie and had to stop inside and grab a few treats for later.






We had a great trip and it was nice to finally see Morocco after wanting to all these years. Just beautiful, but four days was more than enough because it is an intense place (even for me). Stay tuned for my next stop. You'll just have to wait to find out where.

~Bliss~