Cheers to a New Year

Happy New Year, everyone! Not being a party girl, my New Year’s Eve is going to be as quiet as ever. Although I am usually of a cheerful disposition, at this time of the year, strangely enough, some sort of a melancholic mood comes over me… So, perhaps it’s no wonder that my favourite New Year song is Happy New Year by ABBA.


After a little walk in my hometown, I decided to create some smörgåsar or if you prefer the Danish term to the Swedish one, smørrebrød (open sandwiches). Unfortunately, my family is not too keen on fish or seafood so I was faced with the ultimate challenge of how to create a variegated selection in both color and taste. Well, I think in the end, my attempt was quite successful.



Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

/Lord Alfred Tennyson/

When Christmas is over

I wish Christmas had lasted a bit longer. It went by way too fast again. Although brightening up my breakfast with the delicious leftovers of our Christmas feast has not brought the fairy dust of Christmas Eve back, it may keep the ‘spirit’ going a bit longer. (Let’s say for one more day, because then I am officially done eating leftovers.)

Merry Christmas

"Let’s reconnect with old friends.
Meet new friends.
Eat candy cane till our stomach hurt.
Hand-deliver all our holiday cards.
Let’s sing “Jingle Bells” in the shower.
Exchange good stories instead of gifts.
Leave lettuce for the reindeer.
Let’s put tinsel in the bathroom.
Compliment Mom on her cooking.
Wear a novelty sweater.
Make a mistletoe hat.
Let’s give fruitcake a second chance.
Bake Christmas cake for our dog.
Start a new tradition.
Let’s make red and green the new black.
Pour eggnog on our cereal.
Let’s remember what it is all about.

It’s time to spread some holiday cheer."

/Starbucks Christmas ad, 2004/

Eco Chic Gift Wrapping

I have always been the type of girl who spens serious money on expensive, luscious wrapping papers and ribbons. And in a way, all the effort and money is just down the drain when the paper is torn off and discarded. Not to mention all the trees that had to be cut. On the internet, there are many great ideas on how to turn scrap paper (e.g. like pages from a book of sheet music, comics books, maps, calendars, magazines, etc.) into unique wrapping paper or use furoshiki (Japanese wrapping art) made of scarves, handkerchiefs, vintage trimmings, etc. So, this year I gave it a try and used some old magazines and calendars for wrapping my Christmas gifts.

Here are some of my favourite ideas on how to use scrap pieces of paper in an amazingly creative way:
Boak Art
Martha Stewart

It's Hard to Fill in Santa's Shoes

In the United States, children hang their socks at the fireplace for Santa to fill them with gifts during the overnight hours of Christmas Eve, 24th December. However, Santa reaches Hungary a bit earlier – it would be hard for him to cover the entire world in one go, right? – and visits us on his Feast Day, 6th December (Saint Nicholas Day). On this day, he is less generous though than at Christmas and leaves only some sweets and knick-knacks in the clean boots/shoes (you have to be very particular about polishing them the day before!) of children who behaved well during the year. Whereas, naughty kids are given some wooden sticks by Santa’s side-kick called Krampus.

In the shops, there are so many cheap-looking Christmas gift stockings at this time of the year; one wonders who buys them and most importantly, why. It makes a lot more sense to rather invest into some whimsical footsies for your tootsies. At least, they can be used. Most of them can even accommodate a smaller gift, and if you buy more than one, there will surely be enough room for everything you may be given. So, let’s take a look at what people around the world wear on their feet indoors and which stores carry the cutest pairs.

Britain – Albert slippers Charles Gale
Germany – Pantoffeln Adelheid
Hungary – szegedi papucs (slippers from Szeged) László Ormándi
Japan – tabi Rakuten
Russia – valenki Olga Chernikova

Reka and the Chocolate Factory

“Inside this room, all of my dreams become realities, and some of my realities become dreams. And, almost everything you'll see is eatable, edible, I mean, you can eat almost everything.” /Willy Wonka/


Josef Zotter, the man behind the Zotter Chocolate Factory in Riegersburg, Austria is almost as mad as Willy Wonka of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His creations are filled with the most unusual flavors like marinated plums with caramelized bacon, nougat with pork crackling, candied cranberry with porcini mushroom or alpine cheese with grapes and walnut. In his Chocolate Theatre, you can see how his chocolate (certified organic and fair trade) is made from bean to bar and have the opportunity to taste all of their products and can compare chocolate (flowing from chocolate fountains) for cocoa content from 10% up to 100%. The funniest part is the drinking chocolate tasting, because the bars are coming out in chairlifts circulating all around the room. The final tasting station is where chocolate bits of different flavors go around on a conveyor belt and you can sample them all.



I also love the packaging of Zotter chocolates; Andreas H. Gratze is in charge of the visual design and his whimsical, quirky graphics make every Zotter bar “an expedition into the realm of the senses”.

