The Italians invented aperitivo. When staying in Milan as well as in Rome some years ago we were happy about aperitivo. It starts in late afternoon & let you have some wine or Spritz or cocktails together w/ a selection of savory bits & bites usually presented as a buffet. Until early evening you may indulge in drinks & food … You get prosciutto, salame, green & black olives, marinated vegetables, small tramezzini, pizza bits, salads ……
We made a day trip to Perpignan, in the Département Pyrénées-Orientales, near the Spanish border. It was a rather hot day with a brilliant blue sky and a radiant sun. When I think back – that’s what I remember … and of course a Mediterranean style city and their palms. All the streets, except in Old Town, are line with palms – at least it seems so for me. Nowhere before in Southern France I…
Is there any surprise in a potato salad? Yes: you may add Mediterranean herbs for a delicious summer & holiday flavour … Some years ago I made this potato salad rather spontaneously because suddenly all the rainy weather in Germany cleared up & sun came back w/ fine temperatures fit for some last BBQ events in the garden. … & a real bit potato salad is always one of the best companions around (together w/…
Among all historic sites Rome’s most iconic landmark is the Trevi Fountain – at least for me! Do you remember Anita Ekberg wading across the fountain’s pool at night in her long black strapless evening dress? Remember a very handsome Marcello Mastroianni watching her?
All’ ammiraglio … Let this melt on your tongue! We are dealing w/ a very simple & very easy spaghetti dish – quick & dirty! … it looks so innocent! Be careful: it’s really hot & burns like hell inside you, wakes you up, heats you up … & leaves you feeling full & happy w/ the world – even if it’s hot still in the evening! I found this recipe years ago in one…
On a sunny day about midweek we made a trip to Sète. It’s about 30 min by train from Béziers. The sky was blue, the sun was brilliant: it was hot – we stumbled direct into the farmer’s market which sprawled along the streets and alleyways … and the market hall. My better half & I were enthralled by the abundance of fruits & vegetables, the cheeses, the fish & seafood, the meat … and…
Suppose you need a batch of vegetables for a roast or a BBQ or whatever. How to prepare it w/o too much trouble aka effortless? You simply start w/ a casserole packed w/ vegetables like in the photo above. About 30 min later after a oven session … you get a casserole w/ a delicious mix of soft vegetables. How to achieve this? (I think you’ve noticed that I make it short today … It’s…
Es Vedrà – isn’t it a great view?It’s even more spectacular when standing on Ibiza’s rock coast in the sun in a light breeze admiring the towering islet face to face – seems really huge then … One of the iconic spots in Ibiza: pure, serene, wild, lonely, mystic … a natural landmark. You may get a hint why Ibiza in the 70s & 80s became a hotspot for all the hippies & dropouts. However, if…
Pasta & summer: it’s an excellent combination because pasta is an easy dish convenient for all these warm summer nights when sitting outside w/ a glass of wine longing for some easy, but substantial food – which wouldn’t keep you in the kitchen for too long. The spaghetti are coated w/ a blend of fresh crispy lemon flavour, a hot chili impact & a hearty garlic background – the lemon thyme will give it a…
I like beaches and the sea. When in Southern France my 1st encounter with beaches was at Valras-Plage. The small town in the department Hérault has a Long Beach, wide & fine sandy, accompanied by a fine seafront (w/o any skyscrapers filled w/ hotel rooms & holiday flats). If you like to sit in a café enjoying some coffee or whatever & watching the beach and waves and the blue sky … it’s perfect! It…
My very 1st encounter w/ one-pot-pasta: my better half & I got a food & wine basket as a present from friends containing among others a package w/ Italian pasta, dried porcini, dried Mediterranean herbs & finely grated parmesan. The instruction said: Put 1000 ml water and 5 tbsp olive oil in a pot or pan, add all ingredients except the parmesan, bring it to a boil and let it cook for about 10 min.…
We had a brilliant short break in Milan during December 2017 – just before our New Year’s trip to Paris. Let’s share some impressions of Milan in winter! Let’s start with Il Duomo” & this really big Xmas tree! … & yeahhhh: there was this wonderful clear blue sky each day, this caring & warming sun (about 7/8° C at noon & in the afternoon!) … What an enchanting time (compared to our grey &…
Contemplating the classic columns you might think … No – it’s not Athens – it’s the church La Madeleine in Paris! We made a spontaneous trip to Paris to greet the New Year 2018. New Year’s Day morning on Place de la Concorde: Well, now it’s mid of summer … but I just noticed some photos on Instagram of a rainy Paris! (Although it’s summer at more than 30° C in Southern France & Northern…
Potato salad is down-to-earth … so down-to-earth … Time to get it dressed to kill by adding an avocado dressing! Potatoes are year-round vegetables & avocados are on their way. What do you think of replacing mayonnaise and/or double cream and/or sour cream by a real heap of mashed avocado? What do we need for a fresh potato salad?
When we started our trip to Southern France, end of 2022, we made a stop-over in Montpellier. If you like details: we arrived in the afternoon of 30th of December, stayed in Montpellier for New Year’s Eve and restarted to Carcassone on 1st of January. I remember that it was rather cold and rainy … except of New Year’s Day when suddenly the sun appeared on a blue sky. We then enjoyed a lazy coffee…