Bidmead Bites

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Desert Dining

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Time flies when you’re having fun.

Heard that one before? Personally, I couldn’t agree more. It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has gone by since I arrived in Colombia. Now down to my last two months in this incredible country, I’ve finished with work and am off on my travels. And what better way to begin than heading into the desert?

Cabo de la Vela

Part of the Caribbean region of Colombia, La Guajira is one of the countries 32 departments and is home to the Wayuu, the indigenous group who survived the conquest by the Spanish. My friend Ari and I made a trip all the way to the tip of the region in order to reach Punta Gallinas, South America’s most northern point. Along the way, we stopped over in Cabo de la Vela, a small town now popular for its great kitesurfing conditions.

London town, it is not…

Cabo de la Vela is hardly Colombia’s most buzzing touristic spot. Made up of a few guest houses, some local joints to eat and now a kite surfing school, this tiny town is a beautiful, tranquil spot unlike anywhere else I have ever visited. We stayed two nights here and enjoyed it’s unspoiled beaches and beautiful viewpoints. The local food was very similar to the regular Colombian fare, except that around La Guajira you’re more likely to be offered chivo (goat) than your usual chicken or beef.

Friche, without the guts, served with patacones, rice and salad

Goat here is most typically served in the dish friche. Having done my culinary homework beforehand, I had read that friche was goat stewed in its own guts and blood – something right up this offal-lovers street. However, after sampling the dish and chatting with locals about its preparation, it turns out that more often than not the blood and organs are left out, leaving this as just goat meat fried in oil and salt. I am a big fan of goat meat, as it has a lovely rich flavor, but served just like this I felt that perhaps it needed a touch of something else. Maybe I was just gutted about the lack of guts?

After two nights in Cabo de la Vela we headed onwards to reach Punta Gallinas. Not a smooth journey, we shoved ourselves into the back of a Jeep and clung on for dear life as we shot across the desert to reach our final destination. We gained some souvenirs from the journey in the form of bruised bottoms but it was all worth it in the end, as Colombia’s most northern point awaited us…and us alone!

This beach above stretched as far as the eye could see, and unbelievably, we were the only people on it! I’ve seen many a beautiful beach in the past year, but more often than not I’m sharing it with a fair few other foreigners, and if not, some keen Colombian holiday-makers. This perfectly unspoiled landscape was truly breathtaking and the peace and quite around it was just incredible.

After a day spent bathing in the beauty of Punta Gallinas, we indulged ourselves for dinner, dining on some freshly caught lobster, served again with rice, patacones and salad. Lobster in La Guajira is sold at market price, meaning it is actually an affordable indulgence. Great news for seafood loving travelers like myself.

Waking up after a blissful nights sleep in one of these amazing chinchorros (traditional wayuu hammocks, with sewn on blankets), it was time to hit the very, very long road back to civilization. We would be returning through Uribia, the indigenous capital of Colombia, just in time for the festival of indigenous culture. And what better way to get stuck into a different culture than through a plate of food?

Top plate is chivo guisado, with friche below, both served with goat soup. A whole lot of goat!

Queue more friche, this time served with arepas, and another goat dish – chivo guisado (stewed goat), served with rice, costeño cheese, and a sweet plantain slice. I much preferred the chivo guisado, as I think adding in more flavors brings out the taste of the meat far better. Both these dishes came accompanied by a tasty soup, made from the neck and spine of goat. I did mention they eat a lot of goat here right?

My trip to La Guajira was different to any other journey I have done in Latin America so far. The preserved indigenous culture of the Wayuu and vast, stretching desert make this a must-see spot for anyone travelling around Colombia. My future travel plans include sampling the country’s best coffee in the Eje Cafetero, eating some exotic jungle fruits and fish in Leticia, as well as visiting the UNESCO recognized gastronomical heritage city of Popayan. I’ll stay peckish and keep posting my culinary conquests through Colombia, so stay tuned!

Orgasmic eats at another NYC Classic – Katz Deli

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Jewish Deli food is a serious must for anyone staying in the Big Apple. Chicken noodle soup, creamy chopped liver and sky-high pastrami sandwiches are all typical dishes in these much-loved NYC institutions, perfect for a quick bite during the day or a sobering snack at the end of a long night out.

Katz Deli, year upon year, tops lists as the number one deli in New York. Their pastrami sandwiches draw in locals and tourists the world over, who come in the hope of leaving as pleased as Sally was in the famous scene from the well-known and loved rom-com, When Harry Met Sally.

While I refrained from reenacting the scene, it was fair to say my pastrami sandwich was orgasmic. Flavorsome, soft rye bread encapsulates the two-to-four week cured beef, which is salty, soft and filled with flavor.

The famous Katz deli sandwich, and me working how quite how to conquer it

The beef used to make these serious sandwiches has been cured, rubbed, smoked, boiled, and lastly steamed for ultimate flavor and texture. The results of this laborious process? Some absolutely beautiful meat, covered in a peppery skin with a melt-in-your-mouth softness for texture. The selection of pickles which come along with your sandwich add a great vinegary tang to each bite, and with a touch of mustard I’d say this sandwich reaches its peak of perfection.

Pickles + pastrami = paradise

Despite the gigantic portion of pastrami I had just confronted, I was eager to try out some of the desserts on offer. New York cheesecake was a no-brainer, but I was left curious about a ‘noodle pudding’, also know as a  kugel or lokshen pudding. My mum told me it was a traditional Jewish dessert made up of cooked pasta, and that she had only ever know herself and her own mum to be fans. Given that it got the thumbs up from none other than mama and grandma Bidmead, I felt it was only right to give it a go, despite how weird it sounded.

The noodle pudding was pretty much as described – thick, pasta-like noodles cooked and compacted together, mixed in with raisins and baked. Obviously that isn’t all there is to this dish, and the addition of tasty and health-giving things such as cream and butter resulted in what turned out to be quite a tasty dessert. Perhaps I wouldn’t jump to order it again, and may potentially prefer to keep my pasta as part of my main, but I did actually enjoy it. As for the cheesecake…it didn’t stay around long. With practically no biscuit base, it was a slice of pure, unadulterated cream cheese delight. 

Kugel/Lokshen pudding and a classic NYC cheesecake

Katz Deli was as much a cultural activity as visiting a New York city museum or gallery. From the packed out dining room to the chaotic ticket system used to pay the bill to the cashier out front, it felt like we were seeing some real New York City action. Who cares if it’s mainly filled with foreign tourists staring hopelessly at their 7-inch sandwiches and the fact that the process of getting served is a bit chaotic? Sit down, roll up your sleeves, and have what she had in New York City’s number one deli.

Bidmead bites in Brooklyn : Smorgasburg Food Market and Trini food in Crown Heights

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A short subway ride from Manhattan,  Williamsburg is the hipster hub of Brooklyn – we knew we had arrived when we saw the sea of excessively bearded men and checked duffel shirts. It’s a great place to just mosey around and has plenty of trendy bars, restaurants and quirky shops, including a big junk store and an indoor market. We ended up in Williamsburg on a Saturday, in search of Smorgasburg food market, which is described as an ‘outdoor flea food market’ with 100 vendors. There was an immense array of food on offer – brilliant fusion foods such as Asian hot dogs, Mexican-Japanese, along with some innovative veggie foods, including a whole stand devoted to beetroot burgers.

There are lots of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in NYC and I’d been keen to sample some of their typical dishes since our arrival. Although a lot of it is pretty similar to Colombian food, both these cuisines make mofongo – mashed green plantain which can be filled with vegetables, meat or fish. Mofon-go was one of the stalls in the market and their menu was simple – mofongo (surprisingly), filled with either chicken or vegetables. I went for the chicken, which came with chicharrón (fried pork crisps) and a wonderful tomato sauce, filled with olives and oodles of flavor.

My Smorgasburg delight – mofongo with chicken and chicharrón

My lovely mother decided she wanted something meatier (because clearly the combo of chicken and fried pork didn’t do it for her – easy to see where I get my carnivorous side from). She opted for a burger from a rock-themed burger stall and went for the “balls to the wall” lamb burger with a harissa-tahini dressing. Once the guy on the stall and I could get over my mother asking for “balls to the wall” in her politest voice, her burger was served – a really tasty lamb patty, served with a side of chickpea salad.

My lovely mum and her ‘Balls to the Walls’ burger

Smorgasburg is a great show of just how foodie New York really is, and I only wish I had the gift of never being full to allow myself to try a bit of everything! We left Brooklyn but were keen to return – given the fact it such a huge borough in the city, we knew there was more to be explored.

