Many of you may be familiar with the adage, “It’s five ‘o’ clock somewhere.” To those of you struggling with what we hope are the last throes of winter: It’s summer somewhere. That somewhere would be the entire southern hemisphere, but specifically, it’s summer in one of my favorite culinary destinations, Peru. I’d like to…
Category: Travel
The best ice cream I ever ate
Who doesn’t like ice cream? If you are lactose intolerant, diabetic, or have a milk allergy, you are not allowed to answer. We all have our favorite flavors and experiences with frozen dairy desserts. The wide variety of niche and chain ice creameries, gelaterias, frozen yogurt shops in the U.S. alone show us that ice…
Profile: Bordeaux’s Glouton, Le Bistrot
If I were to conceive the quintessential French bistro, it would look very much like Bistrot Glouton in Bordeaux, France. On a recent trip to Bordeaux, I had the pleasure of a lovely Saturday lunch there. A small, simple, and modern interior houses small wooden tables that place one in close proximity to fellow patrons,…
Two days in Bordeaux
If you have been looking to plan – or just dreamed about – a trip that includes hops around Europe or France, make sure to add Bordeaux to your bucket list. Wine is only a starting point. Whether or not you are an oenophile (wine lover), Bordeaux has a lot to offer visitors. A cosmopolitan…
A tour of Belgium’s chocolatiers
Does Belgian chocolate live up to its hype? My answer: Absolument or absoluut (“Absolutely” in French and Dutch)! I’ve had the privilege of scouring Brussels and Bruges (Brugge) for chocolate. I’ve tried hot chocolate (see my post about my search for the best), chocolate glace (ice cream), truffles, bar chocolate, ubiquitious chocolatiers that cater to…
Extreme chocolates in the Baltic States
Didn’t the Baltic series end a few weeks ago? you may be wondering if you saw the title. If you haven’t checked out my series on the cuisine of the Baltic States, please do so. Tabling a discussion on Baltic chocolates felt appropriate to include in Chocolate Month. The Baltic States certainly are not world-renowned…
You, too, can make French macarons – trois façons
In honor of Chocolate Month and Valentine’s Day, I’m sharing a recipe for an exotic flavor trio of the romantic French macaron – a rich, sensual chocolate with rum ganache filling; a tropical basil-lime; and a buttery dulce de leche peanut. All three variations – the trois façons – are certain to impress. I have…
This winter, try nature’s cure-alls: Sea Buckthorn and Chaga from our northern neighbors
What do the fruit of a shrub that grows in frozen desert (tundra) and a hard, ugly black fungus that thrives on birch trees have in common? Aside from growing in northern latitudes, altitude, and their cold climates, both sea buckthorn and chaga are natural, homeopathic remedies well known throughout Russia and eastern Europe, and,…
Olde Hansa – Medieval times in Tallinn, Estonia
Every now and then, one finds a tourist spot that more than lives up to the hype. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised by the cuisine and ambience of Olde Hansa, perhaps Tallinn’s most well-known restaurant catering to tourists. I expected a heavy hand of kitsch and cheesiness, but my experience was more understated…
Stockpot Riga: The Latvian spirit of The Culinary Diplomat
There are moments when I’m reminded why I started this blog. Moments that inspire me to share the joys of food – from the exotic to seemingly mundane Americana – with everyone. The first experience – well, ok, let’s be honest; all four visits – made me positively giddy with excitement to be able to…
The Culinary Diplomat 