Heirloom tomatoes at vegetable stand in Bologna, Italy

The team of Our Tasty Travels is in Bologna, Italy as part of a special blogging project, BlogVille, which is sponsored by the Emilia Romagna Tourism Board and TravelDudes. While we are being hosted, all views and opinions expressed are our own.

The special blog trip is called #blogville and was the brainchild of Melvin from Traveldudes and Kash, Budget Traveller. Together with the Emilia Romagna Tourism Board, they teamed up to create a brand new style of blog press trip.

Rather than sending a group of bloggers off to a city to experience the same activities, we are staying in a special bloggers apartment that has been rented by the tourism board. Here each blogger is free to explore various aspects of the region that fits their own blog and audience.

As we are attending on behalf of our culinary travel blog, it’s a no brainer that I will be doing my best to scout out all the local eats while learning as much about the region’s wines I can. My blog partner Brett is also a beer connoisseur so it’s a safe bet he will be scouting out any local beers that may be available.

We will be in Bologna from May 7 through May 16 and then we return to Rimini July 8 – July 14. So far, planned day trips include:

May 10th – Parma

We will be headed to Parma and its surroundings with a focus on Giuseppe Verdi (music) and food (Parma ham and cheese).

May 15th – Modena

We are headed to the historic town of Modena and its surrounding area with a focus on the Enzo Ferrari Museum, the Maranello Ferrari Museum (MotorValley) and a visit to a balsamic vinegar producer!

To follow me on this incredible journey, look for posts here and on Our Tasty Travels as well as:

• Twitter: #blogville hashtag  @poohstraveler and @ourtastytravels
• My Facebook: No Checked Bags and OurTasty Travels
• Instagram – poohstraveler
• Pinterest - Erin De Santiago
• Foodspotting - Erin De Santiago
• Google + - Erin De Santiago

Emilia Romagna Tourism Board’s coverage:

• Facebook: BlogVille Emilia Romagna
• Twitter: BlogVille Emilia Romagna

I could eat truffle on everything – breakfast, a 10 course dinner, and certainly in a dessert, so why not a cocktail?

It’s like the mixologists at the W Hotel were speaking to my heart when they created this menu of unique and trend-setting drinks. Unfortunately, they did not create them just for me, they were in honor of their one-year anniversary in February, 2012.

Shuffle the Truffle menu is available at Yen Bar on the 31st floor, which provides one of the best views of Taipei 101 in the city.  Look for seven very diverse truffle options that will appeal to nearly every type of drinker – from stiff martinis to dessert-style cocktails, everyone can enjoy a truffle cocktail at Yen.

Since sampling cocktails is hard work, we dove right in and started with the two most recommended offerings, Mr. W and Ms. W.

Ms. W and Mr. W Truffle Infused Cocktails

Mr. W

Mr. W is made with the W Hotel’s special infused truffle vodka, vinegar, martini extra dry, rosso, balsamic, and topped off with an olive.

Of the six cocktails we sampled over the course of the evening, Mr. W offers the most pronounced truffle flavor. It’s a classic martini with a definite masculine appearance, but I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to order one…or two.

Mr. W is a classic martini style cocktail with a strong truffle flavor

Ms. W

Ms. W is made with W infused truffle vodka, fresh lemon juice, fresh strawberries, vanilla sugar, rose liqueur and rose sparkling champagne. With its bright pink color, this cocktail was designed for the female crowd that frequents Yen. It was definitely a drink I would order again, but the truffle taste was not nearly as pronounced as with Mr. W.

Ms. W even has a rose petal inside the cocktail

Beautiful sugar rim on Ms. W truffle infused cocktail

Truffle Mary

Hello Sunday morning cocktail – truffle style. The Truffle Mary is made with W infused truffle vodka, tomato juice, fresh lemon juice, old balsamic vinegar, black olive, black pepper and truffle salt.

This one would definitely take care of a rough Sunday morning start and is not a bloody mary for the weak of heart.  The only disappointment on this one for me was the lack of truffle salt on the rim.  According to our host, the salt is in the drink with the pepper. Personally, I would prefer to try it on the rim as I think it would enhance the truffle vodka flavor immensely.

