If you are a culinary disaster (like myself), you probably don’t know your aloyau from your limaces. And lacking skills to read a foreign menu can be a pretty miserable experience.
A basic translation error could mean the difference between ordering a steak, or a plate full of friend lamb intestines.
Thankfully, there are tools on the market to aid in the dilemma of ordering the right food. One of those tools is the “Passeports Gastronomique”. This collection of eBooks is available for nine different languages, including Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.
Especially in countries where the cuisine may be “a tad adventurous”, knowing what is on your plate means you won’t unknowingly become the next Andrew Zimmerman.
The books come in eBook form, which means you’ll be able to read them on the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook as well as any device with access to the free Amazon Kindle app (iPhone, iPad, Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phone 7) or free Nook app (iPhone, iPad, Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry and Android).
Books start at $6.99 and are available through your mobile Nook or Kindle store, Amazon.com or BN.com. Bon Appetit!
Baby, it’s cold outside here in Seattle, and that makes me want to drink. No, not coffee or craft beer, despite Seattle’s status where those beverages are concerned. I’m talking about chocolate. Hot chocolate. It’s a national obsession these days, along with its more solid counterpart. There are chocolate boutiques, chocolate tastings, chocolate cafes, chocolate factory tours. Whether you love a single varietal 72% Madagascar from the Sambirano Valley, or a bar of Hershey’s, one of the many great things about chocolate is that it caters to all tastes and budgets.
While I loathe the culinary pretentiousness that frequently goes hand-in-hand with fine food and drink, I’ll be the first to admit that there is a vast difference in quality (and sustainable growing and harvesting practices) when it comes to chocolate. That same quality variation extends to hot chocolate, which these days also goes by such nom de plume’s as drinking chocolate, sipping chocolate, or chocolate chaud. There are even health benefits to ponying up for a quality cup if it’s within your means.
Generally speaking, the above terms are interchangeable, although it’s implied they contain bittersweet (dark) chocolate, rather than cocoa powder. Dark chocolate (65% cacao or more) is loaded with antioxidants; a quarter ounce per day is has significant health benefits, and also acts as a natural antidepressant. Researchers believe that the endorphins and opioids in chocolate elevate mood and reduce anxiety.
So, because it’s delicious, heart-healthy, cancer-preventing, mood-enhancing, and mojo-making (just in time for Valentine’s Day!), here are my picks on where to find Seattle’s best hot chocolate. If a trip to the Pacific Northwest isn’t on your itinerary, I’ve provided online sources so you can make your own cup of chocolatey goodness.
Fran’s Chocolates
Seattle’s own Fran’s is my top pick, thanks to a rich blend of 65% Venezuelan single-origin chocolate, and half two-percent/half whole milk topped with a healthy dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. Three locations in Seattle and nearby Bellevue. You can order Fran’s Dark Hot Chocolate pistoles (pellets designed for melting) here.Trophy Cupcakes
Topped with unsweetened whipped cream or a housemade marshmallow, this European-style hot chocolate made with heavy cream is the beverage equivalent to fuzzy bunny slippers. Three locations in Seattle and Bellevue.
Theo’s Chocolates
This hometown company in trendy Fremont was the first organic/fair trade chocolate factory in the U.S.. Today, Theo’s delectable chocolates are available nationwide. The factory also has tours and a retail store/cafe counter, where cups of sipping chocolate are available (depending upon the day; call ahead). The Dark contains a 70% blend and whole milk, making for an intensely chocolately cuppa; Chipotle Spice has the mouth-tingling additon of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and smoked and ground ancho chile. You can also order cans of ground sipping chocolate online. Café Presse
A heady blend of bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates, cocoa powder, cream, and milk make for one of the most well-balanced cups in town at this charming Capitol Hill spot. You’ll find more of the same at downtown sister cafe Le Pichet. P.S. It’s worth the extra cash to slip some Armagnac in your cup.
You don’t have to fly first-class to get the best coffee on Delta Air Lines. Starting March 1st, Delta’s brand will be Seattles Best Coffee. That might not sound like a really big deal but it took a lot of work to make that happen.
Coffee is best when brewed with water that is 197 degrees, just shy of boiling. The problem with brewing coffee in flight (you were right, there was a problem) is that at 30,000 feet, the altitude affects barometric pressure and how hot water reacts to coffee. Enter the Green Coffee Quality Team at Seattles Best Coffee.
Coffee expert Kim Giroir from Seattles Best quality team told Gadling they experimented with a bunch of different blends and finally came up with what they call “Level 4” coffee that is just right for brewing in the sky.
