Life in Luxembourg

Diplomat cake - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Ingredients for the dough:

5 egg whites
100 grams of almond powder
100 grams of sugar
6 spoons of wheat flour
1 spoon of sunflower oil

Beat the egg whites with the sugar.
Add the almond powder slowly and mix.

Add the flour and mix.

At the end add the oil and mix some more.

Put the composition in a tray and bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for 15 - 20 minutes, or until is cooked.

Ingredients for the filling

500 milliliters of milk
250 grams of fresh cream
150 grams of sugar
15 grams of gelatin
5 egg yolks
2 packets of vanilla sugar
2 peaches from syrup
2 kiwi
1 orange
1 banana
(additionally you can add some pineapple)

Put the gelatin in a bowl with cold water.

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar for 10 minutes.

Add the warm milk and mix until well incorporated.

Put it at bain marie for 5-10 minutes, mixing continuously.

Add the gelatin and mix well.
Put it aside to cool!

Meanwhile mix the fresh cream with the vanilla sugar.

Add the cream over the egg yolks composition and mix.
Set it aside in the fridge.

Cover a round baking pan with plastic foil.
Cover the bottom of the pan with the sliced fruits.

Add the filling (from the fridge) and some chopped fruits.

On top of the filling add the dough.

Put the cake in the fridge for 5-6 hours. Take it out and turn upside down the cake on a platter (this was the dough will be at the bottom and the sliced fruits will be on top).

The original recipe can be found here

Hotel review - Best Western Hotel Brussels South, Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

The room was OK. The breakfast had limited choice with mostly pre-packaged food and of low quality products.

Free wi-fi and free parking places.

No free late check out.

It takes about 45 minutes to get to Brussels centre under regular traffic conditions.

Automatic vending machine for fishing ustensiles in Porto Santo Stefano, Tuscany, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

First time we saw such an automatic vending machine (it was on the upper promenade in Porto Santo Stefano).

Walnut cake - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:32:00 +0000

Ingredients:

8 eggs
60 grams of flour
100 grams of butter
3 spoons of cocoa powder
150 grams of powdered sugar
150 grams of walnuts
100 grams of sugar

Mix at slow fire (or bain marie) the egg yolks with the sugar and the cocoa powder. Let it aside to cool.

While it's still warm add the butter and mix until well incorporated. This is the filling.

Now the dough: beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar.
Add the crushed (preferably ground) walnuts and mix gently.

In a tray put half of the composition and cook at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes.
Repeat the operation with the other half, thus obtaining two layers.

When cooled, spread the filling on the first layer of dough, then add the second dough, then filling again on top.

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

2013 Luxembourg music festival (Fete de la Musique)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 07:42:00 +0000

The festival has started this week-end and will continue next week countrywide.

In Luxembourg City, the concerts will start tomorrow at 10:30 AM in Place d'Armes.

The full programme can be found here.

Hotel review - Hotel Cosmopolitan, Bologna, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Free wi-fi, free parking.

Decent room, good breakfast. Great value for money (33 euro per night, breakfast included).

Chicken with rice noodles- recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Ingredients:

400 grams of chicken breast
250 grams of rice noodles
50 grams of soya sauce
100 grams of mushrooms
100 grams of green beans
200 grams of bell pepper
200 grams of zucchini
4 spoons of olive oil
1 small carrot
paprika
pepper
curry
salt

Cut the chicken in small pieces.
Fry it until yellow.

Cut in small pieces all the vegetables.

Mix the vegetables with the chicken and soya sauce and let everything cook at slow fire at least half of an hour, or until the vegetables are cooked.

When everything is almost ready add paprika, pepper, curry and salt if needed.
Let it cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the chopped garlic and put the pot aside.

Mix the chicken and vegetables with the noodles (boiled according to the instructions on the packet).

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

Eating out - Locanda dell Arco, Sorano, Italy,

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:21:00 +0000

The restaurant it's kept by an old couple.

The food was good and the price was decent.

Panna cotta - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Ingredients:

400 grams of fluid cream
250 grams of milk
90 grams of sugar
9 grams of gelatine
vanilla sugar
vanilla stick

Put the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes.

Mix the milk with the fluid cream, the vanilla sugar and the vanilla stick and let it boil at medium fire. Put it aside, take out the vanilla stick and then add the gelatin while still hot. Mix well!

Pour the panna cotta in forms and let it at room temperature until it cools. Put it in the fridge for at least 5 hours before serving!

You can serve it with strawberries, raspberry or as it is.
Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

Orvieto - the cathedral

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Main point of attraction in Orvieto is the Cathedral.

A truly unique masterpiece.

Trip to Orvieto, Tuscany, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:08:00 +0000

For the second time...and still crowded.

However, not in the top 10 towns to see in Tuscany.

