National Geographic magazine once described Orlando Florida as “a place whose specialty is detaching experience from context, extracting form from substance, and then selling tickets to it.”
The first part of this piece, before the recipes, reminds me of the writing of Jay Jacobs in Gourmet, many years ago. This is a high compliment! I love Merida and am about to return for a few weeks. If anyone knows the best mercado near Parque Santa Ana, please let me know.
The Zephyr! In 1984 was traveling from Shanghai to Chengdu by train (because the handmedown Aeroflot plane crashed weekly. We stopped in the middle of a bridge over a lake and watched the dining car lower an empty bucket with some money in it down to a fisherman on a small boat who took the money out and began pulling on a chain attached to the bridge.
Suddenly a cows head covered with eels emerged. He filled the bucket with eels, it was duly retrieved and we had those incredibly fresh eels as our main course with a lovely light ginger and garlic sauce with whole sprigs of green Sichuan pepper.
First the memories. Delicious. So evocative I can even smell the pork dumplings……. And then the recipes: Can’t wait to try the anchovies, the mashed potatoes, vegetable soup, the ginger cookies. I love the idea of the Mac and Cheese, but OTT for me —- and the snails. I had a house in the South of France for 15 years…. Love snails, but now in LA and at the best French places as well as every bistro like place they seem to be dry things cooked in the shell with a lid of parsley pesto. Is this so nobody really sees the snail? Or fear of butter (and garlic)?—- where is the wonderful watery butter garlic and parsley mess left in the plate to be sopped up with bread?
What great recipes, J.T. That sauce is a must. I have never been able to convince any anchovy hater to eat one. I ceased trying. When I moved to San Francisco in the summer of 1971, my apartment was on California St. just outside of Chinatown. When I would return home from The Presidio, where I was stationed at Letterman Hospital, I would often walk into Chinatown and choose a random spot to eat (I was alone). I can't remember them all but in a year I "covered the waterfront?" What fun. In spite of all of the ongoing issues with California and San Francisco, I still love to return; we usually stay at The Inn Above Tides in Sausalito right next to the Ferry landing. I can still smell the Eucalyptus in the air.
The salted ones as in the photo will turn even the most rabid anchovy hated into a fan. Chinatown with the pork and ducks hanging in the wondows as, I always said, the best fast food anywhere.
Is it the food or the love that makes the diner happy? Both. The love you show for those eating what you prepare for them shows itself in the assiduous attention to detail you demonstrate in gracefully and patiently revealing each step of preparation like you are gently removing the layers of an onion or peeling a grape.
Umm, hate to rain on a wonderful parade, but the mashed potatoes recipe has way too much fat for folks like me. My take on mashed potatoes uses a lot less butter, and whole cultured Bulgarian buttermilk. I also like tossing in finely diced parsley and maybe some other diced herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. One of the better uses for said buttermilk I've found.
The first part of this piece, before the recipes, reminds me of the writing of Jay Jacobs in Gourmet, many years ago. This is a high compliment! I love Merida and am about to return for a few weeks. If anyone knows the best mercado near Parque Santa Ana, please let me know.
High praise indeed. As for mercados, use the Santiago one. Much better than the one in Santa Ana.
The Zephyr! In 1984 was traveling from Shanghai to Chengdu by train (because the handmedown Aeroflot plane crashed weekly. We stopped in the middle of a bridge over a lake and watched the dining car lower an empty bucket with some money in it down to a fisherman on a small boat who took the money out and began pulling on a chain attached to the bridge.
Suddenly a cows head covered with eels emerged. He filled the bucket with eels, it was duly retrieved and we had those incredibly fresh eels as our main course with a lovely light ginger and garlic sauce with whole sprigs of green Sichuan pepper.
So amazing.
Absolutely the best train story I have ever seen or read. How civilized!
Just reading this piece made me happy. Thank you.
And reading your comment makes me happy!
Honestly those anchovies call to me.
As your comment calls to me!
Oh those anchovies! Heaven.
Yes, heavenly.
Love all the recipes and photos you shared... but the Mac & Cheese looks over the top!!!
Mac & Cheese should be over the top. No point getting fat on mediocre food!
First the memories. Delicious. So evocative I can even smell the pork dumplings……. And then the recipes: Can’t wait to try the anchovies, the mashed potatoes, vegetable soup, the ginger cookies. I love the idea of the Mac and Cheese, but OTT for me —- and the snails. I had a house in the South of France for 15 years…. Love snails, but now in LA and at the best French places as well as every bistro like place they seem to be dry things cooked in the shell with a lid of parsley pesto. Is this so nobody really sees the snail? Or fear of butter (and garlic)?—- where is the wonderful watery butter garlic and parsley mess left in the plate to be sopped up with bread?
It's the mess that eeveryone is afraid of. Fear of the bread also. Unhinged fear.
What great recipes, J.T. That sauce is a must. I have never been able to convince any anchovy hater to eat one. I ceased trying. When I moved to San Francisco in the summer of 1971, my apartment was on California St. just outside of Chinatown. When I would return home from The Presidio, where I was stationed at Letterman Hospital, I would often walk into Chinatown and choose a random spot to eat (I was alone). I can't remember them all but in a year I "covered the waterfront?" What fun. In spite of all of the ongoing issues with California and San Francisco, I still love to return; we usually stay at The Inn Above Tides in Sausalito right next to the Ferry landing. I can still smell the Eucalyptus in the air.
The salted ones as in the photo will turn even the most rabid anchovy hated into a fan. Chinatown with the pork and ducks hanging in the wondows as, I always said, the best fast food anywhere.
Is it the food or the love that makes the diner happy? Both. The love you show for those eating what you prepare for them shows itself in the assiduous attention to detail you demonstrate in gracefully and patiently revealing each step of preparation like you are gently removing the layers of an onion or peeling a grape.
Have yet to peel a grape, but that would show love!
Umm, hate to rain on a wonderful parade, but the mashed potatoes recipe has way too much fat for folks like me. My take on mashed potatoes uses a lot less butter, and whole cultured Bulgarian buttermilk. I also like tossing in finely diced parsley and maybe some other diced herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. One of the better uses for said buttermilk I've found.
You are right, these mashed not to be eaten too often. At the same rate as foie gras. I like your version.