Creme de Cornell Spring 2015

Crème De Cornell Spring 2015

letter from the editor Food is more than what is on the plate. It tells a story about one’s family, background, history and values. It is a gateway to understanding one’s identity and culture, not only through its tastes, but through the aromas, atmosphere, and people surrounding it. When you taste a local food whose essence is grounded in another part of the world, it makes you want to travel to that place and experience it for yourself.

Following some choice recipes, the first part of this issue will then take us to international foods in our own backyard of Ithaca and explore the notion of food as a story of one’s national identity and past. By featuring local residents, we will see how they converted their passion for their country’s cuisine and used it as a base for entrepreneurship. Learn the real story of the couple behind the Farmer’s Market’s Khmer Angkor Cambodian Food – a story of hardship and incredible perseverance - and get a glimpse into De Tasty Hot Pot and Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant.

The second part of this issue will ignite your tastes buds by focusing on restaurant recommendations and food stories by Cornellians travelling abroad and in their home countries. Experience the food customs in Trinidad, welcome yourself into the Ghanaian home, imagine what it is like to travel through North Korea and Singapore, see what restaurants students recommend in cities such as Vancouver, Paris, and London.

So take a plate, come sit down at our table, and immerse yourself in Crème de Cornell’s “Food as Story” issue -we promise the stories will be worth your while.

Victoria Sadosky

Crème de Cornell, an independent student publication located at Cornell University, produced and is responsible for the content of this publication.

This publication was not reviewed or approved by, nor does it necessarily express or reflect the policies or opinions of, Cornell University or its designated representatives. Crème de Cornell is a magazine published by the Cornell Gourmet Club each semester. If you are interested in joining, please contact us at cornellgourmetclub@gmail.com. Find us on facebook at www.facebook. com/CornellGourmetClub and at www.cornellgourmetclub.org.

Funded by SAFC and Cornell International Students Union

contents recipes

17 Ghana: Home is Where the Food is • by nicole naa

3 Red Bean Soup • by jieyu chen

adoley mensa

Food from the heart

Warm up with this simple recipe

19 The Cambodian Experience • by cole devoy A chronicle of Cornell in Cambodia

3 Shrimp in Coconut Sauce • by pritha

bhattacharyya

21 The Flavors of Singapore • by shao min tan

A family inspired recipe

Your guide to cuisine in the Lion City

4 Matcha Red Bean Dorayaki • by jess wu

23 Hidden Gastronome in China’s Silicon Valley • by

The perfect weekend treat

kevin hua

food as story: ithaca

The delicacy of lamb enjoyed three ways

25 The Chase for Perfection• by deirdre rietort-louis

5 “Because I’m Khmer” • by victoria sadosky

What is it like being a Michelin star pastry cook?

The real story behind Khmer Angkor Cambodian Food

27 A Food Lover’s Guide to Vancouver • by cathy zhang A glilmpse into Vancouver’s diverse cuisines

11 The Hottest Pot in Ithaca • by susan li An interview with De Tasty Hot Pot

13 The Horn of Africa in Ithaca • by julia

30 10 Days in North Korea • by deirdre rietort-louis

When food shatters barriers

ridley and victoria sadosky

A review of Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant

food as story: abroad 14 Food As Metaphor: Trinidad • by victoria

sadosky

An interview with Professor Viranjini Munasinghe

16 Eastern Europe Christmas Market Crawl• by haswiny deva

31 A Tale of Two Paris Restaurants • by paula cai and

jieyu chen

Dining in the City of Lights

33 A Day in London: Eating Guide • by jess wu Who says you can only have three meals per day?

35 Abroad Tales: España! • by tia wei Your guide to cuisine in Seville, Spain

37 Instagram collage & Bubble tea Quiz Some little extras

Sweet treats for the Winter Holidays

CRèME de CORNELL

an independent student publication EDITOR IN CHIEf

catherine hillin, emily jones, jennie malina, natasha wolman

TREaSURER paula cai

HEAD OF LAYOUT victoria sadosky

Event director neha ratna

victoria sadosky

SECRETARY julia ridley

Event coordinators

EDITORS annalise

MARKETING CHAIRS

julia berman, magnus giaever

carroll, amanda coate,

haswiny deva, jess wu

advisor heather kolakowski

front and back cover by victoria sadosky

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red bean soup text and photo by jieyu chen

The red bean soup is a traditional familystyle Shanghaineese dessert, common for after meal refreshment.

Red Bean as needed Rock Crystal White Sugar as needed Water: about 3/4 soup pot Soak the red bean in a bowl for a whole night (about 10 hours). Doing so makes it soft and easy to cook. Use a soup pot, place the soaked red beans into the pot, add cold water. Cook on high heat until boiling.

After boiling, turn to medium-low heat and simmer for about 2 hours, add some water if the soup is drying out (better to check back every 20 minutes). The soup is done when the red bean skin breaks and it’s extremely soft. 15 minutes before it’s done, add in rock crystal, white sugar as needed, depending on your sweet preference.

shrimp in coconut sauce Of all the delicious dishes that are featured in West Bengal cuisine, I am probably most fond of this dish – shrimp in coconut sauce, which features garam masala, a blend of aromatic spices (including peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and caraway) and is used in a number of Bengali dishes. Garam, which literally translates to “hot” in Bengali, refers to the fact that this blend is responsible for raising the heat of the body (by raising one’s metabolism). This flavor, along with the sweetness and coolness of the coconut milk, in addition to the kick of spice from the chilies and chili powder, are what combine to make a truly sophisticated taste in a fairly simple dish. I hope you decide to try it out.

text and photo by pritha bhattacharyya

cook until they are fully golden-red. Remove them from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add 2 tbsp of mustard oil and heat to medium high. Break both the bay leaf and the red chili in half to release the flavors and add to the skillet. Stir for a minute and then add the chopped onion. Stir entire mixture until the onions soften and become translucent. Following this, add the chopped garlic and ginger and stir for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the cumin powder and chili powder and stir.

Add in the chopped tomato and stir. Add about 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp garam masala 2 lbs uncooked shrimp, stir. Add a small can deveined but with shells still 1 tsp cumin of coconut milk to the on mixture and stir for ¼ tsp chili powder 2 cups tomato, diced a minute. Then rinse 4 tbsp mustard oil out the can of milk 1 ½ cups onion, diced 1 bay leaf with water and add that water into the mixture.

Stir for a minute.

1 can coconut milk 1 red chili Add in the fried shrimp and stir, making sure that the shrimps are 1 ½ tbsp garlic, diced 2 (+) green chilies covered by the rest of the mixture entirely. Add the cover of the 1 ½ tbsp ginger, diced salt to taste skillet and let the mixture come to a boil. Once this is done, remove 1 tbsp turmeric powder the cover and add additional water and/or salt depending on your nutmeg to taste preferences. Bring to a boil a second time if you add more water. Add Marinate the shrimp in 1 tbsp of turmeric powder and 1 tsp of the garam masala to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Take mixture salt. Ensure that the shrimps are well covered by the spices and set out from the heat and plate. Add green chilies and a sprinkling of aside. Heat a separate skillet to medium heat and add about 2 tbsp nutmeg for garnish. Enjoy! of mustard oil. Make sure that the oil covers the entirety of the pan and heat it up. Add the marinated shrimps to the oil. Fry all sides of the shrimp until golden-red. Cover the skillet and let shrimps

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matcha red bean dorayaki text and photo by jess wu

D

o you love Matcha? Do you love red bean? Have you ever watched the Japanese animation Doraemon? I love Matcha, I love red bean, and I love Doraemon. Doraemon’s favorite dessert is Dorayaki, so I made this Matcha Red Bean Dorayaki for weekend afternoon tea.

All Purpose Four 100g Egg 50g Milk 100g Canola Oil 10g Honey 5g Confectioner Sugar 25g Matcha Powder 5g Baking Powder 3g Baking Soda 1g Red Bean Paste (Homemade or Packaged) Stir egg with confectioner sugar until they are incorporated. Add milk, oil, honey and mix well.

Then sift in all the powders. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and put in fridge for 20 mins. Take out the refrigerated mixture and stir slightly. Heat your pan and pour several drops of oil onto it. Then use paper towel to wipe the pan until no oil residue is visible. Pour a scoop of Dorayaki mixture onto the pan. Adjust to make it into a circular shape. Use minimum heat to heat the pan. Flip until there are several holes (gas formed by Baking Powder/ Soda escapes) on the upper side of your Dorayaki Pancake. Heat the other side for about 20s. Cool your Dorayaki pancakes on a rack until they are about room temperature. Then add red bean paste in between two pieces of Dorayaki Pancake. The red bean paste should pile up like a small hill -more in the middle and less on sides, so you can get a beautifully shaped Dorayaki.

Enjoy your Matcha Red Bean Dorayaki!

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4

“Because I’m Khmer” TEXT AND PHOTOS BY VICTORIA SADOSKY

The deep sigh you exhale as you begrudgingly enter the back of the line. The sounds of chattering Ithacans and students, the sun casting its rays onto the lake between pockets of clouds, and the incessant movement of people around you, all of which you observe as you wait. The first glimpse of the menu enters your vision at last, and therein comes the hardship of choosing what you’ll order this time. And then, finally, your gaze meets the counter, which acts as a border between Ithaca and the closest you’ll likely get to experiencing Cambodia: mounds of veggie cakes, cheak chhean and taro root, and containers overflowing with amohck chicken, green amohck tofu, and meekatang. The smile you receive from Bong as he takes your order in a frenzied hurry is a sublime hint of things to come, as the sizzling of the wok comes into contact with your eardrums. You perceive Marin and her children cooking order after order of Khmer pancakes in the back, in addition to slicing mangos for the sweet sticky rice, soon to be drowned by a river of coconut milk. And finally, the satisfaction you feel when you at last gather your food and make your way to the dock, where you will inhale the beauty of the food, along with the surroundings which do it justice.

