El Corazone de España...

As soon as I set foot on the grounds of Spain, I felt a connection with modern times and historic tradition. The laid back persona of all the people plus the simple beauty of the land and buildings creates an aura like no other. You feel warmly welcomed to the place they call home. 

Sevilla, most renowned for the Flamenco is smack in the middle of its annual festival, Fería. Luckily, I met these two amazing French girls who were more than delighted to spend the day wandering the tents, eating, drinking and trying to dance along to the music. All of the dresses were colorful beyond belief. Reds were as rich as blood, Blues were as deep as the oceans and yellows were as warm as the sun. In simple terms, they were breathtaking. And the best part about it all was that everyone of every age was dressed to the T in the same manner. 'Twas absolutely incredible to see. 

Even with all of this whirring around us, there was still time for food and markets. We just so happened to find el mercado de Triana, one of the happiest markets o have ever been to. We met this man who must have been at least 70 years young still standing behind his fruit counter. This incredible gentleman, Antonio, started to poem up fruits for us to try from boto fruit to plantanos. And everything he gave us was beyond incredible. I had no choice but to bring some of these incredible fruits back to the hostel for breakfast. Such a unique and warm experience after being yelled at in the markets of Paris. 

And then, of course, there is the Jamón Iberico; the prized tradition of España. There really are no words to fully capture the amount of passion, thought and history that goes into this unreal product. Based out of the region Extremadura, the Iberico pigs walk around in search of the perfect acorns to eat. In doing this, the fat becomes incorporated into the meat creating a silky smooth bite of nutty/salty pork leg. With more than 2000 years of history going into this, it makes sense why it is so perfect and fantastical. I wish for you all to come to Spain and taste age old tradition. 

España is a magical place. The people are lovely, the food is world class and the streets of the cities are clean. Yet, the traditions of food culture never died. It is imperative for countries like the US to start learning from food cultures similar or better than Spain. Traditions that were born of 1000's of years of farming should be introduced into our agri-conomy. This is the path I have been led to and I will do everything in my power to educate people about food culture and to increase the popularity of healthy and clean food. It won't happen in my life time, but I do hope that America can begin to grow culinary traditions of our own. 

Omelette du Fromage...

3 days is never long enough to explore a city like Paris. You have to wake up early, run around like a chicken with its head cut off, and if you are in the right part of town, the chefs may snatch you up and cook you for their busy dinner service. It is so stressful that you don't end up truly enjoying the magic of place. So, I tried something different. Instead of running around like crazy, I would leisurely walk around as much as I could until my legs fell off. Lucky for me, I have long legs. 

Paris is a place where you have certain things that are a must see such as; the Eiffel Tower, Le arc de triomph, the louvre, Notre Dame, and the catacombs. They hold a certain part of history in the world that everyone is entitled to. It is up to us to sellout this knowledge and put t to good use in modern times. Although, even with all of the recorded history in France and even the rest of the world, we never seem to truly learn from it. 

What we do learn is tradition and of course, food. And what a history that is. 

Paris, along with most of the rest of France has one of the richest culinary history's in the world. Paris was the place to be if you wanted to be a top chef in the world. It was the pinnacle of technique and flavor with chefs using militarized systems to create the perfect meal. Fortunately, the world expanded and now we have access to many more cultures whose culinary traditions are just as strong and prominent. 

In these three days though, I have seen only a small bit of an amazing city. Everyday was filled with baguettes, foie gras, mustard, rillette, pot au veau, escargot, au poirve, palmier, cafe, fromage, oeufs, and as much food that I could fit into my belly. It reminded me of eating lunch and dinner during my culinary school days. Such a rich culture of culinary tradition, and I stuck my palate right in the middle of it. 

Of course, this was all just a teaser for me and without a doubt, I will return to France and gain close to 3 kilos from all the food, bread and butter I will eat. There are so many regions overflowing with beautifully crafted wines that have to be explored and drank. Each of these having their own expression of the land and the people. So when people say that Paris is the city of love, I am not so convinced. It may be romantic to sit under the lit up Eiffel Tower in the twilight of a summer French sky, but this disregards the love and passion that is put into the cheeses, cured meats and wines from the whole of France. If anything, I would say it is the country of love. And I must admit, I have fallen in love with it. 

Full Power Himachal Madness...

