BonVivant

Basking under a goose fat halo. Everything is closed for 3 days here in Budapest. Almost the same meal I had in a restaurant last week, but this is exactly how I want it. Killjoy here. Don't need a specific date to enjoy anything. Hungarian sparkling wine made in the traditional way, méthode champenoise, with only native grape Furmint. All four must be obtained, for if one falls the rest collapses with it. (foie just before cooking) Hungary is the biggest producer of foie gras in the world. 60% is exported to France (and France alone has 70% of foie gras consumers worldwide). Buying fresh goose, its offal, foie gras or things like cavivar from a market stall is quite a normal thing here. Elsewhere they top a steak with a fried egg, in Hungary it's foie gras. Poultry specialist at the market where I got mine.

Did you know... Hungary has a species of pigs that almost became extinct only a couple of decades or so ago (under communism)? It's the Mangalica pigs (pronounced "MangaLITSA). It has a thick coat of blond fur and its fat is much loved by Hungarians. Some producers send the legs to Spain to cure in the style of Jamón Serrano and they then get shipped back to Hungary. I've looked everywhere and found exactly 2 market stalls that have the elusive Jamón for sale. I've been eating anything Mangalica since my arrival. 3 kinds of Mangalica products on this plate. New bread and cheeses. Not impressed with Hungarian cheese so far, but their fats and meats make up for it. All certified sellers of Mangalica products display such a sign. Finally! Not as spectacular as the Spanish version but it's a good start. Hungarians are amazed I have done thorough research on their foods and beloved pigs. See the rising respect in their eyes when I eat a sample of pure fat. Most tourists are afraid of fat, but not me. There are 2 kinds of Mangalica fat (smoked and salted) which one slices thinly and puts on bread. I bought a small chunk of each to take home. The markets here are so mesmerising, especially the butchers and smoked-cured meat specialists. Hungarians really really love their meats and fats. It's beautiful here and of course you can still have a good time without eating (massive amounts of) meat and fat but remember that those meats and fats are something which cannot be separated from the culture and history of Hungary. This is the salted kind. I mean, just look at the thickness of the fat! I have finally tried this typical Hungarian snack called Langos. Deep fried flatbread with cheese. It's sold everywhere, always made to order. Dough is crispy and airy. I could do without the inferior cheese.

Mostly liquid today. Some marvelous Hungarian wines from small producers only. Most Hungarians outside of these wine-producing villages don't even get to drink this stuff. One of the reasons is that wines are a regional thing here and they cost a bit more than the average Hungarian wine drinkers would want to pay. It's nice to stay in a flat owned by a connoisseur of good wines! Hungarian proverb in photo: "in wine there is happiness". This satisfies my inner bon vivant. Everything on this faux chopping board is from small producers across Hungary. The wine connoisseur is almost as meticulous as I am. Also good sourdough and nutty breads alongside. All of this is delicious. My favourites are the goose cracklings, smoked goose breast, and blue cheese.

I am basking under a fat halo as we speak. Goose fat that is. But the pigs rule here in Hungary. Where I live a Hungarian stall at the market has this brawn (and other Hungarian smoked meats which I get regularly) but it's still nice to eat it whilst in Budapest. There's also a version with blood. Gonna try that next. It's no Germany but this bread is very decent. Headed to the christmas market straight away after lunch just for this pastry. Christmas markets are one of those "special kind of hell" places for a highly sensitive person but it's the place to eat chimney pastry from different stalls right now. Had it in Prague in 2005, also at the christmas market. The rig and operation back then was more primitive. I prefer that, actually. Everywhere you look you see people eat this. "Chimney" pastry is an extremely popular Hungarian snack. It's fun to unroll the dough as you eat. There are several kinds of coatings to choose from. Mine is vanilla. I'm going to be here for a little while. Staying in a flat owned by author of the "food wine Budapest" book in this photo. Kitchen is good for boiling water, me thinks. I arranged in advance to have a bottle of Hungarian wine for my night arrival (2 IPAs came with me from home). The wine is rather nice, and is one of the reasons I'm here for.

