Spaghetti Carbonara

Why is it that when I think back to my childhood, I over-generalize vast periods of time? For example, I'm nearly convinced my parents threw a wine-tasting party every weekend, complete with 10-glass place settings, random combinations of friends, and all-day cookery. Ask my brother, he'll agree this must be true. And yet, they SAY they probably had these parties a couple times a year. What? Similarly, I remember about 5 meals I feel like I ate, almost exclusively, throughout my entire childhood. Spaghetti Carbonara was one of those dishes.

Dad's exploitation of parsley made it difficult for me to fully enjoy this bacon-laden pasta growing up, though looking back I can't imagine how this was possible. I mean, bacon. There was a period of time (perhaps exaggerated by certain family members) that I declared myself a vegetarian with the exception of bacon (who can resist, really?) This turned into "vecan" for veg/bacon. Clever! I am still head over heels for bacon, but appreciate much more elegant flavors now too. (Ha) Still, whipping up a creamy, cheesey, bacon pasta sounded irresistable when it got cold last week. I love that the sauce is simply olive oil, egg, grated parmesan and starchy pasta stock. It was simple and savory and heavy on the bacon. So, you really can't go wrong.

Glossary

DO NOT make the mistake of asking your server what bresaola is at 'inoteca in the Lower East Side. Because there is a glossary. And you should know better.

Fab cheese plate with cantaloupe, herb honey and spicy almonds, despite snobbish air. Great veg meal, really. Best for the company of Chris and Kate!

The Kati Roll Company

While making my way north along 5th Ave. from the Fashion District to Midtown, my growling stomach could have stopped traffic. I was one of, well, just about everyone on the street consulting my phone with such focus that stoplights couldn't slow me down as I accessed Yelp's iPhone application. Too many options with search terms too defined for my quick pace walking uptown was frustrating, so I went for UrbanSpoon (that nifty app everyone has where you shake it to find a restaurant nearby!) Sure enough, the first one that came up, Kati Roll, was half a block off 5th on West 39th. Outside, it appeared to be an unassuming fast-food style eatery for local business people. Inside, the line was 10 people long, the space was tiny, and the aroma was incredible. A unique board game-like menu offered visuals corresponding with the different types of Kati Rolls to order, a roll being made up of paratha (deep-fried flat bread) wrapped around meat, cheese or veggies. I went for the chicken and shami kebab rolls, learning the chicken was flavored with tikka masala and the kebabs were minced lamb meat. I was FLOORED by these things. So unique to begin with that I might have been blinded by sheer novelty, but on tasting the mini-masterpieces I understood why the line practically wrapped around the block as I sat there savoring. The chicken roll had thin-sliced red onion, cilantro chutney and super spicy tikka masala rubbed chicken. And I should really mention that the chicken was of the utmost quality. Tender, charred—excellent tandoori. The ground lamb roll was equally delicious with its own brand of spice and red onions. I tried to save a bite of each to compare at the end but realized I was finished before I remembered to. I would make a point of heading back here next time I'm in New York. There's one in the Village as well.

Curry Hill

My hotel in the Fashion District seemed in the heart of things (as apparently every place in NYC does) and yet not close to much. However, I discovered, it was mere blocks from Curry Hill! I researched Indian restaurants on Yelp and couldn't help but choose one with high reviews in the heart of so-called Curry Hill, in Murray Hill. Dhaba struck my fancy when I read their menu featuring street food items like we discovered in London. I went a little crazy, taking advantage of the cheap starter-sized options and the company tab, ordering enough food for two :)

The Paya, or, "goat trotter soup" was not my favorite dish. What were apparently goat hinds or heels had no meat on them but glistened with cartilage in spicy ginger broth. I admit I still ate most of it, though. On the online menu, the most-ordered item was an aloo gobi samosa which sounded promising. Two of the gigantic samosas filled the plate in greasy glory. I could barely finish one! The aloo gobi inside wasn't very spicy and the cauliflower was almost potato-like in its mushy consistency. But who can hold that against them when the whole point is to dunk the samosas in delicious tamarind chutney?

Two Chaat Bazaar dishes sounded especially interesting, one was thinly sliced eggplant in tamarind paste, the other pu-ed rice with tamarind and mint chutnies. Can you tell I like tamarind? The eggplant was succulent; perfectly cooked to soft yet not-mushy goodness with a layer of tamarind sauce and a sprinkle of some sort of puffed grain, almost like what might top a chinese chicken salad. The pu-ed rice is apparently a dish Dhaba has made famous—it was like fried rice in terms of it being a mix of flavors and textures stirred together, but with puffy rice like a ricecake in the making. I poured enough mint and tamarind chutney over this to turn it into a vehicle dish, though the light texture of mashed peas and rice were certainly interesting.

