ITALIAN CUISINE

Cappuccino, white heads with brown hair :)

A special lunch with Betta at Parma. Do you know where the super famous Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano came from. Its from Parma, where people is pretty stylish like in Milan and pretty royal like the Venetians...Geographically Parma is pretty close to Milan and Venice. Our menu was the typical local dishes which was Tortelloni with spinach and lots of cheese...hmmm


Betta's father, Nino, at their house at Sarbolo. Lots of bacon (which is also famous in Parma) and Italian bread. A typical Italian home meal.



















There is home made pasta prepared by Laura, Betta's mom. So yummy! Some of the ingredients came from the back yard!!

















Waiting patiently for another meal...I was even smiling, I guess I was so excited to eat another real Italian food :)

The small cupcakes packaged beautifully in Florence and the amateur photographer..

A long glass of fresh orange juice...perfect for a hot summer day except for the price!









A nice dinner, trying Roman cusine in Rome of couse...the restaurants in Rome was a typical restaurant in Italy, compact and extended to the narrow streets with graffiti.



Pizza ala romana or Pollo alla romana, they were all perfecto! Unlike the perception of Italian cusine, Italians eat healthy food, they combine pasta with lots of vegetables and they use olive oil all the time. Italy sits at second place in terms of a country with longevity (seriously)...not bad at all for a place where people cherish the art of cooking. One of their secret is small portions!

Ti amo Italia.

GREECE - A TASTE OF ANCIENT HISTORY

Athens, the columns from centuries ago at the Acropolis , just imagine how solid they built the buildings then...



















The Parthenon

The Parliament Building (VOULI), a shot with one of the guards.

DELPHI

The ancient stadium, the picturesque city, the mountains; simply beautiful!

I felt in love with the Mediterranean houses from 8th Grade but seeing them is definitely much better than looking at pictures. They use simple lines (especially comparing them to Victorian houses - which are also beautiful) and they use different natural stones a lot. In some areas the colors are earthy and in some areas, closer to the beaches, they are so colorful. They use a lot of canopies too. Gorgeous architectural style!

On the way to Corinth there are many olive trees just like other parts of Greece. They used a lot of them and this is the first time I tried to eat fresh olives in salads...yummy and as you know the Mediterannean diet is very popular now. Do you know that olive tree has been around for more than 60,000 years and they originally came from Asia.

Some of the benefits of olive:

- produce monounsaturated fat (to reduce bad cholestrorol),

- prevent constipation (so its very good for your stomach),

- moisture skin and hair ( i used it before shampo for dry scalp)

- last but not least...its tasty ;)

The Corinth Canal

The ruins in Corinth, this is a real place where Paul used to preach to the Corinth people.

A famous quote from Paul about Love:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Memories of Vietnam (May 2009)

When I think of Vietnam, I instantly remember the beauties of HALONG BAY, wow, fantastic...it's an amazing place, a gem and it's so refreshing compared to the busy Halong Bay harbor with too many pearl vendors and the dusty long bus trip from Hanoi.

I always like to use the fruit as a centerpiece for my parties and especially the pineapples. Anyway this pineapple and springroll centerpiece was better, I think ... it looks really nice and you don't need a serving platter for your appetizer.

The famous Vietnamese coffee, very strong, that is the reason they always serve it with espresso mugs, not the big glass you usually see in the restaurants. Better for your health and sleeping pattern :) Isn't right Susi?

Left to right: Dwi, Tini, Susi, myself, Betty

In front of Ho Chi Minh (HCM or "Uncle Ho") mausoleum.

Do you know that he worked as a cook once? He did, he was even hired as a chef in a London hotel once.







A must see when visiting Hanoi. Puppet show is generally popular in Asia but this was performed in the water. It makes the Water Puppet Show so interesting and unique!! Plus the show gives you a lot about the customs in Vietnam. Vietnam has a big influence from French and you can see it in this theatre. Good show and lots to learn from!