Our son Ian is in Portugal for a few days on a business trip. This is the first trip he has taken in over two years, and he is making the best of it. He is doing what I consider the absolute best thing you can do when traveling in another country. Some might think he is a little weird with what he does when traveling, I think he is damn smart about it. So exactly what am I talking about, food of course.
Eating in a foreign country should be a total adventure, and maybe a little of me rubbed off on him, because no food is off limits. Honestly he does what I do, look for the most different thing on the menu. Over the years I have had what some would call weird foods, I just call it fun things to eat. I have watched Ian doing the same thing as he has traveled and being honest it makes me very proud of him.
Trying the different foods is the best way to understand the people of the country your in. You get to taste the flavours of the foods they consider comfort food. It also opens your eyes to what great food other cultures have, besides being one of the great adventures of your life.
Yes, he knows how goofy his father is about food so he sends me pictures. Being goofy about food I also send him suggestions, most of which he ignores. His supper last night was a suggestion I sent him which I am very glad he took. Polvo a Lagareiro ( Octopus ) is a great dish cooked the way the Portuguese cook it. He told me what he was having for lunch today, a Francesinha sandwich. It is a meat lovers dream, but I doubt he finished it. Will be interesting to see what adventure he has with supper tonight.
If you’re lucky enough to travel to other countries make the absolute best out of the trip. A big part of doing that is to embrace the food and try everything you can. I did it and I am extremely proud of our son for doing it also.
How I Cook — by Graham Stewart 
> I doubt he finished it. Will be interesting to see what adventure he has with supper tonight.
I ate the whole thing. I had pork belly and kimchi fried rice for dinner. I was eating with. a friend from Korea who wasn’t impressed with the kimchi.
Hope you go back to Portuguese dishes tonight. Kimchi is kind of a family recipe thing, so yes nothing is near as good as what he gets at home.
When in Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt we followed the local workmen…and the food was super
I’ve been fortunate to join Ian on this culinary quest over the years, so I’d like to say thank you for inspiring some of my more memorable meals and stories on meetups – whole octopus in Portugal, cow brains in Italy, chitlins in… Seattle (I guess that last one was a little misplaced).
Ask Ian about smoked oysters, that’s where his adventurous outlook on food began. If you refuse to try new unusual foods just because it’s different you miss out on the best part of sitting at a table. Ian has the ability to drag people past their fears and just try it.
Oh! The minute I first saw your picture I knew exactly who drew it.