MAGNOLIA'S WORLD

Japanese Specials

2012-12-03T11:54:00.003+00:00

In NYC, there's a place called JAPONICA right in the heart of SOHO very basic but the best Japanese in town and if you are lucky maybe you get to see celebs such Sarah Jessica Parker. My friends Dina and Abdel took me there the first time and I have been back.

From Zagat:An “old friend” in the Village since ’78, this Japanese vet “never gets old” thanks to “enormous portions” of “delicate”, “fresh” sushi that “tastes expensive”; the decor may be “long in the tooth”, but service is “attentive. JaponicaNyc

In London there is a place called KIKUCHI on Hanway Street, the sort of place you would never go by yourself. My Japanese clients took me there. Very small and family run, this is the perfect place to try some of Japan's best kept secrets.

Porto, one of my favorite restaurants is Gosho , located inside the 5 star hotel Porto Palácio, it is a meeting place for the lovers of great Japanese cuisine. Gosho

Salsa Chimichurri

2012-12-03T00:01:00.004+00:00

I love to use this salsa in many of my favorite meals but it goes perfectly well duck.

Ingredients:

Parsley, thyme, garlic, paprika, olive oil, white wine vinegar, water, oregano, onion, tomato, lemon zest, cumin, salt and sunflower oil.

Chop the onion in small pieces and place in a bowl, add garlic, parsley, thyme and the tomatoes chopped in small pieces.

Add now the oregano, lemon zest, paprika, salt and the cumin and after the vinegar and the oil.

In the end add the olive oil and the water which I always use warm.

Banana Flan

2012-12-02T23:59:00.002+00:00

I was thinking on how to use the bananas that are getting very ripe had the idea of trying a flan.

It comes out as a very nice desert.

First step:

Melt 2 cups of sugar and after caramelizing add 1 cup water, 1 tbs of ginger, 1 teas of cinnamon, 1 clove and let boil for 5mn.

Add now 2 bananas in small pieces and let it boil again 7mn.

In a pan add 0,5lt of milk and bring to a boil, in a separate bowl mix well 2 egg yolks, 0,5dl of cold milk and 2 tbs of cornstarch.

Add this mixture to the boiling milk and stir constantly until it thickens, then add the banana mixture and let it boil for another 5mn.

Now place it in a blender until it gets really soft and creamy.

Put caramel in the bottom of small ramequins and pour the cream.

Let it cool and put some more caramel on top before unmolding into a a small plate before serving.

Goat cheese mushrooms

2012-11-26T01:23:00.002+00:00

Ready to bake

This is a guaranteed recipe for your guests, simple and tasty.

4tbs olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

Salt / Pepper

30grs of goat cheese (crème)

2tbs heavy cream

Nutmeg

Lemon juice

1 garlic clove

60 grs of cooked spinach

Bacon

36 mushrooms

Preheat oven.

Heat 2tbs of olive oil in a skillet and add onion, salt and pepper, cook for 7mn until golden then transfer to a bowl and let cool. When cool, add cheese, nutmeg and stir well, add bacon and spinach completely squeezed of all excess liquid.

Heat again 2tbs of olive oil, place the mushrooms, add salt and pepper, one garlic clove crushed and lemon juice and let cook for 5mn.

Remove mushrooms and place them on a baking sheet top side up, fill with spinach mixture and bake for around 10mn.

Good to be back

2012-11-26T01:07:00.001+00:00

The last time I wrote was back in February 2011, I missed being in contact and having my moment to share my thoughts, recipes, frustrations and happiness.

So much happened in one year and it is one of those moments in life where everything is moving fast, the world is undergoing major changes and we need to make sure we are focused and motivated to survive this battle. Changes, disappointments, worries, low level of confidence are affecting the way people act and react and I find myself questioning if all this is worth.

My country is upside down with very basic governmental skills, the people fear for their future and for the future of our kids, unemployment reached levels never seen before, violence and degradation are words that we hardly heard before which are in the news all the time now.

In my company so many people depend on the decisions I take every day, my moves affect directly their lives and families and I feel the pressure to do more and better.

I wish that God helps me on my path and gives me the strength and the courage to overcome the stones that are falling ahead.

To all my forgetful friends ... I hope I haven't forgotten anyone!

2011-02-13T21:48:00.012+00:00

Oh no! Not another dear friend whose name I can't remember . The comedies and little tragedies of the ageing process. By NORA EPHRON

I have been forgetting things for years - at least since I was in my thirties. I know this because I wrote something about it at the time.

I have proof. Of course, I can’t remember exactly where I wrote about it, or when, but I could probably hunt it up if I had to.

In my early days of forgetting things, words would slip away, and names. I did what you normally do when this happens: I scrolled through a mental dictionary, trying to figure out what letter the word began with, and how many syllables were involved.

Eventually the lost thing would float back into my head, recaptured. I never took such lapses as harbingers of doom, or old age, or actual senescence. I always knew that whatever I’d forgotten was eventually going to come back to me sooner or later.

Once I went to a store to buy a book about Alzheimer’s disease and forgot the name of it. I thought it was funny. And it was, at the time.

Here’s a thing I’ve never been able to remember: the title of that movie with Jeremy Irons. The one about Claus von Bulow.

You know the one. All I ever succeeded in remembering was that it was three words long, and the middle word was ‘of’.