The tallest and most respected mountain range in the world, Himachal or Himalayas, carries a certain magical aura that is difficult to explain in words. I came here in hopes of solitude and I didn't have to trek far to bring that to fruition. To many, this is a place to come, get stoned and relax with a beautiful landscape spread before them. To others, it is a place of enlightenment and soul searching. As a solo traveler, the choice is yours. So, why not do both?

Starting in Bunthar, I took a local bus up to Kasol. This was beyond crammed like a can of sardines. The road through Parvati is long, narrow and winds like a snake. It doesn't matter where inThe bus you are, someone is always knocking I to you or is jammed against you. Quite an experience.

Once in Kasol, there a few directions you can go. I chose to take the two and a half hour trek to Grahan through the valley. This was a magnificent hike that led you towards these majestic snow capped mountains. As the valley twisted and turned, I kept heading up towards the mountain top village. As I arrived in Grahan, I am greeted by Thali and fields of yellow mustard flowers. Sitting there in silence eating the warm food really hit home with me. It was a great time to quiet my mind and prepare for Tosh and Khirganga. 

On the way to tosh, a lovely phenomenon occurred. Our bus broke down, leaving us half way between tosh and Kasol. So, me, 13 engineering students, and a mother and baby hop into a car and drive up. Talk about clown car huh? The best part about this whole thing was the music... Ace of Base. Hilarious. Once we got to Barsheni, the 13 students and I got out. Talk about clown cramped. 

Once I arrived in Tosh, I met a group of Israelis and we hung out most of the day. They come to India to decompress after their time in IDF and/or to take a sabbatical. Ether way, it was really cool to spend time with them. Eventually, it got to be too much and I needed to get some space. So, I took a beautiful walk into the mountains. No specific direction and no end game. The silence that nature offers here is beyond anything I have experienced before. You have the constant low flow of water running down the valley, cows mooing, birds soaring in the wind and dogs talking to each other. Aside from that, it is just you and the crisp mountain air. 

Making way to Khirganga was an experience unlike many others. Not only do you have to trek three hours up through the mountainous valley, you have to make way for donkeys, horses, cows and porters transporting goods up to the villages. There are no cars that go up to these tiny villages. Seeing and experiencing this culture is beyond inspirational. They are still using cows to till the land. Not only that, they let nature (mustard, clover, etc.)grow first before even turning the soil. This gives them a rich ground to support their livelihood. More than inspiring. 

Now, Khirganga is a magical place. Everyone who lives there works full power all day. From chopping wood to running goods up and down the valley, everyone from child to grandma is putting in work. It is not a profession, they are fully immersed in this lifestyle of survival. These villages seem to be some of the few that depend on each person in order to have a fully functioning community. These places are the true carnation of taking a community to raise a child. This is what we need in the states. The "culture" to our "agri" has been lost. 

Spending this time in the mountains has shown me a way of living fully functionally as a cohesive community. Something I knew was always possible, but bloody difficult to emulate in a culture as fast paced and progressive as ours. It has reminded me that we need to take care of the world immediately around us in order to have even the slightest positive influence on the people and cultures around us. That is my goal now; to bring back the sense of a functioning community in the smallest sense possible. From there, it is no longer up to me. I just need to have faith that the snowball will continue rolling and people's eyes will open to the true problems in our world. Namaste. 

My Big Fat Indian Wedding...

Scene: welcome into India via wedding. The bride is your hinjewish sister from culinary school. Aside from the 300 native Indian invitees, you are 1 of 6 Americans at the wedding. Let's make t count... And... Action!!

What an honor it was to be a part of such a significant part of our friends culture. After many years of dreaming about ripping up the dance floor Bollywood style, my dream was turning to reality. Luckily, I wasn't the only one from school who would be celebrating. It was an extreme pleasure to spend such quality time with my old and great friends Carla, Nina and Girish. A wedding across the world is all it takes to get us back together for some good old fun after 5 years. 

But let's not dwell on how awesome we are. Instead, let's take a gander into the cultural significance of the Indian wedding. First, I would like to start with the flowers. There were easily over 200 kilograms of flowers beautifully hung  around the wedding grounds (The Kumar household). 50 of those were in jasmine flowers alone. Talk about incredible. Food was served punctually 3 times a day and water seemed to be floating around for the taking. We all (the 6 Americans) have never seen or experienced any type of wedding like this. Talk about mind blown. 

