Arrivederci Roma!

Arrivederci Roma!

Dear all,

we had a wonderful time in beautiful Italy but now it's time for us to say Goodbye as we are transfered to Peru.

I'm writing this with mixed feelings, I'm sad to leave Rome but looking forward for new and exciting challenges in Lima.
Anyhow, we will continue our journey with culinary, styling and travel adventures from a new city in a new continent.
I will be back with a new  post in about 2 weeks , until then - take care.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon :)

Here is a little "Best Of" from our stay in Bella Italia, hope you enjoy it!

 An incredible variety of chilies in all shapes and with striking colors at display at a roman market.

Evening light at Ponte Milvio

Roman Broccoli

If there is a  beauty queen amongst winter vegetables the title would certainly go to the exotic and elegant looking roman broccoli.

 A Lion Fountain dating back to roman times and still working and watching over the city.

 Solving the parking problem, eternal as the city, a la romana.

Breakfast at my "little bar at the corner".

Packing..... our apartment in total chaos!

 At the Flower Market, combining flowers and vegetables  in  beauitful compositions.

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Baked Apples With Marzipan Filling

Baked Apples With Marzipan Filling

This is a variation of the classic baked apple with the accretion of marzipan which adds a wonderful, very delicate aroma to the flavor of the apple.

Apples come originally from Asia and were during the cold winters in Europe often the only available fruit because they are easy to store and long-lasting. 

My early childhood memories are associated with the aroma of baked apples in our house when we came home after sleighing or skiing.

For the baked apples with marzipan you need:

4 medium sized not too sweet red apples

4 spoonful of marzipan paste

1 1/2 spoonful of chopped almonds

2 spoonful of dried cranberries

1 spoonful of lemon juice

Cut the cap, than core the apples (do not cut all the way through) and sprinkle them with the lemon juice.

Sprinkle the cranberries with a bit of rum and leave to macerate for about 15 minutes.

Chop the marzipan paste coarsely, than mix with the chopped almonds and the

cranberries.  Leave to macerate for ½ hour at room temperature.

Fill the apples with the mix, pressing the mix slightly into the apple.

Bake in preheated oven at 200°C  (392°F) for about 20 minutes. (Time may vary according to the apples used)

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Crème Fraiche.

* For the ones that are looking for a delicious low calorie dessert:

Spice the apples only with cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar before baking.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

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Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tatare

Smoked Salmon and Avacado Tartare

Our Christmas celebration was wonderful, all our family got together.We had a lot of fun, singing Christmas Carols, taking walks in the countryside and enjoying this special time of the year.

The happiest of us all was our dog Buster, a beagle and like most of his breed  over enthusiastic stuffing himself with food - especially the one he is forbidden to eat the rest of the year!  

Now Christmas is over and we are back to reality worrying about curves that appear somehow more curvaceous than before.

It's probably the only time of the year I'm really looking forward to exercice!

For our New Years Party I was looking for something light, healthy and easy to prepare.

This Tartare is fresh and stylish and you can prepare it some hours in advance.

Ideal for a stress free New Years Eve party!

 You need:

-200g (about 7 ounces) of smoked salmon

-4 spoonful of freshly squeezed lemon juice

-1 1/2 spoonful of freshly grated lemon peel

-1 teaspoon mustard (I prefer Dijon)

-3 spoonful of extra virgin olive oil

-1 ripe avocado

-1 spoonful chopped cilantro

-2 1/2 spoonful of chopped spring onion (white and green parts)

-1 spoonful of chopped capers

-fresh ground pepper

-salt

Preparation:

Chop the salmon.

Add:

2-3 spoonful of lemon juice

1 spoonful of grated lemon peel

olive oil

spring onions

salt,pepper

mix gently with a fork and set aside

Cut the avocado in small pieces and add immediatly 1 spoonful of lemon juice.

add 1/2 spoonful of grated lemon peel,cilantro,salt and pepper.

Put 1/4 of the salmon mix in a ring mold.

add one layer of the avocado mix and finish with another layer of the salmon mix.

Press gently with a spoon and wait for some minutes until shaped.

Remove ring mold gently.

Garnish with fresh rocket and lime flavored mayonnaise.

Serve with fresh baguette.

Enjoy!

Serves 2.

 For the lemon flavored mayonnaise:

You need:

1/2  cup of thick mayonnaise

1  teaspoon of lemon juice

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

Preparation:

Add lime juice,grated lemon peel, salt and pepper to the mayonnaise ,mix gently.

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Hot Berry Punch

Wishing you all a wonderful and Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!

Hot Berry Punch 

This Punch warms you up even on the coldest winter’s day and is a traditional drink offered at the numerous "Christkindlmärkte" (Christmas markets) in Vienna.

It really tastes, as I once read, like Christmas in a glass.
People get together at these Christkindlmaerkte at the evening and often there are live concerts offering typical Austrian Christmas music.

The whole atmosphere is very festive, especially at the smaller, not so crowded markets and the smell of mulled wine, orange and berry punch and gingerbread fills the air. 

The little ones enjoy their children’s punch and gingerbread or Christmas cookies. 
Most of the Christmas tree decoration is painstaking hand made patisserie like this adorable Santa and the tiny angel made from meringue. Nearly too cute to eat,don't you think?

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Toblerone Express Chocolate Mousse

Toblerone Express Chocolate Mousse

This chocolate mousse is incredibly fast to prepare and tastes like heaven. It needs only 5 ingredients.

When we lived in Switzerland, a Bernese friend generously shared this recipe with me.

By now, it has become an all time favorite among our friends.
It’s a great dessert for the holidays too, because it's festive and you can make it a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until serving.

You need:

150 g  (about 5.2 ounces)Swiss Toblerone milk chocolate

1 egg

1 spoonful of icing sugar

2dl cream

Preparation:

-Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in the microwave (about 1 ½ minutes)

-Whisk the icing sugar with the egg until obtaining a creamy mixture.

Wait until chocolate has cooled slightly, and then stir in bit by bit the egg-icing sugar mixture.

-Add just a  tiny bit of salt and  whip the cream to soft peaks.

-Gently stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream and finally, very gently the remaining whipped cream.

-Refrigerate for at last 8 hours

Serves 3-4

Enjoy!

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