For many years, this did not bother me at all, because no one I knew could ever think of the title either.

One night, eight of us were at the theatre together, and not one of us could retrieve it.

Finally, at intermission, someone went out to the street and Googled it; we were all informed of the title and we all vowed to remember it forever. For all I know, the other seven did. I, on the other hand, am back to remembering that it’s three words long with an ‘of ‘ in the middle.

By the way, when we finally learned the title that night, we all agreed it was a bad title. No wonder we didn’t remember it. I am going to Google for the name of that movie. Be right back . . .

It’s Reversal Of Fortune.

How is one to remember that title? It has nothing to do with anything.

Missed opportunity: Nora Ephron met up with The Beatles when she was a newspaper reporter - yet she couldn't hear them perform

Missed opportunity: Nora Ephron met up with The Beatles when she was a newspaper reporter - yet she couldn't hear them perform

But here’s the point: I have been forgetting things for years, but now I forget in a new way. I used to believe I could eventually retrieve whatever was lost and then commit it to memory.

Now I know I can’t possibly. Whatever’s gone is hopelessly gone. And what’s new doesn’t stick.

The other night I met a man who informed me that he had a neurological disorder and couldn’t remember the faces of people he’d met. He said that sometimes he looked at himself in a mirror and had no idea whom he was looking at.

I don’t mean to minimise this man’s ailment, which I’m sure is a bona fide syndrome with a long name that’s capitalised, but all I could think was, ‘Welcome to my world.’

A couple of years ago, the actor Ryan O’Neal confessed that he’d recently failed to recognise his own daughter, Tatum, at a funeral and accidentally made a pass at her.

Everyone was judgmental about this, but not me.

'Often I don’t get the joke, although I pretend that I do

A month earlier, I’d found myself in a shopping mall in Las Vegas when I saw a very pleasant-looking woman coming toward me, smiling, her arms outstretched, and I thought, ‘Who is this woman? Where do I know her from?’

Then she spoke and I realised it was my sister Amy. You might think, ‘Well, how was she to know her sister would be in Las Vegas?’ But I’m sorry to report that not only did I know, but she was the person I was meeting in the mall.

All this makes me feel sad, and wistful, but mostly it makes me feel old.

I have many symptoms of old age, aside from the physical. I occasionally repeat myself. I use the expression, ‘When I was young.’

Often I don’t get the joke, although I pretend that I do. If I go to see a play or a movie for a second time, it’s as if I didn’t see it at all the first time, even if the first time was just recently. I have no idea who anyone in People magazine is.

I used to think my problem was that my disc was full; now I’m forced to conclude that the opposite is true: it’s becoming empty. I have not yet reached the nadir of old age, the Land of Anecdote, but I’m approaching it. I know, I know, I should have kept a journal.

I should have saved the love letters. I should have taken a storage room somewhere for all the papers I thought I’d never need to look at again.

But I didn’t.

NOT SO INSTANT RECALL

I know you. I know you well.
It’s true I always have a little trouble with your name, but I do know your name. I just don’t know it at this moment.

We’re at a big party. We’ve kissed hello.

We’ve had a delightful conversation about how we are the last two people on the face of the earth who don’t kiss on both cheeks.

Now we’re having a conversation about how phony all the people are who do kiss on both cheeks. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. You’re so charming.

If only I could remember your name. It’s inexcusable that I can’t. You’ve been to my house for dinner. I tried to read your last book. I know your girlfriend’s name, or I almost know it.

It’s something like Chanelle. Only it’s not. Chantelle? That’s not it either.

Fortunately, she isn’t here, so I haven’t forgotten both of your names.

I’m becoming desperate. It’s something like Larry. Is it Larry? No, it’s not. Jerry?

No, it’s not. But it ends in a Y. Your last name: three syllables. Starts with a C.

Starts with a G?

I’m losing my mind.

But a miracle occurs: the host is about to toast the guest of honour. Thank God.

I can escape to the bar.

And sometimes I’m forced to conclude that I remember nothing.

For example: I met the former U.S. first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. It was June 1961, and I was on my way to a political internship at the Kennedy White House.

I was dying to meet her. I’d grown up with a photograph in our den of her standing with my parents backstage at a play they’d written. My mother was wearing a corsage and Eleanor wore pearls. It was a photograph I always thought of as iconic, if I’m using the word correctly, which, if I am, it will be for the first time.

We were among the thousands of Americans (mostly Jews) who had dens, and, in their dens, photos of Eleanor Roosevelt. I idolised the woman. I couldn’t believe I was going to be in the same room with her.

So what was she like that day, you may wonder? I HAVE NO IDEA. I can’t remember what she said or what she wore; I can barely summon up a mental picture of the room where I met her, although I have a very vague memory of drapes.

But here’s what I do remember: I got lost on the way. And ever since, every time I’ve been on the Taconic State Parkway in New York state, I’m reminded that I got lost there on the way to meet Eleanor Roosevelt.

But I don’t remember a thing about Eleanor Roosevelt herself.

In 1964 The Beatles came to New York for the first time. I was a newspaper reporter and I was sent to the airport to cover their arrival.

It was a Friday. I spent the weekend following them around. Sunday night, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. You could make an argument that the Sixties began that night, on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was a historic night.

I was there. I stood in the back of the Ed Sullivan Theater and watched. I remember how amazingly obnoxious the fans were - the teenage girls who screamed and yelled and behaved like idiots.

