Food! Glorious food!  Fabulous food has provided some of the most vivid travel memories.

And having just returned from Provence, where food plays a starring role, I’m savoring the flavors all over again.

(In the spirit of full disclosure – I am not a “foodie.”  Having said that, I have never had so much consistently good food in all my years . . .)

It started with our casual dinner on the first night at a wonderful little restaurant called Aubergine in Villeneuve-les-Avignon, just across the Rhône River from Avignon. A tangy gazpacho topped with a scoop of homemade chili sorbet. (No surprise that I would adore anything with a scoop of ice cream on top!) But the mix of flavors – the tart, garlicky gazpacho combined with the creamy, sweet sorbet with a bite of chili – was divine!

(I eagerly await the recipe promised to me from the chef. Comment on this posting, and I’ll share the recipe when I receive it!)

 

A couple of days later, in the garden of a restaurant called Le Mas Tourteron, we savored a tomato tart served with mesclun salad and a fried zucchini flower. Perfection! The self-taught chef, Elisabeth Bourgeois, is legendary for her farm recipes. The restaurant, just outside the town of Gordes, is a lovingly restored centuries-old mas (farmhouse) and displays a wonderful collection of antiques.

Our final night gourmet dinner at the Michelin-starred La Cabro d’Or, began with a starter course that was out-of-this world! . . .

“Soft-Boiled Egg with a Difference:

Mild onion marmalade with Spanish Jabugo ham, aged Parmesan and chanterelles in a frothy carrot-top bouillon”

Doesn’t sound particularly appealing, does it? But WOW! – what an amazing experience in the mouth!

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Thinking back, I distinctly recall a handful of other tasty travel moments that will be forever imprinted in my memory:

At the Franz Josef Glacier on the remote west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, we had lunch before strapping on ice cleats for a strenuous walk onto the face of the glacier.  (I know – another ho-hum day at the office).  The venue was a nondescript café in this rugged little town that caters to adventurous outdoorsy types.  They served a “Warm Duck Salad” that was mmmmmmmmm – so good!

On that same trip to New Zealand, we saw a sheepdog at work and watched the farmer wrestle with a bleating, protesting sheep which he was trying to shear at Abbotsford Garden & Farmstay. Then a home-cooked lunch which included traditional Pavlova for dessert. I’d never even heard of it before, but since that day, it’s my “go-to” dessert when I want to make something simple and super impressive (and delicious!). (Post a comment and I’ll share this recipe, too!)

On the island of Mallorca – in one of my all-time favorite destination discoveries: the mountain town of Soller – I relaxed in one of the casual cafés overlooking the town square. A wood-fired pizza was delivered piping hot, with a heaping mound of fresh rocket (arugula) greens and thin slices of salty Parma ham on top. Fabulous! I was recently  engaged at the time, and this pizza inspired my unusual wedding menu (which was thoroughly enjoyed by all our guests!).

And going way, waaaay back in years (to 1979), I remember Mango Lassi in northern India. Sold by street vendors, it was a refreshing, frothy yogurt-based drink. It was my daily treat on many a hot, steamy day. But at the end of my 8-month backpacking adventure, I was getting really, really low on money. I distinctly remember the stern conversations I had with myself, “No, Marilyn, you can’t afford a lassi. You must save your money to buy your ticket home.” A lassi cost 1 rupee – about 15 cents!

What are YOUR favorite foodie memories?