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It is never too late to have a happy childhood
Caramel is made by heating sugar until it melts, resulting in a sticky golden-brown liquid which will harden when cooled. If you over heat, you will obtain burnt sugar.
I have a notoriously a bad memory and need to write very long e-mails to friends to remind my own life. Now, I transformed them into a blog, to the benefit of fans and admirers – specially my Mother
I wannabe food blogger: Viktualienmarkt
The Viktualienmarkt is a gourmet food market in the heart of Munich. It has developed from an original farmers’ market to a very popular place for foodies to find their favorite ingredients. On an area covering 22.000m², 140 stalls and shops offer flowers, exotic fruit, fish, vegetables, sausages, wines and cheeses. And, of course, the gourmet Biergarten.
A letter from Einstein
Mrs. Raoul Berger
5121 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda 14, MD
November 19, 1945
Dear Mrs. Berger:
I was deeply moved by your letter which shows me how your family is threatened by this awful disease. May I tell you, incidentally, that my mother and my mother's mother both have died of the same disease. As far as the Neely bill is concerned, I do not believe that it would be helpful if I would sign the petition in favor it, for it is well known I am only a layman. It would even impair my influence in such matters where I am competent to express an opinion publicly. For this reason I am very sorry not to be able to comply with your wish.
I greet you and your dear parents heartily,
yours cordially,
Albert Einstein
As seen in the windows of the Pfauen Apotheke [Pharmacy] in Rämistrasse 38, not far from the ETH Zurich, the university where Albert Einstein studied mathematics and physics and was later appointed as professor for theoretical physics.
Einstein's mother, Pauline, died from cancer on February 20, 1920.
I wannabe food blogger: asparagus tart
I found this dish by accident in Leite's Culinaria. And it was just what I was looking for: asparagus are in season, a party was on the planning and if not edible, at least it was decorative. Truth to be said,it was a pretty good idea. It even passed the 11 year old test (minus asparagus).
Asparagus Tart Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off
- 1 bunch fresh spinach (about 20 largish leaves), stems trimmed (optional) (I used 500g frozen spinach, prepared as in the packet instruction)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 pound phyllo, thawed according to package directions (used regular puff pastry, bought in the supermarket).
- 1 3/4 cups grated Gruyere
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream (used soya cream)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Sea salt and finely ground black pepper
Method
1. To make the asparagus tart, preheat the oven to 175°C.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Plunge the spears into the water for just a moment to blanch it, then remove it and toss it into the ice water. Do the same with the spinach, if using.
3. Meanwhile, brush a 23cm square tart pan or a 36cm rectangular tart pan with a little melted butter and line it with a sheet of phyllo pastry, pressing the phyllo against the side of the pan and allowing the excess to hang over the edge of the pan. Brush the top of this sheet with more butter and top it with another sheet of phyllo. Repeat until all the phyllo is used. Trim the edges of the phyllo flush with the top of the tart pan. (Phyllo can me a nightmare to work with, and I was in a hurry. Just got some regular puff pastry from the supermarket, buttered the tart tray and put the sheet in).
4. Drain the asparagus and the spinach, if using, and pat them completely dry.
5. Setting the quiche:
If using spinach: Arrange a layer of spinach on the phyllo. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Add the Gruyere, a second layer of spinach, and season again. Beat the eggs, cream, and nutmeg in a bowl, then pour the mixture over the tart. Arrange the spears in a row on the tart. Brush the exposed pastry edges with a little butter. Cut a piece of parchment or foil that covers the inside of the asparagus tart but leaves the phyllo edge uncovered.
If not using spinach: Sprinkle the Gruyere over the phyllo. Beat the eggs, cream, and nutmeg in a pitcher or bowl, then pour the mixture over the tart. Arrange the spears in a row on the tart. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Brush the exposed pastry edges with a little butter. Cut a piece of parchment or foil that covers the inside of the asparagus tart but leaves the phyllo edge uncovered.
6. Bake the asparagus tart, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Cover the center but not the edge of the pastry with the parchment or foil and continue to bake until the center of the tart is just set, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let the asparagus tart rest a few minutes before slicing. (I was not very precise with the paper foil, and the edges got slightly burn).
