Nigella Recipe Challenge: Lemon and Thyme Pasta (4)

When the weather gets colder I love eating pasta. So, what better way to embrace the end of a very hot summer and the colder evenings than with a delicious lemon and thyme pasta?

I tried Nigella's Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms recipe. Once again her recipe didn't fail to impress.

Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushroom Pasta

The recipe represents both summer and autumn. Summer thanks to the citrusy lightness of the lemon and a hint of autumn because of the earthy thyme oozing through the mushrooms. The two elements complement each other perfectly and the garlic just add an extra dimension to the dish. It is really a delicious pasta and white button mushrooms can be used if you cannot find chestnut mushrooms (I couldn't and the white button mushrooms were delicious). Just a little bit of cheese is enough for this dish as not to over power the taste of the other ingredients.

The dish is very easy to make and if I cook it again (which I will) during winter time, I will have a nice remembrance of summer with every mouthful.

Creamy Pasta

So, have you tried this recipe? And what was your opinion about it?

The thrill of the ride - Tokyo's theme parks I

I sincerely have to apologise for my long absence – work has been hectic and my early mornings were taking their toll. Not to mention that my weekends have been just as packed as my week. But, I’m finally, once again, in the swing of things and I’ve got many more exciting adventures to share! Today I want to travel back to the Far East, to a country where I’ve truly lost my heart – Japan.

For me, one of the greatest things about Tokyo’s popular culture (or the Japanese popular culture) is how it brings out your inner child. Around all the major shopping centres you get Taito stations -  the cacophonic jingles of arcade games and their intensely focused players glued to their screens , UFO catchers with the latest of the most kawaii animated characters plush toys (like Hello Kitty, Nyanpira or Rilakkuma) and photo booths where girls of all ages transform their pictures taken with their boyfriend or girlfriends in the green screen-type booths to photos fit for fashion magazines, manga novels or even travel journals. (There are photo booths where you can place yourself in a Parisian street scene).

All my Kawaii plush toys (caught in UFO catchers)  - thanks Armand! 

The Japanese are often known for the ways in which they blow off steam – from Karaoke to drinking Sake after work with your colleagues. But one of the best ways to blow off steam and bringing out your inner (screaming) child? Going to one of Tokyo’s three major theme parks! Today I’m going to focus on the theme park that boasts some of the worlds’ fastest roller coaster rides – Fuji-Q Highland!

Fuji-Q Highland Entrance

Giant Maneki-Neko (lucky beckoning cat)

The theme park isn’t in Tokyo City but it is a  train drive away (to the Mount Fuji area). There lies the mecca for speed- and thrill-seekers alike. The theme park boasts a few famous rides, such as the Dodonpa and the Eejanaika. My favourite was the Eejanaika, which is definitely any speed seeker’s thrill!

Rides rides everywhere you can see! 

The Eejanaika

The Eejanaika is a 4 Dimensional roller coaster. Not only does the roller coaster roll around its tracks at around 126 km per hour, its seats also rotate forward and backward while the separate carts (with the free-rotating seats attached to it) itself spin around in 360 degrees!  The ride is so crazy that one cannot even shout anymore because your body is so confused as to its whereabouts and the direction it’s going to turn to, that shouting seems redundant. Needless to say, everybody walks a bit askew when climbing off of the ride...

The other ride is the Dodonpa. We probably waited for 2 hours in the freezing cold to get onto this ride and it was well worth it. The ride’s name comes from the sound of a Japanese Taiko drum beat (Don-Don-Pa), which resembles warfare music. As you stand in the queue a drum beat continues to hammer through the aisles, heightening your anticipation even more. The train slowly exits into a tunnel where “engineers” sit, constantly checking the monitors and orange and red lights flashing. As soon as the train enters the tunnel several warnings are given about bracing your head tightly against the headrest as it counts down 3-2-1. Then you suddenly accelerate from 0 to 172 km/hour in 1.8 seconds. Your body is just blasted against the seat as you wizzzzzzzzzzzzzz past several thrilling loops and turns. 

Paniclock - it goes round and round and round!

This ride is extremely fun - a giant wheel turning while swinging up and down! 

Entrance to the park is about 4500 Yen for a day pass. The theme park offers several other interactive and technologically based games, such as a Gundam-inspired game (Gundam is an anime, featuring robots) where you run around on a space-ship trying to get clues to take you to the next level. There is also a big ice rink, a big Thomas the Tank Engine park for children and the best of all – a very VERY freaky haunted house.

