Euro Goodies

So last time I remarked on the excellent food to be found in Barcelona. Today I’ll review the temptations along the rest of the Mediterranean.In addition to Barcelona, we saw Monaco, Italy, Greece and Turkey, all beautiful in their own way. The food was good everywhere but we didn’t have as much time to explore local cuisine as in Barcelona. Thus we had what I would call an intro to goodies from the South, which sounds promising…

In Monaco, everyone was eating salad of course, to be expected. We saw ritzy people everywhere stuffing themselves with somewhat substantial salads. I ordered one that I eyed on my neighbor’s table and was not disappointed – butter lettuce, lots and lots of deli meat, eggs, cheese, tomato and a ridiculous amount of mayo dressing, without the actual funky mayo texture or taste.

In Turkey we enjoyed on-the-run gyros (good but not as delicious as in Athens), Turkish tea and mouth watering rice puddings at the Grand Bazaar, and for a tangy yet refreshing pick-me-up, pomegranate juice which is widely available from street vendors. In addition to the perfumed jiggly milk desserts, we also had small yet rich baklava, probably the best I ever had.

Speaking of the gyros in Athens, we had that ‘til we could eat no more and then we had fresh coconut water and coconut from yet another street vendor (they are everywhere).

In Italy, we did major sightseeing and not as much eating. In Sorrento we enjoyed delicious lemon cookies (Sorrento is known for its lemons and limoncello) and a good meal overlooking the Mediterranean. The meal was not as memorable but the views were. In Venice, the food in the touristy areas was oversalted and overpriced, but the desserts picked up at local bakeries and cafes were extraordinary. Their cakes are different than the cakes you get in the US. There is no cream or double-deckers, meaning you get one small layer of something like coffee cake, usually made with nuts or fruity jams. I highly recommend the sugar-balanced sweets in Venice, which are great with a cup of tea or coffee. And if you can’t get enough of them, you can stock up on cookies in your suitcase to enjoy later at home.

Salad in Monaco

 Pomegranate juice from street vendors in Istanbul, Turkey

 Enjoying Turkish tea at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

Share the Baklava - it's very sweet

 Dried chilis in Sorrento, which is actually known for its lemons

 Pastries in Venice - lots of jam and nuts

 The selections are fantastic

 Souvenirs to take home

Barcelona Culinary Tour

I had the incredible pleasure of going on a tour of the Mediterranean recently that swept me from the Western porky delicacies to the custardy gelatos and ended with the Eastern perfumed rice puddings. If I had had more time, I would have done nothing but eat, eat, eat. I was however on a mission to see half of Europe with a large group in tow and very limited time in every location.

The most amount of time was spent in Barcelona, which I am happy to concur is as fun as people claimed and as delicious.

We indulged in surprisingly good pastries (I am always surprised when pastries are good outside of Paris or Vienna), tapas (Spanish appetizers or small bites), sandwiches and plenty of seafood.

My mission was to eat seafood paella, however the paella never made it in front of me, and I enjoyed the succulent shrimp, fish and octopus without its starchy counterpart. The octopus! Let me tell you about the best octopus on this planet. We ordered a dish called Galician-style octopus, which is a plate of small octopus pieces served with boiled potatoes, olive oil and paprika. Not sure what the heck they do to that octopus but it’s tender and melts in your mouth.

The shrimp, fish, langoustines and razor clams were all delicious as well, although the clams were a bit sandy.

We also had a fair share of pork, in the form of ribs, sausage and iberico ham.

The main and very popular market called La Boqueria is a sight to behold with every color fruit, vegetable and meat represented. It’s a feast for the eyes and the mouth. Besides buying fresh produce, you can stop at a food vendor and order tapas, seafood or whatever else they are serving for lunch or dinner. Expect the food to be good but the wait times and service to be infuriating.

Unfortunately my culinary exploration of Barcelona was not nearly long enough, which means I will have to go back for more.

At La Boqueria

No explanation needed - get on my plate! 

Gummy candy 

Very fresh eggs 

Biggest bone I've ever seen 

Soup time 

Tongue and balls 

Meat on a stick? Yes please! 

Sandwiches usually consist of bread rubbed with tomatoes and stuffed with Iberico ham 

The said Iberico ham 

Which you can buy at the market 

One of the many seafood dishes  

Having lunch at the market