Food - Best Places of Interest

January 21, 2019 Food, Recipes

Very Berry Delicious!

It is the time of the year when the berries are available in the market-the most notable being strawberries.

The following are some delicious recipes using berries. Do try them out in your spare time.

Devil’s love bite cocktail

Ingredients

½ cup strawberry puree;

½ peg white rum,

Sugar syrup to taste;

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:

Blend fresh strawberries and strain the juice.
Shake along with the remaining ingredients in Boston shaker.
Garnish with fresh cut strawberries and salt on the glass rim.

Baked berry cheesecake

Ingredients:

75 gms butter melted plus extra for greasing;

175 gms digestive biscuits;

175 gms seasonal berries plus extra for decorating;

450 gms cream cheese;

150 gms caster sugar;

1 tsp. vanilla extract;

4 eggs lightly beaten;

Icing sugar to dust

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Butter the sides and base of a 24cm cake tin. Place the biscuits into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
Alternatively, place them into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press down into the base of the tin.
Spread the berries over the base and allow for chilling in the fridge for an hour.
Beat the cream, cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Pour over the top of the berries and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until pale golden and only wobbles slightly when you gently shake the tin.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes.
Then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin.
Sprinkle over a few blueberries/strawberries, then dust with icing sugar Best eaten at room temperature.

Raspberry Macaroons

Ingredients

100 gms almond powder

180 gms icing sugar,

100 gms egg whites,

¼ tsp cream of tartar,

35 gms castor sugar,

A few drops of pink gel paste food color.

Preparation:

Baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Place the almond powder and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground (about 1 to 2 minutes).
Sift the mixture to remove any lumps. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar gradually add the superfine sugar, and continue to beat, on high speed, until the meringue holds in glossy and stiff peaks.
Once the almond structure is completely folded into the meringue, fill a pastry bag with the batter.
Pipe rounds of batter onto the parchment paper. Let the macaroons sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 150 degrees c. Bake macaroons for about 16-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Let the macaroons cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Place the macaroons on a wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry filling– In a bowl beat or whisk, the cream cheese with the mascarpone cheese until nice and smooth with no lumps. Stir in 3-4 tbsp. of raspberry jam until well combined. Place in a small piping bag.

To assemble macaroons– Start with two cookies of about the same size. Pipe a round of raspberry filling onto the flat bottom side of one cookie. Take the second cookie and place it (top side up) on top of the filling to sandwich together.

Enjoy!

You may also like Banish the Blues with Blueberries

Rainbow sangria

Ingredients

White wine,

Black grapes,

Chopped strawberries,

Pineapple,

Orange and green apples.

Preparation– Stack black grapes at the bottom of the tall glass. Add ice cubes over the grapes. Stack the entire remaining fruits one above the other. Pour white wine and garnish with strawberry.

Start this year with modern cocktails, strawberries

Recipe courtesy- Siva Kumar, Pastry Chef at Ibis and Novotel Bengaluru and Executive Chef, Gopal Jha, Grand Mercure, Bangalore

January 14, 2019 Food, Round the world, Travel

Best places to visit in Budapest

If you are planning a trip to Budapest or are currently in Europe, don’t miss these best places to visit in Budapest

Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, Budapest

The Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fishermans bastion are very popular attractions on the Buda hill. You can walk across the towards the end of the chain bridge and there is a funicular which takes you directly to the castle hill. Be sure to see all these places and there are a number of important museums out there like Hungarian History Museum, National gallery etc..

Szechnyi , Gllert or Rudas Baths

Baths are must-see and unique to Budapest. You have to spend about 3000 forints to enter baths.

The Hungarian Parliament

Hungarian Parliament building IC:
Godot13
Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Hungarian Parliament is a majestic aesthetically crafted building and the front of the parliament is really beautiful. You can’t miss the guided tour inside the parliament and it is a must-see.

Heroes Square (Hosok Ter)

Hősök tere (meaning “Heroes’ Square” in Hungarian) is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of an extensive World Heritage site), next to City Park.

IC:
Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia

Heroes Square is the place where Andrassy street ends and it is not far from Deak Ferenc square. There are important museums on either side of the square and visiting them takes at least 2-3 hrs. If you walk behind the heroes square, you can visit szechnyi thermal baths, the castle and a beautiful park. This is a very important monument and well worth spending your time visiting.

St. Stephens Basilica (Panoramic view)

The St.Stephens Basilica is one of the important tourist attraction and the third highest church in Hungary. The sheer size of the basilica, its facade and bell towers is worth admiring. You can go on top of the tower through life and see the best panoramic views of Budapest and you can’t certainly miss that.