Gundam-themed game

Entrance to the haunted house

Perhaps she is a patient missing from her ward?

The haunted house is themed on an abandoned psychiatric hospital with patients (mostly Japanese students getting a few kicks from scaring others) running around and scaring you in different parts of a very dirty and very scary-looking. (What is it about abandoned asylums and hospitals that is so weird?). The one wing in the hospital has a maternity ward where blood and gunk and echoes of crying babies fill the hallway. At one stage your torch which you are given at the beginning of the haunted house, is taken away from you and a “crazy” person runs after you, chasing you out of the building. The haunted house really is one of the best scares I’ve had in my life and all the detail in the “hospital” makes for an authentic experience. (Well, as authentic as a run-down asylum with insane people running around can be!)

Fuji-Q offers many strange quirks around the park, like this little guy. He isn't even pointing to something specific!

The giant Ferris wheel with the Dodonpa in the background. 

Mt Fuji

Yet another funny Japanese sign - do not fight the bear! 

Not only does Fuji-Q Highland offer more than a day’s thrills and screams, you can also view Mount Fuji from several viewing points in the park. And you can also buy special Mount Fuji (Blue Berry Cheese Cake flavoured) Kit Kats! 

Mt Fuji Kit Kats

The ice rink

So tell me, have you ever been to Fuji-Q (or Fujikyu) Highland? Or what are your favourite rides at theme parks? Do you like theme parks? And have you ever tasted Blue Berry Cheese Cake Kit Kats?

The different outfits of Manneken Pis

Along the streets leading away from Brussels’ majestic Grande Place (or Grote Markt), one finds several waffle shops and chocolatiers, the buttery and sweet scents wafting through the streets. Yet, in a very insignificant street stands Brussels’ famous icon, relieving himself in front of all to see. Yes, the little Manneken-Pis (literally meaning Little Man Pee) has been urinating on the street corner for the past few hundred years. Although the original statue is kept in the Maison du Roi or Broodhuis (situated on the Grande Place), the replica (which was placed there in 1965) is still entertaining to observe, with his never ending stream of water splashing in the fountain below. But to me, the best part of this little laughing boy entertaining the flocks of people crowding around him, trying to get a picture of him AND them together, is not only the reaction of people spotting him for the first time, but his attire.

Manneken-Pis in a very cute outfit - see how tiny he is!? In this photo and the photo below he is dressed in horse riding gear (he is a Cavalier of the Cercle Royal d'Oxer - Royal riding academy)

But before I begin, let me first share a few of the legends about the origin of Manneken Pis;

One states that in the 12^th century Duke Godfrey III of Leuven was taken to battle along with his troops and was placed in a cradle and hung from an oak tree in order to bring the troops good luck and to encourage them. He then urinated onto the enemy. Duke Godrey’s troops eventually won the battle. To commemorate their victory the oak tree was taken and planed in the street of the same name (Rue du Chene/Eikstraat) and a statue of the little boy was erected.

Another says that in the 8^th century , Vindicien, Bishop of Arras, came to preach in Brussels. The local lord invited the Bishop to stay with him – his alterior motive being that he wanted the Bishop to pray and intercede with God on his behalf in order for him to have a male heir. Nine months later a baby boy was born whose first act was to “pee so high” that it hit the Bishop’s beard. Before the baptism of the baby boy after a quarrel with one Gudula (who later became a Saint – the Our Lady Cathedral in Brussels is named after her) the future saint punished the father of baby boy by saying “Your only son will grow no bigger and will never stop peeing”.

And my preferred legend : In the 14^th century when Brussels was under siege, a little boy, Julianske, caught sight of the enemy preparing to place explosive charges at the city walls. The little boy then urinated on the burning fuse, saving the city from destruction.

On 11 October Manneken Pis wore a yellow ribbon around his eyes, reading "Lumière pour le monde" (light for the world), for World Sight Day. 

Now, for his outfits…

Many embassies, sister cities, artists, workers and worker unions, sportsmen and so forth have given miniature outfits, suits or costumes to “honour” the little boy. Today the little statue has more than 800 outfits! Most of them are displayed in the City Museum of Brussels (on the Grande Place). The Friends of Manneken Pis posts a schedule of when he is going to wear different outfits on the gate in front of the statue. They are also responsible for dressing him, usually to the loud music of a brass band playing exciting melodies. He is usually dressed in some attire during festivities and days that honour various worksmen, such as firefighters, policemen etc. There is even a Nelson Mandela outfit and a fantastic South Africa outfit, equipped with gumboots and a hard hat. There’s an Elvis outfit, a Canadian Ice Hockey player, an Obelix outfit (from Asterix and Obelix) and several different quirky and traditional ones.