But how were the Beatles, you may ask. Well, you are asking the wrong person. I could barely hear them.

I marched on Washington to protest against the war in Vietnam. This was in 1967, and it was the most significant event of the anti-war movement. Thousands and thousands of people were there.

I went with a lawyer I was dating. We spent most of the day in a hotel room having sex.

I am not proud of this, but I mention it because it explains why I honestly cannot remember anything about the protest, including whether I ever even got to the Pentagon. I don’t think I did. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Pentagon. But I wouldn’t bet on it one way or the other.

Norman Mailer wrote an entire book about this march, called The Armies Of The Night. It was 288 pages long. It won the Pulitzer Prize. And I can barely write two paragraphs about it.

Memories: Nora Ephron was there at the White House when Richard Nixon resigned - yet all she can remember was that she had her wallet stolen

Memories: Nora Ephron was there at the White House when Richard Nixon resigned - yet all she can remember was that she had her wallet stolen

If you knew Norman Mailer and me and were asked to guess which of us cared more about sex, you would, of course, pick Norman Mailer. How wrong you would be.

Here are some people I met that I remember nothing about: Groucho Marx, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Benny Goodman, Peter Ustinov, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Robert Morley, Dorothy Parker.

I went to the legendary Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973 and couldn’t really see anything from where I was sitting.

I went to stand in front of the White House the night Nixon resigned and here’s what I have to tell you about it: my wallet was stolen.

I went to many legendary rock concerts and spent them wondering when they would end and where we would eat afterwards and whether the restaurant would still be open and what I would order.

I went to cover the war in Israel in 1973 but my therapist absolutely forbade me to go to the front. I was not at the Woodstock festival, but I might as well have been because I wouldn’t remember it anyway.

On some level, my life has been wasted on me. After all, if I can’t remember it, who can? The past is slipping away and the present is a constant affront. I can’t possibly keep up.

When I was younger, I managed to overcome my resistance to new things. After a short period of negativity, I flung myself at the Cuisinart food processor. I was curious about technology. I became a champion of email and blogs - I found them romantic; I even made movies about them.

But now I believe that almost anything new has been put on the earth in order to make me feel bad about my dwindling memory, and I’ve erected a wall to protect myself from most of it.

On the other side of that wall are many things, pinging. For the most part I pay no attention.

For a long time, I didn’t know the difference between the Sunnis and the Shias, but there were so many pings I was finally forced to learn. But I can’t help wondering, ‘Why did I bother?’

Wasn’t it enough to know they didn’t like each other? And in any case, I have now forgotten.

GO ON, GIVE ME A CLUE

Same difference? Goldfish certainly have a short memory - but they aren't the only ones!

Same difference? Goldfish certainly have a short memory - but they aren't the only ones!

Have we met? I think we’ve met. But I can’t be sure. We were introduced, but I didn’t catch your name because it’s so noisy at this party.

I’m going to assume we know each other, and I’m not going to say, ‘Nice to meet you.’ If I say, ‘Nice to meet you,’ I know what will happen.

You’ll say, ‘We’ve met.’ You’ll say ‘We’ve met’ in a sort of aggressive, irritable tone. And you won’t even tell me your name so I can recover in some way.

So I’m not going to say, ‘Nice to meet you.’ I’m going to say, ‘Nice to see you.’ I’ll have a big smile on my face. I won’t look desperate.

But what I’ll be thinking is, ‘Please throw me your name. Please, please, please. Give me a hint.’

My husband is likely to walk up, and I’ll have to introduce you, and I won’t be able to, and you’ll know that I have no idea who you are, even though we probably spent an entire weekend together on a boat in 1984.

I have a secret signal with my husband that involves my pinching him very hard on the upper arm. The signal means, ‘Throw your name at this person because I have no idea whom I’m talking to.’

But my husband always forgets the secret signal and can’t be counted on to respond to my pinching, even when it produces a bruise.

I would like to chew my husband out about his forgetfulness on this point, but I’m not exactly in a position to do so since I myself have forgotten (if I ever knew it) the name of the person I’m talking to.

At this moment, some of the things I’m refusing to know anything about include: the former Soviet republics, Twitter, Survivors, American Idol, football and Jay-Z. Also every drink invented since the Cosmopolitan. Especially the drink made with crushed mint leaves. You know the one.

I am going to Google the name of that drink. Be right back . . .

The Mojito.

I am living in the Google years, no question of that. And there are advantages to it.

When you forget something, you can whip out your iPhone and go to Google.

The Senior Moment has become the Google moment, and it has a much nicer, hipper, younger, more contemporary sound, doesn’t it? By handling the obligations of the search mechanism, you almost prove you can keep up. You can delude yourself that no one at the table thinks of you as a geezer.

And finding the missing bit is so quick. There’s none of the nightmare of the true Senior moment - the long search for the answer, the guessing, the self-recrimination, the head-slapping mystification, the frustrated finger-snapping. You just go to Google and retrieve it.

You can’t retrieve your life (unless you’re on Wikipedia, in which case you can retrieve an inaccurate version of it). But you can retrieve the name of that actor who was in that movie, the one about World War II.

And the name of that writer who wrote that book, the one about her affair with that painter.

Or the name of that song that was sung by that singer, the one about love.

You know the one.

Extracted from I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron, to be published by Doubleday on February 17.

