I Just Died and Went to Gastronomical Heaven

And now I'm back to tell you all about this unforgettable experience. Because first thing you must understand about a 3 star restaurant is that it's not only about the food, the service and the décor are just as important. From the moment you walk through the door of the restaurant, until you step out, you are transported into another world.

We benefited from a special offer that gives everyone the chance to sample excellent cuisine for a moderate price. And thus, we got transported into a temple of French cuisine, l'Auberge de l'Ill.

This magical place is right on the river Ill and you can even spend the night in the very quaint inn next door. This is actually the plan for next year.

From a beautiful Alsatian village, just an hour's drive from Strasbourg, you step into an out of this world space. You can leave all your cares at the door because the friendly staff will take care of everything. After a very gracius welcome, we were invited for a flute de champagne on the terrace overlooking the river. And how could we have said no?

The weather was fine, sunny but not very warm. Polen from the willows was flying through the garden, the air was sweet and magical. Some ducks were playing in the shallow waters, I even saw a swan swim by and of course, the Alsatian stork was king of the garden.

A swarm of waiters offered us Champagne, amuse-bouche, explained the menu and over all were very attentive to every detail. It takes some time getting used to all this attention but it's amazing.

More about the menu and how I met a famous chef, in the next episode.

As Seen by Me : Episode 2 : On the street

 

In Budapest last Autumn

Pui cu Sos Gorgonzola - Chez Jiminy's

Azi am decis sa mergem la restaurant in propria sufragerie. Asta pentru ca de aici mi se spune ca nu se poate sa gatesti ca la restaurant, iar de aici ca e chiar foarte simplu. Ba o sa fac si socotelile sa vedem unde e adevarul (dupa mine, e undeva la mijloc, dar asta e alta mancare de peste).

Reteta de azi e foarte simpla, este vorba de pui cu sos de gorgonzola, legume pe gratar si putin orez, ca sa tina de foame. Mai jos, poza cu ingredientele. Am folosit doi piepti de pui, pentru sos gorgonzola si smantana ( in poza e ceva intre smantana si branzica de vaci pentru ca mai tarziu s-a executat un chec sarat), legumele au fost dovlecel, rosii cherry, ardei si ciuperci.

In poza sunt si ingrediente in plus pentru ca am facut un gaspacho pentru cina - aici a intrat castraetele in actiune. Iaurtul a fost pentru desert si anume iaurt cu gem de casa. Si inca ceva, nu va speriati ca toate au nume ciudate, asa e in Cehia, dar te obisnuiesti repede:) Dintre legume am folosit doar cam jumatate dintr-un ardei, vreo 6 rosii, jumatate de dovlecel si doua ciuperci. Restul vor fi folosite, stati fara griji, pentru alte preparate culinare.

Am stat un pic sa ma gandesc in ce ordine sa pun pe foc toate ingredientele si am dedus ca bottle neck pentru mine este gatitul puiului iar orezul pot sa-l fac in paralel. Asa ca prima etapa, pentru care am uitat sa fac poza, am pus orezul la fiert cu un pic de vegeta, ulei de sesam si curry (de asta e un pic galben si uite cum va dau secretele mele).

Jumatatile de piept au fost piperate, sarate, am pus cateva condimente dintr-un amestec pe care l-am facut mai demult, special pentru friptura (de data asta chiar nu pot sa va spun ce contine ar trebui sa va ucid, dar sigur are boia). Am uns puiul cu putin ulei de masline aromatizat cu oregano si l-am asezat in tigaia incinsa si unsa cu un pic de unt. In acest fel puiul va iesi ca pe gratar.

Am spalat si taiat legumele, nimic deosebit aici, rosiile le-am lasat intregi, pentru efectul artistic.Am aruncat legumele in alta tigaie incinsa si am stropit cu ulei de masline.

Am incalzit o craticioara in care am pus un varf de cutit de unt, apoi branza gorgonzola si smantano-branzica. Un pic mai tarziu am adaugat piper si un pic de vin alb.

  Si asa arata aragazo-plita mea cu toate oalele pe foc. Intre timp orezul s-a gatit singur.

 

Aici trebuie sa recunosc, am trisat un pic, am o masina de gatit orez care face totul singura, de parca era mare lucru de facut la un orez simplu.Iata si compozitia finala, pentru ca da, trebuie sa fie artistic.

Am scos farfuriile bune si am aranjat masa. Vinul l-am cumparat din Cehia, scrie in ceha pe el, dar este importat din Moldova si este foarte bun. Moldovenii se pare ca stiu sa-si vanda vinul, pe mine m-a costat cam 3,5euro si a fost extrem de potrivit.

Asta este cam tot pentru moment, o sa revin cu niste calcule, cat a costat tot. As fi interesanta daca ati putea sa-mi spuneti cat m-ar costa in Romania (sau altundeva) aceleasi ingrediente.Era sa uit, totul a durat 32 de minute si 7 secunde, ceea ce mi se pare rezonabil. Din nefericire mancarea s-a terminat mult mai repede.