Crown Heights is in the middle of Brooklyn, and I came to read about it doing some foodie research on NYC eats. Crown Heights has a majority West Indian and African American population, and I was drawn to the area in search of what Serious Eats claims to be some of the best Trinidadian food in the city.

Gloria’s seems to be somewhat of an institution in the area, so much so that there is the original Gloria’s which we headed too, and a “Gloria’s Next Generation” which is just down the road. Serving up Trini classics such as goat curry and stew oxtail, my mum, my sister and I sat down for what turned out to be some exceptionally tasty food.

My sister (the fish-eating vegetarian) opted for one of their famous filled rotis. Trinidadian roti is much like that found in Indian cooking and is a great accompaniment to a meal – it can be served torn up (called buss-up shot) or used as a wrap. While she enjoyed her curried shrimp roti roll, me and my mum got stuck into the ‘dinner’ options, which came as a main dish with rice and two sides. My mum went for stew chicken, which is cooked in spices and brown sugar, giving it a delicious, caramelized taste. Her sides were callalo (served up almost liked creamed spinach) and pumpkin. I enjoyed my favorite choice of curry goat with fried plantain and baghee (which is also a lot like spinach).

Back left: Stew Chicken, Middle right: goat curry, front left: prawn roti and front right : a channa filled double

My curry goat was rich and delicious, with all the perfectly cooked, tender meat slipping beautifully away from the bone. I opted for an extra double on the side, which is a typical Trinidadian fried bread (known as bara) filled with sauteed chickpea (called channa) and onion. Often eaten alone as a snack, I really enjoyed this tasty addition to my meal, which was particularly yummy dipped into the curry.

Overall, a brilliant lunch, and bloody good value too! All that food with soft drinks came to a grand total of $38 dollars. Highly recommended and worth veering slightly off course for a taste of these Trini delights.

My wonderful goat curry with baghee, plantain and rice and peas, with the tasty double on the side

Williamsburg and Crown Heights are two very different Brooklyn boroughs, but very good examples of how much Brooklyn has to offer. If you are visiting NYC, you definitely need to head out of Manhattan and check out the many things happening across the Brooklyn Bridge. Stay tuned for the next New York City post, which sees me back at another Manhattan classic, Katz Deli. Pastrami sandwiches here I come!

NYC Chelsea food market and some bloody good yogurt

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The New York City Highline is a 1.45-mile-long park built in Manhattan along a disused New York Central Railroad. The Highline runs through some very cool parts of Manhattan, such as the Meatpacking district, famous for its nightlife, and also Chelsea, home to a lot of the cities art galleries. Getting off the Highline in Chelsea we sought out Chelsea Market , a huge indoor food hall with more than thirty-five stalls, with cuisines and dishes from all over the globe.

Cupcakes and oysters at Chelsea market

Spice stalls, a shop devoted to brownies, wonderful cafes, bakeries, fresh fish markets…there was something for everyone, and really far too much choice! We stopped in for a quick brunch, and then headed off to explore the rest of the city.

My blueberry yogurt pot

Moving away from Chelsea, we headed into the equally cool Soho. A fashion haven that houses all the major brands, high-street and designer, it is also the location of the Chobani Yogurt shop. Chobani is a Greek yogurt brand, of which I am a huge fan. Like all Greek yogurts, they’re a great source of protein and I particularly like Chobani products as they aren’t at all artificial tasting or overly sweet. In fact, all sweetness from their products is naturally occurring due to sugars from milk, fruit, honey and evaporated cane juice. They have a great company ethos in relation to locally sourced produce – so much so that the New York based company withdrew from the UK market until they could make their products within the United Kingdom. A very sad day for this Chobani enthusiast! But a great step towards avoiding air pollution – you see, what a great yogurt brand.

The shop itself is a really cool concept. Aside from yogurt it also offers sandwiches, bagels and coffee, but the yogurt is kind of the star of the show. Plain Greek yogurt comes with either savory or sweet toppings. I went for the Blueberry + Power option, which had blueberries, chia, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, walnuts and agave syrup. I was a great combination of flavors and textures, and all the toppings on the menu gave me inspiration for great snacks to be made at home.

You’ll never want to eat plain yogurt again!

I really enjoyed strolling through Chelsea Market, and it made me think a lot of Borough market back home in London. The Chobani store was a treat for such an avid Chobani fan like myself, and I think the whole idea of a yogurt bar is awesome – clearly I’m not alone, as Chobani is the number 1 yogurt brand in all of the US!