Truffle Mary and Truffle Vodka Fizz at Yen Bar

Truffle Vodka Mary cocktail

Truffle Vodka Fizz

This more feminine option is made with W infused truffle vodka, cherry brandy, fresh lime and sugarcane, served carbonated. This was a refreshing cocktail and had a nice subtle sweet flavor with a hint of truffle.

Truffle Vodka Fizz and Truffle Vodka Mary cocktails

Truffle Vodka Fizz cocktail

Truffle Pie

One of the last cocktails we sampled was the Truffle Pie, made with W infused truffle vodka, fresh cucumber juice, apple liqueur, apple syrup, and fresh lime juice.  Served in a lowball glass, this was definitely one I could’ve ordered two or three of. It was an interesting blend of earthy, sweet, and sour all rolled into one cocktail.

Truffle Pear and Truffle Pie cocktails at Yen Bar

Truffle Pie served in a lowball glass

Truffle Pear

The last cocktail on our tasting was the Truffle Pear made with W infused truffle vodka, pear liqueur, fresh lime juice, fresh pear, and white sugar. This was in a martini glass and another one I questioned on whether it should’ve had sugar around the rim.  The white sugar was said to be in the drink itself, but I honestly expected it to be a touch sweeter.  Still quite nice and a great choice for those who are not fans of overly sweet or strong drinks.

Truffle Pear cocktail served in a martini glass

Truffle Coco

This is the dessert cocktail and the only one on the truffle menu we did not try.  It is made with W infused truffle vodka, orange liqueur, white chocolate sauce, and milk.  After sampling all the others in between a large meal at Yen, we just couldn’t find the room to hold one more cocktails, although I plan to go back and knock this last one off the list!

Each of the cocktails we sampled are 590 NT each (about $20 US each). The Truffle Coco is 690NT. These are obviously not inexpensive as far as drinks go, so perhaps not a drink you might order two or three of each night, but certainly order at least one. The premium ingredients and housemade truffle infused vodka is definitely worth a try.  The W Hotel has done a fabulous job of creating a specialized cocktail menu that is proving to be a hit with Taipei’s in-crowd.

Yen Bar’s tapas menu has increased since we were there shortly after the grand opening last year.  Menu items currently available from 11 a.m. until midnight include:

French fries, assorted dips, 220 NT
Banana cheese spring rolls, 300NT
Sauteed taro with sugar, 180NT
Plum glazed baby carrots, candied kumquat, 220NT
Sesame crisp prawn mousse toast, 300NT
Red braised beef tenderloin, brisket noodle soup, 480NT
Barbecue beef, chicken, prawn skewers, 680NT
Variety of stewed pork belly, seaweed, eggs, and bean curd, 360NT
Crispy chicken boxer wings with dips, 320NT
Kurobuta pork burger, 360NT
Crispy squid with five spice salt, crystal fish, 600NT
Golden sesame seafood cigars, 280NT
Abalone mushroom skewers, duo cheese, 220NT

We did not sample any of the bar menu items, as we were guests of the W Hotel at Yen’s restaurant in between cocktail sampling. The beef tenderloin and brisket noodle soup came highly recommended so definitely on the list to try next time.

View of Taipei 101 from VIP style lounge room at Yen Bar

View of Yen Bar from our little VIP lounge area

Yen Bar at the W Hotel in Taipei
10 Zhongziao East Road Sec 5
Xinyi District
(886)(2)7703-8888
Open: 11:30am – 12:00am
Website: Starwood Hotels W Hotel in Taipei

We were guests of the W Hotel for our cocktail sampling and dinner and, while a portion of our evening was comped, all views and opinions expressed are our own.

The weather seems a little more threatening this year than it did that year, but the city is gearing up for quite a party nonetheless.

I took a walk through all the major squares in the center of town this afternoon to see what was being prepared for this year’s festivities.  All of the major local beers seemed to be well represented, with numerous stages and every variety of food truck to be found, representing all of the traditional options, from trucks offering selections of French Fries / Krokets / and Frikkendel, to hamburgers, bratwurst, mini egg rolls, pizza, and every other food that pairs well with the ever present beers.

