April (Foods)

Okay, so I’ve started noticing a pattern. For work, whenever I can write about stuff that’s not a hotel review, tour review or a destination piece, I will almost always write about food:

From the Farm to My Fork: I wrote about my recent KCC Farmers’ Market experience, likening it to the annual Nathan’s Hot-Dog Eating Contest. (I'm showing off my first-ever barbecued abalone at left  // (c) Candice Lee Kraughto) 

Fave Five 2009 Travel Experiences, Part Two: I listed eating blowfish testicles in Kyoto, Japan, as one of my favorite experiences.

Overcoming My Own ‘Fear Factor’: I go into more detail about said blowfish “gentleman bits.”

Fave Five European Fast Foods: I adore fast food almost anywhere, but Europe has some especially tasty offerings.

Fave Five Vegas Buffets: One of my top reasons for going to Vegas at all, really.

Hawaii—Local Style: I wrote about all the places I ate at with my boyfriend and his relatives.

And today, I just turned in a piece called “Fave Five SoCal Ramen and Soba Spots.” Needless to say, I really like food—both consuming it and writing about it.

Looking back on my travels last year, there are so many great meals that I savored, from the best pasta ever (in Tel Aviv, no less) to the best $110 ever spent on a meal — an elaborate omakase (chef’s selection) dinner in Kyoto (where I ate those blowfish bits). Here’s a taste:

Dining at Hashem Restaurant in Amman, Jordan // (c) Deanna Ting

My friend Jennifer shows off the gigantic bacon pancake we shared in Amsterdam. // (c) Deanna Ting

Contemplating my choices at Febo in Amsterdam // (c) Deanna Ting

Currywurst in Cologne, Germany // (c) Deanna Ting

Pommes frites smothered in mayo, ketchup and fried onions, also in Cologne, Germany // (c) Deanna Ting

My individual, goblet-size portion of Chimay beer in Germany // (c) Deanna Ting

A half-eaten croissant from Strasbourg, France // (c) Deanna Ting

Falafel from Tiberias, Israel // (c) Deanna Ting

Cleaning up the mess that my melting gelato made in Tel Aviv // (c) Deanna Ting

The best pasta--ever. My friend Cindy, a fellow travel writer, also agrees. // (c) Deanna Ting

My favorite meal from Costa Rica // (c) Deanna Ting

Smoked chile butternut squash soup from the Anasazi restaurant in Santa Fe // (c) Deanna Ting

A breakfast meal of champions--chorizo and huevos motulenos from Cafe Pasqual's in Santa Fe // (c) Deanna Ting

Room service breakfast from The Peninsula Tokyo // (c) Deanna Ting

Handmade soba noodles from the restaurant at the Hoshinoya Kyoto // (c) Deanna Ting

Eagerly anticipating my breakfast of nabe (Japanese hot pot) at the Hoshinoya Kyoto // (c) Deanna Ting

Uni (sea urchin) -topped eggplant drizzled with ponzu sauce from Tempura Matsu in Kyoto, Japan // (c) Deanna Ting

Shirako (blowfish testicles; center), flanked by grilled fugu (blowfish) on the sides, also from Tempura Matsu // (c) Deanna Ting

Room service tea from the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so // (c) Deanna Ting

Ramen with savory pork cheeks in Tokyo // (c) Deanna Ting

Afternoon tea at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi--note the kobe beef sliders and churros // (c) Deanna Ting