« April 2010 | Main | June 2010 »
I leave for Italy on Tuesday (no, I do NOT get tired of saying THAT!) When I saw this in the local paper this week I read it with amusement. Of course, yuo never think that any of these tricks would happen but you know from talking to friends and family that they do.
Wide-eyed tourists carrying expensive cameras are easy marks; the same tourists armed with a bit of knowledge are less so. With that in mind, the travel website VirtualTourist offers this list of common schemes used by nogoodniks the world over.
Fool's Gold; France
If you're walking the streets of Paris and someone appears to have found a gold ring at your feet, congratulate them and keep on walking. The ring is a plant and the person who pretends to have found it will use just about any sob story to get you to buy it off them.
Monkey Business; Bali, Indonesia
The monkeys at Bali's Uluwatu Temple are notorious for swiping sunglasses and cameras and then scampering off into nearby bushes. Seconds later, their trainer, dressed as a temple official, appears to report that if given a few rupiah to buy bananas, he can coerce the monkeys into giving back the booty.
Automatic Theft Machine; Trinidad and Tobago
Using X-Ray film, thieves in Trinidad construct a pocket that slips into the card slot of an ATM, holding it hostage. A helpful, and observant, bystander then miraculously appears to suggest that typing in a PIN backwards will release the card. Unfortunately, when the bystander later retrieves the pocket, the victim's money will be released as well.
Postcards From the Edge; Italy
Kids outside the Stazione Termini have been known to thrust pen and postcard into the hands of tourists and ask for help writing a letter "home." They then dictate a story of poverty and hunger so disturbing that said tourist is often guilted into handing over some cash.
At Your Service; United States
Room service charges should always go on the credit card the hotel already has on file. If the server who delivers your food demands cash or a card, the egg on your plate is soon going to end up on your face.
A Crappy Thing to Do; Argentina
Should someone on the streets of Buenos Aries try to help wipe non-existent bird droppings from the back of your shirt, chances are that's not all they're wiping off you. Teams working in pairs use this technique to rob distracted, and disgusted, victims. An even messier French version of this trick involves real mustard.
Customer Surprise; Bali
Another in the seemingly endless array of ATM scams, this one involves a false "Customer Service" phone number posted on a card-swallowing machine. When the victim calls it, he or she is asked for the card's PIN number, hotel and contact information, and assured the card will be returned soon after.
The Exchange Game; Zimbabwe
Street scammers here offer tourists incredible exchange rates provided the transaction takes place in a secluded cafe. At the cafe, the money is counted out on top of the table, but rolled up into a rubber band under it; the explanation being that police may be watching. Needless to say, the tourists later discover a large discrepancy between the amount counted and the amount given.
Front Desk Phonies; United States
In this simple but highly destructive scam, sleepy, unsuspecting hotel guests are awakened by very early morning or very late night calls from the front desk asking for credit card information. Only later do they realize that "front desk" was a front for something else.
Funny Money; China
Although efforts are being made to solve this problem, the Chinese money supply has a significant amount of fake currency in circulation, with much of it ending up in the hands of clueless tourists. Short of carrying around a counterfeit detector, the best way to avoid this is to either refuse 50s or 100s altogether, or accept them only from banks.
I could add the Roma taxi scam . . . beware ANYONE offering to help you with your luggage in a crowded train station . . . any cab driver who refuses to pick up passengers who clearly are locals but insist on taking YOU instead.
You need to be on your guard when you travel . . . not obsessively but you should always be careful in crowded areas.
This week's Photo Hunt theme is memorial. Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. Here in Canada we take care of that remembrance on Remembrance Day in November.
I have selected a different type of memorial. for the past week I have been at the Canadian Auto Workers Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario working with a group of aspiring union leaders. The site has many wonderful memorials but this one is my favourite - it is dedicated by the CAW to their daughters in the hope that they will live in a world without violence directed towards women.
Lots of the slow travel community members also photo hunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below.
This is chef Ming Tsai’s take on a traditional Thai dish. It’s called crazy because of it’s spiciness. I must have missed something because spicy it was not.
Well, those who find things to be hot when others merely ask for seconds might be put off but I doubt many would call this a spicy dish as written. But perhaps that’s just because every other ingredient here is fighting against that heat, from the sugar to the lime juice. The result is a smartly balanced dish that feels intense one second, and rounded and sweet the next. This sensory delusion will make you dig in again and again. Perhaps that’s the crazy part.
This recipe is perfect for a busy night. It’s quick and simple to prepare. Like all stir fries you're best to have everything ,easured in advance so that you can cook it quickly - just the time it takes you to measure out an ingredient could turn the entire dish to mush!
Ming's Crazy Chicken-Rice Noodle Stir-Fry
- serves 3 to 4 -
Adapted from Simply Ming by Ming Tsai
8 ounces rice noodles
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon sambal
3 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
3 shallots, sliced thinly
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup scallions, green and white parts, sliced
1/4 cup basil (Thai or sweet), thinly sliced plus more for garnish
1 lime, quartered
Add the noodles to a large bowl. Cover with warm water. Set aside for 20 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Drain them in a colander.
