休閒篇: 花

After the mums, I fell into a flowery mode and decided to use some flowers to refresh my home a bit.  I dig up some old vases that I haven't use for months and bought some cheap flowers to see how it goes.  It was always difficult to arrange flowers in the horizontal vase, however, this time it wasn't bad at all and I am happy. ^^

 

More photos on flickr.

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秋菊

Autumn, my favourite season of all, has arrived!  In addition, our front porch finally has some flowers, fall mums in a pot.  My first time caring for outdoor plants and I hope they bloom well. 

 

More photos on flickr.

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Turkish Coffee and Pancake (Istanbul)

We tried The Han when we were in Istanbul, Turkey. It is located near the Topkapi Palace and the things that attracted us to The Han were that there was a woman making gözleme (turkish pancakes) by the entrance, its Turkish seating area and its decorations (haha, of course we knew that all of these gimmicks were just to attract tourists like us, but we went in anyway :p ).

We ordered Turkish coffee and the gözleme. I liked the coffee because it was super strong but the gözleme was very plain (not sure how to judge it since it was the first and only time that I have tried it but it was not very tasteful).

Overall, the experience and the food was average (nothing to complain nor rave about).

For more photos of The Han, please visit here.
For more photos of Istanbul, Turkey, please visit here.

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Caffe Gilli (Florence)

Caffe Gilli, Florence is the only place in Italy where we tried cappuccino during our 14-day Mediterranean cruise. In Florence (or most of the tourism places in Italy), you will be charged extra if you want to sit in the patio, so we ordered the cappuccino from the bar.
The cappuccino from Gilli was rich and very silky. We enjoyed it and it wasn't expensive at all because we took it from the bar not the patio (I think it was only around €2). It was a nice break from all the walking even though we just had lunch across Gilli in the same piazza =^U^=

The barista who was making our cappuccino (above) and my cup of cappuccino (below).

I really like the picture that I took below because it really showed the Italian relaxed style of living.  By the way (since I show the picture here), this is the patio where we had our lunch in Piazza della Repubblica. The food in this place is not worth talking about and the service was not good either.  We just randomly chose this place (wasn't a good pick).

For more pics of Florence, check them out on flickr.

Gilli
Piazza della Repubblica, 28, 50123 Firenze, Italy

Tel: +39 055 213896

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A Stroll in Sarria, Barcelona

During one of our 4 days in Barcelona, we traveled around using the hop-on/hop-off bus. In our busy day of sight-seeing, we still found time to relax and enjoy some comfy sweet in a quiet neighbourhood, Sarria.

From the hop-on/hop-off bus tour guide, Sarria is described as follows:
Sarria, just like the neighbourhood of Gracia, was also an independent town before it became part of Barcelona in 1921. If you get off at this stop you can discover the old part of Sarrria, whose historic value remains unchanged. Today it is the heart of the neighbourhood, where you will find the market, the church and the town hall. The atmosphere of the squares, where there are weekly book and antiques fairs, the pedestrian streets with their typical shops ... there are a number of important cake shops and the variety of small restaurants, make this area the perfect place for a stroll.

After we got off this stop, we were not able to figure out where the old part of Sarria is located ... hehehee ... and me being love to eat, Hubby and I gave up on sight-seeing and set out to find those cake shops instead for a nice after lunch break. =^U^=

We strolled down the Carrier Major de Sarria, it was a very quiet street, a lot of the shops on the ground floor were closed. Luckily, there were a few cafe and cake shops opened and we decided to go inside Caffe San Marco to take a break. We ordered a regular cappuccino and a mini cappuccino. To our surprise, the mini cappuccino tasted super rich and had a strong chocolate favor. The regular cappuccino was not bad either but we loved the mini one a lot more. It was indeed a very nice find considering the street was super quiet.

 

Across from Caffe San Marco, there is a very attractive pastry shop, Pastisseria Foix de Sarria. Of course, I couldn't resist myself and went inside anyway even after the nice break in Caffe San Marco. Inside, there were so many truffles, chocolate, cakes, gelato and not to mention, freshly baked panettone!!! Unfortunately, I couldn't eat much more sweets as I was already full and my hubby reminded me that we still have a lot more sight-seeing to go ... as a result, we only got a few pastries to go (we did not want to carry too much and we chose the ones that won't melt easily either, since we won't be eating them right away) and a gelato to eat on our way back to the bus stop. I would come back to this place again if I visit Barcelona again.

Check out more pics on flickr.

