tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60061461171206482332024-03-28T02:32:43.516-05:00The Wandering CookA blog dedicated to recipes, food, wine and the art of wandering around the world without ever leaving your kitchen.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.comBlogger302125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-56152186283182533052012-02-16T04:51:00.001-05:002012-02-16T04:51:40.937-05:00Saffron couscous with chicken and veggies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Temperatures have been higher in the past few days and it looks like tomorrow we might break 40. What a dream. The thing is, I have all these really cute spring clothes I want to wear, but the weather hasn't really been warm enough for any of them. And that's not the only problem. I had also gained some weight in the past few months, which made my clothes fit horribly, if they fit at all. Now I'm 7 pounds down and things are looking brighter. Another 5-7 pounds and I'll look and feel great, ready for warmer days and lighter clothes. </div>
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This is one of my "diet" recipes. One of the things that is helping me lose weight is packing my own lunch, so I don't end up eating huge sandwiches or pizza at some restaurant. Hence the tupperware in the photo. Sorry if it doesn't look great, but I swear it tasted really good!</div>
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SAFFRON COUSCOUS</div>
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1/2 cup couscous</div>
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1 packet saffron</div>
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1 chicken breast, cut into pieces</div>
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1 cup frozen peas, thawed</div>
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1 carrot, minced</div>
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1 small onion, minced</div>
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Salt and pepper</div>
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Evoo </div>
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Cook couscous according to directions, adding saffron to the water.</div>
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In a small skillet heta up a little olive oil. Add carrot, onion and peas, cook for a minute. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then add to skillet and cook with veggies until browned.</div>
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Fluff couscous with a fork, add to skillet, mix well and serve.</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-52891062790100803652012-02-09T06:01:00.004-05:002012-02-09T06:01:41.323-05:00Spaghetti with meatless meatsauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Brrr. We have been hit by a tremendous cold front, which has brought tons of snow (or at least, tons by lake Lugano standards) and very cold temperatures, temepratures I had never seen around here. We are talking teens. We are talking "what the hell am I going to wear to work?" kind of temperatures.</div>
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I have pretty much locked myself in the house every single night. Going out for drinks or dinner? No thanks. All I wanted to do was sit by the fire or bake stuff in the oven to warm up the house. </div>
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The upside of it is that I've spent a lot of time cooking. The downside is that I haven't spent a lot of time writing about it because the cold made me lazier than usual. What can I say? That's the way it is some days.</div>
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Now the situation has improved a little, although we look like we are still very far from seeing the beginning of spring. Which is sad, because I have just realized that I'm so freaking done with winter. It's funny because I actually like the winter a lot and love the snow and skiing and all. But I reach a point, and this year that point was reached today, where I just cannot stand it anymore and I desperately want to wear spring clothes, eat asparagus and zucchini and sit outdoors with the sun warm on my face. So I keep looking at the forecast and end up being annoyed when I see no signs of spring in the near future. </div>
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And while I wait for spring to come I keep munching on winter vegetables that by now have really grown old, to say the least. I can barely stand them anymore. So I try to stick them in sauces and stews like this one, my first experiment at making "meatsauce" with seitan. I'm not a vegetarian and I will never be one, but I was intrigued by the description my friend gave me of seitan and wanted to try it. Well, it makes a really good "meatsauce", believe me. </div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">SPAGHETTI WITH MEATLESS MEATSAUCE</span></div>
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For 2</div>
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1/2 pound spaghetti</div>
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1 seitan patty, processed until ground</div>
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2 carrots, minced</div>
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1 onion, minced</div>
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2 celery stalks, minced</div>
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1 cup tomato puree</div>
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1 cup water</div>
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1 vegetable borth cube</div>
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1 glass red wine</div>
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2 bay leaves</div>
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Salt and pepper</div>
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Warm olive oil in a dutch oven, add onion, carrot and celery and sautee for a few minutes, until soft. Add ground seitan, season with salt and pepper, sautee for a minute or two, then add red wine. Let cook until it's almost evaporated, add tomato sauce, water, broth cube and bay leaves and lower heat. Simmer on low for at least an hour.</div>
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Serve with spaghetti.</div>
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<br /></div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-54017365214598895192012-02-01T07:32:00.001-05:002012-02-01T07:32:23.900-05:00The Indie Travel Challenge, week 4: Winter Getaways <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/indiechallenge1.png"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="150" src="http://www.bootsnall.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/indiechallenge1.png" title="indiechallenge" width="150" /></a><br />
It's week number 4 of the Indie Travel Challenge, and I have to say that this week's topic couldn't be more appopriate. The good folks at Boots'n'all want us to talk about our dream winter destinations. You can see the prompt <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/blog/winter-getaways-this-week-on-bootsnall.html">here</a>. <br />
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Saturday night I cam back from a 3 day mini vacation to Leukerbad, in the Valais canton in Switzerland. It was one of my 2012 travel resolutions to see more of the country I live in and going on this trip showed me how much I had ben missing. Switzerland is tiny, but is also very diverse in landscape, language, culture and food. In Tessin, where I live, we have a fiarly mild climate, everyone speaks Italian and things aren't as organized and rigis as one might think. Only two hours away, though, Leukerbad folks speak French and German, the cuisine is definitely not ass-friendly and the Alps, which I see from a distance here on lake Lugano, are so close and beautiful, they take your breath away.</div>
