“Here the citizen does the talking about the country himself; the stranger is not asked to help. You get all sorts of information. From one citizen you gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius. Another one tells you that this is an exaggeration.” –… Read More And You Thought Madagascar was Hard to Find
“I know what Germans are. They are a funny people. They are always choosing someone to lead them in a direction which they do not want to go.” – Gertrude Stein I have written in the past about the Cementerio Chacarita, the massive cemetery in the heart of Buenos Aires that dwarfs the more famed… Read More Surrounded by Germans
“From the beginning of my interest in veggie burgers my approach has been to regard the veggie burger as a cuisine unto itself: It is far more varied than its meat-based counterpart and ungoverned by any particular geographical cuisine or generally accepted set of rules. The veggie burger is a very accepting category of food.… Read More You Are Now Entering V-Burg, Part 1
“No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odor to the nostrils. – Henry Ward Beecher That was the title, in Spanish anyway, of a panel presentation I just returned from. The presentation was held at the University of Palermo’s School of Design and Communication and… Read More Coffee, The Business of Aroma
“The word “Hungarian” is thought to be derived from the Bulgar-Turkic Onogur, possibly because the Magyars were neighbours (or confederates) of the Empire of the Onogurs in the sixth century, whose leading tribal union was called the “Onogurs” (meaning “ten tribes” or “ten arrows” in Old Turkic; see below). The “H-” prefix in many languages… Read More Dining from the Great Alfold
The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its Aragonese, Italian… Read More No Crisis at the Portuguese Dinner
Bodegas Esmeralda Estiba I Chardonnay 2009, Mendoza – medium yellow gold; on the nose, white peach, green apple, wet stone, brioche. Medium bodied, high acidity, touch of oak, well balanced, fruit forward, medium length finish all juicy fruit. Nicely put together Chardonnay. Familia Perulán Tannat-Malbec, Mendoza – interestingly undated; inky, impenetrable violet color; black fruit… Read More Next Set of Tasting Notes
“The actual origin of the superstition, though, appears also to be a tale in Norse mythology. Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the… Read More Friggatriskaidekaphobia