This is the kind of sensory experience one would have at the Khmer Angkor Cambodian Food stand at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market. However, the story of Bong and Marin Sen, the owners of Khmer Angkor, and their relationship to food, is more than what can be grasped with the immediate senses – it is a story grounded in a past which very few of us could ever begin to comprehend.

Bong and Marin grew up in the small town of Pailin, Cambodia and suffered through the time of the Khmer Rouge. Between 1975 and 1978, they were enmeshed within the realm of the Communists and the Pol Pot regime, trapped in camp-like environments with inhuman conditions. Allowed only a small portion of rice, they were forced to work in the rice fields from dawn to darkness, day after day, week after week: “I was starving…I knew I was going to die sooner or later, because how can you live without food… Over there, one day is like one month, there is no clock, no watch, you look at the sunrise and sunset…I had no mind, I just tried to live another day,” said Bong.

The simple act of living another day was quite hard in this environment. Bong was placed in the men’s camp, where if you had any kind of educational background (teacher, doctor, lawyer, government worker, soldier), or were of a certain age, or had a particular last name, you were put to death. Meanwhile, Marin was placed in a group for women in the same area, where many simply died of starvation. If you lived in Cambodia during this time, it was essentially a death sentence. As Bong stated, “They’re just like animals…they just kill…they don’t think that life is important.”

Bong thought his time had run out when he was herded into a line of 1000 men earmarked to be killed. However, with each round of selection, to his surprise, he was still standing, and eventually, only Bong, his cousin and his brother’s lives were spared. As Bong was only 18-20 years old at the time, the Communists decided to let him live another day, as they were under the mistaken assumption he was uneducated, when in reality he attended school in Phnom Penh.

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For the Khmer lives that the Communists spared, in addition to being forced to live in brutal conditions and toil in the rice fields, the prisoners were also subjected to the Communist rule of mandatory marriage. Bong and Marin had been previously acquainted, as they had lived in the same village, so after three years in the camp, in April of 1978, they were married. Others, however, weren’t so lucky, as many women were forced to marry handicapped soldiers, and some committed suicide rather than be forced to marry.

A few months after the couple married, the Vietnamese came into the country, and Bong and Marin finally escaped to the jungle along the Thai-Cambodia border. Like many Khmer men who endured this dangerous nighttime journey on numerous occasions, Bong had made his way to the border during the night quite a number of times, as that was the only place where Khmer people could buy food and clean water, which was then smuggled in from the Thai border to bring back to the starving Khmer people in the village. One time, on his way back to the village camp with rice for his family members, Bong was caught by a soldier who proceeded to put a gun to his head and ask for money.

Bong replied that he only had rice, and through some stroke of luck, the solider released him. Finally, in 1979, Bong made his final journey back to the camp to get Marin, where they proceeded to run towards the border, following others as they trekked over scattered land mines.

Marin and Bong lived in the border camp in the jungle for close to a year, where they started with only one pot for cooking rice, one pair of clothes devoid of shoes, and a piece of plastic to cover their bodies when they slept. At first, they sold water for money in order to buy food, but as Marin loved to cook, she took this as an opportunity to start her own little business, a vendor stand at the border servicing the Khmer people, and soon thereafter, many others followed in her footsteps. In stark contrast to their Cambodian stand of today, as they were in the middle of a war zone, Marin sold basic food, including stir fry, noodles, and chicken and rice soup. Even though the Khmer never outwardly expressed their gratitude, too exhausted from starvation and from the long trek, Marin knew they greatly appreciated what she was doing: “Khmer people don’t express [but] I know they’re happy.”

The camp, however, was not a complete safe haven for refugees. As they were usually in the middle of cross-fires, most times they would cook, and then close down their business and hide until the shooting stopped, and then set up their stand once more until the fighting began again: “[There was] blood, crying all over…First day I came to the border camp, that night I don’t know what happened, I can see gunshot everywhere all over, I can see the light all over, had to crawl, I didn’t know what was going on,” as Bong explained. This became their routine, which involved moving from one border camp to the next. Meanwhile, Bong worked for the United Nations, where he met the UN trucks carrying food from Thailand and distributed it to the refugees in the camp. After nearly a year in these conditions, Bong and Marin were finally picked up by a UN truck, which took them to Khao-I-Dang refugee camp in Thailand, where they stayed for two years. During this time, as they waited to hear their fate, Bong became a math and writing teacher and Marin got pregnant with her first son.

Eventually, they were accepted to the United States, sponsored by the First Baptist Church in Ithaca, NY. As Bong and Marin said, “We never know how lucky we are.” Their escape from the Khmer Rouge serves as a monumental testament to the human will to survive.

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When Marin and Bong arrived in the United States in 1982, Marin worked at Cornell Dining, in addition to a variety of other restaurants, while Bong attended school at Tompkins County College and later RIT. Despite coming to America, they kept their Cambodian food close to their hearts, Marin making food for the Church and for friends. It turned out that people responded positively to their native cuisine, and so in 2001, they finally started the stand at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market which we all know today, with only four items on their menu. Marin came up with the title “Khmer Angkor Cambodian Food” because she wanted to represent who she was, Khmer referring to her identity, and Angkor referring to Angkor Wat, the famous pyramids in Siem Reap.

Coming off her experience in an American kitchen, Marin became accustomed to the kinds of flavors and tastes Americans gravitated towards, and she then adapted her traditional

Cambodian dishes to appeal to the American palate, tweaking certain subtleties such as the sweetness and spice level. As Bong said, “We just try to share. But what they like the most is spicy… we never thought people liked spices. But people tried and liked it.” However, it took a while before the Ithaca community became receptive to their cuisine. As a result of their simple desire to share their culture and knowledge of Cambodian cuisine, along with their persistence, finally by the second or third year (once they passed out free samples throughout the market), people began to frequent their stand.

When asked what makes Cambodian food so distinctive from other Asian cuisines, they responded by pointing out that most of the countries in Southeast Asia, including Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, utilize the same ingredients and spices, but it is how you combine the ingredients which make it different. Bong and Marin order ingredients such as lemongrass and other spices mainly from New York City, where they arrive from Thailand.

With the amohck chicken for example, Marin makes her own paste out of the ingredients. The sweet sticky rice and mango dish utilizes mangos from Wegmans, and coconut milk and purple rice shipped from Thailand.

With the Khmer pancake, Marin makes her own flour and grinds her chicken.

Moreover, the couple grows their own pepper in their backyard, which is used for their hot sauce. Bong is also making wine from his grapes in the garden, which is also sold at the Farmer’s Market, including a sauvignon blanc.

Bong and Marin have a very strong work ethic, for in addition to their weekday jobs, they plan for the Farmer’s Market throughout the week, coming home after 3pm and going straight to the kitchen to prep. On the weekends, they wake up at 5am to load the truck and arrive at the market by 7am.

Once the market is over, they wash all the dishes and load everything back in the truck. Working over 70 hours a week for decades,

Marin recently retired from her Cornell Dining job and she says it feels very strange to have “nothing to do.”

The success of the stand has gotten to the point where customers are coming from NYC, California, even points abroad, in order to taste their food. In fact, the handful of customers who have visited Cambodia told the Sens that their Ithaca dishes were more authentic than those sampled in their home country. Marin herself just returned from Cambodia a few months ago, as she likes to go back to see what’s new and taste food from different restaurants.

As Marin reveals, “It’s not traditional food in the capital city, but if you go out into the countryside, yes it’s still the same food as I’m cooking [because there are] not as many foreign people there.

In Phnom Penh, [there is] more Chinese food because there are more Chinese in the town... they have more hordes of people come, so then they try to make some pizza, more Korean food, etc.…The way I cook is traditional Khmer.” Marin says it is the simple act of tasting with her tongue and experimenting with the flavors that eventually led her to the dishes featured on the menu today.

However, Marin attributes the success of their stand to the fact that they cook from within, never depending on it for income, and that it gives her such joy: “I want to share my knowledge, so 14 years later, I’m happy. I cook from my heart [so it] tastes better. It makes me so strong to cook, I feel proud, the more proud [I feel], the more energy I have to make the food.” Despite their current success, Bong and Marin never imagined their stand would become so popular, and they are eternally grateful for Ithaca. As Bong said, “It’s a great place to live. We have been here for 30 years and we have never gone anywhere else. I always tell people that when you

come here, you drink Cayuga Lake, you stay here, because [in the] Indian language, [they say] sweet water, so Cayuga means sweet water.” Marin added by saying, “Ithaca is a very pleasant place for us, I raise my children no problem, I make small income from Cornell, and I work hard, not millionaire, just enough for life.”

Their old life in the Khmer Rouge has in some ways followed them to Ithaca, and as they raised their three sons, they instilled within them the importance of respecting food, and never taking it for granted.

When asked why Cambodian food is not as well represented as other Asian cuisines, Bong responded by saying that many Cambodian refugees never try to put Cambodian food on the table, instead masking their identity through other foods: “They are afraid if they say it [Cambodian], no one will come to eat it.

So that’s why they always say Chinese or Thai.

If they don’t [have] success, it is embarrassing, [that’s why] other Cambodian refugees don’t do it, other Cambodian refugees put [names such as] ‘lotus’.”

