Piedmont, Italy June 2010
Relais Villa Pomela
On our last stop over from Genoa, we booked an accommodation in Novi Ligure. My first impression from the website was Wow! I could not wait to see it! When we reached Novi Ligure, I was completely stunned.
Relais Villa Pomela was so enchanting and also an elegant luxurious hotel. Not only was the place so well maintained, the service was excellent and we were greeted with such a warm welcome.
After 20 hours of ferry ride, it was a welcoming relief when we were presented with our welcome drinks and a platter of cheese.
Interior
The area was surrounded by lush grounds. Our room had a big balcony overlooking the fountain. It was a wonderful atmosphere.
On top of that, we had a very delicious dinner at their restaurant Al Cortese. Al Cortese is known for its excellent cuisine in this region.
The hotel also has its own wine cellar and has a farm; Azienda Agricola Cascina Perpetua estate. Cascina Perpetua estate is situated between Piedmont and Liguria and is located close to the hotel. The vineyard lies in the Gavi region. We love their Spumante Brut and their DOC Rubinum (Langhe Nebbiolo).
Pasta Corzetti Novi Liguri Style
Meat
Things to do:
Wine tastings at Cascina Perpetue Estate.
Serravalle designer outlet lies 1.5km away from Relais Villa Pomela. www.mcarthurglen.it
Exclusive golf courses just a few minutes away from the hotel. http://www.pomela.it/golf-gb.html
Website of Relais Villa Pomela: http://www.pomela.it/hotel-gb.html
Since we have visited most parts of Italy, naturally Sicily is on our “to do” list. All set to go in June, pre-holiday season, we had no clue what to expect of Sicily.
Our journey from Amsterdam to Genoa with a stopover in Switzerland was a smooth one. From the port in Genoa we took the Grande Navi Veloci ferry to Palermo. Long story short, our 20 hours ferry trip was quite an unpleasant one. The service was very bad and the staff barely speaks English. Most passengers on board were Italian, French, German and Dutch and most of them do not speak Italian. We were not happy that GNV advertised on their internet they were pet friendly which was not at all the case.
Grand Navi Veloci
We found out that pets were not allowed in any of the restaurants, lounge areas and coffee bars! We had to take turns to go to the miserable self-service “restaurant” as locking our beloved pet in the kennel next to the noisy engine of the ferry was not an option. I had to queue for about 40 min for food and had no idea what was on the food counter as the queue was strictly one way in. The only place that was allowed for pets was the walkway in front of the cabins on level 8 and the route upstairs (open air) for pets to do their “thing”. It said “Fido Park” for pets and we were not the only one who was unpleasantly surprised, not to say angry, that there was actually no “park”.
Nevertheless when we reached Palermo, we drove out towards Trapani. Driving in Palermo was really challenging as we had to go with the flow. No one seemed to bother about traffic lights or giving way to each other. A two way lane means in Palermo 4 to 6 cars lane… Upon reaching Baglio Vecchio agriturismo (Tenuta Zangara) which was located between Partanna and Castelvetrano, we were stunned by the beauty of the place. The newly built apartment was so beautifully located between the olive trees and facing a gorge. We instantly fell in love with the place. It was so serene and mind blowing. Apart from that, Eugenio, the manager, and his wife were so friendly and we felt really at “home”.
Temple
After Baglio Vecchio, we moved towards Mount Etna. We stayed in an agriturismo 700meters above sea level and on the northern slope of Mount Etna. We drove up the windy road on the northern slope of Mount Etna to about 1700meters by car and bought a ticket for a volcano trip.
View of Mount Etna at 2800meters
A 4×4 bus jeep picked us up and slowly went up higher to the crater at about 2000meters. Then we continued by jeep to 2300meters to see another crater. It was really breathtaking and an unforgettable experience. The last and the most spectacular was the drive to about 2800meters. From this distance, we could see the top of Etna which was about 3300meters. What beautiful scenery!
