Search
  • IDEAS BY ELEMENT
    • SAVOR
    • NATURE
    • MOVE
    • CONNECT
    • FLOW
    • EXPLORE
  • About
    • ABOUT
    • Press & Features
  • WORK WITH US
    • COLLABORATIONS
    • Food & Travel Photography
  • Blog
Close
Menu
Search
Close
  • IDEAS BY ELEMENT
    • SAVOR
    • NATURE
    • MOVE
    • CONNECT
    • FLOW
    • EXPLORE
  • About
    • ABOUT
    • Press & Features
  • WORK WITH US
    • COLLABORATIONS
    • Food & Travel Photography
  • Blog
Menu

Live Like You're Traveling

Ideas to Turn your Everyday into An Exotic Adventure

May 29, 2013

IDEA107: Channel the Romance of Nice with a Savory Pumpkin Soup

by Alla Feldman in SAVOR


nicoisesoup.jpg
nicoisesoup.jpg
Onthesamepage_blog_alla5.jpg

Vito and I discovered this simple yet divine dish for the first time in Nice, France, in a tiny restaurant a bit out of the old city center. This was a place of about 12 tables that served small dishes and the courses continued coming out until you said stop. There were no menus as the chef in the kitchen demanded your complete surrender. Bring it on- we said! This soup was the first dish to come out and we knew we were in for an evening of indulgence.

If you have been to Nice then you’re familiar with the delicious sunsets, the sea and the atmospheric, almost vintage glamour. I had a chance to go there a few years ago for a work. Being there in November I can’t say I had Nice all to myself, but I also didn’t have to fight my way through crowds of tourists, especially the fashionista kind who will trample you without pausing to scrape you off their stilettos. (I know how they behave, I’m one of them). This trip was exciting for a number of reasons, 1) it was my first time in Nice and I was extending my stay for the weekend to explore and 2) Vito would be joining me! This of course called for a sexy dinner a deux. You know the one you sit down to after a long day of walking around exploring the city, holding hands and taking cute pictures of each other. Then, magically, right as you get hungry you take a turn into a seemingly empty alley and voila’ you stumble upon a perfectly inviting little restaurant with delicious scents wafting through the open doors. Only to have your day culminate in such perfection takes careful planning.

When it comes to spontaneous romance in a lovely destination, I’ve got it broken down to a science! What? You thought romance just kinda happened on its own!? Oh no, no, you can’t leave important things like romantic dinners to chance!

Following a tip from a local, Vito and I strolled into the perfect little place precisely timed to relieve the aching feet and rumbling bellies.  Thankfully we had a reservation as the tiny restaurant filled up within 15 minutes or our arrival.  We sat at a tiny table for two lit with a candle next to an exposed brick wall.  Our view of the open kitchen let us peek at the busy happenings there.  Chalkboard menu stated only the sequence of the dishes to expect. It looked something like: soup, vegetable, fish, meat, vegetable, fish, meat.  If you violently opposed one of these categories, you could request a skip.  That was all the chef cared to reveal.  And so our evening began with “soup”, only the most aromatic, tastiest of soups garnished simply with crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds.

• • •

Every time I make this soup, it transports Vito and I back to that candle lit dinner in Nice. Now if only I had a chalkboard menu board and a few serious looking French men in my kitchen cooking up seven more courses…

pumpkinsoup_howto.jpg

Nicoise Pumpkin Soup


Pumpkin Soup (serves 6)
• 1 small-medium pumpkin
• 6 carrots (variation: 1 sweet potato as pictured)
• 1 medium onion
• Chicken stock (about 6 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ glass of orange juice (best if fresh squeezed)
• ½ teaspoon of paprika
• ½ teaspoon of ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of black and chili peppers
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of allspice (optional)

Garnish
• Toasted pumpkin seeds

Pissaladière or Nicoise Pizza:
(My simple interpretation of it will go nicely with the soup)
• 6 slices of a baguette (or your favorite bread)
• 2 white onions
• 2 tomatoes
• Anchovies (optional)

Prep/cook – Pumpkin Soup
Chop up the onion and saute’ it in 2 tsps of olive oil until translucent.  Add chopped peeled chopped carrots and saute’ for another minute.