APPLE AND GINGER SOUP

2010-07-31T21:06:00.003+01:00

I tried this soup on my friend's house and since then I have made it several times. Perfect for Summer.
Ingredients
2 or 3 apples (depending on size)pealed and chopped
1 onion
1 potato pealed and chopped
1 celery stick chopped
1 soup spoon of butter
300 grs of pumpkin pealed and chopped
Cinnamon stick
1/2 tea spoon of Nutmeg powder
Ginger (depends on your personal paste but for me a good piece of clean pealed)
1 Lt of chicken stock
2 dl of cream

Slice the onion and place it in a pan together with the butter.
Let it cook slightly (not brown) and add the potato, the celery and the apples. Once these become soft, add the pumpkin, the cinnamon stick, the ginger and the stock.
Let it cook for 30minutes, remove the ginger stick and blend until you get a rich pure.
Add the nutmeg and the cream a let it cook again for 15 minutes.

Haydary - Yoghurt and cheese spread

2010-05-10T19:11:00.005+01:00

This is a great dip to eat with schreded baked lamb.

Place 500 grs of greek yoghurt in a fine cloth to drain for an hour. Beat the yoghurt until smooth and add the fresh mint finely chopped, add teaspoon of paprika, cayenne papper and 125grs of white cheese crumbled (feta), salt. Put in a bowl for a few hours. Before serving sprinkle with paprika and olive oil.

Patlican - Aubergine purée

2010-05-10T19:08:00.002+01:00

Another of my favorites Turkish mezze and just so easy!

Pick 6 aubergines with a fork and put them on the grill until skin is burned and inside is soft. Cool them to handle , cut lenghtways and spoon out the flesh in to a bowl. Mash with a fork, add juice of 1 lemon, 4 cloves of garlic crushed, 120ml olive oil, salt and coninue mashing until puréed. Place on serving dish.

Hummus

2010-05-09T20:15:00.003+01:00

I already have this receipt in a previous post, however for my most distracted readers, I will repeat some of my Turkish favorites.
This is an original receipt from my dear friend M.

Hummus, so easy and wonderful - chick peas paste!

Put 250grs of canned chick peas in a food processor. Add 4 ts of olive oil, 1/2 cup of sesame seadd paste (tahin), 3 ts of lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves crushed, cayenne pepper , salt and blend until reaching a creamy consistency. Turn into serving dish and sprinkle with paprika and cover with olive oil. Eat with pita bread.

Cook Decoration Course

2010-05-09T19:34:00.011+01:00

Last March I took time to make something I long desired, a cook decoration course.
I was 15 when I spent my summer holidays on a cake decoration course, it was a lovely older brazilian woman which made cakes as she would make jewlery with love and detail.
We would do the base cakes, sponge, nuts, chocolate, carrot and then the fillings custard cream, chocolate, raspberry, and so many other.
After we would set the cake, repair the airy holes and cover it until it was velour touching.

It is funny as so much as changed since then as now most of the covers come ready and all taste de same, however still very interesting to learn new processes although I doubt how much I will use it.

This is a brazilian technique of marzipan covering and we covered a baby shower cake, an orchid cake and the wedding cake.

THE TRADITIONAL WEDDING CAKE

This is a very traditional cake where we had to use several techniques. The roses were made several days earlier and the big bow was made one day before.
We then moulded the sponge, add the filling , cover the fist layer and then cover it will with the marzipna dough.

Thanks to all the team and hope we can see each other soon at another course.

SACHERTORTE

2010-03-06T23:34:00.001+00:00

This weekend I baked!
It was a long time since the last time I made Sachertorte, you really need the time and the patience but it is still my favorite chocolate treat.
This cake was created in 1832 by Franz Sacher after an order from the prince Metternich-Winneburg demanded his young baker to make a dense,compact and «viril» chocolate cake.
It resulted in the most famous cake in Viena and now it is a world famous icon.
The success of this cake depends on the quality of the chocolate, the texture of the dough and apricot jam which gives it a distinctive flavor.
The son of Franz Sacher guarantee that this cake was the most copied in the world but noone could match the original.

Time to prepare: 6- 8 hours
Ingredients to the cake

150grs of Valrohna Chocolate
75grs of egg yokes
175grs of egg whites
120grs of butter at room temperature
150grs flour
20grs of sugar
120grs of powder sugar
vanilla

To the filling
Sugar Syrup
orange liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
apricot jam

Preheat oven to 150 degrees and prepare a mould of 25cms in diameter, grease with butter and sprinkle with flour.
Melt the chocolate in double boiler, whisk the butter, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until creamy.

Add the yolks one by one, to the preparation of butter, never stop to beat.
Whisk the egg whites, add the sugar and continue whisking for 30 seconds.
Add to the chocolate mixture a little bit of pre-sifted flour and part of the whites. Now, add the butter mix and be careful to incorporate these elements well and slowly and only then add the rest of the flour and whites.

Pour the mixture into the mould and bake the cake. It is cooked when you stick a toothpick in the center and it come out dried.
Turn out and leave until totally cold.
When the cake is cold, make two horizontal cuts in order to obtain three parts.

Moisten the parts with the syrup of sugar (this is made with 100grs sugar , 1dl water, the orange liqueur and bring it to boil until think).
Now, spread the cake with apricot jam and leave at least 3 hours.

