Mmmmmm, Chocolate and Whisky

The CA Scotch Couple attended a party last night — a rarity due to their misanthropic tendencies and love of snuggling up early in bed with a good book. It was bitterly cold for San Diego (50 degrees), but the CA Scotch Couple really like their host and hostess, so they grabbed their coats and a cab and headed to the party. They also grabbed a bottle of the Glenlivet 18. 

The party was actually quite enjoyable. Their host and hostess were, as always, a delight. The house was amazing, with a stunning view of San Diego, and the mingling part wasn't too uncomfortable. The highlight of the evening, however, was an amazing Tasty Treat for dessert. The CA Scotch Couple's host had brought in these huge, delicious chocolate covered caramels from a little shop just around the corner. 

These weren't just caramels, folks. These were caramels on steroids. They were four times the size of a regular caramel (our host cut them into manageable 4ths), and they were the richest chocolates the CA Scotch Couple have ever had, even topping the ones in Belgium! And, oh my, oh my, they were absolutely perfect with the Glenlivet 18. The fruitiness of the single malt and the rich chocolate flavor were absolutely incredible.

The name of the establishment providing these goodies was The Elegant Truffle 1111 Scott St. San Diego, CA 92106. Our host indicated that it was a relatively new shop, but the on-line reviews go back almost a year. However long it has been there, it is already making an impact, and if the other chocolates are anything like the homemade mega-carmels, it is well worth a visit. CA Scotch Chick will definitely be checking it out.

So this Valentine's Day, why not pick up your honey a caramel on steroids and a bottle of the Glenlivet 18? It will be an evening to remember.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What do you Mean Carbs Aren't a Primary Food Group?

Okay, the CA Scotch Couple admit it. They have the palates of seven year olds - albeit well pampered seven year olds who get to eat foie gras and go to outstanding restaurants. They live on salads and lean meats at home in defense of svelt bodies, but when on vacation, they will freely indulge in a diet that would normally destine one for diabetes and heart disease. 

In particular, the CA Scotch Couple see absolutely nothing untoward about living on junk food and substituting desert for a meal, provided that the junk food is of a high caliber and the deserts are outstanding. Amsterdam is a mecca for high caliber junk food and outstanding deserts. It was also a frequent stop during their year in Belgium, so the CA Scotch Couple have a long list of must-go-to places a seven year old would love.

One thinks one knows one's friends well until everybody travels together. Now, DC Scotch Chick is an avowed Internet food gawker. She will send the CA Scotch Couple links to the most amazing, evil food out there – pure food porn. These will range from deep fried chocolate covered bacon, to candy corn bark, to Taiwanese street food. Consequently, the CA Scotch Couple just assumed DC Scotch Chick had the same predilection toward junk food that they did. Sure, the Scotch Couples always eat balanced meals when they are playing together at DC Scotch Chick's house, but the CA Scotch Couple always attributed this to common sense rather than preferences. Consequently, they were prepared to lead the DC Scotch Couple on a romp through their favorite junk food places in Amsterdam.

Their first indication that they had misjudged their friends' palates was when they took the DC Scotch Couple to a Belgian frite stand for dinner the first night in Amsterdam. Now, the Belgians may have invented the twice fried frite, but it is the Dutch who took it to a new level by offering satay sauce. The combination of the crispy salty amazing fry with peanut sauce is to die for, and the CA Scotch Couple have been known to live on nothing more than frites during an entire weekend in Amsterdam. 

Mmmm, Frites with Peanut Sauce

The first inkling the the CA Scotch Couple were in trouble was when they went to order the frites, and DC Scotch Chick said, "It is awfully close to dinner. I think I'll hold off for something real." Oh dear, this was supposed to be dinner. 

The CA Scotch Couple went into quick conference. They had traveled to that part of the city specifically to try out this frite stand, and they didn't know any "real" restaurants in the area. They finally decided that Turkish pizza might qualify as "real," but the closest one they knew of on this trolley line was down at Central Station. They boarded a trolley and trooped a very hungry DC Scotch Chick down for quite yummy Turkish pizza. Everybody was happy, and the CA Scotch Couple learned a bit about their friend.