Caffe San Marco
Calle Pedro de la creu, 15, Barcelona

TEL: 932 802 973

Foix de Sarrià
Calle Major de Sarrià, 57, Barcelona

TEL: 93 203 07 14 - 93 203 00 04
Website: http://www.foixdesarria.com/benvinguts.php

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La Dama Restaurant (Barcelona)

We wanted to have a nicer dinner during our last night stay in Barcelona (we stayed 4 days/3 nights in Barcelona prior to our Mediterranean curise) and since we did not do much research before the trip, we chose La Dama Restaurant because it is close to our hotel (maybe 15 min - 20 min walk) and it has a good rating in the 2009 Frommers.

La Dama Restaurant is an upscale restaurant in the heart of Barcelona in an elegant 1918 building designed by Manuel Sayrach. Its hall is decorated in a Art Nouveau style with a beautiful classic old world type of dining room and excellent service. The restaurant serves Catalan and French cuisine and we chose the 98,00 € p.p. tasting menu.  I loved the delicate plating of each dish, as for the taste, it was good but did not give me a wow factor.  The dessert was only average, we did not enjoy the dessert as much as we enjoyed the other dishes.  One thing to mention, the service was impeccable from the minute we entered the building to the minute we left the building.  From the fact that we only found this place when we reached Barcelona, I have no complains and we enjoyed the night.  =^U^=

Check out more pics on flickr.

La Dama Restaurant
Diagonal 423, Barcelona

TEL: 93-202-06-86
Website: http://www.ladama-restaurant.com/

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Citrus Restaurant (Barcelona)

The first stop of our honeymoon trip last year was Barcelona, Spain.  After a long day of sightseeing, we ended up on Passeig de Gracia and were trying to find a restaurant to relax and to have dinner.  By chance, we chose Citrus Restaurantus (Mediterranean cuisine)  because it started to rain when we were right outside of its entrance.  It was around 7:30pm when we arrived, I guess it just started the dinner hours and we had to wait a while before we got seated.  However,  we are still glad that we found this restaurant because:

1. Quality, quantity, and presentation of the food was good
2. Not expensive (we found that it is actually cheaper than the tapas we had the night before) ... the entire meal (1 appetizer, 2 starters, 2 entrées, 2 latte, 1 dessert) was only 54Euro!!
3. Server was polite, efficient, and provided good suggestions
4. Decoration of the place is modern, with huge windows of views of Passeig de Gracia

We loved this place so much that I recommended it to my in-laws when they traveled to Barcelona earlier this year.  They too said that it was a nice place.  However, I found out recently that Citrus got a mixed reviews from Tripadvisor, some people complained the service was poor and small dishes ... luckily, our enjoyed our experience. =)

After our dinner, the rain stopped and we were able to take a good shot of Casa Batlló at night that is nearly by the restaurant.

Citrus Restaruant
Passeig de Gràcia, 44 (Barcelona).
With Consell de Cent. (Eixample Dret.)

TEL: 93 487 23 45

OPEN
Mon to Sun 13-16:30hr and 19:30-24:30hr.
Sunday and bank holidays until 24 hr. Friday and Saturday until 1 hr.

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Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Cheese

This is a quick, easy and healthy recipe that I found from the DairyGoodness website.  The only ingredient that I think might not be that healthy is the chicken broth, so I used the low-sodium type to make myself feel better.

I found the soup did not turn out as green as I liked it to be, it is probably because my bunch of broccoli wasn't large enough (next time, I'll need to add more).  Overall, I liked the taste and texture of it.  A good and comfort soup for the fall. :)

More photos are posted on flickr.

Broccoli Soup with Cheedar Cheese

ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 lb/750 g) (I did not put enough ...)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I skipped on this)
• 2 cups (500 mL) chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) grated orange rind
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
• Pinch dried red pepper flakes
• 2 cups (500 mL) milk
• Salt to taste (Optional)
• 1 cup (250 mL) grated Canadian Cheddar cheese

preparation

Peel and chop broccoli stems; coarsely chop florets to make at least 6 cups (1.5L) total.

In saucepan, combine broccoli stems, onion, potatoes, garlic, broth, orange rind, thyme, pepper and red pepper flakes; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 min. Add florets; simmer, covered, for 5 min or until vegetables are softened.

In blender, food processor, purée soup, in batches, with milk until smooth. Return to pan and heat through but do not boil. Add more milk if too thick. Season with salt. Spoon into bowls; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

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Lemon Madeleines

In March, I had a Madeleines Madness month such that I tried to make them almost every weekend.  The recipe that I followed is pasted at the end of this blog.  It is very easy to follow because the timing that it provides is quite accurate (very good for a non-pro like me :) ).

I tried on two different madeleines pans, one made of tin and the other one made of non-stick coated aluminum materials. I found the one made of tinplate did not burn as easily and was able to create the golden color that I wanted. The one made of non-stick coated aluminum material cooked too fast and 12 min was too long (10 min was the right time for it).

