Memorable Food

Hi there,

I had the opportunity to travel across Europe for several months and during my travels I tasted some amazing food. I wish I could talk about all the incredible food I stumbled upon, but I decided to narrow it down to the one’s I still think about today. Additionally, there are some foods here at home in Toronto that I simply cannot live without, so I noted a couple of them here as well.

I omitted all Hispanic/Latin foods from this post because I feel that food from my heritage should get its own post since narrowing it down at this time seems near to impossible. I love foods from Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Colombia, to name a few. In the near future I do hope to take on this challenge and choose the top 10 Hispanic dishes I could not live without.

But for now, let’s see what dishes from Europe and Toronto haunt my dreams.

Pasta with a saffron cream sauce with zucchini slivers and grilled chicken. In Budapest, Hungary.

I know, it’s only McDonald’s. But, I have always been a McDonald’s breakfast fan. This breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs with ham, a hash brown, a rye loaf, a pancake and a cappuccino. In Vienna, Austria.

Coconut and pistachio gelato on a brioche. I actually asked them to omit one scoop. The gelato would usually run down my arms so I had to request a smaller portion, and this is an example of the “smaller” portion. Cost of this piece of heaven, 2 euros. In Trapani, Sicily.

Cannoli with chocolate chips. This cannoli was actually gifted to me by the family I was renting an apartment from. It was very rich so it took me several days to finish it. But it was divine. In Trapani, Sicily.

The gelatos in Trapani were the best I had ever tasted. Surpassed the rest of Italy. Pistachio was my favorite flavor. But then again Trapani is known for their pistachios. In Trapani, Sicily.

Sticking to the pistachio theme. Here we have gnocchi in a pistachio cream sauce. Probably the best thing I have ever tasted in my life. The gnocchi melted in your mouth. In Trapani, Sicily.

Best pasta carbonara I have ever had. In Nîmes, France.

Best espresso I have ever had. I had about 4 per day. They were that good! In Trapani, Sicily.

Every country I went to, I ordered calamari. I love calamari. My favorite was this hole in the wall restaurant in Palermo. I had a side of grilled eggplant with tomato sauce and parmesan. The whole meal was delicious. In Palermo, Sicily.

One of the best breakfasts I have ever had. The bread was baked fresh every morning. It seemed simple enough, but the freshness of the products left me feeling inspired and happy. In Palermo, Sicily.

French toast with fresh berries. French toast has always been one of my comfort foods. At Wish restaurant in Toronto.

Fried prawns at Guu Restaurant in Toronto have me always coming back for more. They are large, juicy and are fried in a light thin batter. The mayo they drizzle over them take it to whole new dimension. Absolutely delicious. At Guu, Toronto (Church Street location).

Gulab jamuns are my favorite Indian dessert. Since they are very sweet I usually add some type of custard or ice cream to them to balance the flavors and sweetness. My cousin and I call them our “sweet balls.”

My favorite breakfast of all time. It’s called “the Boss” and it can be ordered at Maggie’s in Toronto. It comes with three eggs, garlic fries, bacon, sausage, ham, fresh fruits, toast and 2 pancakes.

Grilled oyster with a garlic and mushroom filling with grilled cheese on top. My friends and I order this every time we visit. We literally scrape every last bit from the shell. From Guu, Toronto (Church street location).

I love Indian food. I particularly enjoy eating at Little India in Toronto. My favorite dish is dal, fresh cucumbers with green chutney, naan and chicken pakora. At Little India on Queen and University, Toronto.

I love simple food and I am a huge fan of seafood. I got this meal on a boat while sailing in Croatia. It consisted of tomato slices and a lettuce salad, cabbage and grilled fish. In Croatia.

Black seafood risotto. I ate this every other day in Croatia. I just could not get enough and I am not even a fan of risotto. In Split, Croatia.

I love steak and I like everything surrounding the steak to be simple. Here we have roasted potatoes, peas with green olives and ham, and a tomato salad with grilled beef. Simple and yet very delicious. In Barcelona, Spain.