Food Lit: Best Food Writing 2009

Have a full time job other than reading, writing and eating? I do. Maybe someday I won't but for now my life tends to revolve around work. No husband, no kids. I work. I get nicely rewarded for it but it does tend to eat into the time that I would otherwise like to spend reading the great food writing that is happening all over the U.S. (and the world). As my stack of magazines waiting to be read attests to, I can't keep up. And then every year in comes Holly Hughes' Best Food Writing and I feel a lot better. I feel a little less like I have fallen behind, especially when I read this collection and realize just how many pieces I actually read in real time (about 30% this year).

In Best Food Writing 2009, Hughes has taken the cream of the crop of what was written this past year and outs it into one easily manageable book. There are pieces from magazines (RIP, the last year we will see anything from Gourmet), newspapers, and even chapters from books. Francis Lam, Ruth Reichl, Lettie Teague (my favorite Food & Wine writer) and many others fill the pages with pieces that will make you laugh (the piece about New Orleans with M.F.K Fisher made me reach for a cocktail) and cry (Kliman's piece about his father's death had me in tears). I also learned a delightfully senseless amount about marshmallow fluff, foie gras, pregnancy cravings and picky toddlers. I loved the range that was presented here and even if a piece wasn't personally motivating, I knew that the next one likely would be.

If you like food writing, this book is a definite yes. Once again, Hughes did a great job selecting top form pieces of writing on interesting topics. Side note: local writer Rachel Hutton's piece on Spam is included!

Food Lit: The Food of a Younger Land

The Great Depression was obviously a harsh time in American history. However, so much of what we appreciate today came about as a direct result of the economic turmoil that happened in the 1930s. America has beautiful bridges and rural areas that no longer flood each season, the Diego Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Art are a memory of my youth in Michigan, and we have one of my high school arch enemies, The Grapes of Wrath. One piece of the immense alternative human output at this time was the writing project of how America Eats, part of the Federal Writer's Project. Unlike the other examples above, however, the final work was never published as the Second World War shifted the focus of the nation. Never published, that is, until now.

In The Food of a Younger Land, Mark Kurlansky pulls a selection of pieces from the historic project on American food traditions (as stored in the Library of Congress) and publishes them into a collection that geographically travels across the nation and artistically roams from recipes to narratives to poems. The writing is at times fabulous and, at others, very rough, but all together the pieces are true insight into 1930s America and what people were eating and what they thought of the traditions of the generations before them. I sat having moments thinking about how much has changed (slavery) but also how much has remained the same (politicians throwing parties). The writers show great pride in the traditions of their particular regions and states, from picnic throwing capabilities to Native American ways to grunions to maple sugar. The book is an excellent culinary roadtrip.

Yet, this was no easy book to read, with ever-shifting topics, varying writing skills and thoughts that popped to mind with each piece worth pondering. In fact, from start to finish, it took me a good 6 months. But I do believe it was well worth my patience as I now have a better sense of where the traditions we see around the U.S. may have come from and feel a renewed appreciation for the creativity that thrived during the last Great Depression.

Heidi's

My brother lives in New York City and has an 18 month old daughter. I love her (and usually him) to pieces but it does mean that they don't visit me and I instead visit them. Except yesterday, when my brother spontaneously flew to Minneapolis and told me to take him to a great dinner. Oh wait, he offered to buy me a great dinner (thank you!).

And then I stressed out.

Why, you ask? Um, because every chef in town was likely to have handed the reins of their kitchens over to the sous chef and headed down to Hotel Minneapolis for the Sameh Wadi Iron Chef party or back home to their couches to watch the Vikings. Uggghhhh. How stressful! My brother is arguably even more of a foodie than myself, a food savant with his memory of past meals. I felt the pressure to represent Minnesota and not let him down. I would not lose face!Breathe, Red Pepper, breathe!

New strategy. Not just a great restaurant, now a great sous chef was needed. Kudos to Stewart Woodman for always talking about the talents of David Vlach because that's why Heidi's took my brother's hard earned cash last night. And then, what a treat, there was Stewart in the kitchen anyways, as I saw him venture out a couple of times to check on a large private party in the adjoining dining room.

The new winter menu was divine. We had an excellent meal.

My brother ate the entire plate of butter, one my favorite parts of dining at Heidi's. The bread was a bit tough last night but the butter made up for it: soft, salty and delicious.

