Grammas Enchiladas

After traveling around trying all different kinds of food from different parts of the world, you only get to realize that it doesn't matter how amazing is the food everywhere else, at the end there is nothing better than your grandmother's home-made food. The food that you grew up with, and you learned how to love, which has slowly throughout the years become part of your personal culture and which has played an important role in some of your dearest memories, is the food that ultimately becomes irreplaceable for you. And its not only until you are away from home, and you finally find yourself deprived from it, and really find out that no matter how many versions your try of that particular food, not even the best restaurants in the world can compare to the home made dish made by the own hands of your mother or grandmother.
In my case, my favorite food in the world are my grandmother's enchiladas, I cannot emphasize enough how amazing her enchiladas are. I have tried so many times to find a place that would serve something at least close to be compared with, and I haven't found a single place, not even in Mexico! Which is why I have come to the conclusion that they are irreplaceable, and now I refuse to eat them, unless I am having them at my grandmother's house. I know I may be over-reacting, and perhaps for most people they might not even be as good, but to me they form part of my whole culture, I learned to eat spicy food with this dish, I grew up having them regularly, and even now; every time I think on going back home, the first thing that comes to my mind is the amazing enchiladas made with the kind of love only grandmothers know how to give, that will be awaiting for me as soon as I arrive home.

Mexican Christmas Dinner

"Guisado de Chile Verde con Queso"  (Green Chile with Cheese Stew)

                    "Carne de Puerco en Chile Colorado"  (Pork Meat on Red Chili Sauce)

                                  "Hojas de Tamal con Masa"  ( Masa spread on Corn leafs)

                                                

Tamales ready to be cooked

                                                     End result                          

The preparation of tamales is a whole ritual that has form an intrinsic part of some Mexican families tradition during the Christmas Holidays. The whole family gathers together, (or at least the women), and they get into the task of preparing the delicious meal. Some families even form what is equivalent to "production lines" where everyone is assigned a different task. In my family, usually my grandma is the one in charge of the preparation of the Masa, which is a dough made out of dried corn and the different types of stew that will go into the tamale. The little kids (who usually are very exited to help), are given the simplest task; passing down the tamale leafs to the other person. The next person's task (which is very often me), is to evenly spread a thin layer of masa on the leaf. And finally the last person puts a small portion of the stew in the middle, folds the tamale in a specific way, making sure it won't spill out, and puts it in a big and deep pot. You leave the tamales cooking for around an hour long, and after that, everyone gathers together to enjoy their christmas dinner.

Brugge, Belgium

                                       Belgium chocolate

                                      chocolate candy house

                                        Confectionary

More controversial chocolateries 

                                                 Le Carmelit belgium beer

Belgian Waffles

                                      Belgian Fries


Belgium is definitely without doubt the number one place for indulging. Everywhere you turn around you can see chocolate factories and confectionaries screaming; Eat me! There are so many chocolate and candy places that stores have found themselves having to compete on creating the most controversially looking window displays to attract the attention of their customers. The most bizarre one, was a particular chocolate store where the main focal point of their window display was a giant mouse sitting on a toilet while smiling and staring at you. Around it, you could see tons of fece-looking chocolates. You would normally think that people on their right state of mind would never even think of eating food that looks or resembles excrement. Well, you would be surprise to see how many people were inside that store waiting to get some of that mouse's defecation. There where also the typical, but enchanting chocolate houses, other types of confectionaries, displaying colorful and delicious looking candy, and of course they couldn't resist displaying the lingerie chocolate female breasts, which you can see above.
Belgium is also known for having some of the best beer in the world, Le Carmelite was the one that I tried, and it was so delicious that I couldn't wait to take a picture before I finished it. Maybe one of the thing belgium is most famous for is its amazing belgian waffles!, The pictures above speak for themselves, there are no words to describe them.... except ABSOLUTE PERFECTION, and I am not over exaggerating. The last thing I think Belgium is actually known for is its fries!, but guess what? the famous french fries we always eat, are actually not from France bur from Belgium!!!, apparently I was the only person not knowing this during my trip to Belgium. And I actually had to learn the story from a  couple of French women who wouldn't understand why Americans call fries French fries, when even for them is pretty clear they are Belgian

Amsterdam, Holland

Amsterdam, Holland

                                                Anne Frank

                                                Absinthery

Coffee Shops

                                      Apple strudel

                                


Amsterdam is famous for its beautiful canals, distinctive brick houses, Anne Frank, and of course it's famous coffee shops and crazy night life. Everything that is illegal everywhere else, it will be legal in Amsterdam. which is why finding absinth specialized stores and people smoking weed in coffee shops is not a rare coincidence, as you can see in the images above. The final image is an apple strudel, which even though its originated in Vienna not in Holland, I felt the obligation to include since it has been the most delicious apple strudel I have had in my life.

German Birthday

                                       Flammkuchen

                                       Baumkuchen

I celebrated my 22nd birthday the german way, while visiting a friend in Dusseldorf. We first had a german version of the pizza, called Flammkuchen, which is basically the same as a regular pizza, but the bread is thinner and crisper. This was followed by a Baumkucken, which is a traditional german cake. made out of layers of bread, and covered with chocolate. In some parts of germany, it is customary  to indulge in this cake for  birthday celebrations and other holidays. The translation of  Baumkuchen is "tree cake", which originates from the resemblance of the layered bread to tree rings.

Berlin, Germany

                                       Berlin, Germany

                                               The Berliner beer

                                      German Sausage

                                       Schnitzel or Fried Pork

The modern and beautiful city of Berlin, is world famous for its iconic Berlin Wall. but it is also famously known in its country for its delicious Berliner beer. Each city in Germany has its local beer, which is named after the city itself. And the Berliner is one of the countries favorite. They have different flavors of it; the original, raspberry, strawberry blueberry and so on.
After that you can see a wide variety of German sausages, and finally the German version of "Chicken Mc'Nuggets"... the Schnitzel, only this time its made out of fried pork instead of chicken.

                                  

Prague, Czech Republic

                                       Dead Porcupine (or food for the birds?)

                                       Prague, Czech Republic

  

Cathedral of Prague

                                              

The Chocolate Museum

                                      Czech Fried Cheese or "Smazak"

                                                Cannabis Vodka? Interesting...

                                      Fish Pedicure (or food for fish?)

My first impression of Prague, was of horror and repulsion since the first thing I saw as soon as I arrived to the hostel, was a dead porcupine in the middle of the street! (which I imagine later became food for the birds).
After that, the trip slowly started becoming a much better experience, I got lost while walking through the curved laberinth-like streets only to find one of the most beautiful scenarios; the Cathedral of Prague surrounded by colorful and beautiful buildings, making Prague look as if it was taken out of a fairy tale.
After that I found the museum of chocolate, where I first learned that chocolate actually comes from Mexico!, then I had a Smazak, or deep fried cheese sandwich, people eat them all the time, sometimes accompanied by french fries.
Walking through the city, I found a particularly interesting shop; they had Cannabis Vodka on the window display. After thinking how bizarre that was... I became a window display myself!... (don't laugh, it was not funny).... I found a spa pedicure, and after learning they had a fish pedicure, I had to try it. and for some reason that I will never understand. they decided to put me on the window display, and I basically served as a marketing/entertainment strategy for 45 minutes, while the tourists stopped to take pictures at my feet being eaten by small fish. Aside from the highly unfortunate and embarrassing experience, the pedicure was pretty good, it was ticklish at first, but after a while you get used to it, and the final result are perfectly clean and new-like feet. I decided to include this, because at the end, I guess my feet became food for the fish.