Paprikash
There are no many recipes in our family which are so beloved like this one. I learnt to cook it when I studied in Bratislava and since that the recipe has been on my regular menu. The origin is Hungarian but as Slovakia has always been influenced by the Hungarian neighbours it is not surprising that this dish has been nationalized also there. For 4 people you need:
4 large chicken legs
1 onion
1-2tbs paprika powder (the best you can find, the hungarian paprika powder works best for this recipe)
1dl white vine
0.5l chicken broth
2dl creme fraiche (light version works well)
2tbs lingonberry jam
2tbs white flour
salt and peppar
olive oil
chopped parsley
- Cut each chicken leg into 2 pieces, season with salt and pepper
- Chop the onion and cook it in olive oil until soft. Add paprika powder
- Add chicken pieces and toss to combine
- Add wine, chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook 45min. Remove the chicken pieces and allow them cool a little bit.
- Meanwhile in a smal dish mix flour and 3-4 tbs COLD water and add the mixture to the sauce and cook 3-5 minutes, tossing around
- Add lingonberries and creme fraiche and don't cook it any more. Season with salt and pepper. You can mix it with a hand mixer in order to get the creamy consistency
- Remove the meat from the bones and add it to the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with pasta, preferably home made gnocchi.
Fraises d'Espagne
These are very early strawberries imported from Spain and they do not posses much taste. However, the color and the sign of Spring were so appetizing that I bought them. In order to enhance the taste I dipped them in dark chocolate. Part of them we will take with us as a present to our friends this evening to the aperitif.
Macarons
Today we had a cleaning day, Christine and I have cleaned the house and my husband the garden. It is sunny weather and I love to bring all the bedlinen out onto the terrace and let it breath. Later on I drove to the town for appointment with a hairdresser and on the way I stopped to buy macarons. This sweet indulgence is difficult to resist. Ladurée in Paris is the best shop for macarons but our local A.Bouchard makes them mouthwatering as well...bon appetit
Spring is in the air....
....and we enjoy a simple salad on our terrace.
Aix en Provence
Today we decided to make an excursion to Aix en Provence, the city famous for being home for Paul Cezanne. Aix has always been a rich city. There is a high contrast between Marseille (only 30 km and half an hour away). Whereas Marseille is one the poorest French cities (but still an unique and not to be missed town), Aix is perhaps one of the richest. It is a quiet, clean and comfortable city. The city center is mostly pedestrian and, though it is quite small, offers long hours of nice walks. As in all Provençal towns, the city center consists of narrow streets, lined with interesting buildings from 17th century This sunny afternoon the streets were full of people strolling around and the caffe's and restaurant's were bursting with life.
On our way to Aix en Provence we passed the chateau Vauvenarques which was the last domicile of Pablo Picasso, but today the proprietary is private and closed to public. We got at least a sight of the beautiful chateau with the Montange Sainte- Victoire in the background( picture above)
Back in Provence
We are home........you know that the part of the fun going away is to return home. And this is how we feel it. We had two wonderful weeks on Mauritius, where we enjoyed all service and luxury but it is nice to be back. As Mauritius is only within 3 hours time difference we do not have any jetlag and therefore we could return to our daily life pretty fast. Today it was a market day so we went for our traditional shopping. We stopped first at our favorite cafe where we met Vincent, a French friend who has retired in Provence after having been in shipping business whole his life. His and his wife Ruth's home is decorated with photos, souvenirs and objects from exotic places like French Polynesia, Mexico, HongKong where they spent majority of their professional lives. It is always pleasure to talk to all those interesting people who have had exiting professions and lives.....and there are many of them here. We also made some shopping, the market is still pretty small in waiting for the spring to come. Tonight we will go with our friends for dinner to a beautiful Provencal village Lagnes so no cooking today. But first, after 2 weeks, we will do some hiking in order to awake our lazy bodies from the Indian Ocean relaxation.
Bingiza
Bingiza is a tropical storm passing far north of Mauritius but we feel it ....it's raining cats and dogs here. This is a new experience in a resort living because you do not know what to do. Luckily, we have books, DVD and internet but anyhow we would like to be outside. For tomorrow we booked a trip around the Ile aux Cerfs island with a visit to watterfal, snorkeling and a BBQ on the beach. I keep my fingers crossed.....
...and also I have finally cut my hair and so far I feel good about it, but I know that I will be longing for longer hair soon or later......
And this is our life during the sunny days.....Ilot Mangenie, privat island governed by the hotels own Robinson and his assistant Friday.....
Our Island life
Relaxing on Ilot Mangenie (Hotel´s privat island)
My breakfast...smoked marlin beneath the salad leaves
In the hotel's garden
Bird in the palm tree
Ile aux Cerfs.....
Restaurant on the "deserted" island Ilot Mangenie.... 5*service included
Catch of the day.......
Life is hard but bearable......
Now we are here..in a paradise and everything I wrote in my earlier comment is true....we have a wonderful room with a bed 2m wide and a terrace with a view over the Indian Ocean. So far we have only stayed on the hotel beach but there are many other options: a deserted island which is exclusively reserved to the hotel guests and also the public island Ile des Cerfs. There is a shuttle boat on a set schedule departing from the hotel jetty every 20min. As soon as we have got a little sun tan as a protection, we will explore these islands. The food is very light and delicious, tropical fruits for breakfast and the catch of the day to lunch. For the dinner there are three restaurants and we have tested two already.
Unfortunately the ADSL connection is very slow so I may not be so frequent ......
Ready, Pack and Go
This is a trip which I have planned for many months. We have been on Mauritius 4 times already but I never get enough. This is not an adventure trip, this is an evasion. The days we will spend on the beach by reading, walking, swimming, taking lunches and naps. At the sunset we will return to our room for a short relaxation and perhaps a glass of champagne before we will enjoy the dinner. During the day we will be simply dressed but in the evenings we will dress up, as everybody else in those chic hotels....and I love it. I have already packed my dresses and high heels shoes as well as simple shirts and hats for the beach. Both my husband and I have chosen a pile of books which will be read in the shadow of palm trees and between the swims, naps and lunches. We also may rent a car for a short exersion but as this is 5th time we visit the island, we already know it pretty well. Perhaps a fishing trip this time......
