Day 174: Days of summer...Blueberry-Pistachio Cheesecake!

Say cheeeeese!

Now, say cheeeeeesecake! And say no more :)

I made my very own first trial on the making of a cheesecake a couple of weeks ago. And it was surprising even to myself when everyone who tried it said "whoa!" I started the preparation at about 10p.m. one night and finished it after midnight, because it was my gift for my grandma's birthday the next morning. I'm such a last-minute person sometimes, I know!

The recipe was borowed from Yoli 's fantastic cooking blog, and I adjusted it to my own taste and the available products at hand. I used blueberry jam for the top coat and I also added some dried blueberries I have from Detelina, that serve me in situations of sugar emergency and this time they really added up to the taste. I couldn't find Ricotta cheese at the local store so I substituted it with Philadephia cheese instead, and I also allowed myself to add some raw pistachio nuts for the biscuit bottom layer. It turns out it's not such a complicated thing making a cheesecake, I have no idea why I didn't try making it before, but anyone out there contemplating on that I would strongly encourage you - JUST TRY!

I am making some more once I get back with time in my watch and space in my fridge :))))))))

Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

Day 119: Taste of Vienna

Food is important, okay? So don't underestimate that. Don't overdo it either.

Life wouldn't be the same without food. Often times when I come back from a place that really impressed me, and I liked it so much that I would love to come back at least once more....oh well, almost every time it's because of the food! You know how it works - all the senses should be happy and satisfied.
That was the case last weekend in Vienna. I can absolutely recommend you go for the famous chocolate Sacher cake, or an Apple Strudel, both offered at the Sacher Hotel (www.sacher.com), just next to the Vienna Opera. The perfect place to spend a typical Austrian night at is Plachutta restaurant (www.plachutta.at), where they cook Austrian dishes and serve them with great care. Definitely try some kind of boiled meat, it's so good!
Here's a couple sneak-peaks of what we tried and loved...

Sacher chocolate cake

Apple Strudel

Home-made vanilla ice-cream with caramelized pumpkin seeds

Boiled tongue with vegetables

Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

Day 70 - Joy of ♥ 5: love to hate

The next one is called love to hate. This one got me unprepared, but it also got me thinking. I am usually on the bright side of life, I like to think of happy moments and happy people, but I am a human being of course, so there are times when I go out of order and experience what's called "some nerves".
At least, I can be glad that it was hard to think of a really annoying habit or trait in the people I care about.

It's time to tell about my mom's cakes. Every time I go home to visit my parents I leave with a car full of food, and I am not kidding. I am always begging to get as less food as possible, but no matter how much we remove, there's always too much...And there's always a whole cake from my mom. It's hard to keep a figure with this thing at home, but I do realize there's hardly anything better tasting that can substitute it on my breakfast table. So, I just have to love it and hate it at the same time ;)

The leftovers - a good or a bad thing? I'd say always good =P



Nikon D700, 50mm.