As you explore, you're bound to pass windows
lined with enticing open-face sandwiches.
While these tempting beauties
are less expensive than take-away
street corner sandwich shops,
Christian's taking me to a restaurant
to explain this tasty Danish tradition in style.
Here we go.
That looks delicious.
Big variety, right?
Yeah.
There you are. Enjoy.
"Tak," thank you.
So this is really what the Danes' cuisine
has to offer, our famous lunch,
and we have here three courses --
herring, meat, cheese, always on rye bread.
Always on rye, and in that order there.
Herring, the roast pork, and then the cheese.
First of all,
"smørrebrød."
"Smørrebrød," yeah, that's the name.
"Smørrebrød," which means,
actually, just "butter on bread."
Butter on bread, okay.
This is a little more than butter on bread now.
It's evolved, huh?
So the herring course, on a piece of rye bread.
Nice, look at that.
So, with the herring, you have to have an "akvavit."
"Akvavit" is perfect for herring.
It's the Danish schnapps, basically.
This is the Danish schnapps, that's what we call it.
"Akvavit." What does that mean?
That means "the water of life,"
and it tastes like that when it goes with the herring.
So, Rick, this is not how we drink schnapps in Denmark.
You have to empty the whole glass.
This is the learner's dose here.
But I'll give it a go, Danish-style.
-Yes. -Yeah, there you are.
One of the delights of traveling in Turkey
is the cuisine; seafood is the forte
here on the coast, and we're joined by some local friends
for a feast.
Traditionally, meals start with a selection of "meze" --
fun little plates
that let you dip into a variety of taste treats.
-Fava bean. -Ah, right, then I like the eggplant over there.
So, I want -- no, no, yes, yes, yes, yes.
When Turks are ready to party, the local firewater, raki,
is often part of the mix.
It's an anise flavored drink, like ouzu,
you mix to taste with water.
Very nice. [Toasting in Turkish]
And it goes surprisingly well with the meze --
octopus salad,
Fava beans pureed with olive oil,
zucchini fritters, and grilled eggplant.
And for our main course,
the kitchen is preparing an array of fresh seafood.
We've chosen sea bass encased in salt, as is the tradition,
to keep in all the flavor.
Oh, that looks very nice!
At the table, our fish is cracked open
and filleted with pride.
Mmm! The flavor with the olive oil and the salt,
which keeps the flavor in.
This is excellent.
We've a saying in, again, Aegean region --
if you drink raki and eat fish,
fish in your tummy reincarnate and swim again.
[Laughing]
We're settling down for the classic dishes of the region --
pasta with pesto and anchovies.
MAN: "Gnocchi con pesto."
The pesto is a local sauce, it's come from Liguria,
the region where we are now.
When you come here, you must try pesto.
Basil, which loves this temperate Ligurian climate,
awaits its fate in the mortar.
Fresh garlic, sea salt,
and toasted pine nuts get mashed into a fine paste first.
Then the basil is added.
Gradually, the chef works it all
into a rich, green sauce.
Like so many Italian dishes,
virgin olive oil is mixed in.
The pesto is finished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
And then it's poured over the pasta.
Tonight, we're enjoying it on gnocchi.
[Laughs]
The most typical main course here -- fish.
"Acciughe," or anchovies, are a regional specialty,
served the day they're caught.
If you've always hated anchovies --
the harsh, cured-in-salt American kind --
try them here,
fresh and cooked in a variety of ways.
-"Acciughe." "Grazie." -Enjoy.
When in Tuscany, I team up
with my friend and fellow tour guide, Roberto Bechi.
He always has some creative ways to get off the beaten path
and closer to the culture.
This time it's truffles.
We're meeting Fabio and his prized dogs Nick and Suzy
to hunt the beloved truffles,
one of this region's specialties.
So basically, what are truffles?
Truffles are mushrooms that live underground.
Okay, and where do you find them?
You find them near the oak trees.
Like here?
Yeah, a perfect environment.
So, what kind of environment do they like?
They need a lot of moisture.
Tell me about these dogs.
These dogs are trained for years
before they can find the mushroom.
They smell it out? They smell it out.
"Dove?"
Steves: The dogs are given two commands --
"dove" means "where is it?"
And "c'e" -- "is there one?"
"C'e! C'e!"
Did he find something?
Yeah.
"Dove. dove."
Now he's got this tool here...
It's called a "vanghino," it's to dig out the truffle.
I see one.
Oh, there it is!
So this is the precious truffle?
The famous truffle.
In Italian "tartufo"? Tartufo, correct.
People pay a lot of money for this?
$100 a pound.
Ah, smell that.
It's wonderful, with pasta.
Ah, "pranzo."
[ Laughter ]
Just down the road, the village of Chiusure
is celebrating its annual artichoke festival.
People from all around gather
to celebrate the peak of the artichoke season.
Young and old gather to prepare
these bristly treats.
[ Speaking Italian ]
Ah, they love their artichokes here.
I can see why, it's tasty.
Mm, what is it about these artichokes?
Well, this community brought back
this artichoke from extinction.
This particular species?
This particular species here.
-So they have a festival every year? -Every year.
Tell me about this slow food.
This is related to the slow food movement right?
Absolutely, it's the idea
that you have to eat quality and not quantity.
And that you have to preserve the variety of foods.
So no chemicals?
No chemicals first, but also the varieties.
More varieties -- better.
And eat in the season.
Absolutely, always in season.
Wow, I'll be back next year for the artichoke festival.
Absolutely.
Tonight, we're being treated to a farmer's feast.
The food is typical of the region --
rustic, delicious, and farm-fresh.
Our host, Anna, is determined to feed us well.
Hearty salads, cabbage rolls.
Polenta is a daily treat around here,
and pork is big.
In Romania, like everywhere else,
food is especially tasty when it's local and fresh.
And everything goes better with the local firewater.
All right. [ Speaks Romanian ]
♫
After dinner, the evening continues in the music room,
where Anna's husband gets out his violin
and shares some rousing folk music.
- [ Singing in Romanian ]
[ Applause ]