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I traveled there by train -total travel time 4 hours and 20 minutes- and was definitely happy not to have to deal with having a car there. It's not a car friendly village, unless you have a 4x4 with snow tires. I was greeted by a gorgeous blue ski and 29°F, perfect weather for a little exploring and working up an appetite. You can see my rendition of rösti, the Valais "national" dish, here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Alpentherme pools</td></tr>
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After lunch it was thermal baths time. Leukerbad is famous for its hot springs and, even more, for the amazing Alpentherme, a complex that features indoors and outdoors hot water pools, saunas, steam baths and everything else your heart might desire. I went there both on Thursday and on Friday, after skiing which was heavenly. The best part? The 100°F outddors pool you can reach from inside, with a view of the Alps and massage jets. A 5 hour pass that includes access to all areas of the complex is 39 CHF, about 45 dollars. a little steep, but worth every penny. <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leukerbad also rocks because of its beautiful ski slopes. I spent Friday skiing at the Torrent station, at about 8900 feet. The weather, again, was wonderful, so skiing was even more enjoyable. Not to mention how enjoyable it was to stop at a bar at 8000 feet and drink a cold beer on the terrace, with my face in the sun.</div>
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I was lucky enough to see an abundant snowfall on Friday night, after I was done skiing. And Saturday morning, it was still snowing as I woke up. I lingered in bed, under the comforter, watching the snow fall out of the window. It was quiet and peaceful and beautiful, all at the same time. It reminded me of similar mornings back in the 90s, when my parents still had an apartement in Val Gardena, in the Italian Alps. It's alwasy nice to time travel while you are traveling. It made me feel like an 8th grader again, wishing the weather would turn so bad it would keep me from going back home. <br />
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Too bad it didn't happen. Not then, not now.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-42234229465067715732012-01-30T14:02:00.002-05:002012-01-30T14:02:37.307-05:00Rösti, a Valais specialty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So i just came back from a mini vacation in the Valais canton in Switzerland. I spent three blissful days skiing and hanging out at the thermal baths in Leukerbad, a gorgeous alpine village that looks exactly like a Swiss mountain village should look. More about that in my next post, which will be all about Leukerbad.<br />
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I'm working the closing shift at the paper tonight, so I don't have much time to dwell on my vacation right now. Still, I want to give you a little taste of the cuisine in Valais. Rösti is one of their signature dishes, something that is very similar to hash brow potatoes, but is served for lunch or dinner with many different toppings that range from pancetta to mushrooms and from ham to tomatoes. My favorite rendition is a simple one: potatoes, ham, fried egg and a little cheese. Heaven on a plate, I tell you. <br />
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1/2 pound of potatoes, boiled in their skins the day before <br />
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2 to 3 tablespoons of butter <br />
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1/2 medium onion <br />
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salt to taste <br />
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Raclette (or other salty) cheese<br />
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Sliced ham<br />
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1 fried egg <br />
Peel the cooked potatoes and grate them through a coarse grater. Slice the onions into thin wedges. <br />
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Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and add the onions and cook them until they look glassy and transparent. Add the grated potatoes and the salt and stir through. Fry while stirring them around in the pan for about 3 to 5 minutes. Press together to form a flat cake and fry over medium heat until there is a golden crust on the bottom. <br />
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Place a serving platter on the pan and turn the pan upside down, so the Roesti falls on the platter with the crust on top.<br />
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Top with grated cheese, ham and fried egg. Stick under the broiler for 30 seconds and serve.<br />
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<br />Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-77875502434398144922012-01-26T04:04:00.000-05:002012-01-26T04:04:00.309-05:00Egg salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you read this, I'm riding a train to Leukerbad, in the Western side of Switzerland, where I'll spend a couple of days skiing and hanging out at the beautiful thermal baths. In case you are wondering, no, I'm not always on vacation, as one of my friends said the other day. It's just a little weekend getaway, which will make the coldest days of the year easier to bear. I know it may sounds a little crazy to go to the mountains during the chilliest week of them all, but I'd rather be cold ina place where nbeing in cold weather is fun, rather than freezing my ass off by the lake, with the humidity killing me and making me shiver to bone. <br />
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Before leaving I didn't bothered going grocery shopping, so I had to get a little creative with my lunches. Egg salad sandwich sounded like a good idea - I hadn't had the stuff since I left the U.S. in April of '10 - so I improvised with what I had in the fridge. It turned out great, exactly what I had in mind: to make it low fat, I used yogurt instead of mayo, added some paprika for flavor and capers and for saltiness.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">EGG SALAD:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">1 hard boiled egg, minced</span><br />
1 tablespoon of capers, minced<br />
2 small pickles, minced<br />
2 tablespoons minced onion<br />
Salt and paprika, to taste<br />
3 tablespoons of plain low fat yogurt (or more if you need it)<br />