He then moved on to the Shefzilla's surprise of Crab Nachos, apparently a redux of a favorite menu item. I tasted the cilantro pesto atop and the pepper "jelly beans". My brother then took a break from the butter and crunched his way through the crabby, yet perfectly plated, nachos. I immediately moved in on the soft poached hen egg with savory bread pudding and mint pea sauce. I loved the hen egg dish on the menu this summer and here was that perfectly gelled egg again, this time with a little carb and lots of pretty little flowers. I felt like I was eating spring, in January!

I promised my advertising network that I wouldn't swear but I would if I could, so let's just call it "Darn" Good Tofu! Hats off, standing ovation. I want more. Now. The crispy kataifi wrapped tofu, fermented black bean sauce, cucumbers, and pickled shiitakes was a vegetarian's umami wet dream. Wow, that wasn't family friendly. So not sorry. My bird's nest ensnared tofu was crispy on the outside and hot all the way through, laid atop a salty, succulent sauce. More pretty little flowers on top of it made me feel like it was my birthday. The brother ordered the special, a rack of lamb over lentils with some other vegetables thrown in. I was too busy paying attention to the crispy tofu to focus on his food! I did like the dehydrated corn kernels on his dish which I happily snared - they were playful and tasty! He cleaned his plate so I will simply assume all was good...

Did I mention that we ate the black truffle pappardelle too, dipping the bread in the fancy olive oil then into the pappardelle? If you come to Heidi's, order this dish. I demand it of you.

Dessert. Oh yeah. We couldn't decide on just one to share. The chocolate pistachio cake arrived at the table and made us laugh outloud with its resemblance to Whoopie Pie! I have never had a Whoopie Pie but lately Williams-Sonoma has been marketing the heck out of the idea in their catalog to the point of overdoing it. I am thinking that Heidi's version wins. Although it was a bit hard to break through all of the layers, the chocolate was intense and then the pistachio was subtle in one bite, intense in another. Then there was more chocolate sauce on the plate and a dark chocolate orange sorbet to go with it. Chocolate overload, in a good way. The banana napoleon with caramel creameux and walnuts was my brother's choice. It was a bit more subtle and I loved the caramel creameux.

Sit back and soak it all in. This was an excellent meal. Thank you for being open on a Sunday and giving us the quality I often don't expect at restaurants on a Sunday or Monday night.

Thumbs Up: Great meal altogether, warm atmosphere, attentive service
Thumbs Down: Why quibble?

Heidi's 819 W 50th Street Minnneapolis www.heidismpls.com

Rainbow

Eat Street. After work, my car just wants to head towards home, not beyond, and Eat Street is beyond. But this month, a friend coordinated a visit to Chinese collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts followed by dinner at Rainbow. Good art and fun friends will definitely detour my car.

The art was better than the food. The Chinese collection at the MIA is gorgeous and a lot of it is rather new (thanks to the generosity of the Daytons). We studied only about 6 pieces as a group and our volunteer guide did a wonderful job really making the art come alive in time and beauty. From the passion of ancient art we slipped and slid down Nicollet to Rainbow where a group of 13 of us feasted.

I ordered one of my Szechuan favorites, eggplant in garlic sauce. I was sorely disappointed as it was very different than the dish I have typically enjoyed. This variation had a small amount of eggplant supplanted by plenty of onion, red peppers, and green peppers. The sauce was bright orange colored and had no heat, despite the menu warning. I expected the onions and peppers from the menu description but I didn't anticipate so little eggplant and so much orange sauce. I felt like I was eating a variation of "sweet and sour" rather than a great kicked up garlic sauce. I packed the leftovers to take home, which then tipped over in the white carton on my car seat and leaked everywhere while I drove. As I cleaned up the terrible mess in the negative 16 degree night, I swore under my breath just a little but also noticed how strangely fluorescent this sauce really was.

The icky mess on my new car's seat could potentially have clouded my judgment so I decided that I couldn't write my blog about Rainbow without going back. This time rather than sitting in the pretty dining room, I phoned in an order for take out on an evening when the traffic was so horrible on Highway 100 and 394 that I missed yoga class (miss the workout, may as well be bad...). Is it horrible that I noticed that no one at the restaurant or working there either time was Chinese? Does this matter? I definitely notice that Little Szechuan, Evergreen and Teahouse all do have Chinese customers when I eat in their restaurants.

My second round of food from Rainbow was more interesting than the first but still nothing to I could crave. I avoided the more normal looking dishes on the menu and ordered the Taro Cake, which was like a big omelet with taro in it, and the Tofu with Fresh Cilantro Salad. I didn't dislike my food at all and even tossed the leftover tofu into a green salad the next day for lunch. But I just wasn't that excited about any of it. Thankfully it wasn't fluorescent.

Rainbow might have plenty of win "Best Of" awards for their Chinese cuisine up on the wall behind the register but I don't think it compares to Teahouse or Little Szechuan.

Thumbs Up: Nice dining room, good parking
Thumbs Down: Lackluster food, was that really garlic sauce?

Rainbow 2739 Nicollet Ave Minneapolis www.rainbowchinese.com

D'Amico Kitchen

After the return to Trattoria Tosca, it felt like it was time to return to another newer restaurant and see how things have been holding up. Thus, last week I returned to D'Amico Kitchen at Chambers.

In a deja vu moment, the service experience was oddly very similar to that previous visit: right as we sat down customers near us monopolized the waiter and we had to sit for a good ten minutes in the half-full dining room before being able to order even a drink. In fact, we flagged down a passing employee to ask some questions about the menu. Thankfully, after those first ten minutes, everything quickly recovered and the waiter became quite good, having strong knowledge of the menu and not being afraid to make recommendations (always appreciated rather than the oft said "everything is wonderful!".

I started with the chicory, prosciutto, persimmon, parmesan, and balsamic vinaigrette salad on said waiter's recommendation and it was delightful (even without the prosciutto). I loved the bite of the chicory matched with the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar. I actually love salads and I don't just eat them so that I feel less guilty about my entree... so I feel I can justifiably say that this was a good one.

I am no Aaron Landry in my search for the perfect pizza around the world, but I do love pizza and if your menu has one, I will be trying it. I was delighted to find out that the pizza del giorno was a vegetarian variation with vegetables and goat cheese. The pizza was advertised as thin cracker crust and that is what it delivered, but unfortunately not in a good way. I hate to say it since I despise the place but the flatbreads at Redstone hands down outdid this pizza. The D'Amico Kitchen pizza was terribly dry - the crust, yes and perhaps expected, but the toppings were also just dry, dry, dry. I saw some sauce on the top but it was crusty hard and dried from the oven. My expectations were so much higher than what was delivered so I was very sad. I still ate it because I was hungry but it wasn't making me happy...

That leaves me with little inspiration to return to D'Amico Kitchen: the midweek dining room lazked buzz and the food was only okay. Am I missing something that is the most amazing dish in the world at D'Amico Kitchen? Right now I am missing Jean-Georges...

Thumbs Up: Nice chicory salad, knowledgeable server
Thumbs Down: Too many small menus left leaning on the table, dried out pizza

D'Amico Kitchen 901 Hennepin Ave S Minneapolis www.damico-kitchen.com

Foot Lit: In-And-Out Burger

In college we all make mistakes and one of mine involved a boy from Orange County. He was very interested in things that just plain confused this Midwest gal: Van's shoes, beach cruisers, long-boarding and, perhaps most perplexingly, In-And-Out Burgers. Huh? I said and shrugged, given that I could have cared less about a fast food burger. I grew up on Hardee's and became a vegetarian at 15. What do you expect?

It was interesting how much of an impression that interaction with him made, however, because I started to notice In-And-Out Burger, whether when I landed at the airport in Vegas or drove out to a wedding in Temeculah, California (my carmates salivated until we stopped). I have a vague memory of some fries at one point but other than that, I don't think I have actually eaten In-And-Out Burger. Regardless, it was apparent that there was a story there... something about this obsession I saw in one California boy and then in others was intriguing. Other fast food restaurants were not seeing this from their fans. Thus, when I saw Stacy Perman's In-And-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain that Breaks All the Rules, I couldn't resist the Kindle download. Food and business combined... two of my favorite topics.

The story of In-And-Out Burger is fascinating. The entrepreneurial zest of the founders, the turnover to succeeding generations and then the gossipy challenges that exist for the company today keep the story fresh and alive. Was this the most professionally written book I have ? Not at all. But was it interesting? Definitely. As a business person you can learn about the value of quality and about great people management. If you are going to open a restaurant or any business where people are on the front line, I would read this book. As a foodie, you get to savor the simplicity of the menu and ingredients (and the amazing marketing of the secret menu). As a person, though, I can't really savor the family now in charge and wonder if the magic can continue with the third generation of family ownership.

Great story, interesting read, perplexing future....

