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First thing I do at a grocery store whenever I travel, is look for raspberries. I love them, and sadly there are no fresh raspberries where I live, only the frozen mashed up version of them. I’m saving those amazing recipes for the next time I travel to get a good raspberry fix.
Links to recipes:
The goodness worth getting me fat! Pastéis de Belém
There’s something about eating another country’s local food that gets me really excited. I can’t imagine a pleasurable travel experience without eating something I’ve never eaten before, something I know I won’t find back home, something that has a story behind it.
It’s not just something you put in your mouth, taste and digest.
It’s a completely different experience, and here’s why.
When locals come to introduce you to an authentic dish from their heritage, they beam with excitement.
They tell you how much they love it and explain with intricate detail how this piece of art comes together and tastes heavenly! They tell you “when,” “why,” and “how” they eat it. It becomes a complicated affair, because they want to engage your mind & heart through tasting this, they want you to fall in love with it as much as they are. They’re sharing part of their identity and all they want is to give you a sense of that, that for a while, they put you in their shoes, and during those moments you feel like you’re no longer a stranger. For me this is a great source of comfort, generosity and acceptance. They don’t want to just give you something to taste, they want you to remember them forever and pass their story & their heritage’s story.
And this is how I got introduced to Pastéis de Belém.
Portuguese creamy, flaky custard tarts – served warm with cinnamon & sugar.
I got addicted to those pieces of delicious heaven when I was in Portugal. For a month, I ate at least four of those a day (so in total I ate not less than 120!), and I would gladly crawl back to Lisbon for another one right now.
To my amusement, I discovered that their story is as good as they taste.
They rank 15th among the 50 Best Delicacies of the world. The 200 year old recipe is a well guarded secret that no one has figured out until now, not even pastry shops in Portugal. There are imitations of it everywhere there (called pastel de nata) but nothing like the original ones at Pastéis de Belém.
It’s really hard to get that creamy custard on top of the tart’s base and have it remain that much crispy & flaky, not soggy at all, it’s a piece of art, it really is magical. The combination of textures is divine!
I miss them so much but now I’m working out to shed the 4 kgs I gained because of them. The only 4 kgs I don’t regret gaining though.
We’ll meet again my dear Pastries! :) You’ll always remain an all time favorite of mine!
“Have you found someone to share your heart with?
Are you giving to your community?
Are you at peace with yourself?
Are you trying to be as human as you can be?”
From the book Tuesdays with Morrie
My New Year’s Resolution.
First of all, I want to wish everyone who’d stumble upon this post a really amazing 2013. Here comes my favorite part of New Year’s Eve, writing my resolution.
I just looked at my resolution from 2012 and I wasn’t disappointed at all. I didn’t fulfill all what was on it though, but the parts that truly made me happy were all fulfilled :) I also had this listed : “Start a Blog on the first day of vacation” and that one made me the happiest :)
I started to blog because I got so inspired by bloggers from all over the world and I somehow wanted to do the same even on a very small scale. To inspire anyone anywhere or to just put a smile on their faces or give them a push to do something they’re passionate about; the same that happened with me.
And actually a comment from a very special friend made my whole year. An old friend, who’s also a reader of my blog :), gave me the biggest push and encouragement of the year. I can’t begin to thank you for your kind words and support and I’m humbled that you see it this way. You know who you are :) A million thanks my friend. Hope I continue without disappointing you at any point.
After I read last year’s resolution and saw that line, I went over the blog and started reading what I wrote, made and photographed as if it’s the first time I’m seeing it. I just can’t explain what I felt! :D There’s a part of me, a part of my “daydreaming” now out of my head into a tangible thing!!! And what overwhelmed me most, was the fact that it can stay even after I’m gone, and that one day, hopefully, I’d have children who’d see something I thought of way before they were born, and we talk about it in detail and I tell them the stories behind the posts. Those are memories saved forever. Maybe even my grand children, or grand grand children!! They’d always have something that “feels like me” and that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
Now I’d like to share my new year’s resolution :) Here are the daydreams I have now and hopefully they too would turn into reality before 2014 starts.
- Play Piano Everyday
- Finish with perfection:
- Comptine d’un autre été before January ends
- River Flows in you before March ends
- Divenire before May ends - Learn Music Theory & compose something by the end of this year (A big one I know, but yeaaaaa I CAN DO IT :D! )
- Spend more quality time with my parents and friends
- Travel to either Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines or Thailand.
- Work out at least 3 days a week
- Work HARD
- Read a new book every month
- Write more
- Pray on time, never miss sonna prayer
Thank God for all the blessings of 2012. May 2013 by way more special.
Brigadeiro :)
An extremely easy and delicious Brazilian dessert.
Recipe:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon butter
Put the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the condensed milk and cocoa and stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and let it rest until it’s completely cool. Form into small balls and coat with cocoa powder or coconut or any other topping.
PS. It’s also delicious when it’s warm, devoured only with a spoon :)
Enjoy.
“This photo is dedicated to my Brazilian friend Danilo who I met while I was in Portugal. He taught me this recipe and my family and friends here love it:) Muito Obrigada Danilo :)”
Been to a jam with a friend’s incredibly talented band “Fabrica”, and those lyrics from their original song kept playing in my head again and again :D Beautiful song, I love it.
NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY
