BELGIUM + AMSTERDAM

Sara Forte · May 5, 2013

A few more notes on recent travel. We took the high speed train from Paris to Antwerp, Belgium. We stayed there for a few nights and then up to Amsterdam for a few nights. I don't have as comprehensive of lists for these locations as we cooled it a little after the passionate approach we took to eating and drinking in Paris.

// BELGIUM //

The train station in Antwerp is worth a stop in itself. It has won awards for train station design (What? Yes. That exists.) and is just beautifully done. We stayed at Atelier 20 B&B which was on the quaint grounds of St. Paul's Cathedral. The couple that runs the place was super helpful and friendly and I don't think I've ever had a lovelier view from my bedroom window (the first image in this post). A few blocks up was Normo, a great coffee shop where Hugh could get his coffee nerdery fix. We also visited Caffenation. I found a tiny little raw place where I could get some fresh juices, a welcomed beverage when my greens quota was far below average, Eten Vol Leven. Belgium is into beer and frites so to do as the Belgians do, we spent a few evenings at The Paters Vaetje. This was a "brown bar" local dive sort of place with over a hundred Belgian beers. It was not "sprouted kitchen-esque" per se, but we had a great time watching people. Maybe the most eclectic lunch experience was at Lombardia for veggie burgers. The menu in itself was confusing but the food proved simple and good. We enjoyed a few Thai dinners, pizzas take-away from a nearby Italian spot and grocery store provision picnics. We wandered the Grote Market (lovely at dusk - my favorite time to stroll). While we didn't make it to the MAS, you can get your art fix there.

We spent one day in Brugge (which in my opinion, is all the time you need there). It is known for the retention of its original European charm. We had a light lunch at Le Pain Quotidien which started in Belgium despite having dozens of locations now. We collected chocolates and speculoos treats while weaving through the small streets. I don't think I've ever seen such a density of chocolate shops.

// AMSTERDAM //

We rented an apartment in the Jordaan area, a great neighborhood, and I really loved having the extra space and kitchen. It was less expensive than a hotel too. We gathered produce and goodies for the apartment at the Noordermarkt. Bought the best brownies either of us have had in awhile at one of the bakery stands. They were some cross between a pudding cake and brownie and muffin which sounds heavey, but in truth they were just right. We may have walked away with a bag full.

There was apple cake down the street at the highly suggested Winkel. The cake was great, but I wouldn't recommend getting food there. It seems they ride off the reputation of that cake. I really enjoyed the deli salad plate atBuffet van Odette while watching the world go by on the corner patio. Brunch at Lovefood HQ - which has a sort of British spin to the menu. A little ways out of town is Restaurant De Kas (as seen in a few of these photos). It is a restaurant within a reconstructed green house and the space is just phenomenal. They source most of their food from a nearby farm and the menu changes daily. We found Stach while packing up travel snacks for the trip home. Lots of great salads, sandwiches, yummy homemade muesli and last minute gifts.

Travel and night strolls go hand in hand for us. Europe is charming by day, but my heart puddles a bit when I see it lit up in the evening. The canal streets in Amsterdam are perfect for this. A good night walk is best accompanied by a good hot chocolate (just a note for the first-time Amsterdam traveler: a "coffee shop" is not always a coffee shop. If you go looking for hot cocoa, you're just as likely find, um, something more potent than caffeine).

Ever fascinated by the holocaust, I LOVED going through the Anne Frank Museum. A must. We also saw the FOAM photography museum, something you could probably do in under an hour. There are only four exhibitions, so I would suggest checking what they are online to see if they are of interest. You can take the free ferry across over to The Eye where you can see a movie and/or have a drink in their restaurant with a phenomenal view of the city. You really must rent bikes, at least for a day or two. We rode around through Vondelpark, a great spot for walking or picnicing as well.

One of my favorite parts of this leg of the trip was meeting Sarah Britton of My New Roots while she was in town teaching a few classes. I believe I have a sixth sense of reading people, and I know a good egg when I see it. Sarah is as light and wonderful as you'd assume from reading her site. I left our chat feeling inspired and grateful for what a tangled and fantastic world the blogsphere is.

We planned to have a nice dinner out our last evening, but ran into all my final choices being closed on Mondays (I had lots of recs for Balthazars, but we were there all nights it was closed. Add it to your notes to check out). We grabbed pizzas from La Perla and an inexpensive twist top cabernet from the market, talked highs and lows of the trip and made a list of all the places in the world we hope to see. It was my favorite meal of the entire trip, just sitting on a park bench, laughing in retrospect at my mid-trip hormonal meltdown. Food is as good as the company you keep while dining. You are my favorite person, Hugh Forte.