Foot Lit: Cod

I love food and I love American history. Finding a book that combines both topics is like a motherload.

Mark Kurlansky's Cod: A Biography of a Fish that Changed the World was absolutely fascinating. It was a topic I knew nothing about although brief memories of random historical facts from my time living in Boston and trips to New England came screeching back in as I read. Kurlansky's book filled my mind with things to think about - how different cultures prepare and eat the same base ingredient so differently (or similarly), international fishing rights, ocean conservation, the Basque and Icelandic societies and early New England trade. This list could go on and on as the book seamlessly touches on various points of the cod fishing industry from the past 6 centuries. And to top it off, the book was infinitely readable, written by a journalist/writer rather than an academic historian.

I really enjoyed about one specific food item (although definitely used for more than food) and tracing its impact over time, overlaying the context of historical events and the impact in both directions - history on the cod, cod on history. I am inspired to pick up other recent tomes on salt and spices.

Sidetrip: Sarasota and Key West, FL

As the temperatures dipped to precipitous lows in Minnesota over the last week of December, I ventured out on my annual New Year's trip to spend time with my college roommates and the rest of an assorted motley crew that tries to get together at least once a year. The adventure started in Sarasota, where the cold temperatures from up north were dipping into Florida, leaving us with activities like shopping and hugging puppies rather than sunbathing at the beach.

This was my first visit to Sarasota (at least that I can remember!) and like so many parts of Florida it was a crazy combination of retirees, locals and tourists. In Saint Armands Circle we had a very classic restaurant meal at Cafe L'Europe, where I would guess that the menu has seen little change in the last 30 years. It was pure fun with the "regulars" at the table loving their lobster bisque and old menu favorites. The chef whipped me up a very cheesy gruyere risotto and my portabello appetizer was really nice (I think this one is perhaps a recent add to the menu...). Of course, at a restaurant where tableside preparation is still par for the course, we ended with crepes suzette.

It was certainly the "in-season" in Sarasota as queues were long at both Kilwin's and Mediterraneo. Kilwin's threw me for a loop since it was a name I had grown up with in Michigan, a fudge and chocolate-covered strawberries memory from summers working at the fort on Mackinac Island. It is coincidentally also the hot sweets shop in Sarasota, and two visits confirmed that I could probably be bought for some of their ice cream and a little chocolate on the side. My expectations were a bit low as we crushed into the madhouse that was Mediterraneo for a big group dinner. Waiters were running, people were yelling, the stress level far above the norm. In the end, it was an excellent meal. I loved the arugula salad with hearts of palm and avocado covered with thin shavings of Parmesan. The neapolitan style veggie pizza had a great crust and wonderful grilled vegetable toppings. I now know why the restarant was so very busy!!After this brief two day stop in Sarasota, it was on to the ferry in Ft Myers and 3.5 hours later we landed on southernmost tip of the continental U.S., Key West. Key West is one of those places that you tell people you are going to visit and they either look at you with jealousy and wistful memories or with abject horror (Disneyworld, New Orleans and Las Vegas are a few others). That's part of what what makes it so much fun. In one small island, you have beautiful Southern architecture, drag queens, annoying cruise boat tourists and Parrotheads. To me, that makes for one heck of a good time!

We rented a house near Duval St and basically spent the next five days relaxing with a little eating, exploring and partying thrown in. Right off the ferry, we headed for El Siboney for Cuban food, an irresistible idea given our 90 mile proximity to that forbidden island. I loved my simple black beans and rice with sweet plantains. I could eat Cuban black beans all day and be happy.
El Siboney was the first taste we had in Key West of what proved to be the norm - pretty lousy service. El Siboney didn't have the lackluster food that we were served at the rest of our meals. I also overdosed on Hollandaise Sauce, and will be happy to not have brunch for the next two months. In fact, I started to think that Key Lime Pie wasn't the major food fame of Key West and instead that it was brunch, and specifically as many variations of Eggs Benedict that one could possibly imagine. Of course, feel free to put the Hollandaise on the crepes too (another popular option). At Banana Cafe we had a mediocre dinner and a better brunch of crepes, although the service was downright lousy both times. At Croissants de France, both meals were large and only fine. Camille's was a fun atmosphere and a better breakfast than some others. Margaritaville was as touristy as one would expect. On the fancier end, I had looked forward to meals at both Michaels and Cafe Sole. Both dinners were again okay, disappointing due to the high expectations going in (although I will admit to being a bit tipsy at Michael's so that rating might be off...).
One thing I did enjoy was the ice cream at Flamingo Crossing, especially the French Chocolate. Very, very good. And I finally did get some good service in Key West and it was right as I was about to leave. I stopped off at Sarabeth's on my last morning for a solo brunch, where the waitress treated me like a princess. It was a sweet finale, made even sweeter with the Sarabeth's strawberry apricot jam.