With more of the city to see, I was still hungry. Stay tuned as we move into Brooklyn, in search of the best Trinidadian food the city has to offer.

A NYC classic – Nom Wah Tea Parlour (and some dodgy deserts)

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Another day in New York and there was much more exploring to be done. On the only really sunny day of the holiday, we decided to walk around Manhattan with my Mum’s friend Jess and her daughter Emma, both who know the city like the back of their hands. Starting off in the park Washington Square, we soaked up some April rays and people-watched as many chose to lunch al fresco in the park. We, however, had our own lunch agenda, and headed off to Chinatown to Nom Wah Tea Parlour – New York city’s oldest dim sum house.

It may not look grand, but here lies the finest dim sum in all the land

Outside it doesn’t look like much, and you get the feeling it hasn’t seen much redecoration in its 95 years of existence. But that, along with the less than friendly wait staff, is all part of the charm of this Chinatown institution. Arriving hungry and excited to try as much as we could, we fired off the orders.

Steamed Chinese vegetables in oyster sauce, aubergines stuffed with shrimp paste, snow pea and shrimp dumplings and salt & pepper prawns

Dumplings were a must, and we opted for an array of fish, meat and veggie. The shrimp & snow pea dumplings were potentially my favorite, although they were all pretty damn tasty.  The salt and pepper squid was another stand out dish for me. And no picking off the skin or head- I ate every part and loved it. One thing I liked less were the taro balls we had ordered, but more on taro later.

Steamed taro buns and my personal order of chicken feet

Being the offal lover I am, I ordered a portion of chicken feet for the table to share. Turned out they were just for me, as no one actually fancied giving them a go. It’s a shame, as my mum even said they smelt really good, but I think the idea of eating a chicken’s extremities isn’t for everyone. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed them – they came steamed in a black bean sauce and were delicious!

Sucking on some chicken feet

This lunch was one of my favorite meals of the trip. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and I liked that it wasn’t in the least bit fancy or pretentious, despite how highly praised it is. In the past I’ve never been keen on Chinese food, always winding up feeling quite ill after eating it. However now I have learnt the difference between a dodgy chicken chow mein from a chippie in Leeds and an authentic, traditional dim sum meal, I’ll be sure to eat it again.

Not quite finished eating just yet, we glanced at the dessert options: fried sesame balls and some almond cookies. We passed this up, and headed to the traditional Chinese bakery Fay Da, which was recommended on one of my favorite websites, Serious Eats.
Now the thing is…I already knew I didn’t like Chinese pastries. In my humble opinion, red bean curd has never seemed like an appealing filling for cakes or pastries. I’m also not so keen on taro, the root vegetable which was in my pork dumpling at lunch, and also seems to worm its way into a lot of Chinese sweets.Therefore why I would feel enticed to buy myself a taro puff, which is just sweet taro puree in a flaky puff pastry casing, is a good question. It is also, perhaps, unsurprising that I did not like it. It’s just not a cake as I know it. I’m not quite sure what it is. Good to have tried it, but I think next time I’ll just order an extra dim sum and skip the sweet.

Taro puff, we will not be meeting again

Chinatown was a brilliant trip, and I highly recommend the Now Wah Tea Parlour to anyone in NYC. By no means is this the end of my Big Apple bites, so keep reading for what’s yet to come – yogurt bars and a goat curry anyone?

New York – I’ll take my fried chicken smothered in gravy, with a waffle on the side please

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I just got back from the most wonderful holiday. Over the Easter break, the Bidmead girls (myself, my mum and my sister) were drawn to the city the never sleeps for a weeks stay. We explored New York to our heart’s content, visiting the many fascinating things the city has to offer, as well as catching up with my mum’s childhood friend and her two daughters who live there. It goes without saying that eating an immense amount of delicious, incredible and exciting food formed a large part of our time spent in the big apple too!

Big yellow taxi in the back, pretzels to my rights…I’ve landed in NYC!

There is no way I could squeeze all the food NY has to offer into one post (let alone my jeans. Yes, I am returning from this holiday slightly larger than I arrived – but that, my friends, is the sign of a holiday well spent). So, here is the first of a few posts on my trip to the Big Apple.

For our first night eating out in the States, we thought we’d do it in traditional, southern-style. We hit up Miss Maude’s Spoonbread Too in Harlem, which serves American soul food. Think fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, cornbread, candied yams… it’s hardly healthy, but then who on earth goes on holiday to eat healthy food?