Manneken Pis as St Niklaas (Saint Nicholas, who became known as Santa Claus). 

Manneken Pis wearing a fire fighter outfit

Manneken Pis as St Niklaas

A festive fire fighter

Close Up of Manneken Pis dressed in traditional equestrian gear. 

An exciting day in Brussels is during Saint Verhaegen celebrations, where the students of the ULB and VUB (Université Libre de Bruxelles, a French speaking university and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, it’s Flemmish speaking counterpart) have a procession along the streets of Brussels in their traditional university attire (basically they just have an excuse to party and drink beer, something which the Belgians tend to do a lot – I don’t think most of the students even know what the reason behind Saint-V day is!). The students are dressed in large-billed caps, white doctors’ jackets scribbled over with messages from friends and they usually walk around, begging for beer money. You see them throwing each other with beer and food, hence the not so clean jackets. But what does this have to do with Manneken-Pis? Well, on this day he is dressed not only in the students’ attire but he pees beer! Yes, real authentic Belgian beer! Sometimes it squirts out over the fences, soaking the students, all raising their hands to catch some of the beer. And all the while a band joins the festivities playing their loud music for the laughing boy peeing beer! Young and old join together in the festivities. It is very entertaining to see!

Manneken Pis wearing a traditional ULB/VUB outfit

The ocean of heads before the little boy's statue

Manneken Pis as a VUB student (above)
Festive students, old and young (below)

So, have you seen Manneken-Pis and what is your impression of him? Do you like him or don’t you see why everybody is going crazy about him? And if you have seen him dressed up, what did he wear? Or what is your favourite Manneken-Pis outfit?

Where to find him: 46 Rue de l’Etuve/ 46 Stoofstraat (on the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue du Chene/Eikstraat) If you stand on the Grande Place, facing the City Hall or Hotel de Ville (the building with the big tower), take the left side street passing by the City Hall (Rue Charles Buls/Charles Buls straat). (There will be a statue of Everhard 't Serclaes on your left – if you rub the golden statue, you will supposedly get good luck!) Continue straight with the street. You’ll know you are near Manneken Pis because of 1) the tourists flocking to see the little boy 2) there is a pedestrian street (no cars allowed) and 3) you will see a big blue Tin Tin Mural prancing on the right hand side.

Below are a few photos of vintage postcards that I couldn’t resist to buy (€8 for 20)

from the Brussels City Museum. Absolutely adorable!

Manneken Pis Postcards

This one is probably my favourite! 

In frosty weather, Madam, that's all you get to see(above)
There is but Brussels to supply us with such showers(below) - Brussels is known for its rainy weather

Nigella Recipe Challenge: Rosemary Remembrance Cake (3)

Today was (and still is) a tremendously hot day. Despite the heat though, I could  not stay out of the kitchen. The oven was beckoning me to bake Nigella’s Rosemary Remembrance Cake. Hoping that the heat that was beating down on us, despite the dips in the swimming pool, will break because of some afternoon rain, I baked the cake to be eaten during tea time.

A Rabbit joined us for tea 

I am a very patient baker and can spend a long time beating, mixing, kneading and sieving with all the patience in the world (I am, however, not always so patient when it comes to waiting for the baked goods to cool down before trying it out!). But this recipe (like most of Ms Lawson’s recipes) is really quick and easy to make.  (Find her recipe here: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/rosemary-remembrance-cake-129)
It basically consists of apple, caster sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, butter, flour, eggs, baking powder and of course, rosemary. The apple makes the cake nice and moist whilst the lemon zest adds something extra to the cake.

Tea time!  

The best part of baking and cooking is smelling the aromas develop. This cake is no exception. From the first steps of baking (adding the rosemary to the chunks of apple) the scent of rosemary fills the kitchen, even more so when it is starting to bake in the oven.

Such a moist cake. Hmmmm!

The results: a deliciously moist and golden cake with hints of lemon and rosemary which balances each other out. I will definitely make this cake again – not only is it deliciously fragrant but the sprig of rosemary neatly placed on the cake adds to the visual appeal.

Rosemary Remembrance Cake

The citrus notes of the cake does rather remind me of a Madeira cake. 