For 3 weeks, we discovered and travelled to most parts of Sicily, the temples, beaches, towns, food, wine tastings, nature reserve of Etna, food and wine festival etc. Truly memorable and Sicily is so different from other parts of Italy. Italians are a friendly bunch, but Sicilians are even friendlier! It was a great experience for us and we truly enjoyed the beauty and all that Sicily has to offer.
Places to visit:
Selinunte temples, Selinunte beach, Sciacca, Marsala, Castelvetrano town, island of Favignana, Trapani, Erice, Segesta, San vito lo Capo beach and the nature reserve, Agrigento , Gole Alcantara, Stromboli , Mount Etna and the surrounding nature reserve and inland town such as Corleone.
In Marsala, do not forget to make an appointment to visit Donnafugata wine cellar. We had a wine tastings of 7 different wines and we liked it so much that we bought Mille e una Notte, Sedara, Vigna di Gabri, and the most enchanting sweet wine Ben Rye Passito di Pantelleria. Unlike many sweet wines, Ben Rye is refreshingly light with notes of honey and figs.
Another highlight is Baffo’s Castle in Castelvetrano. It is a huge family restaurant with good service and ambience. There is a huge selection of antipasti buffet for €6, a long list of pasta and meat dishes and they serve wood oven pizzas!
Taormina is a must see with touristic shops and good restaurants and a stunning location. Food prices in Taormina are higher than in other towns.
Taormina!
Outside Taormina, a 4-course meal: antipasti, pasta, meat and dessert with table wine cost around € 25 per person.
Sicily is best for its pastries. There are lots of pasticceria around and cakes are made with sweetened ricotta. If you cook, visit the morning fish market or even the big supermarket. There you can find fresh catch such as swordfish and octopus.
Sicilian food to try:
Gelato, Cassata a classic Sicilian dessert combines with creamy ricotta and marzipan, Cannoli are fried pastry tube filled with ricotta, Arancini, olives and olive oils.
Cappucino,Arancini & Cannolo
Extra virgin olive oils direct from the producer are really great such as the ones from Baglio Vecchio (500ml, €8)
Grape varieties in Sicily to try:
Nero d’Avola , Etna Rosso, Grillo,Zibibbo,Inzolia(Ansonica),Frappato,Nerello Mascalese,Malvasia di Lipari,Catarratto,Grecanico.
Wines to try:
Benanti, Donnafugata, Graci, Biondi,Tenute Delle Terre Nere, Planeta, Azienda Agricola COS, Baglio Di Pianetto, Feudo Montoni, Tenuta Rapitala.
Donnafugata wines
Things to avoid:
Tourist meals as the food can really be bad and overpriced.
Things to note:
There are toll roads from Cefalu via Messina towards Catania so expect to pay a few cents or euros. Other than the touristic places, some accommodations do not have internet connection or “pin” machine to pay when you checked out. Not all places except credit cards. However there are quite a number of ATM machines (Bancomat) in the villages. If renting a car, best is to drive a small car as it is hard to squeeze through narrow roads or even parking! If you drive in Palermo, be aware that people do not follow the rules, to say at lest. Best is to go with the flow! Driving in Palermo can be challenging and intimidating. One petrol station in Sicily that you will not find is Shell even if your navigation says so! In general Sicilians are friendly so do not be surprised if they just start talking to you.
Check out ongoing festivals or performances at the temples when you are in Sicily.
To those going to Sicily; enjoy its beauty, food from its soil, wines, the history and the laid back lifestyle!
Websites to check out:
www.tenutazangara.it
www.donnafugata.it
www.baffoscastle.com
Wolf Centre Conservation Belgium
The article today is not about food. In my weblog, I love to talk about animals, travelling, wines etc. So what is this wolf thingy all about?
A visit to the Wolf Centre Conservation in Belgium 1 week ago. What brought us to this place? Angelina the wolf!