The Sampler- fried chicken, ribs, mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, fried shrimp and tartar sauce. I apologise for the bad quality photos! I aim to improve them with a better camera in time.

I went for the Miss Maude’s Sampler, described as “A smorgasbord of Southern delights, including shrimp, ribs, chicken and vegetables”. It came with collard greens (basically cooked chard), candied yams and mac and cheese. I loved the sweet, cinnamon-y yams with the rich, dark meat, and really enjoyed being able to sample a little bit of each classic dish.

I was pleased when our friend Emma ordered the Chicken and Waffles as I’d always wanted to try this, but feared it might not be actually something I really liked. And it turns out I was right. Waffles? Yes. Fried chicken? Absabloodylutely. Put together? Not so much. Next time I’ll stick to chicken for my main and waffles for my dessert.

Do you know what smothered chicken is? Perhaps you’d guess it’s chicken covered in some kind of sauce. Well…make that sauce gravy, and try deep frying that chicken first. I didn’t get any of this in my sampler platter, but my mum’s friend Jess ordered a plate, meaning I got to try it.

In case these mammoth portions aren’t filling you up…try a half price dessert on top of your smothered chicken!

Think of all the flavor of fried chicken, with it’s soft tender meat and addictively crispy skin, topped off with spoonfuls of salty, meaty gravy – quite the combination.

You may be surprised (and impressed) to learn we even managed dessert. We shared a peach cobbler, which is some kind of mix between a pie and a crumble, and a slice of red velvet cake. Both were exceptionally good and I particularly liked the cobbler, with its sweet stewed fruit on the bottom and cakey-buttery crust on top. I always argue that even if you are full from your main, desert is a whole different compartment of the stomach waiting to be fed. It would appear my dinner companions agreed, as we managed to finish both the deserts!

Red velvet slice, approximately 2/3rds the size of my head.

This meal was a hit with everybody, and also very good value considering all the food we managed to consume. I could only imagine what other foodie delights were in store…this truly was only the beginning! Stay posted for some classic New York deli food, dim sum at Chinatown’s oldest restaurant, food markets and Trinidadian food in Brooklyn, and a very non-traditional Passover dinner.

Popping over to Panama – Sun, Sea, and plenty of seafood

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A couple of weeks ago, I was very lucky to nab some time off work along with some flights to Panama, where I headed to for four days to meet up with a friend. Panama lies just an hour’s plane ride away from Colombia. Home to a buzzing capital and some absolutely beautiful beaches, I couldn’t wait to see what Colombia’s next door neighbor had to offer.

Hello Panama City!

Panama city itself is a real melting pot of races, and food wise this means there are cuisines from all corners of the globe. In my brief stay in the city, I munched on some New York bagels for breakfast, a traditional Panamanian plate for lunch, and enjoyed a cracking Italian pizza for dinner. Not bad for a days work!

Moving away from the city, on my second day we made a short trip to the Caribbean side of the country and headed to an island called Isla Grande. The change from the cosmopolitan city to the completely tropical Caribbean was amazing to see. Landscapes shifted from high-rise apartment blocks to completely green hillsides and a gorgeous clear sea. The food was just a spectacular as the view, something I discovered when we headed for lunch to the classic spot Restaurante Adriana, frequented by lots of surfers who head to the island. The menu was simple and consisted of the day’s freshest catches..luckily for me, this happened to include lobster. My order was not a difficult one!

Lobster is life

Langostino al ajillo (lobster in a garlic sauce) came accompanied by arroz con coco (coconut rice), a salad and the typical patacones (fried plantain rounds). Simple, fresh, and completely delicious, I devoured every last bite on my plate. The lobster was so flavorsome and had the absolutely perfect texture. I was determined to get the recipe for the ever-so-simple yet truely incredible garlic garnish, but I was told by the owner Adriana that “es un secreto” (it’s a secret). Despite being able to guess it’s main components (garlic, parsley, onion), part of me thinks no matter how hard I’d try it would never turn out half as good – probably best it stays a secret in Isla Grande!