Without a doubt, the dark meat butter chicken curry was the star. Similar enough to tikka masala, (to the point that some restaurants have indicated it's the same thing) I was in curry heaven with this tomato cream stew. I love how the tangy-ness of tomato curries blends with spice and super tender meat. Plus, the bonus of bathing a plate of basmati rice in curry sauce can't be matched.

Time Out; New York

I need to interrupt the Europe Tour with a quick trip to New York last week. I've always had a love/hate relationship with Manhattan. One minute I'm in awe of how grand and easy the city is, the next I can't believe how pretentious and dirty it is. In any case, my first night, I met up with some coworkers staying in the Meatpacking District for dinner at 5 Ninth. It was a hot, balmy evening, even at 9:30, so we were thrilled to be seated outside on the street. Being Fashion Week, or maybe just because this is what New York is always like, there were gorgeous people strutting past our table all night. The restaurant had the cutest courtyard patio overgrown with greenery up to the latticework roof strung with twinkle lights. Of course we were seated on the actual street next to the dumpster and guy flattening cardboard boxes, but you have to love that the same restaurant can so blatantly organize their guests.

The menu was short but had serious breadth. Baked fried chicken (yes, that's not a misspelling), swordfish, a burger and gnocchi. We shared some amazing appetizers: heirloom tomato salad with banyuls vinaigrette and wild mushroom gnocchi that tasted as if the potato dumplings were as light as air. How do they do that? I've attempted to make it once and failed miserably as the dumplings came out hard as rocks due to my overuse of flour to get the little guys off my fingers, into the pot.

The scallop special was fantastically light—a clever blend of flavors to take the typically rich scallops down a notch. A bed of lentils in a balsamic reduction that tasted almost fruity provided the base. Scallops were nearly rare (the best way) with a seared crust of fine pepper and polenta for a little crunch that wasn't too spicy. Radish sprouts and flat leaf parsley were abundantly sprinkled on top and the overall effect was, like I mentioned, surprisingly light for scallops! I tend to only go for scallops if I'm in the mood for a rich beurre blanc sauce or serious cracked-pepper action. But this was perfect for a warm evening: light, fruity and herbacious.

The Royal Oak

On Sunday, we enjoyed a real English Breakfast in our adorable boutique hotel, the Bloomsbur The breakfast buffet was really lovely, we were gung ho for some runny eggs, baked tomato and black pudding. Our agenda was to join a London Walks tour of Greenwich, a short boat ride east on the Thames. Greenwich was touted as London’s Venice and the Christopher Wren-designed Naval Academy looked beautiful. Sure enough, the boat was a fluke and our tour was going to run about 3 hours late, so we made our own way to Greenwich on the light rail. It turned out well since we went through the newer part of the city, quays with brand new apartment and office buildings, umbrella-ed cafes next lining the inlets of blue (not brownish gray) water. Even through Canary Wharf, where the Olympic Village in 2012 will be set up.

On reaching Greenwich, we surveyed the hospital, Naval Academy and church in nearly stifling heat. The Cutty Sark was completely covered while work is done on it, not that I would have known what I was looking at should it have been at full mast. It was a nice adventure somewhat outside the city, and we had some great pub fish and chips (and cask beer) in the little town.

Then we were off to High Wycombe, Buckinhamshire. 4 train changes later, we were met by a colleage of my mom’s and her husband who took us to tour the location of their future house. Now, there was a currently established house on the property, supposedly even built within the last 60 years, but it was so unlivable I was sure it had been erected around the 1500’s. There was a lot of work to be done. I was most impressed by plans for the backyard which were to include a pond, chicken coup, vegetable garden, sun room with fig tree…it was impressive. And ambitious, in my opinion!

They took us to dinner in their current hometown of Marlow at a gastro pub situated on a rolling green grass hill like a bed and breakfast cottage only better. The Royal Oak’s doorways were built for hobbits they were so tiny and we were informed this was because most of the local buildings had been erected in the 1000s and 1100s! we sat on a picnic table outside sipping local beer under an apple tree.