Duck with pears - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1 duck breast
2 big pears
10 grams of butter
70 milligrams of white wine
2 spoons of honey
pepper
paprika
salt

Clean the pears and let them cook in the butter for a few minutes.

Cut the breast in two and indent the skin .

Put the meat it in the pan with the skin downwards.
Cover the pan and let it fry for 10 minutes on this side. Fry on the other side for another 5 minutes.

Cover the meat while you prepare the sauce.

Mix the wine, the salt, the paprika, the pepper and the honey with the pears and let them cook until the sauce is reduced in half.

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

Trip to Montefiascone, Lazio, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 06:48:00 +0000

Probably on a sunny day it's wonderful here, but on a rainy day like ours it was like this...

Oven baked omelette - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:25:00 +0000

Ingredients:

3 eggs
200 grams of bacon
150 grams of mushrooms
150 grams of fresh cream
100 grams of grated cheese
10 grams of butter
1 big bell pepper
pepper
thyme

Beat the eggs with the pepper and the thyme.
Add the grated cheese and the fresh cream and mix.

Add the chopped bell pepper and the fried bacon.

Add the mushrooms and mix.

Grease a pan with the butter and add the composition.

Put it in the oven at 160 degree Celsius for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Trip to Bolsena, Italy - part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:06:00 +0000

Close by there is a promenade along the lake.

Trip to Bolsena, Italy - part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Small medieval town overlooking the eponymous lake.

Graffiti in Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Fri, 31 May 2013 06:05:00 +0000

Another example of value added graffiti, still in Italy.

Trip to Viterbo, Italy - part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Wed, 29 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

The second part of the walk on a rainy day in March..

Cherry cheesecake - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Tue, 28 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

For the dough we used this recipe

Ingredients for the filling:

500 grams of fresh cheese
400 grams of cherries (frozen or fresh)
50 grams of mascarpone
4 eggs
9 spoons of sugar
zest from a lemon
2 packets of vanilla sugar

Mix the fresh cheese with the mascarpone, the zest from the lemon, 4 spoons of sugar, the eggs and the vanilla sugar.

Put the dough in a pan and add the cheese.

Put it in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes.

In a pan add the cherries and the remaining sugar and let it boil for half of an hour (like you would prepare a syrup or jam) than take out the cherries and let them cool.

When both the cheesecake and the cherries are cold, add the cherries over the cheesecake. You can also pour the cherry syrup on top.

Let it in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Trip to Viterbo, Italy - part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Mon, 27 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

A hidden gem.

Hotel review - Best Western Hotel Viterbo, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Clean room, decent breakfast.

Free wi-fi and free parking places. Not too far for a walk to the city center.

Trip to Bagnoregio, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:59:00 +0000

Too much hype about it, for no good reason.

"The city who is dying" like they call it, is not really dying, in fact is more alive then ever (from a tourist point of view and of those taking advantage of it).

Yogurt cake - recipe (including photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Ingredients for the dough:

100 grams of sugar
100 grams of flour
3 eggs
3 spoons of sunflower oil
1 packet of vanilla sugar
salt

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla sugar.
Mix the egg yolks with the egg whites.

Add the sunflower oil and mix.

Add the flour and mix until well incorporated.
Put the dough in the oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 25- 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the filling:

500 grams of yogurt
10 spoons of sugar
200 grams of fresh cream
6 grams of gelatine
1 big jar of canned peaches

Beat the yogurt with 5 spoons of sugar.
Put the gelatin in cold water for a few minutes then, take it out and put in another bowl, add few spoons of peach syrup over the gelatin and put it in the microwave for few seconds (5-8s) until is melted.

Add one spoon of yogurt over the melted gelatin and mix until well incorporated.

Add the gelatin over the rest of the yogurt and mix.
Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the whipped cream.
Do not add the sugar over the fresh cream from the beginning!
Start mixing the fresh cream at a low speed and increase it over a few minutes. When the fresh cream is already thickened, add the sugar.

Take out the yogurt from the fridge and add the cream and the chopped peaches.

Cut the cake in two-three layers, as you prefer, and start spreading the filling.
If you want to have a nice form is better to put the cake in a pan, covered in film plastic, add the filling and let it over the night in the fridge.

Take it out the next day and add some cream and fruits on top .

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

The Pantheon, Rome, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:54:00 +0000

The Pantheon is a must in Rome, being a fully standing and functional building since the times of the Romans.

It is located in Piazza della Rotonda (midway between Piazza Navona and Fontana di Trevi). The restaurants in this square are to be avoided, as they are just tourist traps with frozen food and cocky waiters.

Trip to Sovana, Tuscany, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Cerise et Olivier) — Sun, 19 May 2013 08:35:00 +0000

Really small, but pleasant. Just half an hour walk.