The ceremonies that took place were all for blessing the married couple to be. Some utilized fire to purify their past lives to start fresh together. Others had coconuts to represent the fullness of life. All of which and in between had a specific significance to provide longevity and happiness in the new marriage. They did take all day, for three days, yet we were welcome to come and go as we pleased. That in itself was entirely different to all weddings we have been to. 

The only way to truly understand what we had experienced is to find an Indian friend and get yourself invited to one of these spectacular occasions. They say that as soon as a daughter is born, the parents start saving for the wedding. Seeing this makes me believe it 100%. Never have I been involved in a wedding so elaborate and beautifully colored. With all of the saris and kurtas worn, it was a literal sea of reds and greens and blues and golds and yellows. Simply magnificent. 

As a conclusion to this remarkable entry, there is only one thing to be said;

I wish Surabhi and Vishwesh an extremely long, prosperous and happy life together. May they create many unforgettable memories together and grow a beautiful family. I know that they will. 

Fare thee Well Australia...

Leaving a place that you can call home is one of the toughest things to do. Networks have been forged and bonds have been created. These create lifelong memories to share with the growing youth. Yet there comes a time when you must pack up and carry on to the next great adventure. Fortunately and unfortunately for me, that time has come. 

Australia has been a place for me to really learn about who I was, who I am now and who I may want to be. As I read my own notes, it becomes apparent that my mind is drifting away from my needs and closer to the needs of the future generations. How will my actions affect my loved ones, my family and friends? What has opened this door towards clarity? These have been the two main points scripted into my journal. And they would only begin to emerge due to my experiences. 

The friends Made in all of the hostels have forced me to question my motives on how to live life to the fullest. They have taught me how to open my eyes to my personal situations and make a choice that will positively affect others around me. Through them, I have learned how to be free in thought and to accept others opinion as their own. My love and passion for music has been reinstalled due to the influx of musical genres and musicians. All of this and more just from the people generated a grateful outlook on life I haven't felt in my entire life. So here is a thank you to those people who have helped sculpt my life. 

While eating my way through the land of Roos, opportunities arise to work with some incredible chefs and ingredients. A new vigor has replaced my old mediocrity in regards to direction and purpose. Each restaurant from Melbourne to Tassie helped me reach a new understanding of food and my own skills. These lessons will be utilized wisely throughout he coming years of my culinary adventure. Thank you to all the chefs I have had the honor and price lags of working with. 

There is no doubt in my mind that I will return to Oz. it may be on the literal opposite side of the world, but it flipped my perspective a complete 180. A door has been opened that I will forever work to keep open. Thank you to everyone who has made their mark on my life in the land down under. I hope I may have left a mark on your lives. Until next time!

Community of Eaters...

People in your life come and go with the wind. You never truly forget about them and not ofteb than not, they continue to pop up. No matter where you are though, there will always be a community of eaters. Food is so deeply ingrained into our lifestyles that we give names to specific types of diets and eaters. From paleo to nutripescavorian, we all still eat. 

One thing about traveling that has really opened my eyes is how strong the community is around food culture. No matter what you yourself in dietary classifications, these communities are welcoming with warm, open arms. So let your palate run wild with opportunities!!

What I am trying to get at though, is that no matter where in the world you are, food is always there. So why not be mindful of where it comes from and how it gets to your plate? All of the discrepancies between vegans and vegetarians and carnivores is wasting precious time. All parties have extremely valid points, but when will we actually make the decision to do something about what is being preached? Know where your meat comes from and personally support those small-medium farmers. Help your local gardeners and farmers pick the daily or weekly harvest of vegetables. By exploring these lightly treaded paths, we can begin to grow a new and eventually better world for the generations to follow. 

Food for thought. 

Time to Break My Hermit Shell...

There is something about living around the world that has changed me. I can feel it from my little toes to the tips of my ears and to the nails of my fingers. These types of changes I have come to find do not happen often. This may very well be the first time I have ever felt such a significant change within myself. I don't really know what to think about this shift in mentality. It is worth it to explore the new grounds, no matter how uneasy or anxious I am about it.

I am exhausted from holding in my thoughts feelings, succumbing to the will of my peers and loved ones. I want to love the people who make me happy. I want to share my food with the ones who are just as enthusiastic about it as me. It is hard to give freely when following the desires and needs of others. It truly is an oxymoron, unselfish in the most selfish way. 

Anyone can disagree with my opinions, thoughts and actions, but they are mine to have and take. As yours belong to you and no one else. Instead of trying to control, support your loved ones with their decisions. A little helpful logic is always a plus, but the final choice belongs to the individual. Traveling alone has taught me to support everyone's decisions as well as my own. It is your own path to choose, I can only say choose wisely.  

Salamanca Market...

From what I can tell, everyone likes to mosey around some type of market. Whether it be for food, crafts, art, instruments or any random object, there will always be people there browsing the white tarp tents for a touch of joy. Markets like these bring people of all sorts, shapes and sizes together for one purpose, to smile. 

Walking around the stalls of the Salamanca weekend market does just that. With the streets blocked by a sea of peaked tents, masses of people grazed the makings of each searching for that one little smidjick to place on their shelf. There were sculptors, honey keepers, woodcarvers, and soap makers. Collectors sold next to the jewlers while the clothing and the wind chimes swung gracefully in the light breeze. The streets were buzzing with excitement discovery. 

All in all, this was unlike any market I have ever been too. The length of it was a bit more than a full football field. The only way to understand what I am saying is to get your booty down here to Tasmania and explore the market with me! 

Why Leave Weiheke...

Island life is one of the most relaxing, productive and beautiful lives to live. The people that inhabit islands are on their own time and have this remarkable sense of self reliance that highly populated areas may have forgotten about. If someone is unable to complete handy work around the house, it will fall apart. Hiring contractors is the least plausible solution and the most expensive. Having the knowledge of "how" will generate a more fulfilling lifestyle.




This is not to say that the renaissance worker, the jack of all trades, is entirely extinct. We exist few and far between and strive to pass on the knowledge. However, when I travelled across the valleys of Weiheke island and most other Polynesian islands, there was a strong sense of pride in the "do it yourself" lifestyle. The generational knowledge of working congruously with the land carries pride and tradition. I experienced this in Hawaii, Australia, Thailand and now New Zealand. Each time the energy brushes against me, I get the feeling that these teachings are what we need to practice in order to provide a healthy, sustainable world for future generations.




So here is my question to you... Why leave such a magnificent place like Weiheke island? There are incredible valleys scattered with netted grape vines and olive groves. Restaurant owners are building their own clay and straw ovens out of love for their craft to offer a small bit of history to their diners and to have something different. The farmers have a deep understanding of how the land communicates what it needs in order to cultivate incredible products. The lifestyle of the residents is never stagnant and has incredible views of a beautiful royal blue ocean. The only worries in the world on islands is how I will feed my family, and how will I make an impact for the better of the community.




I ask again... Why leave? What can I bring to the table of my home in the states that Islands like Weiheke have taught me? I want to hear your ideas. Feel free to reply via blog or email. (ezaghaza@gmail.com).

Pies of Paihia...

The bay of islands, in between Paihia and Russell is one of the most peaceful places I have visited to date. I arrived in the afternoon when the sky was crying. It had been storming for the past few days and this was the final trickles. The morning after was crisp and clear, filling everyone with vigor and excitement. It was time to come out of storm hibernation. 

Lucky for me, I had met a group of lovely ladies from all around Europe. It almost sounded like the start of a great joke. "What do you call a German, an Austrian, an English and an American in a bar?"  We hiked to Haruru waterfall which was so incredibly powerful, fished for our own dinner, people watched and practices gymnastics at 2 am on the beach. Together, we all had the same idea of what we wanted to do and had great conversations during it all. 

As it turned out, the ladies loved to eat while I love to cook. Let's just say we had a pretty harmonious relationship. After we caught the fish, we would all go to the market for veggies. They would help me prepare all the ingredients and then I would finish them to be eaten. Becoming spoiled with food while traveling is never a fun thing to walk away from. It was a family affair to put dinner on the table and we all loved it. 

On our last day, we all woke up to see the sunrise. It was one of the most beautiful sights to see. The sun was coming up in the perfect spot and the clouds seemed to be painted on the sky. As the rays peeked through the gaps, a sense of calm enveloped our senses. Everything was still and silent while this magnificent beauty was unveiling j front of us. Even then, we still managed to crack smiles and giggle a bit. 