While it may sound like I am poo-pooing Key West, in reality I am only poo-pooing the food a bit. I had very fun time exploring the streets, the varied bars on a wildly crazy scavenger hunt and just plain old relaxing with the roosters, butterflies, six toed cats and strong tasty mai tais. I am already looking forward to next year's New Year's trip. Wherever should we go?

Trattoria Tosca

Take 2.

I went once before to Trattoria Tosca and left a bit disappointed... but is was soon after they opened so I thought I would let the restaurant get seasoned up before heading back down to Linden Hills again.

It was a very cold Thursday evening and by the time we left our early dinner, the restaurant had maintained at about 1/4 full, mostly with older couples enjoying bottles of wine and pasta. I don't think I would normally spend so much time looking around at my fellow diners but since my dining companions were so boring... wait, scratch that... but since the restaurant dining room was so bright it was hard not to stay alert and keep looking around. It was simply too bright for dinnertime. I can't say that there is a perfect "mood lighting" for different times of the day but I will say that as a lady that is often on dates in the evening, please keep the lights a little lower now that I am a little older...

My other issue with the dining room is that we had a lot of cross traffic so it just felt too busy for so few guests, jarring rather than calming. It appeared to be employees who were constantly back and forth between Turtle Bread and Tosca, maybe between kitchens or something as I am not sure exactly what they were actually doing. With the lighting and the constant movement, it also made everything just seem more casual than the menu prices indicated. If I were Tosca, I would dim the lights and put up a velvet curtain in that doorway. Check, problem solved.

With the menus on the table in front of us, my companion asks if there are any specials. The waiter says no, that everything on the menu is very fresh. Hmmm, I would hope so, I don't want not fresh food, thank you. As I scanned, I quickly noted that the one vegetarian pasta option was actually the same dish that was on the menu back in August that I wasn't so thrilled with. That's not so "fresh", if that is the fresh that the waiter was implying! So instead of pasta, I went for the Vegetable Plate, which was a combination of "brussel sprouts, kale, S.S.U egg, soft polenta, cherry" (note the Brussels sprouts misspelling is theirs, not mine!). Basically, this was a combo of the side dishes from around the menu, which was totally fine by me as sides are often delicious and underexposed. To my delight, they weren't just served side-by-side, they were layered together with the creamy grana padano polenta on the bottom, covered with crunchy kale leaves and then the Brussels sprouts on top with the sunny side up egg. The cherry was a sweet garnish of sauce around the side of the plate. This whole combination sides into one real dish made me smile because this is how I eat at home, bringing together all sorts of things (often leftovers from different nights...), figuring that if they tasted good apart, they might just taste delightful put together. Nice job, Tosca, this was a yummy vegetable plate. And, to add to it, both my companions really liked their pasta dishes, the tagliatelle with pheasant confit and the garganelli with butternut squash and lobster. Our plates were clean as a whistle by the end of the meal.

So, Tosca, I don't love you yet because personally I want a pasta from you to adore, but you are starting to grow on me. Let me know when you change that vegetarian pasta dish on your menu and lower the lights. Then I will be back.

Thumbs Up: Good vegetable plate, pleasant service
Thumbs Down: Lower the lights and kill the foot traffic

Trattoria Tosca 3415 W 44th Street Minneapolis www.trattoriatosca.com

2009: Around the World in 365 Days

2009 was a year that took me by storm. I could never have guessed what amazing eating it would bring and thanks to a job that took me around the world (but always back home again to Minnesota), I experienced in one year what many people never get to see and do in a lifetime. Here is to hope that 2010 can be just as good, if not better...

When I think back to 2009, there are two prominent food memories that float right to the top: the incredible opportunities (thanks to the tough reservations AND the actual experiences )to dine at two top American restaurants Alinea and French Laundry. My wallet is lighter but I have personally experienced revolutionary dining and absolutely enjoyed comparing the two radically different meals and savoring the individual beauty of each. The gardens of French Laundry prominently featured as the background on my computer remind me every day of that amazing early September weekend in Napa celebrating my 30th birthday with great meals and fine friends.

Napa also takes me to one of what I call the wonderful 'food surprises of 2009'. These are the moments that make your heart sing with unexpected enjoyment. This is precisely my dinner at Ubuntu, where the giddy pleasure was just as much watching my carnivore friends love it as enjoying the outstanding food itself. Here in Minneapolis, I experienced the same emotion at my first meal at Sea Change, where my vegetarian dish looked like it had swum straight from the sea and was full of new flavors (grilled watermelon). New Orleans is known for its restaurants and when you try a new one, it is always risky. That giggly feeling was had at both Cafe Adelaide where I 'ladies-who-lunched' with my sister-in-law and baby niece and at Mila, where expectations were low after it was a stand in for Restaurant August but delivery was spot on.

After three years back in the Twin Cities, it is time for me to admit to some "old favorites", places I may not blog about too often but that find me in their midst quite a bit. There is nary a foodie out-of-towner that I don't take to Heidi's and they all talk about coming back to go again. And I now feel even closer to Heidi's thanks to their own blog, Shefzilla. I dream about their hen egg and fresh pea salad with truffle vinaigrette. I love ambitious flavor and Saffron delivers with a menu that is never the same regardless of how often you visit. I entertain a lot of overseas colleagues and this is a restaurant that delivers great food, imagination, and small enough portions to not embarrass (and strong enough cocktails to make sure everyone leaves happy). Dare I forget a great meal at Cafe Levain, one that makes me self control every Sunday night to not run out my door to Sunday supper? Then I remember that the man I had that meal with ended up stalking me and I hesitate. Did I feed him too well? Finally, while my heart is with Broder's, it often has not the patience to wait and thus I am excited to have discovered that Rinata has really come into its own (except the Tiramisu).

I can't mention the oldies, of course, without touching on the new restaurants in town. I had quite a few disappointments (and you all made sure to tell me to stop being so mean!): Burger Jones, Cowboy Slims, Lyndale Taphouse, OM, and Il Gatto. On the other hand, there were certainly successes including the new Northeast Social and my first "Hen of the Woods" mushrooms and that crazy dish at Sea Change. I'm also leaning positive on Bar La Grassa and D'Amico Kitchen but need to head back to check them out again (a note back to those "fans", those negative impressions above are all based on multiple visits by now except OM and you can try to convince me to go back but I am not listening...). As to Anchor, don't even get me started. Despite the recession it was not a bad year at all for the Twin Cities restaurant scene in terms of openings.

If there is one thing that took me by surprise for 2009 it was that I was given an incredible opportunity through my job to travel the world. While I don't exactly eat for a living, I do luckily work with people all over the world who like nothing more than to share their top food finds with food excited visitors like me. India by far had the most fascinating food... talk about heaven for a vegetarian. The breads, curries, street snacks, paneer, spices and teas were simply life-changing. And that black dal just made me check to see how many frequent flier miles I would need to go back and have some more. From India, I roamed Paris. Like India, Paris deserves a lot more time.


A whirlwind spring took my from Zihuatanejo to Buenos Aires to Los Cabos. In Zihua, I learned that it is always worthwhile to get out of bed for Mexican breakfasts. This was good learning since I was then found myself in Mexico City three times this past summer and fall (and yes to hibiscus flowers in food!). Los Cabos inspired me to love "fish" tacos, albeit made with fried broccoli, and gave me a much needed week to breath and let loose in between a hectic work schedule. Buenos Aires is known for steak but I will always associate it with the amazing gelato that was so smooth, creamy and dripping with Dulce de Leche.

As summer arrived, I made the first of two trips to Spain, hitting first Madrid and then later Barcelona and the Northwest Basque country. I continue to crave the freshly roasted and oiled pimientos and the harvest of mushrooms I found so abundant in the fall. Autumn also took me on my first plane trip literally around the world. A stop in Melbourne again confirmed that the Australians are one talented nation of chefs (currently obsessed with small plates) and I am still convinced that I found Sameh Wadi's soulmate there. From Melbourne, a quick jaunt to the Middle East enclave of Dubai where I managed to try nothing at all that would likely qualify as Dubai cuisine. Guess that is what Dubai is all about anyways. With swings back through New York City and Chicago to visit friends and family, I finally hung up the travel hat until New Year's (more to come on that...).

That wraps up a year I will never forget. Thanks to all for taking the journey with me and here's to hoping that 2010 is just as full of adventure and amazing food!