When Seattle’s Best says they want to “bring great coffee everywhere” that’s not just a slogan. Back at the Research and Development labs at Seattles Best, they brewed test blends in a barometric chamber, mimicing the conditions of brewing in the air.
It’s been a meticulously tedious process finding the right blend but taste tests in November had all the cabin crew buzzing about the new coffee. That’s nothing new to the coffee company that relaunched it’s brand at Starbucks headquarters in May.
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Seattle’s Best thinks they have come up with the perfect cup of coffee, no matter where it is served. A big hit on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, it just made sense to take to the air too.
Delta is no stranger to fine cuisine either, taking in-flight dining seriously for quite some time now, especially in their BusinessElite product.
As the official airline of the Food Network New York Wine and Food Festival, Delta Air Lines brought along its roster of six consulting chefs to venues throughout the event.
In 2006, Delta revealed an on-board menu created by celerity chef Michelle Bernstein. As Delta’s consulting chef, Bernstein designed entrees and side dishes which became part of Delta’s continued effort to enhance its BusinessElite product, creating a more inviting and entertaining experience.
In 2007, Delta tapped top chef Todd English to create selections for its food-for-purchase menu being developed for customers flying in its Coach Class on flights within the United States.
“The back of the plane is where the real challenge is,” said English, adding that he plans to help Delta devise business-class meals in the future.
In 2009 hand-served entrees and signature dishes created by Miami celebrity chef Michele Bernstein and master sommelier Andrea Robinson, expanded dessert options and improved Japanese meal options created by Delta’s flight kitchen in Tokyo.
After all that, a good cup of coffee just made sense.
I was skeptical at first. The hot dogs I’d eaten previously in the United Kingdom uniformly failed to impress. This wasn’t terribly surprising, of course: I’d never have pegged the country as a dog destination. So, when a friend suggested a spot in London, I took the recommendation while eating my (rather low) expectations.
I’m drawn to hot dogs. I’ve eaten them around the world, and I’m always on the lookout for something unique – which often matters more to me than the actual quality of the dog. The United States is obviously the top spot for hot dogs, though I have had good luck in Iceland, Sweden, South Korea and Canada. There’s no regional bias to cloud my judgment, and I walked to London’s Portobello Market with an open mind.
Despite my initial doubts about the recommendation I’d received, I was heartened by the name: Banger Bros. A hot doggery should carry a slightly pornographic appellation, lest it be accused of taking itself too seriously. Once inside, I surveyed the rather extensive menu (which includes burgers and even some baked goods) before placing the order on which I’d decided well before entering: two plain dogs that I’d enhance on my own with ketchup and mustard.
%Gallery-115889%The staff was good for a laugh, balking at my attempts to take pictures though giving fellow blogger Laurie DePrete a pass. I forgot about the folks behind the counter completely, though, when my dogs arrived.
They were big. Very effing big. Intimidating.
The fare, it seems, is susceptible to the same humor that could be applied to the establishment’s name, especially when you try to wrap your mouth around one. These hot dogs are big and thick, requiring an act of will for each bite. They are coked well, snapping when you bite into them, though the burst of flavor that comes with a dog from Crif Dog, Gray’s Papaya or even Popo’s is missing. Still, the hard work of Banger Bros. surpasses that of the other dog establishments I’ve visited in the United Kingdom.
Banger Bros. is a local chain, though the food and style are not reminiscent of the fast food joints in the United State If you’re curious, be patient: I hear that there are plans to bring the dog shop to tour side of the Atlantic.
Gadling TV’s Travel Talk, episode 35 – Click above to watch video after the jump
Travel Talk is back! After our fall hiatus we are excited to bring you our greatest adventure yet: Thailand.
From the vibrant heart of Bangkok to the remote countryside, we traveled by foot, car, boat, motorbike, ox cart and elephant to savor the the splendor of ancient temples, the energy of the muay thai ring, the serenity of rural life, and every single spicy bite of Thai cuisine. We’ll be bringing it all to you in the coming weeks as part of our special 12-part feature: Travel Talk Thailand.
In part five of our adventure, we finally make our escape from Bangkok and head out into the country, stopping on the way to do a little morning shopping- Thai style. Join us as we explore exotic markets, meet Thailand’s most reckless boat driver and see goods delivered to (or should we say “through”?) market in a whole new way.
If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.
Subscribe via iTunes: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
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Hosts: Stephen Greenwood & Aaron Murphy-Crews
Produced, Edited, and Directed by: Stephen Greenwood & Aaron Murphy-Crews Special thanks: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Trikaya Tours
Travel Talk took Thailand by storm on invitation from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. No editorial content was guaranteed and Aaron & Stephen were free to openly share all adventures that they embarked upon.