our favourite random finds that make our trips so special

So this is the way we travel – we wander. Prior to our trip I of course plan a bit ahead, prepare a Google map with some landmarks to see, or particular spots I would like to pass by, some restaurant recommendations I have… but the principal is just to walk around and see where we get.

This is very important to me and I am so grateful I have found my perfect travel buddy with the same approach to travelling. I believe that this way we’re not tourists but also not travellers, who I feel like manifest their presence in the space too strongly. We’re as local as we can be and just vanish in the landscape. In French, there is even a word for that: flâneur. A perfect travel philosophy if you ask me.

What makes our journeys even more special, and more memorable, is that when we wander our ways and look for the places to stuff our bellies (the two big gourmands we are), we tend to find ourselves in the most amazing, truly local places with some of the most delicious foods we’ve ever tasted.

Thinking back about all these, I got inspired to create a list of the most memorable ones.

The best tapas bar in Nerja, Spain

Seriously, the best we’ve ever been to and we like ourselves some tapas!
1 tapa free with each drink (€2), 1€ by itself = a night full of drinking and eating for less than €20 for two.

More about our trip to Andalusia here.

La Puntilla
Calle Bolivia, 1, 29780 Nerja, Málaga, Spain

The most genuine Portuguese cuisine in Lisbon, Portugal

Brace yourself, there’s a story coming.
When we visited Lisbon together 3 years go, we stayed in this cozy little Airbnb at the bottom of Alfama – one of the oldest neighbourhoods of the capital. Right in front of our house was this tiny bar/restaurant where on the first day we stopped for a coffee.
There we met the wonderful owner – an older lady who in broken English / French / Spanish told us that she opened this place for her passed husband, that’s why the name translating into “Lisbon – Yours and Mine”.
She must have opened only recently at the time and it was end of February so not necessarily a high season… but this place was always empty and every time we would pass by, she would call us in to give us some of her food, worried that no-one else is stopping by. Heart-breaking.
The food was delicious though. Genuine Portuguese home-cooking. So at the end of our stay we asked the lady for her email address and other details and announced her presence to the Internet: added the address to Google Maps and created a profile on TripAdvisor.
Now, check for yourself her success and if you’re ever in the area – go and eat there cause you’ll be missing out if you don’t.

Lisboa Tu e Eu
R. Adiça 58, 1100-538 Lisboa, Portugal

The best kushikatsu in the world in Osaka, Japan

Planning our trip to Japan, we read about kushikatsu before and couldn’t wait to get to Osaka to try it. Now, you would most probably never enter this place by yourself but you definitely should if wandering through Osaka’s Shinsekai area. It’s a tiny restaurant with only several seats at the counter but their skewers were absolutely exceptional. The ultimate rule: NEVER dip your skewer twice in the sauce bowl! 

Read more about our Japanese food experience here.

Kushikatsu Daruma Shinsekai Souhonten
2 Chome-3-9 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu 556-0002, Japan

As home-made as it gets in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Don’t mind the crates in the windows and a VERY local clientele and order Caribbean chicken. You’ll never forget it.

More about our trip to Costa Rica here.

Lidia’s Place
Avenia 67, Calle 217, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca 70401, Costa Rica

The tastiest pork sandwiches over the old market in Porto, Portugal

Another spot you would never consider, especially if you’re one of those straining from food-poisoning. Joking aside, if you’re looking for the yummy Portuguese pork sandwiches in the lowest price ever, climb up to the first floor of Mercado do Bolhao.

More about our stay in Porto here.

Mercado do Bolhão, 1st floor
R. Formosa, 4000-214 Porto, Portugal

All flavours of Florence in Florence, Italy

Spending a day in Florence, you will surely hear of the famous bistecca alla fiorentina – a local variation of a coal-grilled beef steak traditionally served in a minimum of 1 kg (sic!). Trattoria Za Za is where you get to try this exquisite tradition. For a cheaper option (1 kg of meat has its price wherever…), their selection of pasta is also amazing (and truffle everything…)! Plus obligatory mascarpone cream for dessert.

More about our trip to Florence here.

Trattoria ZaZa
Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

The coolest jazz bar in Budapest, Hungary

Giving up on finding a cool spot for dinner on a Friday evening in Budapest and having no reservation? We practically gave up and looked for whatever. And there it was – beautiful setting, live music and delicious food. Perfection (I would consider booking though cause it was a pure luck for us to get a table!).

See beautiful Budapest by night here.