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Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-8979815248080518782012-01-25T10:33:00.000-05:002012-01-25T10:33:04.638-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Tate Modern, London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0aMvgowjLA/TyAgV3NxJ4I/AAAAAAAABJk/g7DZ-TmI7Sk/s1600/tate7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0aMvgowjLA/TyAgV3NxJ4I/AAAAAAAABJk/g7DZ-TmI7Sk/s320/tate7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-90938762276587328972012-01-24T22:00:00.000-05:002012-01-24T22:00:02.535-05:00London in pictures, day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lately I've become a huge fan of public transportation. Not so much where I live, since Bissone is not exactly very well connected to the rest of the world via public transportation, but when I go elsewhere I'm very happy to abandon my car and use trains, buses and subways. In London, especially, I took advantage of its awesome public transportation system by purchasing an Oyter card, on which I loaded 7 days of unlimited travel for 29 pounds. It may seem a lot, but it really isn't. The Tube rocks and so do duble decker buses, although on my first day I managed to piss off a driver for being impatient. Gotta love that. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uC2SgA-8LuQ/Tx6VBJg4JpI/AAAAAAAABH0/OtJ4tiiWeJI/s1600/londra1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uC2SgA-8LuQ/Tx6VBJg4JpI/AAAAAAAABH0/OtJ4tiiWeJI/s320/londra1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After a brief visit to the outside of St. Paul Cathedral (I would have had to shell out 14 pounds to get in... are they insane?!?) I walked across the Millenium Bridge to reach the South bank, where Tate Modern is located. As most museums in London it's free, which is pretty amazing if you think about it. The art inside is the kind of art that one can only describe as kind of crazy, but so cool it deserves a post on its own... so stay tuned for that. </div>
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In the aftenoon I visited another great museum, the British Museum. Again, it was free, and the art there is definitely more conventional, ranging from ancient Egypt's Rosetta Stone to more modern masterpieces from all over the world. </div>
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I had some time to kill before dinner so I walked around, stopping in a pub every once in a while to rest and recharge (and drink beer, of course)</div>
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At night we took it is. I showed up at the pub where my friend was just in time for the kitchen to be closed, so we ended up cooking at his place. I made pasta, so there was no weird both cubes involved ;-)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Di2z99KpTqo/Tx6VLZh-qWI/AAAAAAAABIk/MNvRKgFzHMI/s1600/londra7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Di2z99KpTqo/Tx6VLZh-qWI/AAAAAAAABIk/MNvRKgFzHMI/s320/londra7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-78819061721231985542012-01-24T08:44:00.002-05:002012-01-24T08:44:55.841-05:00The Indie travel Challenge, week 3: "Learning through travel" <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/12-01/join-bootsnalls-indie-travel-challenge-2012.html" title="Indie Travel Challenge"><img height="150" src="http://www.bootsnall.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/indiechallenge.png" title="Indie Travel Challenge" width="150" /></a> <br />
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Travel <em>is</em> learning. If one travels and manages not to learn anything, I suspect he or she could very well be braindead. I mean, how can you not absorb everything that is new and different around you? Art, language, food, traditions. You name it. One of the most exciting aspects of traveling is meeting different people, who live in ways that are foreign to us for reasons that are part of a history that is not our own. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/events/indie/">Week 3 of the Indie Travel Challenge</a> deals with this. Learning and traveling. Except for when i attended summer school to learn English in California (every year from 1992 to 1998) I have never really taken classes while abroad, but that doesn't mean that I haven't learned a lot while traveling. i guess I'm just not much into taking organized classes while I'm on vacation. My bad. I'm sure that if I had taken, let's say, some cooking classes while abroad I would have learned to cook the same recipes I know how to cook now, but without all the trial and error.<br />
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One thing, though, I have learned by traveling, and that is appreciating art. When i was in high school Art History was possibily one of my least favorite subjects. Watching works of art printed in a book isn't that exciting and we were never taken to any museums, despite the fact my school was across the street from the church where Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper is. I know, I know. Terrible.<br />
Anyhow, I had to learn to love art as an adult, by browsing art museums on my own, without the aid of an art expert. Sure, I'd probably learn even more if I had someone telling me about focus and composition and the likes, but would I enjoy, and therefore learn, from the experience that much? Probably not.<br />
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So alone I go to museums of all kinds and I let the art speak to me. If the art in question doesn't, well, no biggie. Not all art can move us, which is what makes art so interesting. For it to arise my interest, it has to surprise me, amaze me, even shock me. Or, some other times, to make me discovere that even a mirror placed on wall of a museum can surprise us, ^making us realize that us, too, are works of art.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRFZNQKsoag/Tx61qnSC2SI/AAAAAAAABIs/vgr0HD1EIhE/s1600/selfportrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRFZNQKsoag/Tx61qnSC2SI/AAAAAAAABIs/vgr0HD1EIhE/s400/selfportrait.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self portrait, Tate Modern, London.<br />
January 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-30495501333059367522012-01-24T02:36:00.000-05:002012-01-24T02:38:24.303-05:00Asian lettuce wraps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Dragon year everyone!</div>
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I
thought I'd take a little break from posting travel pictures and post a
recipe, just to remind myself 8and all of you) that this still is a
cooking blog after all. Travels are cool, but unfortunately I don't
travel every day. On the other hand, I do tend to cook on a daily basis,
especially in the winter, especially when I'm trying to get back in
shape after over two months of food and drink orgies. </div>
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Since
the world is celbrating the Chinese new year, I thought I'd cook one of
my favorite Asian recipes, one that I used to eat at PF Cheng's when I
lived in Florida. I know, Cheng's isn't exactly a real Chinese joint,
but their lettuce wraps rocked and they are light enough and veggie
packed enough to satisfy both my weight loss challenge and my healthy
habits- eat more veggies! challenge.</div>
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So here it is. Maybe not the most adventurous Chinese recipe, but a good, solid one. </div>
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ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS</div>
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1 pound ground chicken</div>
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2 tablespoons soy sauce</div>
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1 tablespoon dark sesame oil</div>
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1 tablespoon hoisin sauce</div>
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1 tablespoon siracha</div>
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1 tablespoon sweet and sour sauce</div>
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To serve:</div>
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Lettuce leaves</div>
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Bean sprouts</div>
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Shredded carrot</div>
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Shredded cabbage</div>
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Cooked brown rice </div>
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Heat a non stick skillet or a wok. Mix soy sauce and next 4
ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken to skillet and stir to crumble. Pour
sauce over it and cook for about ten minutes, until chicken is done. If
the meat should get dry, add a little more sauce. I added siracha
because I love the heat it gives to the dish!</div>
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When chicken is done, cover and remove from stove.</div>
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Serve with lettuce leaves.</div>
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</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-74421079461967073592012-01-22T11:45:00.002-05:002012-01-22T11:45:19.204-05:00London in pictures, day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My second day in London was awesome. Filippo had the day off, so we got to hang out together all day, which is always awesome. We dedicated the afternoon to the exploation of one of my favorite neighborhoods in London: Notting Hill. I hated the movie, but absolutely love the streets and stores and market stalls you find there. It made me wish I could ship a crate of furniture, books and knick knacks back to Switzerland, but since I couldn't I had to restrain my self and refrain from buying everything I saw.</div>
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It was hard. It was very hard.</div>
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I mean, how can you walk into Alice's and not buy an old wooden coffee table you absolutely have no room for or a trunk that will only set you back 300 dollars or so? I didn't actually buy any of the above, but had I been there by car I would have. So, good thing I was traveling by train, I guess.</div>
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Only a few doors down Portobello road I found another store that me want to move to London instantly. It's called Books for cooks and, you've guessed, only sells cookbooks. Again, I had to refrain from buying everything in there and my heart ached for all my wonderful cookbooks I've left behind in Florida. I know I'd never have the time to use of all them, but it's a collection. It exists purely for the purpose of pleasing me, no matter how useless and bulky a collection it may seem. And, as collections go, actually, it's far more useful than others. Stamps, for instance. Or coins.</div>
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I manged to leave the store with only one purchase, a British food book called, well, British Food, which I selected both because I thought it would have been dumb to by an Italian cookbook in London and because it was fairly small. I could have (and would have) spent the whole afternoon there, but Filippo was fidgeting, so I figured that a half hour was enough for him. The poor guy was already putting up with my obsession to find a grey coat (which I didn't find, by the way), so I decided to go easy on him with the cookbook shopping.</div>
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We then kept walking around Portobello road, which is really as charming as in the movies, full of little quirky details and even quirkier little stores.</div>
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On the way back we stopped in a store that sold funky t-shirts and, I was hoping, grey coats. Although I didn't fiond the damn coat, I made friends with the store cat, who hang out by the cash register, sleeping on piles of t-shirts and being overall one of the friendliest cats ever. <br />
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For dinner we decided to stay home since we kind of already had a bad lunch experience invoving a pub, a microwaved burger and a Brooke Shields sighting. Filippo asked me to make risotto and I obliged. A tiny catch: they were out of Knorr beef broth cubes, so I had to use Oxo's version. I was terrified. I mean, look at the freakin' box, for crying out loud. The broth turned out to be extremly dark and not too flavorful, but overall the ristto was good, if maybe a little off colorwise. </div>
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<br /></div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-79740317573507246052012-01-21T06:48:00.000-05:002012-01-21T06:48:39.372-05:00London in pictures, day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Welcome to
London! First off, London has always been one of my favorite cities in
the world. When I was 5 my dad used to work there, so my mom and I would
go there at least once a month. And I loved it already. 25 years later, I still love it. Not to mention that now I can also enjoy the beer... so what's not lo like?<br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EXk9X-C338w/Txk8t1r1RiI/AAAAAAAABF8/aFKuI8HS2PU/s320/P1070289.jpg" width="240" /> </div>
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Anyway,
I started off my exploration in Trafalgar Square. The weather was
chilly but sunny, so it was really pleasant walking around, looking at
Admiral Nelson, on top of his column, staring into the distance. It was
also a Tuesday morning, so the city wasn't packed with other tourists,
which is always nice. Gives you the feeling that you have more space to
move and take pictures and take in the views without feeling rushed.<br />
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On
my way to Covent Garden I couldn't resist taking this picture of two
quintessential icons: the London tube sign and the red, British phone
booths. </div>
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Coven
Garden itself is kind of a huge tourist trap, with expensive stores and
even more expensive food. But it's worth checking out, if only to take a
couple of pictures. But then, of course, is better to go shopping and
dining elsewhere.<br />
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Before
lunch I also had to take one of my infamous self-shots in front of the
National Gallery. Some guy asked me if I wanted my picture taken the
proper way, and I let him, but then deleted the pic he took and kept my
crappy one. It's a tradition, what can I say?<br />
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I
made sure to be in Chinatown around lunch time. I browsed the streets,
taking in the sweet and spicy fragrance of Asian food wafting through
the air, then decided to eat at a wonderfully depressing Vietnamese
restaurant that was called, this is truly awesome, "Vietnamese
Restaurant". Sheer genius, right? And the pho!! Oh, the pho was divine.
No other words to describe it. The broth had an intensity and a depth of
flavor you don't encounter everywhere. That and a pint of beer sent me
to lunch heaven. <br />
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I
then made the HUGE mistake of walking down Oxford Street. I had been so
good at not buying stuff while I was in Paris, but all of the sudden I
turned into a crazed shopping Godzilla. I kid you not. Between Primark, Urban Outfitters and Pull&Bear
I bought tons of clothes I didn't need. The good thing is, I now own
really cool clothes nobody else is wearing around here. Totally worth
it, if you ask me. So after all that walking and shopping I had to stop
at a pub and drink a couple of pints to regain my strength. I love pubs
and I love beer, so I really enjoyed my down time, waiting for my friend
Filippo to be done with work so we could go out to dinner.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I
met him at the Angel tube station and we walked to a Turkish restaurant
nearby, called "Cappadocia". As we often do when we are together we
ordered too much food. An appetizer sample platter that featured
everything from hummus to eggplant dip, and then a main course each
—chicken in sauce for him and spicy Turkish sausage for him. Delicious.
