Category: Holidays

Macaroons of My Dreams

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I suppose the only proper way to celebrate Macaroon Day (May 31) would be with the most wonderful macaroons you could lay your hands on.

Now, it just so happens that the most wonderful macaroons you could lay your hands on (and I brook very little debate or argument on this) is a particular bakery in Rome – specifically the bakery with no sign on the door at the corner of on Via del Portico d’Ottavia (on the corner across from the school). I don’t know the actual name of the place. Few people do and there’s no sign any way. *

All you need to say is ‘the burnt bakery’ or the ‘bakery in the ghetto’ and everyone knows where you mean. This is it, in all its signless glory (and possibly the one and only time I have seen it without a line winding out the door.

And the macaroons? DIVINE.

*a bit of research reveals the name is either Antico Forno del Ghetto or Pasticceria “Boccione” Limentani but I can almost guarantee no one will ever call it either of those in conversation and you will never need to know the name.

Get Ready to ‘Cater’ Your Self-Catering Holiday

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Cooking might be the last thing you want to do while on holiday, but there’s a lot to be said for self-catering holidays.

  • You get more room for your money on self-catering holidays than you do from all-inclusive.
  • You set the schedule – with young kids, this makes keeping to routine a lot easier.
  • You’re more in control of the menu on self-catering holidays.
  • You eat what you want when you want on self-catering holidays.
  • Makes managing dietary restrictions easier.

But I know the idea of having to cook (and wash up) makes it sound less holiday-like and more like just moving the housekeeping to a new location. But cooking doesn’t mean it must be done in the same way as you always do. Take a holiday from your usual routine: take some shortcuts, mix things up, relax your rules. We’ll get to all that in the next post. First, we make a plan. Continue reading “Get Ready to ‘Cater’ Your Self-Catering Holiday” →

Fabulous Foodie’s Summer Holiday Approach to Cooking

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I have previously mentioned that for several years when Sprog was younger, we went the ‘self-catering accommodation on family holiday campsite in France’ route for summer holidays. And it was on these holidays that ‘quick’ and ‘easy’ are my watchwords for holiday cooking – and indeed for my whole holiday if truth be told.

We’ve talked about packing for your self-catering, holiday came holiday and we’ve talked about kitchen planning and equipment – but what the heck are you gonna eat when you head off on this self -catering holiday? Continue reading “Fabulous Foodie’s Summer Holiday Approach to Cooking” →

What American Food Means To Me

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Earlier today, on the eve of that Birthday of the United States of America, the 4th of July, Deborah posed a real, well, poser of a question:   “What is American food?”

On the surface, this was a very easy question to answer. “Hamburgers!” “Hot dogs!” “Apple pie!” “Chop suey!” “Barbeque!” “Pizza!” were amongst the most vociferously voiced suggestions. And despite the fact that each of those originated in another continent (if not country), I completely agree.

But as an amateur food historian, I could counter those with “Popcorn!””Peanut butter!” “Turkey!” “Cranberries!” as each of those foods are actually native to the USA. Well, … Okay, so peanuts are actually native to South America, and the peanut butter we eat today was possibly loosely based on a Cuban culinary practice-but it became peanut butter in the USA. And no, it was not invented by George Washington Carver, but I’ve covered that story here.)

And anyway, I started to think about the question in a different, more personal, way. Continue reading “What American Food Means To Me” →