That explanation likely reveals why it was such a feat when Marin and Bong finally took that step, for when they put up the sign “Khmer Angor Cambodian Food”, they were proudly showcasing their identity to the world. They recounted a time when a group of twelve visited from France who were part of an orphanage agency group in Cambodia . After seeing the sign, “Khmer Angkor Cambodian Food”, all of them broke down crying and hugged Marin. “What’s going on?” Marin asked. They responded by saying, “No one dare to put their name. Why did you decide to do that?”

Marin responded with, “Because I’m Khmer.”

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the hottest pot in ithaca Hidden below Eddy Street is a cultural gem that may well be the most authentic Chinese restaurant in Ithaca. Named De Tasty Hot Pot, this restaurant opened in October of 2014 and has seen a full house every night since.

I have eaten here on multiple occasions and was delighted by the food each time.

The hot pot style of eating is great for large groups—everyone shares a big pot of broth while you all have fun cooking your own food. You receive generous portions of fresh meat, vegetables, and noodles, and so your

meal packs a punch of flavor while also being loaded with nutrients.

The dishes from the regular menu can also be shared, and they are a deeper exploration into Northeastern Chinese cuisine. I recently tried the Beef and Beef Tendon with Chili, along with the SautĂŠed Pea Sprouts with chopped garlic, and both reminded me of the traditional Chinese meals I often eat at home. The beef was tender while the tendon was chewy, and the spiciness of the dish was flavorful without being overwhelming. The soft leaves and

text by susan li photos by paula cai and susan li

crispy stems of the pea sprouts were crisp and fresh, with the garlic and oil bringing out the savory flavors of the vegetable, rather than masking them. Again, the serving sizes were generous, and I was also pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the food. Curious about the restaurant and how it came to be, I called De Tasty Hot Pot to ask for an interview. That weekend, I was able to get an inside look from one of the owners, Jiang Ping, and the Student Manager, Ryan Sterling.

Susan: What can you tell me about this restaurant?

Ryan: It’s owned by a couple who comes from Northwestern China. The husband is the head chef, and the wife runs the business operations. I started working here about 2 weeks after the restaurant opened in October of 2014. I work evenings Thursday through Saturday. This is a 76-seat restaurant that sees two turns per night, Monday through Wednesday and three turns per night Thursday through Sunday. I work as a part-time manager and help run the floor operations of the restaurant.

I also act as a translator because a lot of the staff only speaks Chinese.

Susan: What are the demographics of your customers?

Ryan: We find that a lot of first-time and American customers opt for the hot pot style of eating. Our return customers, often Mainland Chinese, like to choose the regular menu.

Susan: What do you like best about working here?

Ryan: It’s fun, and there’s a good rapport among the team members. Even when the restaurant gets really busy, the team stays strong, and the current staff members especially work well together.

Susan: What is the biggest challenge you face working here?

Ryan: We’re still trying to figure out a way to accurately forecast revenue.

Susan: So tell me more about yourself.

Ryan: My dad is Chinese and my mom is American. I was born in America, but when I was 9, my family moved me to China, so I basically grew up in two countries half a world apart.

I really like working here because it helps me connect with my culture. Nobody in the backhouse speaks English, so this is a great opportunity to practice my Chinese.

Susan: Okay, final question. What dishes do you recommend here?

Ryan: Beef and Beef Tendon, Smoked Wok Tossed Chicken with Roasted Chili, and the Fish Filet and Tofu with Roasted Chili.

I then interviewed Jiang Ping, who warmly welcomed me with a hot pot of tea.

Susan: Tell me about how you and your husband came to America to start a restaurant.

Jiang Ping: Well, we’ve been here for 8-9 years as of now. We came because we felt that America had more opportunities than China. Because of the corruption in China, in order to be competitive you need to pay small fees to officials and other people in exchange for favors. We are working on making a name for ourselves here in America. My husband competed in the NTDTV International Chinese Culinary Competition in Times Square and won 3rd place in 2009 and 2014. We previously had multiple restaurants in the NY area, such as Rochester. But we noticed that a lot of our customers were students from Ithaca, so we decided to open a restaurant in Ithaca.

Susan: And why hot pot cuisine?

Jiang Ping: It’s different, and there’s a market for it here. I have a passion for it, and it’s a style of eating that is very integrated into Chinese culture—everyone sharing one pot, eating together. I want people to associate our restaurant with high quality food and authenticity.

Susan: What are your favorite things about Ithaca?

Jiang Ping: I like the culture, and I like building close relationships with our regular customers and with the restaurant staff.

Susan: What are some of your greatest challenges?

Jiang Ping: English. And also, it’s hard to find a good location for the restaurant. We have this current location (below street level) because no other spots were available.

Susan: Is there anything you want Ithacans/ Cornellians to know?

Jiang Ping: We don’t want to just run a business and make money. We want to let Americans know real Chinese food and culture, along with the variations you find in different regional cuisines.

Susan: Lastly, what is your favorite dish?

Jiang Ping: Sour cabbage with vermicelli.

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the horn of

text by julia ridley and victoria sadosky photo by neha ratna Walking around the Ithaca commons, there are many cuisines represented.

However, there are also cuisines that are conspicuously absent. Where could a person find East African food served in Ithaca? Until recently, nowhere - not before Hawi, serving authentic Ethiopian dishes, opened its doors to the public this March.

I had the opportunity to dine at Hawi with a large group of friends, and this, I believe, gave the Ethiopian cuisine a chance to shine: it is meant be eaten together, to bond over. Having everyone around the table, over a large plate of food, the presentation fosters a sense of closeness and connection with your fellow diners. The interior of the restaurant is unassuming and modestly decorated, with only a few key ornaments suggestive of its Ethiopian food style. The paintings in the restaurant are from Ethiopia and although they seem simple at first glance, each tells its own unique story.

What makes Ethiopian food stand out from other cooking styles? At first glance, an American eater would point

in ithaca

out a lack of utensils. Instead of forks and knives, diners rip off pieces from a roll of flatbread, called injera, to scoop up the food. The injera, when rolled up, looks like a scroll, but when laid out, resembles a large, floppy pancake with craters like an English muffin.

Ethiopian dishes are meat and vegetable heavy, served in the form of thick stews rich with spices. Our party ordered two mixed platters, and each platter was meant to serve four. The presentation of the platters was dazzling; piles of each dish displayed saturated shades of red, yellow and brown. They included several, general styles of the same spices and cooking methods, but different main food items. Firstly there were red lentils and chicken in the wat style (stewed with red peppers and berbere spice). Next were potatoes, split peas, and lab in the alicha style (cooked with ginger and garlic), and two meats, chicken and beef, in the tibs style (sautéed with jalapeños). Lastly, there were two vegetable dishes (sautéed string beans and stewed chickpeas), a beef tartar dish called kifto, and a feta-like cheese called ayibe.

The spices and preparation of all of the dishes worked extremely well together, as you could easily “mix and match” different dishes folded into one bite of injera. One standout dish was the derek (beef) tibs; marinated in wine, the small cubes of beef were delectable and grilled to perfection. The yater kik (split peas) alicha was my favorite vegetable dish, flavorful from the garlic and ginger.

Co-owners, Citra Mohammed and Gedese Degebasa, originally met working in an Ethiopian restaurant in New York City. Citra came to the United States about three and a half years ago, as her mother worked for the Ethiopian Mission to the United Nations and was stationed in New York City. After much internet research, they finally decided to open up a restaurant in Ithaca, and Citra’s goal of opening an Ethiopia restaurant became a reality: “I have always wanted to open a restaurant, I didn’t know if it was possible or not, it was just something I wanted to do, it was always at the back of my head.”

Gedese is the main force in the kitchen, gaining culinary experience from making food for her family and working in

various restaurants. However, Citra is slowly helping out with the cooking: “I learned to cook from habit, cooking at home.

Ethiopian food is not hundreds of types of dishes like American dishes, so you just know them and what they are.”

Citra says that they simply wanted to introduce Ithaca to Ethiopian cuisine and so their menu reflects the dishes they would be eating back home: “Most of the things that distinguish Ethiopian food are the flavors and the spice…[but] we get [the ingredients] from Ethiopian sellers, so it’s easy to get the food to taste like the real Ethiopian dishes.” However, despite being able to bring in ingredients from Ethiopia, a major part of what gives Ethiopian cuisine its flavor is the local produce of the area.

Although Citra tries to use local and organic ingredients, it’s not the same as back home, where everything is truly organic and you can really taste the flavors of the vegetables. Nonetheless, the restaurant tries to showcase the eating culture of Ethiopia: “the eating tradition, it used to be on a large basket thing where

Food

as

families shared, but nowadays where people are becoming more modernized, it’s on separate plates like we do here.”

During Hawi’s official grand opening, Ithaca received a very special visitor for the occasion: Tekeda Alemu, UN ambassador to Ethiopia. He gave his blessings to the restaurant and his symbolic support from the Ethiopian community. As Citra said, “I am glad we did [invite him] because…I think it recognized the Ethiopian people who live in Ithaca because there are very few people and I felt like him coming made a representation to the Ethiopian community that is here.”

Compared to the usual eateries in the Ithaca commons area, Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant provides a culinary breath of fresh air. It provides options for meat-lovers, vegetarians and vegans alike, which is sure to please the Ithaca population. Walking into the restaurant, the cuisine will be foreign to most, but leaving, it will leave you feeling comforted and satisfied.

Metaphor: Trinidad

text by victoria sadosky photos by viranjini munasinghe

Viranjini Munasinghe is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Asian American Studies at Cornell University. Having conducted her fieldwork in Trinidad throughout the 1980s and 1990s, her research focuses primarily on Indo Caribbeans who were brought to the New World as indentured labor in the aftermath of slavery being abolished in the British Caribbean. I had the chance to sit down with Professor Munasinghe and ask her about the relationship between food and national identity.

How does food relate to the study of anthropology?