The only drawback was that it was a little bit difficult to digest, so
we ended up having weird dreams all night. Oh well. A little price to
pay, I say. </div>
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Stay tuned!</div>
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More London pictures are coming in the next few days!</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-21741266671526931152012-01-19T01:00:00.000-05:002012-01-19T01:00:03.241-05:00Healthy habits: Eat more veggies! Vegetable frittata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since apparently I didn't have enough stuff to do with my other challenge, the Indie travel challenge, I decided to embark in a healthy eating challenge as well. "Cooking Light's <span style="font-family: inherit;">12 healthy habits" seemed like a good option, since it isn't too demanding but at the same time it does push you toward a better way of eating and living. </span><br />
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January's challenge (I know, I'm a bit late, aren't I?) is to eat more vegetables, specifically to "<em>Add 3 more servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet each day</em>". Since I'm intolerant to most raw fruit and I don't really care for cooked fruit, I have decided to add vegetables to my daily diet and call it a day. It isn't too much of a challenge for me, as I really like veggies anyways, but I have decided to concentrate on some good vegeterian recipes that I can take to the office with me and eat for lunch.<br />
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Today I brought a nice frittata packed with tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and fresh herbs. Easy to make, delicious to eat and, most of all, nice and light, so I didn't feel that after-lunch fatigue overcoming me. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">VEGETABLE FRITTATA:</span><br />
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2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon butter<br />
1 small zucchini, cubed<br />
A few cherry tomatoes, sliced<br />
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms<br />
1 tablespoon dried thyme<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
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Cook vegetables in a small pan with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside. <br />
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In a bowl beat eggs, add salt, pepper and thyme. Add vegetables.<br />
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Heat butter in a small skillet, pour egg mixture into it and cook, about three minutes per side, or until desired degree of doneness.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-1365850456707943022012-01-18T04:44:00.001-05:002012-01-18T04:45:05.498-05:00The Indie Travel Challenge, week 2: "What is an indie traveler?"<span style="background-color: #f2c21a;"><a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/12-01/join-bootsnalls-indie-travel-challenge-2012.html" title="Indie Travel Challenge"><img height="150" src="http://www.bootsnall.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/indiechallenge.png" title="Indie Travel Challenge" width="150" /></a></span><br />
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So here we are. <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/events/indie/?category=week-2">Week two of the indie travel challenge.</a> This week's prompt is a question I knew would arrive sooner or later, but I was hoping it would arrive later rather than sooner. The question is: what is an indie traveler? And my problem with it is: why do we always feel the need to define everything?<br />
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Defining an indie traveler is pretty mucg impossible, in my humble opinion. There are as many types of indie travelers as there are travelers. So who am I to say that I'm indie and someone else is not? <br />
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Of course there are those who consider themselves better than most because they go to the most exotic, hard to reach, unknown spots of the world and kind of look down at anyone who would get excited about going to any place where you can get a hot shower and a decent bed. And there are also those who would never leave the beaten path, who would never try whatever food the locals eat (unless they are in Italy or France, that is) and are afraid of getting robbed pretty much everywhere.<br />
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Those, of course, are extremes. Then there's a whole bunch of us who are somewhere in between. Who like nice hotels and crowded hostels just the same, who like to explore less traveled by destinations, but won't disdain a touristy museum or monument. We would love to take a whole year off and go travel around the world, but for a number of different reasons -both financial and personal- we just can't do that right now, so we have to travel when we have time off, or suring weekends or even explore our own town on a Saturday afternoon. <br />
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Does that make us indie travelers? I think so. Being an indie traveler is more of a state of mind rather than a collection of stamps on your passports. Is that need to go and see what the rest of the world is like, no matter if the rest of the world is 10 or 1000 miles away.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-20739194335325800482012-01-17T19:00:00.000-05:002012-01-18T04:19:29.071-05:00Paris in pictures, day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My third, and last, day in Paris was packed with walking and sightseeing. The weather was fairly nice and I decided to walk from the Latin Quarter to the Eiffel Tower. Normally it's a 5 kilometer walk, but I kind of zigzaged around, making it almost a 9 kilometer affair. Not that I'm complaining. I had to burn off some of the calories I had ingested the previous day, after all.</div>
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What I love the best about wandering around big cities, is that you never know what awesome little (or big) view awaits for you around the corner. I literally took hundreds of pictures of random windows and doors, which are my latest obsession. Don't ask why. It's something I've devolped last summer in Greece and I just can't stop. </div>
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I walked and walked and walked trying to avoid the largest streets and concetrating on the little allways and courts.</div>
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...and then, when I started to feel hungry, I dove into a little brasserie by the Musèe d'Orsay and ordered one of my favorite dishes: entrecôte with french fries. As it always is, it was delicious and very satisfying. It would have probably been even better with a glass of red wine, but I was so freaking thirsty, only beer sounded good.</div>
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After lunch I finally reached my destination, where I took this self-portrait. One thing about traveling alone is that you can't count on someone taking pictures of you.</div>
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And that same night I was off. I went to the Gare du Nord where I boarded the Eurostar to London. I was very excited, both because I had never been in an underwater train tunnel and because I hadn't been in London since January of 1998. What adventures laid ahead?<br />
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If you want to see the whole picture album go here (and no, you don't need to be on Facebook to see it):<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150483043670186.367880.515600185&type=1&l=c383b0f5fc">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150483043670186.367880.515600185&type=1&l=c383b0f5fc</a></div>
</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-81809510573789182252012-01-17T04:34:00.001-05:002012-01-17T04:34:37.160-05:00Paris in pictures, day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My second day in Paris was a wonderful, family-oriented day. Not my family, of course. I spent the day with my friend Virginie's family, celebrating her birthday. It was really great to spend time in their Montmartre apartment, sipping wine and eating homemade food. </div>