Any interest in checking out Nikkei food? Lima is the place for that. Have you had alpaca? Get a steak from the butcher and cook it yourself. I like the alpaca steaks I had in Peru (and Bolivia). Didn't know any better in my youthful reckless, unwise days I went to Peru mostly for something else (photo below). Didn't even know anything about Nikkei food, which was probably still in its infancy then. Directly after returning from Peru (and Bolivia, same trip) I got into food photography, and the rest is, as they say, history. Now no longer youthful but am still reckless and naive in the ways of the world A 4 day hike in the most horrendous weather.

^^ East beats West! From my food hell at the far reaches of north western Europe: Black radish. In the sake cup is pink salt and Turkish Isot Biber (smoked pepper flakes). Cured for 4 days, left to dry in the fridge for another 5. Smoked for a bit. Fan.bloody.tastic! Any longer would be a bit dry. This is still moist and the way I like it. There are juniper berries in the cure. I used a bit of orange pekoe tea, Sichuan peppercorns and mesquite chips for smoking.

Çilbir (pronounced something like "chi-bare"). Black stuff is Isot Biber (a kind of Turkish pepper). Got a big piece of Faroe Islands salmon to smoke. I used the belly for tartare. Matchsticks are black radish (sharp and crunchy). This is the salmon I smoked, using mesquite chips.

TFTC, thank you kindly! I did it for my own enjoyment, and also, this way I can enjoy the holiday again through my photos.

Salt cured egg yolks. Flans. Custard tarts.

Thank you, @Duvel. It was an easy flight from Brussels. Reykjavik is extremely touristy. Guess it's not expensive enough. Beer prices are on par with Norway (which is the most expensive country in the world, besides Singapore). Seafood is so good in Iceland, obviously. The fermented shark is no big deal, despite all the fuss people make about it. Yes, you get a huge whiff of amonia but that's what the booze is for. But if I have to smell something strong I'd rather eat all the stinky cheeses from France. The stinkier the better (cheese that is)! (And I meant to lose your abs in 5 days. Could not edit anymore)

My "first taste" of Iceland and now I want more. Watch in full screen.

I've been giving mine away but not to any random person. I bring with me cookery books/mags on holiday to give to owners of the lodging. They can use them or leave them in the lodging for others to read. My beer glasses are given away in the same way. I want an empty house (it's a bit hard when the partner is a hoarder)! I don't cook with them, just read them like novels. Howeverrrrrr... I won't part with these. All right, I can part with 2. OK, 3. But only the person I want to give them to wants them. The 2 I want to keep will go in the incinerator with me. These are no cookery books, although they do contain some recipes. Beautiful photography, exhaustive research, good translation (originally in German), every page brings you closer to the country and its people. THIS is how you learn about a country (its culture and history) through food and drink - its heart and soul! Unfortunately, no one on here lives in the country where I'm going to next. And my big trip next year also. I'm pretty sure no one here lives there.

Yes, I know. It's a silly name for this dumpling. I have never seen it on menus but they mention it in German cookery books. Do you only eat the sweet version of it in Austria? And for the rest of us, "Bubespitzle" means "a little boy's willy". The shape of the "noodle" resembles it.

I don't have the book within reach right now but found one online that's very similar. Give it a go.

This past weekend: My first herrings in 6 long weeks! Good herrings should look like THIS. Quality is almost like in the spring. I'm so lucky to have a good fishmonger at the market. And to get to the herring stall I bike through this path. It's also my daily route, half of it is along a small river and the bike path is next to it. Cheese before all else. Chaource has a new label design (top right corner). King trumpets and grated blue cheese under there. Want to know a German saying with sausage in it? "Everything as an end. Only a sausage has 2." There are many sayings in German with food and beer in them. More Sauerkraut. The real thing, fresh from a container, readily available from vegetable stallholders at the market. I used a Bavarian napkin and twine to keep the bread in place. The blue and white are the official colours of Bavaria state, btw. They are very proud of their state slogan "under the white-blue sky". (Overhead shot if you must see the mouse)

A typical meal in Baden-Württemberg state in south western Germany. Schupfnudeln is a kind of dumplings and it's easy to make. In Germany the dumplings are easily available so not sure if people still make them at home. You can eat them simply boiled or fry them in Speck fat (after they've been boiled). Fried in Speck fat, of course. There's also Speck and Sauerkraut in it. The name in German is simply "Schupfnudeln mit Speck und Sauerkraut" (dumplings with Speck and Sauerkraut). I eat it every time I go to Germany.