Ingredients for the filling
200 grs of dark chocolate (al least 70% cacao)
200 ml of cream

Ingredients for the topping
250 grs of dark chocolate (al least 70% cacao)
250grs of butter at room temperature
30grs of sugar syrup (30º)

Put the cream on a small pan and bring to boil. Let it cool slightly and pour over the chocolate which should already be in pieces. Mix well.
When this mixture is warm add a few drops of liquor. Let mixture stand in refrigerator for a few hours.
When you are ready to use it,take a few seconds on the microwave to get the creamy texture and is easier to work.
Spread the parts with the chocolate cream and start assembling the cake by placing the 3 pieces lined up on top of each other.
Then just place the cake in the refrigerator for 5 hours.

To prepare the cover melt the chocolate and cool it until it is warm and then add the butter and finally the sugar syrup to room temperature.
Remove cake from refrigerator and place on a net with paper under to catch the chocolate that will fall.

Spread the cover one time (PHOTO) , let it set in the cake and repeat the operation several times until the surface is completely smooth.

MAYBE NOW, YOU UNDERSTAND WHY IT TAKES COURAGE TO MAKE THIS CAKE....

News and Movie Precious

2010-02-25T21:07:00.006+00:00

I miss writing and I am full of excuses when it comes to sit down and decide on something to write.
This year I have decide to start cleaning some of the items on my "Bucket List" and next monday I start a new "Cake Decoration Course". I am really looking forward to it and will keep you posted on my new adventure.

Life has been pretty nice to me considering the world condition and I guess you just have to face it and fight. This is what where I spend my energies, in getting as much as I can out of my life, working hard to make my world balanced.

News , Bia has lounged her own blog, just starting but I am happy she is slowly getting the pleasure of writing and specially train her English. She writes about women...suddenly I have a women at home!!
http://laceandspice.blogspot.com

Daniel is still fighting to find his way, as sweet as ever, he makes my day with his melancolic eyes.

Little David has come as a blessing and works as my spiritual aid. Thank you God.

Last sunday decided to make a day on the movies and must tell you about PRECIOUS, it was a long time since I felt such a strong pump on my heart. It is a powerfully emotive story filled with hope and optimism.
The story of many young girls that have nothing worth for them to fight for and how a special environement can make them feel part of a world and not just an alien somewhere in the society.
As a mother, I was moved by the story of a mother that repeatedly tells her daughter how stupid and worthless she is and she has become hardened and heartless, lacking education and social skills.
But good things can happen in this world and Precious is blessed with an indomitable spirit that refuses to accept the negative.Through her efforts, and despite resistance from her mother, she finds an alternative school where is she feels part . It is a caring teacher and classmates who, although anything but perfect, possess enough compassion to become supportive friends. It turn out that the world can be a pretty good place.
DO NOT MISS IT!

Glad to be back.

The Istambul I saw...

2009-11-28T23:19:00.012+00:00

Istambul was a surprise in many aspects but it really depends on the aproach you make to the city.

I had a pretty close idea of our itenerary as my sister had been there just a week before, however she stayed at the Cyragan... maybe yet another way to see the city!

One thing I really enjoyed was to visit the historic street SOGUKCESME SOKAGI where you can see the beautifully preserved Ottoman wood houses from the 12th century.

With over 12 million inhabitants, Istambul can be a difficult city to navigate. The only metropolis which faces Europe and Asia in a perfect marriage.

Here below a picture of The Flower Passage in street ISTIKLAL CADDESI. Worth checking but don't stay for dinner - too turistic. This is just a covered passage that leads to the fish market and features many restaurants and music.

Take the spectacular views from the Golden Horn - As the sun sets in Istanbul, its yellow light blazes on the waters of the Golden Horn, giving this freshwater estuary its romantic name, or the natural beauty of the Bosphorus. Ensure to visit all the historic grandeur of ancient times but make sure you take time to shop.

The main attraction for shopping is THE GRAND BAZAAR or Kapali Carsi with its thousand shops is one of the oldest shopping malls in the world.

I particularly loved the Spice Bazaar - great variety of spices , nuts and off course Turkish Delight.

Take some hours to see the heart of the city - BEYOGLU with many shopping streets. The main street is Istiklal Caddesi where you should look for INCI PASTANES and try in this tiny pastry shop, the famous profiteroles and lemonade.

In this same street, I was amazed with a tyny store, basically just a window to the street, which was selling fabulous unbranded chocolate bars. Check picture below.

Buy a sesame bread roll in a stall in the streets. These are so tasty and fresh.

And also the famous mussels with lemon juice.

But Istambul is also cosmopolitan, modern, actual and famous for its department stores and boutiques which rival those in any fashion capital, so if I could make a perfect day, these would be:

Stay at the Ritz Carlton - extraordinary service.

10am start the morning with a strong turkish coffee at LUCCA the fashionable café at BEBEK.

11am Sultanahmet the heart of historic Istambul and home of Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque.

1pm Fuel a traditional feast of kebap at HUNKAR one of the most famous eateries.

2pm The neighbourhood of NISANTASI is a fashion addict paradise and home of BEYMEN department store.

5pm Check out AKARETLER ROW houses in Besiktas. These used to be officers residences in Ottoman timas but are now the homes of MARC JACOBS , LANVIN and so many others.

8pm make reservations at MOREISH a local favorite.

SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DINNER:

KOSEBASI was my favorite , set on a little street up one of the hills this meze famous restaurant was simple, great athmosphere and delicious food. Don't forget to order the ribs.

VOGUE on top of a building overlooking the Bosphorus it is a beautiful location with good food. Service was fair.

LONG TABLE located inside the new trendy hotel SOFÃ , this restaurant is a club concept with loud music. Poor service.

REINA set in the margins of the Bosphorus, again a concept of club. Food is good but service poor. Location extraordinary.

Middle Eastern Cooking

2009-11-28T22:03:00.020+00:00

Off course that for me, what really stricked me most in Istambul was this.... The incredible variety of different ingredients , spicies , fishes...

I am a huge fan of the Middle Eastern Cuisine and off course had to try everything I could - my favorite are the MEZES , usually served as starters but also great as main courses. These are tapas of different sorts that keep coming to the table and are mainly vegetables.

Here I leave some of my favorites:

Humus - a paste of chick peas

Put 250grs of canned chick peas in a food processor. Add 4 ts of olive oil, 1/2 cup of sesame seadd paste (tahin), 3 ts of lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves crushed, cayenne pepper , salt and blend until reaching a creamy consistency. Turn into serving dish and sprinkle with paprika and cover with olive oil. Eat with pita bread.

Patlican - Aubergine purée

Prick 6 aubergines with a fork and put them on the grill until skin is burned and inside is soft. Cool them to handle , cut lenghtways and spoon out the flesh in to a bowl. Mash with a fork, add juice of 1 lemon, 4 cloves of garlic crushed, 120ml olive oil, salt and coninue mashing until puréed. Place on serving dish.

Haydary - Yoghurt and cheese spread

Place 500 grs of greek yoghurt in a fine cloth to drain for an hour. Beat the yoghurt until smooth and add the fresh mint finely chopped, add teaspoon of paprika, cayenne papper and 125grs of white cheese crumbled (feta), salt. Put in a bowl for a few hours. Before serving sprinkle with paprika and olive oil.

Adana Kebab

Mix 1 kg of minced lamb, with 2 finely chopped onions, 3 chilli peppers chopped, 3 cloves of garlic crushed, 1 bunch of parsley chopped, 1 teaspoon of chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of SUMAK , salt and pepper.
Mix well with hands and leave it to rest for 15minutes in fridge.
Divide into 8 balls and then work around the skewers with should have flat blades , moulding the meat until it is flat but like a long sausage.
Grill on the charcoal until well done. Also grill tomatos and green sweet peppers.

Should be served with warm pita bread, rice, grilled vegetables and onion ring.

ISTAMBUL the city of the thousand and one nights...

2009-11-25T22:41:00.025+00:00

It has been a while since I sat down to write.

Recently I was 45 and really nothing better than a treat with my family. I flew with my three children and my mom flew from Tunisia where we all met. It was a bless!

I chose Istanbul . a fascinating city of traditional versus the modern, where you can see the remains of many ancient civilizations and their culture in harmony with Turkish culture. The old versus the new, the is a conflict a visitor must observes. The city is full of contrasts, and colorful views , markets, bazaars and small streets. Food stalls and magnificent mosques. The diverse ethnicity of the city, is another point which is worth examinig.

The underground cistern of Istambul is thought to have been built after the Nika revolt in 532 AD. It was known as the Basilica Cistern during the Roman period but after conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks, it was forgotten of and nobody knew that it existed. Re-discovered in 1545, it was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. Today it has a rather mystical ambiance.

Inside the Blue Mosque - why is it called the Blue Mosque? Because of its interior tiles, mostly on the upper level and difficult to see unless you're right up there with them.

The Sultanahmet district is the heart of historic Old Istanbul, what 19th-century travelers used to call "Stamboul."
This is where you'll find Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) and many other .

The margins of the Bosphorus – which flows through Istanbul’s history and heart – hosts some of the most exclusive hotels and restaurants in Istambul european margin.

Recently opened, the Four Seasons gives a 19th-century palace a fresh, eclectic spirit and off course the most exclusive of all - THE CYRAGAN PALACE.

Worth visiting once in a lifetime....

MUSHROOM AND BARLEY SOUP

2009-07-30T18:46:00.008+01:00

Finally my most famous mushroom and barley soup.

Easy , healthy and super tasty!

8 servings.

600grs fresh mushrooms (buy a mix portobello , paris, shitaky,etc)

6 table spoon of butter

1 finely chopped big onion

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 lts of chicken broth

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup barley

1/4 spoon chopped parsley

1 1/2 c. sliced celery

1 1/2 c. sliced carrots
1 pt. sour cream

Chop the mushrooms , put some sliced to a side.
In large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onions and let it fry, then add the chopped mushrooms and the garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add parsley, celery, and carrots. Let it cook and then add the chicken broth, salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Heat to boiling.

Usually I boil the barley for 30minutes before adding to the previous mix but if you can also add it directly dry, it will only take some more time to cook.

Reduce heat and cook covered about 1 hour longer until vegetables and barley are tender.

Remove the bat leaf and put the soup in the mix. Make a soft puré.

Add finally the sour cream. Taste to make sure of salt and pepper.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the reserved sliced mushrooms and saute 5 minutes.

Place soup in the plates and add finally the sauted mushroom and some fresh parsley.

Today teenagers

2009-06-23T21:38:00.000+01:00

They have it all - could this be the reason?