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We started off with some salami I brought as a gift. When I bought it in a boulangerie that morning, I was a little perplexed because it felt too hard, but decided to buy two anyway because they were all like that. I figured that showing up empty handed would be far worse than showing up with salami that is a little too hard. I picked an Italian one with black truffles and a smoked one from Corsica. They were both really good and not hard at all. Turns out they were just cold from being near the fridge in the store. I guess I could have figured that out, right? </div>
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Then there were oysters. Many, many, delicious oysters to be eaten with a spash of lemon juice over buttered hazelnut bread. I had never eaten oysters like that before, but I have to say it beats the Tabasco and saltines.</div>
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We then had a pork roast with roasted winter vegetables and, after that, we indulged in a trey of cheeses. Hard to tell which one was the best. Wish my stupid camera would have had some battery left to pictures of it, but of course it didn't. Oh well. More to come, people! </div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-18998825813147376672012-01-10T04:11:00.001-05:002012-01-11T16:23:31.508-05:00Paris in pictures, day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So I finally have loaded my pictures on a real computer, so I can actually post them. iPads are fun, but trying to update your blog from one is a pain in the ass.</div>
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Here are a few pictures of my first day in Paris.</div>
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I woke up after an exceptionally good night of sleep on my Milano to Paris sleeper train. I would have never dreamed a train would be so comfortable, especially since I was not traveling first class.</div>
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I had breakfast with my friend Virginie, who was kind enough to pick me up at the station in the morning. Loved the lamps in the cafe' where we drank coffee. Wished I could have some of those at home.</div>
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I walked aimlessly through the Latin Quarter, looking at cute little restaurants and taking in the atmosphere.</div>
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I visited Notre Dame, because for once in my life I found no line to get in. It was about time since I've been trying for years!</div>
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I rode the metro. It's funny how I used to hate taking the metro as a teenager, and now I could ride it all day. Probably because I now live ina place that has no metro at all.</div>
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And I made friends with Banti, my friend Annapaola's cat. He's adorable. Now that I left Paris and I'm in London I miss him already!</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-62387128924349269532012-01-04T12:29:00.000-05:002012-01-04T12:29:43.363-05:00The Indie Travel Challenge, week 1: "Planning for 2012"So I'm not much of a planner. Nor am I much of a resolutions person, mostly because - let's be honest - I'm horrible at keeping resolutions. Or follow through with my plans, for that matter. There is one exception, of course: travel planning. I absolutely adore travel planning. I buy Lonely Planet guide books on a whim, whenever I see them, even when I'm not planning a trip. I constantly scan the internet for insipration, as if I needed more crazy ideas running through my head. When relatives ask me what I want for Christmas or my birthday, I usually ask for train passes or more guide books or anything, really, that is travel related. It's a sickness, similar to only one other sickness that I have: cookbooks. But that's another story.<br />
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Let's focus on the traveling. And the planning. I read about the Indie Travel Challange while I was browsing the web for my upcoming Paris and London trip, and I thought it would be a fun little (errr... not so little actually) way of pushing myself both as a writer and a traveler. Ever since I moved from Florida to Switzerland I have missed writing the travel articles I used to write for the Naples Daily News, so why not taking up travel writing seriously again? After all, is only one of my two dream careers (the other one being a food writer for a large newspaper). <br />
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So here's week 1, a week about planning for 2012. After reading Boots'n'all travel resolutions for the upcoming year, I feel pretty inspired, and ready to share my list. Here's a link to their resolutions and the challenge: <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/11-12/travel-resolutions-to-keep-this-year.html">http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/11-12/travel-resolutions-to-keep-this-year.html</a><br />
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<li>Speak French while I'm in paris, even though my French is poor, to say the list</li>
<li>Get lost around the little streets of Bruges, Belgium</li>
<li>Eat perfect, greasy, salty fries from a street vendor in Brusselles </li>
<li>Try a new dish I've never tried before, everywhere I go</li>
<li>Visit all cantons in Switzerland, including the one where I live, which I don't know quite as well as I'd like</li>
<li>Take a German class</li>
<li>Go to Oktoberfest</li>
<li>Buy a ticket to go to Vietnam in January 2013</li>
<li>Swim in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland</li>
<li>Blog about my travels more consistently</li>
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That's it. Well, I hope you all will follow my adventures... as I travel, eat and drink my way around Europe.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-62926352872466319132012-01-04T04:02:00.001-05:002012-01-04T04:04:30.357-05:00Baked eggs... and a happy new year to everyone!<div id="cboxOverlay" style="display: none;">
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Happy 2012 everyone! I hope you had a great New Year's Eve and all that. As for me, I was fighting a cold, so it wasn't spectacular, but other than that I can't complain. 2011 was a good year for me. Lots of positive changes came along, and although it wasn't always easy to stay optimisitc and smile, it wasn't too hard either. I've found a job a like and friends I love, traveled to Sweden, Greece, Czech Republic and Germany... so, seriously, what's not to love?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qUFOJEl5FmQ/TwQPY674C9I/AAAAAAAABCw/aR76hFadnlk/s1600/blogger-image--182510943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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And here I am again, super excited because the day after tomorrow I leave for a nine day vacation in Paris and London. How cool is that? I can't wait. </div>
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Of course I hope I'll find plenty of wi-fi connections so I can keep you posted while I'm visiting the cities and eating all that delicious food... but in the mean time, I want to leave you with a recipe I made on New Year's, a simple, no fuss dish that tastes great and is very comforting: baked eggs.</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">BAKED EGGS</span> </div>
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(Adapted from Cooking Light)</div>
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Cooking spray<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></div>
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<span itemprop="amount">4 </span><span itemprop="name"> (1-ounce) slices French-style country bread, cut into (1/2-inch) cubes</span><span itemprop="preparation"> </span></div>
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<span itemprop="preparation"></span><span itemprop="amount">1</span><span itemprop="name"> thinly sliced onion</span><span itemprop="preparation"> </span></div>
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<span itemprop="amount">1/2 teaspoon</span><span itemprop="name"> salt</span></div>
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<span itemprop="name"></span><span itemprop="amount">1/4 teaspoon</span><span itemprop="name"> ground white pepper, divided</span><span itemprop="preparation"> </span></div>
<div itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="text-align: center;">
<span itemprop="amount">2 tablespoons</span><span itemprop="name"> water</span><span itemprop="preparation"> </span></div>
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<span itemprop="amount">6 </span><span itemprop="name"> large eggs</span><span itemprop="preparation"> </span></div>
