Foodies like you & me – Anne Elder, talented food and travel blogger
Anne is an American graduate student in global communications at the American University of Paris and editorial assistant to food writer Clotilde Dusoulier. She shares her amazing traveling and culinary experiences on her blog www.hardlysnarky.com.
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In your opinion, what do all ‘foodies’ have in common?
I think there is a deep sense of connection for people who love food, particularly those who cook and/or eat regional specialties or grew up with them from a young age. Inside communities, food helps bond people together, and it can also serve as a gateway into communities for those on the outside. All people eat, but the differences in customs and spices and flavors are what make food really interesting, especially while traveling.
Name 5 essential ingredients in your kitchen that you can’t live without.
- Honey
- Chocolate
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Good salt!
What is your all-time favorite food?
I have a weakness for strong French cheese and French bread.
All ‘foodies’ have guilty secrets, what food that you absolutely cannot live without makes you feel guilty?
When I first moved to France, it would have been American boxed macaroni and cheese. Now I can live without it and don’t believe that eating should be a guilt-ridden experience!
Describe the most amazing culinary experience that you’ve ever had.
There are many to choose from, so this is a difficult question! I think it’s a tie between the Mercado Lonja Del Barranco in Sevilla and La Panxa del Bisbe in Barcelona.
At the Mercado, it was the combination of the tapas and wine in front of me, mixed with a perfect evening sitting alongside the river , music rifting from the restaurant next door that are cemented in my memory.
For La Panxa, I sat at the bar and had a glimpse into their kitchen, watching the patrons and the chefs simultaneously. I had a red snapper tartar, an oxtail cannelloni, and wine from Terra Alta, and remember leaving feeling like it was a transcendental meal.
Have you ever eaten at a top-ranked restaurant? Which one?
It’s quite possible, but I’ve eaten at a lot of restaurants around the world and can’t pick one out 😉 As long as the quality is good, rankings are less important to me.
You did the Tapas Lovers Tour with us, what was the most memorable thing about it?
There are two things that stick out most in my memory from the tour: first, the creamy, delicious salmon that we had at Can Boneta, and then our final feast at La Taverna del Clinic. The wine at La Taverna was a deep, spicy red that paired perfectly with our jambón ibérico, and I loved their version of patatas bravas. It was great to speak with Brian about the Spanish terroir as well, as that is something that I am quite familiar with and have studied in France.
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Read Anne’s post about her experience doing our Tapas Lover Tour.