Often I feel in a middle of an hurricane...

Is there a book that teaches how to deal with youth today?

The teenage years - what a difficult period for us as the parent but for the teenager as well.

Were we , as well , difficult teenagers?

Most parents would ask how to deal with teenagers since this age is really where independence and individuality is cultivated. But in the end , i think we should not worry too much as a lot of parents have gone through their child’s own teenage years and most of them have actually succeeded.
For me the key is - LISTEN , listen very carefully.

After puberty, most kids think they are already adults ready to face the world; luckily, parents are wise enough to know that this is not true.

However, parents may think too little of their teens to a point that they still treat them as kids whose ideas are just kid stuff.

Listen to what they say first before saying what you think. Oftentimes, parents just automatically deflect anything their teens have to say, this in turn makes the teenager just act like their parents.

When teenagers give their perspective, acknowledge it even if you do not agree. It is important for teenagers to know that you have heard their opinion on things.

To deal with teenagers, imagine yourself in your teenager’s shoes. You were also a teenager years or decades ago and you should know how difficult such times were.

However i think we should not rely too much on our own experiences because our teen are probably facing different challenges in life , it is a different world. A lot of parents say things like “I know better because I have been there” in hopes of preventing their children from doing something but were we really under the same circumstances?

Another way to deal with teenagers is to avoid making use of labels when talking to our child, especially during arguments.

Labels can hurt a lifetime and will easily get in their minds.

What matters is that you are there for them at this critical stage with much love and understanding. With an open mind and a sound heart you would be able to know how to deal with teenagers.

I read a wondeful book from a Brazilian Teenager Psychologist and here's some of his quotes.

How can you deal with your teen?
Here are some tips:

1) Do not invade their privacy and read their diary. If you must, make sure he/she never finds out. Their diaries may have traps-- my own diary had strands of hair on certain pages so when they were gone, I knew someone had opened my diary.
2) Respect him/her. If you expect him/her to respect you, show him/her respect so you play the part of a role model.

3) Accept the fact that their friends and their life outside matters more to them than life at home. No matter how much you slave for them, how much time you spent on dinner or breakfast, at the office with a bitch-ass boss-- your teen will always think of him/herself first and his/her friends, popularity, dating, and the latest gadgets, doo-das they want you to buy for them.

4) Don't yell. The more you yell, the more they yell back. If they ignore you, you can try to ignore them.

5) If all else fails and you are a mother, and your teen is out of control, have a sob-session. Cry in front of him/her. Explain to him/her your feelings and why you are worried. If you have a daughter, she might cry along with you.

6) Do not resort to violence. I am sick of seeing parents slapping around their children-- from three year olds to 18, 19, 20. Sickening.

7) Sit down and have a talk with him/her. Remember, there are always two sides or more to a story. Maybe you are the one at fault. Your teen may not be as stupid and immature as you may think. (though studies have shown people do not fully develop their brain to make wise decisions until after the age of 24)

8) Be involved but don't pry. Don't spoil him/her. Don't give in to far-fetched demands. Teach, show, and be patient.Good luck!

TEA TEA TEA

2009-05-26T22:58:00.001+01:00

What an original idea of serving tea.

I saw this for the first time in a restaurant in Rio de Janeiro called ZUKA where the tea is actually a bunch of great flavoured leaves that you can mix match at your tasting.

Bring water to boil and bring to the table a tray of different flavours:

Lemon zest

Cinnamon sticks

Mint leaves

Lemon grass leaves

Ginger stickes

Rose blossoms

and now use your imagination...

Add at your taste or all in your cup and pour the hot water. Let it infuse for at least 5min.

Aspargus Tarte

2009-05-26T22:51:00.001+01:00

This is a simple tart that you will be making many times for sure...

Take few layers of filo pastry and brush them with butter all the way to the corners.

Lay the filo in a baking tray (preferably using a removable bottom) and make sure the filo is bigger than the tray so you can curl it inside after.

Put around 200grs of green fresh aspargus in boiling water and leave it to cook around 5 minutes. Remove from water.

Cook 3 small potatoes without skin and after remove from water and mash them roughly.

In a large tin, place the mashed potatoes, 100g of cheddar cheese, 100g of a strong dry cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg and 2,5 dl of fresh cream.

Add now 3 eggs and mix well.

Put the mix in the filo pastry and cover with the aspargus. Brush with butter and take to the oven for 25 minutes.

Serve cold.

IT'S SUMMER... BEST CESAR SALAD EVER

2009-05-26T19:10:00.000+01:00

This is the best Cesar Salad I ever tried...
It is Summer and we feel for salads and light meals.

Here's how:
In a big woden bowl place 4 anchovies and 2 garlic cloves - crush them together with a fork and then add sea salt, fresh grounded pepper and 1 lemon juice , 1 tea spoon of english sauce and 1/2 tea spoon of dijon mustard. Mix well and finally add 1 egg yoke. Mix again and slowly add olive oil in a mixer.
Put all the lettuce leaves in the bowl, add the sauce and the bread croutons.
Mix and finally add the boiled egg and the parmesan.

Optionally you can also add a grillet chicken breast.

Great meal!!!

My Spring Garden

2009-04-26T22:49:00.006+01:00

MY GARDEN

What a joy to finally be able to be outside and enjoy the sun in my garden!