“We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other.”

― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

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Appetizer, Side, Gluten Free, Spring

GRILLED ASPARAGUS PLATE + CILANTRO PEPITA PESTO

Sara Forte · April 22, 2013

We're home! We'll do a small travel post on Belgium/Amsterdam, but I have been anxious to cook in my kitchen. We had an apartment rental the last leg of our trip, so I was able to make a few simple meals, but it's just not the same as your home kitchen. My hope was that in time away, I would be inspired to cook and create. Taking a break, it being impossible to cook even if I wanted to (most of the time), seemed the very thing I needed. I want to read more books about nutrition, to test more ideas and see them through, I want to be fearless in the recipes I write and to stay curious about food by learning from other authors and chefs. I want this work I do to be a reflection of the boldness I am focusing on this year. There is a Henry David Thoreau quote I like, “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

I re-stocked our empty fridge the night we came home. It makes for a pretty hefty tab, but starting fresh feels so good. We are both in the mood for lighter fare after eating out so much (and in anticipation of a few work trips this month). In order to keep from salad burn out, I've been big-batching indoor grilled vegetables to have at the ready (you could very well use an outdoor grill, but ours is charcoal and I'm not up for that whole process quite yet). The sauce is the kind of thing I like keeping a big jar of in the fridge. I make more than I need and repurpose it through the week. It makes an excellent sandwich spread, tossed with noodles and tofu, or warmed grains. We had it on eggs or put a schmear under some avocado toast. I thin it with more citrus for an easy salad dressing. Clearly I like it and the recipe makes a generous amount. I haven't used pepitas in awhile and forgot what a wonderful flavor and crunch they have. Cheers to Spring produce. I welcome you.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS PLATE + CILANTRO PEPITA PESTO // Serves 4

The given recipe will give you a full 16 oz. jar worth of sauce. Maybe that sounds like a lot to you, feel free to half it. I mention other uses above and when the weeks are busy, I am grateful to have something tasty to jazz up simple meals. It doesn't have any dairy in it so I believe it would freeze well, even in ice cube trays, for later use.

1 bunch asparagus, about 1 1/2 lbs. (medium thickness stalks)
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/4 cup toasted pepitas

// cilantro pepita pesto //
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup toasted pepitas
2 tsp. sea salt
1 jalepeno (sort of seeded. you want a few for heat)
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder, to taste
one large bunch (about 4 super packed cups) cilantro, ends cut, stem is fine
juice of two large limes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
splash of water

Heat your grill, or indoor grill, over medium heat.

Cut off the dry bits of the asparagus and use a vegetable peeler to gently shave the end stalks. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus, covered, turning a few times, for about 7-9 minutes. Time will vary based on thickness of the stalks. I like mine on the snappy side.

To make the pesto, pulse the garlic, toasted pepitas and sea salt in a food processor to chop. Add the jalepeno, chipotle, cilantro and lime juice and run the processor to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive olive and a splash of water. Taste and adjust as you wish. Add more chipotle for heat, citrus juice and/or salt to brighten it, water if you prefer it thinner.

Serve the asparagus on a generous pillow of the cilantro pesto. Garnish with the minced red onion and toasted pepitas. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Travel

PARIS.

Sara Forte · April 14, 2013

I was in Paris almost nine years ago with my family. I remember loving it then; my first trip to Europe felt big. The food culture, how late people stay out, the manicured parks, the endless amount of things to do and eat and see. I knew I would be back. The cityis romantic in all ways "romantic" can be interpreted - whatever you are passionate about, whatever lights a fire in you, gets fed here. If you have been, that may make sense to you, and if you hope or plan to go, it is a place worth soaking in. I am in love with traveling for the sake of experiencing the spirit of different countries and cities. The fiestiness of the French, the frequency with which Italians yell and use their hands, the gusto the Spaniards have towards just being "out." You miss those things if you are always moving. Sit. Watch. Allow them, everyone else in the world, to change your own anthem.

We filled our days doing our share of watching and moving. I had more recommendations than we had time. I want to include a few travel posts here to mention places we enjoyed. It was so helpful to have Heidiand David's lists along with some recommendations from friends and readers. You can wander and find good food, but in a city well traveled, I appreciated being pointed in the right direction. We were in town for six days, one of which we were zombies from not sleeping on the plane and grabbed simple salad and sandwich things at the grocery store so we could just get settled and go to bed early. So, let's say five. Breakfasts were always at the hotel, something light. We stayed at Hotel Design Sorbonne the first few nights and La Belle Juliette the latter half (we adored this hotel). The room was beautiful, a little more space than an average Paris hotel room, the staff was helpful, and the bed was super comfortable. I worked at a luxury hotel for a few years and I notice details because of that experience, this hotel does a lot of things right. We ate a lot of good food, but where we stayed made this leg of the trip even better.

It never ceases to humble me that people value and make the recipes I write. We were recently nominated for the 2013 Saveur Food Blog Awards for Best Original Recipes and I found it to be another nod from the universe that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. If you feel so obliged, and I would be grateful, today is the last day to vote! Thank you :)

// PARIS FOOD //

L' As du Falafel: Hugh's last meal on earth would be a very specific schwarma from a little spot in Berlin that he can no longer remember the name of. He found this new spot on yelp (which I later realized was on every rec list I had). It is in the Marais area on a street with a handful of other falafel shops. It's a street food situation, ordering at the window and eating your sandwich off the sidewalk. I had the falafel pita and if you are in Paris, you must eat this. Its reputation is completely worth the praise. They have printed on the front door "recommended by Lenny Kravitz"...and who needs Yelp reviews when you have that?

Laduree: The service was a bit snippy, but for perfect macarons, I can overlook it. The pistachio was my favorite. We also split the chocolate and salted caramel ones in half and swapped halves to make a fabulous combo. If you are near the Canal, grab bread from Du Pain et Des Idees. The pastry will look intriguing, but go for the bread. We wanted to try a few other pastry shops but ran out of time and room in the bellies.

Rose Bakery: You may have heard of their book. The casual spot is perfect for lunch. The menu changes frequently and there were a lot of vegetarian options. I ordered the composed bowl of all of their salads and it was lovely. Reminded me that I need to make Muhummara.

Nanashi: Similar to Rose Bakery in theory with the small portions, changing deli salads and vegetables. Perfect when you want something a bit lighter and great to take-away the little boxes for a park picnic.

Breizh Cafe: This was my favorite meal but I don't qualify that by food alone. It was a warm, Sunday evening and all the doors were open. There were people out everywhere and the restaurant was bustling. We found out we like dry, hard ciders, which is what everyone drinks here. They have galettes and crepes which are filled with just the perfect amount of fillings. Mine had spring vegetables, gruyere, a runny egg and I dumped a green salad on top. So delicious. I'm going to try to recreate this simple spring meal at home.

Telescope: You can get coffee all over the place but you have to keep an eye out for "coffee shops" as we know them. This was a good find. There is a great list of other coffee shops for coffee lovers over on Lingered Upon.

Les Enfants Perdus: There is something intriguing about ordering and not really knowing what you'll get. A refreshing contrast to home. We stopped in for lunch and the kind waiter tried his best to translate, which gave us at least the focus of the dish, and we just made an educated guess. I had a lovely dish of braised whole leeks, poached eggs, greens and a chunky shallot vinaigrette, and Hugh had roast chicken with risotto. The ambiance was sweet and they have a great little shop across the way with specialty kitchen items.

Le Burgundry: We were treated to a tasting menu dinner here by the hotel. They have a Michelin star and the food has the whole molecular gastronomy feel to it. We had this delcious dessert with a sea salt shortbread, ganache and a caramely tuile. This place is for someone feeling very fancy.

Verjus Bar a Vin: Ok maybe this ties for favorite meal because the food was incredible. We ate at the wine bar and did a bunch of small plates and tried a few different wines. The combination of flavors and textures were perfect so I'm glad we were able to try a lot of different things. It is owned by an American couple and the servers were super friendly and nice. They have a full restaurant upstairs, but I liked the little cave bar.

Maime Gateaux: We weren't recommended this stop, but we noticed it was always packed so gave it a try. Perfect for a light lunch or a tea + treat break. I didn't try one as we were there for coffee and treats, but the tarte/quiche deal that seemed popular looked delcious.

// ETC. //

Walk down Rue Mouffetard - a street for the food lover. Lots of fromageries, boulangeries, charcuterie and produce stands. Pack a picnic and head to the Luxembourg Gardens. A little larger and so charming on a sunny day, Jardin Tuileries which is right beside the Louvre and across from the d'Orsay. If that isn't already too much museum for you, the L'Orangerie is located in the West corner of the garden.

We really liked Le Marais area in general, lots of shops, artists on the street and a young spirit going on. We were staying in St. Germain which is pretty central, making it super easy to get places. Then when we wanted less bustle, we'd roam Montmarte. Airbnb has short descriptions of each area that I found helpful. I think we hit every arrondissement and it was neat to see how much can change in the scope of a city. What a mesmerizing place.

Our accomodations were hosted by the Hotels Paris Rive Gauche. It was a pleasure. All opinions are my own.

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