It was just one of the spontaneous things we did last week. Yes let’s see her today! We email Peter the Chairman and we were off on the road with Ottokar (our Czechoslovakian wolfdog).
It was a long 3 hours drive from Amsterdam. Luckily for us there was no “file” traffic jam (I love this word pronounced as “fi-le” commonly used in Amsterdam and Utrecht highway). The wolf centre is situated in Limbourg Bilstain , Belgium (Ardennen). Low hilly green and beautiful picturesque area.
The area surrounding the conservation centre
Why Angelina?
Well long story short, our friends adopted Angelina for us- a gift for our wedding. Angelina is a solution for us because we or I do not want to adopt or buy another puppy dog. Adopting this way is easier as we can visit her now and then. The reason for choosing Angelina is that she is a Carpathian wolf. History: back in 1955 the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog (CSV) is a breed of a crossing of a German shepard and a Carpathian wolf. In 1982 the CSV breed becomes a national breed FCI (herding dogs) (wolves are no longer involved in the breeding of CSV). Thus Angelina is being adopted for us. Ottokar looks like her..
Tala the wolf!
When we arrived at the wolf conservation, it was so serene and a well kept place. We saw Carpathian wolves, Artic wolves and Saarloos wolfdogs. It was really nice to see the effort and tremendous hard work of the people in the conservation area in nurturing, feeding and looking after these wolves. One of the wolves was brought in to this place as she had been badly treated by her own pack from another place. She had recovered and most likely the conservation centre will bring in a partner for her.
We had news that Angelina had given birth to 5 wolves pups. Unfortunately we were not able to see the wolves pups until they are old enough to be reunited back with Angelina. Right now they are safe and warm in the home of Peter the chairman. Cute videos of the wolves pups: http://www.wolf-center.eu/nl/foto-album
Lucke and me!
We were so happy to be able to go into one of the enclosed area of Tala and Lucke. Lucke was the friendly one, he came and approached us and I had the chance to touch and stroke his fur. It was amazing. So was it Lucke or Luckyme that he allowed me to pat him? ! Then Tala slowly came nearer to pick up her food but still cautious as a wolf she kept her distance. Peter however told us that Tala seemed more relax and came down within less than 5 minutes to see us. Normally it took her 10-15 minutes before she would appear to her visitors. Like Peter said, it could probably be that we had experience with wolfdogs and our body language and how we approached the wolves were different.
It was a memorable day for us. We were so happy to be able to see these wolves in real and also be close to them. It makes me feel so close to nature when I see them and being in their surroundings. I hope that many of these wolves would be adopted by generous people who love animal and wolves. Adoption cost 55 euro per year for the first wolf and the second wolf 25 Euro. You will receive a certificate. Alternatively you can also be a member. These wolves need your help to be given a good life. Through your contribution the conservation centre will be able to afford and give the wolves more land- outdoor space area.
Contrary to popular beliefs that wolves are aggressive animals and attacked people, wolves are naturally shy and cautious animals. They will move away from you when being approached unless otherwise being threatened by humans.
Visit them on the open days: Sunday 23rd May and Monday 24th May 2010 from 10am to 6pm. Or email them to make other appointments. Check their website: http://www.wolf-center.eu/nl/home
The website is in Dutch, German and French language. The people at the conservation centre speak English.
Ciel Bleu Restaurant, Hotel Okura,Amsterdam. 2 Michelin-star restaurant.
Our big day 2 weeks ago….
Opening The 1989 Barolo
A month ago, we went in search for a nice place to have a dinner party with a small group of friends. It was not really easy to find a place where we could celebrate indoor without having to hire a caterer. Something in our mind-a restaurant that offers good food and service and that cater to a small group of people. Forget about the bitter balletjes, we wanted to take our friends to somewhere different. That was when we decided food and wine pairing culinary food experience.