We filled our days with adventure, food, laughs and drunk, sleep talking Koreans. Thank you Paihia, for letting us borrow ou to have such a great experience. Until next time!

Drinking up New Zealand...

Wine. Elixir for gods, celebratory for humans, aged through time to reach its maximum potential. No matter where in the world you are, there will always be wine. It joins us together in celebration of life and binds us throughout holidays. It is one of the oldest beverages in documented human history. 

New Zealand has some world renowned wines coming from a small portion of the land. Most of New Zealand's wine is produced between Queenstown and Picton. Marlborough is the most commonly known and most sought out of them all. Popular in Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc, the all blacks have been dealt a rather fine hand when it comes to viniculture and viticulture. 

I was lucky enough to enjoy these marvelous wines with my parents. It was amazing of them to come and share some of these incredible experiences with me. So in return, I was able to help them make some rather important realizations about the nations wine culture. 

One of our favorite stops on this cellar door excursion was Black Estate near Waipara. Our palates were dancing with crisp notes of green fruits and peppery apricots. It was amazing to see their minds wrap around the age old process of winemaking. Giving them a deeper glimpse into my life's work has brought them closer together and with me. All of this because of wine. I rest my case. 

Thoughts...

I have been doing a lot of thinking about where to go in my culinary career. Slowly the cogs are falling into place. One of the major factors is walking into the unknown with a keen sense of curiosity. When you go into a restaurant to eat, is there a sense of excitement lingering above you? Or do you already know what you are going to get with all the specific alterations. 

I want to give you a taste of adventure that has been the driving force of my exploratory journey. It's almost a taste of fearing the unknown. Some tastes may appeal to you while others don't necessarily tickle your fancy. But that is one of the most important things in life. 

The adventure of learning what you do and don't like. And that's where the chef comes in. We give you opportunities to try new flavors with old ingredients. So why not sieze them? 

Back on Track...

Hello all, welcome back to the adventures of ezaghaza. Before we continue, I must apologize for my absence with my writing. I have been rather lax about updating you all on the incredible food I have been eating and experiences I have encountered. Here is a quick catch up on currently past events. 

For my remaining time spent at Pure South Dining, all the cooks were able to collaborate on lunch menu items. From appetizers to desserts, each of us stretcher our creative capabilities. I was lucky enough to work with a partner who was just as excited about this as me. We had some amazing flavor combinations together; and of course some failures. 

The last two weeks of January was jam packed with avid tennis enthusiasts. It turns out that Melbourne is home to the Australian open. Being a sport addict myself, a few fellow cooks and I headed to the matches to watch some of the first matches in the tournament. What a day that was. Watching tennis on tv as opposed to being in the audience is so incredibly different. And yes, you get rather dizzy watching the ball go back and forth. Especially with serves up to 237 km/h. (That's 148 mph!!!)

Now, the last day of the open, my parents landed in Melbourne. We are going to be traveling together until the 18th of February. Up until now, we have trekked through the wild jungle of Daintree, swam with Nemo and friends, celebrated the life of Steve Erwin at the Australia zoo and learned about Aboriginal tribes indigenous to the Queensland region. Such an informative and expansive exploration of the north eastern territories has broadened my appreciation for Australia two fold. 

 

As we round the corner over to New Zealand, we plan our stays at sheep farms, sailing through harbors and drinking at amazing vineyards. The landscape in New Zealand is by far one of the most stunning I have encountered on this adventure. In one direction, you see beautiful fields of grapevines. If you look slightly to the left, a monstrously beautiful valley unfold itself from the mountains. We are in total amazement. 

New Zealand, having a strong history of Maori tribes, never gave in to the European settlers. They fought back and didn't let themselves get killed off. This was absolutely amazing because now, their culture runs rich throughout the modern lands. Children grow up speaking the language and practicing the ancient traditions. With the mixture of modern technology and ancient knowledge, there is a beautiful harmony. Now, it is up to us to learn from them. To have harmony and peace, we need to take the blinders off our eyes. 

Now, I know that was rushed and a bit out of the ordinary for a blog post, but, I would like you all to be caught up with what's happening now. It's important that I continue to share with you what is going on around the world. So now that we are in the now, this won't happen again. So please stay tuned. There is much more to come. Kia Ora!!