Winter magic potions

Winter is great and charming - sometimes it is also frozen. A little inspiration, creativity and invention can help go that extra mile when reality is cold and grey outside your window. One way to be creative or fuel our mind and body is... relying on magic potions. We all have our own, believe me.

You may not be aware of their magic powers, but think for a second: don't you have a favorite drink that matches perfectly one of your moods these days, a liquid concoction you always resort to because you know it will work in a given environment or at a given moment and because you know that in the end it will soothe you? Wait, I am not sponsoring booze here, trust me and read on, thirsty reader.

Tea is one of my passions: I love going tea hunting, walking in a tea parlor and being taken into a different dimension by the fragrances and the soft atmosphere that pervade everything, from delicate tablespoons to hushing customers. This is for me the traditional life savior, the true milestone of my day and if I am lucky I then have to hand a packet of Mariage Frères tea, the best in my book. A warm and amber cup of their tea and I can start the day with a smile on my face and many daydreaming perspectives in my mind. During the day, a cup here and there keeps me going and brings comfort and solace when needed, not to mention the practical hand warmer when holding the precious cup. Why look for more, I wonder?

Well, curiosity killed the cat and so I was in the end tempted by other drinks that became more regular companions, when possible. In the Italian Dolomites, in the fantastic and authentic Valdanna inn, I tasted the sweet and spicy "brûlé di mela"; as simple to make as delicious, this warmed up appel juice is miraculous and makes your mouth and heart melt while watching the skiers coming down the slope in slow motion between the huge green pine trees. Meanwile you are comfortably seated in one of the deck chairs, your legs carefully tucked under a green and red plaid. My latest twist to the warm version of this golden apple juice is the addition of a magic powder: the Aspen Mulling Spices. This little packet contains a cream colored powder, a tasty spice mix that will add mellowness and depth to the apple potion. You can also use it for cakes, yogurts, pancackes, waffles and many more sweet little pleasures.

And since we are going through the spice rack, this is my all-time favorite mulled wine recipe; a magic recipe that will warm you up from head to toe while walking through the busy streets of the Haarlem Anton Pieck's day... The potion comes from Nigella's cauldron, unsurprisingly!

INGREDIENTS

1 bottle red wine

60 ml dark rum

125 ml Earl Grey tea (I also use powdergun tea sometimes, it is harsher, a bit more "metallic" in its taste, but it still works)

1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar

1 orange, quartered and each quarter stuck with one clove

1 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks (the ones I received from Madagascar are still so strong that one is enough)

1 tablespoon runny honey

HOW TO

It could not be easier: simply put all the ingredients into a saucepan, and heat through; right before it starts bubbling, lower the heat and keep it warm until you serve in heat proof tumblers or cups.

Choose your favorite night cap and hop in the bed!

Jerry

It is a known fact that lunch with your colleagues is the perfect opportunity to talk, talk, talk. There is no limit to the chat, with one strict exception: talking about work is NOT allowed. Even though the rule was never written, the law was never voted or passed, everyone knows the silent tradition and even the innocent new recruits learn fast, instinctively. And that is also why the corner jail remains empty most of the time. We are a lenient bunch and our kindness knows no boundaries, that is true.

The self-inflicted restriction clearly explains why we jump from one subject to the other with incredible flexibility and no fear of heights. First on the topic list you will invariably find food: this is an easy one since - as I read somewhere in the press - women are very prone to check what's in their neighbor's plate and to even brood over it ("will potatoes make me fat?", "Now I know why her skin is gleaming, it's all in the liters of olive oil she uses!"). Next in line are the morbid subjects - I would rather not comment on that since we still have not found a shrink that would accept us all for a much needed group therapy. Well, no need to extend the list (lucky you: scatological stories were next in line), but it is then definitely worth mentioning that a new entry appeared on our lips while we were hungrily slurping from our soup bouls: the mouse talk.

The sad truth is that most homes around here shelter humans and...mice. 

(Now: stop screaming, I am telling you here this is routine, piece of cake, no worries and everything is under control.)

Well, except that for most of us (foreigners), everything is miles away from being ok. Horror stories of mighty mice running around apartments in the dead of night, opening jam jars and chewing away at Oreos (the time of bread crumbs and stale cookies is O-V-E-R, my friends) crowd our conversations and show that in the midst of worldwide crisis, Jerries are happily multiplying - and with pot bellies too - while the historical image of a terrified woman jumping onto the dining table and screaming to the top of her lungs for rescue is still on the agenda.

