BonVivant

Lithuanian savoury pies. One of the traditional things to eat here. Black bread. Another must do. Apparently, Lithuanians are the world's biggest rye eaters. We are big bread eaters so we try to eat black bread from a different shop every day. First slice with avocado The partner had to eat most of these as I preferred the black bread. Some tourists ride these bikes. We bike every single day at home so we just want to walk here. Besides, it's easier for me to make photos all the time. So many locals use this thing. They are left behind everywhere you turn. 600 year old bell tower. I have heard the views are fabulous up there. The plan is to walk up tomorrow. Wanted to check out some Soviet-era canteens in town. The menu is short, food is simple and looks are not important. They are popular again now that cost of living is soaring. The tables are not cleaned after someone leaves, you bring the dirty dishes to a certain spot near the kitchen door, you don't linger when you are done eating. 5 tables with chairs and 5 standing tables. Locals are done eating in 5 minutes or less. The men usually eat standing. People of all ages and walks of life eat at these canteens. The food is cheap and brings one feelings of childhood nostalgia. National dish of Lithuania, "zeppelins", or potato dumplings filled with pork mince. One of the theories is they got the idea from German potato dumplings (Bavarian style), changed the form (zeppelin) and used pork mince as a filling. Cabbage rolls Everyone ordered a cup of salty broth with the food It's very hot and it's not officially summer yet. Have to rest in the shade often. Pubs don't open in early afternoon, this one opens from 3pm is the earliest. One of the highly rated pubs in town. I thought it was just OK. They have 4 fridges of craft beer New deliveries kept arriving. Still not enough to make me stay. Will probably come back one more time before slagging it off. And at the next pub near my lodging. Must have changed owners. Not really a true craft beer bar. We tried a honey ale anyway. Not too sweet, faint taste of honey. Btw, Lithuanians like their beer sweet(ish), I was told today by an employee in a craft beer bottle shop. No wonder most of the beer I've tried so far are smooth, sweetish and not too bitter. Lay's crisps we have at home are almost worthless. Here they have novelties such as barbecue rib flavour and chanterelles. Supermarkets are wonderful to explore. The herring section is BIG, it puts us to shame. In most supermarkets we have matjes and the kind in brine, that's it. Smoked salmon carcasses! There's also smoked salmon trimmings. I love walking round in a new place with my cameras. Quiet street Female camera operator Fill your bottle for free. I see Lithuanians drink directly from the tap. I'm not adventurous when it comes to drinking tap water in most countries. As far as I know, you eat the potatoes alongside the soup, as in not putting them in the soup. But the eggs can be pureed together with the beetroot and kefir. Btw, I posted this not that long ago (in the lunch thread). HeidiH, Some people carry 2 phones, I carry 2 cameras (and no phone). This camera is for B&W photos. Come back to my lodging, jump in the sauna, eat, drink and go to bed. Not tired from the walking, but I think from the high temperatures (outside).

This is the airport in the Lithuanian capital. It's tiny and looks more like a train station. Nothing that indicates it's an airport. Just got here today. Hit the supermarket straight away to pick up a few things. Californian pistachio packages have security locks on them. "Super bakery". Didn't see any bread from outside, mostly pastries. Catbus stop (?) Tactile pavings are even next to the river so the visually impaired can enjoy walking along the river, too! Went to the oldest brewery for the first and only meal today. It's a rustic building, the restaurant serves some Lithuanian traditional dishes and some newer ones. We went after lunch time to avoid the crowd. Locals started to come in soon after, for beer and snacks. Black beer, lager, and IPA. Guess which is most popular Cold beetroot soup, always comes with potatoes and usually a hard boiled egg, but no egg here. Charcuterie. My favourites are the smoked pig's ear and dried sausage. Matjes with potatoes. Crispy potatoes with mushrooms, Speck and cream. For the cookware enthusiasts It's a porky and potato paradise here. We never pass up an opportunity to indulge in potatoes. Went for a walk during golden hour. So many of these annoying "E-steps" everywhere. Even middle-aged women zip past cars riding these electric bikes standing. It's very warm today, very summery. Many men with fishing rods along the river.