So many nations have national food. It relates to people in a very intimate space, and by actually digesting and consuming something physically into your body, you are transforming yourself through the food to what the food represents. LeviStrauss, the famous structural anthropologist, talks about the distinction between raw and cooked to discuss culture and civilization. A lot of anthropologists working in certain areas use these kinds of ways of cooked meats. It’s kind of metamorphosing, it’s civilizational, it’s complex in a 1514

way that raw is not. And there are a lot of food taboos; Purity and Danger, Mary Douglas’ book, talks all about which foods are polluting and why, so food is an incredibly complex and symbolic investment.

What kind of experiences did you have in Trinidad?

Because Trinidad has this big Indian population, it’s a really interesting range of foods. It metamorphosized into these different variations, the roti, goat roti, duck curry. So when I lived in the village, my husband and I, for about nine months, there were so many lovely stories around food.

In Hindu weddings, for example, you’re not supposed to drink, eat meat, all this stuff, and there is this really interesting gender dynamic. All the women sit, and are bored to death watching all the rituals, including me, that go on and on. The men are on the road side, their boomboxes are going, and they are drinking rum. Next door, they have arranged to have the duck curry, so my husband gets to drink, go next door and have duck curry. The idea is that the taboo food is in this space of the Hindu wedding, so we are going to shift it next door, and it’s great how beautifully they integrate it and still don’t mess up the taboo. There is also a dish called “tief” duck, meaning stolen duck, which was a common phrase there. It’s a sort of cultural mischievousness that they all laughed about and bonded over. You can say, “Oh, let’s go tief [rob] a duck!”

What were the caste relations like?

The other thing that you have is called the hog puja by the Sharma class, which is done by the lowest class. Trinidadian Indians like to think that they are modern because they don’t believe in castes... because there is an egalitarian ethic that comes about by having gone through the indentured experience, living in the plantations. You couldn’t keep up these taboos, so it all kind of dissipated. But in the village I was in, all the complexities of caste broke down to three, which were the Brahmins, Shruti, Sharma. It’s interesting because in the village, there’s a sense of everybody being equal, but then there are a few Sharma families, and they have to do this puja called the hog puja, but there’s a lot of uncomfortableness

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around it, because it’s that one point when the egalitarian kind of sense is suddenly threatened and they have to perform this because they are showing their caste status, but they have to do it.

In one household, the woman didn’t have a child and they thought if they did the hog puja, then she would be able to have a child. It was very interesting to sense the tension.

Can you elaborate on your book’s title Callaloo or Tossed Salad? and the idea of food as a metaphor for a nation?

For those of African ancestry, who dominate the whole Creole definition, the Callaloo metaphor is perfect, because in this dish you put all these different ingredients and when you cook it, it’s a homogeneous mush, like a melting pot.

In Latin America, it’s common to have a dish define your nationality; food metaphors are strong. With nationalism, you get a different symbolic valence for food, this is the national food, but that’s different than saying the nation is like this, a metaphor. So callaloo is a local dish, West Indian, and it has all these different parts that throw up this generic Trinidadian Creole. And then the East Indians, who weren’t keen on such mixture, said we have something in common, we are a nation, so you have to be able to say I’m Trinidadian too. But they opt for the tossed salad, because the piece of lettuce can be an Indian, the carrot can be Afro-American, everybody still keeps their distinct identity. Within this polity, you have all these differences, but there is some kind of glue that unites us.

Were there any food routines that you observed in the village?

Every household has roti in the morning, and dinner is always rice and a curry. Every Sunday, and every house did this, there was the Sunday dinner, it was a big thing. And you had to have a fried rice, a salad, barbeque chicken. It’s a grand meal. It’s the official meal of the week and you splurge a little. Most of the houses in the village also had a garden where they planted their vegetables. The fridges most of the time were empty, only the basics were there. Every meal was prepared fresh. They took a lot of pride in their food. Take shelling peas. For us all

those tasks are so onerous, we have to do it quickly, quickly, quickly. In Trinidad, there is no hurry, it’s meditative. They are all seated around the table, and this is their moment to catch up, gossip, converse. Even the preparation, it’s completely a process, everyone helps.

eastern europe christmas market crawl text by haswiny deva Christmas markets are a prominent feature of European cityscapes during the winter months approaching Christmas, spanning the four weeks of Advent.

The generally held festivities concentrate in the town square and adjacent pedestrian zones. Offerings of the various market stalls feature a plethora of food, drink, and seasonal items, accompanied by the occasional performance of traditional singing and dancing.

After spending the entire winter travelling through cities including Budapest, Bratislava, Prague and Vienna exclusively through its Christmas Markets, here are my top picks from all four cities.

gluhwein

Gluhwein, commonly known as mulled wine, is essentially red wine slowly heated with spices like cinnamon and cloves, a form of citrus (usually some variation of limes, lemons or oranges) and sugar. The hot wine not only serve to keep you warm, but also is a must during Christmas time, as it usually comes in cute mugs!

christollen

Christollen is rumored to mean “holding the Christ”. The ‘Moses basket’ fruit cake often features various dried fruits and nuts, as well as a marzipan center and is typically glazed with butter before being covered with icing sugar.

trdelnik

Comparable in flavor to a Soft Pretzel, the trdelnik is a sweet bread that is wrapped around a buttered wooden stick (the trdlo) before being baked over open fire (hot coal). The unique flavor of the pastry makes it a pleasure to eat plain, or topped with cinnamon sugar or chocolate. Pairs well with: your favorite cup of coffee.

langos

Langos is a Hungarian, fried bread served with various toppings. Sometimes referred to as Hungarian pizza, this delicacy has become a staple of the nation after being introduced by the Turkish during their occupation.

I would personally recommend going for the traditional flavors such as garlic or plain cheese, although the newer innovations such as jam, cheese and cinnamon sugar tasted pretty decent.

lebkuchen

photo by haswiny deva Please note that my top picks are reflective of the fact that I am a vegetarian with a sweet tooth. For those of you with more sophisticated palates, fear not, Christmas Markets typically offer the finest cheeses, meats, wines and other local delicacies.

The lebkuchen is a typically flat, heart-shaped spiced cookie decorated with vibrant colors and meaningful messages.

These next-level gingerbread cookies make a most impressive appearance during Christmas.

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Ghana: Home Is Where the Food Is text by nicole naa adoley mensa photos by meng he and Mac-Jordan Degadjor

What comes to mind when I think of Ghana? The food.

I think about how our heavy meals can even be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think about how on Saturday mornings my parents have waakye (a Ghanaian dish consisting of rice and beans cooked together), served with spaghetti, boiled eggs, fish, shito (Ghanaian black pepper sauce), and finally wele (cowhide) for breakfast (my sister and I have it for lunch, and my brother chooses to eat his waakye in the evening). When I think about waakye, I think about the Special Principal’s Brunch that we used to have in my boarding school on rare Saturday mornings. There would plates full of waakye. When I think about this brunch I think about kenkey, which is a staple Ghanaian dish made of ground corn. Ga kenkey is undeniably the best (but I may be biased because I am Ga). Kenkey is often eaten with stew, shito and meat or fish. When I think of kenkey, I think of my dad, who has no problem eating kenkey with corned beef, sardines, shito and ketchup every evening for dinner.

Ghanaian food is what I call good food. Eating food is not just eating, it is sharing, it is teaching and it is creating bonds between families and friends. It is not rare to see a mother and her daughters cooking in the kitchen on Saturday mornings. This is where conversation, laughter, gossip, and problem sharing takes place. Cooking brings about this bond. Many Ghanaian dishes are actually meant to be eaten without cutlery but simply with your hands. Contrary to western belief, this is actually not because we do not know how to use cutlery. Contrary, we were colonized by the British so I can assure you that our manners are impeccable.

Ghanaians have the skill to eat a whole bowl of fufu and soup with their fingers and leave the bowl empty. I still have not mastered the skill of drinking soup using my fingers as the spoon. Food is about community and sharing, it is having a big plate of waakye, jollof and kenkey and eating from the same plate as your brother, best friend, mother or spouse.

Knowing Ghanaian food is knowing that the Ashanti people eat fufu and light soup every Saturday morning, that touzafi is a favorite in the Northern part of Ghana, that the Ga people eat kenkey and that the Ewe people eat akple.

Knowing Ghanaian food is also knowing that despite the fact that foods are attributed to specific regions, we eat each

other’s food. I remember telling my 9 year old sister that plantain was a gift from God. Although I said it as a joke, I also meant it. Plantain in Ghana comes in many forms: Kelewele - when ripe plantains are chopped in small pieces and spiced with ginger, salt and the hottest peppers and then deep fried. Kelewele is often eaten with groundnuts as a dessert, snack or with main meals. It is a sweet and peppery sensation that explodes in your mouth.

Plantain cake (Ofam) – when ripe plantains are mashed up and mixed with flour, ginger, onions, pepper and palm oil and is baked in a bread pan.

Fufu- when green plantain are boiled and then pounded into a dough like consistency. Fufu can also be made with cocoyam, and yam. It is eaten with soup.

Boiled plantain- when plantains are either ripe or green, it is boiled with salt and eaten with soup or stew. My favorite is eating boiled, ripe plantains with groundnut soups.

Fried plantain- when ripe plantains are fried with salt.

And this is eaten alone, with stews, soups or with rice dishes such as jollof.

Tatale/Kaaklo – Kaaklo is when extremely ripe (almost spoiled) plantains are mashed up and mixed with flour, ginger, salt and pepper and then deep fried. Tatale is the same, but it can be fried in a flatter, frying pan and does not have to be deep fried. Tatale and Kaaklo are eaten with Aboboi (a stew made using Bambara beans).