But then, something is definitely wrong with our apartment since we have never seen a mouse around; something may also be wrong with our eyesight, but then it is no secret for anyone that I am shortsighted... there may be a conclusion to be drawn there, I'll give you that.

Guess what? We are no longer different and unique in our mouse-less home sweet home! We have proudly joyned the super raton club and own our very first mouse: the Mighty Mouse. 

White and powerful. Clean and obidient. Elegant and efficient.

I am reading...

Message in a bottle

"...their dark faces are lit up by bright smiles, some white, some yellowish, but always warming and spontaneous... They walk slowly, shifting smoothly from one leg to the other and talking in their quick way... People from Santa Maria are like this: friendly, poor and rich at the same time, tired and mounted on springs while they walk in the sandy streets of their little village.

The fisherman brought back a pile of silver fish today, still lively, still breathing, while rich smells come from the local kitchen of the small Aquarium cafe... A blond kid stops by and looks amused at the fish, smiles and laughs at the sight of unfamiliar and live food..."

This message was retrieved from a bottle found on the beach of Santa Maria village, Cabo Verde.

I am reading...

Light post

Aert van der Neer 17th century, "Winter landscape with skaters"

The 16th and 17th centuries were the playground of many great Dutch painters: Pieter Bruegel, Avercamp, Vermeer, Rembrandt...to name just a few of these masters of light. During all the years we spent in The Netherlands we have had many opportunities to admire their work in beautiful exhibitions; among them, "Holland Frozen in Time, The Dutch Winter Landscape in the Golden Age" - an inspiring exhibition full of treasures in the perfect setting of the Mauritshuis, in The Hague! 

These days, the Dutch landscape is surprisingly bringing back to life the so famous Dutch light - that unique, fresh winter light, taking us into a world of soft, golden sunrays reflected on the cold, white surface of thick ice on which the sound of hockey bats and skates echoes in a metallic sound. 

The frozen canals, fields and houses are telling us a precious story: the accurately painted scenes of lost times are not a thing of the past. Despite the centuries that have gone by, there is a strong link, a powerful enlightening thread that has survived and feeds our present here, in The Netherlands. The light that is still vibrating and bridging the gap between generations. Oh, certainly, colf bats players have now turned into lively hockey players and the social life on the iced canals is reduced, but the atmosphere is nevertheless the same, immuable, poetic... and it provides enchanting winter scenes, where humans and animals alike seem framed in the cold and sparkling decor, surrounded by hanging puffs of air full of hopes and promises...

Hendrick Avercamp 17th century, "Winter scene with colf players"

Sweet goodbye

Being a sweet tooth is not a personal choice. I rather belong to those who think that the taste and love for sweet little things and sugar piles in general is inherited. I have kind of an idea of who passed this on to me in the family (don't worry dad, nobody will know)... Well, it is a pretty savory inheritance if you ask me, and one that I welcome with an open mouth.

Practically speaking, this translates into me being taken over by sudden cravings of home made little pastries, breads, pies, biscuits and so on. Most of the time, I have to rein myself in though because baking of all sorts requires patience, focus and...time. So during the week, I can just forget about the lovely cinnamon and sugar smells that pervade the apartment most of the times during the week-end; preferably when the weather is sadly unfriendly outside and calls for warming pottering by the stove.

Intellectually speaking, I am forever grateful to all those bloggers out there who prepare delicious pastries, take pictures of them and then share the results on fantastic blogs that make gluttons like me smile with tasty expectations. One of them is BcommeBon - a mine of short greedy posts, always tasteful and underlined by beautiful pictures that make your mouth watery in the click of a mouse. Take a look and tell me you can resist, go on!

But today, one of the founders of pâtisserie left the stage. Even if you never lived in France, or are not familiar with all things French, you HAVE heard his name, seen one of his shops and hopefully tasted one of his luscious creations. Gaston Lenôtre was always considered a legend in the galaxy of French pâtissiers, the one who reinvented baking, taking it into a new, lighter dimension flattered by daring associations of tastes.

Before him, and because words and baking are both nutricious and sweet for the body and the mind alike, Antonin Carême started inventing with finesse and perseverance the master pieces of the art: vol-au-vent, millefeuille, charlottes... Hungry yet? If so, and despite my interest and natural love for baking, I think that reading the book is an easier way to get to know him and his colorful life.

Goodbye Mr. Lenôtre ant thank you for all the slices of tasty daydreaming.

Gaston Lenôtre - 28-05-1920/08-01-2009

I am reading...

It's a wrap!