Rhubarb The "original" mac & cheese contains potatoes, served with apple sauce on the side (one can actually spoon it on top of the whole thing, or anywhere on the plate), and the pasta is longish. The pasta and potatoes are cooked together in cream, then the cheese is added when done. In German speaking countries it's called "Alpine mac & cheese". Many people like it best with some crispy-fried Speck. I make it seasonal with rhubarb. The tartness is refreshing and palate cleansing. --- It's finally warming up These organic strawberries are all different shapes and sizes. I just need the taste. White stuff is full-fat quark that's been drained. This Queen comes with a green crown. --- From Pakistan

Creamy black lentils Prawn shell broth - - - - Asparagus salad Hake's roe. Salted overnight, then poached in kombu broth. Slice into rounds, place on (buttered) bread, drizzle with chilli oil. Latvian smoked sprats Australian "Riesling" It's now half way into the season, I've eaten 7 kilos thus far. (My personal record is 14kg)

Looks like what we call samphire. I eat it all the time, usually with fish or shellfish, but it's also nice with eggs, boiled potatoes and rice dishes (risotto, "paella" etc). When buying something from a fishmonger I always get 100-200 grams samphire to go with my fishy meals. Salty and briny. Goes well with all things from the sea. I just toss it briefly in hot fat (of choice). Or blanch (and shock in ice water). I also like it cooked in cream or add to something creamy. Must not be exposed to heat too long or it'll turn unsightly brown. Do not add any salt to your food as the samphire is salty enough. You can also pickle samphire (not for me, common on Balearic islands). Results in a loss of colour, taste and the crunch. Love sea vegetables. There are many kinds of sea veg in Japan and a small amount is added to certain dishes on Okinawa islands. Every. meal. But none is this pretty. "Caviar seaweed", I've only seen and eaten this on Okinawa islands.

Prawns with soft eggs and with quark, eaten with bread. Vegetables on the side Meal #2. Burrata doused with chilli oil, beetroot-drained yoghurt-walnut-apple spread. Mixed herbs with drained yoghurt and nuts. Turkish flatbread Lamb chops from Turkish butcher, and first chive blossoms from the garden.

Knöpfle is rounder (and a bit firmer). Spätzle is flatter and longer. The batter is also slightly different, I think. I stayed in Ellbögen village in Tirol some years back.

Button dumplings, made with this simple Hungarian tool. Browned briefly in hot fat. Beef shank with Hungarian paprika. Today... Blinis with green sauce and (sub) Arctic prawns After pureeing beetroots I added water to the blender and that's my drink with this meal. Some vegetables were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. I'm on my 5th kilo as of this week. Pandalus borealis. Wild and sweet. One of the most common prawn species that lives in (sub) Arctic Atlantic. Before shelling Purty! I like to sprinkle these "peppercorns" on yoghurt, burrata, and foods that tend to be mild/delicate.

Hey, that's the boy's shoe 🤣 (Will check out the article later)

Bucatini tossed in Korean black bean sauce (not the same as Chinese black bean sauce, FYI). Steamed roe Ginger-garlic-chilli sauce I like Founders but this one is almost pure vinegar. --- What I ate during the pelting rain and thunderstorm earlier today. Marinated the asparagus with boiled beetroot liquid. White sausages and other bits KenT, last drop of the Syrah. Have never had "white" Syrah. Interesting. Thanks. Nice! I would rather the (thin) sauce in a separate bowl or cup to sip. But then it wouldn't be "ahogada". Hey, Francesinha. Go sit in the corner (and think about what you could learn from Mexican version).

Steamed tofu with dried shrimp --- It was cold again earlier in the week. Sauerkraut and cured-smoked pork belly. Polish smoked sausage (actually a long one, didn't fit the pan) ---- Green sauce for asparagus and bread Sweet asparagus from my favourite local farm. Finally, my fishmonger is able to get flat oysters for me again (couldn't since after lockdown). These taste 3 times better than Pacific oysters. So much umami on their own but even better with some lemon juice and a bottle of wine.The flat ones cost almost twice as much for the typical weekly market shoppers so they (the oysters) are usually sent straight to restaurants and for export. This simple meal makes me a bit emotional... Thank you, farmers. Thank you, harvesters. Thank you, fishmonger. "Nothing is worth more than this day", Goethe once wrote. Extra photos: fresh from the field. This piece of equipment is called an "asparagus spider". It goes over a row of asparagus, holds up the cover so the worker can harvest. As you can see it's back-breaking work, each and every spear is harvested by hand. This farm is small, they hire a small team of workers from Poland (I saw maybe 5 people, the same team every year, have chatted with them a couple of times). I can't peel like this machine, so thin the peel is near transparent. Pay an extra euro and you can take a bag of the peel home for soup/essence, I always do. Categorised by quality and sizes (prices do come down as the season progresses. This year the price has gone up eur.4). Every time I try asparagus from another farm I go right back to my local farm for more.

