Every spring, Queen Elizabeth throws three garden parties at Buckingham Palace, where 8,000 invited guests gather for a spot of tea and a healthy dose of British tradition. I managed to wrangle an invite the night before — and spent the morning of the party finding a hat (required) and a “day dress or pants suit” appropriate enough for the occasion. Thusly … Read More
Congolese Cuisine: Cassava, Caterpillars and the best Belgian food ever (Seriously.)
Being Franco-Singaporean, I was raised on the best two cuisines in the world, and would be hard pressed to declare Congo a center of culinary delights. But I fully agree with this blog’s proposition: food in far-flung places takes on a special flavor! I have visited the Democratic Republic of Congo frequently since 2002, and each restaurant, hole-in-the-wall, and Congolese … Read More
Marrow Vine Leaves and Pistachio Cream Pancakes in Northern Iraq
In this part of the world, restaurants tend to sling the same grub (kebab, mezze, biryani, baklava) — and what sets one place apart from another is the quality of ingredients and, when I get lucky, the existence of dishes I’ve never seen before. Green Jews Mallow in Egypt. Hot cheesy hummus in Turkey. And at Al Safadi, a Lebanese restaurant in Northern … Read More
Modern Meatballs and Delicious Dumplings in Istanbul
You can eat very, very well in Istanbul. Even with zero language skills, the point-and-nod method can get you amazing kebabs, shwarma, roast chestnuts, the donut-shaped pastry known as simit, and enough baklava to put you in a honey coma. And the street food scene has excellent company with a handful of modern restaurants serving what they call New Istanbul, … Read More
Feast in the Iraqi Plains
“Sit, sit, eat. No more photos!” When men with in uniforms tell you things, it’s generally wise to do them. Being ordered to lay down my heavy television camera for lunch was an order I was more than happy to comply with. Along potted, rutted and congested roads, we traveled 2 hours northwest of Erbil, in Northern Iraq, deep into … Read More