The first place we had in mind was Okura. It was not our first time in Okura and we like the place ever since our last visit there but this time it was different. We were ushered in and brought to the 23rd floor where we saw the Salon Panoramique room. It was just perfect. The room was in Ciel Bleu restaurant, a 2 Michelin star restaurant. The view was fantastic. We loved the idea that the room was separated from the main diners so we could celebrate and do our own thing. Finally when we agreed that this was going to be the place, we contacted with Tina Claes the F&B coordinator. She was great, helpful in planning and arranging for us from the menu cards to the food and wines.
The big day came and we invited our friends to our apartment for borrels and hapjes first (drinks and snacks). We popped up champagnes and our long awaited 1989 Barolo. Delicious wine indeed! We kept our next destination a secret (Okura). Even the taxi drivers were also playing the game making a detour around Amsterdam. Everyone was guessing..
Fantastic view of Amsterdam at night
When we arrived we went up to the 23rd floor. We were ushered in and of course the first few minutes we have not settled down yet. I was delighted to see the menu cards with our photo on it as we had personalised each card with our friends name on it.
More champagne were served and we finally took our seats. First we were served the Amuse.
Amuse
Amuse
Lobster & Algae
Then the appetizer: Lobster & Algae. Lobster tempura lacquered in lobster caramel with lemongrass. Lobster with ponzu jelly and sweet and sour daikon cress and Cannelloni of beetroot with lobster and sake sorbet. The taste was so pure and yet deliciously subtle. This was paired with a white wine from Chenin Blanc, De Trafford, Stellenbosch,South Africa. I never thought that I would like wines from South Africa. This was a great wine in my opinion that can be compared with a good French white wine.
Tooth fish and Poulpe
Then the Tooth fish & Poulpe,Tooth fish a la plancha and poulpe, poulpe broth and rice cracker. This second dish was paired with a wine from Prélude Vineyards, Leeuwin Estate, Margeret River, Australie. Looks so arty and yet delicious.
The head waiter & sommelier explaining to us about the wine
The head waiter and sommelier, Mr H.Vanwittenbergh explained each of the wines and talked a bit about the wines and we thought he was a very funny man. By then we had too much to drink, laughing, making silly jokes… enjoying ourselves. And we still we had 2 more dishes…
Saddle of Lamb & BBQ
Now the main course Saddle of lamb & BBQ. Saddle of Irish lamb with grilled sweet pepper and barbecue juice curry polenta with pistachio nuts, artichoke and lamb stew. My meat was tender and juicy. This was paired with a wine fromRafael Cambra “Dos”,Valencia,Spain. So gorgeous!
Lemon Meringue Pie
The next surprise was a Pre dessert- a taster before we have our cake. It was a Lemon Meringue Pie.
Our cake
Finally , The Cake which we chose. We requested for a chocolate cake with fresh fruits and white and blue colour on the outside! Delicious and served with a Manzoni Moscato, Manzoni from Italy.
Cheers!
Chef Kokmeijer & myself
The whole team from Ciel Bleu was very service oriented and professional. They took care of us and were very attentive. It was a formal restaurant but yet we had our space and really enjoyed ourselves. That was what we wanted from the beginning when we went searching for a place to celebrate our day –good professional service and great food. Thank you Chef Onno Kokmeijer and the team for making this a memorable day for all of us!
Dear foodies,
In this topic I would like to share some tips on my cooking which I teach in my cooking workshops. This includes cooking certain ingredients, techniques on how to make your rice looking deliciously fluffy and how you can use certain ingredients for use in other food etc.
Cooking Oil
When cooking Asian dishes or frying fish, meat or vegetables or even deep frying I use only Sunflower oil. Reason is that I find this oil healthier and light. It does not affect the taste or authenticity of my food. Alternatively, you can also use palm cooking oil, corn oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil. Never use olive oil when cooking Asian food. Olive oil is best for western cooking and i use a lot of it especially when making italian food. I find that olive oil has a strong flavour that it alters the taste of my asian dishes.
