Mmm Monday A Tasty Treat: Louisiana Crawfish

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Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

 

Louisiana Crawfish

 
Is it shrimp? Is it mini lobster? No, it’s crawfish!

You can’t say you’d been to New Orleans without having a taste of this popular delicacy boiled and steeped in Cajun spices.

First, you twist the head off and pinch the tail and squeeze out the meat and eat it. Then you put the dismembered head to your lips and suck it to get the most out of the experience.

“The moisture and the flavor is all in the head,” says Underbelly and One Fifth chef Chris Shepherd. “Yes, the tail is the meat, but the head is the essence of life.”
 
 

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Mmm Monday: A Tasty Treat

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Location: Dupnitsa, Kyustendil, Bulgaria

 

Pogacha

 
Pogacha is a round bread used for special occasions in Bulgaria. It’s offered to guests as a symbol of friendship and hospitality. It’s usually accompanied by salt which used to be worth its weight in gold back in the day.

Our hosts at the Roma quarter in the village of Dupnitsa welcomed us with this traditional treat as soon as we arrived. Roma is the politically correct reference to the gypsies.

 
I used to think that Romanis or gypsies are people who wander from place to place with no permanent residence. I was mistaken. Some have chosen to stay foot and become members of a quarter like the one we had visited. A quarter can be compared to a community or barangay in the Philippines.

 
I saw the children waiting for us when we arrived. They were excited to see us and mobbed our vehicle like we were celebrities. I found out later that the place was rarely visited by outsiders. As I gazed my eyes around, it reminded me of my hometown in the Philippines.

 
Our guide had advised us not to give the kids candies or souvenirs and that she would take care of it. She said to be careful and be prepared to be stared at when we walked around the neighborhood. She added that some residents might even feel our presence intrusive.

Most certainly, shooting everything on sight with our digital cameras wouldn’t win any favors. After all, they shouldn’t be objects of curiosity. They shouldn’t be treated like specimens to be numbered and catalogued in our photo collections. We must remember that they are humans just like us and very much entitled to their privacy.

 
If we wanted to take a picture, it was better to ask permission first. If we gave them respect, we’d get it back. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any untoward incident. We found the people friendly and accommodating.
 
 

Mmm Monday: A Tasty Treat

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Location: Rila Monastery, Rila Mountains, Bulgaria
 

Grilled Pork Neck

 
Its’s been years but I still have fond memories of the Rila Monastery where our group stayed as guests for one night.

For dinner, I was given the choice of either grilled pork neck or trout. I chose the former that came with potatoes and a generous serving of soup and salad. There was no desert this time around. But who needed one when you were already full?

 
The Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century in honor of the St. John of Rila (Sveti Ivan Rilski) who would eventually become the patron saint of the Bulgarian people.

 
I found the accommodation at the monastery to be very spartan and fit for a monk. I had to make my own bed which made noise when i lay on it. The wool blanket was thick and heavy but provided enough warmth during the night.

I slept soundly to the sound of the nearby river until 3 am when I was wakened by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. For a second, I thought I was home in California. I was paralyzed in terror and unable to move. Luckily, the building held its own with some visible cracks on the wall.

Because of the rainy weather, there wasn’t much to do at the monastery but tour the complex and visit the museum, which contains ancient icons, religious artifacts, and manuscripts dating as far back as the middle ages.

We left the monastery at around noon the following day en route to Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria.
 
 

Mmm Monday: A Tasty Treat

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Location: Bath, Somerset, England
 

Pan-Fried Fillet of Sea Bream

 
We arrived in the city of Bath early Friday afternoon. It was the end of the road for me while other members of the group continued on their extended tour of England. My flight back to the U.S. was scheduled Saturday, the following day.

Our tour guide hosted a farewell dinner in honor of those of us heading back home. Several choices were offered for the three-course meal. I had Pork Belly Pate for appetizer, Pan-Fried Fillet of Sea Bream for entrée, and Creme Brulee for dessert as shown above. I enjoyed it as much as it was free. Ok, I was only kidding. It was actually very good.

Bath is well-known for its ancient Roman-built baths. Since I visited it more than 10 years ago, it has undergone a facelift for good or bad depending on who you talk to. As I walked around, I noticed modern developments here and there including the new mall and bus station. I guess nothing can hold back the march of time. Everything has to succumb to it sooner or later. Still, it remains a beautiful city and worth putting in your bucket list.

 
Lastly, at Terrace Walk, near the Roman Baths, I encountered the familiar smell of Filipino food. It was coming from JC’s Kitchen considered the best street food in town. Too bad, I was already booked for dinner. Hopefully, I could get a chance to try it on my next visit. .
 
 

Mmm Monday: A Tasty Treat

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Location: Penzance, West Cornwall, England

 

Steak with Grilled Broccolini

 
Upon arrival in Penzance, our tour guide treated us for dinner at the restaurant in the hotel where we stayed. From the menu, I selected English steak and grilled broccolini with garlic butter sauce.

Did I say English steak? Yes, I did, simply because we were in England. Honestly, I can’t distinguish English steak from any other kind of steak for that matter. I’m not that sophisticated.

Anyway, I think I made the right choice. It was great and cooked to perfection. I left the plate clean like a good boy.

We stayed in Penzance for three days visiting popular attractions in Cornwall including the Lanhydrock House and Gardens, Land’s End Landmark, St. Ives, and St. Michael’s Mount. From there, we drove 212 miles to Bath, famous for its ancient Roman-built baths.