More photos are posted on flickr.

Lemon Madeleines

ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 tsp. salt
• 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 tsp. almond extract (I skipped on this)
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 4 Tbs. (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

preparation

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Using a pastry brush, heavily brush softened butter over each of the 12 molds in a madeleine pan, carefully buttering every ridge. Dust the molds with flour, tilting the pan to coat the surfaces evenly. Turn the pan upside down and tap it gently to dislodge the excess flour.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar and salt. Using a wire whisk or a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat vigorously until pale, thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the egg mixture and stir or beat on low speed to incorporate.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the lemon zest and half of the melted butter just until blended. Fold in the remaining melted butter.

Divide the batter among the prepared molds, using a heaping tablespoon of batter for each mold. Bake the madeleines until the tops spring back when lightly touched, 8 to 12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a wire rack, then rap it on the rack to release the madeleines. If any should stick, use your fingers to loosen the edges, being careful not to touch the hot pan, and invert and rap again.

Let the madeleines cool on the rack for 10 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the tops with confectioners sugar and serve. Makes 12.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World Series, Paris, by Marlena Spieler (Oxmoor House, 2004).

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北の家 GUU Toronto

北の家 GUU Toronto is the first 北の家 in Ontario, it is a Japanese Tapas restaurant. We went there in late March this year (... haven't have time to post the photos since March) when it was opened for only about a few months. It was a very busy place, we arrived at 4:30p.m. for dinner but there was already a line up at the door (the place doesn't open until 5:00p.m.).

The food was not bad except that the desserts were forgettable. Haha, it has been too long since we were there, so I don't have any more comments for the food ... however, you can check out the rest of the pics that I posted on flickr.

Two comments on the place tho:

• I would prefer to go in a group of 4 - 6 people because you can order and try more dishes.
• To be honest, the place was a very energetic place ... all the servers and chefs in the open kitchen were shouting all the time (either to greet/farewell guests or to deliver the dishes).  If you don't like a noisy environment, then this is not a place for you to go (probably not a good place to go in a group of 2).

北の家 GUU Toronto
398 Church street
Toronto, O.N. M5B 2A2

TEL: 416-977-0999
E-mail : toronto @ guu-izakaya.com
(copy the address without spaces -
this is to avoid spam bots from sending junk mail)

OPEN
[Mon-Sun]17:00-00:00

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Smothered Pork Chops with Mushrooms

A recipe that is easy to follow from epicurious. I like the cremini mushrooms in this recipe because they are a bit more flavorful than the usual white mushrooms.

Did you know that the cremini mushrooms are actually the smaller version of the portobello mushrooms? Heehee ... that is why they are more flavorful than the white mushrooms but yet the price of the cremini mushrooms are the same as the normal white mushrooms.

Smothered Pork Chops with Mushrooms Recipe from epicurious

ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in pork shoulder chops
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1 cup water

preparation

Pat chops dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably deep) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown chops in 2 batches, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining 2 tablespoon oil to skillet and cook onion and mushrooms with rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes. Return chops and any meat juices from plate to skillet. Add water and simmer, covered, until chops are tender, about 30 minutes.

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Spring is here

After so many months of winter, spring is finally here! Yay! We went to Richmond Green for a walk today after lunch because the weather was so nice.  It was so relaxing and we also saw some trees are starting to come alive again!  Kekekekeee ... Spring is finally here!

Another photos of a blooming tree =^U^=

The colors of this set of flowers reminded me of Easter.  They were the only flowers in the park at this time ... hopefully, more will be planted or start to bloom soon.

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Snowy 休閒篇

The infamous Snowy! She is a cream-color Pomeranian. Although, she is a bit larger than most of the other Pomeranians, I still think she is still the cutest dog ever (and my favorite and only pet)!!  Snowy is 14 years old now and going to her 15th birthday this summer ... hahaha ... maybe we should throw her a Happy 15th Birthday Party! kekekekeee ... actually this is a fun idea after all! :)  I took this above picture over the Christmas Holidays ... hahaha ... all dressed up and ready for a walk in the snow. =^U^=

Another cute photo of hers, captured her very sparkly eyes.  My mom tells me that a lot of people cannot guess that she is 14 years old when my mom takes her out for walks.

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Recipes

This post contains links to recipes that I have tried. They should all be very simple recipes because I don't like to make things too complicated. =^U^=

MAIN

Smothered pork chops with mushrooms

SOUP

Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Cheese

DESSERT

Lemon Madeleines

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Links

A list of links that I find useful. Just putting a few here first for place holder. I hope that I will remember to update this post often to make this collection of links more useful.

COOKING MAGAZINES, RECIPES & RESOURCES

CookingLight
epicurious - recipes

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