planing for the best food journey
Nov 10th, 2001, 05:41 PM
#2
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Very interesting question. Realizing that this is a matter only the individual palate can decide, no one can answer for you. I would first consider that Catherine of Aragon (sp?)first brought the notion of cuisine to the French in the medieval period. She moved in with all her Italian chefs and got things started. Up to that point the French were gnawing on bones. And then, as Stanley Karnow points out in "Paris In the Fifties", it was not really until Curnonsky that the French began to make an effort!<BR>Today, though, although their cuisines are very different, and although France typically gets the nod as having the most refined cuisine, I would say it's a dead heat. <BR>My choice would be to look at regions having distinct cuisines and wines instead of nations as a whole. I would choose my favorite 3 regions from each of these nations and jump on the train. The starting point and ending point would be Paris and Rome. Start at either end with an exquisite top-rated Michelin selection to celebrate arrival/departure, then hit Venice and Tuscany in Italy, and Lyon and the Perigord in France.<BR>My God, what a GREAT IDEA !!! Got room for one more. <BR><BR>
Nov 10th, 2001, 07:38 PM
#4
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Joel, one does not go to Venice to dine. Everyone knows that Bologna is the gastronomic capital of Italy. You would do well to start there, not Toscana. 
PS I would not take too much stock in the cuisine of Catherine de Medici, for she was very famous (or infamous) for her poisons, and killed many a foe at ther table.
PS I would not take too much stock in the cuisine of Catherine de Medici, for she was very famous (or infamous) for her poisons, and killed many a foe at ther table.
Nov 11th, 2001, 09:02 AM
#5
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Jerome,<BR>Sampling regional cuisines is an excellent concept, a concept best experienced in the small country, Belgium. Belgian cuisine is extraordinarily varied, ranging from the seafoods of the Flemish coast to the game of the Ardennes. Belgium has more Michelin starred restaurants per capita than France to give you an idea of the Belgians love of good cooking. <BR><BR>When are you traveling? From November until the end of April many of the coastal hotels and restaurants stage Gastronomic Weekends with discounted rates. The idea has become increasingly popular and is now catching on in the Belgian midlands. The Belgian Tourist Office in Brussels publishes a brochure for gourmets listing the hotels and restaurants offering these weekend packages.<BR><BR>Consider the carbonnade of Flemish Belgium, lean beef in a beer steeped casserole; smoked Ardennes ham; pheasant a la brabanconne from Brabant;, Jacob mussels from Bruges;<BR>the Trappist beers and cheeses from Orval and Chimay, and of course the chocolates and beers that are unsurpassed in quality and taste.<BR><BR>Bon appetit!
Nov 11th, 2001, 02:55 PM
#6
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joel you are right, I won't limit myself to only one of those nations but will rather focus as you said on their distinct regional cuisines.<BR>Wes, I had'nt thought about Belgium but your post has convinced me, I will include this country in my trip.<BR>I'm travelling there in May for a period of 20 days, need more suggestions
Nov 11th, 2001, 08:30 PM
#7
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If you're really planning the trip around food - I agree, an intriguing concept - consider your budget, of course, and what kind of food you like. I, for you, cannot force myself to enjoy southern Italian food (everything covered with tomato sauce), though I think Tuscan cuisine some of the best in the world. The pastas and seafood of Liguria are great, and while I've never been to Bologna, I have heard that there's some of the best Italian food there; Venice is not reported to have excellent food, yet we loved the seafood we ate there. Paris, of course, and the cuisine of Provence and the fois gras of the Dordogne. While some love the food of Burgundy, it was a little too heavy for me.<BR><BR>Plan to try all ends of the restaurant experience - from 3-star-Michelin rated Paris restaurants to lunches consisting of food from a local outdoor market. We tend to eat at fancier, more expensive places in France than in Italy; we enjoy the simple stuff (especially pastas) so much in Italy that we've not felt the desire to eat at the haute cuisine restaurants in Italy. Have a great time!
Nov 12th, 2001, 01:25 AM
#8
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Although Bologna is known to be a place you eat well, it is not my favorite. Like another poster said, it depends on your personal tastes.<BR><BR>I think you cannot go wrong if you go to Sicily. You will get fresh seafood, that is out of this world.<BR>You haven't had sweets till you have tried sicilian pastries and ice cream.<BR>There are various delicacies from sweet to salty that you must try.<BR>Depending on the season, you must also try some sicilian fruit.<BR>Another place that you will eat extremely well is in Puglia.<BR>You will never leave a table unhappy. <BR>In Puglia, they have great mozzarella, (yes, campagnia is the most famous for it ) bread, meats, and most of all orecchiette (pasta) (I forgot to mention some of the famous pasta dishes in Sicily as well, pasta alla norma, ie). <BR>Another place, Naples. You can never really say you have had pizza till you eat one there.<BR>Of course, there are those that will argue that Rome has the best pizza, whether it is the one with very thin paper crust, or pizza al taglio.<BR>If you ever get to any of these places, enjoy and go hungry.