The mushrooms (Pioppino) took the most time to be sorted out. Spätburgunder (German pinot noir) from Pfalz, Germany. You probably keep seeing this kind of wine glasses in my photos... this specific style is called Roemer. The most popular and traditional wine glasses used all over Germany. I broke all the green stemmed ones, the most traditional colour for these glasses. (Light reading: a short history of the glasses here.) There were also roasted potatoes with whole garlic (finishing up in the oven whilst these photos were being made), reduced sauce, and chervil. But here's the minimalist version: ----------------------------------------------- Thanks! My eyes want something, too. Even if I'm not photographing the food I still make it look nice. Am always working on my food, my photography, and myself. For myself.

Smoke signal... (from an old wok I use for smoking stuff). For smoking I used some aromatic wood chips, Sichuan peppercorns and Orange Pekoe tea. Rosemary between the breasts. First smoked then finished in the oven. Intensely smokey and still nicely pink in the middle. Kind of hard to test the doneness when both sides are fatty skin which plumps up during cooking. Because autumn...

The way to my cold heart. Dipping components Roast beef Only cheeseheads would understand.

Duvel, I must have seen it in the shop where I bought these tins. You know one of those wonderful little shops in Spain (and Portugal) that specialises in tinned seafood. I shall look it up in Spain next time. Thanks! ------------------- Well, this zombie made some fried rice with leftover lunch (see tins upthread). The colour of the rice is just the sauces that came with the squid and octopus. No need to season as the sauces took care of that. I don't know how to make a pile of rice look "nice"... My lunch. 17 oysters and 2 clams. I gutted the clams, they were sweet, and free.

Trying not to fall down... let's see how long I can stay awake. Time difference is 6 hours. Got home last night and went straight to bed, more or less. Lunch was a few thing I have in the cupboard. Bread is from the countryside bakery which was bought when they practically just opened the shop. Brought back from Spain.

Fresh bamboo shoots? Made this photo in Taiwan:

Captain, I think only in North America the portion is huge. KayB: I have been eating and drinking 3 times my capacity, without exercise whatsoever, few fruits and vegs. But I'm on holiday... will deal with it when I am home again. I have a disciplined gym-pool routine 5 days a week, eat little meat, lots of vegs and fruits (my downfall is cheese and beer!). Five weeks ago I was fit and muscular... Notice the past tense. Hah! -------------------- And today's lunch was another smoked meat sandwich just to compare. It was across the street from Schwartz's. No wonder Schwartz's gets all the business. And just before that... baked bean in lard. If you don't like fat you would hate this. I would have made it with Speck. Perhaps most people in Europe would, too. The bean dish is the best thing this place is known for. The tiny restaurant is a kind of greasy spoon diner. The food they serve is the kind your (grand) mum makes (when you were a child). A few tiny tables and a counter.

It's a long lunch today, kind of. All consumed directly after one another (with a short underground ride in between). Full fat. The more obscene pic of the same plate here. Medium fat I prefer the medium fat version, and I like fat. Inside the restaurant A short underground ride later 12 different kinds Where I ate the oysters (Jean Talon market) Another short ride... I always give something a go before slagging it off.

One of the reasons I love HK... East meets West, and you can get almost everything there. (Sometimes East beats West) Chaource is a fantastic cheese. Everything I like is in one photo here, Duvel. My cheese heart belongs to France but my soul is probably Frank/Bavarian and Swabian. Schupfnudeln/Spätzle, Riesling and Speck (not to mention Sauerkraut)! I'm intrigued by Austrian and Slovenian food as well. Well, come to think of it, it boils down to Speck for me. I like that they have German proverbs with the words Speck/beer/wine/eating/drinking in it!