Pastéis de Belém and other delicacies.

Best hit the save button now and again eh? (just lost this blog when firefox crashed. Again. But that's another story). Have noticed lately most of the best stuff I want to blog about has been long forgotten before I get to my laptop and the time I have to write it. I do remember thinking that I should write something down about some of my favorite stuff and experiences. Well one of them is the singularly incredible Portuguese egg custard pastry called Pastéis de Belém. I was lucky enough to walk into the Café de Belém by accident whilst attending a postgraduate conference in Lisbon. The taste, texture, the experience, was startling and incredible. The most amazing and desirable thing I have ever tasted. Crispily soft pastry, enveloping the most subtle warm egg custard. And I was not even a fan at all of custard pies or tarts, which made this revelation all the more incredible. Really I am not exagerating- if you get a chance to eat one and you can only get them at that cafe then do so. It's one delicacy that I cannot imagine anyone not purring over as it's being eaten, or yearned over once distant. On my second and last trip back to Lisbon I made a bee-line for the cafe, ate a bunch and bought 2 tubes from the cafe back on the plane. Sunday with Sarah in Neal's Yard (Covent Garden), I led her to a small restaurant that sells their own version - not bad, but not nearly as good as the real thing. Am not sure Sarah was convinced but my half tasted good and hinted at the real thing. One day we'll go to Lisbon and visit the Café de Belém. Can't wait! ;-)  Next time I'll write about the incredible Crottin de Chavignol