As mentioned upthread it's a bar(tender's) knife. The spear tip is for garnishes, serrated/wavy edge slices tougher ingredients better. The little teeth are for zesting.

3 different meals. Steamed flounder with salted black beans. The fish rests on a bed of ginger root. You are going to see these elegant white spears in one form or another for the next 6 week or so. Today they are shaved and eaten raw. Crunchy, juicy and refreshing. Smoked herring ("bloater"? Shall ask the fishmonger if it's hot or cold-smoked. I'm under the impression that it's hot-smoked.) with its roe sac exposed. It's the best time right now to eat herring and shrimp as they are usually full of roe. 2 types of rye bread Last one... A Chinese supermarket in the big city near me had renovated their shop. Now there's a fish counter, fresh meats and roasted meats (char siu, ducks and pork bellies). @KennethT, I used to be able to get cheap Furmint. Hungarian wines are not popular here. Would love to go back! I forgot to try them. Next time if I see them again. Fresh green and red chorizo at the market in Morelia.

The wait is over! Lithuanian-inspired beetroot soup. A simple soup of pureed beetroots and kefir. This soup is always served with boiled potatoes and eggs. There's also a green sauce and asparagus peel broth (not shown in this photo). Last week the farm ran an advert in the local paper announcing the availability of their asparagus starting in April (and not mid April like it used to be). So now they start the season earlier in time for Easter. Brought back from beautiful Middle Mosel ---- Whilst waiting for KennethT to make something with his gifted paprika... This is what I'm going to make with my paprika. Fish soup (it's a simple enough recipe). The recipes calls for various fish parts to make the stock but I just use salmon. The heat and fat release the flavour and intensify the colour of the paprika. In Hungary this fish soup is served with fresh fluffy white bread. Almost impossible to find Hungarian wine here, Croatian it has to be.

I mix pulverised aromatic mushroom(s) and salt flakes. Use this as a condiment (especially nice with steak/meat and eggs). I also use seaweed powder/flakes in the same way (not meat). In Namibia I saw biltong "dust" (very fine and dry ground biltong) in the supermarket. Staff behind biltong counter told me it's a condiment for many savoury dishes. Sprinkle on potatoes, pizzas, eggs, pastas, soups, salads etc. I would also add it to a home-made spicy paste. Maybe you could use ground okra to thicken soups or sauces?

Long weekend ends today. Turkish baklava When I go to Turkey I'll eat my weight in baklava (and yoghurt, though not at the same time)! The cashier and I were chatting about Turkish baklava vs others and we agreed the best is always Turkish. She threw her head back and closed her eyes. Turkish baklava has the most ridiculous amounts of pistachios. The Mexican holidays that keep on giving. Chillies and chocolate to last me until the next trip. -- Another meal. Brawn 2 types of brawn and a smelly cheese Fresh roe scramble eggs Forgot to make another horizontal photo of the egg dish. (Maggi is for the eggs) I used 1/3 in the scrambled eggs

The first truly gorgeous and warm spring day this year. Can't believe it wasn't that long ago at this same time the streets round the globe were deserted and the whole world descended into chaos. Pets couldn't wrap their heads round their owners' constant presence. Someone was happy with these. Various fillings (just full fat drained quark with beetroot, pistachios, dill and cooked eggs.) Pastry cases and blinis are shop-bought. Toppings for everything here are North Sea shrimp (peeled the day before as this task always takes the longest), gherkins, gravadlax, crispy-fried Speck, samphire briefly tossed in the warm Speck fat, and Matjes (very tender and fatty, almost like a "virgin"/new season Matjes, though not quite). Simple yeast dough filled with almond paste and chocolate.

