For a variety of reasons, I keep finding myself in Boston. I have been there to visit historic sites, to catch a plane to another destination (Icelandair doesn’t fly directly from Chicago to Reykjavík), for business, and more recently, because I now have friends there. More »

If Americans think about the food of Australia at all, it probably doesn’t go much beyond Paul Hogan’s famous, “We’ll throw another shrimp on the barbie.” Well, they certainly have plenty of shrimp (or prawns as they are more likely to say down there) and even more barbies, but the country and its cuisine go far beyond that. Of course, there are the fabulous people, the fascinating scenery, the weird and wonderful wildlife, the glorious beaches and sophisticated cities—and those are all great reasons to go to Australia. However, I hope to convince that Australia is also a great dining destination. More »

One thing all humans have in common is the need to eat. While there are people who are able to meet all their needs on their own land, in most places around the world, particularly when people group together in towns or villages, they rely on markets. Fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, sugar, salt, spices, and more are piled in stalls, spread on blankets, carried in boats or baskets, displayed in rows or crates or bags in markets worldwide, offering both a culinary and a visual feast. Enjoy this photographic tour from Hungry food historian and photographer Cynthia Clampitt.

Most of Newfoundland’s towns and villages have “stages”, similar to these, used to store nets and other fishing gear.

One of the most important aspects of traveling to Newfoundland is to pick the right destination. Fortunately, we did fly into the right city—St. John’s—but met several people during our stay who had booked flights to St. John, which is in New Brunswick. Some of these people had used travel agents, too. They then had to catch a bus then a ferry to reach Newfoundland. So if you plan a trip, make sure you look for that “ ‘s ”. More »

In the market in Meknes, olives and preserved lemons are stacked in impressive displays

Granted, I fall in love with almost every place I visit, but Morocco really surpassed expectations. It was gorgeous, ancient, evocative, rich in culture, with friendly people and surprising scenery. I saw everything I expected and even more I didn’t expect. More »

Metro Population of Montreal - 3,635,700

Metro Population of Chicago - 9,391,515

Almost three times as many people are breathing in Chicagoland as are in metropolitan Montreal, and yet Montreal has almost four times as many major public markets? I arrive at this math by considering Chicago’s Green City Market as half a market, since it only operates during the summer, and part of the Fall at the Lincoln Park Zoo, while the Atwater and Jean Talon Markets in Montreal operate year round in permanent facilities. More »

Deep fried foie gras.

Deep fried foie gras.

Two weeks after eating at in Montreal, this is the phrase that still flutters in the back of my consciousness. I can’t get it out of my head. Yeah, sure they deep fry everything nowadays, Snickers bars, Twinkies, pizza, and tacos, but who the hell is foolhardy enough to deep fry something like fattened duck liver? That’s like deep frying pure fat. More »

Historically, the Polish have not fared well at the hand of comedians. We rate somewhere above blondes and just below the Irish as a mocked collective. As a first generation Pole, I regularly suffered jokes and challenges to my intellect. I often responded that Copernicus, Chopin, and Marie Curie were Polish, and that any nation that spawned such cultural icons must have something going for it. More »

Smoked Meat, aka Viande Fume from Schwartz’s Deli

I’ve spent a lot of time waiting in line for food. Last year it was 3.5 hours for life changing oysters and softshell crab at Uglesich’s in New Orleans, and just last week it was a half hour at Hot Doug’s in Chicago seeking French fries poached in duck fat. More »

T-Rex poutine at La Banquise.

America is the land of the obese, the home of McDonald’s, purveyor of deep fried Twinkies, inventor of Buffalo wings, mass consumer of pizza, and yet we still cede our title of supreme imperial culinary hedonism to Canada by not adopting poutine, a cholesterol bomb of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. More »

The glories of the English table showcased at Fortnum and Mason.

I wonder sometimes why England has such a bad reputation for food. I’ve been going to England for decades, and I’ve only had one or two mediocre meals, and most of the time I’ve eaten splendidly. Sure, nowadays everyone points to the handful of famous venues that are popping up on “best restaurant lists.” Or people will say, “It’s because of the great ethnic eateries.” Yeah, England has those—big time. When I lived in England as a student, I relied heavily on the ethnic restaurants, though mostly because they were fun and cheap. But even before my university days, I’d already learned to love English food. More »