A day out in Prague

Yesterday I spent some time out wandering around this beautiful city with friends. First the Mediterranean food market by Charles Bridge in Kampa and a picnic. Then a short stroll to the Lock Bridge and Lennon Wall. Kampa Park was host to a series of photos of the August 2002 floods, and the creepy babies. Coffee and my first taste of Kofola. Then a hike up the steep slopes of Petrin Hill, thankfully with frequent stops to admire the panoramic views of Prague.

Things I like ...

The bright green spikiness of conkers (only just found out what these are)
The smell of the air just before it rains
Cool water falling from the sky
Walking barefoot over grass
Church bells ringing throughout the city
Watching people picnic in parks
Finding art in unexpected places
The satisfaction of finally managing to set up my sound system
Reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Discovering new books and authors
A cool breeze on a warm evening
The scent of freshly washed sheets
Emails or messages from people I haven't seen for a long time
The sense of achievement I get when I manage to do something I didn't think I could

Claiming my blog

I'm pretty new to social media and it seems, each day, I have to learn something new. I've just discovered Technorati and am in the process of claiming my blogs. I managed to mess up the first one, but by the 2nd and 3rd I had got the hang of it. If anyone needs to know how to do it, contact me!

and for those of you who are kindly following me, I promise you a far more interesting post soon. Meanwhile, check out my other blogs, Musings of a Freelance Writer and I Love to Cook.

Until next time ....

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A step back in time - Ohrid last September

Yesterday I went back in time. You know how it is. You see or read something, smell something, that wakens your memory. I saw a Lonely Planet tweet highlighting the top 10 best value destinations for 2021. On that list was Ohrid in Macedonia. Most people I know have never heard of it, but I have the very good fortune of having some excellent Macedonian friends who insisted that Ohrid had to be on my itinerary when I visited them last year. 

One of the delights of Macedonia is that is a bit off the beaten track. This means that the international travel “bubble” that can make it seem as though you have never left home, doesn't exist there. Major towns seem to have the ubiquitous MacDonalds – but the international coffee chains are conspicuous by their absence, and not many of the high street fashion stores are represented. In their place, you’ll find a range of coffee shops that vary from really good to absolutely terrible. But it's this variety that makes international travel so interesting. For me travel is not about staying in my comfort zone by drinking the same coffee I drink at home, eating the same food I eat at home. It's about experiencing something new. Not just the scenery, but the food, the coffee, and most importantly the people.

Ohrid is truly worth the effort it takes to get there. The birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet, it is a lakeside town with the air of a resort created by its plethora of waterside and roadside cafes and restaurants. And, of course, the lake.

Lake Ohrid is purportedly Europe's oldest lake – around 300 million years old. It's about 30 kilometres long, and in parts it's 300 metres deep. About two-thirds of it belongs to Macedonia; the other third is Albanian. It’s the picture of tranquillity in summer, although I have been told it can appear quite wild in winter. Hire a small boat for about 30 minutes one morning and sail past the old town. Relax and enjoy the magnificent views from the water. You’ll get a unique perspective of Ohrid’s churches and the impressive fort. If you're lucky your boatman will even make you a cup of coffee. Admire the tiny pebbled beaches, covered with sun lounges, and the architecture of the old town.

Apart from the boat trip, the best way to see Ohrid is to walk. Get lost. Turn up a road and see where it takes you. Stroll along for a couple of hours and you’re sure to stumble across Ohrid's main tourist attractions.

It seems that just about everywhere you turn you’ll find a church – there are dozens in Ohrid and the surrounding area. If you try to see them all you’ll probably want to call it quits before you get too far down the list. Make sure you see the 11th century frescoes in Sveta Sofija, Ohrid's cathedral. The colours and images in much of the church were preserved by one of those happy accidents that occur throughout history. In this case, the church, which was modelled after Constantinople's St Sophia, became a mosque when Macedonia came under Ottoman rule. Its beautiful frescoes were covered with plaster; an action which happily brought about their preservation.

Don't miss the hilltop splendour of Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon. This church is fairly new – it was built in 2002. There had been a church on the site since at least the 4th century and when they decided to build this church anew, they rebuilt according to its original Byzantine architecture. Take a look at the 4th century church foundations and partially uncovered mosaics in the grounds. The ongoing excavations will probably continue for years. St Kliment of Ohrid was the first Slavic bishop and founder of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. He also is responsible for creating the Cyrillic alphabet.

The third not-to-be-missed church is a tiny church on a small point jutting out into the water. The position is sublime and combined with its architecture, it’s definitely worth a visit. The 13th century Church of Sveti Jovan at Kaneo sits in a small garden on a cliff overlooking the sea. At night it is floodlight, but I personally preferred the natural light of the early morning on my visit. Make sure you take some time to sit in the gardens, relax and enjoy the view. Though your idyll is sure to be interrupted by the click of camera shutters.

From Sveti Jovan church, walk along the lake’s edge, past a tiny village and Kaneo beach. Locals refer to it as a fishing village but to me it appeared to be a string of cafes. I guess some people go fishing too. Continue on the path and you end up in the old town with its stunning examples of traditional architecture. There’s a short boardwalk over the water – in the early morning there were people fishing here. Plaques for each sign of the zodiac are place along the boardwalk and the idea is that you throw a coin, touch the "sing" (sic) corresponding to your birth sign and make a wish. I say just walk along and enjoy the view.

Back in the town take the time to look at Ohrid Pearls. The ‘pearls’ are made from fish scales and the techniques are handed down through families. Watch out for fakes – I’ve been told there are many. Insist on pearls that come with a "certificate".  Also check out the delicate silver filigree work.

When you’re ready for more walking visit Car Samoil's fort. Go up through the old town, past Sveti Sofija and the ancient theatre (late Hellenic period) and follow the signs. It's a steep hill but well worth the climb. Go during the day and there’ll be somewhere along the way where you can buy a cold drink. Stroll along the wooded path and at times you’ll almost forget that you people are living and going about their daily business close by.

Make sure you spend some time sitting in cafes watching the people and drinking coffee. In Macedonia drinking coffee almost seems to be a national pastime. Watch out though. At one cafe when I ordered a cappuccino it came with whipped cream on top! After that I found it safer to stick to espresso if I wanted to enjoy my coffee the way I like it.

The locals in Ohrid are very friendly. They love to tell you about their town and hear about where you’re from. Ohrid was celebrating when I was there and it was a local who explained to me what was going on. The Macedonian team had just beaten the Greek team in a basketball game – fireworks and partying went on until the early hours. 

In summer months you can catch Ohrid Summer - a programme of concerts that attracts local and international visitors, which uses both Sveta Sofija and the classical amphitheatre as venues.

I didn't get time on my trip for everything that Lake Ohrid has to offer. There are other towns, monasteries and museums I have yet to visit and I'm looking forward to hiking through the nearby Galicica National Park which separates Lake Ohrid from the neighbouring Lake Prespa sometime soon. One local told me that "Everyone who visits Ohrid once, comes back". I don't think he was exaggerating.

Celeriac

Celeriac is one of those vegetable that has baffled me for years. I mean, it looks so ugly. Some time back I attended a cooking demonstration and the chef won me over to the joys of celeriac, but with one of the most unhealthy vegetable recipes I think I've ever eaten. He made a delicious  puree, but it had soooo much butter in it.

Well, celeriac is in every supermarket and grocery store in Prague at the moment so I decided I should do something with it. Yesterday I made soup. Gordon Ramsay's Celeriac, Apple and Stilton soup to be precise - or at least a variation of it! I didn't have any fresh thyme. I didn't even have any dried thyme, so I ended up sifting some Zaatar to remove the sesame seeds and using that! I didn't have any Stilton either. But I did have a chunk of blue cheese in my fridge (anyone who knows me well will know that I always have chunks of blue cheese in my fridge).

So here's what you do.

Fry a chopped onion gently in a mixture of butter and olive oil, until it's softened. Add 700 g diced celeriac and 350 g diced potatoes. Don't worry too much when you're chopping them up. You basically just want the pieces to be about the same size so that they cook evenly. They don't need to look pretty - you're going to puree the whole thing at the end. Season with salt and pepper and add a handful of thyme - just the leaves. Or a small amount of dried thyme if you don't have the fresh stuff. Then add 1.2 litres of vegetable stock. I used a veggie stock powder.

Simmer the stock with the potato and celeriac until it's tender - about 20 minutes.

Add two diced apples - peel them and core them first. And the juice of half a lemon. Simmer for about another 5 minutes until the apple softens. Then grab a stick blender and make it all smooth. If you want it to be super-smooth, pass the blended soup through a sieve. It will be super-velvety - probably worth doing if you're cooking it for someone you want to impress. Though probably most people won't even notice.

Check the seasoning, and make sure it's hot enough. Throw in a handful of chopped parsley - Gordon Ramsay specifies the curly kind, which is good because that's all I could find at the supermarket yesterday. And then add about 75g of crumbled Stilton (or other yummy blue cheese). Taste and adjust the seasoning (that is, add more lemon juice, salt or pepper if you need them). Serve with extra crumbled Stilton on top. It would probably be nice to have a really crisp, crunchy wholemeal bread roll with this too ...

 

This recipe makes about 6 serves.

My yummy Tofu recipe - inspired by all of my Indian friends :)

Two things I miss about Dubai - Indian food and my friends - not necessarily in that order :-) Anyway, I decided to mess about in my gorgeous kitchen and came up with this recipe that reminds me of both.

Spicy Tofu - Indian Style

Serves 6 (can be halved quite easily - but I'd say make the full amount of oil and use the extra on something else - I'm sure there are other foods this will work with. Try mushrooms.)

Ingredients

·         2 teaspoons paprika

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon ground cumin

·         ½ teaspoon ground coriander

·         ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

·         4 tablespoons vegetable oil (I usually use sunflower oil)

·         1 tablespoon minced garlic

·         1 tablespoon lime juice

·         2 packs of tofu – extra firm if you can get it

·          ⅔ cup low fat plain yogurt

·         Sliced spring onions to garnish

Method

1.      Mix paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric and ½ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.Then gently fry the garlic in oil, add the spices and cook it all together for a minute or so and enjoy the yummy smells. Don't burn it - if you do, throw it out and start again.

2.      Drain the tofu and slice each block into 6 slices. Dry them with kitchen paper.

3.   Using about 1/2 the oil, brush it over the tofu slices. Don't get this stuff on your clothes. Turmeric stains are horrible!

4.      Heat a griddle pan (you know, the ones with ridges) on a medium-high heat. Fry the tofu until it has grill marks on one side, then turn it over – it takes about 2 – 3 minutes each side.

5.   While the tofu is cooking, mix the rest of the spiced oil in with the yoghurt.

6.     Eat the tofu with the sauce, topped with thin slices of spring onion.  If you like it, you can use fresh coriander. Cherry tomatoes go well with it too and make the plate look pretty.

B is for Beans

Baked beans, from a tin, are one of the foods I most hate in this world. The mere mention of baked beans takes me back to the worst memories of family camping trips. I remember the good times, but somehow the bad food memories (maybe B is also for bad food memories) dominate my recollections of these trips. Baked beans, soggy breakfast cereal and tinned peas and carrots. Yuk! 

Thankfully there are many different types of beans and many ways to eat them. So beans do make it into my list of food highlights. 

For a healthy side dish try this:

For every 100 g of green beans, use 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon of water and a quick dash of olive oil. Toss green beans on a baking sheet with smashed garlic, water and oil. Roast at around 230 degrees C until your beans are tender and slightly charred – keep an eye on them, you don’t want them black. They’ll take about 15 – 20 minutes. Toss with a small amount of chopped tarragon (about ½ tspn), a smidgeon of whole-grain mustard (about ¼ tspn), salt and pepper. 

Another one of my favourite beans is that wonder, the soybean. Edamame can be bought frozen in lots of places now (although I haven’t found them in Prague). Serve them like they do in Wagamama. Steamed with salt. Or if you’re feeling like something a little different try steaming the beans in their pods for a couple of minutes. Lightly fry some chopped red chilli in a little sesame oil. Add the beans and stir fry them for about a minute and serve with salt. There is much joy to be had from sucking the beans out of their pods while sipping a glass of dry white wine.

Another quick healthy favourite is bean soup. Usually I use either tinned white beans or chick peas for this one. If I remember to plan ahead, I will do the beans from scratch – with all the soaking, etc. But it’s easier to grab a can of beans from the food cupboard.

First I chop up an onion or two and fry them in a small amount of vegetable oil. You want the onion soft and lightly golden, so don’t put the heat too high. Then I add some finely chopped garlic and let that soften. Toss in the drained, rinsed beans, and add some water or vegetable stock – enough to cover the beans well and a bit more. Simmer this for about 10 minutes, then puree it all using a stick blender. If it’s too thick, add some more stock. If it’s too thin, boil it on the stove until it reduces. Taste it and adjust the seasoning – I use salt and lemon juice. Serve it with a swirl of natural yoghurt, and some chopped parsley. 

And of course there’s Pasta e Fagioli – I don’t have a favourite recipe for this, but I know that the one prepared by Carluccio’s in Dubai is delicious (and probably pretty similar to that served in Carluccio’s anywhere). In many places this is a vegetarian dish, but be warned. Some chefs use pancetta and chicken stock. So if you’re eating out, check the ingredients before ordering.

A is for Apples

For me there’s no comfort food like a delicious, warming Rhubarb and Apple Crumble with lashings of thick, creamy custard. I don’t remember having many desserts when I was growing up. This list of favourites was short. There was the above-mentioned crumble, apple sponge, baked apples, canary pudding, lemon delicious and, for special occasions, pavlova. Interesting that in this short list, half of the options involved apples.

Now I’m not an apple expert. One day I may have the good fortune to live somewhere that allows me to pick and choose the perfect apple for a specific purpose from a large variety of apples. But that’s not where I am now. I’m a member of the “I know what I like school”, so if you’re looking for a learned treatise on the merits, or otherwise, of a range of apples, you won’t find it here. In our family the apple of choice was the Granny Smith, and they remain my favourite, even though there are now so many different apple varieties available. I’ve never been able to come to terms with the sweetness of the Delicious apple, and for my taste many of the other varieties are downright bland. I need the tart, tangy, intensity of a Granny Smith. So, in any apple recipes I provide, think Granny Smith. 

Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

This is a wonderfully simple dessert and always tastes great. If you like your desserts ‘not too sweet’ then use more rhubarb than apple. If sweet is your thing, use more apple. Play with the amount of sugar. I like my crumbles with the fruit tart, and a moderate amount of sweetness in the crumble. If you don’t want the crunchiness and flavour of oats, replace them with extra flour. I like the texture the oats give. 

Ingredients:

Fruit:

850 g cooking apples (peeled and cored) and rhubarb (first time round you might like to start with 2 parts apple to 1 part rhubarb)

75 g golden caster sugar

Topping:

95 g butter

120 g plain flour

30 g rolled outs

45 g sugar

1 tablespoon water

1.      Preheat your oven to 180^oC

2.      Chop fruit into fairly even sized chunks – about bite size. Put into 1.5 litre capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with sugar

3.      Lightly toast the rolled oats in a pan over a moderate heat. Don’t burn them – they will make your crumble taste nasty if you do. Pale brown is good

4.      Rub butter into plain flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and the oats and mix through the flour/butter mixture

5.      Gently stir through the water. This will make some of the mixture clumpy and some of it will remain powdery. What you are aiming for is a few clumpy bits to add variety to the texture. You are not aiming for a dough where everything sticks together. If you’re at all worried, forget it. Leave out the water and just go with what you had at step 4

6.      Spread crumble mix fairly evenly over the fruit

7.      Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes. Your crumble should be lightly coloured

8.      Serve it with lashings of custard or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or any combination of these that takes your fancy

Well, now on to apple sponge. I recently saw this referred to as Eve’s Pudding. Sorry, in my mind it will always be apple sponge. Delicious cooked apple chunks topped with a cake mixture, served with custard or cream. I like my apples chunky. You may prefer yours more mushy. Either way is fine. If you like them mushy cut your slices more thinly or think about cooking them a little first. If you like chunks, the cooking time for the cake should be enough to soften the apples, but not break them down too much. 

Ingredients:

6 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

175 g unsalted butter

100 g sugar

4 eggs

200g self-raising flour

1.      Preheat your oven to 180^oC

2.      Grease an oven proof dish, about 2.5 litre capacity, with butter (not the butter listed in the ingredients – you need that for the batter)

3.      Put apples in dish – spread evenly

4.      Cream butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Sugar should have started to dissolve. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Don’t panic if the mixture curdles – it will all sort out when you add the flour

5.      Sift the flour then fold it gently into creamed butter and sugar

6.      Spread cake batter over the apples

7.      Bake for about 45 minutes until golden

8.      Serve with custard

Of course there are many more things you can do with apples. They go wonderfully with some cheeses – try it with Camembert, a vintage cheddar or a slab of Gruyère. They’re delicious baked, stuffed with a mix of dried fruit, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sometimes I just chop one up, add some cinnamon and sultanas, a knob of butter, sprinkle with about 1 tspn of sugar and cook it in the microwave for a few minutes – this is gorgeous with some yoghurt and maybe a drizzle of honey. The Flavor Bible (Page and Dornenburg) suggest apples go well with caramel, lemon, Calvados, rum, pine nuts, cinnamon, ginger, honey and a host of other yummy flavours. I particularly like the combination of apple and anise – try adding a slurp of Sambucca to any apple dessert. It’s delicious.

on being flexible

Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I get stuck in a routine and coast along, then curse and swear when the unexpected happens - an unscheduled trip, money transferred to the wrong bank account - you know the type of thing. I react. I rant. I scream on Facebook. In extreme cases I find myself unable to make decisions.

Then I pick myself up by the bootlaces (metaphorically, of course - those of you who are friends on Facebook know that I haven't managed to buy any boots - laced or otherwise). I remind myself that sometimes it's okay to go with the flow. I know, I can hear at least one person saying, "Only dead fish go with the flow". But when stuff happens, sometimes all I can do is resign myself to the inevitable and make the best of it.

When I think about it, it's not so bad. A few weeks in London, or elsewhere. A catchup with people I haven't seen for a long time. I'm still able to work and meet my deadlines, because everything is computer based ... it's not so bad.

So I guess I'm over the screaming, ranting, pulling my hair out phase. I'm resigned to the need to be away from my lovely home. I'm going to have a great time, and it will be lovely to come back at the end of the month.