And the cake was an absolute winner during tea time – when the rain (which only lasted a few seconds) started to cool the very hot Pretoria down. 

So tell me, do you still enjoy baking, even if it's warm? And have you tried this recipe before? What is your opinion on it?

Memoirs of Paris: A Tour - Part I (and a delicious Baguette Recipe)

As the Thalys train started to slow, I cannot help but to sing Edith Piaf’s La vie en Rose in my head, the slow, jazzy tune of the trumpets singing of a past classical romance. And so I have come to rekindle my past romance. Not with my dearest husband sitting next to me, quizzically trying to figure out the answer to a crossword puzzle, but with Paris, the place I call my heart’s home.

Upon arrival at Gare du Nord we are greeted with the familiar Parisian dialect; not the Belgium Flemish and “ch’tis” French I’ve grown so accustomed to. We quickly catch a metro and find our way to our beautiful room in our hotel next to the lush Jardins du Luxembourg. The building, like so many old French buildings, has the most elaborate stucco on the ceiling and greets your ears with soft creaks of footsteps on wooden floors. After settling down we immediately set out in the direction of the Notre Dame. This weekend, I am the navigator as Paris feels to me like my old familiar home. We decided that this weekend we are going to spend time in the old familiar places and just wander around, enjoying the Parisian atmosphere.

The Pantheon 

First stop, the Pantheon, situated (close to the Jardins du Luxembourg) in the Latin Quarter. The Pantheon’s facade is modeled on the Pantheon in Rome and today it is used as mausoleum. It was originally built as a church for the patron saint of Paris, St. Genevieve. The Pantheon is one of those buildings that just, once again, emphasizes our minuscule size in the world but reminds us how we have the ability to make a big impact on it, none the less. Many notable people are interred and buried here, including Voltaire, Emile Zola, Louis Brailles and Victor Hugo. Foucault, the French physicist’s famous swinging spherical pendulum was first demonstrated here and a copy of which can still be seen inside. Strangely enough, after rummaging through my old photos from my first visit to the city, I found that I took a very similar photo back then and then during this visit. (The first photo is from my visit in 2007, where a friend and I “accidentally” discovered the Pantheon from below the hill. The second photo is from my visit in 2012 where we passed through this street to get to the Notre Dame.)

My first sighting of the Pantheon (2007)

Leaving the Pantheon to go to the Notre Dame (2012)

From the Pantheon it is best to walk through the city to go to the Ile de la Cite, which hosts the beautiful Notre  Dame de Paris, simply known as the Notre Dame. I truly believe that the best way to see a city is on foot, for it allows you to see and experience so much more. One can smell the different scents, and hear the different sounds of the city. A quick and easy way to travel is, of course, the Paris Metro. A carnet (consisting of 10 tickets) can be bought at a slightly reduced rate and can be used for 10 single trips. The metro stops nearby most of the famous Parisian attractions. If you are staying for 5 days or more, the Passe Navigo can be bought at all RATP/SNCF ticket windows at the metro stations. This pass can be used to travel as much as you like on all the Paris Metro lines and the RER network, however it can only be activated on weekdays, which would be problematic if you arrive on a weekend.

The Notre Dame (front entrance and entrance to the  treasury)

The Notre Dame was built in a French Gothic style and construction began in 1160. Gothic elements creep from every crevice of the cathedral, most notably the gargoyles looming over the spires, maliciously spitting streams of rainwater onto the ground. It is possible to view the cathedral’s gargoyles up close when taking a tour of the towers, which includes climbing about 400 steps, for a fee of € 8,50 for adults. (Note: the cathedral is currently undergoing some renovation and not all the towers will be accessible. The monument itself will be closed from 19 February 2013 to 10 March 2013, except on weekends.) From the tower a beautiful view of Paris awaits. The cathedral’s treasury is also worth visiting for its various religious relics, most notably the crown of thorns, a piece of the cross and a nail from the cross. The entrance fee to the treasury is €3,00 (the entrance to the treasury is in front of the cathedral, and not in the cathedral itself.). Entrance to the Cathedral is free and it is worth the visit. It boasts with beautiful sculptures, stained glass windows and artworks.

Notre Dame

Beautiful Windows

The Cathedral's famous windows

Arch above one of the front entries

The cold and fog came creeping up from the Seine and nudged us to the Left Bank, where we visited the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, which is worth a visit for any literary lover. Here you can find English books lined on wooden bookshelves, hidden away in narrow passages. You can get the famous Shakespeare and Co stamp in your book upon purchase. The shop next to the English bookshop sells collectors books, such as signed copies and first prints. The store is named after the original Shakespeare and Company, famous for being the hangout place for writers such as Ezra Pound, James Joyce and Ernest Hemmingway, which unfortunately closed during the German occupation of France during World War II.