For the remainder of the three days in Amsterdam, the Scotch Couples balanced their palates. At the market, while DC Scotch Gent hit the herring stands, the CA Scotch Couple managed to get frites three times, sucre waffles, and stroopwaffles. While the DC Scotch couple ordered savory pancakes at the Pancake Bakery (Prinsengracht 191), the CA Scotch Couple split one savory pancake and the most amazing creation of mocha/caramel ice cream with ethereal whip cream they have ever had. The CA Scotch Couple didn't know that many "real" restaurants, so they hit a lot of Turkish pizza places. DC Scotch Chick was a trooper, and CA Scotch Couple are pretty sure that she tucked into a good salad the minute she hit home (they, on the other hand, mourned the fact that they were having to go back to salad).

"Mocca/Caramel" Ice Cream Pancake at the Pancake Bakery

Still, friends do influence other friends' choices. It is true that the CA Scotch Couple eat better when they are visiting DC Scotch Chick at her home than they do normally. And, influence can go both ways. On the final day, DC Scotch Chick stumbled upon a sucre waffle dipped in chocolate that she adored. As she waxed enthusiastically about her find, she said, "You know, I think I'll just substitute another one for lunch!" 

The CA Scotch Couple exchanged knowing glances. A seed had been planted. Their job here was done!

Maison Landeman

Maison Landemaine

56 Rue de Clichy 75009 Paris

All the research in the world is no substitution for having a foodie insider who can steer one in the proper gastronomical direction. CA Scotch Gent's sister certainly qualifies as a foodie. She is one of the few people whose palate the Scotch Couples trust completely. Lucky for the Scotch Couples, she also qualifies as a Paris insider, since she lives there half of the time. Consequently, when the Scotch Couples were headed to Paris, it was to CA Scotch Gent's sister that they turned for their pastry and restaurant choices. She recommended Maison Landemaine for their flaky pain au chocolate and urged the Scotch Couples to arrive early in order to scoop them up while they were hot.

Alas, since this was the first morning in Paris, the Scotch Couples did not roll out of bed in time to sample the wares while they were warm. The CA Scotch Couple arrived around 8, but that still wasn't early enough. Since there is both an Avenue de Clichy and a Rue de Clichy, DC Scotch Couple ended up with a little unexpected city exploration on the way and showed up a little later, which was fine with the CA Scotch Couple since it gave them two rounds of pastry eating.

The first round consisted of a pain au chocolate, a raisin pastry, and a loaf of chocolate chip bread. The pain au chocolate really was amazing! It was rich and flaky and had two strips of excellent chocolate inside. The other pastries were also quite good. If fact, CA Scotch Gent ended up polishing off the chocolate chip bread they were saving for the DC Scotch Couple while they were waiting.

Round two commenced with the DC Scotch Couple arrived. They went for the almond croissant, chocolate bread, and a choice from the non-breakfast pastry section. CA Scotch Chick ordered a bag of little sugar encrusted pastries for their travels during the day. Everything was excellent. In fact, the almond croissant was so good DC Scotch Chick, who doesn't have a sweet tooth, threatened to go back to get another one.

Interestingly enough, when CA Scotch Chick did a little research on Maison Landemain, the only web sites she found mentioning it were in Japanese. Scroll down on this one www.yoshimi-boulangere.com/rodoshop.html to see some really good pictures of their wares. In her original research, CA Scotch Chick found that there are several French pastry shops run by Japanese individuals. Since she didn't know there might be a Japanese connection for Maison Landemain when she was there, she did not have an opportunity to ask if the owners are from Japan.

Whatever the origin of this amazing French pastry shop, it is well worth a visit while in Paris. The Scotch Couples sincerely thank CA Scotch Gent's sister for this fantastic find.

Staročeské Trdlo

CA Scotch Chick asked CA Scotch Gent the other day whether or not if he had it to do over again, he would have made the recent trip to Prague (he is still battling the Slavic Supergerm by the way). His response, was, "Of course, if we hadn't gone back to Prague, we wouldn't have found Trdlo! In fact, I would go back right now if I could have Trdlo again." Thus is the power of this wonderful Tasty Treat.