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<span itemprop="preparation"></span><span itemprop="amount">1/4 cup</span><span itemprop="name"> milk</span></div>
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Dill</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350°.</div>
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Lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) ramekins lightly with cooking spray. Spread bread cubes in an even layer on a baking sheet, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until bread is crisp and lightly browned, stirring after 5 minutes.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in 2 tablespoons water, and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Evenly divide onion among prepared ramekins; top with croutons. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper evenly over croutons.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Carefully break 1 egg into each ramekin on top of croutons; drizzle 2 teaspoons milkover each egg. Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan lined with a dish towel (to anchor them in the pan). Pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins to make a water bath. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until the whites are almost set. They should be slightly underdone as they will continue cooking in the hot dishes when you take them from the oven. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-19321156840156263362011-12-25T05:45:00.001-05:002011-12-25T05:45:14.217-05:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Cyb4WeVRnU/Tvb-MIyGn-I/AAAAAAAABCo/oHGZibx-0ro/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Cyb4WeVRnU/Tvb-MIyGn-I/AAAAAAAABCo/oHGZibx-0ro/s320/IMG_1103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I wish you all a happy Christmas and a wonderful 2012... and I also want to thank all of you who have read my blog and been part of my adventures this year!</div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-5215446474839477492011-12-19T04:41:00.001-05:002011-12-19T04:41:35.218-05:00My famous homemade pate'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2yr2-nbRQA/Tu8C1iFogdI/AAAAAAAABCQ/wgrG-moI7hs/s1600/IMG_1046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2yr2-nbRQA/Tu8C1iFogdI/AAAAAAAABCQ/wgrG-moI7hs/s400/IMG_1046.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Ok, so my homemade pate' is not actually that famous, the only thing that it's famous for is that it disappears at the speed of light every time I make it. At some parties I didn't even get to try a bite of it because it was gone so fast. Not joking. What's the secret? Easy. First of all I don't tell anyone that it's made with chicken livers. At least not until they have tried it and loved it. I'm not sure why, but most people seem to have a big problem with chicken livers, so why tell them? Second, I use a lot of butter. I can't stress this enough: if you are going to make pate' you have to use tons of butter. There's no other way around it. No making it "light". Unless you want your pate' to suck, that is.<br />
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So here's the recipe. I usually serve it along with cranberry sauce or some other type of berry jam, but it's also good on its own, with a slice of bread.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">HOMEMADE PATE'</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="paragrafo">
One onion<br />1 pound chicken livers<br />1 spoon of capers<br />Butter at room temperature</div>
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A shot of brandy<br />1 glass of broth<br />Salt and pepper<br />Fresh thyme</div>
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<br />In a pan, sauté the finely cut onions in
butter until soft and add thyme and the liver ready cleaned and washed. Sauté them until browned. Add brandy and cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Season with salt and pepper.</div>
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Let everything cool. Add capers and place in a food processor. </div>
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Process, adding butter one tablespoon at the time until you reach a smooth consistency. Pour in a loaf pan, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. </div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-48760024204035902112011-12-10T05:59:00.001-05:002011-12-13T02:37:31.454-05:00Things I loved about Zurich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rosti.
What's not to love about a generous serving of shredded potatoes, hash
brown style, mixed with raclette cheese and ham bits and topped with a
fried egg? Swiss perfection on a plate.<br />
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Gothic cathedrals against the cloudy sky. I
don't usually love cloudy skies, but the clouds I saw on my first day
in Zurich where very picturesque and made everything look even prettier.<br />
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Serious Christmas lights. This city doesn't mess around when it comes to Xmas decorations and lights, they are in every street and on every building...<br />
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...including
super-cool toy store Franz Carl Weber, a multi story kid's (kid at
heart) paradise filled with toys, puppets and games of all kinds. <br />
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Oysters
at Brasserie Lipp, a wonderful art deco restaurant with one of the
biggest and best raw bars I've ever seen. The original Brasserie Lipp is in Paris, but this Swiss replica is as cool looking as the original and serves impeccable food as well. <br />
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Christmas markets. I could have bought virtually everything there, although the prices where not exactly affordable. Still I found some cool little presents for my family and friends and vowed to go back next year for more.<br />
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Very
cool looking bars. Case in point the Heineken New Bar opposite the
Central train station. Neon lights and thousands of booze bottles neatly
stocked on the walls. <br />
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And speaking of drinks, hot mulled wine of course, or as they call it in Zurich, Glühwein. Throughout the city there are
hundreds of little wood huts selling fragrant perfectly spiced mulled
wine. The bartenders are dressed like elves and the wine is prepared in
big witch-like cauldrons. How cool is that? I wondered what they do with
the little huts in the summer. I'm guessing they use them to sell beer.
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Fondue
chinoise. One of my favorite dishes ever. There's something so
satisfying about cooking your meet in hot steamy broth and then dipping
it in one of the six sauces it's served with: curry, sweet and sour,
garlic, cocktail, tartar and spicy tomato.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-24549080344700825412011-12-05T03:58:00.001-05:002011-12-05T04:21:29.545-05:00Christmas cookies galore!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm working today and tomorrow, then I have four days off, which means that I will have time to start baking some Christmas cookies. Although I'm not a cookie person, I know how much people like them, so I make them every year, then take them to the office and hand them out as gifts when I go to Christmas parties. I don't know which ones I'll make this year, but in the mean time here are some recipes that I tried last year and the year before, my personal cookie hit parade. </div>
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<a href="http://cookingmaniac.blogspot.com/2009/12/baci-di-dama-dames-kisses.html">Baci di Dama:</a> Italian treats. I have no idea why they are called "dame's kisses", but what I know is that they rock. They are a little labor intesive, but totally worth it. Trust me. </div>
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<a href="http://cookingmaniac.blogspot.com/2010/12/pepparkakor-swedish-ginger-cookies.html">Pepparkakor:</a> Swedish cookies. You can buy them at Ikea, but they are mich better when they are made from scratch. The key is to roll out the dough real thin, otherwise they don't turn out quite as good. These are perfect for those who like spices in their cookies, they feature nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Great after meal cookie. </div>