Chop pumpkin into 1 inch cubes (it’s not necessary to peel it) then immediately add 1 cup of chicken stock and a laurier leaf. Stir then cover the pot for a few minutes to let everything get all steamy – This seems to be a big bonding moment for the main ingredients.  At first they’re thinking only of themselves and their importance in the recipe, but then they realize that it’s more productive and fun to play nice together in the delicious steam and become a team.

Add all the spices and the rest of the chicken stock, cover leaving a crack and cook until pumpkin is soft when you pierce it with a fork, about 15 minutes.

When the soup is ready take out the vegetables and puree them in a food processor or with a staff mixer.  Last but not least add the orange juice and adjust spices to taste.

Prep/cook – Pissaladière (Nicoise Pizza)
Cut peeled onion in half and then into rings and saute’ them in a bit of olive oil and butter.
Add a little splash of white wine or a bit of water to make sure onions don’t burn and come out soft.  Warm up a few slices of tomato right in the pan by pushing the onions to the side. Assemble your sandwich by heaping the onions on top of your toasted bread, then topping it with a slice of tomato and if you love anchovies throw few of them right on.

Serve
Serve the soup garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and a hot Pissaladière style mini-sandwiches. Pair it with a nice Syrah and don’t forget to french kiss your partner before and after the meal!

• • •   LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Trust the chef, especially when you're
not allowed into the kitchen.

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is by posting a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For More ways Live Like You're Traveling follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 


READ NEXT:


Blog
IDEA110: Enjoy a 15 Min. Homemade Spaghetti Bolognese on a Weeknight
IDEA110: Enjoy a 15 Min. Homemade Spaghetti Bolognese on a Weeknight
about 12 years ago
Blog
IDEA117: Stock Your Global Pantry with Nudo-Italia Olive Oil and Adopt Your Own Tree
IDEA117: Stock Your Global Pantry with Nudo-Italia Olive Oil and Adopt Your Own Tree
about 12 years ago

TAGS: Pumpkin, Soup!, Culinary Adventures, Nicoise, French, France, Nice France, Romance, Global Kitchen, Savor, connect, Connect


May 22, 2013

IDEA102: Use this 3 Step-Approach to Get the Best Tips from a Local

by Alla Feldman in EXPLORE


Le maquis 7 rue de l’abbaye, Nice, France via Trip Advisor.

Le maquis 7 rue de l’abbaye, Nice, France via Trip Advisor.

Le maquis 7 rue de l’abbaye, Nice, France via Trip Advisor.

Le maquis 7 rue de l’abbaye, Nice, France via Trip Advisor.

Onthesamepage_blog_alla5.jpg

Asking someone for dining advice seems like an easy way to be in the know about the best places to eat are, but in practice it’s a bit tricky. When giving advice, locals tend to tell you to eat where they think a TOURIST would enjoy eating.

Like that tacky cafe right in the main square. Or that old fashioned place that supposedly serves typical food but really is only frequented by tour bus crowds. Locals may have the best intention when giving you their advice, thinking you would not be interested in their neighborhood restaurant with a very casual vibe, packed every night and with great food and cozy atmosphere. Yes! This is exactly what we are interested in!

Fear not! we have perfected a 3-step approach to getting someone to tell you all about their favorite spots. To illustrate let’s reminisce over my first time in Nice, France.  I was there for a work conference with Vito joining me for the weekend. I knew that we’ll be packing in lots of sightseeing and after a full day of walking around you don’t want to take chances on not finding the perfect place to cozy up for dinner. Nice however, is full of restaurants, so how do you pick the right place?

I did not have much time during the conference to understand the lay of the land, so I marched over to the concierge, a charming man in his fifties, and asked him for a restaurant recommendation. I explained that I’ll be taking some clients out for dinner and if he can recommend: “Something nice, butnot too fancy.” He wrote the name of the place down for me without missing a beat. This was probably a pick from his list of restaurants to recommend to hotel patrons.  I then asked him for a second recommendation. This time I leaned in and told him that my guy was coming for the weekend and I wanted to go where you eat really well and not pay a lot. The Concierge looked up puzzled, I could see he understood that I did not want a restaurant from the “list,”  I was looking for something really special. “What is your favorite place to eat?”  I added to really drive the point home.