A Trdlo is a distant cousin to the cinnamon roll (without the icing). It is a piece of dough wrapped around a buttered metal stick, rolled in cinnamon, vanilla, sugar crystals, and chopped hazelnuts, and then cooked over an open flame. The sugar caramelizes in much the same way a sucre waffle does, so there is no need for icing. And, like the sucre waffle, part of the yumminess of a Trdlo is that some of the little chunks of sugar survive the cooking. A Trdlo is an amazing confection, warm, sweet, and slightly crunchy with just the right caramelization of the sugar. It is one of the best Tasty Treats the CA Scotch Couple have ever had!!!

Look at all the yummy caramelized sugar

The CA Scotch Couple found three Trdlo stands while they were in Prague: one near a tram stop in the Lesser Quarter on the Castle side, one in Old Town near the clock tower, and one in New Town near the Tesco's department store on Národní. They never made it to the one in the Lesser Quarter, but they favored the one in New Town over the one in Old Town because it was five Koruna cheaper and it wasn't plagued by bees. The Trdlos in old town had bees crawling all over them, and it looked as if the ladies running the stand had long ago conceded defeat. Although Trdlos are labor intensive, and there was always a bit of a line at the New Town Trdlo stand, that was just fine with the CA Scotch Couple because it meant that the Trdlos were fresh and piping hot.

The Trdlo Stand Near Tescos

There is some internet debate about the origins of Trdlo. The stands have the feel of Czech folk food, and numerous blogs call the Trdlo a traditional Czech bread. However, there is a general consensus that Trdlo is a relatively recent phenomenon. Rumor has it the stands first appeared at a Prague Christmas market in 2003, and the CA Scotch Couple can definitely attest to the fact that there were no Trdlo stands when they were in Prague the last time.

Whatever their origin, the CA Scotch Couple hope Trdlos have a long and happy future. They are definitely one of the reasons the CA Scotch Couple will return to Prague some day. And, they should taste even better in the dead of winter.

Kokosbollen

Establishment: Den Lille Kokosbollefabrikken AS

Address: Lilletorget 1, Oslo, Norway 

Website: www.kokosbollen.no

Hours: Mon-Fri 7-6, Sat 11-5, Sun 11-6

CA Scotch Chick kept seeing these ubiquitous little balls all over Oslo, so when she passed the Tasty Treat establishment from which they originated, she simply had to investigate.  A kokosbolle (literally cocoball) is a little meringue-filled confection dipped in dark chocolate and coconut. It ever so slightly resembles a moon pie in its consistency, but it is missing the graham cracker/cookie support. In fact, the kokosbolle suffered from a lack of support over all. It was just too airy to satisfy CA Scotch Chick's American palate.

Kokosbolle

Still, the visit to the kokosbolle factory was fun, and you just gotta love the little mascots. The shop on Lilletorget whips up these little guys on site, and offers a range of other kokosbolle-like confections. They also serve coffee and gelato. CA Scotch Gent hypothesized that the kokosbolle would benefit from some gelato, but the CA Scotch Couple never got back to test the hypothesis.

Making the Kokosbollen

The best part of the visit to the Kokosbollen factory, however, was getting to see the Kokosbollemobile that sits out front. Delivery with true style.

Kokosbollemobile

Choco-Musée Érico

Establishment	Choco-Musée Érico
Address	634, rue St-Jean Québec, QC G1R 1P8 1 418 524-2122 www.chocomusee.com
Type	Tasty Treat

Our field trip today takes us to a little artisan chocolate and ice cream shop that also happens to be a museum dedicated to all things chocolate, Choco-Musée Érico. This little Tasty Treat establishment has been serving customers since 1987. In 1989 it began selling its amazing ice cream, and in 2000 it opened its small but informative chocolate museum.

When CA Scotch Chick first envisioned a chocolate museum, she imagined it would be full of pieces of art fashioned out of chocolate. While it is true that the Choco-Musée Érico has some really cool chocolate sculptures and backdrops, they are crafted in support of its primary purpose – a history of the finest of Tasty Treats, chocolate. 

A series of exhibits lays this history out in both French and English, with plenty of pictures and chocolate props. The highlight of the museum, however, is this really cool window where one can watch the chocolate making in progress – definitely whetting the appetite for the boutique and ice cream shop next door.