Adriana will not share her secrets, so don’t bother asking

Leaving the Caribbean it was by no means goodbye to the beach, as the next day we set off for the Pacific side, to a beach called Playa Venao. After a long 5-hour car journey over there, it was lunchtime – again! Stopping off in the nearby town Pedasi to eat, you can guess what was on the menu, and after claiming I fancied chicken, I quickly looked around, saw the sea, and laughed at myself. Chicken in the city? Sure thing. Right next to the sea with some of the freshest fish and seafood in the country? Well…probably order yourself a fish dish then!

clam

IMG_0717

We went all out and even ordered a starter of almejas (clams) in broth. A really tasty dish, these clams came in a dark, salty sauce, and were the perfect thing to whet our appetite. And then came the main attraction – pulpo a la criolla, or squid in a tomato sauce.

The squid came with an option of rice, patacones, or fried yucca. I opted for the yucca, as I absolutely love the stuff. If you’ve never tried it I highly recommend you do. It’s a starchy root vegetable with an almost sweet flavor. Served like this, as chunky chips, they are divine and a great side to mop up the tomato-y sauce. Yet another successful almuerzo down, we headed off to the beach.

A few more days of sun, sea and and seafood and it was soon time to head home. I really fell in love with Panama and everything I was able to see of it. The city had a cool vibe, with lots going on, and the beaches and coast were some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. With it being so close to Colombia, I definitely want to head back at some point and explore a bit more.

Hasta la proxima, Panama

Christmas Travel Christmas BidmeadBites ( Part 2)

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Picking up where I left off, the Bidmead sisters travels around Colombia continued, as did my culinary adventures – starting with chontaduro in Cali. Eaten with honey and salt, the taste of this fruit resembles (as my sister so correctly noted)…baked beans.

I happen to love baked beans, and therefore these went down quite well. However, eating what proclaims to be fruit while visualizing beans on toast makes for a slightly odd attack on the senses. Still, the caleños love the stuff and I guess I did too!

Chontaduro fruit

In Colombia, carne reigns king. Baring in mind my sister is a veggie, headed to a restaurant serving typical caleño food (which happens to be particuarly meat-centric), her options were limited to say the least. She could eat one thing on the whole menu of about 30 options, which were aborrajados (fried plantains with cheese). Did I feel bad?

CHULETAClearly I had other things to preoccupy me, like this chuleta de pollo (breaded marinated chicken breast). I should mention this portion was to share with a friend, alongside another dish of lengua en salsa (tongue in tomato sauce). For those of you who are now squeeming – tongue is a delicious, tender and flavorsome cut of meat, which I urge you to try!

Moving on to something a bit lighter, champús is a sweet drink prepared with the Colombian fruit lulo, orange, pineapple, dark sugar and…corn. It sounded good until the corn bit right? Despite it’s popularity in Cali, this drink was just not for me. Next time, I’ll be keeping the corn on the cob and the fruit for the juice.

As our time in Cali came to a close we headed to Palomino, a small beach town on the Caribbean coast, two hours from Santa Marta. Being back by the beach meant it was time for some fish. The great thing about fish in Colombia is the variety, and the option of lots of fish not found in England. This fish below is corvina, found mainly on the Pacific coast, and other tasty Colombian fishes include mojarra and lebranche, found more commonly on the Atlantic coast.

Corvina served alongside rice, yucca and beans

Leaving Palomino we skipped along the coast to my new-found home Barranquilla, where I was determined to show my sister the best of my city. It couldnt get more barranquillero than dinner in Cucayo. From the bright colours, old-fashioned signs and various adornments on the walls, it screams Barranquilla from the inside out. The food itself is also a tribute to all things costeño: traditional snacks such as matrimono, butifarra and various fritos feature, aswell as typical sancochos (soups) and picadas (mixed plates). Me and my sister opted for sancochos (soups), mine of gallina (hen) while hers was a cazuela de mariscos (creamy seafood soup).

Seafood creamy stew and coconut rice, accompanied by avocado

Cucayo is owned by Nancy Cabrera, who is perhaps most famous for her cakes here in Barranquilla – queue a visit to her namesake cafe. Nancy Cabrera’s reknowned trufa de chocolate is the crown jewel of many delicious sweet treats, so naturally me and my sister felt obliged to see what the all the fuss was about.

It was really quite the cake. Rich but not overly so, moist but not soggy, this chocolate cake has earnt its reputation. Me and my sister were big fans, and I will definitely be returning to sample the very beautiful looking cupcakes (nutella sounded particularly good).