The Margarit Island

Budapest cosmos Margaret island Mexican autumn rose
IC: Pixabay

The Margarit island, not far from Parliament is a long island completely a park. You can relax if you are a nature admirer of green vegetation. The park is very well maintained and is very big and certainly renting a cycle is very recommended to see the island. There is a bus which runs through the island and there are also hotels at the end of the island.

Gellert Hill and Citadella

Gellert Hill is also a very important tourist attraction in Budapest. If you wish you can climb the hill starting from Gellert bath near Szabadsag and climb up. It might be tiring to reach Gellert but climbing up and down is a really fun part of exploring the hill.

The Chain Bridge (Szechenyi Hid)

Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, connecting Buda with Pest, by Silar 2010

Walk on the chain bridge at night (amazing)

Deak Ferenc Ter (Main city centre)

Károly Boulevard, ‘Deak Ferenc ter’ temporarily tram stop and bus – waiting area for tram replacement buses. The ‘real’ Deak Square is two blocks away.
IC: Kleszczu

Main city centre in Budapest. Start from here and all the tourist buses start from here

Vaci Street (shopping street)

Vaci street is one of the main shopping and restaurant street in Budapest. It starts with Deak Ferenc and is a very long street buzzing with tourists.

House of Terror Museum (Andrassy street)

House of Terror in Budapest, Hungary
IC: Chmee2/Valtameri

The Terror Museum on Andrassy avenue contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist dictatorial regimes in 20th century Hungary and is also a memorial. Tickets are not free but I think you can get discounts with Budapest card. It is at a walkable distance from opera.

The Hungarian State Opera

The State Opera is one of the buildings and must be visited at least for a photo. Guided tours are available inside the opera and are worth visiting. For timings please the www.opera.hu website.

The Central Market Hall

Budapest great market hall Hungary building IC:Pixabay

The Central market hall is one of the biggest market halls in central Europe. It attracts many tourists for its sheer size and there are hundreds of shops inside for shopping souvenirs, food items, Hungarian delicacies at very reasonable prices. It is at Szabadsag bridge and it can be reached by taking a tram from Deak Ferenc ter.

Castle of Vajdahunyad

The Vajdahunyad Castle and entrance is not very far Heroes square and in fact if you walk it is just behind it. This castle cannot be missed and especially a beautiful church inside it and you would love to take pictures of the castle and gardens. The castle is now Agriculture museum.

Museum of Applied Arts

Lake Balaton: 1 -day full tour

Lake Balaton is the largest fresh-water lake in Central Europe and is about 1 hr from Budapest and there are full-day bus tour trips conducted by tourist companies which include Herend porcelain visit, lunch and spending half a day at Balaton. During summer, over a million tourists visit Lake Balaton and is one of the main attractions in Hungary. Enquire about this at the tourist information office in Budapest and they will book you with one of the companies. You can also take a train which runs from Deli Payaudvar station (Red line metro) to Lake Balaton if you prefer. Very certainly, you will get to enjoy unique Lake Balaton and there are plenty of souvenir shops out there to shop. Be sure to add 1 more day to your trip itinerary, if you want to visit Lake Balaton.

Danube Night River Cruise with dinner and live music

The cruise ride during Night is the best way to see Budapest with all bridges and parliament and castle lit up at night and it is so beautiful. You can get to catch a glimpse of both Buda and Pest on both sides when sailing. The cruise trip starts at night 20:00 and is about 2.5 hr trip including dinner. You have to get tickets at Budapest port or near Erzsebet bridge (White bridge) on the riverside, and there is a ticket counter to buy tickets.

River Ride Bus

The River ride bus is very unique and is the main attraction in Budapest. The bus runs both on land and water and this way you get to see Budapest both on land and water.

References and Links

Tourist Information Office: http://tourinform.hu/english

Restaurants

You will find nice restaurants in these areas. walk around liszt ferencz square near oktogon, then raday utca. There are tonnes but Gundel is the most famous and expensive restaurant.

Coffee Shops

Grab a coffee in Central cafe, New York coffee, Alexandria cafe (worth seeing)

Christmas spirit!

Christmas is undeniably a glorious season, a busy time for most, caught up in the pressures of the season and that special day. But as most festivals, and in the pursuit of happiness, one must retain the true essence that this marvellous day embodies. Finding real joy is not in all that hurrying and scurrying to get more done, but the real joy is to just focus on what’s important.