Plantain chips – this is a common snack eaten in Ghana made from green or yellow plantains. It is when the plantain is very thinly sliced and then fried. This is similar to an American form of potato crisps. It is eaten alone as a snack or with groundnuts.

An article like this cannot encapsulate what Ghanaian food is and what it does for its people. However, I hope I showed that Ghanaian food is about diversity, it is about creativity, it is about making seven dishes out of one staple, it is about community, it is about family, and most importantly it is about love.

the cambodian experience TEXT BY COLE DEVOY

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOVT 3434

Fortunately, I had come to the right place.

I had journeyed to Cambodia’s third-largest city as a member of the fledgling Cornell in Cambodia program’s pilot class. Having never before set foot outside the North American continent, I knew that the experience would be educational.

What I didn’t know was just how wonderful and surprising a culinary adventure my first trip overseas would turn out to be—one that would begin with Mexican food.

No, you didn’t misread that. The first meal my classmates and I had after landing was at Viva, a colorfully decorated restaurant on Siem Reap’s Pub Street that advertised “the best Mexican food in Asia”. Its menu featured an amusing but strangely perfect mix of Mexican and native Cambodian dishes, running the gamut from crunchy, mildly sweet taquitos and warm, floury quesadillas to creamy amohck chicken and a variety of savory, stir-fries. Not to mention that strawberry margaritas were only twelve thousand Cambodian riel (about three dollars) a pitcher.

There’s something special about the way the light plays off the clouds above Siem Reap. When you look down over them, tucked away safely in the cabin of your Boeing 737, you almost have to pinch yourself to remember that you’re not in the middle of some smoky, glittery dream. Or you can simply take a bite of your inflight meal. As an American unaccustomed to anything beyond a complimentary beverage service while hurtling through the sky, I know it’s not my place to complain about the quality of airline food. The mere fact that I was even served dinner at all should have been a welcome one. But I was in need of some serious flavor to rid my mouth of the taste of imitation beef stroganoff.

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Though it was the beginning of January, the weather was balmy and consistently in the mid-eighties: perfect for enjoying Cambodia’s abundance of fresh fruit. In the shadow of Angkor Wat, the planet’s largest religious complex and the centerpiece of the Cambodian national flag, I sank my teeth into what must have been the single best mango I’ve ever tasted, while my classmates savored whole peeled pineapples and bunches of chubby, orangeand-green plantains. After a long trek through Phnom Kulen National Park, about a two-hour bus ride away from our home base, left a few of us feeling a bit on the parched side, we were treated to newly-picked young coconuts, hacked open with a few swift blows of a machete before our very eyes. We always took caution, however, to be sure that our midday snacks were clean.

A few bites of an unwashed mango or sips of an ant-infested coconut can leave one out of commission for days at a time.

We eventually left the tourists’ paradise of Siem Reap for the more cosmopolitan and several times more massive city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s lively national capital. The food scene in Phnom Penh is a sampling of the city’s history, where colonialstyle establishments serving Western fare (at Western prices) like the Foreign C o r r e s p o n d e n t s’ Club and the Raffles Hotel Elephant Bar stand just a few blocks away from facilities operated by foodservice-training NGOs serving modern takes on Cambodian dishes, like juicy beef lok lak and a smorgasbord of spicy, multicolored curries. If you happen to find yourself worn out after a meal and in need of a boost, the city’s side streets are lined with carts selling a beverage on which my classmates and I soon became ridiculously dependent: Cambodian iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. In the late afternoon, these carts break out their blenders to prepare fruit smoothies for Phnom Penh’s thirsty citizens.

A few days later in Kampong Chhnang Province - a hop, skip, and a jump outside of the capital - a certain sight became quite common: thin ladders leading up to the spiny crowns of roadside palm trees. I would come to taste the fruits of this rather dangerous labor soon afterward, when during a quick pit stop a few of us purchased several tubes of palm sugar candy.

The buttery cubes were the distant, semisolid cousins of rich maple syrup, and were the cause of many a sugar rush for the remainder of the trip.

menu: tarantula doughnuts, cricket muffins, red ant fritters, and scorpion stir-fry, among other things, and every dish nothing short of gourmet. It was a perfectly unique conclusion to an unforgettable undertaking. I could still taste the silkworm when I boarded the first in a series of flights home the following evening.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and my classmates and I were determined to go out with as big a culinary bang as possible. The chosen locale for our big finish? None other than the aptly named Bugs Café back in Siem Reap. I trust that it does not take too great a leap of the imagination to guess what was on the

So if life ever carries you in the direction of Southeast Asia, be sure to stop in Cambodia for a bite or two. You won’t be disappointed.

And if your stomach ever gets homesick, there was a single dish that appeared on every last Cambodian menu I managed to get a look at: French fries.

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The Flavors of Singapore text by shao min tan photos by hua heng tan The first sensation that greets me as I step off the plane is a soft, welcoming wall of humidity. I set off at a brisk walk through the airport and head through customs, hearing around me accents that sound familiar and yet strange after so long. My family is waiting by the gate. After a short, slightly awkward greeting, I am whisked off in the car onto the pre-dawn highways of Singapore.

We stop at an all-night hawker centre and order, the dialect feeling a little strange on my tongue. The food, however, never loses its familiarity, and when it arrives, it tastes just as I remember it. My memory of its flavours, it seems, always remains unsullied and unembellished, despite having periodically imagined tasting these dishes over the past year.

Every trip home is an exercise in appreciative gluttony – trying to enjoy as many dishes as possible in the few weeks that I have, checking them off a list. This often renders it necessary to have four meals in a day; fortunately, since portion sizes are smaller than what I have become used to in the States, this is quite an achievable feat. Not for nothing is Singapore known as a food haven, and the local population’s obsession with food is evident

from the fact that, instead of saying “how are you?” as a greeting, one asks “have you eaten yet?” (Even at an awkward hour like 4 in the afternoon.)

Eating out in Singapore is usually done in simple style at hawker centres (officially renamed food centres, though colloquially still known by their original, livelier name). These are open-air complexes housing hawker stalls, with high ceilings fitted with fans to counter the sometimes oppressive heat. One orders at the stall of their choice, from the menu which often forms part of the stall’s lighted signage. One then sits down on a flat stool at one of the hard-plastic-topped tables, which is fixed in place. (If the place is crowded, it may be necessary to sit at the same table as a stranger and spend the next fifteen minutes either making small talk or staring determinedly in another direction.) A few minutes later, the food arrives piping hot (hopefully) in a sturdy melamine-like dish, is paid for, and enjoyed. A good meal can be purchased for about 3 to 5 Singapore dollars (the US and Singapore dollars are roughly equivalent in terms of buying power in their respective countries).

First appearing in the 1950s and 1960s in an effort to regulate and centralise street hawkers, hawker centres each host between 5 and 50 stalls offering a variety of food types. The stalls are usually managed by independent rent-paying hawkers who specialise in a certain dish and its variants. You would thus have, for instance, a stall for fishball noodles, or for bak kut teh (a pork-bone based soup), or for nasi lemak (a coconut-scented rice with various toppings), and, of course, a stall selling drinks.

Also common in Singapore are complexes called kopi tiams (“coffee shops” in a mixture of Malay and Hokkien), which, despite their name, offer a full variety of food. These differ from hawker centres mainly in that they are privately owned, have lower ceilings, and plastic chairs that are more shapely and not fixed in place. Yet another step up in terms of comfort (and price) is the food court, an air-conditioned version of the kopi tiam which is commonly found in shopping malls. Despite their varying atmospheres, the food served at hawker centres, kopi tiams, and food courts is of the same kind and quality (though the latter, of course, varies greatly from stall to stall). About 2000 of these eating complexes dot the island, which is 31 miles wide and has a population of 5.4 million.

To a first-timer, the experience of eating at a large hawker centre can be slightly nerve-wracking. Apart from the heat and noise, the sheer variety of food may be overwhelming. Singapore’s history as a seaport which attracted a multitude of foreign workers to the island in the 19th century resulted in a multi-ethnic population (today, 74% of Chinese, 13% of Malay, and 9% of Indian descent, as well as others), which in of itself shows the unique cuisine – many dishes boast influences from multiple ethnic traditions.

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Laksa Laksa lemak is a popular Peranakan dish which consists of egg or vermicelli noodles, fishcake, tau pok (bean curd puffs), prawns, cockles, and bean sprouts in a rich, spicy coconut-based gravy that is a bit like curry. The Peranakans are the descendants of ethnic Chinese who settled in the Malay archipelago before the 18th century and embraced the local customs while at the same time maintaining their ancestral culture. Peranakan cuisine is thus a mixture of Chinese and Malay cooking. Laksa also comes in other varieties around the region, including Asam laksa (more popular in Malaysia), which has a lighter, tangy fish-based soup, and north eastern Malaysian laksam, with its white broth based on boiled fish and coconut milk.

Roti Prata Roti prata is Singapore’s version of the Indian flatbread parotta. Roti means “bread” in Malay and some North Indian languages; prata means “flat” in Malay. The elastic dough is kneaded and stretched by tossing it in the air several times while holding on to one end, and then slapped on a hot plate. It is then folded and fried until crispy and fluffy. Roti prata is usually enjoyed with a light curry or dhal, or even sometimes with sugar. Traditionally, prata is made plain or with a filling of egg, but in recent years the variety of fillings has expanded dramatically, ranging from cheese to chocolate to apple.

Rojak Named after the Malay word for “mixture”, rojak consists of a whole bunch of ingredients tossed and mixed together (a not-so-healthy type of salad, you could say). There are two variations of the dish. The version based on Chinese and Malay cuisines consists of tau pok, bean sprouts, pineapple, cucumber, you tiao (crispy strips of fried flour), and chopped peanuts in a sweet dressing of chilli and shrimp paste. The Indian version of rojak contains more savoury ingredients such as prawn fritters, fishcake, octopus, potatoes, and fried vegetables dressed in a sweet and spicy peanut sauce.

Char Kway Teow Hokkien (a southern Chinese dialect) for stir-fried flat rice noodles, this dish consists of these noodles, which are about half an inch wide, stir-fried over high heat with bean sprouts, Chinese chives, chilli, shrimp paste, leafy greens, prawns, fishcake, egg, cockles, and Chinese sausage.

Char kway teow is not the healthiest dish due to its high fat content, but in olden days it was commonly eaten by labourers as a tasty, low-cost source of energy. It remains popular with Singaporeans today.

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Hidden Gastronome in China’s Silicon Valley, Zhong-guan-cun TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUA

Recently, I traveled to Beijing on a leisure trip, which included some business. In my downtime, I visited Peking University and found myself spellbound by its ancient gardens and imperial architecture. I chatted with a few local students along the way and found out there was a technology hub nearby in the Haidian District, often referred to as Beijing’s Silicon Valley. At the time, an incredible adventure that would befit any gourmet was the last thing I would have expected to discover amongst commerce of gadgets and tablets.

Traditionally, lamb is a delicacy enjoyed on New Years as a way to keep warm for the upcoming year in the colder climates of the north. When I discovered a Chinese-Muslim restaurant that specialized in lamb style hot pot, I knew I had to give it a taste. The restaurant was comfortable, yet novel, with an inviting Arabian design. The grassfed lamb, perhaps first blanched with garlic and local herbs, then slowly parboiled overnight to infuse with mirepoix, filled the air with a wonderful aroma. Despite my experienced tongue to a myriad of cuisines, the menu featured genuine Mongolian dishes, which I had never seen before.

playful contrast between the full pot of stewed lamb rack and the single piece of celery stalk immediately stood out to me. The lamb rack was so tender that it fell off the bone, and was accompanied by an earthy, rich broth. For a customer to appreciate the full experience, the leftover lamb stew actually serves as a do-it-yourself style hot pot, in which one can order additional vegetables, lamb, and noodles to cook.

My waitress recommended their hand-cut noodles, prepared on order, where a chef slices dough into long and chewy strips. It took less than a minute to fully cook the noodles because they were so fresh.

They completely absorbed the buttery broth and all the flavor of the lamb, and every bite of noodle was just as good as the lamb rack itself.

As I finished my meal and walked out of the restaurant I noticed that the restaurant had an annex that sold quality cuts of lamb meat. Their transparency in displaying the lamb they cooked really showcased how they let the flavor of fresh ingredients shine. This special lamb-style hot pot restaurant has opened across many cities in China, with a simple mission to spread heritage and traditional flavors.

I first tried a ‘savory lamb pancake’, which had an incredible crispy texture from a light fry of peanut oil. It was topped with a perfect drizzle of hibiscus-sesame infused honey water, which complemented the flaky, golden crunch. I could taste chunks of freshly steamed yams, pulled lamb brisket, and roasted cumin—a chili blend of indigenous spices.

Next, I tasted the salt and pepper lamb chop—a spin on the Taiwanese salt and pepper pork chops with the natural sweetness of tender lamb. Soon, I found myself licking my fingers to savor every last bit. Last came the house-special, which was stewed lamb pot. The

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The Chase For

Perfection

text and photos by deirdre rieutort-louis

Long exhausting hours, high pressure, military discipline and the constant fear looming that a food critic could be sitting incognito in your dining room without you realising. What could possibly motivate someone to sign up for this madness? For me? All of the above.

Long hours spent with your colleagues working towards that one common goal of bringing joy to people through a dessert is what attracts me to the restaurant industry. There’s no lying, it is not particularly glamorous and the burn scars on my arms will prove this. The strive for culinary perfection requires endurance, but there’s nothing more satisfying than knowing I have made someone smile by combining simple ingredients like butter, sugar, flour and eggs.

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend 6 months working as a pastry cook at a 3 star Michelin restaurant in New York City last year, and was there for every busy part of the year: I spent my first American Thanksgiving in a restaurant employee cafeteria, New Year’s Eve plating desserts, scooped thousands of mini cookies for Super Bowl parties, cut out hundreds of Valentine’s Day linzer tarts, got crushed by NYC restaurant week and even witnessed my chef create a 3 foot chocolate Easter Egg for the Trump Tower’s lobby. Can you imagine doing this for the rest of your life? I can. I’m lucky to have found a career that is also my passion. I love it and that’s what gets me through my days.

Being offered an internship at a Michelin restaurant is like getting into the Ivy League and entering the kitchen on your first day is comparable to the first time you heard the chimes at Cornell: magical. The same feeling and thoughts rush through your head: “What if I’m not good enough? Fast enough, talented enough?” You’re stepping into a temple of gastronomy that only a small percentage of cooks are lucky enough to be given the opportunity to enter. In the end, all you should tell yourself is that you are here to learn and will be learning from the best.

This kind of mentality is what you should be thinking every day. The best advice I was given was “put your head down, do your work well and as fast as you can, but most importantly listen and observe as much as possible.” Of course this matters when celebrities come and dine, but when is this the most important? When NYC’s most important food critic has stepped into the front door of the restaurant. One person can make or break your business and I have never seen as much teamwork, stress and passion/dedication in one room than when the New York Times ate at the restaurant.

Everything has to be perfect. Everything is made fresh. The salad is sorted through and hand-picked and not one plate leaves the window without the Chef seeing it and tasting every component. I found myself having to step away for a few minutes inside

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“Being offered an internship

at a Michelin restaurant is like getting into the Ivy League”

our walk-in refrigerator to escape the crushing pressure but once I got over it I was so pumped to make this an amazing experience for the critic.

Often cooks working at starred restaurants are said to be snobby and think they are above the rest, but I found this to be completely false. A kitchen crew is like a family. Even our meal times are called “family meal.”

There’s an “I” in Michelin but there’s no “I” in team work, and luckily that is what makes a kitchen run.

In the end, the tears (yes tears. Never cry in a kitchen though, it shows weakness. Wait until you get home) and the hard work pay off. The burns will leave a scar and you will absolutely make mistakes, but what you get out of it lasts a life time. On my first day of my internship I was so nervous; I couldn’t wait to leave and swore I would never work at a Michelin restaurant ever again. But on my last day I looked back on my experience and realised that I will carry the things I learned here for life. My experience really changed me as a cook and as a person.

The adrenaline rush from being in a Cornell prelim is great, but sending out 8 desserts at a time each with pristine ice cream scoops and intricate garnishes, and knowing that you have 12 more to plate to perfection? That’s even better.

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A FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE TO VANCOUVER text and photos by cathy zhang

ORU Located on the west coast seashore, Vancouver has been well known for its fresh and diverse selection of seafood.

Restaurateurs have skillfully played with local ingredients and created some of the finest dishes I’ve ever tasted. One of these is ORU, Fairmont Pacific Rim’s local concept restaurant.

ORU uses locally-sourced ingredients inspired by the flavors of the Pacific Rim, taking its cues from the traditional, modern American restaurant, but adapting it to Pacific Northeast cuisine. Open kitchens, modern furniture and casual servers all contribute to creating a lounge-like environment for the guests.

When we sat down, the server brought us an iPad instead of a menu, which defied the paper menu concept, but also added a sense of modernism to our experience. Detailed descriptions were included with every food and beverage item, which was very helpful to us. ORU had a wonderful selection of mocktails: not those that simply consist of flavored syrups and soda, but natural ingredients only. I ordered the “Zen Garden”, made of lychee water, fresh pineapple and lime juice, with a hint of cucumber. This was a great palate cleanser with its light blend of sweet and sour ingredients. For entreés, we ordered the Haida Gwaii Sablefish. I have always been fond of sablefish (even by the name of it), especially its soft texture and crispy crust when cooked to the appropriate texture. The fish was placed on a mixed stuffing of roasted sunchoke, fennel, melted leeks and a light broth on the bottom of the plate. This dish had a very nice sense of texture since the

Far away, on the westerly coast of North America, a hidden gem awaits food connoisseurs worldwide. The beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia is known for its diverse cuisine.

Due to the presence of multiculturalism since opening its borders to immigrants, Vancouver has everything a gourmet is looking for, with concentrations in its local specialties: from Pacific Northeastern cuisine, dim sum to fresh concept restaurants. As an avid gourmet-adventurer and Vancouver resident for the past eight years, I would like to present to you – the finest of each category, recommended personally, locally, and sometimes by travelers like you!

.stuffing absorbed the flavor of the broth, while keeping the fish crispy on the outside and maintaining its flavor.

Dad ordered the 8 oz. steak, medium, paired with steamed broccoli and radish slices. Colorful, juicy and flavorful - well done on taste and appearance.

Now comes my favorite part of a meal (and subjectively how I sometimes judge a full-service restaurant) - dessert!

Though the names listed on the menu sounded overly simple, the products exceeded my expectations. Usually, blondies conjure an image of moist, brownie-like products that could probably be made by anyone who knows how to use a whisk. This was not your typical blondie. Soaked in white chocolate syrup and brushed with passion fruit curd on the bottom, this blondie tasted more like a carefully prepared pound cake soaked in syrup, with a hint of sweet strawberry rhubarb, and sour passion fruit.

My parents decided to order this one because of their love for ginger. As an ingredient often found in Chinese staples, I wondered how ORU would play with this element in a dessert. The ginger taste was not overpowering, but just the right complement to the ice cream.

Though ORU is only one of the many modern local seafood restaurants, I enjoyed all three courses and the view of a beautiful coal harbour sunset outside. Though still a newcomer, ORU will definitely be a sensation in the upcoming years.

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Chef Tony’s When one travels to Vancouver for the first time, dim sum is a must-try activity. Rumors say that due to the Hong Kong Transfer of Sovereignty in 1997, Hong Kong residents immigrated to North America in hopes of fleeing from possible rebellions and other conflicts, and many of them were chefs from five-star hotels and the best restaurants. The arrival of the chefs quickly added a diverse dim sum scene which eventually became Richmond, a region in the Greater Vancouver area well-known for its Chinese food. Here are some of the most unique ones I’ve found so far.

Opened somewhat recently in January 2014, Chef Tony’s hit the crowds like a smooth waterfall and won the Top 10 Best New Restaurants of the Year. The secret?

Creative, unique dim sum dishes. Chef Tony moved to Canada in 1996, just before the 1997 event. After opening one of the oldest (and still one of the most popular) Chinese restaurants (Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant) for over fourteen years, he finally decided to open his own take on traditional dim sum.

Some of the offerings included the black truffle shrimp dumplings, taro yolk steamed buns, bitter melon-infused rice wraps, steamed shrimp mini buns, and savoury, sausage taro rice. As unusual as the names might sound, each dish was very good despite its twist on traditional flavors.

Chef Tony has really created a modern take on the traditional dim sum. While yolk buns are almost always perceived as made up of salted yolks, at Chef Tony’s the buns were made with taro pureéd to the consistency of a flowing yolk, a healthier and tasty alternative at the same time.

Even after visiting destinations such as Flushing Queens and Manhattan’s Chinatown, I would still recommend this restaurant to friends and visitors. Its fusion-themed dim sum is one-of-a-kind and a must-try for all.

Farmer’s Apprentice The concept of “Farm-to-Table” has been a newly popular restaurant concept sweeping through numerous major cities across North America. In this type of restaurant, owners partner with local producers in delivering the freshest ingredients possible for everyday dining. Therefore,

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the menus are often different everyday depending on availability. I had the chance to visit Farmer’s Apprentice, a 20-seat, Farm-to-Table restaurant located just outside of Downtown Vancouver. Due to its limited seating and fewer demands, the cooks in the restaurant also double as servers, presenting their products elegantly to the guests. As we sat down, I immediately felt a sense of being in a summer garden, though it was winter at the time. The owner handed us the menu and told us about the portion sizes. At Farmer’s Apprentice, all dishes are meant to be shared and served in random order, depending on the time it takes to prepare. To “start”, we ordered the “kale,

fermented walnut, buratta and celeriac”. Interestingly, no names were given for the dishes, and ingredients were listed instead. The kale was lightly sauteéd and bathed in vinegar, along with sautéed cabbage, etc. This was the first time I’ve tried kale prepared like this, and it actually blended quite well with the other ingredients. When the owner quickly went over the specials, this dish was the only one that got stuck in my mind. As an adventurous eater, we were curious about the taste. Frankly the marrow did not have much taste on its own, but the caramelized onions and sauce added flavor to the overall dish.

The dessert looked like a piece of art, too beautiful to eat.

A spoonful of pear with gelato and cake gave a combined sensation of warm, cold, and soft at the same time.

The restaurant did not really have a culture association, e.g. French, German or American. However, it was unique, from the service style and interior design to its food. I especially loved the sharing concept since I believe that good food is meant to be shared, and Farmer’s Apprentice has utilized the idea through its artistic dishes.

Vancouver is a lot more than the restaurants mentioned above. It is a mosaic of cuisines and cultures, and food is what has brought everyone together.

“Wait you mean South Korea, right?” No, DPRK, as

in Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. It is definitely off the beaten path, and most people don’t believe me when I tell them I have been to North Korea - the world’s most secretive and mysterious nation. “But why did you go there? And how is that even possible?” Curiosity and the discovery of a unique culture were some of my main reasons for a trip there. Less than 1500 Westerners have the opportunity to enter this country, but flights from Beijing to Pyongyang occur daily and it is relatively “easy” to get to North Korea as a tourist thanks to tour groups that are based in various locations across China. This trip was truly life changing and I experienced remarkable hospitality from incredible people with heart warming stories and a strong desire to find out about the world across their borders. We spent ten days travelling around the country exploring: Pyongyang: the bustling capital city where I was fortunate enough to watch the Mass Games Arirang Festival in the Mass Day Stadium (highest capacity seating stadium in the world), a 90 minute acrobatics, music and dance show which makes the Olympics opening ceremony looks like child’s play.

Food plays an important role in any culture and I discovered so many incredible things and I had the unique opportunity to browse through the enormous selection of cooking books in the Grand People’s Study House, the central library of North Korea. Not only did I get to taste and experience unique foods like candied Ginseng or Korean Barbecue, I got to interact with locals through a cooking workshop held by local chefs. They taught us how to make mochi rice cakes with an enormous wooden hammer, as well as traditional potato pancakes. The chefs were fascinated that a foreign, future chef was learning from them and with the help of our amazing tour guides who translated, I told them stories about the food culture and great chefs of Europe.

10 days in north korea

The countryside: a beautiful, text and photos by deirdre rieutort-louis different side of DPRK where we explored landmarks such as a cooperative farm, the International Friendship exhibition which features gifts given to the leaders from various other world powers, In those moments of cultural the Songam caverns or historic villages filled with ancient relics exchange, nothing else around us and tombs of the old empire. mattered as we were sharing our Mount Paekdu: The sacred volcano bordering China and common love of food. I met some extraordinary, sweet, caring and believed birth place of Kim Jong-Il. generous people on my trip and it The DMZ: The Demilitarised Zone between South and North broke my heart that when the plane took off from Pyongyang airport, Korea. An impressive and incredibly moving place. there was no way to stay in touch with As an avid traveller, digging deeply into the roots of a country them: no Facebook or email. Eating is important to me. In my experiences, nothing reflects a culture Korean food or seeing a story about better than their food and my experience in North Korea was North Korea in the news, I will always no different. Food creates such strong and genuine avenues of be brought back to these memories as communication with the locals. it reminds me that food will always unite different cultures regardless of Though this may seem ironic considering the current political tensions. situation in North Korea, I have never eaten so much in my life than over those 10 days. The North Koreans welcomed us with an overwhelming generosity with heaps of kimchi or rice at every meal. A Korean meal does not consist of simply one dish that we all take from family style, but instead a large selection of small portions served in small individual bowls.

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tale of two paris restaurants: the michelin star and the café

le jules verne text and photos by paula cai Dining in the Eiffel Tower was one of the most memorable dining experiences I have had during my trip to France in the past spring break, and in my entire life. Located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower (roughly 400 feet or 125 meters high), Le Jules Verne is a Michelin one-star restaurant serving classic French Cuisine. Walking past the lines of tourists who spend hours lining up for tickets to climb the Eiffel Tower, guests of Le Verne Jules were escorted by the host to ride on their exclusive private elevator to the restaurant. The sense of exclusiveness and priority was indescribable during this dining adventure.

With the steel structures of Eiffel Tower passing and shining around me while I ascended by the Seine River of Paris, I felt that it was almost like a dream and somehow there was more excitement waiting for me.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was very classic and elegant.

With the limitation of space and shape, the restaurant was designed and oriented in a smart way that all the guests could have the maximum view of outside. After we settled down, a friendly gentleman came to our table patiently explaining everything on the menu and the wine list. He could easily shift between speaking French, English, and Spanish.

The menu was a prefixed, and was comprised of either five courses or six courses. Alcohol was extra, but the wine and alcohol list was very comprehensive. I ordered their signature cocktail, Belle Eiffel, which had the flavor of peach and cognac and gave a dreamy color blend of pink, orange, and yellow. The pre-menu appetizer was a steel bowl of truffle puffs that were delicate and appetizing.

The first dish was Oeuf de poule aux écrevisses, sucs de caisson. It was one of my favorite dishes in this dinner because personally I really love poached egg with running egg yolk inside. The liquid texture was accompanied by the fresh flavor of seafood-the crayfish. If you poke the soft egg white, the liquid egg yolk would gently flow out and mix with the fresh cooking

sauce. After that, there was another appetizer, called Fine crème de petits pois, pince de crabe et caviar d’or, which was essentially a green pea cream. The creamy texture and the refreshing flavor worked well together. With crab and gold caviar on the top, I sensed the great combination of earthy taste of green pea and the reviving taste of the ocean. After that, there was the Asperges vertes de Provence servies tièdes, mousseline truffée, which was a plate of warm green asparagus that were from the region of Provence, and which were decorated with truffled mousseline sauce. The temperature of the dishes rose from the first to the third, but the taste was becoming lighter and more refreshing.

This suggested to me that the entrée was coming up.

And voilà, the duck liver was here. I tasted duck livers three times during this trip to France, and like other ones, this one in Le Verne Jules impressed me with its special, sweet and salty sauce that somehow reminded me of some of the flavors in Chinese or Korean Cuisines. The relatively oily but fulfilling duck liver went well with the somehow airy duck meat. The vegetables on the side, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes, and green vegetables, were cooked in different ways. Not only their colors, but also their tastes compensated well with the ducklings.

Spending my birthday on the Eiffel Tower just made the experience even more unforgettable! The gentleman that hosted us secretly surprised me with a candled strawberry rhubarb dessert, which got everyone’s attention in the restaurant. The Rhubarb/Strawberry Composition was completely refreshing.

With the sour and stimulating rhubarb ice cream on top, the soft but crunchy biscuits in the middle blended in more sweet flavors and stronger textures in my mouth. The drizzled sour lemon strings and the sliced strawberries in the middle brought an extra sense of fruitiness.

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Last but not least, it was the L’Écrou croustillant au chocolat de notre Manufacture à Paris, which was a crispy “Tower nut” chocolate and praline, was from the factory of the restaurant.

I love how the shape and texture of the “tower” looked well with the plate that had the exact color with it. The shape of the “tower” was solid and distinguished, but when I poked in with a fork, it was actually really soft. The softness of the chocolate part blended well with the chewy praline. It was indeed very sweet and fulfilling for my mouth, but eating it with the assorted house-made desserts, such as macarons, puffs, and small muffins, it had become an even greater delicacy because it was not too greasy and chocolaty the whole time.

Overall, it was an amazing dining experience. As you might notice on the online reviews of this restaurant, it was sometimes criticized as the place with only good view but no real good food. But from my experience, I would say that the food there was definitely as good as my expectations. If you love Paris, if you love good food, definitely try Le Jules Verne. You will not regret it! Oh, and don’t forget to book 3 months in advance to sit by the window!

le café du commerce .

text and photos by jieyu chen

Located on Rue du Commerce near the Eiffel Tower, Le Café du Commerce is an authentic restaurant where most local parisien will go after work or simply for a nice meal. When walking down the street, it’s easy to ignore this restaurant since there isn’t a porch. However, once you enter the building, you’ll be totally amazed by the delicate interior design, as well as the creative patio. You can choose which floor you want to sit depending on the size of your group.

pickled in vinegar. These side dishes complement the pot-au-feu and it is recommended that you have several bites of them while you taste the pot to cleanse your palate, because the umami of the broth can overpower the deliciousness of some other dishes on the table.

If you’re a food lover coming to Paris and are looking for some authentic French cuisine without going to an overwhelmingly, expensive Michelin star restaurant, Le Café du Commerce is a good choice and don’t forget to order Pot-Au-Feu!

A typical pot-au-feu contains: Low-cost cuts of beef that require cooking for long periods Several kind of cartilaginous meat, such as oxtail and marrowbone Vegetables: mainly root vegetables like carrots, turnips, celery, onions, but also white cabbage and leeks Spices: bouquet garni, salt, black pepper and cloves

Since opening in 1921, the restaurant is famous for its signature dish, the Pot-Au-Feu. According to the chef Raymond Blanc, potau-feu is "the quintessence of French family cuisine, it is the most celebrated dish in France. It honors the tables of the rich and poor alike.”

Although I’ve heard of this dish before, it was my first time trying it. At first sight, it wasn’t stunning as it was simply a soup inside a pot with carrots, celery, cabbage and so on. There was also a dark brown beef cut. However, when I tasted it, I felt as if I never had anything like this in my life before.

The beef cut is extremely soft and doesn’t need a lot of chewing.

It’s just melting in your mouth and the collagen tissue between the meat is good for health. This explains why the beef and the cartilaginous meat usually require a long time to cook in order to achieve that softness and dissolve the gelatin into the broth. The umami of the meat goes into the soup and is perfectly integrated with the freshness of the vegetables.

In addition, the meat and the vegetables are served with coarse salt and strong Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce, and gherkins 33

A DAY IN LONDON: EATING GUIDE text and photos by jess wu

Lunch: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay I heard good and bad reviews before visiting Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. However, I ended up loving this place and this is the only Michelin 3 Star Restaurant in the UK that is run by a female chef! It definitely has some of London’s most reasonably priced fine dining cuisine for lunch. Service is nicely paced, and the people are easy-going and humorous. The desserts especially should not be missed!

Grapefruit Tart This is one of the best fruit tarts I have ever had. As an avid fruit tart lover, I would give it five stars. The thin, slightly sweetened, buttery crust, the homemade creamy custard, the juicy, and refreshing grapefruit, the airy whipped cream, and the grapefruit puree made this dish the highlight of my day. Make sure to combine all of these elements in every bite!

Rhubarb Sorbet w/ Custard in Rhubarb Wrap I was simply stunned when this dessert was presented, as it was presented so beautifully. The slightly sour, yet refreshing, homemade rhubarb sorbet lies on a bed of freshly cut rhubarb dices. The creamy vanilla custard sits comfortably in its crisp rhubarb wrap. Drops of golden caramel add some crunchiness to this soft, juicy, and fresh summer dessert.

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Afternoon Tea: The Berkeley Breakfast: Duck & Waffle The moment I stepped out of the 270-degree city view lift of Duck & Waffle, my heart raced!

Located on the 40th floor, Duck & Waffle is the highest restaurant in the UK. When you dine at such a high place, what are you expecting to see? The sunrise? The sunset? the starry night? The London Bridge? In fact, you are able to see all of them! In regard to the food, it is very reasonably priced, considering the view, service, presentation, decor, and music.

I ordered the smoked salmon Eggs Benedict, and it is delicious! Several slices of salmon were lying on a piece of toasted Rye while the egg (soft, fully-cooked egg white with a rich, runny yolk!), was bathing in a rich, extra-buttery, and creamy, hollandaise source. The watercress added some crisp and a refreshing texture to the rich and creamy Eggs Benedict. The sour and spicy Sriracha sauce also added a nice balance with the dish’s richness. For a decent breakfast, the average check is around 40-50 pounds with drink/sides. Their service is like their style, Chic and Comfortable. The food might not have that “wow” factor, but considering the view, the service, the extensive selection of dishes, and the drinks...I can’t wait to return!

The Berkeley has one of the most unique afternoon tea selections, including Moschino bag cakes, Alexander McQueen shoe cookies, and Valentino cream cakes. These amazing pieces of art change every season after the new fashion collections are introduced. What’s most important is that you can have unlimited food and tea!

Dinner: Signor Sassi A five minute walk from Harrods, Signor Sassi is a perfect Italian dinner with delicious pasta, desserts, and wine after shopping. The restaurant is owned by an Italian family, and the food (as well as the portion size) is super authentic, rustic, and Italian family-style! The most popular dish is the sour, sweet, and lovely umami Lobster Pasta, which I loved.

The nicely-cooked pasta fully absorbed the sweet and sour tomato sauce, while the lobster meat was fresh.

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abroad tales: text and photos by tia wei ¿Qué pasa mi amigo?

It’s so weird to think that I have been in Spain for a few months now! Time is flying by.

Choosing to study abroad in Seville was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, not only because Andalusia’s weather is warm and beautiful, but also because of the food. I am living with a Spanish family here, and have all three meals with the parents and their three niños. First off, Spanish mealtimes are completely different from those in the US. We have breakfast at 7:30am and then don’t eat lunch until 2:30 or 3pm. After lunch is siesta time! Dinner is usually after 9:30pm. It took me about a month to finally get used to the dining times here.

Living in Spain is simply amazing. I love living with my host family. Every day is exciting for me because I never know what I will be eating for lunch or dinner. For lunch today, for example, I had stewed potatoes basically beef chunks and potatoes. It was rich and delicious.

As my host mom is of a similar age to my own mom, I feel as if she’s just like my mom at times. She wears heels every day just as all the other middle-aged women in Spain – they are all very elegant. She works for the local government and comes home around 6pm, but she does not start to prepare for dinner until 9pm, cooking different foods every day - from tuna salad to tortilla de patatas (a Spanish omelet), from Caparrones (a bean and sausage stew), to Pinchitos (small cubes of meat threaded onto a skewer).

Pan (bread), queso (cheese) and jamón (ham) are the most common foods I eat here, and eggs are not for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner with jamón.

ESPAñA! In my spare time, I have been to several tapas restaurants, and I can never have enough because every dish is so small and delicious. One of my favorite tapas is patatas bravas: bite-sized potato chunks, deep-fried, boiled, or sautéed, spiked with chili (the brava element), with or without tomato and garlic. Espinacas con Garbanzos is one of my favorite tapas as well. It is like creamed spinach but with chickpeas, so the entire dish is more delicious. Those two dishes can be bought in any tapas bar in Sevilla, which are located at every corner of the street. My favorite Tapas restaurant is Enslava in the city center. The food and the service are great. By the way, people don’t tip in general in Spain, but pretty much all the tapas bar’s servers are very energetic and speak little English.

Spaniards usually sit there for hours just to chat with friends and enjoy themselves.

And finally, when it is always such a beautiful day out, it is ice cream time! Llaollao is the most common frozen yogurt restaurant in Spain, and you can get two flavors for only 2 euros and choose from a variety of flavors.

Of course I didn´t forget about churros. A few weeks ago I visited Madrid and had the most authentic and historical Churro con Chocolate at St. Gines (since 1984). After finishing all the churros, people usually drink the chocolate! St. Gines is quite hard to find, situated near Puerta de Sol. After buying the food at the counter and finding a place to sit downstairs, you then give the ticket to the servers. It doesn’t take long for the food to come, but it is always great to simply sit and spend some time chatting with friends. Many locals spend their whole afternoon here enjoying themselves.

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a

cornellian spring break

Photos from our Spring Break Inst Collage By Neha Ratna

tagram Contest

QUIZ: What does your favorite bubble tea say about YOU?

FIRST LETTER Your personality is: A: Ambitious L: Laid-back .

SECOND LETTER: Your fashion sense is: T: Trendsetter C: Classic style .

THIRD LETTER: You seek out: E: Excitement K: Knowledge R: Love and Friendship .

Quiz by Susan Li Photo by Victoria Sadosky

FOURTH LETTER: Your friend group is: S: Sophisticated Y: Sassy

FIFTH LETTER: You feel most at home: U: In urban settings N: In nature W:Everywhere, you’re a world traveler!

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Cornell Gourmet Club

Cornell Gourmet Club