Me and my PMBOK (4): Sprüngli
Today, I am sitting in Sprüngli, one of the most traditional cafes in Zurich, where the old bourgeoisie and the bankers meet for a chocolate and an imbiss [snack] (Bahnhofstrasse, 21, map here). It is said that many shady deals were closed here, and if walls could talk many respectable people might lose their sleep. The truth is that there is always a lot going on and if a conversation can be over heard, you might end up learning something interesting or get enough gossip to get you going for a while. If you enjoy sitting and watch life pass by, this a very good place to be.
Rating:
Coffee: A Swiss would say it is excellent. But, if you ask for a chocolate (in fact, any type of foodstuff containing it) you would probably won't forget it in your life.
Cakes: It is a worldwide famous confisserie. Things won't get much better than this.
Ambiance: Très bourgeois and lively - you can find from the very rich lady who lunch and her 20 best friends and assorted posh entourage, to the typical banker or business man , the inevitable tourists attached to the city guides and normal people, even.
Study progress: None. It was too noisy and busy. Definitely, not the place to study.
Der Himmel über Munich
It was a sunny afternoon, and we had just arrived in Munich. Before heading to the English Garden, a stop de rigueur at Marienplatz. And, for an affordable €2,5 why not go up the Mariensäule [Marian column] to take a close look to the Munich's sky?
I wannabe be food blogger: cranberry sauce
Cranberries are almost nowhere to be found in the Mediterranean cuisine. Specially not during Christmas next to your roasted turkey. But, this Felicity Cloake's perfect recipe looked so luscious I decided to give it a go - if pork is so good with apple jam, why not having a cranberry sauce to go with the chicken? It is indeed very-very-very easy to make and full of flavors, which complement well the tender roasted meat.
(Note - This time, I am shamelessly using a stock photography. During the cooking frenzy, I forgot to take a picture, and after Christmas, cranberries could not be sourced).
Cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 orange, plus zest of ½ orange
- 210g caster sugar
- 450g fresh cranberries
- 2 tbsp port
Method
Put the orange juice and sugar into a small pan, and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cranberries, and bring to a simmer, then cook until most of the cranberries have burst, and you have a loose cranberry sauce. It will continue to set as it cools, so stop cooking when it still seems a little too liquid.
Stir in the port and orange zest, and serve, or put into sterilised jars.
I wannabe art blogger: installation by Jean Arp
Jean Arp, La mise au tombeau des oiseaux et papillons [The entombment of birds and butterflies] (1916/17), as seen in Zurich Kunsthaus
I wannabe food blogger: courgette and feta fritters
Other than his very popular New Vegetarian column at the Guardian, Yotam Ottolenghi also writes for Here Is The City News. And, he doesn't hesitate to use recipes the editor of the Guardian didn't see fit to publish. This one had to be dropped from a section on quick and healthy breakfasts. Having tried it, I can certainly understand why. It took me a couple of hours and a dishwasher load to have it ready. It might be delicious, but it is not exactly what you need to to start the day... Unless you go to Nopi's and order it from the menu.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 200g soured cream (I replaced it by lactose free yogurt)
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 70ml sunflower oil
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- Salt and black pepper
Fritters
- 3 medium courgettes
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped (but very very finely, otherwise you will feel you are chewing onions)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Grated zest of 2 limes
- About 60g self-raising flour
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 150g manouri cheese (or feta)
Method
In a small bowl, mix the cream, chopped coriander, half a teaspoon of ground cardamom, two teaspoons of oil and the lime zest and juice. Season to taste, cover and chill.
Chop off the ends of the courgettes, then grate the flesh into a bowl. Sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt and leave for 10 minutes so they release their juices. Squeeze the courgettes to remove most of the liquid, then add the shallots, garlic, lime zest, flour, eggs, ground coriander, the remaining cardamom and a pinch of pepper. Mix to form a thick batter (add some flour if it's a bit runny), then fold in the manouri.
Heat 2-3mm of oil in a large frying pan and add heaped dessertspoons of the batter (in batches, if need be), flatten a little and cook on each side for around three minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. (larger portions than a tablespoon will give very messy fritters. Do not forget to flat).
Serve three fritters per portion with a generous dollop of the sauce.