Sleep Mode

With the onset of winter, some animals hibernate, which means that they go into a deep, long sleep to escape the cold and conserve energy when food is short. Some of the most well-known hibernators are badgers, bats, chipmunks, dormice, frogs, hamsters, hedgehogs, skunks, snakes, turtles and bears. However, others stay active all through the winter and if you keep your eyes open for signs of animal life during your walks, you can see for yourself that not all of them disappear on the approach of cold weather. But for the rest of them, I wish sweet dreams until 2010.
Below you can see some winter-active animals I’ve recently spotted when being out.

November Rain

November is a rainy month. Rainy and windy. The strong wind annihilated my automatic fold-up umbrella (mine was not the only one actually, on my way home I saw so many of them thrown into dust bins, beaten by the weather) so I decided to buy a new one that is more massive and does not get blown open by the wind all the time. I love how cheerful it looks, it is ideal for anyone who wants to add some fun to the gloomy, rainy days. If stormy weather surprises you, just out of the blue, instead of getting grumpy from getting soaked in the rain, wrap your wet hair in a cute towel. And one will not be able to stop laughing at the clouds so dark up above…

No matter what the elements throw at you, these ultimate rain-beaters keep you dry and add a splash of color to your wardrobe:

showerproof mac Anthropologie
rubber boots Spiegelburg
umbrella Umbrella Society
rain hat Tamara Henriques

The Kleine Zeitung Project

In October, Kleine Zeitung launched a competition for their readers to design creative, quirky job ads for any of the three positions (project manager, graphic designer, cook) given by them. The deadline to enter was 7th November and I just mailed my creation. The three best ideas will be presented at the Closing Ceremony of the Job & Karriere Award and the winners will have a chance to take home some fantastic prizes.
Wish me luck, will you?

Graduation Ceremony

It is official now; last Friday I physically received my Translation and Interpretation Diploma. I actually rushed to the departmental ceremony held at the university from a real-life interpreting. Honestly, I wish I could be as good in real-world deployment scenarios as I was at school. Oh well, there’s still a long way to go. Interpreting can pose so many unforeseen challenges that just take one by surprise. Here it is how bad it can get: A bit of Fry and Laurie – European Deal

Then I was treated to a Japanese dinner at my favorite sushi place. I had mizo soup, tuna maki, California rolls, and a bento filled with maki, fried chicken, Japanese potato salad and pickles. I had no space left for dessert. At home I could somehow manage though to have some of the chestnut cake sitting in the fridge.

This will be my next big cooking adventure: Making sushi at home

Tasty and Tricky Halloween Treat

Happy Halloween, everyone! The veggie shops are overflowing with lovely orange pumpkins in Budapest, I just bought one today but instead carving a jack-o’-lantern out of it, I used it for cooking a warming pumpkin soup. We do not celebrate Halloween in Hungary, although some Halloween traditions are beginning to creep in due to the mass popularization of this typically American festival.
We do celebrate All Saints’ Day (1st November) though by going to the cemetery and lighting candles at the graves to remember our loved ones who passed away.
If kids are trick-or-treating at your door and you are at a loss as to how to deal with the situation, this sketch might come in handy: A bit of Fry and Laurie – Halloween

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

A steaming bag of roasted chestnuts, a glass of Sturm, a walk in the woods amid the vibrantly colored leaves, sitting by the fire, watching old musicals like Singin’ in the Rain, having a mug of hot cocoa with a thick slice of Kugelhupf, that’s how my October has been.
October is the season of Halloween, Oktoberfest, grape harvest, leaf peeping, fresh apples, orange pumpkins and being lazy. Christmas seems to be far away now so we are allowed to shop only for ourselves.

The season’s objects of desire:

watch Fat Face
umbrella Oilily
shoes Camper by Hella Jongerius
Ingrid Bergman La Donna Special Edition Fountain Pen Montblanc
blanket Isak
tote bag Mozi

Bread-Winner

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” /Robert Browning/

So, what makes a good bread? Well, one’s taste in bread mainly depends on where one is from. Almost every country has their own unique type(s) of bread : baguette (France), Pumpernickel (Germany), ciabatta (Italy), sliced bread (England), challah (Israel), naan (India), tortilla (Mexico), pita (Greece), mantou (China), etc.
Unlike Steven Kaplan who fetishizes artisanal French baguettes, I swear by dense, very dark, rye-based German breads. My current favorite is the rye-spelt-malt bread (King Ludwig) that is also available in Hungary. This bread is somewhat rustic with a dark, crackly, crunchy crust, a soft, airy, caramel brown crumb and a distinct taste and texture. It can be enjoyed with either sweet or savory spreads and lasts up to one week.