Zeller Bistro
Budapest, Hercegprímás u. 18, 1051 Hungary

The most local bar in Tokyo, Japan

The time we discovered a place called Gado Shita in Tokyo where under the railway you can find a line of bars and restaurants and this place was absolutely amazing – filled with locals only, enjoying a drink after work.

See our full Japan itinerary here.

Yurakucho Sanchoku Inshokugai
2 Chome-1-１ Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-to 100-0006, Japan

in search of the best taco in Mexico City

When I first learned that we’ll have an opportunity to spend 1 day in Mexico City on our way back from Cuba, I obviously got the most excited about finally trying the real-deal Mexican food (sic!).

We started off with delicious chilaquiles for brunch but the ultimate goal was to try to find A REAL TACO, since that’s what Majas love the most. After some research in the internet and several tips from friends, we set ourselves for a hunt around Mercado San Juan in Centro Historico of Mexico City.

Conclusions? Very surprising!

• Mexican food in Mexico is not even close to what we have in Europe as its representation.
  The size, the flavour, the ingredients, the spices, everything!
  I don’t know if that’s because we’re stuck here in the Tex-Mex type of cuisine but I might get seriously disappointed visiting a Mexican restaurant in Europe ever again.

• Mexican food in Mexico is not that spicy… or was I just lucky?
  It is a bit spicy but not hell-raising-in-your-mouth type of spicy as I always imaged it would be.
  We didn’t go to very touristic places so I would cross over the factor of trying to please foreigners and their soft palates. Perhaps we just didn’t really try the meals that are actually supposed to be spicy… Noted to be discovered next time we’re around!

• Don’t worry about getting a food poisoning eating street food.
  I was fully aware of this possibility and perfectly cautious of my ability to get sick with literally everything, yet I was perfectly fine. Couldn’t be more happy about it, as we really got to try the real street food and not regret it either.

• Mexican food is REALLY cheap.
  Like really cheap. Like less than $1 for a taco cheap.

Getting to the food though and wether we did manage to find a perfect taco?

sample #1
2 flautas (22.00 MXN)
Mercado San Juan
spiciness level: 0/5

I’ve never even heard of flautas but strolling through the market we noticed them all around and got really curious. OK, I know that’s not practically a taco but it did serve as a perfect starter.
This are tortillas rolled in tubes with shredded meat inside and covered with fresh cream, queso fresco and fresh cabbage.

Verdict: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
This has quickly become my favourite and I will definitely be looking for recipes to recreate it at home.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – Maja’s favourite!

 

sample #2
Quesadilla de pollo (12.00 MXN)
Mercado San Juan
spiciness level: 0/5

Yes, that’s not a taco either but close enough since it turns out that quesadilla is something completely different than whatever we are selling in Europe. It’s a rather thick corn tortilla, stuffed and closed in form of a big dumpling.

Verdict: Meh.
Surprisingly, none of us was a big fan – it was rather dry and tasteless.
★ – least favourite of them all

 

sample #3
Taco de masita (16.00 MXN)
street outside Mercado San Juan
spiciness level: 1/5

First actual taco and oh-my-god was it good. From what I gathered, masita is a kind of slow-cooked pork, very tasty and juicy. Covered with tomatoes, spicy guacamole and coriander. I’m still a rookie but I believe this is how it’s supposed to be done.

Verdict: That’s what I’m talking about!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – Thomas’s favourite!

 

sample #4
Taco Campechano (20.00 MXN)
Taqueria Gonzales
spiciness: 2/5

Stepping up our game and next one on the list: taco campechano – a style of taco combining several meats. Ours came with a spicy red sausage and sautéed beef. Flavourful – that’s for sure and the only one with a significant spiciness level.

Verdict: Very good and definitely to be tasted but perhaps a little bit too “strong” in taste due to the red sausage?

★ ★ ★ ★ – Yum

 

sample #5
Tortilla Verde con Queso (15.00 MXN)
Ricos Tacos Toluca
spiciness: 0/5
(even after adding a “spicy” salsa, spiciness: 1/5)

At this point we were so stuffed already, our excitement about eating tacos has gone significantly down… But we’ve seen several people eating these green tortillas stuffed with cheese and couldn’t not try!