I hope the rain holds off.

Stage set up in Stationsplein

Preparing for a long night?

Bavaria Truck

Cakes and other "baked" goods

Popcorn, Grease style!

Beck's Beer not to be left out.

Grolsch Truck with food stands in the background

Loempias and Tostis

From America? Hamburgers and Bradwurst

Queen's Day Pizza - New York Style

Frituur - Frites, Kroket, Frikkendel. Yum!

Jupiler set up to represent Belgium

For more photos, check out my Google+ Album of Eindhoven Queen’s Day, 2012 Preparations

Japanese cherry blossom dessert on China Airlines

I spent last week roaming around parts of Japan photographing the cherry blossoms, or sakura.  It was my first time in Japan during the blooming period — what an amazing experience.  On the way home, the Japanese menu dessert in Business Class was a mochi type sweet with a cherry blossom pattern on it.  China Airlines logo incorporates the cherry blossom, so this was a nice touch — especially well-timed!

Johnny Cakes are really just like hard sandwich rolls, but there is something so homey and addicting about them.  You might be familiar with them from other cultures around the Caribbean and Native American Indians.  Some people refer to them as Journey Cakes as they would stay fresh for weeks, making them the perfect travel food.

Johnny Cakes served on a mainland Belize tour last month

Also called Jonnycake, these are commonly eaten in places like Jamaica, the West Indies, Dominican Republic, and more — especially along the Atlantic seaboard.  You might know them in the Southern US as hoecakes.

Traditionally, Johnny Cakes were made with cornmeal, salt, hot water (or milk) and may or may not be sweetened.  However, in Belize, the Johnny Cakes you find are made with flour.

I recently became friends with Tanya, a very talented cook in Belize who recently started a food blog dedicated to Belizean cuisine.  Through the good fortune of a number of mutual friends and Facebook, I was immediately hooked in by her blog.  This week, she mentioned on Facebook that she was going to make Johnny Cakes and post a recipe.  She sent me the link and I gave it a whirl Sunday morning. Well, I have a long way to go in getting these right, but it will be fun trying in the meantime.

My problem has been baking in Taiwan with the humidity and the differing flours.  Most flours, even the general all-purpose ones, are high in gluten, which I’ve been told need extra kneading and special care when trying to use in traditional bread making.

Tanya’s recipe for Johnny Cakes on her Tizzle Sizzles blog is quite easy, although if you are hungry when you start making them, better nibble on something as these are not a quick 30 minutes in the kitchen.

I will refer you back to her blog for the actual recipe, but it is quite simple in that you only need:

• White all-purpose flour
• Crisco shortening
• Baking Powder
• Coconut Milk
• Salt
• Water

Personally, I think this is a good excuse to travel back down to Belize and sample more Johnny Cakes — for research sake!

My first batch of Johnny Cakes that came out pretty flat

Although mine did not rise as much as I had hoped, they were still quite tasty. Most people use them to make a breakfast sandwich with meat and cheese, and I learned a great tip from Tanya — Cheese Whiz is heaven! I added beans, eggs with onions, Cheese Whiz, and of course Marie Sharp’s hot sauce from Belize (a must try!).

I didn’t bake all the dough and let a few balls sit up overnight in the fridge. Surprisingly, these actually fluffed up a bit and were much better than yesterday’s batch (lowered the oven rack and used the convection setting today as well). Still have some work to do, but making progress!

Let's try round two of baking Johnny Cakes!

These Johnny Cakes aren't looking too bad this time!

And now, I am munching one of my fresh and fluffy Johnny Cakes today while writing this post — thanks Tanya!

Made an open-face Johnny Cake with Cheese Whiz, beans, eggs, onions, and Marie Sharp's hot sauce!