While the noodles are soaking, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and sambal.
Place a work or a large skillet over high heat. Pour in the oil. When hot, add the shallots and stir-fry for one minute. Dump in the ground chicken, and, stir constantly, cook for 3 minutes. Add the drained noodles and the sauce to the wok. Stir until they are warm. Then toss in the basil and scallions, stir again and serve.
Garnish with the lime wedges and basil.
One of my big programs for the year is taking place this week. It's been a crazy, hectic week. I do believe I have had as much sleep in three nights as I might normally have in 1! That being said, it has been a wonderful group to work with . . . there has been an incredible amount of laughter and good times.
On top of it all - this was the view the other night from my patio - one has to love that as well!
It ought to be written into law: a visit to Fabio Viviani's Firenze Osteria restaurant must start with one of co-owner Jacopo Falleni's inventive and delicious cocktails. We were overwhelmed with choices after reading his cocktail menu and wanted to try each one - simultaneously - but since I was driving back to our hotel restraint was needed.
I don't much care for restraint you know.
Brad had made us one of these treats while we stayed in Palm Desert and we were hooked. The combination of vanilla rum, strawberries and balsamic vinegar make a tasty and tangy combination. This was the natural choice for me - strawberries and balsamic vinegar . . .MMM
Flash forward to the weekend and I found the first local strawberries on sale in the market. Visions of me sipping the wonderful martini we had tried, first in Palm Desert, and later in LA, popped into my mind. It was easy to make at home and every bit as good - word to the wise - be sure to use the freshest, ripest strawberries that you can find!
Strawberry Balsamic Martini
1 1/2 oz Vanilla Rum
3/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz strawberry puree (from three small strawberries)
3 small strawberries
4 lime wedges
12-15 dashes of aged balsamic vinegar
Balsamic glazePreparation:
Take the three strawberries, make sure they are nicely washed and the stem is removed. Place them in the mixing glass and add a lime wedge and 3/4 oz of simple syrup, 12/15 dashes of balsamic vinegar and start muddling. The muddling process is done while you are pressing the lime so the unique flavor of the essential oil contained in the skin comes out. Be careful not to over do it because it will result in bitter drink!
Add 1 1/2 oz Rum to a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice.
Then, pour the mix into the shaker and start shaking!
Strain into a balsamic glaze drizzled martini glass.
Paul selected the dessert for our Anniversary meal this year - out of the blue he asked for a blueberry lemon tart. This was a surprise as he hasn't had one before. Not wanting to disappoint him I googled about until I found this recipe on the foodnetwork site. It is by Tyler Florence.
What an amazing finish to our meal it was! The tart came together quickly (and easily) so there was no need to spend hours in the kitchen. When I first checked it the filling wasn't set so I started to worry. . . needlessly it turned out for when the timer beeped it had set just fine.
If you love tart, puckering lemon with a magnificent smooth yummy texture, then this is one you will want to save. Combine that amazing lemon flavour with fresh blueberries and you'll be in a very happy place! I know that I'll be making this again!
Blueberry Lemon Tart
Pastry:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, in chunks
- 1 large egg, separated
- 2 tablespoons ice water, plus 1 teaspoon
Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon, zested
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 pint blueberries
To make the pastry, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles cornmeal. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse again until the dough pulls together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the edges of the pan and fold the excess dough inside to reinforce the rim. Cover the tart pan with plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to rest.
To bake the shell, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Cover the shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush it onto the bottom and sides of the tart shell; set aside to cool.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, cream, zest, and salt. Add the blueberries to the cooled tart shell and pour the filling over the blueberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The curd should jiggle slightly when done. Cool to room temperature, remove from the tart ring, and serve.
Can it be 12 years?
Where does the time go?
I was sure that it hadn't been but Paul, keeper of all dates and family history, assured me that it was our 12th. I learned after year one to never argue dates/events/family history with Paul.
So the big day was Tuesday - never a nice night for celebrating. We decided to celebrate last night with a fancy dinner while watching LOST.
Paul cooked last year so it was my turn. He wanted something Italian and I was happy to oblige.
We started off with some assorted appetizers - stuffed olives, fried potato croquettes stuffed with cheese, and potato, cheese olive balls. The lemon martini was perfect for cutting through all of the grease that we're not used to having these days.
The next course was fettuccine alfredo made using Marcella's Hazan's recipe. No doubt everyone has had alfredo sauce before. Trust me when I say if you haven't made it from scratch you HAVE NOT had alfredo sauce. I will never buy the stuff again - the homemade version was simple, delicate, and sublime.
For the next course we had two other recipes that were also by Hazan - Veal Scallopine with Lemon and Sauteed Green beans with Parmigiano cheese. Both were quick and easy to prepare and both were incredible. I have really come to appreciate how Hazan is able to take simple ingredients and turn them into wonderful dishes.