The true celebration of Christmas should simply reflect love and selflessness taught by the Saviour, born in a stable, cradled in a manger, who came forth to reshape the world, which prevailed in those days and, henceforth, taught mankind that sacrifice and love is above all. The spirit of Christmas should illuminate the picture window of one’s soul; it should throb with every beat of your heart. What we are mistaken about is that Christmas is not just about a day or a mere season, Christmas is about the human spirit, living the truth every moment of every day. While it’s easy to soften our hearts, forgive our enemies, and obey the word, the gospel truth is that like all religions Christianity is also about living this philosophy day in and day out all through our lives.

The complexion of Christmas wears a paint of brotherly love. Joy filled Christmas is not about the gifts you receive or give, nor how lavish the festivities are, but imbibing the gifts of true understanding and compassion, service and friendship, kindness and gentleness.

Somewhere in the recesses of my memory, a simple poem penned by English poet Christina Rossetti always springs forth during this season:

What can I give Him?

Poor as I am?

If I were a Shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part,

Yet what can I give Him?

Give my heart.

These are indeed such beautiful words, simple but deep. Something to think upon, something to contemplate!

So, while December brings forth the only Christmas Day in the year, let there be Christmas all through the year in things you do and say. It isn’t about the tinsel and decorations, the tree and gifts; the mince pies or Christmas cake, it’s not about your hearths being warm and your holidays being grand, it’s all about your hearts being warm and your generosity being grand.

It’s all about giving your children the right perspective on the fantasy of Santa and the angels, the miracles and wonders. Cinch in that thought that Christmas is not about you what you buy. It is about what you make, the traditions, memories and bonhomie. A Christmas that holds you, can revive and reshape you. Make this season one for kindling the fire of hospitality in your homes and the genial flame of charity in your hearts.

A merry and joyful Christmas to all!

Cook Yourself a Yummy X’Mas Feast!

Roast Turkey with Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 whole Turkey

Butter 100 gm,

Chopped Onion 100 gm,

Chopped Celery 100 gm,

Crumbled sage and thyme 10 gm,

Salt and pepper to taste,

Chopped fresh parsley 10gm,

1 bay leaf,

Garlic minced 10 gm,

Balsamic vinegar to taste,

Sugar 20 gm,

Cranberry 150 gm.

Method– In a skillet melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery, sage, thyme and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove giblets and neck from the turkey cavity, keep for gravy.

Rinse turkey inside out with running water. Stir together with a little of the remaining butter, sage, salt and pepper, rub over turkey, inside and out. Loosely pack stuffing into neck and body cavities, fold over and skewer neck flap closed over stuffing. Tie legs together.

Place turkey, breast side up on a rack in roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast in 325 degrees F oven for about 1.5 hours, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast or 1 ¾ hour, basting every half hour. Keep it aside for carving.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring chicken stock turkey neck, giblets, onion and bay leaf to boil. Reduce heat and simmer. While cooked turkey rests, skim excess fat from roasting pan whisk in flour until well combined. Gradually whisk in reserved giblet stock. Bring to boil and cook. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and serve alongside turkey.

For cranberry sauce in a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until softened. Put balsamic vinegar, boil for 5 minutes or until reduced. Now mix together cranberries, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix into onion mixture. Bring to boil and cook until cranberries are tender, and sauce is thick.

Gingerbread with jaggery

Ingredients:

100 gm unsalted butter at room temperature,

135 gm jaggery granules or jaggery chopped fine,

45 ml honey,

30 ml water,

1 tsp dried ginger powder,

1 tsp cinnamon powder,

Zest of 1 orange,

1 tsp. baking powder,

½ tsp. baking soda,

2 eggs,

175 gms whole-wheat flour,

Demerara sugar for sprinkling over.

Method: Preheat oven to 180 c. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease 5 mini cake moulds. Place the jaggery, butter, honey and water in a heatproof bowl. Then heat in microwave for a minute, until the butter has melted. Whisk well with a balloon whisk until the jaggery and butter have combined.

Add the ginger powder, pie spice, orange zest, vanilla extract, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk well to mix.

Whisk in the eggs one by one. Now fold in the whole-wheat flour gently.

Ladle into prepared tins, sprinkle over dried orange crystals. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes until risen and light golden brown. Use a tester to check if done.

Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then gently loosen sides to demould. Serve warm as it is or with a drizzle of unsweetened whipped cream.

Gluten-free Christmas cake

Ingredients

300 gm pre- soaked Christmas dry fruit with orange and lemon zest,

200 ml jaggery syrup,

150 gms almond flour,

100 gms grated apple,

175 gms butter,

4 medium eggs.

Method– Preheat the oven to 140 degrees. Put the remaining ingredients except for the flour in a large bowl. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer until well combined. Fold the almond flour well.

Grease a deep 23 cm round tin or 20 cm square cake tin with butter. Line with a double layer of baking paper and grease the paper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the top.

Bake for about 2 hours until firm to the touch and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

When the cake has cooled, remove the baking powder, pierce the top in several places with a skewer, then pour over a little brandy. Remove cake from the tin but wrap it with baking powder, then wrap with foil. Then store in a cool place to mature.

Decorate the cake with Glace fruit, marzipan or ready-to-use icing.

Yule log

Ingredients–

Dark chocolate 100 gm

Fresh Cream 50 gm,

Whipped Cream 70 gms,

Nutella 100 gms,

Milk 1 litre,

Milkmaid 500 gms,

Curd 500 gms,

Castor sugar for dusting,

Maida 150 gms,

Baking powder 70 gms,

Baking soda 30 gms,

Cocoa powder 150 gms,

Oil 50 ml

Method– Prepare the log sponge by mixing milk, Milkmaid, curd, sugar. Add all dry items in the mixture and oil at the end. By heating cream and dark chocolate and make the ganache. Now add whipped cream and Nutella into the ganache and assemble in a log shape, serve in plate and dust icing sugar (castor sugar).

Recipes courtesy – Executive Sous Chef Lokesh Jarodia of Novotel Imagica Khopoli and Executive Chef Gopal Jha of Grand Mercure Bangalore.

December 17, 2018 Food

Eat Like A Local In Vietnam – How And What To Hunt For

Vietnamese Southern Crispy Pancake, street food Vietnam

Vietnam is famous for not only for beautiful sceneries but also delicious street foods.

Each region in this country has its specialities, through the coastal to the mountainous area. However, do you know how to eat street food in Vietnam in a professional way? Keep reading this article to understand how Vietnamese locals enjoy their street foods.

Special Skills To Eat Like A Local

Using Chopsticks And Spoon

Vietnamese people often hold chopsticks on the right hand and spoon on the other to eat, mainly when they eat “Pho” – a famous traditional food of Vietnam. The chopsticks are used to twirl up noodles, while the spoon is used to place the broth. It seems to be difficult the first time; however, you should practice it to enjoy Vietnamese street food correctly.

Eating Right Foods At Right Hour

The Vietnamese often spend one hour in the morning having breakfast, from 07:00 am to 08:00 am, with foods such as bread and “Pho.” Their lunch lasts from 11:30 am to 01:00 pm and the duration from 05:00 pm to 06:30 pm is for dinner. The first advice is that you should have meals at this time. You can eat at a different time, but it is not like a local.

Lunch and dinner are the main meals of Vietnamese people with four vital nutrients, including sugar, protein, fat, and vegetables. A traditional meal in the Vietnamese family is lovely thanks to diversified colours and good decoration. Therefore, if you have a chance to enjoy a traditional family meal in Vietnam, you must be fortunate.

Sitting On Tiny Plastic Chairs

If you have been familiar with eating in luxurious restaurants, sitting on a tiny plastic chair to eat street food will bring you special feelings. You may wonder why you have to stay in this kind of uncomfortable chair. The answer is that it is a part of the street food culture in this small but beautiful country. It will not be street food if you do not choose such a sitting.

Drinking Iced Tea (Trà Đá) Together

In Vietnam, there is a kind of drink for everything that is iced tea or “trà đá.” Never think about drinking beer if you want to be a local eater as Vietnamese people all drink “trà đá.” Moreover, this tea is very safe because it is boiled before being served. If you do not like iced tea, you can order the hot one. It is also worth trying.

Following The Crowd

A significant rule for eating like a local in Vietnam is to follow the crowd. The crowded stores often go with a good reputation; therefore, you will enjoy the best flavour of food here. Moreover, because of the humid climate of Vietnam, food becomes stale very quickly, you may get a stomach-ache after eating in the less-crowded restaurants.

Northern Vietnam

Noodle Soup (Phở)

Among the list of Vietnamese specialities, noodle soup should always be listed as the top one. This dish is made from fresh rice noodle, salty broth, herbs, chicken or beef, and so on. A bowl of cheap but tasty “Phở” nowadays becomes a familiar food for every tourist arriving in the North of Vietnam.

