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