When I asked Paul what he wanted to have for dessert he thought for a minute and said 'a blueberry lemon tart'. I have no idea where that came from because we've never had one before . . . nonetheless I wasn't going to disappoint him on our anniversary (there are plenty of other times to do that!) I found a great sounding recipe on the foodnetwork site and sure enough . . . it was amazing! What a perfect finish to a great meal.
It is hard to believe that this is that last Sunday Slow Supper post! It has been an interesting (and tasty) run since we started off with Smoked Paprika Roasted Chicken in January. One of the best things about the cooking challenge is that it forces you to try things that you might not normally make. This recipe was a cook example of this - sure, paella I'd make but I'd never use mussels in it. I've never cooked with mussels. I have now.
There are many recipes out there for Paella . . . originally a dish from Valencia, now many regions in Spain make a variation of it with the ingredients changing to match what is available. In some regions there is more seafood, in areas away from the sea there is more meat. This recipe is a good example of what is called a mixed paella - paella mixta.
'Junior Balloon' AKA Brian selected this recipe. We had the pleasure of meeting he and his wife four (!) years ago when they joined us on a walking tour of Venice. He pulled together bits and pieces from various paella recipes and came up with one that he loved. Brian took the experiment very seriously, buying a paella pan and cooking it over an open flame. I didn't buy the pan, nor did I cook it over an open flame as the Spanish would, but I did take the rest seriously.
When following the recipe I noticed that there was an ingredient missing - it called for onions to be added to the oil with the garlic yet there were no onions listed. I added half of an onion chopped up. I ended up using more mussels that the recipe called for because I had bought 2 lbs of them and they needed to be used up.
I made a similar dish last summer with the Daring Cooks group that was finished off with allioli. It was such a brilliant addition that I made some and served it with last night's paella.
This was wonderful! Word to the wise though - it makes a lot! LOL I'm heading out on Tuesday for the rest of the week so Paul will be eating leftovers for the rest of the week.
Paella
10 pieces Split Chicken Wings or Wing Drumettes
1 Lb Pork Short Ribs (have your butcher cut the ribs into 1" sections, crosswise cutting the bones)
Note: Give both of the above some salt and pepper before browning.
1/2 pound Chorizo
½ Lb Shrimp (with shells)
3 large Scallops cut in half (or 6 small)
1 Lb Assorted Mussels and Clams
½ to 1 cup Tomate Frito, tomato sauce, or tomato puree.
4 Cloves Garlic (minced or chopped)
3-6 Piquillo Peppers (sliced into strips) plus a few strips reserved to use as garnish
½ cup Peas
1 cup Green Beans (cut into 1" sections)
1 tsp. Saffron Threads or ¼ to ½ tsp. Powdered
1/4 tsp of smoked Spanish paprika
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Paella Rice
4-6 cups Shellfish Broth (recipe below) or substitute Chicken Broth or bouillon.
Salt to taste
Prep Time/ Cook Time
30 minutes preparation, 35 minutes cooking (cooking time may vary depending on the type of burner/stove/oven you are using)
Note: If using Chicken Stock heat before hand. I also like the idea of adding the Saffron to the stock (as I've done before with Rissoto) I did not include the shell stock recipe. I'm sure most of you have made such many times. As for the shrimp and whether you should shell them or not, of the recipes I read it was done both ways. I am going to split then down the back so they can be cleaned, but leaving the shells on for cooking.
1. Add the Olive Oil to the Paella Pan and Sauté the Chicken Wings and Pork medium-high heat for 20 minutes or until almost done. Set aside.
2. Add Onion and garlic saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the Chorizo and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the Tomate Frito, Piquillo Peppers, Smoked Paprika and Cook for 2-3 minutes more.
5. Add the Rice and stir the mixture to coat, about 1 minute.
6. Add the Chicken wings and rib pieces.
7. Add the Peas, Green Beans and Saffron. Stir under medium heat for 1 minute to incorporate the mixture.
8. Add the hot Shellfish Broth (or chicken stock) to the Rice Mixture (add 6 cups if using Bomba Rice, otherwise add 4 cups.) Cook a for a few minutes.
NOTE: Tip From Yaya's Kitchen: From the point of adding the Hot Shellfish Broth and the liquid coming to a boil, the total cooking time to completion of the recipe will be about 15-18 minutes (it may take a few minutes longer for deep pans, if using a small burner/stove, or if using a slow-cooking rice such as Bomba.) Do not stir after this point, and control the heat so the bottom is not scorched.
9. Add Shrimp and Scallops
10. A few minutes before the rice is done arrange the Mussels and Clams tucking them into the rice.
11. When the rice is almost done, raise the heat and carmelize (“socorat”) the rice on the bottom of the paella pan.
12. Remove from the heat, garnish with reserved peppers, cover with a sheet of newspaper and let sit for 5- 10 minutes.
This week's Photo Hunt theme is monthly. I love a tricky theme . . .I was in the process of throwing together a picture of those pesky things that arrive every month - bills - when I realized that something ELSE arrives monthly in the mail that I enjoy a good deal more:
Can you discern my obsessions from the collection? LOL
Lots of the slow travel community members also photo hunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below.