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What's on my 2012 Dish List

30/12/2011

9 Comments

 
My mouth's already watering just thinking of all the great stuff I hope to be eating this year! Here are my top 5 picks based on the places I plan on boarding a plane to in 2012:
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Pastéis de Belém - Lisbon, Portugal
Some people may tell you  the correct term for these custardy little cups is pastéis de nata. Well, technically it is but I'm being more specific. Because anyone who tells you pastéis de nata are  the same all over Lisbon is lying. There's only one place to eat them and that's at Pastéis de Belém near the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos a few kilometres outside the centre of Lisbon.

Crisp tarts filled with oozy custard blistered to caramalized perfection, dusted in sugar and cinnamon and enjoyed with a bica (a Portuguese espresso) or café pingado (a bica with a pingo - or drop - of milk) Heaven! The monks who first came up with the recipe definitely had some divine help.

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Foie Gras Street Hawker Style - Singapore
Asian street food. Three words associated with some of my happiest travel memories. And while I've chowed down on numerous helpings of char siu bao, deep fried wontons, turnip with XO sauce and even the odd deep-fried snake, this is one thing I can't wait to try - foie gras sold at a Singaporean hawker stall. A friend who recently moved to the city posted a pic on Facebook of a stall called Saveur's at Ali Baba Eating House and I'm hooked. I've never visited Singapore before but I've no doubt it will deliver on its foodie promises with its rich jumble of Indian, Chinese and Malay culinary influences. French finesse + Asian ambience, I'll definitely be heading to Saveur's when I'm in town.

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Chicken on Sugarcane Sticks - Bali, Indonesia
When my sister returned from her honeymoon in Bali almost three years ago, she told me all about the awesome time she had. There were stories about amazing breakfasts on the beach, underwater walks and thieving monkeys but I remember one better than all the rest. It was about a piece of chicken wrapped around a stick of sugarcane and devoured at a place called Bumbu Bali. I was so inspired I remember attempting to make a version of the dish using shrimp and lemongrass sticks. It was delicious but what I really wanted was to chomp down on the original version of succulent chicken wrapped around a sugary, grainy core. The story of the Bumbu Bali chicken is one I want to make my own and I'm hoping I'll get the chance to this year.
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Bush Braai - Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa
I'm crossing my fingers 2012 will be the year I finally get to go on safari. And while I'm counting on seeing the Big 5, I understand sightings depend on a number of factors. What is less negotiable is the food. I'm thinking spicy boerewors and juicy steaks, smoky from the barbeque and enjoyed with a nice glass of South African red and a giant helping of malva pudding for dessert. Yup, if I don't spot an elephant or two I think I'll still live.
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Pintxos - Barcelona, Spain
The heartier cousin of traditional tapas, pintxos are tasty morsels attached to a piece of bread with a toothpick. (The name 'pintxo' means 'thorn' or 'spike' and you save your toothpicks which serve as your tally when it's time for the bill). Personally I thought there was something quite quaint about paying for your bites based on the number of toothpicks you tot up. And yes I know pintxos are Basque and Barcelona is in Catalonia but there's still plenty of places all across the city to enjoy them. Ham, cod, fried squid, stuffed mushrooms, blood sausage, deep-fried mussels, cheese and quince... the list goes on, all piled on little pieces of crusty bread (which offer the added benefit of soaking up all those glasses of wine that go along with the daily grazing ritual). The little streets making up the Las Ramblas area have some amazing pintxos and tapas bars and I'm looking forward to heading back for some more this year.

So that's my list of dishes I can't wait to tuck into. If you know of others I should keep an eye out for while I'm visiting these cities, I'd love to hear about them.

Related Posts:
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R-eely good tapas

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Camel"s Drool for Dessert?

9 Comments
Adam Flinter
1/1/2012 01:44:46 am

My mouth is watering at those postings. Rest assured when you come to Singapore we'll be eating! A lot!! From hawker to high end we'll make sure you sample what is fast becoming the greatest foodie city in the world.

Good luck with your blog!

Reply
Radhina
1/1/2012 01:34:04 pm

Cheers Adam :) Rana told me the Singapore pop up kitchen is headed our way. I'm looking forward to the teaser before the mains :)

Reply
Hazel
1/1/2012 03:11:04 pm

Delicioso! I mean the blog, not this entry. Although my mouth did water on reading about the Pastéis de Belém! Congratulations on taking the first step towards culinary fame :)

Reply
Radhina
1/1/2012 04:33:38 pm

Thanks Haze, and yes, this post is a little on the meat-heavy side ;)

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Ernie
2/1/2012 05:01:15 am

Cool! Have eaten two of the above with you. Looking forward to the third!

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Radhina
2/1/2012 01:30:33 pm

We are all going to get back from South Africa looking like malva puddings :)

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Ally Crighton
18/1/2012 02:17:00 pm

Regarding Braais and safari -- the best bit is waking up before dawn on a chilly morning in the middle of Kruger and munching on cold boerwoers from last night's Braai ...

Reply
Radhina
18/1/2012 08:44:07 pm

Nice :)

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Miko
28/1/2017 02:23:39 pm

"...anyone who tells you pastéis de nata are the same all over Lisbon is lying." actually they are not!
"Pastel de Belém" is said to be the original, created by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery located in Belém hence "de Belém" (from Belém).
"Pastel de Belém" being a registered trade mark of Confeitaria de Belém for more than 200 years, its surrogate had to be called otherwise thus "Pastel de Nata", name for which is known all over Lisbon and Centre-to-Southern Portugal or simply "Natas" in Center-to-Northern Portugal.
Whit the same shape and aspect, there are very small differences in texture and flavour, In my case, I'd rather have a fresh from the oven Pastel de Nata - whith a smoother yet crispy puff pastry texture and a more delicate custard flavour - than a Pastel de Belém!

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