Verdict: A nice snack, a bit disappointing after such strong forerunners though 🙂

★ ★ ★ – Quite ok

 

#dessert
Fresh Fruit Juice (35.00 MXN)
Mercado San Juan

After eating so much, there’s no way for dessert but a full cup of a fresh pressed juice is always a good idea. This one: orange + guava, which I’m not sure I ever had a chance to try before and was already very much into it for the whole week in Cuba.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

the ultimate food guide to Paris

Voila. Here you go. You’re welcome. You’ll never be hungry in Paris again.
In just one click here you will have everything your belly might be looking for in Paris.

Ok, I admit, I am most visibly a Rive-Droite kind of person but it must be because I have only ever lived there (10th and 11th Arrondissements) and didn’t spend as much time to the South of Seine. I promise to fix that as soon as I have an occasion! I’ll also appreciate any of your recommendations in the comments below.

Some of our favourites (you know, the ones you dream about when you realise the food scene in London has nothing to compare itself to Paris… Paris 1:0 London):

La Taverne de Zhao

We were lucky to live right in front of it when it opened few years ago and the very first time we stopped by… we new that was the shit. In my opinion – one of the best Sichuan restaurants in Paris. Our favourite menu for 2 gourmands as we are would usually include several sharing plates: liang-pi classique, platycodon, pork momo and chicken raviolis.
No booking possible but don’t expect a big queue.

La Taverne de Zhao
49 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France

Momo (pork bun), platycodon, liang-pi and Tsing-tao in Taverne de Zao

Higuma

Our favourite ramen in Paris. Combo ramen + gyoza only 11.0€ and I’m talking about the real ramen here, comparable to those we tried in Japan. No booking possible and very long queues any time of the day. Definitely worth it though!

Higuma
32bis Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris, France

Street Bangkok

Ok, it might b a bit too spicy for my taste but even if only for its satay chicken skewers, it has to be on top of my list. Tried to make it home several times, never got it right.
You will find the same menu in Canal Saint-Martin and Bastille locations. The newly opened one in Rue Saint-Denis has a different menu, equally good and perhaps less spicy!

Street Bangkok Local Food
3 Rue Eugène Varlin, 75010 Paris, France

Le Petit Cambodge

I have never eaten a better bo-bun than this one. It is on a more pricey side but never EVER disappoints. We have our go-to order here: Bobun spécial mixte (with both shrimp and very tasty beef) and Saucisse à la citronnelle for a starter is a must. Wonderful citronnade with ginger and mint. 

Le Petit Cambodge
20 Rue Alibert, 75010 Paris, France

Bo-bun mixte at Le Petit Cambodge

Yemma

A more recent discovery but one that made its way to the list of our favourites right away. It’s a Moroccan fusion place (even though they do serve more traditional cous-cous and tagine) and our favourite: kazdal sandwiches wrapped in an (apparently) traditional Bangladeshi pastry.

Yemma
119 Rue du Chemin Vert, 75011 Paris, France

BigMamma Group

You can’t go wrong with this one and the biggest plus is that you can find their locations all over Paris. In all of them – the best pizza, pasta, tiramisu, drinks and other fresh straight-from-Italy produce.

Ober Mamma
107 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France

East Mamma
133 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75011 Paris, France

Pink Mamma
20bis Rue de Douai, 75009 Paris, France

BigLove Café
30 Rue Debelleyme, 75003 Paris, France

Pizzeria Popolare
111 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris, France

Jules et Shim

Very good Korean bibimbap just on the side of Canal Saint-Martin. Take away for the very fun packaging and enjoy it in the sun.

Jules et Shim
22 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France

Shrimp bibimbap at Jules et Shim

Bong

Our discovery of the Korean barbecue dining and oh-so-good. Make sure to go on an empty stomach though cause you’re up for a FEAST.

Bong
6 Avenue de la République, 75011 Paris, France

La Pause Indienne

The most inconspicuous of them all, it looks like yet another gross Inidian fast food around Gare du l’Est but serves honestly good naan wraps. Yum!

La Pause Indienne
58 Boulevard de Magenta, 75010 Paris, France

detox done right: coconut-banana pancakes

Some of you may know but I like to set myself a little challenge few times a year and go on a full-on detox. Don’t get me wrong, I do my best to eat clean every single day but for these few weeks I tighten the rules significantly. I figured, since I’m suffering from not one autoimmune conditions but two (Hashimoto’s and IBS), keeping up a clean eating regime is a must. I will be happy to share with you why I detox and how in a separate post soon!

So, these pancakes are just fabulous.

Gluten free, dairy free, grain free, naturally sweetened. 

100% detox, 100% delicious.

To be honest, for the most basic version all you need is 1 egg and 1 ripe banana, toppings of your choice. It’s a quick, filling and guilt-free breakfast if you don’t have time for anything else.

