The Fat Girl's Dream

These past two travel weekends have been a dream for my inner fat girl.    Let's start with Marrakesh.  The food is heavy and warm, and there is a TON of it.  I was very tight for the first time ever and ate next to nothing, but wow, a year ago I could have really tucked into these tagines.  On our second evening, we went to L.e.T.o.b.s.i.l., a popular restaurant in the medina that offers a set menu.  We started with an assortment of salads. 
  

I could only eat the eggplant, but look at all of these dishes!  

   
From there we had a wonderful chicken tagine.  If it weren't for the extra liquid that I asked for, I would have gotten none of the dish down.  Even with the extra lube I ate only a few bites.  Kenny finished up his serving and was stuffed.  I mentioned to him that it was odd that we weren't given couscous or vegetables, but neither of us needed more food.  We expected that dessert would follow but then noticed that more food started coming out of the kitchen.  Enter, Stage Left, Tagine #2.  It was a fabulous lamb tagine served with an enormous bowl of couscous, vegetables and some chick pea liquid/soupy thing.  The servers came over, placed all of this food in front of us and I was horrified.  Kenny looked at me and erupted in laughter when he saw my face.  It was scary.  It was so much food it was glutinous, and my expression was somewhere between fear and disgust.  And of course I could barely eat and felt terrible leaving my meal mostly untouched.  My inner fat girl looked longingly at the food- I just looked in amazement when I noticed that people at the other tables were actually eating more and cleaning their plates!
 
Then we travel to Vienna, and I can again say, the food is heavy and warm, and there is a TON of it.  I spent the weekend chowing down on gigantic sausages, stuffed with cheese no less, on the streets of town and eating very deeply fried meats.  I controlled myself enough to eat little portions, but this food is a far cry from the fish and veggies I typically gravitate towards.
    

 Eating sausage outside the Albertina

    

 Dinner at one of the most famous schnitzel houses in town

 

 Kenny ordered the schnitzel, and I had the chicken cordon bleu. 

We also shared a potato salad.

  

 Before and after. 

Kenny actually preferred my dish and hijacked one of my chicken breasts.  

 In case the meats weren't enough to get us through the weekend, we also had to try the famous Sachertorte (chocolate cake) at D.e.m.e.l..

   

    

 The baker making the Sachertorte

    

 Our cake and two wonderful cups of hot chocolate

(perhaps the best hot chocolate I have ever had)

 

 Isn't it pretty?

  

    Not impressed- we only shared one piece and left that much behind.

      

Again, my inner fat girl was thrilled to see so much yummy food.  I am happy to report that my less fat current self took control, with the help of the band, and didn't let my inner self lose control.  My former self would have cleared the plate, every plate, pictured above.  Even if I hadn't loved the cake, I would have eaten ALL of it.  Just because I could.  No longer my friends!