Here are the ultimate links for bread lovers:

bread machine Zojirushi
bread recipe Bauernbrot
book Good Bread is Back by Steven Kaplan
bread bin Typhoon
bread cutting board Concona
bread knife Shun
bakery Der Beck

“That’s a classy brew”,…

…says Iggy Pop of IHOP’s coffee in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes. I wonder how he would praise what I serve. Just kidding. But really, I may not possess a professional coffee machine taking up half of my available counter space, but I try to make the best out of my moka pot and electric milk frother. I enjoy coffee, both making and drinking it, but not in a coffee-snob way, rather with a laid-back, relaxed attitude. Quite honestly, I do not roast or grind my beans freshly and even more honestly, I do not roast or grind them at all by myself. However, I try to buy the finest ingredients that are commercially available. In addition, I always use bottled spring water for brewing and it already makes a huge difference in the taste of my drink. The only thing that puts me off a little is when my boyfriend asks me for “just a cuppa no-fluff-coffee this time if it’s not a problem.” Well, apparently, it is.

Here are the coolest things for your inner barista. They do not require a lot of space so you can avoid converting your tiny kitchen into an Italian espresso bar using huge, industrial strength equipments.

stove top espresso maker Bialetti Mukka Express
electric milk frother Aerolatte
manual milk frother Bodum

coffee Fauchon Vanilla Coffee
sugar La Perruche
coffee topping Hachez

Everything But The Kitchen Sink

It's not that I do not like IKEA. Because I kind of do. It is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and creative ideas. I appreciate the effort. I like the concept. And let’s be honest that’s what they sell really well. They sell the illusion of being funky and trendy although they are the most mainstream thing ever. I find it somehow sad that so many people stock up on everything from cutlery to bathroom sink at IKEA and turn their homes into a uniform, characterless place that is tattooed all over with the IKEA logo. A couple of nice pieces made by them are very much alright here and there but you need to remember the simple rule: less is more when it comes to IKEA. However, the good thing is that there is a world beyond it so if you like the vibrant and peppy Scandinavian design, check these sites out.

Gudrun Sjödén
Isak
Oliver Furniture
Ib Laursen
House Doctor
Green Gate
Rice
Flensted Mobiles

Frozen Delights Out, Steamy Sensations In

With the temperature cooling down and my freezer running out of fruits harvested during the summer, it seems that the smoothie-making season is over for this year. Since I got my blender, I have made zillions of smoothies in every color and flavor you can possibly think of. Personally, I never add ice cubes to it – they make the texture of the smoothie really harsh – instead, I use frozen fruits and all natural, handmade yogurt that gives it almost an ice-cream consistency. (A fresh banana also provides a bit of extra creaminess.) For some added sweetness, I add a little honey to the drink and top it with a few pieces of yogurt coated and uncoated dried cranberries.

And here is the evidence that hot smoothies also exist. However, I do not think they need to be blended, do they? That’s something I'll definitely try though when the weather turns even chillier: Vanilla porridge with honeyed apples

Fall in Love

No matter how long this summer lasted, the autumn is finally catching up on us. There is no reason though, why we should not savor this time of the year, too. Nothing can be nicer than taking a walk in the woods (mine was in a forest nearby my home town), kicking the fallen dry leaves all around (the louder the better), collecting pine cones, acorns, berries and conkers (instead of just putting them into a box, you can make a wreath out of them to decorate your front door), breathing deep and filling your lungs with the crisp, fresh air. Take a little time and indulge in the colorful delights of autumn.





Of the several exciting ways to soak up the spirit of the season, here are some of the best:

pumpkin soup BBC recipes
Federweisser ('young wine') Weingut Cobenzl
apple flavored black tea Kusmi Tea
autumn wreath Martha Stewart
harvest spice candles Pier 1 Imports
wellington boots Cath Kidston
poncho knit Esprit
rugged shoes The Art Company

Heritage Festival – Pécs Days

During the eleven days of the festival (an official event of the European Capital of Culture - Pécs2010 Program), a varied program (music, dance, theatre productions) takes place around the St. Peter Cathedral of Pécs with arts and crafts stalls, and plenty to eat and drink.
Because I live just a stone’s throw away from Dóm tér, I went there, enjoyed a couple of folk dance performances and ate all the traditional festival street food – like langalló (“Hungarian pizza”) and kürtőskalács (sprinkled with some chopped walnuts) –, baked over an open fire. It’s the most belly-filling feast ever, especially if you eat them in combo, like I did…

They said “I do” and they’ll never be lonely any more

Do you think that getting married on the 13th of the month brings you good luck? They said “I do”, and they said it on this very day, in the delicious, orange autumn sunshine. I wish them all the luck. Congratulations, Csenge and Thomas! Now, my best friends from college got all married; Nóra even brought her baby girl, Zoé along. Look how adorable she is in her cute polka dot dress! The rest of us could have never pulled this pattern off with such a flair.


Here are some of my favorite choices on how to add a unique and different twist to your wedding if you are looking for an escape from the norm.

wedding dress Elfenkleid
wedding photography Lisa Lefkowitz
wedding invitation Louella Press
bridal bouquet Dellables
wedding cake Edith Meyer
wedding ring Ashley Hilton
wedding blogs Green Wedding Shoes, 100 Layer Cake