Beautiful Foods 2023

Thank you 2023 for good health and good food!

Here's to the home chefs and the dishes they prepared. 

Seared Scallops | Angel Hair Pasta, Lemon, Butter, Parsley

Pork Loaf | barbeque sauce, herb roasted potato wedges, green apple + cabbage slaw

 Lettuce Wraps | Sticky Rice, Yellow Pepper + Crispy Prosciutto

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Filet Mignon | mushrooms & asparagus in a bordelaise sauce

Christmas Dinner | Beef Tenderloin, twice baked potato, lemony brussels, homemade Caesar salad 

Mom's famous éclair ring

There will always be solace in gathering around an elegant (Simon Pearce x Target x vintage) table setting graced by a homecooked meal.

Here's to comfort,  joy and S U B S T A C K in 2024!

You can find me over there!

Blue Lagoon

This is it guys. The final Iceland post. The Blue Lagoon! I don't think it looks as dreamy and magical in my photos as you might imagine it to be in the sparkling sunlight - but it truly was a blast and a classic Iceland experience. The weather was insane when we were there - the windiest wind I have ever been in, causing white caps on the lagoon waters and the bar to flood! We swam to every corner, drank a few beers, coated our faces in a silica mud mask and later an algae mask, and made a lot of friends.

A few tips if you go:

• Advanced booking is required. I'd recommend the Premium (€ 70). 
• Coat your hair in conditioner before you enter. Even in doing this, my hair was straw like - very brittle and dry for days after. Your shiny locks should be back to normal in a week or so.
• On the plus side, your skin will be super soft from the silica and algae masks. Definitely visit the mask bar and try them out, take extra care around the eye area. 
• Eat dinner at LAVA. It is excellent Icelandic cuisine inspired by the Blue Lagoons surrounding nature. We made reservations upon arrival but it's not a bad idea to make them in advance. You get a free glass of champagne at dinner if you booked the Premium. Below is a look at our meal. 

Bread and Butter - I don't think I've mentioned yet how outstanding bread and butter are in Iceland. The butter is particularly fluffy, rich and creamy and the bread always fresh baked. An Icelandic specialty - really good brown bread preludes nearly every meal. 

Langoustine Soup (ISK 2900) - comes with garlic marinated langoustine and seaweed. You all know by now how much I loved langoustine soup. I ordered it with every meal!

Grilled Beef Tenderloin (ISK 5900) wild mushrooms, crispy potatoes, onion jam and dijon mustard came together to create a dynamic tenderloin dish. I loved that it was a fancy plate with a side of crisp, golden french fries. 

Rack of Lamb (ISK 5900) Another gorgeous and creative entrée showcasing beautifully cooked lamb with celeriac, grapes and a kirsch reduction. 

 Thanks everyone for taking this journey back to Iceland with me. It has been so much fun to recap the days of this magical trip! 

In case you missed them!

Iceland

South Iceland

Vik

Fjaðrárgljúfur + Jökulsárlón

East Iceland

North Iceland

Akureyri + Beyond

Snæfellsnes Penninsula

Reykjavik

Harpa

Epcot Food & Wine Fest

Finally. We've arrived.

At EPCOT. [Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow]

We all have our favorites. Mine has been Epcot for as long as I can remember. And no, it's not because of the giant silver sphere housing spaceship earth, but that certainly isn't hurting its cause!

I've been to Disney 3 times prior to this trip, age 3 (I think), age 10 (I'm guesstimating) and age 16. Is it strange that as a 10 year old I was more enamored with the video of "Oh Canada" and eating California Rolls in Japan than any rides at Magic Kingdom? Don't get me wrong I loved me some Mickey & Minnie. I had my little autograph book for sure! But Epcot had its claws in me.
The 15th Annual International Food & Wine Fest was currently underway in the World Showcase section of the park.

No big deal.

I've only died and gone to theme park-food-wine heaven. The World Showcase promenade of Epcot traditionally houses 11 countries - Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada. During food and wine fest that number is doubled to house marketplaces for countries from the likes of South America including Chile, Argentina and Brazil, to a broader array of of European cuisine with Poland, Ireland, Belgium and Greece in the mix. The Eastern Hemisphere is more widely represented as well with South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand rounding out the bunch.
We started off at the 15 Beers for 15 Years booth. After our unconventionally sober day at The Magic Kingdom, my palate craved an ice cold beer. Of the 15 choices, I opted for two 6oz brews ($2.75 each)On the left we have an Abita Purple Haze. A crisp American style wheat beer with raspberry puree added after filtration. Therefore, you may see raspberry pulp in the beer. The raspberries provide the lager with a subtle purple coloration and haze, a fruit aroma and a tartly sweet taste.
And on the right a Windmer Hefeweizen. Hefeweizen translated literally means "yeast wheat." This beer is left in its natural, unfiltered state in order to bring out the unique citrusy hop and floral aromas. Additionally notes of biscuit and bread can be detected in this crisp refreshing ale.

