Sunday, January 22, 2012

Food Award: Favorite Foods Around the World

My best friend Julia of A Girl with a Stethoscope nominated me for the Lactose Free Lizzie Food Award!  What does this mean?  That I have to write a post about one of my favorite things: Food.  Anything about food.  So I'm going to write about five of my favorite food discoveries from around the world.

Lunch time in Sardinia
Italy: Gnocchi
Gnocchi is a potato filled ball looking pasta.  If it wasn't so calorie dense I would probably find a way to eat it twice a week!  It can be served with any kind of sauce, but I prefer it in pesto {pesto and gelato are tied for my second favorite food coming out of Italy}.

Octopus, Calamari, Ají, Patatas Bravas
Spain: Tapas
Yes, tapas can mean a number of things that come in small portions.  But hello, this mean that you can eat a lot of different good things, instead of filling up on only one good thing.  One of my all-time favorites is Patatas Bravas from the Costa Brava - potatoes drizzled in a pink, spicy, mayo sauce.

Chicken & Olives
Morocco: Chicken Tagine
To me, chicken is no filet mignon.  Its sort of bland, sort of dry, but when cooked the way it is in Morocco, it becomes the most flavorful and tender meat.  I have never had a love for chicken more than I did when eating it in Morocco. 

Little Perfections
Portugal: Pastel de Belém
These little Belem pastries from Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon are famous throughout the country and are now gaining popularity around the world.  They are small creamy custard pastries, sprinkled with cinnamon and powder sugar.  One of my favorite desserts.

Greasy & Delicious
Dominican Republic: Platano Maduro
Its a difficult personal battle for me every time I see plantains at the supermarket, because if I buy them, I will eat too many of them.  Its usually eaten as a side dish, but served in the States as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream.  Its very easy to make - try it at home.

Now that I've listed my top 5, the winner of my 
favorite-food-discoveries-from-around-the-world goes to...

MOROCCO 
I was pleasantly surprised with my gastronomic adventures in Morocco.  Never had I tasted food with so much flavor; I'm convinced its because of the Tagine pot - the North African style crock pot.  Some other foods I indulged in while there:

A Colorful Salad
Tomato Chutney
Piping Hot Mint Tea
Now that my turn is over,
I nominate the following 3 bloggers for this award:

Mia of GlocalGirl 
Because she's always making me hungry with her pics from across the pond.

Marisa of Shades of Monet 
Because maybe she'll post her Bailey's banana bread recipe..

Jessica of Strawberry Besos 
Because she taught me how to chop garlic without the lingering garlic smell.

5 comments:

  1. That sure is a theatrical mint tea pour. Bet the presentation makes it all the more refreshing.

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  2. this post is so delicious!!!!I ll try all of them!!!

    mysteryfishbowl.blogspot.com

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  3. oh my god all these foods look SO delicious!! I really want to try that chicken!

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  4. OMG! This is so yummy, the yummy-est post of the week :).

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  5. I don't know what I'm more jealous of - your travels or the amazing and different kinds of food you got to taste!

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