the end of maria eats in paris

As my spring semester is winding down and final papers are starting up, I have decided to lay this blog to rest. Thanks to everyone who has been interested in my appetite and eating adventures, and thanks for all the comments.

Au revoir, et bon appetit!

OMG

I had the greatest greatest greatest meal ever today.

This amazing soup with potatoes and greens, unbelievably saffrony stewed chicken over rice, and a fresh fruit salad. And a coke light. For 7,90 euro.

Lisbon is really cool. Quite residential, and very nice to just walk around in. Though be warned, it is very hilly and requires sturdy shoes.

NOTE: Mom, dad–the title of this post does not authorize you to ever, ever use it in conversation.

portugal must eats

1. Fresh squeezed orange juice (you can get it anywhere)
2. Chorizo
3. Grilled fish
4. Mousse francesca
5. Potatoes, in any possible form

ydn article on the victoria sponge cake I made

Check it.

Also, Portugal is amazing. I’m never leaving. Plate of ham and cheese omelette, potatoes, and salad for only 3.90 euro. Beautiful tiled buildings. Good coffee. Lots of old people. Nice people. Warm. Plate of ham and cheese omelette, potatoes, and salad for only 3.90 euro.

spain vs. italy : the faceoff

So I know this isn’t going to be the fairest of tests, considering I’ve spent a total of 5 days in Spain (aka Barcelona) and months and months in Italy (aka all of Italy). And I have Italian blood and am partial to all things Italian. But that’s not going to stop me from making judgments and generalizations.

Round 1: Coffee

Winner: SPAIN! So yeah, everyone always thinks of Italian coffee as pretty much the greatest. And it is really great. But caffe con leche (coffee with milk) is the most unbelievable hot beverage you will ever have. Just enough caffe part, just enough leche part, for the most satisfying, bold, and perfectly-creamy thing you could ever drink. Cappucino’s are great, but something they’re a little  too creamy n frothy.

Round 2: Bread

Winner: ITALY! This one was pretty easy. Spain’s bread has just not impressed me. It’s alright and all but it doesn’t have any distinctive characteristics have yet to eat a piece of bread that has really lit my fire. I don’t think it is necessary to elaborate further on Italian bread. Yummmmmmmmm.

Round 3: Abundance/Quality of Old People

Winner: TIE! I’ve noticed that Barcelona is overrun by old people (in the best possible sense of “overrun”) doing their shopping, sitting on benches, and drinking their coffees. This reminds me a lot of Italian towns, which are also dominated by our grey-haired friends. As for quality, all of the old people I have encountered in Italy and Spain have been just charming.

Round 4: Beauty

Winner: ITALY! As I said before, I have only been to Barcelona, so I cannot judge the beauty of Spain as a whole, but compared to any major city in Italy, Barcelona just doesn’t hold up. It kinda reminds me of LA or something–it’s very sprawled out and has less of an old-timey feel than its Italian counterparts. And the beach in Barca isn’t nearly as blue as they are on the coast of Italy.

So I think those are all the important categories. Coffee, bread, abundance/quality of old people, and beauty. After much deliberation and careful analysis, it appears that Italy is the winner.

when life hands you lemons, go to barcelona

So the whole Paris thing didn’t work out, but I DID manage to get on a flight to Barcelona, off of standby. Now I’m chilling in Barcelona until Friday, when I’ll fly to Porto, Portugal. Not so bad!

I’m going to go drink cafe con leche now.

maria eats in philadelphia

Going back to Paris tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

So on my last night I baked a big, decadent dessert. Victoria sponge cake, a British classic. Two sponge cakes with whipped cream and jam squished between. Brilliant.

pommes de terre

Potatoes are great. Especially the ones that you can get at rotisseries in Paris. They’re all roasted and crisp and soft and delicious. They’re even more delicious when dipped into mayo and mustard. I’ve come to find that everything tastes better dipped in mayo.

That's right. Dipped in mayonnaise.

thoughts on being in america

1. People speak English. Very loudly.
2. So many trees!
3. Everybody’s so friendly.

Those are my observations so far. For all who don’t know, I’m spending a week vacation at home. It’s quite nice. I had a big ol’ cup of American coffee yesterday and it was fabulous. I also had froyo last night, which I topped with fruity pebbles, mango, oreo crumbs, mochi, and chocolate chips. It was absolutely delightful.

glace caramel au beurre salé

Bought this ice cream at the regular ol’ supermarket. And let me tell you, it is divine. Caramel in France is a totally different concept–it’s rich, buttery, and lightly sweet. This ice cream could kick the bejesus out of Coldstone.