Dinner was surprisingly good. I didn’t mean to have low expectations but we were at a pub in the middle of nowhere! My pork belly was nicely crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Al dente green beans and fried polenta rounded out my side dishes, a smart combination of not-too-rich flavors and textures to complement the succulent pork. It was the kind of pub I would love to spend a Saturday afternoon at, with a blanket on the grass followed by country bread with roasted garlic. We wrapped up the evening with the “Boozey Rhubarb” a dessert of mostly whipped cream that was meant to have spiked rhubarb compote somewhere at the bottom. It was an impressive country evening, a nice glimpse of the gourmet standards outside of London.

Potato Onion Gorgonzola Tart

I read, in one of my favorite cookbooks long ago, that every woman calling herself a cook must have in her repertoire a savory tart. I got the impression if you didn't have this to fall back on or call your signature pastry, you were no real cook at all. Well. It's been in the back of my mind forever, and yesterday morning at the corner store when I saw how adorable the fingerling potatoes looked, I decided to go for it.

I sliced the potatoes about an eighth of an inch thick and sprinkled them with sea salt before frying them up in olive oil. Placed them on a paper towel and got to work on the dough. I whipped up a basic crust of 1.25 cups flour, teaspoon sugar, teaspoon salt and a half cup butter then rolled it out by hand into a big disc. I sliced a smallish onion into quarter inch rounds and placed them in the center of the dough. Then balanced the potatoes on top and pulled the dough up around them to create sides. A copious sprinkle of gorgonzola cheese over it all and into the oven for a half hour. When the dough wasn't getting very brown but the cheese was starting to get golden, I painted the sides of the tart with an egg and some butter to glisten it up. The result was a generally basic tart but one I'm happy to call my signature savory. And how I love sweet onions, a nice addition to the salty potatoes and blue cheese.

MAZE

I wasn’t able to get us a reservation at Gordon Ramsey’s Maze restaurant on Grosvenor Park until 10:30pm on Saturday night. I’m so glad we committed to a late-night feast—it was quite possibly the culinary highlight of the trip, if not the summer. I knew I would get to spend quality time with my mom on this trip but this experience, both the flavor adventure and the enlightening conversation, made it truly special. You know how when you’re having a really good time you suddenly take stock of the moment and make a mental note that you’re really happy? This was one of those nights.

The Maze menu is a complex labyrinth of small plates, though not tapas as I originally thought but mini-flavor adventures ranging from simple-sounding common fare described to blow your mind to combinations of tastes you’d never expect. I made 4 selections to constitute my amazing tasting-menu-type dinner. Upon discovering wine flights and not knowing which to choose, our sommelier suggested individually prepared flights based on each of our courses. Who could ask for anything more?

Course number 1: Chilled English Pea Veloute with Pea and Lobster Salad and a Parmesan Parfait paired with “Vignes Blanches” 2007 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre

This neon green souplike concoction arrived with pea shoots, teensy lobster chunks, and what I can only describe as beef jello in the bottom of a small bowl. The pea veloute was then poured into the bowl on top of the salad to add theater and flair. I wished I had a smaller spoon to savor it longer. The cool, grassy pea soup was so fresh it was like spring blossoming in my mouth. Icy lobster added just the right texture to complement the creamy soup. In between the salty beef gelatin that melted when it touched my tongue, the refreshing veloute, crisp pea shoots and the unique muscle-like quality lobster that combined into the soup, I was alternating bites of a crispy and sweet cracker sandwich toted as the pafait. It tasted like carmelized sugar crisps with iced butter in between and turned out to be paper-thin polenta with parmesan ice cream. Huh. The sweet Loire Valley Sancerre took on the flavor of summer peaches when paired with the pea veloute.

Course number 2: Pressed Foie Gras with Smoked Eel paired with a Clos Dady 2006 Sauternes

This was the course my mom and I doubled up on, we couldn’t resist fois gras! We’re pretty sure there were columns of bacon fat appearing, on the sliced pate on our plates like 3 buttons stacked on top of each other. As if the smooth texture of fois gras wasn’t decadent and buttery enough, the bacon-flavored—let’s call them buttons, that’s easier to keep typing than, well, fat—added an unheard of level of indulgence. The pate also had what felt and tasted like a salty shell around it. Next to the foie gras were slices of either plums or apples so thin you could see right through them and topped with a bite of smoked eel. Freshwater Unagi, BBQed atop sushi rice has a tender, meaty weight. This eel was the consistency of coarse jelly. Flavored with just a hint of fruit and smoke, I was intrigued by this feat of food engineering. How did the eel stay in one piece on the plums but disintegrate like sorbet in my mouth? The Sauternes cut the saltiness of the foie gras quite nicely though it’s rare for me to drink 2 glasses of sweet wines back to back. I was ready for something dry.