I have seen many people here buying frituurvet for deep frying? I myself have never used it and I use Sunflower oil in the deep fryer. Somehow I find food less greasy this way. Even though it cost more than a frituurvet, I always believe in quality over quantity when it comes to food or cooking.
Read what Wikipedia says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oil
Extract from Wikipedia:
” Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and has high vitamin E content. It is a combination of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. Restaurants and food manufacturers are becoming aware of the health benefits of sunflower oil. The oil can be used in conditions with extremely high cooking temperatures. It may also help food stay fresher and healthier for longer periods of time [5]. Food manufacturers are starting to use sunflower oil in an effort to lower the levels of trans fat in mass produced foods. A number of common snack foods currently contain sunflower oil, including NewYork Fries French fries, Majans BHUJA Mix healthy snacks, the Sri Lankan style Bombay Mix – Rani Mix, Kettle Chips, Sun Chips, Sunflower Chips, Ruffles, Walkers and Lay’s potato chips; the recipe of the latter was modified in late 2006 in order to include the oil.[7]”
Cooking Vegetables
When frying vegetables, separate the leaves from the stalk. Fry the stalks and other ingredients first for a minute before last adding the leaves.
Vegetables like long beans or cabbage should be cooked for 5-7 minutes only so that it retains its crispiness.
Screwpine Leaves
Also known as the pandan leaves or pandanus leaves. Widely used in Asian dishes especially Malay dishes such as kuih (desserts), rice etc for its special fragrance. How to use it? Wash the pandan leaves; tie in a knot and tear a bit of the leaves to release its fragrance.
Another method is to immerse it in rice then cook together with the rice. The rice will then have a slight pandan fragrance taste.
Rice
There are a few types of rice used in Asian cooking or better said when combining with certain dishes. When I cook certain food like the Nasi Briyani (Saffron rice), I use Basmati rice. The grains of Basmati rice are longer than normal rice and it also has a nice fragrance. Basmati rice is slightly more expensive than normal rice. The rice also has a different structure and is not sticky.
The other type of rice is the normal long grain or broken rice (heel of gebroken rijst). The choice is normally up to your preference. I use long grain rice for my cooking as it doesn’t clump as much as the broken ones. The texture is also better and long grain rice is best used when frying fried rice. Reason; frying fried rice requires lots of stirring and blending the sauce to the rice. With broken rice the rice becomes more “mushy” and sticky.
When buying a packet of rice, I normally choose the ones from Thailand or with AAA. When I choose my packet of rice, I go for the ones that are packaged in a transparent packaging. Reason is I look at the grains in the packet. If possible buy one that shows more transparent coloured grains than those packets with a mixture of more “white” chalky grains. The result is not sticky when the rice is more transparent than chalky.
This is what I found about the different types of rice: http://beaumont.tamu.edu/eLibrary/StudyRiceContest/2006/Rice%20Grain%20Quality.pdf
Technique before serving rice
Scoop the rice
What I normally do to get a nice textured rice that is fluffy is when the rice is cooked ”ready” shown on the rice cooker; open the cover, use a flat based plastic rice spoon and slowly scoop from the sideways and folding it in making a hill in the middle of the pot. Continue in a circular motion doing the same all around the pot up till you can get as much folding in without mashing the rice. A totally flat plastic spoon (without a curved mouth) is better to use as it doesn’t “damage” the texture of the rice when scooping sideways. Scoop only from the side inwards circling the whole pot. Then close the cover again, leave it to rest for 2-4 minutes. When you open the cover now, you can see that your rice looks different, better textured, fluffy and appetizingly delicious. Simple method but yet produces good results afterwards. Now the rice is ready- scoop and put in on your plate.
Most common mistake that people do is to open the cover of the rice cooker, dig in to the rice and served immediately. This way you won’t get fluffy nice looking rice and the rice looks clumpy when served this way.
Okie for now, Ta!