We just finished the happy unwrapping of presents and the wrapping up of 2009 resolutions (this will be a recurring theme, readers) so it is only too fair that January 6 represents the end of a month of excitement and expectations, parties and healthy thinking and introspection.

January 6 is the Epyphany, unknown to some European countries, but widely celebrated in mother country, Italy, for sure. Again, it is a celebration, partly for kids, if you look at the unreligious side of it, strictly: kids put out a sock and wait for the witchy Befana to fill it with candies.

 This is what will happen if you have been good; bad kids get charcoal. How mean is that??? Aren't traditions toooooo cruel with innocent, precious children?! To be fair, the charcoal pieces would need to be the sugary kind you can eat, if you really want to. If you REALLY, REALLY need a sugar fix that will turn your face into a black and sticky mess that would even challenge the Befana's nerves. 

How do I know these things? Well, it is part of the tradition, you know... YES, ok, I did get charcoal once. And got so offended that I can still feel the anger and disappointment rising as I type. I remember not touching the sugar pieces of charcoal for one second. 

The emblematic Befana character always inspired awe and fear alike in me. She is an ugly witch riding a broom (forget the touch of originality here) BUT she also brings you candies, which in my opinion then - and now - is not something a witch should do. Witches are supposed to be mean, or what? So, the whole lay celebration always left me perplex.

Still, I knew already then that January 6 also announced the end of the adored December month, the busy December month, one of the milestones of the all-important calendar. So here we are again then, it is time to bring the tree decorations down, store the Christmas tree (I am proud to say that I use a beautiful fake one - a present from my parents) away and look ahead... Suddenly January looks empty, echoeing.

It is like the mythical wedding preparations: they keep you so busy, so hopeful, so happy and expectant for so long that once the wedding is passed you just wish you could start everything again!

But then again, the end is also defined by the beginning...so let January begin and bring tons of daydreaming opportunities to unwrap!

Formatted or not formatted?

The (real) brain relies quite often on experience and so far, nothing new under the snow (unless you have a mushy brain). What is more amazing is how sometimes that experience and the associated reaction it triggers (or the other way around, as you see fit) instead of helping you clear an obstacle will just hamper your progression. Have you noticed or is it my clouded mind playing tricks on me again?

Since I received a lovely, lovely Mac from hubby under the lit Christmas tree, I have bumped into the unsettling pattern a little too often for my taste. The good thing is, it helped me realize to what extent we are formatted - in this case, PC formatted. In a way, I remember that learning how to use a PC was not really a big deal: you follow a course, learn the basics, start typing your translations, reports or papers and off you go into the computer world!

Call it ageing - or formatting - I do not find it so easy anymore to adapt to new situations, and the use of a new computer is just symptomatic. True, I used a PC every single day of my student life and possibly post-graduate life, so reflexes run deeper than ever. So much so that even if your eyes see, let's say, a different window on the screen and they send the alert message to the brain, the latter still reacts in the good (maybe not so good after all...) old way, hoping to bend reality to what is reassuringly familiar.

Obviously, a Copy/Paste does not work in the same way on a Mac than on a PC, just as democracy cannot be pasted on countries simply because it is believed to be the "good" model. You see? 

And to add to the confusing confusion, even the terminology is different: "right click" becomes "secondary click" and so forth... And that is when you are forever and officially grateful for screenshots and quick guides. But I have good hopes because:

1-I am not that old/formatted.

2-Doggy learned to bring back the mail in 24 hours.

3-I am having fun (= cookie that doggy gets for performing well).

4-I am a stubborn little thing (on the negative side).

5-I am a persistent little thing (on the positive side).

6-Mac is perfect for people who do not understand a thing about computers (is this flattering or is this flattering?)

7-I am not that old/formatted. 

And the loop is looped.

Add to this that 2009 should bring its flow of resolutions (arrggghhhh) and challenges (double arrggghhh), I will win this, learn to fly and enjoy every single magic feature of beautiful Mac.

Wish me good luck, for this challenge...and all the others!

I am watching...

Moving in!

Leaving a familiar place is always difficult, but I figured that the first days of the new year would be the perfect timing, you know, with the resolutions and all that... Plus, I got the right incentive when I received a brand new and shiny MacBook from Santa-hubby for Christmas. I had to look for a more Mac friendly home, if you see what I mean. 

As always when moving in, you try to make yourself as comfortable as possible and to find some landmarks that will guide you in your new environment. It may not be easy at first - and I am still wondering about a few things around here, say the photo albums, the categories and so on - but I trust that with time and perseverance I will get there and resume my chit chat. 

I hope you will like the change and will follow me here, in the new home of my words.

Welcome!