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Sweet Truffles – 7g of perfection

Tartufi

Yummy, yummier, yummiest. This weekend I went to a gourmet fair called gourmesse in Zurich, Switzerland. Next to delicious chocolate, wine, bread, vegan and pasta stands (and lots more), there was also an Italian stand that presented their tartufi – small chocolate truffles. The colorful packaging directly caught my eye and made me stop. The company is called Tartuflanghe and was the world’s first to reinterpret the traditional 14g praline size to an adorable 7g mini format in 2007 and as of this year the truffle has a new packaging and its own name: Trifulòt.
My absolute favorite flavor is Pistacchio – made of Sicilian pistachios that are only harvested every 2 years, making them super special. The result is a sweet taste, mixed with a tiny tang of salt. Absolutely delumcious (if you are wondering what that word means – a combo of delicious and scrumptious, a word we used as kids that probably only English kids would know)! These goodies are available at Jelmoli in Switzerland. And they have 3 flavors as limited edition: Rose (loved this one!), Saffron and Cardamom.

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Cutest little Bar in Verona

Verona_Bar

Hello hello! Remember I mentioned that really cute bar (Osteria Zampieri la Mandorla) in Verona, prior to going to the opera? Well – I was there again this September and enjoyed a few (!) Aperol Spritz before going to see Verdi’s Nabucco (loved it!)! I took a few pictures this time to give you a better idea of how the bar looks inside. This year round, it really started raining cats & dogs in the evening and we weren’t sure if we could go see the opera, but just in time it stopped raining. We were more or less the last ones to go into the arena and I think the only ones that were not soaking wet! The opera experience was just overwhelming once again (I’ve been visiting Verona for the past 5 years!). Especially listing to the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” gives you goose bumps – so beautiful!

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Filo Pastry Rolls with Feta, Pine Nuts, Thyme & Honey

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Very easy and very delicious appetizer, starter or addition to a salad. Can be enjoyed any time of the year! And yes, you are right – pine nuts and feta in a recipe after each other – but hey, I love the combination!

Check out the recipe

Continue reading “Filo Pastry Rolls with Feta, Pine Nuts, Thyme & Honey” →

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Zucchini Feta Salad with Pine Nuts

Zucchini_Feta_Starter

The perfectly refreshing summer starter for warm days. The fresh mint and lemon give this dish a wonderful lightness.

Check out the recipe

Continue reading “Zucchini Feta Salad with Pine Nuts” →

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Enjoy an Aperol Spritz in Verona

aperol_spritz

Visit Verona – the city of Romeo & Juliet. It’s a beautiful town, lots of small alleyways and tiny streets with lovely shops. Definitely go to the opera! Insider tip: book the “cheap” seats where you sit on the stones and bring your own wine (careful – you need to fill the wine into plastic bottles – no glass allowed!) and cheese or snacks to enjoy while watching the opera! And prior to going into the arena, enjoy a drink (or two or three…) at the cute little bar, just 150m away in the Via Alberto Mario, directly opposite the Hotel Bologna. They have a fantastic Aperol Spritz, served in fancy marmelade glasses!

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Steakhouse & winebar in Gualdo

Gualdo_LaPiazzetta

A real insider tip: the restaurant La Piazetta (steakhouse e winebar) in Gualdo di Massarosa. Gualdo is a tiny town on top of a hill, that actually mainly only consists of a church, where you can have dinner on the churchyard (careful: take a jacket or scarf, it can be quite windy) with a great view and it is just very Italian. Not fancy, but fun and original. The bistecca alla fiorentina is pure goodness and enjoy the “panzerottis” (delicious pizza dough bits) as an appetizer. And wait until you hear the first sound of the church clock – it might kick you off of your chair! La Piazzetta

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Best Italian ice-cream in Tuscany

icecream

I have to admit it: I am an absolute ice-cream addict and when anyone says they can only eat one scoop, the only thing I feel is pure astonishment. The only reason I (very rarely) only order one scoop is to not feel like the greedy little piggy. Anyway, if you visit Tuscany, you need to urgently visit Viareggio. Not only is this a very interesting ship manufacture town, where (I am guessing) Berlusconi lets his private yacht be created. You NEED to go to the absolute delicious ice-cream parlor called “Cremeria Emma” (Via Euro Menini, 8, 55049 Viareggio LU, Italy). It is a pure delight and I can never choose which of the many flavors I want to eat. So I usually order an extra take-away bucket to take home. Yummy scrummy!!! But one of my favorites is “Pinoli” – pine nut.

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Blog adventure

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So, this is my first try at blogging, so bear with me, if some things are not yet going that smoothly!

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Lavender wands

Lavendel_Bongos

Lavender wands or “coeur de lavande” are hand made out of fresh lavender, carefully weaving the stems with satin ribbons. They keep their lovely smell for years and if it should fade at some point, can easily be “reanimated” by carefully squeezing the bloom. Apparently they were once part of women’s dowry, but today, they are just beautiful decoration. You can add them to your laundry to keep away moths, decorate gifts or presents or just lay them in your home as decoration. I make these myself and if you are interested to purchase one (or more), just contact me!

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