Xiaolongbao from Shanghai Pavilion restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan

My obsession with xiaolongbao (soup style dumplings) continues, and this week I had the opportunity to try some utterly divine ones at the Shangri-La Hotel in Taipei. Their signature Shanghai Pavilion, is said to serve some of the best Shanghainese cuisine in the city. I have to admit I was pretty impressed — enough to eat there two days in a row. These xiaolongbao were the very traditional pork with crab roe. The crab roe was so subtle and did not overpower the pork flavor like so many do.  And since I’m craving xiaolongbao yet again, I think I know what I’m ordering for dinner tonight!

Disclaimer: Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei hosted my stay, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Roasted Barley on the Guinness Brewery Tour in Dublin, Ireland

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, had to share a photo from my previous trip to Ireland back in 2009.  When I think back to our tour at the Guinness Brewery, I always remember the smell of the roasted barley in vats.  If you haven’t visited the Guinness Brewery, I highly recommend the tour. It’s not near as touristy as I expected — it was very educational and there’s a restaurant where you can enjoy lunch and then head up to the Gravity Bar where you can redeem your free pint of Guinness.

Red Ginger has developed quite a reputation both on and off the island for its tapas, wine specials, and of course, its Sunday Brunch.  The menu is simple as compared to other restaurants you might be used to back home, but the options are excellent, and there are some lunch entrees and flatbread pizzas available as well.

Bar inside Red Ginger at The Phoenix Resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize

We asked our server what he recommended, or the menu item(s) Red Ginger is most known for during brunch, and he quickly replied with the Huevos Rancheros being number one. Despite my deep-rooted love and passion for Mexican food, Huevos Rancheros is something I typically never order nor have I really ever been a fan of.

Deciding not to shy away from what was said to be the best item on the menu (despite the orange crepes that continued to call my name), I went with the Huevos Rancheros ($18 Belize).

Best. Decision. Ever.

Huevos Rancheros ($18 BZE) from Red Ginger

Especially hungry after scuba diving, the plate arrived and I may have audibly let out a squeal of delight.

If you aren’t familiar with Huevos Rancheros, it’s a classic Mexican breakfast dish that is quite popular in the Americas as well.  Traditionally, it is simple fare of fried eggs on corn tortillas with a tomato-chili like sauce.  Some restaurants may serve it with rice and/or beans on the side as well.

Red Ginger’s take on Huevos Rancheros was a bit more hearty and all-inclusive.  Starting with a large, thick flour tortilla, there was a generous slathering of beans, eggs over-easy (you can choose how you want the eggs cooked), chunky salsa, queso fresco (love the cheese on Ambergris Caye!), and some chopped cilantro.  You can choose a side of bacon, ham, or sausage and I went for the bacon, my favorite artery clogging part of the pig.

Despite being starving after diving and the fact it was nearly 2pm and we were eating our first meal of the day, I could barely finish it — don’t underestimate that thick tortilla!

The Huevos Rancheros had a little spice, but definitely was mild enough for non-spicy eaters.  The thick tortilla with the beans, gooey egg yolk, and fresh crumbled cheese was a definite win.  The bacon was crispy and thick with just the right amount of fat.  Sounds odd, but not all bacon is really the same and I’ve become quite picky about bacon in my world travels.  I’ve found that bacon in Europe is often pretty boring and bland, and pigs in Taiwan make for great sausage, but fall short in the bacon department as well.

Thick tortilla, beans, eggs, queso fresco, cilantro, and a side of bacon

Sadly, I was fairly dehydrated from diving and all the travel the day before, so I opted not to drink any alcohol, but I have heard fantastic things about Red Ginger’s Bloody Marys and Mimosas.  Given the fact I have been craving the Huevos Rancheros since that day, I think it’s safe to say I need to come back on my next trip in June to get my Huevos Rancheros craving satiated and report back on Red Ginger’s Bloody Marys!

Red Ginger can hold large groups for brunch as well

Red Ginger is open for Sunday Brunch from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and the menu offerings can change every week, but rest assured I think the Huevos Rancheros is a regular menu staple.  If you are a guest of The Phoenix Resort, you are entitled to 10% off your bill at Red Ginger, along with the other affiliated food outlets — Caliente, Wine de Vine, and Blue Water Grill — during your stay.