Love it but just too much work for me. If you want to make me eat rice then it had better be in the form of noodles, sake, or arancini. Just landed and happily missed my bus... This chain has a shop at the airport (thank you!). Waiting for my bus... Ate it every day so I could try all the fillings. Btw, the conical ones almost always have ragu filling. My last arancini. Also got a box of 6 to take home. When I return to Sicily it'll be my first and last meal/snack again!!!

Over here some farms harvest it early only for Easter (price is stupid high but some people don't mind it). The local farm that I always buy from starts selling theirs in mid April. Traditionally it starts in mid April and ends in mid June. This farm won't change this tradition no matter what. I can wait. Enjoy yours! 2 more weeks!

Made a batch of this paste using Guajillo chillies brought back from Mexico and rehydrated Italian tomatoes. Portioned and froze the rest. Have been using it in soups and pasta, too. Slow-cooked beef mixed with the guajillo chilli paste. Beef broth in cup (right), extra Oxacan chillies (middle) for myself. Duck wrappers, and mashed beans. --------------------- Another meal... Prawn shell broth with dried prawn roe (also cooked in the broth). Spicy Malaysian chilli crisps with dried shrimp bits. It's very nice in a bunch of things.

I went through the rubbish like a hyena to look for the packaging 🧐 There are many types of rye bread and this one is Rhine regional style.

We have very fast-changing and unpredictable weather the last couple of weeks. My mode of transport is my bicycle so I'm highly weather dependent thus meals have been simple, eating from the freezer and cupboards. Strained yoghurt for spreading on sourdough bread, then other things go on top. Like this. Orange bits are trout roe. Breads, shrimp shell broth and horseradish cream. Another meal... Pork mince with lemongrass, shrimp paste, fish sauce. Another pork mince version with salted black beans, ginger, soy sauce, black vinegar. Merlot from Chile Bergamot lemons/oranges. I have made marmalade with half. So. very. intense. Surely these are not for everyone. Stormy spring weather today but we have been having lots of rain, hail, sleet, snow, and some sun as well. First to bloom (in my garden), basking in the sun, my poor old bay laurel , cold spring, the garden fluffball.

They adjust the recipe a little to regional taste. https://www.cooksinfo.com/maggi I put a bottle on the table. Use it in many things, but sparingly, like sesame oil. Have had several versions, mostly red cap. Gonna check the Turkish supermarkets tomorrow (and get a bottle!). Look at it every time in Mexico. It's always next to "salsa Inglesa", which is actually Worcestershire sauce (probably). Goes particularly well with runny fried eggs. In Vietnam you can eat this simple breakfast of runny fried eggs, baguette and maggi sauce, and ground black pepper.

But what are you making with the paprika? "édes" means sweet paprika. Only add, generous amounts, paprika to hot fat and briefly to prevent bitterness and turning brown. I spent the last 2 weeks of December 2016 in Hungary. The final days of the year were in Tokay ("Toe-Koi", like French "moi". At least it sounded like that when I ask Hungarians to pronounce the word so I could hear it). Train station Road block, Tokaj style. It was so cold in Hungary that winter. -7C to -10C every day. We ate warming gouyash a few times, both beef and fish versions. The following photos of gouyash were taken in Tokaj. The fish gouyash were for the partner. I only had a tity taste each time (most freshwater fish taste swampy to me 🤢). Tokaj is a small wine producing town. We were probably the only 2 (non Hungarian/Eastern) tourists round that time of year. It's so dead in the winter. Only a handful of wine tasting places were open and we made the most of it. Excellent Furmint and other Hungarian native grape varietals you almost never see outside Hungary. Would love to return to Hungary. Good wines and hearty food.

I eat about 15 pumpkins and squashes every season. The possibilities are near endless if you include whole pumpkins! Some ideas for the puree (I don't do recipes): "Hummus" with kebab spiced mince: Dumplings: Another type of dumpling (ready to freeze): Button dumplings: Steamed parcels: Pasta sauce: Flan: Pancakes: Spreads: "Quesadillas": Sweet potato version: Breads/rolls: "Pretzels": Muffins: Soup is a no-brainer for cold and wet days: