Vacation Eating

Hey Gang!

This is the time of year when many go on exciting vacations. What have been some of your most fun food discoveries from your travels?

I remember fresh brook-trout from a stream not twenty feet from our tent... a mushroom tasting-menu (like 15 different mushroom dishes!) from a woodsy lodge on the Columbia River in Oregon... and the best beer-battered halibut in the world in Washington's San Juan Islands.

I also remember as a child my family went on a driving vacation out west and I ate buffalo for the first time just across the South Dakota/Wyoming border in the shadow of the Tetons. And in Cripple Creek, Colorado there was an old fashioned Candy Store that sold rope licorice from a spool BY THE FOOT! ...and feeding wild deer 'Nilla Wafers by-hand at the swinging bridge of the Royal Gorge.

Oh, Lord, Kevin. There have been so many.

There was the time we went in search of the perfect crabcake, for instance, along Chesepeake Bay's eastern shore. Came as close to being seafooded out as possible.

The time we fished for grayling in Sweden, and helped our host's wife make traditional flatbread in a beehive oven. And later listened, enthralled, as she joined the other women singing the cows home.

And the ultimate surf & turf---Atlantic salmon and Ruffed Grouse---as the highlight meal during the ultimate cast & blast, at the Mirimichi Lodge, in New Brunswick.

On a multi-day wagon ride in the ruts of the Oregaon Trail we watched a yougster who'd never even seen an open fire before eventually cook dinner one night. Can't remember persactly what we ate that night---some version of 40-mile stew no doubt. But sharing his joy of discovery remains with us to this day. That and the wagonmaster bidding 9 ponies for Friend Wife after she made her signature colonial apple cake in one of his Dutch ovens.

'Mornin' Brook,

I'm jealous of your trip to Sweden- have always wanted to go... guess I just got a thang for the north-country (by the way- Atlantic Salmon? What's that? ).

Your 40-mile stew brought back memories of this cabin full of college kids I used to live near in Denali Park. These boiz were all city-slickers and didn't know much about cooking OR cabin-living. (one dude's answer to not wanting to use the outdoor crapper was simply to never eat!)

Anyway, these kids only ever ate ONE thing all summer long: "Cowboy". That's what they called it. Although it's not as boring as it sounds- 'cause it literally NEVER was the same thing twice! They opened cans, boxes, & bags- dumped the contents into a dutch oven then added granulated garlic and water, then simmered it over a campfire 'til their hunger pangs could no longer be ignored.

One night it might be nothing but beans. Next night's version of "Cowboy" didn't have a bean in it! You'd think to keep track they'd at least have written them down as "Cowboy 1" and "Cowboy 2". Nope. Just "Cowboy". Funny. But those bois survived!

I did not have to travel far just out my front door across the street and hang out, kick a rock, and shuffle my feet in the dirt, and look totally bored with life.

Then I'd hear it...."Venir aqui Catie" and there my elderly Cuban neighbor would be, calling out her back door to me "You wanna to eat?" Of-course I'd smile shyly and say back to her "Si Abuela"! (Yes Grandmother!). I'd practically run into her yard right into the house. Her back door led right into the kitchen, there first she would let me taste her Pappas Rellenos (Fried Cuban Potato Balls stuffed with a tasty Ground Beef filling in the center) next it would be crisp deep-fried Cuban pasties lovingly filled with Gauva preserves and dusted outside with powdered sugar, then a big pot of black beans that were the most flavorful black beans in the whole world!!!

She'd have me taste each item and then ask "You like?" to which I would reply "Mucho Abuela, muy mucho ver". She would then instruct me to sit down at the dining room table and the feast was spread!!! There I would be at her table all by myself (I never knew why, but everyone else would be gone from the room except she and I, they'd all be off busy watching TV or listening to the Spanish radio station) and she would bring out plates heaped with all these delectable Cuban foods, and I would eat and we would visit and I would be smiling from ear to ear between bites and bragging on her cooking . [I could speak very little Spanish, and she very little English, but somehow we understood one another perfectly!] The feasting usually lasted until I could barley push myself away from the table and we would wind down our visit. I would leave thoroughly satisfied and happily well-fed but most of all loving my Abuela !!!

So to make a long story short these are my favorites: Pappas Rellenos, Deep Fried Guava Pastries, and Black Beans with Yellow Rice!!! Eaten on a very mini-vacation right across the street from my parents home

P.S. She once invited my whole family to a big "Fiesta" that they were hosting, and the men had dug a pig pit in the yard and roasted a pig over the spit, there were other dishes and great latino music and I remember we had a ball!!! And that roasted pig was delicious, the company terrific, and the music upbeat!

>by the way- Atlantic Salmon? What's that?<

It's what those coarse, slimy, red-fleshed things you got would taste like if they weren't poor relations.

But, then again, anyone from a place where they consider spruce grouse edible just has to need ejumacating.

Seriously, you wanna talk about good eats. That lodge has a Frech chef who works wonders with game. We began that meal with a woodcock appetizer based on maple syrup. Then trussed salmon steaks a la George River and grouse breasts with grapes in a champagne sauce.

All the protein had been swimming or flying that morning. Incredible!

Unfortunately, there's only a two week window for that sort of cast & blast. And there's a long waiting list of wealthy sportsmen wanting to give it a try. So it becomes, literally, a once in a lifetime experience.

Wow- fantastic tale, Cathy, and so wonderfully, descriptively told! Dang, I practically had to wipe the guava drips and black bean remnants from my chin as I read your post! I just woke up a wee bit ago and was hungry before- but now I'm hankering in the most awful manner! Yum!

(new avatar is one of my all-time fav photos... me sandwiched between the babes of some dear friends- they are Malakai, Kylen and Kalli-May...)

RE: It's what those coarse, slimy, red-fleshed things you got would taste like if they weren't poor relations.

But, then again, anyone from a place where they consider spruce grouse edible just has to need ejumacating


Brook- it's the funniest thang... the first couple sentences of your post appear blurry and in a swirling red-fog on my end. (and I could swear I heard audio from 'The Wizard of Oz' that said: "do not peer behind the green curtain!"......... I tried everything, got real close-up, hunted a pair of bi-focals, squinted and even tried reading them thru a pickle-jar... but nothing worked! Gee- I hope it was nothing important! (BWAH- hee, hee, hee, hee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The lodge you describe sounds incredible! Among my many likes are those things rustic & woodsy in manner and traveling to and soaking-up vibes at a place like you describe appeals to me perhaps more than even lazy beach-napping!

And the food- sounds like the ambrosia once known only to fat Gods wearing laurel-leaf wreaths who reclined back on naked haunches and got fed & fanned by endentured staffs who were born into the world for no purpose other than to please and serve said masters!

Then of course your story also appealed to that evil side of me with a displeasure toward folks from PETA... I get the simplest joys from imagining the horrified blood-drained looks on their faces as they witness remarks like your account of everything on your supper plate having had a pulse & a purpose only moments before the feast! What they fail to realize is there's no finer purpose than being supper! Ahhh, such privilege! It's so good to be us!

>toward folks from PETA... <

I have no kick with folks from PETA. Doesn't that stand for:

People Enjoying Tasty Animals

Kevin,

I love the Avatar, so beautiful in every way!

>I'm jealous of your trip to Sweden- have always wanted to go... guess I just got a thang for the north-country <

Most of that trip was spent in Swedish Lapland, actually. We were guests of the Swedish government, there to explore the sport hunting and fishing possibilities. The Sami (what the Laps call themselves) were belately discovering the tourism/sporting potential of their region.

It never really panned out, for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the inflated sense of what people would be willing to pay. When you've got a ptarmigon hunt pegged at the equivilent of $10,000, you ain't gonna get a whole lot of takers.

But from my point of view it was a successful trip. Friend Wife and I had a ball; got several stories out of it; and learned a whole lot about different cultures.

Highlight of the trip, for me, was the morning one of our hosts took us home to meet his mother, who went back to the days the Sami were nomadic. She spoke only Lap and Swedish. Barbara speaks only English. But for two hours they sat huddled in a corner, having a great conversation.

If you ever do get to go, beware! The Swedes seem to believe that Americans are all starving to death. All they did for three weeks was throw food at us. Great food. Wonderful tastes, and textures, and combinations. But how much can you eat?

Sounds wonderful, Brook! And I get the Ptarmingan thing completely- they're the state bird of AK and to my way of thinking rather over-rated as far as from the aspect of traveling half-way 'round the world just to bag a few! I'm not a hunter, though I can appreciate the passion behind hunting lion in Africa or moose in AK... but Ptarmigan? Golly. It's like traveling to France for a taste of cheese on a triscuit- HA!

Sittin' on the porch at our little rental house in New Harbor, Maine, watching the lobster boats come in. Then walking down to Shaw's Wharf, picking one out, waiting for it to be steamed, than diving in up to our elbows. I grew to prefer the lobster stew and lobster rolls (less work).

Ah-h-h Maine and Lobster just the mention of those 2 words gets me to craving an up North vacation so bad!!! Maine is just so beautiful in the summer, and Lobster is just soooo good any time!!!

SP and Cathy,

I feel this mysterios draw to Maine... and though so far my only familiarity of the state has been thru Stephen King novels and various Martha cookbooks- I do believe one day, I'll get there! And what a day that'll be!

I believe I've mentioned this already either here or at another site, but Rebecca Charles' "Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie" is a book you both might enjoy. (link below- but if you purchase please make sure to do so thru KHY's Chef Talk access! It's currently available used for just $2.50- and cheaper for the soft-cover!) I saw both the book and Charles' Manhattan eatery "Pearl Oyster Bar" reviewed a couple years back in "O" magazine and grabbed the book up immediately. It's a good'un!

Amazon.com: Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie: Three Generations of Recipes and Stories from Summers on the Coast of Maine: Rebecca Charles, Deborah Di Clementi: Books

Just a little reminder: For those who would like to help the cause of one of our family members here at SpicePlace go to Chef-Talk.com and order your Amazon purchases thru that link so they can get credit for it!

Thanks Kev for the terrific lead on a great new read!!! My list grows...........haven't placed that order yet but when I do look out pocket book!!!

Thanks for the plug, Cathy.

Only there's no hyphen in Cheftalk. The site is ChefTalk - Cooking Forums, Cook Book Review, Cooking Articles and Recipes by the chefs for anyone interested.

I know what'cha mean Cath... If it weren't for those pesky budgets we all live our lives by, I'd have any number of cookbooks! Still on my list are KYH's Andre Viestad book about the spice-route, and yours about the berries and apples...

Chub, I ordered that Maine memoir and cookbook when you first recommended it to me...I got it just as we were leaving for our Poconos vacation, and we all enjoyed it. Thanks for the rec...my cookbook habit is raging.

I have so many fond Maine memories...we went as a child, then I went as a teenager, then my husband and I honeymooned there, and we've been back as an extended family several times since then. It's a magical, happy place for me. I'd leave for there tomorrow if I could.

But could you tolerate the SNOW StcikyPirate? I would wither up and simply die (Hibernate) for the winter!!!

Yes, I admit that my fondness for Maine is limited to the warmer seasons. I'm an indoor winter enthusiast...you know, those sports like baking, reading, snuggling, munching of popcorn whilst watching movies...I'd never make it through a Maine winter.