I was hosted by The Phoenix Resort for this particular (lodging) portion of my media week in Belize, but all views and opinions expressed are my own. For more on travel in Belize and upcoming posts and articles from this media tour, please join my new Belize Travel Examiner page on Facebook.

As this was such a short notice visit, the plans of course revolved around the existing schedule for her and my niece, which included my niece’s Saturday afternoon art class downtown near the Singapore Art Museum.  What were we going to do for the 90 minutes while she was in her class? As the museum is located right by the Bras Basah MRT station, it didn’t take long to come to a good solution…my sister had lived in Singapore for two years, and had yet to try an original Singapore Sling from the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel, where it was invented in 1915, only three blocks away!

A few short minutes later, my sister, my niece’s nanny and I had arrived at this grand colonial-style hotel and made our way up to the second floor entry for the Long Bar, and were faced with quite a crowd!  Seems Saturday afternoon may not be the best time to try to make a quick visit to the Long Bar, especially as the second floor bar was not open this day.  We could have sat at the bar or outside on the veranda, but it was only a short wait for a table, so we opted for that, and less than 10 minutes later, we had our seats.

The original plan was for a trio of original Singapore Sling cocktails, however, on taking a quick peek at the menu, we were greeted with a surprising assortment of new sling cocktails on the menu!  In addition to the classic original, the following six items now appear on the menu, all at S$26 each, the same price as an Original Singapore Sling:

• Spring Sling – Apple Vodka, Apple Sourz, DOM, Cointreau, Blue Curacao, Pineapple & Orange Juice
• Summer Sling – Bacardi Limon, Lychee Liqueurs, DOM, Cointreau, Mango, Lychee & Orange Juice
• Autumn Sling – Vodka, Creme de Casis, Apple & Pineapple Juice, Monin Casis, Lemon Wedges, Blackberries
• Winter Sling - Vanilla Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cointreau, DOM, Pineapple Juice, Pineapple Puree
• Tropical Sling - Bacardi, Cherry Heering, Passion Fruit Puree, Lime Juice, Cointreau, DOM, Grenadine Syrup, Champagne
• Courtyard Sling – Gin, DOM, Lychee Liqueurs, Mango Juice, Grenadine Syrup, Ginger Beer

Sling Options at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Of course, needing to experiment, we had to go for three of the new cocktails (and one original to split…for tradition’s sake, and so my sister could finally say she’s had one here).  Our orders placed, a few minutes of munching on the great Thai peanuts (and making quite a mess with the pile of shells we left on the floor), and we soon had our drinks before us.

Peanuts at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

First thing to note, only the Original Singapore Sling comes in the Original Singapore Sling glass.  All others come in an unlabeled glass.  Also to note, nowhere on the menu did I see the option of ordering the Singapore Sling with the ability to keep the collector’s glass as was available in the past, but perhaps this is meant to have you visit the gift shop on the first floor where you can buy the glass and other Raffles Hotel souvenirs.

Original Singapore Sling, Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Of the non-standard slings, the Tropical Sling came out first, much faster than the others.  Not sure if this meant this was pre-made like the Original, or just easier to make.  This drink was quite tasty, but did not quite have that signature Sling taste.  Though it was quite nice, with the passion-fruit and champagne.

Tropical Sling, Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

The Courtyard Sling was very tasty, though perhaps a bit strong.  Again, not a very traditional taste in line with the original sling, but one I would order again.

Courtyard Sling, Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

The Summer Sling tasted quite similar to the original Singapore Sling, and seemed to also be the most popular option, aside from the original, that I saw people ordering as well.  This one also took the longest to receive, not sure if it was a lost order due to it being so crowded, or just took a while to make.  Very pleasing flavors, and very easy to drink.  Perhaps dangerously so!

Summer Sling, Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Overall, I have to say, the new Slings are rather enjoyable.  I did not see the Tiger Lily on the menu any longer, so I’m not sure if it is still an option, or if it has been totally replaced by these new offerings.  If that is the case, however, I’m happy with the new flavors on the menu.