I am not a fan of big cities – too many people, too much chaos. I love nature-made beauty more than man-made though I can appreciate the creativity of humans. Too often cities are full of ugly buildings and a lack of cohesive planning. This is not the case with the historic centre of Rome – my number 3 favourite place in the world. I have been there many times and I never get tired of it. I love to see the same sights but always manage to find another corner somewhere that I haven’t explored. A great way to see the main sights is to buy a ticket to the double-decker buses which circle around the city touching on all the main highlights. You can get off and on as many times as you like during the day. Climb up to the top and view Rome from that vantage point. Each corner the bus turns reveals new delights. The first time you see Rome this way, it will take your breath away. The second time, it will take your breath away again, and every time after that. We live in a young country … [Read more...] about Favourite place in the world No. 3 – the most incredible city in the world
Mexican Vegetarian Tortillas
This recipe looked good in the Taste Magazine and it sure tasted good but it was a little hard to eat the way it is laid out in the photo. Dario folded his up and ate it as a wrap but that wasn't ideal considering there is a poached egg in each which couldn't be distributed evenly. Anyway, I still think it's worth making for the taste. This recipe is not low Fodmap. Mexican Vegetarian Tortillas Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients 1 packet of tortillas Olive oil 6 spring onions, sliced 1 can mild, medium or hot chilli beans 3 fresh chillies, sliced thinly 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped 4 eggs, poached 2 ripe avocados, sliced 3 large tomatoes, deseeded and sliced Bunch of coriander, chopped Juice of 1 lemon Salt & pepper Method Cook 2 spring onions and beans in oil until hot. Mash with a fork and keep warm. Combine red chillies, parsley and onion to create a hot salsa. Combine avocados, tomatoes, 4 spring onions, … [Read more...] about Mexican Vegetarian Tortillas
Coca Cola Cupcakes with salted Peanut Butter frosting
A wonderful extra day of holiday and I got this decadent craving for cupcakes and thought I would give them another go. I found this crazy recipe on Sprinkle Bakes and I was rather taken by the idea that the liquid was coca-cola instead of milk. I was keen to photograph them in natural light but by the time I had baked them, cooled them and iced them, the light was gone. I guess I should have started earlier but I went to the movies this morning, which was a big mistake. Adriano wanted the car in the afternoon and Dario had the other one so I needed to choose a movie early in the day and Battleship was the choice. I love Liam Neeson but he made a serious error of judgement with this one. When they started walking in slow motion towards their destinies, I almost walked out. It was second only to Transformer in cliched horribleness. Give it a miss at all costs. Anyway back to the cupcakes. [print_this] Coca Cola Cupcakes with salted Peanut Butter … [Read more...] about Coca Cola Cupcakes with salted Peanut Butter frosting
Dream Interiors for a Future Home
As I wander about the internet, I gather together images I like and pin them to Pinterest . I also gather interior design shots in a folder to share here when I am not cooking. Tomorrow is a national holiday so Adriano cooked dinner and I luxuriated in having more free time than usual on a week day evening. See if you don't agree about these beautiful, atmospheric interiors - except one is actually outside but qualifies because of the set up. … [Read more...] about Dream Interiors for a Future Home
Spinach-Stuffed Chicken – low Fodmap & Gluten-free
For a change, I'm not making an all-in-one meal, though that is my favourite kind - less dishes, less visual mess. This is a more classic kind of New Zealand meal with an obvious lump of protein and three vegetables - in this case, mashed potatoes, spinach and tomato. But my family would moan if I stuck them on the plate without any creativity. They are used to more complex meals and so this is what I did: Chicken Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta - low Fodmap & Gluten-free Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Serves: 4 Ingredients Olive Oil 4 Chicken breasts 130g baby spinach 125g cottage cheese Salt & pepper 4 wide rashers of bacon 1 to 2 vine tomatoes per person 2 cups chicken stock (onion and garlic-free) 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 tsp of garlic-infused oil ¼ cup sour cream 2 tsp chopped chives Method Wilt the spinach in a pan until wilted. Add cottage cheese and mix. Season. Slice a pocket into the chicken breasts and stuff with the mixture. … [Read more...] about Spinach-Stuffed Chicken – low Fodmap & Gluten-free
The Wilderness that Wasn’t
A few posts ago, I told you about one of the strangest toilets I have met, which happened to be in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The rest of that trip was just as weird. This is the story of the wilderness that wasn't. The mokoro canoe slipped silently through the long grass fifty centimetres above the Okavango Delta riverbed. Our native poler, expertly balanced on the back tip, pushed his pole down gently into the water and eased the boat forward. I lay stretched out, my head resting on my sleeping bag. This was the life. We landed at a clearing in some mopani trees and unloaded tents, camping equipment and packs. This was as far into the wilderness as I had ever been up to that point. As we settled ourselves into our basic tents, we had the first sign that this wasn’t exactly a wilderness. A motorboat roared past down the Delta, leaving diesel fumes in its wake. This was to be a thrice-daily occurrence at least. How they didn’t end up beached on an island, I had no … [Read more...] about The Wilderness that Wasn’t