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<a href="http://cookingmaniac.blogspot.com/2010/12/brunsli-swiss-cookies.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brünsli:</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="color: black;">these cookies are from my nick of the woods. They ail from Switzerland and they are the perfect combination of chocolate and nuts. They are very similar to truffles and they are by far my favorite cookies. What's not to love about dark chocolate and walnuts? Careful though, once you eat one, you might want to eat the whole batch.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://cookingmaniac.blogspot.com/2010/12/vanillekipferl-vanilla-christmas.html">Vanillekipferl</a>: as the name implies, these horseshoe shaped cookies have vanilla in them, and lots of butter, which makes them great. I especially like them dipped in Marsala wine, which shouldn't surprise you since I love pretty much any cookie dipped in Marsala =) </div>
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<a href="http://cookingmaniac.blogspot.com/2009/12/spicy-chocolate-cookies.html">Spicy Mexcian cookies:</a> Last but not least, some dark chooclate cookies that feature crushed red pepper... Mayan style, baby! If you like the spicy and sweet combo, these cookies are for you. </div>Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-41143192817091061052011-12-01T12:11:00.001-05:002011-12-01T12:25:38.715-05:00Vin brulé (hot mulled wine)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6izYAP79dc/Tte1EueaerI/AAAAAAAABAs/5tOb9dn2VFQ/s1600/vinbrule.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6izYAP79dc/Tte1EueaerI/AAAAAAAABAs/5tOb9dn2VFQ/s320/vinbrule.JPG" tabindex="-1" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's December already. Ever since I've started working in August, time has gone by at the speed of light. So here we are, already counting down the days till Christmas. Temps are still not very wintery and I'm a little disappointed because it hasn't snowed yet, but I'm making up for it by decorating the house and preparing Christmasy foods.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Vin brulé, aka hot mulled wine, is one of my favorite things about this time of the year. I first tried it when I was about 14, mingling at a Christmas market in the Dolomites with my friend Giovanna. We were freezing, so we decided to give it a try. It was the beginning of an obession. I liked it so much I order it everwhere I go if I see it on the menu. No wonder I liked Prague so much, they sell it on every street corner at a price so cheap, you just can't say no. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Of course I also make it home. Last night I had it while putting up the Christmas tree and, I have to say, it was one of the best recipes ever. Try it, you won't be sorry.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000;">VIN BRULE'</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
1 bottle dry red wine</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Peel of one orange</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Peel of one lemon</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 cinnamon sticks</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8 whole cloves</div>
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1 cup of sugar</div>
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Place all ingredients in a sauce pan. Slowly bring it to a boil, then simmer for about ten minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Discard solids and serve. </div>
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<br />Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-77884032680996259742011-11-30T05:19:00.001-05:002011-11-30T06:16:59.789-05:00Potato and mushroom cups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t75FWBbVyh4/TtYDF6otW0I/AAAAAAAABAk/eWPd0oeNstg/s1600/sformatopatate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t75FWBbVyh4/TtYDF6otW0I/AAAAAAAABAk/eWPd0oeNstg/s320/sformatopatate.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm soooo tired these days. Last night I had the closing shift at the newspaper and afterwards, I stayed up drinking beer and watching The Mentalist until 3 am. Not smart, I know, but I have such a hard time unwinding, especially after a night like last night, when people seem to drive you crazy on purpose. When the alarm went off this morning at 9, I was tired, but thought I felt pretty good for how little I had slept. It's now 11:24 and I just hit a major wall. I could curl under my desk and go to sleep. Instead I have an interview to transcribe, pages to take care of and the thought that tonight it's Christmas tree/decorations time!<br />
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Of course I could sleep during the weekend... not this one though. Friday morning I'm leaving for Zurich, so I guess I won't be sleeping too much. Oh well. Thank God the weeened after that is a four day weekend, so I guess I'll have plenty of time to nap then! <br />
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As for my "detox diet" (read: I have to shed at least 4 pounds because I hate the way my jeans fit me right now) it's going well. I bought a really cool cookbook called "Ammazzacicca" which literally means "fat killer". Gotta love that. There's all kinds of good recipes, all under 500 calories, so I'm enjoying food, yet losing some weight. So far just .5 kilos (1 pound), but hey, I've only started on Monday. Here's a good little recipe for you: simple, yet very satisfying.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">POTATO AND MUSHROOM CUPS</span><br />
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1/2 pound potatoes cubed<br />
2 shallots<br />A few sprigs of rosemary and sage<br />2 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/4 pound mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
<br />Sautèe shallots in olive oil, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan add potatoes and minced herbs, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for about 7 minutes. Remove lid and cook for another 7 minutes. Add shallots.<br />
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Place potato mixture in a muffin pan to give it a cup shape. <br />
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Sautèe mushrooms and garlic in the same pan for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. <br />
Serve potato cups with mushrooms on top.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006146117120648233.post-18295482343296640072011-11-25T05:33:00.001-05:002011-11-27T05:22:08.350-05:00Roasted potatoes with thyme and shallots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Thanksgiving weekend is over, at least for me. I work on most Sundays, so here I am, sitting at the office, already looking forward to next weekend. Friday and Saturday I'll be in Zurich, Switzerland, to check out some art museums, eat fondue and, hopefully, bump into some Christmas markets. I was also kind of hoping for snow, but I just checked the forecast and, apparently, we are going to get fog on Friday and rain on Saturday - a wonderful combo to take pictures...<br />
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Oh well, maybe they are wrong. We'll see, I guess.<br />
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Other than that, I'm trying to eat light this week, after gorging on way too much food over the holiday weekend. That doesn't mean I won't be posting recipes, luckily I'm always behind when it comes to posting, so I have tons of recipes from the past 15 days still unpublished. See? Procrastination can be a good thing. <br />
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So here's the first one: these are the potatoes I served on Thursday night. I was tired of serving rosemary potatoes, so I decided to dress them up a bit with thyme and shallots. It was a very good idea, believe me. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">ROASTED POTATOES WITH THYME AND SHALLOTS</span><br />
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Fingerling potatoes, peeled<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
A few sprigs of fresh thyme<br />
1 shallot, minced<br />
1 cup vegetable broth<br />
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Place potatos in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper, add shallots and thyme and pour 1/2 cup of broth in the dish, so they won't stick to it.<br />
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Cook in a preheated oven at 375° for about 30 minutes, adding more broth as it evaporates.Chiara "Kika" Assihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953847775099753206noreply@blogger.com4