Paris has so many famous monuments which we were eager to visit again, but our bed was beckoning us to get a good night’s sleep before embarking on our second day’s “monument hopping tour”. We enjoyed a hearty dinner in the comfort of our bed and soon drifted away, the lights of the Eiffel Tower swaying across the orange clouds cast across the horizon.

The famous Shakespeare and Company

Below I share a recipe inspired by one of the most delicious baguettes I’ve had in Paris.

Portobello mushroom, Roquefort and caramelized onion baguette

(Serve with a warm soup of your choice, such as French Onion Soup or Vegetable soup)

Ingredients:

Two large Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Butter

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried sage

(or substitute the above herbs with an Italian Herb mix)

¼ teaspoon dried garlic flakes

Slices of Roquefort (or any blue cheese of your choice)

2 Onions

Brown Sugar

Baby Spinach leaves

Salt

1.       Place the mushrooms in a deep bowl. Cover with olive oil and add about 4 table spoons of Balsamic Vinegar. Add the Basil, Oregano and Sage (or the Italian Herb mix) and the garlic.  Rub the mushrooms in the mixture and set aside.

2.       Meanwhile, prepare the caramelized onions by peeling the onions. Halve the onions and slice them lengthwise. Melt some butter in a thick bottomed pan. Lower the heat and add the onions, add some salt and sauté.  Once the onions are becoming transparent, add some brown sugar and a little bit of Balsamic vinegar (one table spoon of vinegar for every two table spoons of sugar). Allow the onions to caramelize over low heat, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

3.       In a separate pan, heat some olive oil and add the marinated mushrooms and the rest of the marinade. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat, while frequently stirring, for about five minutes. Allow to cool.

4.       Prepare the baguette by slicing it lengthwise, adding some butter. Add the baby spinach leaves. Top the leaves with the Portobello mushrooms and add the caramelized onions. Drizzle the mushrooms with some of the caramel residue of the onions. Top with the slices of Roquefort and serve with a warm soup.

Have you tried this recipe? Do you like french sandwiches or baguettes? And have you ever been to Paris?

Nigella Recipe Challenge: Spiced Peaches (2)

On Saturday I splurged at the Hazel Food Market’s spice stall. The smells and the vibrant colours of the different spices immediately drew me in and I bought a few extra spices; cardammon, star aniseed, cloves and cinnamon sticks. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it  – make and review Nigella’s Spiced Peaches recipe (this is my second review). We also bought a wonderful La Petite France Bree cheese, and I knew the peaches would be a great accompaniment to the cheese.

 (You can find the recipe here:  http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/spiced-peaches-95).

Spiced Peaches

Ingredients:

2 cans peach halves (or slices) in syrip (800grams)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)

2 cinnamon sticks

4 centimetres fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thinly into rounds)

·         ½ teaspoons dried chilli (flakes)

·        ¼ teaspoon table salt ( or ½ teaspoons maldon salt)

·         3 cloves

Add the peach halves and the syrup into a large sauce pan. Add the vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, chilli and salt and heat over medium heat until it starts to boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve (hot or cold). 

The result: delicious golden peaches

Note: I added some star aniseed to the recipe, as it is one of my favourite spices and I think it would complement the different flavours. The recipe says that you should add peppercorns, although it doesn't list it in its ingredients list. I added three peppercorns and it tastes great. I also made some more syrup by mixing brown sugar with warm water. The peaches can be kept for a few days in an airtight container, and I am sure they can be kept longer if they are bottled properly.

This is definitely one of my favourite recipes as it is very quick and easy to make. The best part is how the rich aroma of the spices starts to develop, becoming more deep and complex. Only when the peaches and syrup cool down, do you get the full richness of the spiced up peaches. Next time I am going to add some orange rind and see how that goes. 

Yummy Petite France Bree Cheese and Spiced Peaches

Nigella suggest to serve this with ham and also suggests using cheese. I paired it with cheese (even baked bree or camembert will  make excellent choices), pouring  the sauce over a very tasty Bree.

Delicious Spiced Peaches and Bree

I will definitely make this again, in summer or in winter.

Have you tried this recipe? With what will you present it? And do you like spiced peaches?