From savory to sweet, and onto a sad but inevitable end to the holiday. For our last night, we headed to Arabe Gourmet, a highly recommended Arabic restaurant. The menu was excellent, and despite tempting carnivorous options such as marmaón (israeli cous-cous with shreaded meat or chicken) and arroz de almendras (rice with almonds, mince meat, chicken and spices), we ordered two vegetarian platters, which were a feast of falafel, hummous, tabuleh, babaganous, fattoush salad and stuffed aubergine.

Our veggie fest at Arabe Gourmet

Just like the aubergines we had consumed, we left stuffed, and very satisfied. I bid farewell to my sister the next day as I headed back to work, feeling rested and ready to get back to my life here on the coast. 6 months in and I’ve got plenty more eating (and cooking) to do here, so stayed tuned for the next post from Bidmead Bites!

Christmas Travel BidmeadBites (Part 1)

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After a wonderful trip back home for Christmas, I hit the road and headed back to Colombia with my sister in-tow. Currently writing this post from the salsa-capital that is Cali, here is a brief run down of some of our culinary conquests so far.

We started off in Bogota, the countries capital, and the home of wonderful dishes such as ajiaco. As I’ve already eaten ajiaco several times, even having made it myself, I was tempted by the more unusual bogotano foods, such as milk soup with a poached egg in it, known as changua.

changua
Traditionally eaten for breakfast, I have to say it was an odd morning meal-time experience for me. The bowl of milk made me feel I was about to eat cereal, but the poached egg evoked desires of toast and bacon. Next time, I might just stick to porridge.

My love of changuameat and all things offal is well documented, and may even verge on excessive. However, my wonderful sister Anna avoids eating our furry friends altogether. While this may raise doubts about whether we are really even related, luckily she eats fish, which meant our stay in the Caribbean island of San Andrés was stress free, as we found ourselves in seafood heaven. Bring on this enormous lobster to share, cooked al ajillo (with garlic), on the idyllic island of Johnny Key, a 20-minute boat ride from San Andrés.

For comedy value, I’ll include our New Year’s Eve dinner in here. After having searched in vain for a fancy joint to enjoy our last meal of the year at (reservations, it turns out, may have been needed), we warmed up for the fiesta in the island’s answer to KFC – KikiRiki, the local chicken shop. My pescetarian of a sister, ordering fish in a chicken shop, had a tough job deciphering which plate was her fried fish fillet and which was my chicken. Bless her soul. The issue with generic fried fillets…chicken or fish?

After much drinking, dancing, and general merriment on New Year’s Eve, it’s fair the say we weren’t feeling our freshest the following day. Not to worry, as fresh ceviche from the seafood shack on the beach was there to nurse us back to normality – beats an English fry-up any day.

Much like with the changua in Bogota, often there will be dishes I am told are traditional to a place, and no matter how weird they may be, my constant desire to sample new cuisines pushes me to try them. Introducing Stew Crab with breadfruit.stew crab

It may look like pulled pork, but this here is pretty much every part of the crab meat, stewed up. While I didn’t dislike it, it wasn’t quite what I had in mind, and it’s slightly gritty texture was slightly off-putting. Still, glad to have tried some local cuisine before we left the island, we said goodbye to San Andrés and headed down to Cartagena. I’ve already done a blog post on Cartagena, and what was now my third trip to this wonderful colonial city provided even more great food to try.

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This mixed seafood platter was perhaps my favorite meal of the whole trip so far. Eaten in the sun, with an ice-cold beer, on a boat we were sharing with friends, I took a moment to reflect. This seafood came directly from the sea onto our plate, and with food this fresh, nothing else is needed. A touch of garlic and sprinkle of salt was enough. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that are the best. And that is a thought that could be applied to many things, inside and out of the kitchen.

On that note I leave you, as the salsa clubs of Cali wait for no women, not even the Bidmead sisters. Stay tuned for Part Two of this post, where I will write up what comida Cali has had to offer, along with my beloved Barranquilla, and one last trip down the coast.

Check out my Instagram @bidmeadbites for daily updates on what local treats I’m trying, all under the hashtag #travelbidmeadbites.

Anna and Eve Bidmead climb a church somewhere in San Andres…until next time!

BYOB, Sea Urchin, Shish kebab and Michelin-Starred meals – A week and half back in LDN

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The English writer Samuel Johnson famously once said “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford” – and this Londoner couldn’t agree more.