Course number 3: Slow-cooked Cod with Baked Clam and Smoked Prawn Butter paired with a 2007 J N Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Masques

This tasting dish kicked off with some theatrics while one server placed a bowl with sparkling white fish, prawn pieces and copious tarragon stalks in front of me as the other poured a frothy brown sauce over the dish. The cod was more firm than raw white fish but not nearly as rigid as fully cooked. The result was extra tender, flakey layers. The whole dish was extremely salty, which merited no single complaint from me, but I was inspired by the idea of a sauce made from shrimp reduction. I sensed the fish had been slow-cooked in salt water and the shrimp bites were equally saltaliscious. The clam shell filled and baked with brad crumbs and herbs reminded me of my godparent’s perfected annual New Year’s Eve dish. I resisted from licking the filling out and opted for a fork. The dry Chardonnay was just crisp enough to cut through all of the salty, complementary flavors.

Course number 4: Cornish Lamb and Tongue and Salt Marsh Mutton Shepherd’s Pie paired with a 2004 Massolino Piedmont Barolo

If this wasn’t the most beautifully plated dish, it was the most tasty. A nearly-rare lamb chop was precariously balanced on sweet cabbage and thin tongue then doused in wine gravy, peppercorns, capers and parmesan-herb crisps. I really think the best way to enjoy lamb is in very small portions like this. It’s so rich and flavorful, to be forced to savor each bite is best. On the side was a tiny ramekin of Shepherd’s Pie with ground lamb and creamy potatoes. It was confusing to me since it was kind of like getting two dishes and I hated to give one the spotlight when they were so equally delicious! My Barolo was just rich enough to balance the lamb dishes. My notes for this course were practically non-existent—I blame the initial French 75 followed by 3 glasses of wine and the fact that we were almost the last diners in the restaurant by this time—close to midnight!

Course number 5: Madagascan Vanilla Rice Pudding with Raspberry and Lemon-Thyme Jam and Clotted Cream Ice Cream

‘Nuff said.

Afternoon Meze at Med Kitchen

We had matinee tickets to see Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at the Duke of York Theater in the west end. It was a muggy, overcast day and we ducked inside to watch one of the cleverest most intelligent plays. I seriously felt smarter walking out of there. And Stoppard’s son played Valentine, a hilarious, socially-awkward physicist with such fantastic lines. Too fun.

Afterwards we walked back toward the hotel to Med Kitchen on a busy intersection off Charing Cross. Sitting outside in the heat, basking in the buzz of the city, I ordered a Pimm’s Cup to pay some kind of homage. It was delicious! Filled with chopped fruit, lemon, lime and a ginger-ish, allspice flavor. We also rounded out our table with a Greek meze platter of taramosalata, hummus, tzatziki and a potato spread with herbs that was interesting. I hadn’t had taramosalata in ages and it was such a treat. Salty, fishy and creamy, I can’t think of a better spread for some toasted pita. Save for perhaps tzatziki, though this watery version wasn’t nearly as representative of the thick and garlicky Greek version. We were glad to have spotted Med Kitchen, it was a chill spot for afternoon cocktails and appies.

Fluffy Brown Sugar Scones

At Harrod's I bought a jar of lemon curd that's been sitting on my coffee table for 2 weeks beckoning to be spread on a warm fresh-out-of-the-oven scone. Today was the day. Fluffy scone recipe tweaked with brown sugar instead of white:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
  

Mixing the sour cream and baking soda and setting aside allows the mixture to expand. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar and vanilla paste with a wooden spoon. In yet another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Whisk the egg before stirring into the butter and sugar mixture. Then fold in the dry ingredients and finally the sour cream mixture, making sure not to overmix. Dallops on a floured baking sheet will bake in about 20 minutes at 350º in my oven (which is ANCIENT).

Lemon curd, Dalynn's strawberry jam and butter were perfect accompaniments to the warm and fluffy scones.

Portobello Market Morning

Saturday morning marked our first full day in London and we certainly made the most of it. We set alarms early to take the tube out to Notting Hill to the Portobello Market before the crowds. At 8am, the stalls were just being set up for the day and we had the full attention of dozens of sellers. We made our way through the antique shops, rife with ancient books, real linotype prints (not modern tourist “tat” as one seller claimed) and empty, intricate bottles for everything from medicine to milk to meat. The flower and food market were equally overwhelming in terms of color, smell and sheer volume.

Next time we’ll know better than to arrive on a full stomach. The aromas wafting from the giant paella pans of snap peas and marinated drumsticks was so pungeant it’s still making my mouth water. And the miles of fresh bread with quiches filled with painstakingly layered vegetable slices was beautiful and oh so appetizing. My favorite stall amongst the food displays was the olive and Mediterranean set-up. Barrels of olives brining in everything from giant bay leaves to lemon rind to parsley butted up against fresh feta soaking in olive oil so rich I could smell it from 10 feet away. Hanging dried red peppers and lavender only added to the exotic aromas.

At 10am when we realized we needed to make a beeline back to the tube for our 11am London Eye reservation, the crowd was immense like a wave pushing in the opposite direction. We were so glad to have come before the crowd, before the heat, to enjoy the Portobello Market tradition.

After nearly an hour in line and a 4-minute, fully interactive (meaning we were sprayed with water, hosed with fake smoke, and 3D goggled) introduction video, we were rising slowly above the London skyline in the Eye. When St. Paul’s and the Gherkin came in to view to the east, I really felt like I was in London. It’s remarkable to see, at one time, so many renowned landmarks. Parliament. Big Ben. St. Paul’s. The Gherkin. Buckingham Palace. London Bridge. It was a great introduction to the city even to show the incredible size of the modern metropolis. Nearly as far in either direction as you could see was what could be considered “downtown” London.

Technically Notting Hill, 5 or 6 tube stops from our London Eye vantage point, is within the city, north of Hyde Park. And equally as far in the opposite direction to the east, St. Paul’s rises up to indicate the old, walled city of London. It’s like looking at Manhattan in terms of size, if there existed a vantage point in Manhattan that actually allowed you to see all of it!

And all this before lunch. Across the street from our hotel on the most adorable little street: Great Russell Street, a quiet, poetic Japanese restaurant had our number. We ordered beautifully colorful bento boxes with tempura, freshly grated radish and agedashi tofu. It was the perfectly simple format with complex flavors to recharge and relax us. I’m a fan of agedashi tofu when it’s done right, and I must say this was a nice treat. Hakuba felt like a retreat from the bustle of the city, in fact, Great Russell Street in general was always a nice street to come “home” to, just around the corner from the Tottenham Court Road Underground station. The only silly thing about our thoughtful hour over green tea and bento was the argument between the two American women sitting next to us! Hilarious.

How Bazaar

Our first evening in London had not been carefully planned nor had reservations been made. Because our hotel provided little in terms of concierge service, we ruffled through printed pages of friend’s recommendations to search out a great first dinner restaurant to enjoy. I think my exact words were: “We can’t just go around the corner, we’re in LONDON. No night can be wasted!”

No pressure.

We settled on an Indian restaurant in Mayfair, with a recognizable enough address that any cabbie could locate it. Then we set out on a walk to get some exercise on a day mostly sitting on an airplane. We headed south along Charing Cross in the direction of Covent Garden, passing by pubs overflowing with happy hour revelers, a dozen theaters, and finally came out to Trafalgar Square in the gorgeous early-evening light. Each time I caught a glimpse of Big Ben or Parliament breaking through above a building I stopped to take yet another photo! It’s so exciting to be in a city where recognizable landmarks and monuments constantly jump into sight.

We kept walking toward the river, thinking once we got there we might have an uninterrupted view looking back north at the city. But the Thames isn’t like the Seine in this way—it’s not a sight to be seen but a means of passage and work—sure enough when we finally did get to the water we discovered there wasn’t even a path along it and were stuck. On the way, we passed through St. James Park by the duck pond (a goofy name for a pond filled with exotic, elegant birds like the black swan preening right next to us). We used the London Eye as a guide since it towered above buildings, showing the way to the river. As we came around the corner in front of Westminster Abbey, the sun was just setting, throwing a stunning pink glow on the intricate white façade. At 8pm, just as we were eagerly growing closer to Big Ben, the hour chimed and it felt like we were being reminded twice in the same moment that this was special. Once we reached the Thames behind Parliament, it was getting dark and time to hitch a ride to Mayfair.