The focus of the CA Scotch Couple was ice cream, and the focus of Choco-Musée Érico was chocolate. Consequently, after touring the museum, they chose for their tasting pleasure two versions of Choco-Musée Erico's chocolate ice cream dipped in milk chocolate. CA Scotch Gent opted for the classic straight chocolate ice cream, while CA Scotch Chick went for what was basically the chocolate ice cream with everything chocolate thrown in option. Both were fabulous! 

Choc-Musée's Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Ice Cream

While  the coatings were much thinner than those at Les Chocolats Favoris, and, consequently, the ice cream melted much more quickly, they were just as delectable. Moreover, the chocolate ice cream was probably the best the CA Scotch Couple have ever had (and they've had a lot of chocolate ice cream over the years). It was so rich they wanted to linger and savor every bite, but they couldn't linger, darn it, because the ice cream was melting. It was an incredible experience that was over all too quickly.

Les Chocolats Favoris is definitely a Tasty Treat establishment worth visiting. Hats off to Erico Normand for his educational and delectable experience. The CA Scotch Couple will be back!

Les Chocolats Favoris

Establishment	Les Chocolats Favoris
Address	32, avenue Begin Lévis, QC Q6V 4B9 1 418 833-2287
Type	Tasty Treats

Today's Field Trip takes us to the little village of Lévis across the river from Québec City for a visit to Les Chocolats Favoris, a chocolate and ice cream shop serving some of the best chocolate dipped ice cream cones this Scotch Chick has ever tasted. So, grab your ferry schedules, Loyal Scotch Chix Fans; we're off to Lévis.

The CA Scotch Couple can thank the good folks at Trip Advisor for leading them to this little Tasty Treat shop. Les Chocolats Favoris doesn't get much play elsewhere. There is only one post on it on Virtual Tourist, and CA Scotch Chick totally missed any chatter on it on Chowhound. Moreover, most of the web sites that come up in a Google search are in French. It is well worth knowing about though, and it is a great deal easier to get to than one might suppose.

The ferry from Québec City to Lévis is easily accessed from Lower Old Town, and makes the trip across the St. Lawrence River approximately every half hour. Purchasing a ticket at the booth is a simple matter, and the trip across the river affords one of the best views of Québec City around.

Avenue Begin, a lovely street lined with restaurants and food shops, including Les Chocolats Favoris, sits high on the bluff, so there is a bit of a climb to reach this Tasty Treat, but it is well worth the effort. The directions can simply be summed up as turn right out of the terminal, find the grey stairs on your left, and start climbing. Once you reach the street above, keep climbing until you hit the cross street avenue Begin. Turn left on avenue Begin and follow it down to the ice cream of one's dreams. It exercises the lungs a bit but it is actually a lot easier than it sounds, and the stairs leading up have some great photo ops (giving one an opportunity to stop and catch one's breath).

Panoramic View from the Stairs

And, the goal really is the ice cream of one's dreams. While Les Chocolats Favoris has homemade hard ice cream, what one is there for is the soft serve ice cream dipped in French chocolate. Often the lines for this Tasty Treat snake out the door, but it was rainy and a bit chilly on the day the CA Scotch Couple made their pilgrimage, so they had the place to themselves.

CA Scotch Gent was staying true to the "When in Canada" rule, and ordered the maple ice cream dipped in milk chocolate, while CA Scotch Chick went the dreamsicle route, opting for orange ice cream with dark chocolate. Both ice cream cones were quite good. The chocolate that was coating the ice cream was so much thicker than any the CA Scotch Couple had ever experienced. It prevented the ice cream from melting down the cone and provided a nice chewy experience.  

CA Scotch Gent's cone was incredible. Once again, the maple syrup route was more of a caramel flavor, and the combination of this rich caramel-like ice cream with good milk chocolate was amazing. CA Scotch Chick's orange didn't have enough orange flavor to make it a dreamsicle, but it was very tasty. Next time she is getting the maple syrup one. 

The trip down the hill takes a lot less time than the climb up, partly because one knows where one is going. The ferry back is just as easy as the ferry over, and there is even the funicular on the Québec City side if one doesn't want to face another climb. Considering the calories they had just consumed, the CA Scotch Couple opted for the climb. 

Les Delices de l'Erable

Establishment	Les Delices de l'Erable (Canadian Maple Delights)
Address	1044, rue St Jean Québec, QC G1R 1R6 1 418 692-3245 www.mapledelights.com
Type	Tasty Treats

Pub Saint-Alexandre was actually not CA Scotch Chick's first stop on the Field Trip circuit yesterday morning. She began her day at a cafe that was reputed by the Chowhound folks to have the "world's best" croissants, an establishment by the name of Chez Temporal (which was also billed as having excellent coffee). 

Now, CA Scotch Chick is as spoiled in the croissant category by her year in Belgium as she is in the foie gras category. The croissants in her adopted town of Leuven were flaky and melted in her mouth. She usually opted for the pain au chocolat, which were just as flaky but contained a real chunk of Belgian chocolate and were coated in a sweet egg wash and drizzled with more Belgian chocolate - yum. Consequently, when she stumbled upon words like "world's best" in connection with croissants, she was ecstatic. 

Unfortunately, although the coffee at Chez Temporal was fantastic - rich and dark, their croissants and the chocolatines (their version of pain au chocolat) did not live up to CA Scotch Chick's expectations. They were very plain, with no sweet egg wash and no chocolate drizzle, and the chocolate inside the chocolatines was more of a syrup than a chunk. All this would have been forgivable had they been flaky and melted in CA Scotch Chick's mouth, but, alas, they were flat and just a tad dry.  She left Chez Temporal on Monday with a sad heart.

On her way to her ill fated meeting with the "world's best" croissant on Monday, however, CA Scotch Chick had stopped into Les Delices de l'Erable, also known as Canadian Maple Delights, the Québec branch of a very small chain that specializes in all things maple syrup or sugar. While perusing the pastry counter, CA Scotch Chick had noticed some large flaky croissants coated in sweet egg wash and drizzled in chocolate. She had shunned this Tasty Treat, however, thinking she was on her way to the "world's best" croissants. Consequently, her first stop on Tuesday was to atone for this sin of omission. 

The croissant in question was actually a chocolate, almond croissant, and it was quite good. It was sweet and very fresh and flaky, and while it could not begin to rise to the standards set in Belgium, it was a decent croissant. The CA Scotch Couple was traveling a bit later on Tuesday morning, so they had already had their coffee. Instead they opted to pair their croissant with some gelato. 

CA Scotch Chick had been accustomed to thinking of maple syrup in the United States as pretty heavy tasting. The maple syrup and maple sugar based confections in Canada, however, are actually quite subtle. Les Delices de 'Erable has a bistro and ice cream counter, but their specialty is maple syrup and sugar based products, and their little boutique shells scads of these to tourists streaming off the street. Consequently, the CA Scotch Couple decided it was only appropriate to try their maple sugar gelato.

The gelato was fantastic. The ice cream was smooth with a subtle almost caramel flavor and little chunks of sugar hidden within. It really hit the spot and was a perfect complement to the croissant. The CA Scotch Couple left Les Delices de l'Erable with sugar highs and happy tummies, ready for a day of adventure.

In Search of Tasty Treats: Bing

Upon returning to Flushing after a hard day's work, any thoughts of dinner sometimes seemed a little superfluous, particularly on the days when CA Scotch Chick had overindulged with Wise Woman before setting off to the city. Not one to miss an chance for Flushing food, however, CA Scotch Chick seized the evening opportunities to do a little Tasty Treat research. 

One of the primary meccas for Tasty Treats in Flushing is the Flushing Mall. Mall food has a very different connotation in Chinese countries than it does in the US. Rather than filling their food courts with ubiquitous greasy fast food establishments and chain restaurants, the food courts in Taiwan and China replicate markets, with small stands that serve up often excellent food. If one is stranded in a Chinese city with no local to provide inside information on decent eats, scoping out the nearest mall's food court is a pretty safe bet.

The Flushing Mall has adopted this approach to food courts. The stands that line its lower level are decent, and a couple reach the level of pretty darn good. For Tasty Treats they offer two of CA Scotch Chix favorites: Taiwanese Bao Bing (shaved ice) at Shui Ba (S&C Food and Beverage, Inc) and DeliManjoo cream buns.  CA Scotch Chick set off in pursuit of these goodies on Monday evening.

Sentosa, a Malaysian restaurant near the Flushing Mall on Prince street, provides some very real competition to the Taiwanese Bao Bing stand. Since Sentosa is a full blown restaurant, it offers an extensive menu. CA Scotch Chick was not in the mood for a great deal of food after the Cage Match on Tuesday, but she could not pass up Sentosa's Roti Canai (crispy style pancake with curry chicken and potato dipping sauce) appetizer.

For one's sipping pleasure, the Scotch Chix would pair bing with any of the Bruichladdich line. Their sweetness make them a perfect desert scotch. If one were only opting for Sentosa's Roti Canai, the Scotch Chix would fill their Trusty Hip Flasks with Caol Ila. Its light peat would make a perfect accompaniment.

Tasty Treats Part 1: DeliManjoo and Bao Bing

The Bing Stand

Restaurant	DeliManjoo and Shui Ba Bing Stand
Address	Flushing Mall 133-31 39th Ave Flushing, NY 11354
Hours
Cuisine	Tasty Treats
Scotch	Bruichladdich

The caramelized sugar odors of DeliManjoo's cream buns great visitors at the door of the Flushing mall. This little hot and yummy sponge cake has just a tad of creamy filling on the inside, making it moist but not mushy. They are served in bagfuls of twelve or twenty-four. Patience is the watchword when digging into this Tasty Treat because if one does not allow them to cool just a bit, one risks blistering portions of one's palate. CA Scotch Chick always stops by the DeliManjoo cart on her way to the pick up Taiwanese Bao Bing from Shui Ba (S&C Food and Beverage, Inc) so that they have an opportunity to cool.

DeliManjoo Cream Bun

Taiwanese Bao Bing is a snow cone on steroids without the artificial taste. Shaved ice with brown sugar syrup on top acts as the base, and toppings range from peanuts (either as they come or boiled), to sweetened condensed milk, to fruit, to red and green beans, to boba (little chewy balls), to various jellos and  jellys. 

Toppings at the Bing Stand

Shui Ba offers Taiwanese Bao Bing four ways, meaning one gets to chose four toppings. One pays at the little cash register in the middle of the food court then takes the slip over to the Bao Bing stand. On Monday, CA Scotch Chick topped her bing with sweetened condensed milk, boba, a multi-colored jello, and peanuts. As an aside, the Shui Ba offers a variety of other confections, such as soft serve ice cream, but CA Scotch Chick has always maintained her focus.

Taiwanese Bao Bing

The Bao Bing was good but not excellent. CA Scotch Chick likes just a tad more brown syrup, and she enjoys Bao Bing with hard peanuts rather than the boiled version. The DeliManjoo's cream buns were just the right temperature and texture, however, and the mixture of warm sponge cake and ice was quite satisfying.

Tasty Treats Part 2: Sentosa's Roti Canai and Ba Bao Bing

Restaurant	Sentosa
Address	39-07 Prince St. Flushing, NY 11354 718 886-6331
Hours
Cuisine	Malaysian
Scotch	Bruichladdich/Caol Ila

A trip to Sentosa absolutely must start with Roti Canai. This delectable dish consists of an airy nan bread-like pancake that one dips in a rich curry sauce filled with chicken and potatoes. While CA Scotch Chick is an avid believer in sharing, this is one dish that she hoards – her table mates can get their own.

Roti Canai

Sentosa's Ice Kacang ABC (Ba Bao Bing) is in a class by itself. The shaved ice is drenched with red rose syrup and coconut milk, then topped with red bean, corn (yes corn), palm seeds, and jelly. The red rose syrup and coconut milk give the bing a wonderful sweetness. The corn gives it a surprising nutty flavor, and the palm seeds are jelly bean in both shape and chewiness. This mound of icy goodness is the pinacle of the bing genre. It is worth running the gauntlet of Sentosa's indifferent service and slightly inflated bing prices. There is simply nothing like it.

Ba Bao Bing