Imi pare rau pentru aceia dintre voi care vor deschide aces blog si carora le va fi foame. Dar puteti incerca si voi :) Pofta buna!

Mother's Day

Today was the International Women's Day, or as Romanian's call it, Mother's Day. Iwas working of course and my Mum is not here but I still managed to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. On Skype. This is a great invention.Talking to my Mum like she was right here next to me was a real pleasure. I even managed to prepare a nice meal while talking to her, just like old times (I made a great Chinese soup, remind me to tell you about it one day).

 
When I was back home, my Mum and I used to talk while doing something or other around the house, cooking, cleaning, watching TV, whatever. Now I'm living far away and talking to her seems somewhat artificial over the phone or Skype or YM, writing and not hearing her is strange. So today, on Mother's Day, we were both happy to have had a conversation like in the good old days when I was home. Like my Mum said it, talking today was like we were sitting together. Thanks Mum, I love you!

It was so unexpected, I just had to take a picture for you

No, the fact that the local hockey team, the Plzen Indians, won against the visitors, PSG Zlin, was not unexpected, in fact it was to be expected, considering the performance of the winning team this season. After loosing 19 points on a technicality, they are back stronger than ever. What was unexpected however, at least by us, was the presence of two Peugeot cars on the ice, during the breaks. Here they are in all their splendor, looking a bit like another car I know...

I didn't know what to expect when I went to the game, I didn't have time to think about it too much but I guess the show and the very hot atmosphere, did take me by surprise a little. You see, football is not the king in this here little country, hockey is. And the crowds love it, they savor every moment of the match, the show the fans put on for the team is impressive.

During the breaks, the supporters have some beers (there is no season for beer here) or hot wine, hamburgers, hot dogs and other treats are also available. On the ice, there are sometimes shows for kids (hitting a pallet is not as easy for the small ones apparently) and for the grown ups. This is truly entertainment  for the whole family, moms, dads, kids, grand parents, the whole family was there.

But this game is not an easy one, sometimes the players fight and the referees have to intervene. An action that would be a big fault for a football player, doesn't even get a frown on the ice, the goal might be smaller, but so much harder to reach. Hockey is not a game for the weak of heart!

There is quite a lot of action, it was hard for me to capture a good image, or to follow the pallet all the way for that matter. I did find myself cheering for "our" blue and white team: modrá a bílá, jdete kluci!

It was surreal, nice but surreal

The invitation to the ball was a nice surprise from a couple of friends. Getting dressed up and going dancing, mingling with the who's who of the town's folks, sounded like a dream.

The night of the ball came very fast and nothing was prepared. A frenzy of choosing dresses, accessories and make up started. For the girls, at least. The gentlemen never have such problems so they instead prepared the "apero", before the ball: sushi and Champagne. Such a lavish treat! The night was to be memorable for sure.

As the the two couples left for the Art Nouveau building where the ball was held, the girls surely felt like modern Cinderellas gobbling on sandwiches (because the night was long). So quaint! said one of the girls, So surreal, said one of the boys, laughing.

They arrived quite late, the party had already started in the great hall as well as in the smaller rooms where concerts and a casino were being organized. With a first glass of white wine in hand, they made their way around, discovering and meeting people.

But the music was so alluring, the Band was playing tunes they knew, the rhythm was just right and so they rocked the night away.

As Seen by Me : Episode 1: In the Train

I want to show you some funny things I spot around, without many comments from my side. Sometimes the quality will be poor, that is because they are unplanned and sometimes unexpected snapshots.

I used to take trains a lot when I first came here. I didn't have a car, I lived in a remote place (remote from the places that interested me) and I had to rely on the network of trains and buses, which, I might add, is quite dense and somewhat reliable (this is more true for the latter than for the former). But before last summer I had never seen this object pictured below. Or if I had seen it, I did not pay any attention to it, for me it was a sort of urban legend I had once heard. But behold, here it was and I had to take a picture of it, unfortunately I didn't have any beer on hand.

Yes, folk, this is a bottle opener in a train. Another testimony of how much Czechs love beer (if the wine was not enough). Of course, you can use it for your bottle of fizzy water or Coke, or even of the local Kofola, but let's be honest, a cold beer is much better on a long train ride through the country that gave us the Pilsner beer. 

Inna

Vazut anul trecut, pe vremea asta, se pare ca fata a avut cel putin un concert pe aici. Dar si acum o aud la radio aproape in fiecare zi la fel si pe Morandi si pe Edward Maya. La spinning am auzit niste melodii techno romanesti in premiera pentru mine. Se pare ca suntem destul de populari pe aici. Oricum bravo lor.




















Imi plac si celelalte afise, daca va uitati un pic, mai ales cel de sus cu Monkey Business si cele cu showul de travestiti (foarte populari de altfel).

Still Life

 

 with Belgian beer, Czech bread, Corsican cheese and sausage, Ikea glasses, Tescoma knife and a book.

Walking in Brno

First of all, let me say I've tried to find better quality pictures, I've looked on my computer and it seems all I've got are not so good pictures of Brno, as if every time we go there, there is no time for photos. Maybe because of the partying?

A big part of Brno means the Universities it hosts, so the student life is quite thriving. Everyone who's lived in Brno knows Ceska, the street that starts near the Masaryk University's Social Studies Department and it ends in the main square, the Freedom Square or Svbobodaku as it is known by the Moravians. If you want to meet someone, just say Ceska, under the clock, they will know where it is, something like Piata Romana n°9 for Bucharest dwellers.

Very close by is a church dedicated to the great teacher Jan Amos Komensky. Of course there is also statue of TGM in front of the University bearing his name. For a very laic country, these guys are held in almost Saint-like reverence.

Going towards Namesti Svobody you will find bars and restaurants, nice places to take a young lady from MU. A cool place is this mall that hosts coffee houses and a Student Agency window. I will write sometimes about this company, another Moravian symbol. Anyway, the shopping gallery is in an old building that has kept its charm. You can go with the elevator to the top floor for a coffee or wonder around until you find a gem of an Indian tea  house. The shops are unique as well, art galleries, hand made, young designer clothes and jewelery, spice shops. From the outside you'd never say you're going to find some little treasure.




















The Square is a large meeting place, I like it very much in the afternoon because the sun lights up the roofs beautifully. But at night it is mysterious and wonderful and the architecture helps create this air. Well not all the buildings are equally successful (much as my pictures I'd say). This green lit shopping center is outright horrible in my opinion. Of course the square (which isn't quite square, ironically) has it's Plague Column, but I don't have a picture of that, once you've seen one or two of these, the rest pretty much look alike.


















Brno's old town lies between the hill of the Cathedral and the Castel hill. If you want to go to the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral, one way is to pass the Town Hall with it's interesting colums. There are many legends related to Brno and at least some of these have left a sign here. One is the legend of the dragon menacing the city who's skin hangs in the Town Hall. Another legend is that of the master who did not get paid for his work and so left one column crooked, as you can see below.

Above, a replica of the Castle Spilberk. The castle has never been taken and it has had a gloomy past as a prison, but it deserves a visit at least to spend some time in the gardens overlooking the town (maybe with that young girl you've met at Ceska?).

Both the Castle gardens and the Cathedral hill offer  beautiful sights to the city. These are favorite spots for Brno residents to relax in the sun and play some petanque for example. Sometimes, you can find couples celebrating their wedding on a terrace overlooking the city.


If you do go to the Cathedral though, and I wish you do, you will not be disappointed, the walk is long but the view is beautiful, especially at sunset.

Brno is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic and it has about the same size as Bucharest (around 230sqkm) but only about 400 000 inhabitants so it does not look very crowded. Several of the neighborhoods are perched up on hills, including old worker's quarters where you can now find the Montmartre of Brno, an area of older workers' houses restored by newer and richer owners.
  
The Cathedral is interesting as well and the astronomical clock it hosts, deserves a look. The bells in the two tall bell towers are said to have saved Brno from invading Swedish armies. After a long siege, the invading army's commander decided that if they don't take the city by noon the following day, they will give up the assault. Somehow a local soldier learned of this and convinced the priests to ring the bells 12 times at 11 o'clock. And so the city was saved but to this day the bells ring 12 times at 11. Just in case.



Now that you've been up the major hills of Brno, admired the sights (met a pretty Moravian blond, took her to a bar), and wandered in the cobbled streets,  you might want to try a local beer and a specific dish. Although Moravians are more proud of the local wine, they do have some good, traditional brews. One local beer is called Starobrno or old Brno, to be enjoyed responsibly. The brewery has a very good restaurant in the style of the Munich beer houses. I once ate some great spare ribs for a very decent price. Last time we were there, the restaurant wasn't open yet and we had to go just next door, to the Starobrno Pivnice, which would be the pub, but in very Czech/Moravian fashion, the pub serves food, very good food actually. What you see in this photo taken with my phone, is a wild boar goulash with bread dumplings, potato rosti and some slices of gingerbread that complemented the sauce very well and were a much welcomed although surprising, addition. It is among the top 5 goulash I've ever had. And the beer was just perfect.

There are much more things to see and do in Brno. There are very good theaters and art galleries. You should also visit the Villa Tugendhat for some design inspiration as well. If you are passionate about history, the site of the battle of Austerlitz is 6km away, in Slavkov u Brna. Each year the battle is reenacted for the public.

As for me, I like the Moravian capital for its laid back charm, the lazy afternoons after a picnic on the Castle Hill and the crazy nights spent barhopping. Reminds me of Nantes. Do give it a try, it might be a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Prague's many tourists.