"Yes! Medium well."

10th
December

55 notes

Fartons. Safont Pastisseria-Bomboneria. Barcelona, Spain. October 2012. A little update is in order! Since my last post, I went on to travel through Spain, visiting the beautiful island of Ibiza, made a one-day pit stop in Valencia, moseyed on over to Malaga and last but not least, spent my last few days in Barcelona. Needless to say, it was yet another amazing travel adventure, making new friends along the way and creating new memories which replay in my head whenever NYC has me in a corner. In addition to seeing new places, I also had the pleasure of enjoying many yummy dishes and desserts!This post features “fartons” which are soft, sweet bread sticks sprinkled with powdered sugar. From what I learned, fartons were originally created to accompany that delicious drink called “horchata” which is made from “chufas” or tiger nuts. I was lucky to try some horchata while in Valencia, the city where it originates from. The consistency is very similar to soy milk, but the flavor is unique.
Fartons are made in two different ways. Originally, they were made to be sponge-like in order to soak up the horchata. Later on, the recipe was modified to make fartons have a more flakey form. Both can still be found in different shops, but the flakier kind tend to be more common these days. The fartons in the image are the flaky kind, which melt in your mouth and deliver pure joy. You can buy several for 1 euro - and this is a plus, because you’ll want to eat more than just one!

5th
October

1 note

Granola & Yogurt. October 2012. What’s a tasty, filling alternative to junk food snacks? All-natural plain yogurt with granola, topped with bananas or any other fruit of your choice. The granola used for this photo contains toasted spelt, barley, oat flakes, sultanas, dates, dried pineapple, raisins, pumpkin seeds, roasted hazelnuts and flaked almonds. I like to drizzle honey at the end as a finishing touch in order to add a little bit of sweetness.P.S. The Netherlands has the best dairy! The yogurts, puddings, cheeses, chocolates…I am in heaven!

29th
September

3 notes

Barra. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. September 2012. This quaint little Spanish tapas bar was the perfect place for an evening snack. My friend and I ordered 3 different tapas but our absolute favorite was this one: a sauté of eggplant, onions, and peppers topped off with a melted layer of goat cheese. The savory nature of this dish made my tastebuds do a little dance. Add a glass of rosé and you’re all set!

24th
September

48 notes

Bagels & Beans, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. September 2012. Well, I’m back at Bagels & Beans! My favorite spot to visit with my cousin. The very first post I made on this food blog was of these same tapas-style spreads to go with the bagel of your choice. We decided to indulge once again! We noticed some changes this time around. Here are the new spreads: Sundried tomato cream cheese (center), chopped olives, tuna with chopped onions, guacamole, hummus, sundried tomatoes, and prosciutto with parmesan cheese. Pine nuts were sprinkled on top to seal the deal.

24th
September

0 notes

De Zakkendrager Restaurant. Utrecht, The Netherlands. September 2012. My dinner was a tasty and satisfying Mediterranean dish of gnocchi with grilled, marinated vegetables (zucchini, tomatoes) and Taggiasca olives in a baby spinach and basil based sauce. Bon appetit!

24th
September

60 notes

De Zakkendrager Restaurant. Utrecht, The Netherlands. September 2012. During my visit to Utrecht, I went out to dinner with a couple of lovely ladies who took me to De Zakkendrager. My friend Saskia ordered this dish which consisted of grilled pork tenderloin with morel sauce and red port, Coppa di Parma, spinach and mashed potatoes (which are hidden underneath the pork)!

21st
September

1 note

Tomato Soup & Salad. September 2012. It’s been a while since my last update, but here goes. Autumn has finally arrived in The Netherlands and for the most part it has brought with it a very chilly start. Unlike New york, where the summer tends to extend well into September with its warm afternoons and evenings, Amsterdam receives a mix of rainy, overcast days, with a few hours on sunshine in the afternoon. It’s perfect soup weather! In this quick snapshot of last night’s meal I prepared with my cousin, you will find: tomato soup, pureed to a perfect consistency (tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, zucchini, vegetarian spices, salt and pepper to taste), a mixed greens salad with cucumber, olives, walnuts, parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette and a piece of fresh wholegrain bread, which we ate with honey goat cheese. A hearty dinner for a cold evening, mmm!

26th
July

0 notes

Strawberry Soy Smoothie. July 2012. The summer months are an excellent time to shed some pounds…without even really trying! For instance, what can be better (and healthier) than a low-calorie strawberry smoothie? I made mine with soy milk in order to avoid the fats and heaviness of regular milk. Grab some fresh strawberries, chop them up, put them in a blender, pour in some soy milk, a little bit of raw sugar (if you so desire) and there you have it. A refreshing drink to cool you off and fill you up :)

14th
July

0 notes

New York, July 2012. A quick snapshot I took at a family barbecue a few weeks ago. I found it while organizing some images on my hard drive. I think I have only grilled once in my entire life thus far and now looking at this image I can’t help but think, “I really need to get over my fear of grilling!”

14th
July

2 notes

New York, July 2012. The summer is getting hotter. The arrival of intense temperatures typically changes my hunger and cravings. Today I opted for a quick and simple salad (barely had anything in the fridge!). Lettuce, tomatoes and hard boiled eggs to both cool me off and fill me up. I didn’t add much to it other than a bit of Italian salad dressing, but next time I will be a little more creative with spicing it up. Feel free to give suggestions!