Then of course you can fancy it up, as I like to do, and end up with a full-on brunch situation. Coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and coconut yoghurt with fresh fruit on top. YUM!

Recipe below. 

          

Fancy-pants coconut-banana panckaes

– 1 ripe banana
– 1 egg
– 1/2 cup coconut flour
– 1/2 tsp baking soda
– pinch of cinnamon
– toppings of your choice (here: almond butter, coconut yoghurt, fresh strawberries)

Instructions:
Mash the banana with the fork. Add an egg and the rest of the ingredients and mix until incorporated into a plain mixture. Leave on a counter for few minutes for the coconut flour to soak in the liquid. If the batter is too thick try adding another egg, if too liquid, add more coconut flour 1 teasppon at a time.

 

The easiest and quickest banana pancakes for the lazy ones

– 1 ripe banana
– 1 egg
– pinch of cinnamon
 

Instructions:
Mash the banana with the fork. Add an egg and pinch of cinamon and mix until incorporated into a plain mixture. 
Heat a pan with a little bit of coconut oil and fry the pancakes until golden brown on both sides. 
Garnish with whatever you like! 

 

summertime bliss: garden barbecue and family time in Poland

Don’t tell me that global warming does not exist when it is now over 30°C in Poland and barely 18°C in France. Last weekend I was wearing a winter sweater here in Paris and let me remind you – we’re approaching end of June. Are we?! 

So we went on a short summer holidays. From France. To Poland. And it was perfect. As always 🙂 

And as a bonus, a recipe for my favourite summer salad at the bottom of the post!

For the favourite summer salad with feta and pomegrante:
full credit to my Polish master: Kwestia Smaku

– 1 pomegrante, seeded
– handful of salad
– 250g of cherry tomatoes
– 100g of feta cheese
– 1 small onion
– honey-mustard vinegrette: 4 tbsp of olive oil, 3 tbsp of honey, 2tbsp of lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

If you care at all about a nice presentation fill in the bowl with salad leaves at the bottom, then cover with cherry tomatoes, onion, small pieces of feta cheese and pomegrante seeds. Pour over the vinegrette and enjoy the summer!

here’s to a gourmand new year: homemade fettucine al pomodoro

Because it’s no news that spending quality time with our loved ones is the best we could ever wish for. Add a bit of travel and a table covered with good food and you’ll have at least two happy faces looking at you (Thomas and Maja, in case you’re wondering what I’m taking about). Here’s to a slow and gourmand, happy new year filled with love and appreciation. 

Having said all the above, let’s agree – homemade pasta is a bit of a fuss but nobody can tell me it’s not worth it. And that it’s not the best thing in the world. The recipe in itself is as easy as it gets (100g flour + 1 egg = serving for 1 person) but a proper pasta machine would be rather handy (otherwise, good luck for rolling the dough and cutting extra thin stripes by yourself!).

Serve with whatever you like: simple aglio e olio, cacio e pepe or, as we did, homemade tomato coulis and Sicilian parmeggiano. Buon appetito!

In the meantime, somebody is always napping…

hello fall!

It’s really hard to get excited about fall, especially in Paris with its never-ending rain, grey sky, and low temperatures. There’s something however, that I’m really looking forward to thinking of this time of the year: fall seasonal treats. I don’t know if there’s anybody really, who’s not smiling within about pumpkin spice, hot-baked tart or a plate of pasta with fresh mushrooms… Here’s an idea: pumpkin pancakes with maple baked pears for a Sunday brunch. Yes! 

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:
– 1 cup pumpkin puree (I baked a big batch of pumpkin before and stored it in the fridge)
– 2 eggs
– pinch of salt
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
– 4 tablespoons of almond flour
– cream cheese or whipped cream, maple syrup, cinnamon and chopped almonds for garnish

For baked pears:
– few ripe pears (as much as you feel like! I got 2 per person)
– maple syrup
– cinnamon and bunch of hazelnuts for garnish

Instructions:
Beat the eggs in a big bowl until smooth, slowly adding the pumpkin puree until all combined. Add the rest of ingredients and make sure the batter is smooth and not too lumpy. Preheat the frying pan with a bit of coconut oil and fry the pancakes until golden on both sides (2 tablespoons of batter per pancake). Stock on a plate and garnish with whatever you like – I chose a bit of cream cheese & honey mixture, cinnamon, maple syrup and a bit of chopped walnuts and it was just perfect! 
For the pears, preheat the oven to 180°C and line the pears (peeled and cut in half) on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with maple syrup, cinnamon and hazelnuts and bake for around 15-20 minutes or until all soft and fragrant.  

