This is not a food blog

I love food, I love to eat and I like to cook. I even have not so secret dream of opening a bakery. Recently I realized that I don’t necessary like to read about food. May be this is just an oversaturation of food blogs, extensive dining and food sections in newspapers and magazines, cooking shows, diet fascination, and eating disorders. It feels like the normal interest to the basic human need became an obsession. The realization that we are society without traditional food and eating culture drives us to compensate with madness. May be this is a temporary fad and it will go away after more people will start feeling this way?
This is not a way to create a culture. The culture comes from tradition, tradition comes from family. Young people I know who cook and eat well are not the one who read food blogs and watch 24/7 food network. These are kids who come from families which managed to preserve food culture. There are several attributes which characterize such families. They eat what they cook (not prepared food), they often cook what their mothers cook and they eat at least one meal at home together every day.
How to get there from where we are now? I don’t know. I will think more about this. But current media obsession leads to eating disorder not to tradition and culture.
Sorry no pictures today.

I'm back!

Today is exactly 10 weeks since I broke my foot. And even though I spent a lot of time sitting on the couch, this is my first blog entry since then. I finally understood why I didn’t write anything. Sitting on the couch and being isolated creates a huge luck of data input. The internal storage has plenty of data, but because I’m somewhat depressed that data doesn’t look that hot. Today was a bit of a break- through initiated by Patrick’s friend food blog. She is a good writer, not like me. I think she is Harvard educated. Definitely more prestigious and may be even better school than Tashkent State University. She has a nice food blog with lovely description of her experience preparing pies and muffins and bread. But there was something wrong. May be the entries were too long for the genre, or the ratios of text and pictures was not to my liking. I for sure like texts with a lot more pictures. Here is one at the entrance of Madison Square Park.

And then Alla Pugacheva! My recent experience of going back to old Russian favorite movies and pop music is dismal. The prime example is Russian 80s adaptation of Mary Poppins. Back in Russia I thought it was a lovely film. But couple years ago it was shown on RTN. Wow! What a pitiable amateurish attempt for a musical. It was embarrassing. Especially when you’ve seen an American version. However, yesterday one of my old friends from Tashkent (living in NJ now) posted on facebook a youtube video with Alla. I went to youtube and listened some more. Not all of them are great. But what a relieve! She is real and she is good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukq8wPlFwJ8

The search for oriental rugs and why I had to continue about Barcelona

I cannot believe that I could spend a day just looking at oriental rugs on eBay. Even though the subject is fascinating I feel that the day is wasted. When I was younger it didn’t bother me at all. But these days something is different. May be perception of my own mortality becomes more clear. By the end of the day I realized that the only way to seize the rest of it is, to pick up where I left the Barcelona travel notes.
The architecture of Barcelona is huge subject. It is beautiful, eclectic and surreal. There are plenty of masterpieces from the middle ages to modern stunning buildings. The Gaudi is the star of the show. The obligatory visit and contribution of funds (in form of very expensive tickets) to ongoing construction of his last project Sagrada Familia was a live demonstration that in the old times people really made things better. The building which was started in 1880s is still under construction. The part that was build in the beginning under Gaudi management is exquisite with intricate façade details. The part which is being built now is interesting and does have reminiscence of signature Gaudi style but looks simplistic at best and cheap at worst.

The detail of the old façade
The old façade next to the new part of the building which is still under constructionThe newly built interiors. I liked them even they are not really Gaudi.

The short march from Sagrada and you walk in the less known masterpiece. On the way we passed a strange fountain with a sign which prohibits swimming. I warned you about some surreal elements in Barcelona.
The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Santa Pau is huge (9 blocks) and build on the premise that being in the beautiful surrounding has the power to cure the sick. After walking around the complex I was convince that the premise is truePart of the complex is still functioning as a hospital

Snow Blizzard in DC is a perfect time to reminiscence about a few autumn days in Barcelona

The snow started to fall last night and continue all day today. I ventured out once, because people keep telling me how beautiful the show is. When I went out I discovered that during the blizzard it doesn’t matter in what direction you walk, the snow is blowing in your face. Kids and dogs obviously were having fun, but my tolerance for wet and cold (the essence of snow) is limited.
I came back home made myself a huge lunch with eggs and potatoes and started to look at my Barcelona pictures. The autumn sun of Spain looks even more attractive when it is cold and dark outside.

We arrived in Barcelona on the morning of November 3rd and walked from the train station to our hotel.
The hotel was recently featured in New York Times Travel section as one the best bargain hotel in Europe. It indeed was a fine hotel decorated in modern Asian fusion style with great shower and picturesque view from the window on the working class neighborhood.
The hotel had a nice restaurant were they serve an excellent breakfast and very cheerful colonial looking Red Bar.

Barcelona has the strangest setting I ever seen in any other old city. The large part of the historical center with narrow streets and medieval buildings is a poor immigrant neighborhood filled with Doner kebab places and halal meat markets. Patrick absolutely refused to go to any Doner kebab joint. He explained that this is a very bad name for any eating establishment and particularly ones which specializes in kebabs. The name reminded him of the Donner Party (misfortunate group of pioneers who were snowbound in Sierra Nevada and resorted to cannibalism).

After we checked-in in our hotel we had lunch in one of the few local cheap restaurants which did not served Doner kebab. For about 15 euro we had 4 course meal and a bottle of white wine. As you can guess the food was not a gourmet kind but it was freshly prepared, authentic and filling. The place was filled with construction workers and a few elderly regulars. One of the selections for the first course was a glass of fresh tomato juice which locals mix with salt, pepper and olive oil. Not bad at all!

The real estate in this part of the city is affordable enough to have a lot of cheap housing options including youth hostels. These accommodations and incredibly cheap wine attracts students from around the world and make Barcelona the center of youth tourism. Some parts of the historical center are re-gentrified and filled with expensive touristy restaurants and hotels (around the famous Rambla). Only a small part of medieval Barcelona has the habitual charm which associated with oldest parts of Paris (Marais) or Rome. There are a few streets with independent boutiques, galleries, tapas bars mostly filled with locals.

Will continue...

Few more words about Torino before we go to Barcelona

Shopping was somewhat disappointing. And it is not just because the dollar has such unfavorable exchange rate to the euro. There were very few independent boutiques which I used to see in Italy. I don’t care much about brand names, but it looks like as if traditional craft of dress and shoe making is dying and being replace with mass production and Chinese import. There were a few exceptions. Patrick bought for me a very elegant light coat which is though expensive but looks and feels classy enough to justify the price.
There were still a few shop windows where the old world sophistication and charm was looking at your through glass with remembrance of the things past…




I want to come back to Torino once more a bit earlier in the fall, when you still can enjoy sitting in café outside and enjoy the morning cappuccino like we could in the first morning in Torino before it got too cold for that:

And to see the Alps from Parco villa Genero, to take better pictures in Egyptian museum which has the most incredible collection of ancient Egyptian art outside of Cairo.

And of course to eat the glorious pasta

and fish in Peperino restaurant (baked in olive oil with cooked potatoes, tomatoes and olives. Bonissimo!)
On our last night in Torino we went back to piazza Carlo Alberto to the pizza palace in La Smarrita. I had the classic Margarita and it was out of this world!

And than dessert which had all the qualities of sin: it was so beautiful and delicious that it was worth eating even if you will be condemned to hell for eternity


Cheers to Italy!

Profume de Alba

We decided to go to Alba on Saturday. Saturday is the most important market day of the week and we heard that Alba has a very famous market. Our hotel receptionist was happy to explain us where to get on the Alba bus. The bus trip was a joy. Only a small part of the way we were on highway, most of the time the road took us thru little towns and up the mountain covered with vines in vivid autumn colors. An hour later we arrived on the bus station of no distinction with no map and no idea where to go. This was a moment when my limited Italian was squeezed out of me. I picked a typical Italian signora from the crowd and sheepishly asked her Dove mercato? Signora gave me a look. No Italian was necessary to understand: You don't know where the market is??!!!’ and pointed us to the direction where everybody was going.

The market was good but not great. I’m a market connoisseur, so everywhere I go I always visit the local market. This could not possibly be the famous market. There were some nice local specialties. We bought excellent dry porcini mushrooms; the selection of hazelnuts was impressive.

The wicker tricycles were cute, but otherwise there were nothing to write home about.

But from the market we could see where the historical center is and proceeded to go that way. That’s where the actions were.
The center was charming, old, and full of people shopping for absolutely spectacular selection of local wines, cheeses, salamis, pasta, chocolates, nuts and other delicacies.

The best Italian wines Barolo, Dolcetta d’Alba, Nebbiolo all grow in Piedmont and Alba restaurants and wine bars proudly present them in beautiful company of all the heavenly looking and smelling food.

cheeses

and giant salami

and giant green onion

and wines

and more salami

and more cheeses

The star of this gastronomical show was the white truffle. The streets where perfumed with fragrant odors of one of the most expensive foods in the world.


White truffles can only be found in the woods around Alba and it hosts the world famous white truffle market.

There was something else in the air. It was recognizable right away though it didn’t have any physical materiality of mushroom or chocolate. The scent was coming from super expensive stores and restaurants full of wealthy tourists (and some locals too) from around the world. The discreet smell of money was not that discreet on the old streets of Alba.

In the evening on the main piazza near the church the live entertainment was provided for the crowd. The music group was performing traditional Italian songs. The source and inspiration for Italian opera becomes obvious just after a few minutes listening to them.

Across the river

Piazza Vittorio Venneto is located on the west bank of the river Po. From there one can see Gran Madre de Dio church and a huge hill behind it.

The church looks like the replika of Pantheon.

Since we lived near by we decided to cross the river and go up the hill. Several times during our travels in Italy going up hill proved to be a memorable experience. I only want to mention Sanctuary San Luca on Guardia Hill near Bologna which is 287 meters up the level of Po and has the endless staircase covered with porticos which was enough to explain why with all the extraordinary rich food (lardo is a fat of choice) locals there don’t show any signs of weight problems.

Patrick after he conquered Guardia Hill in Bologna

The Turin across the river is an innocent wealthy enclave, where Armani boutique for babies looks normal.

Of course how one can survive without baby Armani apparel!

Here half way up the hill is a gorgeous villa della Regina which was destroyed in bombing of 1942 and now almost rebuild, but still not open for visitors.


But the road still going up and so we are determined to conquer another Italian peak.
The efforts were fully rewarded when we’ve got to the top of the hill and found a romantic and serene park Villa Parco Genero completely furnished in fall attire.

Along the alleys of the park benches are set, where in clear day visitors can enjoy the view of the city and the Alps on the other side of Turin.Since it was a foggy fall day and I could not take a picture of Alps, I asked Patrick to take pictures of me in the park:



The park has strange half ruined sculptures:


Jews were hiding there during the war.


The destroyed old church with the evidence of love which only death can bring to an end gives the last charming touch to the lovely park on the hill


As it happens often the most interesting sites are not mentioned in travel books…