Saude!

Saude!

To your health!

 

Last post I showed off some of the things I ate while in Portugal.  But a good meal in Portugal wouldn't be complete without a good drink.  The fish stew was delicious, but it was even better with a bottle of vinho verde.  The tarts were yummy, but I preferred them with a shot of ginja in a chocolate cup.  And a glass of port rounded off the night, of course. 

Although I loved the ginja (which is a type of cherry brandy complete with soaked cherries) and have always enjoyed port, I cannot stop thinking about the vinho verde.  Vinho verde, literally green wine, is not really green in color.  It's called "green" because it's made from young grapes.  It's crisp, refreshing and has a soft effervescent fizz to it (but far from the bubbles of sparkling wine or champagne).  It's the perfect wine served chilled for a hot summer day.  I strongly and very strongly suggest that you hurry out to a wine store, go to the white wines from Portugal section, and pick up a bottle of vinho verde for yourself.  You won't regret it.

(Portugal, photographed June 2010)

Bom Appetit!

Bom Appetit!

People have been asking how my vacation in Portugal was.  My standard reply?  I ate well, I drank well, I had a fabulous time.  And I truly did - though you may disagree when you see some of the things I tried.  Grilled octopus, well, that's nothing new to me. Sardines, well, they were bigger than I expected.  They weren't the small fit-in-a-tin-can type, but still had tons of tiny bones making them harder to eat.  The eels?  Well, um, that's a different story.  I've had eel sushi, but these were tiny eels, fried up in oil.  The fried up part was good -- hey, I'm from Wisconsin. I like my fried food -- but when my friend Laura pointed out to me that they had tiny little heads looking back at me, well that's when I gave up.  I stuck to the delicious fish soup, the bread, the portuguese cheese... Yup, I ate well.  And did I mention how much I loved the tiny tarts?

On an unrelated note, you (hopefully) noticed that I made some changes to this website.  I figured it was time for a much needed makeover.  But like a girl getting ready to go out, who's not sure she likes what she's got on, I'm not sure I like this current look.  Don't be surprised if it changes.  And, hey, if you like what you see, leave a comment and let me know.

(Portugal, photographed June 2010)