Our travels lead us first to Mexico!

Each country clearly displayed a menu in front of their booth with two to three choices of food items and beer, wine or signature drink for purchase. The lines were usually pretty small and moved at rapid speed. They have the system down to a science. You wait in a clearly marked roped off line, pay at one of two cash registers and bring your receipt over to the booth where you are handed your order. Tricia and I both decided on Taco de Chilorio ($3.75) corn tortilla filled with marinated pork sinaloa-style topped with fresh avocado sauce and red onion. Washed down by an ice cold Dos Equis ($4.50)
Adam opted for the Esquites ($3.75) fresh corn topped with mayonnaise, queso fresco, fresh lime and chili powder. I was impressed with the quality of the food at Mexico and the stimulating presentation of these small plates. For the rest of my time at the Epcot Food and Wine fest I would continue to be impressed. Everything I ate today tasted fresh, well seasoned, and was executed in a timely fashion. Not to mention I was getting quite a buzz on. In Argentina I ate a Grilled Beef Skewer ($4.75) with chimichurri sauce and boniato puree.
The boniato puree looked just like mashed potato but was unexpectedly sweet. I Googled it and learned that a boniato is a white sweet potato. Fun! On the menu in Chile was a Shrimp Ceviche ($4.75) with peppers, onions and tomatoes topped with some sweet crispy corn nuts.
I opted for my first glass of wine a Sauvignon Blanc ($2.50) In New Zealand Adam enjoyed a Seared Sea Scallop ($3.75) with vegetable slaw and lemon vinaigrette. Wondrous. While some of us made our way through the countries of the Southern Hemisphere, the rest of the group ventured North to Ireland for Guinness!
We met back up in France for Parisian Cosmo Slush ($8.50) Grey Goose Vodka, Grand Marnier, cranberry juice and Sparkling Pomegranite Kir ($6.50).

France knows what's up!

Alongside our pink drinks we ate Parmenter de Boeuf braise au Cabernet ($4.75) Braised short ribs in Cabernet with mashed potatoes.

As we made our way to Morocco I was in full on drink mode.

best.day.ever.

Enamored with Morocco in its entirety, Adam and I wandered the streets....

sharing a Tangerine Mimosa Royale ($6) and Sangria ($4).

In Japan I sipped Hatsumago Junmai ($6.50).

While Adam enjoyed a Kirin draft beer ($7).

Singapore is brand new this year!

The Singapore Sling ($7) with gin, benedictine, cherry juice + pineapple juice tasted like a shot!Eventually we needed to make our way over to Future World East & West to hit up some rides we had grabbed Fast Passes for earlier in the day. Since we came back to the World Showcase at night, many hours later, I'll keep right on going.....
I started off the night with Asopao de Pollo ($2.50) chicken soup with rice in Puerto Rico. The temperature had dropped significantly at this point so hot soup was perfect!
I was excited to try food from Poland because I am a quarter Polish.The Kielbasa Potato Pierogi ($5) with carmalized onions and sour cream did not disappoint.
Even though it counteracted the Puerto Rican soup as far as increasing my body temperature I couldn't pass up a Belvedere Strawberry Balsamic Chiller ($8.75)
The balsamic flavors were poignant. I enjoyed this uniquely sweet and savory iced concoction with my Polish delicacies!In China we explored but passed on the grub.

This country offers a pretty gorgeous interior.

In South Korea I ate a Lettuce Wrap ($2.75) with roast pork and kimichi slaw.

It didn't look incredibly appetizing, but it tasted great!

Off to South Africa for some Seared Beef Tenderloin ($4.75) with sweet potato puree and a cherry apple chutney.

Red wine once we reached Italy was a must.

A robust glass of Placido Chianti ($4.50).

And my for my final meal in Epcot I ate Baked Cheese Ravioli ($4.50) with creamy bolognese sauce and melted mozzarella. Adam and Mike enjoyed a finale of Smoked Turkey Leg from the good old US of ANot bad for a days worth of eating and drinking. Not bad at all. I missed a few countries along the way like Greece (bummer), Canada (Maura said the cheese plate was excellent), Belgium (Dave reported good things about the mussels) and Germany. The quality of food and drinks today far and away surpassed my expectations. I was completely impressed with everything about this spectacular event. I thought the prices were mostly fair, the concept behind the dishes well thought out and reflective of the country at hand, not to mention the clean and aesthetically pleasing presentations. The service was consistent, the lines not too long, and the plates well executed. What more could you ask for? A great group of friends and warm sunny weather would be nice...oh wait....
We stuck around for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth: A breathtaking display of fireworks, colors and lights set to a musical scene over the water after dark.

Have you been to Disney World? What is your favorite park?