La Vong Grilled Fish Pie (Chả Cá Lã Vọng)

La Vong Grilled Fish pie- Vietnam travel

La Vong grilled fish pie was created at the time of the French. It is the combination of sliced snakehead, turmeric, galangal, pepper, ferment, and fish sauce. This eating will be of the most delicious when it is hot. You can eat La Vong grilled fish pie together with vermicelli, toasted rice pancake, shrimp paste, and fresh chopped small onions. It is said to be one of the most worth-trying dishes in Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam.

Vietnamese Grilled Meat Vermicelli (Bún Chả)

Vietnamese Grilled Meat Vermicelli, street food Vietnam

Bún Chả” can be made from grilled chopped roll meat pie or pieces and vermicelli. This dish uses pig shoulder meat, which is marinated in fish sauce, pepper, salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and chopped dried onions. To make it more sophisticated, some people even wrap meat pies in banana leaves. You can enjoy Vietnamese grilled meat vermicelli with fresh vegetables and herbs. Also, combine with fried spring rolls (which is called Nem in Vietnamese) if you like.

West Lake Crispy Shrimp Cake (Bánh Tôm Hồ Tây)

Shrimp fried pancake of West Lake-Vietnam

Crispy shrimp cake is made from shrimp caught in West Lake and flour. After wrapping shrimp in flour, they start to fry in a hot pan full of cooking oil. It is ready to eat when the cake becomes yellow and soufflé. This cake is served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce made with sliced thin green papaya and carrot. You can eat this cake with vermicelli, but it is best to drink beer while enjoying “Bánh Tôm Hồ Tây.”

Central Vietnam

Hue Beef Noodle (Bún Bò Huế)

Hue beef noodle soup Da Nang - Bún bò Huế Đà Nẵng | by HoianFoodtour Vietnam street food

This is one of the most savoury Vietnamese noodle soup. Hue beef noodle is made from braised beef, vermicelli rice noodles, green vegetables, and herbs. Although it is popular among central Vietnamese province, Hue is the best place for you to enjoy the original taste of this eating.

Quang Noodle (Mì Quảng)

Quang noodle is a speciality from Quang Nam province, Vietnam. Like “Phở” or vermicelli, “Mì Quảng” is also made from rice, but it is a little bit softer than vermicelli. Quang noodle has a yellow colour, which comes from food colouring or annatto oil. Broth to make Quang noodle is also unique with some shrimp, meat, and peanut. Nowadays, you can easily find this eating in every province of Vietnam. So, remember to give it a try when you have a chance to go to Vietnam.

Southern Vietnam

Mixed Rice Paper (Bánh Tráng Trộn)

Mixed rice paper salad, street food Vietnam

Mixed rice paper is a rustic dish of the youth in Ho Chi Minh City. Materials to make mixed rice paper are straightforward, including sour mango fibres, laksa leaves, kumquat juice, dried beef, shrimp salt, and of course, julienned rice paper sheets. All of these ingredients are mixed well together until rice paper becomes soft. “Bánh tráng trộn” is not only delicious but also eye-catching thanks to the red colour created by dried beef and shrimp salt. For every Saigon citizen, mixed rice paper is a street food of the lifetime.

Vietnamese Southern Crispy Pancake (Bánh Xèo Nam Bộ)

Vietnamese southern crispy pancake, which is also called sizzling cake is a traditional dish from the South of Vietnam. Its name “sizzling” or “xèo” starts from the sound created when people make this cake. Through many years of development and cultural transferring, “Bánh xèo” is changed in each area to fit the flavour of local people. For example, “Bánh xèo” in Ho Chi Minh City is crispy and rolled with fresh vegetables and herbs, while the one in Binh Dinh province is quite soft and crispy in the border only. Vietnamese people eat sizzling cake all year round but the most wonderful time to enjoy is autumn and winter when the weather is cold.

Above is some useful advice for you on how to eat street food in Vietnam like a local. Also, there are some suggestions on what you should eat when arriving in this beautiful country. Remember that these foods are nowadays available in big cities of Vietnam, so you can enjoy southern specialities in Hanoi or other northern provinces and vice versa.

Have you ever been to Vietnam? If yes, share with us your experience on what you have done or eaten. If no, hope our article was useful to you. Thanks for reading!

I am Emily Pham. I was born in Vietnam – a country with many unknown beaches, historic sites, and tourist attractions. Understanding that Vietnam nowadays is a famous destination, I establish the blog site vina.com with the purpose of introducing the elegant beauty of Vietnam to friends around the world. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, our blog will provide you with essential information on where to go and what to do in our country.