culinary paradise: Japan

I don’t think anybody is surprised anymore that food was one one of, if not the main focus during our trip to Japan. We wanted to try everything and definitely did not cut back on our dining budget. It doesn’t mean we dined fancy – not at all most of the time, but we surely got the munching on. 
Everybody asks us what was the favourite, and it is so hard to say as every time we tried something new we were as amazed. Kobe beef of course tops the list with the fresh tuna sushi from Tsukiji market in Tokyo, however these are the obvious. Octopus takoyaki (the ultimate comfort food – Maja) or deep fried kushikatsu (Thomas) will also be recalled for a long time. You can see below most of our favourites and if you’re interested in our full itinerary you can find out all  about it here. 

Soba noodles

We were never crazy about soba (buckwheat noodles, usually served cold) so it was very unplanned that it turned out to be our very first meal in Japan. And let me tell you, we’re both huge soba fans since then. It was perfect, fresh and full of flavour. This place is located on Tokyo Station’s so-called Kitchen Street (floor -1 liend with plenty of restaurants) and is highly recommended! 

Yakitori

We stopped for yakitori (grilled skewers) while discovering the Ameyoko street market in Tokyo’s Ueno neighbourhood. This bar lured us with a bunch of people sipping on miracously cold beers when there was nothing we wanted more with the overwhelming humidity and temperature of not less than 35° Celcius. But their menu of yakitori was so tempting, we couldn’t resist. Different kinds of chicken (marinated in spicy garlic sauce or just pieces of cripsy chicken skin) were heavenly good. We tried pork tongue as well (sic!) but were not as impressed… 

Tonkatsu

Is thre anything better than a properly fried cutlet? No. And served with magical Japanese barbeque sauce and fresh cabbage, it’s pure heaven. We tried it here in Tokyo Shinjuku area and it was just perfect. 

Ramen

There’s no visit to Japan without trying ramen at least once, even with the tropical heat outside. We ended up in this restaurant in Akihabra by chance and it couldn’t be better. Not entirely sure what we’re choosing, we ordered our meals with the machine at the entrance and waited for whatever was to arrive watching the team in the open kitchen preparing those perfectly firm noodles and wonderfully fragnant soup. Yum!

Kushikatsu

We read about kushikatsu before and couldn’t wait to get to Osaka to try it. Different kinds of skewers covered in panko and deep fried – it tastes a million times more special than it sounds and it easily made it to the top of our list of favourites. Now, you would probably never enter this place by yourself but you definitely should if wandering through Osaka’s Shinsekai area. It’s a tiny restaurant with only several seats at the counter but their skewers were absolutely exceptional. The ultimate rule: NEVER dip your skewer twice in the sauce bowl! 

Shojin ryori

Shojin ryori is a type of vegetarian cuisine originally eaten by ascetic Buddhist monks. Meals are made using only seasonal vegetables and served in simple but beautiful arrangements. We had a chance to taste this kind of cuisine in the ryokan we stayed in (Mount View Hakone during our Hakone trip) and in the Buddhist temple we visited in Koya-san. 

Kobe beef

Being so close to Kobe (well, we didn’t have time to visit Kobe itself but Kyoto was close enough) and not trying the famous beef would just not do. It wasn’t easy to find a good place though. Everything seemed too touristic, overpriced and simply not good, so we set ourselves for quite a challenge. We found this restaurant online and as it turned out, they just recently opened a new spot right next to our flat. Let me tell you, it was perfect. The restaurant was more than pleasent and the service impeccable. But when it comes to food… well, let’s just say you don’t want to eat any other kind of meat again. EVER. We were served a big tray of different kinds of raw beef and ate it in form of yakiniku (literally grilled meat) grilling it ourselves on a little plate in the middle of our table. 
Comparing to the prices we saw in the other restaurants, we payed a very VERY resonable one and therefore would recommed this place to everybody. 

Takoyaki

Takoyaki (a ball-shaped wheat flour-based batter cooked in a special molded pan and typically filled with minced or diced octopus was a number one on the list of our must-trys. I mean, FRIED OCTOPUS BALLS. We saw some relations of several bloggers praising takoyaki stand on Kyoto’s Nishiki Market and this is where we went to try tem. Snacks don’t get better than this. 