I’m not sure if it just seemed that way, but he gave a quick glance around the room as if making sure no one was watching him break a rule. He then looked at me and said in a lowered voice: “Well, here is a place you should try. It’s a bit out of the way, but the food is great.”  He wrote it down for me, then added:  “I go here with my girlfriend.”  The way he said it sounded like he was either asking me not to tell anyone about this restaurant, or not to tell his wife about his girlfriend.  (Though before I go spreading vicious rumors about the nice concierge, just for the record, I did glance at his hands and there was definitely no wedding band so probably he was not married after all.)

• • •

So here is the 3-part approach to getting a local to give you the best recommendation:

1 – Bait and Switch
Ask them a question, let them answer you then give them a different scenario and ask for one more recommendation.

2 – Magic combination: I want to eat GREAT FOOD and NOT PAY A LOT.
This particular one works really well in Italy, Spain, Greece…well pretty much all of Mediterranean and the Middle East, where getting a good deal for high quality is a sport.)

3 – Ask them what their favorite place is.
Now in case you’re dying to know what that secret place in Nice was, I have to confess that I don’t remember the name! This was after all five years ago and it is possible that the place may not even exist anymore. This is my point exactly, ask a local for the most up to date special location!

But we’ll hold your hand a little bit, just this once, and give you three restaurants that fit the perfect dinner location after a day of frolicking in Nice…authentic, cozy and romantic. But don’t take our word for it, ask a local yourself!

• Chat Noir Chat Blanc, 20 Rue Barillerie
• La Merenda, 4 Rue Raoul Bosio
• Le Maquis, 7 Rue de l’Abbaye

 

• • •   LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Spontaneous romance requires meticulous planning.

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For more ways Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 


READ NEXT:


There are no items to display from the selected collection.
There are no items to display from the selected collection.

TAGS: Restaurant Recommendations, Nice France, Romance, Dinner Spots, Travel and Culture, Insider Tips, Travel Like a Local, Explore


 

Ideas by Travel Element:    SAVOR    |    NATURE    |    MOVE    |    CONNECT   |    FLOW    |    EXPLORE

Free ideas to turn your everyday into an exotic adventure.

Hiya Neighbor! – We looking forward to connecting with you! 
 You're on your way to creating a lifestyle you love and feeling that travel-high...everyday!

~ Alla & Mu-Hsien, Co-founders

RECENT ADVENTURES
See Them All -->

Featured
Get Back to Your Roots: A Women's Wellness Retreat in Amsterdam
Get Back to Your Roots: A Women's Wellness Retreat in Amsterdam
Helena Sung Venice Beach
*Weekend Pass* to Rediscovering Venice Beach with Helena Sung
pippin_hill_farm_winery_virginia
Everyday Bucket Lists to Break the Routine
10 Habits To Break For A Limitless 2017
10 Habits To Break For A Limitless 2017

DO TODAY'S IDEA!
#LiveLikeYoureTraveling -->

Basking in a most golden hour in the Maldives... our radiant global neighbor @milaspassport 📷💕
Show us your golden moments at home or away:
Tag #livelikeyouretraveling .
.
.
#takemeback #takemebackplease #touristlife #lovewhereyoulive #maldives #ma
Basking in a most golden hour in the Maldives... our radiant global neighbor @milaspassport 📷💕 Show us your golden moments at home or away: Tag #livelikeyouretraveling . . . #takemeback #takemebackplease #touristlife #lovewhereyoulive #maldives #maldivesislands #travelmindset #trynewthings #livewell #adventureinspired #livefull #travelinspired #exploremore #passionpassport #lifeofadventure #sweetescape #livethelittlethings #globalcitizen #welltraveled #trytheworld #visualsoflife #wander #goodforthesoul #theartofslowliving #goldenhour #maldive #maldives🌴#beachlife #beachlife🌴

LET'S BE NEIGHBORS
Instagram  -  Facebook  -  Pinterest      

Livelikeyouretraveling-globalneighbors.jpg

ABOUT  •   CONTACT
Copyright © 2025   Live Like You’re Traveling All rights reserved