I have spent the weekend planting the last buganvilles, while I searched for the new flowers and surprised my eyes with beauty.

My friends offered me orange trees that we then planted on blue outside pots , it tooks us a while to figure out the best way to plant them but it as worthwhile as it looks wonderful.

I saw for the first time in my garden the flower of the banana tree here below, glowing on a silver purple dress looking like the queen of the garden.

Crazy little thing called love

2009-04-13T18:40:00.008+01:00

After millions of definitions for the word Love we still question ourselves – what is exactly the best way to define love?
Well, although it is such an old fashion subject I still want to write about it.
Love it’s too complex to define and every person in the universe will always have a different definition because you can only describe it the way you feel it.
Love walks many roads and shows some mysterious ways.
Is love the same across the world? Do people react and love the same way?

Is love in India the same as in Sweden or in Portugal?
Yes, love is the same, it is the way you expose and show it ,that is different.

For me it is like a father that does not want to hug his child – will this father loves less? No, it is the way people react that is different.
Will an old person love their pet, a singer loves their music, a cook loves their food, a husband loves their wife or a mother loves their child the same way?
Yes, the difference is how much you give of yourself.

Love will only reveal if you are you, real and exposed, fearless, sad or happy.
Love is when a smile becomes your reason to live, a reason to be grateful.
Love is when you can’t imagine life without that person.
Love is baking a cake with my mom on rainy Saturday’s.
Love is my baby brother saying «you are beautiful»
Love is butterflies on your stomach
Love is in the small details, the strong hand shake, the hug you give.
Love is partnership, union and complicity.
Love is friendship.
Love is my grandmother giving herself to all of us.
Love is my friends, our laughing moments, our sad moments, our fights.
Love is a battlefield.
Love is believing.
Love is how happy you can get for making someone happy.
Love is holding hands on Christmas Eve.
Love is singing out loud my joy for living
Love is attention
Love happens to soul mates – friends, boyfriends, family
You cannot search for love, it just happens, you just feel it, you just can’t stop thinking about it.

Why do people sometimes say “This crazy thing called Love”?
Just because love makes you change, makes you wanna dive in an ocean of happiness and peace, makes you do things that sound and look crazy to others but to you they make all the sense .
Love is never quite what you think.

Rio de Janeiro - City of Arts (April 2009)

2009-04-10T01:33:00.003+01:00

As usually, I always make sure to take time for some cultural treats as Rio is a fascinating city in what concerns art, music, theatre.

From what I saw, I would like to recommend:

The exhibition of Os Gemeos at the CCBB

The theater A Gloriosa

The CCBB is in the heart of the city and is showing works of the duo Os Gêmeos (Portuguese for The Twins) which are graffiti artist identical twin brothers (born 1974) from São Paulo , Brazil, whose real names are Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo.

They started painting graffiti in 1987 and gradually became a main influence in the local scene, helping to define Brazil's own style.

Their work often features yellow-skinned characters - taken from the yellow tinge both of the twins have in their dreams - but is otherwise diverse and ranges from tags to complicated murals.

Subjects range from family portraits to commentary on São Paulo's social and political circumstances, as well as Brazilian folklore. Their graffiti style was influenced by both traditional hip hop style and the Brazilian graffiti movement.

THEATER «A GLORIOSA» at the Fashion Mall theater.

The theater was also a great experience as Marilia Pera is one of the greatest brazilian artists and she performs magnificiently the role of Florence Foster Jenkins in A GLORIOSA.

It tells the true story of a rich american girl that after her father death , decided to invest all her money on a carreer as singer but she never had talent and despite that she ended up singing at the famous Carnegie Hall in NYC.

NOBU Matsuhisa - The best of Japan abroad?

2009-04-07T14:27:00.002+01:00

The international celebrity chef Nobu is known for his fusion cuisine which blends traditional Japanese dishes with Peru and Argentine ingredients.

Who amongst the passionate for Japanese food, don’t know NOBU?

Nobu Matsuhisa is a visionary who dared to challenge the deep roots of the gastronomic traditions of his home country while facing a lot of controversy and reactions from colleagues.

He changed some of the most traditional recipes and before he opened his first restaurant in NYC , he presented his ideas to chefs and opinion leaders but the comments where quite disappointing - «will give you no more than 6 months to close down…» - chefs in Japan are very conservative.

He is the founder of the new Japanese cuisine.
He brought to the traditional world of sushi , the flavours and spices of countries like Peru where he lived.

It has been difficult to somehow consolidate restaurants such as NOBU in very competitive cities such as NYC or London, as you need to have constant new offers.

Off course that in this case , it also helps to have a great team of celebrity supports that include Bill Clinton, Tony Blair , etc in addition to a celebrity partner – Robert de Niro.
Today, NOBU is a total of 22 restaurants across the 9 countries and it is only down to the already famous obsessive training to his staff, that the quality of food and service is guaranteed – everyone has o follow the NOBU philosophy which does not accept:

- Cooks without ambition
- Dish without soul
- Manager with bad face

The staff is trained to make the visit to the restaurant an experience out of the ordinary. If this happens , the customer will return.
It is curious that Tokyo is the city in the world that gathers the biggest number of restaurants featuring Michelin stars , however so traditional , conservative and closed culture.

I believe that in this business the secret is to be humble and always open new ideas, gastronomy is a parallel world in which people can spend hours debating on a mushroom.

I also belong to this tribe.