Okonomiyaki

Another must. We tried it in Paris before (and were very entertained by the pieces of dry fish slowly moving with the heat) but however good it was, it was nothing compared to this. We had this savoury pancake made from scratch for us in the guesthouse we were staying in in Nara and this home-made touch made it very very special. 

Sushi

Another obvious must in Japan, sushi is of course available anytime and anywhere. We did try the famous conveyor belt restaurants and it was wonderful, but to do it right there is one place you can’t miss: Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Known for the freshest and the best quality fish, it is an amazing place to try the best of Japan’s flavours. Different kinds of tuna (from the greasiest to the most common one) – unforgettable!

Street food

One great thing about Japanese cuisine is the variety of street food available literally everywhere. From numerous food markets to single vendors on the site of the street, one thing is for sure: you’ll never get hungry.

Desserts

From everything covered in matcha (and if you’re a sucker for this green powder you will be as happy as I was) to everything filled with red bean paste, sweet treats are everywhere. Personal favourite: mochi rice cake and fish-shaped taiyaki.

You can read more about our Japanese experience here. 

summer feast in Paris

Paris can be quite surprising when it comes to weather, in contrary to many people’s belief that the city of love = the city of sun. After weeks of rain and harsh witner in the middle of May, July didn’t really bring the summer bliss for long but guaranteed at least a few sunny days. So the time to munch on a baguette along Canal Saint-Martin with a glass of rose came. Or actually, the time to munch on anything, wherever and with a glass of whatever just to be outside and enjoy the sun… Here’s a few of our favourite summer restaurants. 

Le Petit Cambodge

Meaning the best Bobun in Paris. It is quite pricey but never disappoints (so SO good!). We have our go-to order here: Bobun spécial mixte (with both shrimp and very tasty beef) and Saucisse à la citronnelle for a starter is a must. Wonderful citronnade with ginger and mint. 

Fuumi

At first very sceptical about the idea of a sushi burrito, we finally decided to give it a try and let me tell you, it was worth it! Even though neither of us went for the actual burrito but rather stuck to the slightly less fusion sushi bowl idea, Fuumi is already one of our favourites. Cancun on the left, Tokyo on the right (a winner!). 

Jules et Shim

Located literally on the side of the canal and just down the street from where we live, we usually go for a takeaway and enjoy it outside (+ the packaging is so much fun!). Shrimp is a favourite.

Republique of Coffee

We discovered this place quickly after its opening this year and just looking at the pictures knew it’s worth trying. Tuna-mango ceviche was to die for and huevos rancheros bowl (on the pic below) completely on spot as well. Just look at it…

Pink Mamma

Early arrival and 45 minutes of queuing are SO worth it. The newest opening of Big Mamma group is right on spot with wonderful interior, delicious menu and a hidden speakeasy in the basement of the building. 

Distrito Frances

For Franco-Mexican taco fusion that was so surprisingly good we decided right away to come back soon. Thomas went for King Kunta with spicy pulled pork which was greasy as hell but as delicious. Drunken Love with marinated beef on the pic below. 

good morning sunshine: Hubert the dog & mini peach cobblers

I don’t need to mention once again how special weekend mornings are for us: lazy time spent on just enjoying the time together. And last weekend it was three of us since Hubert the dog joined us for the few sunny days! This charming little love ball only made us want to get one of our own pretty soon…

For a perfect sunny morning like this I decided to go with a treat. Peaches are still in season now and what could be better than eating them hot from the oven and topped with ice cream? For our mini versions, I adjusted the recipe from The Best Peach Cobbler by the Life in the Lighthouse to make it gluten free and less sugary and it turned out just perfect. 

Ingredients:
(the dough will cover 6-8 mini cobblers or 1 full-sized one)

– 1 peach / person
– sprinkle of maple syrup
– 1/2 cup softened butter
– 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
– 1 cup of gluten free flour blend (I use rice + corn + potato + almond in equal proportions)
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 egg
– pinch of salt, nutmeg and cinnamon

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180°C. While heating, peel and slice the peaches, stack them into small ramekins and drizzle with tiny bit of maple syrup. Set aside. In a bowl, mix the softened butter with sugar, add flour with the other powdery ingredients (baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon) mixing all the time. At the end, add the egg and vanilla extract and finish mixing until all well incorporated.
Cover the peaches with a layer of the dough – it should be thick and sticky so you can help yourself with your fingers (make sure to cover the whole surface). Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. Eat warm covered with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! 

Chamomile tea, recently the favourite