I’ve been thinking a lot about food lately. Like most people, our restaurant activity has been almost nil due to the virus. We are cooking more. (Translation: Marla is cooking very creatively and… yours truly is “picking” up food!) This post is on my favorite culinary dishes which bring back great memories and excite my tastebuds. I’ll start with breakfast, bread, starters, and salad. Next week will be on main courses and desserts. Breakfast is probably my favorite meal. I love this photo of Paxton and Logan trying to teach the Twins to make my favorite waffles from scratch!

I can still smell the pancakes on my Mom’s cast iron griddle. Her pancakes and bacon were just the best ever!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BREAD! “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts,” James Beard. We were presented with these bread options at the amazing Zaranda, a 2 star Michelin restaurant in Mallorca.

The ladies at Wild Flour Bread in the Sonoma County village of Freestone make superb breads.

On one visit to the Bay Area, I waited outside in a light drizzle in Berkeley to buy bread at the Acme Bread Company. Their sourdough bread is THE VERY BEST!

If you look closely you can spot the last few pieces of the best focaccia bread I’ve ever tasted at Taverna Squarcialupi in Tuscany’s Castellina In Chianti. Oh my, it is so tasty!

Let us go to hors d’oeuvres, the creative starting point for a memorable meal. On a tasting menu at Zaranda in Mallorca we began with the “The Route of Gold” served on an unusual plate. The theme was “America’s” so we had a Venezuelan “Tequeno”, A Columbian “Almojabana”, and a Mexican “Tostada of Cohinita Pibil”, all with a hint of gold.

We were greeted with these incredible edibles at the beautiful Mistral Restaurant at the Grand Hotel Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como. To be honest I can’t remember what they were called. They were very delicate and subtedly tasty!

The waiter brings a little treat for us before ordering at Zaranda.

My very favorite starter course is definitely escargot at Aux Armes de Bruxelles. Marla and I travelled to Brussels for a textile trade fair and dining here was always a must! On an early dinner date Marla needed maximum encouragement to taste my escargots. Today she adores them.

The hors d’oeuvres at Hostaria del Vicolo in Sciacca, Sicily were beautifully presented with simplicity and flavor.

The first time I tasted stuffed zucchini flowers In Arezzo, Italy, I was hooked! So unusual and so delicious!

Marla makes them on the rare occasions I find them at farmer’s markets! She does a great job trying different variations.

A few years ago I had this lobster starter course with caviar and…gold leaf! The cost then was about $95! Thank goodness I was not paying that evening! La Chevre d’Or in Eze, France is a truly magnificent place to dine or stay.

The cuisine at Mirazur in Menton on the Cote d’Azur is outstanding. Click on the link to discover why it was selected number 1 in the world last year. We celebrated a BIG anniversary here. The dish above is “Oyster Gillardeau” with shallot cream, declination of Williams’ pear, watercress, and bourage flowers.

This was another creative starter at Mirazur. Their “Grilled Tomato Steak” included anchovies, capers, and mozzarella milk.

One has to search carefully for a great classic bistro in Paris. Chez Dumonet is a rare treat and everything they do is wonderful in my view. Their stuffed morel starter course was simply amazing! Love this little place in the 6th arrondissement. For big spenders they have a 1947 Chateau Margaux for…4,500 Euros!

The starter course of Foie gras de canard at the Restaurant la Marguiere in Carcassonne is beautifully prepared. I love the cut star fruit used as coasters.

The Cacio e Pepe at Castello la Leccia was a fabulous starter course, simple and supremely delicious! Click on this link to read Anthony Bourdain’s comments about the dish.

My favorite grilled vegetable starter course at the fabulous Carmen de San Miguel high in the hills of Granada. Perfect!

I love the Shanghai Soup dumplings at Yank Sing on Stevenson Street in San Francisco! So amazingly good!

I made 6 of these pear salads for my birthday party. Wrapped cucumber, lettuce, walnuts, sliced pears, balsamic dressing, and finished with an aged balsamic drizzle! This just might be my favorite salad!

The Caprese salad at Da Ferdinando on Fornillo Beach in Positano is truly amazing!

I’ll finish with one of my latest salad creations.

Next week I’ll feature my favorite main courses and desserts. I would love to know some of your favorite dishes!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.