Despite having moved myself half way across the world, my hometown will always be in my heart. Coming back to visit for Christmas has been an absolute treat. As well as baking lots, hosting a Colombian themed party and, of course, eating my body weight in turkey and chocolates over Christmas, I have also been lucky enough to eat a lot of meals out. Here is a rundown of some of my recommended spots for those of you hanging around in this brilliant city.

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The tasty Gua Bao rolls at Bintang

Bintang in Kentish Town is one of those places you can rely on. Good food, friendly staff and great value, it serves up tasty pan-Asian food with dishes which take inspiration from all corners of the globe (crab empanadas and roti breads feature amongst more traditional dishes such as pad thai and tom yum soup). I should also mention it is BYOB – an instant plus in my books, and with the most expensive dish on the menu at £13, Bintang is a definite cheap eat. Grab some friends, buy a bottle of wine and enjoy – recommended dishes include the gua boa rolls and the seabass.

Amidst a day of Christmas shopping on Oxford Street, my mum and I bypassed the usual chain restaurants for lunch and took a chance on a small sushi bar just off Oxford Street. After battling the slightly confusing menu (as it would seem, you could essentially order any fresh sushi you fancied), we sat ourselves down in Atariya. 

IMG-20141218-WA0002This deluxe mixed sashimi-sushi bowl above was a combination of tasty sushi rice, crunching veg and Japanese pickle, a wide array of sashimi, along with fish eggs, crab, egg omelette and even sea urchin (odd looking, rich and creamy tasting). It was a very good choice – this bowl was such a great mix of things I wouldn’t have otherwise ordered. Along with two miso soups, edamame beans, six tuna rolls and two drinks the whole lunch was £28 pounds. For an authentic sushi lunch mid-shopping session at £14 pounds a head, Atariya proved to be a gem of a find. Nip in next time you’re in Oxford Street for some fresh and wonderful tasting sushi made to order.

Faced with so many choices for places to eat in London, I’ve been trying to eat food that I know I won’t be able to find in Barranquilla. Although Barranquilla actually does offer up great Arabic food, it is mainly based on Lebanese dishes – and while that is all delicious, I am a sucker for a Turkish (just check me and my meat mezze in Golders Green). Queue a visit to Kilis Kitchen, off Upper Street.

Chicken shish at Kilis Kitchen

A mix of Turkish, Syrian and Lebanese cuisine, here we enjoyed a set lunch, which offered a great selection of dishes, including old favourites such as shish kebab along with some dishes I hadn’t tried, such as a Kisir starter – cracked wheat with walnut and hazelnut, with a mixed herb sauce. Although the service was a little slow, at the price of £7.50 two courses, or £10 with dessert, I thought the food was excellent and extremely good value. Sadly we were all too stuffed for pudding, which was a shame as options included rice pudding, crumble and stuffed figs. Next time I’ll save room, as I will definitely be returning.

artibus - CopyMoving on from one set lunch to another, it would appear the Bidmead girls are suckers for some lunchtime value. However…here it gets a little fancy. Arbutus is a Michelin-starred bistro restaurant, where the kitchen’s aim is to ‘turn seasonal and inexpensive food items into affordable and interesting dishes’. At £20 for a set three-course lunch, this is accessible fine-dining which provides unique twists on classic dishes.

My meal here included rillettes of pork for starters (similar to a terrine or pate) with the most incredible lamb for mains, accompanied by a tangy goat’s curd which was perfectly contrasted with sweet, cooked clementines. We topped these dishes off with a classic English custard tart to finish. My mum chose more or less the same as me while my sister, the fish-eating vegetarian, had sardines for starters and sea trout for mains, both of which looked (and tasted) exquisite.

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Top Left to Bottom right – Rillettes of pork, sardines, lamb with goats curd, Sea trout, Custard tart and Pumpkin mousse with milk ice-cream

While a Michelin-starred restaurant is hardly the first thing to pop up when thinking about cheap eats, Arbutus is a great place to be able to experience something a bit special. £20 for three courses is outstanding value when thinking about the quality of the food, and if you are looking for something a bit different I cannot recommend it enough. (It does get busy so booking is recommended, if not essential).

Overall, London has been good to me! Being back in a capital city with absolutely endless options of cuisines and eateries has been wonderful, and I’ve really enjoyed sharing all these great places with my friends and family. But for now, it’s time to head back to the Caribbean coast, where the sea, sun and sand awaits. Until next time…