Chor Bizarre was filled with Indian artifacts to the point I was pretty sure every table, chair and piece of flatware was imported. The atmosphere was fun and lively, a giant party celebrated near us and we were seated in imperial-feeling hand-carved chairs. The menu told us that Chor Bazaar is a ‘theive’s market’ hence the unique decoration of the space. When they opened the first restaurant in Dehli, they wanted to capture the spirit of the old and new city through the unique experience of the theive’s market, so Chor Bizarre was born.

I must say I was dying to try a London Tikka Masala as I’ve heard there’s no better place in the world to try it besides Dehli, regardless of how cliché it might be. Sure enough, Chor Bizarre had their own take on the dish with flaming brandy. Once that important aspect was settled, we sat back to enjoy delicious papadums with spicy pickles—we loved guessing what was in the pickles since you can only eat so much at a time and I was 99% sure I ate the top of a lemon rind—and crispy samosas.

The highlight for me was the second starter served: a lamb, yougurt and potato patty with such a unique texture it took me about 20 minutes to finish a 3” disc. The potatoes must have been mashed with the lamb, then ever so slightly fried so that the outside was perfectly solid yet impossibly easy to break into the meat. The lamb flavor was unmistakable but not overpowering, crucial in my book. And of course, accompanying mint chutney was delish.

Feeling like this was our 5th or 6th meal of the “day” including traveling all day Thursday and Friday with little sleep, we selected a chickpea dish and some naan to complement the chicken tikka massala. Everything was prepared beautifully and with a fresh crispness you miss in takeout (duh—I need a good Indian restautant in SF!) I loved the sweet red onions on the spicy mango chhole. I’m pretty sure I used the naan to sop up the remaining masala sauce before anyone was able to clear a dish, it was that delectable. The brandy made it a really different flavor, more sweet without sacrificing the tang of tomato.

I was half asleep in the cab on the way back to the hotel from the 2.5 hour long meal, but we passed through Picadilly Circus in its Friday night glory and I was awed, yet again that day. It’s like Times Square on crack. But it made me proud to be in advertising seeing it have such importance in the public space!

Brit Fish 'n' Chips

Arriving in London I was sure of two things: I was really tired and I was starving. First stop, the cure-all pub. Across the street from the British Museum and only 2 short blocks from our adorable boutique hotel, Museum Tavern catered to tired tourists (like me!) with deep-fried fish and chips. The unique thing about the fish is it’s one whole cod, you can see where the tail starts to curl, even. While I got the impression from a cabbie later on in London that good fish and chips are defined by the quality of fish and the batter, I must say any opportunity to soak a plate of fried goodness in malt vinegar works for me. I love when the fries are soggy with vinegar then dipped in ketchup. This plate of salty goodness was “rounded out” with mushy reheated peas I couldn’t bring myself to finish off. But the lunch wouldn’t have been complete without a half pint of local cask beer. What is it about luke-warm beer? Maybe it’s absorbed into your bloodstream quicker. In any case, it was a lovely introduction to London if not the recommended start.

Afterwards we made our way across the street to the British Museum to enrich our spirits with glimpses of some of the most important artifacts of human history. I was best prepared to witness the Elgin Marbles, remnants of the Parthenon trucked back to London about 150 years ago. Having seen the Parthenon in person and explored the museum underneath it to see what pieces of the monumental parapet were intact—very little—I somehow assumed the majority of the marbles were in London. While great pieces of it are in fact, in the British Museum, there is still so little left. It makes me wonder how, over the past 2,000 years, such known splendor could have suffered so much. When the great monuments of the 21st century fall into disrepair, will we know better than to raze them and start over? It was really something special to see these sculptures, carved by Athenian hands over 2,000 years ago.

We also stopped by to do some translating of the Rosetta Stone and marvel at the tiny stature of Egyptian mummies. By the time we worked our way through the ancient cultures wings, it was time for a nap.

10 Delicious Days

First Class is a beautiful thing. In the time it takes to get uncomfortable and claustrophobic in coach, you’re eating a second course of bread and cheese, anticipating a third of curried shrimp or lemongrass soup. THANK YOU MOM, for having flown all over the world to earn enough miles for us to fly in style!

Now that I’m back in the Bay Area, it’s time to get down to business and write about the amazing culinary experiences abroad. Jokes about meat and potatoes (in both London and Prague) aside, we dined elegantly and cheaply with amazing results across the board. About a week into the trip we asked each other if there was a single meal we didn’t relish and it took us about 10 minutes of reimagining each meal to come to the conclusion that, no, there was absolutely no such meal. I’m exited to write about our 10 delicious days!