Wandering Food Memories III.

On rainy days like these

there is nothing better than enjoying a meal 

with friends, cooked by friends.

Maastricht, The Netherlands, 2012.

Danish meatballs & potatoes 

cooked by a Dane in a Dutch kitchen

Wandering Food Memories.II.

Today is one of those days where the weather calls for one to be bundled up, 

all toasty & warm, with a full belly to boot.

Decadent & rich, leaving nothing to be desired.

And with my sister in Paris right now, re-visiting La Duree & Angelina Tea Salon, 

and seeing as I can't be there with her drinking thick hot chocolates, gorging on cakes, and cutting into oozy cheese omlettes, 

I'll take a trip down memory lane instead, Paris style.

Wandering Food Memories.I.

Amalfi Coast, Italy//Maastricht, The Netherlands//London.

Since returning from my brief stint as an Australian student in the Netherlands it has become a favourite past time of mine to sit here trawling through my posts from overseas.

It was a time of many firsts, my first blog posts, my first tastes of Europe, my first time living out of home.

And it was a time of complete freedom, freedom of no boundaries, no borders. Feeling like a trip to London next weekend? Sure thing, sister! It's only a few hours away by train!

To celebrate and commiserate I'll be reliving my time overseas through all the food I've consumed along the way. A little bit of Europe that will be with me always. Well, almost.

From a beach side Italian restaurant with mama & papa in the kitchen & the son at the tables, to one of my first breakfasts in my student dorm in the Maastriicht, the Netherlands (market bought fresh bread & huge eggs), to a London pub grub lunch of burgers, house made relish & crumbed gherkins. 

Truth Justice & Mulberries.

The Mulberry Tree Jam//'This is Just to Say' by William Carlos Williams

I am developing an obsession for all things jam. What goes in them and what holds them. The colours & the textures of the jam, the shape & lid of the glass jar.

Oh the things I could store in a jam jar. 

And now when I think about jam & its sweetness & colours & speckles of seeds all I can think of is 'This is Just to Say'. 

This particular jam also has something to say. It tells a beautiful story all on its own - a local single mum making mulberry jam from her mulberry tree to sell at the local street fair. Truth justice & mulberries.  

Revolver Cafe.

Need somewhere cosy to have brunch? Give a Revolver Cafe go.

From the food to the decor to the Revolver photo album the cafe is oozing with stories of the past. It's kind of like going to visit your really cool Nan. She's got her so retro its hip decor (check out the light fittings and the fabric on the booth seats)and she will insist you listen to the stories captured in the walls of her house and flip through her photo albums, all while serving you a cosy, rustic, colourful meal.

We had their Revolver Big Breakies (two vege and one meat) - baked eggs and housemade beans served in that rustic, home cooked style of the wrought iron pan and wooden chopping board. 

And don't forget to ask for the Revolver Cafe photo album to complete the homely feel!

Beautiful things.

1//2//3//4 Some beautiful things at Balmain Markets

//5 & Adrian Zumbo macaroons (while in the area why not?)

Raspberry/Salted Butter Popcorn/and something like Pancakes with Maple Syrup.

Sweets.

And continuing on with the food feast that was last Sunday, after  brunch at The Carrington and pies pies pies, we discovered some sweet finds rummaging in the teeny tiny hole-in-the-wall kind of store that is Chris on Crowns and then stopped off for some sweets of the Greek variation at Hellenic Bakery. 

Chris on King: 527 King St, Newtown.
Think walking into someones house hoarded with goodies and all weird and wonderful things from their life past. Photos, cups & saucers, books, and delicate pieces of jewelry. Now take all of that and have it explode into one small room. 
That is Chris on King. 

For the love of discovering hidden treasures.

Let them eat pie.

Continuing our feast after The Carrington we rolled down to Bourke Street Bakery for their amazing pies.

And yet again I say

nomnomnom.

The Carrington brunch: some kind of bad-assness.

Continuing my obsession with anything faintly claiming to be Spanish we have The Carrington. 

HELLO AMAZING FOOD IN MY BELLY.

The gang munched on the amazing goodness that is Torrijas (top shot) - think crazyass caramelised toffee-like encrusted banana with churros icecream underneath a fat piece of french-toast like bread that has clearly been dipped into some kind of bad-assness. And we also filled our bellies with Smoked Paprika Eggs Benedict and Grapefruit juice.

Nomnomnom. 

Next time? I'm feeling the peanut butter thickshake and the Rainbow Gachas. Hell even the names sound good.

Put that pie in that bag!

If I were to wake up tomorrow with a 

burgandy butter rich leather and suede Benah concoction 

with a lemon meringue pie somehow hiding inside 

I would be one happy lady. 

Perhaps I could learn how to make some 

lemon meringue deliciousness or  plum and fig meringue pie happiness. I stumbled across Mimi Thorisson's collection of delectable recipes the other day, and have become enchanted. Beware, her blog can charm non-cooks into the kitchen, whisk in hand. 

A Hummy Sort of Day

A hummy sort of day begins with a joint effort on pancakes and blueberries and homemade blueberry syrup and honeyed bananas and strawberries and cream. One sister manning the stove and the other manning the pancake mix.