I was recently contacted by a group called Schmap, which is an on-line destination guide. They cover areas all over the globe. It is a pretty cool concept, one that I had not heard of before I was contacted.
Well, apparently they scour Flickr for photos to use for their on-line content. And as luck would have it, they were interested in using five of my photos for their on-line guides for Montreal, Florence, Rome, Naples and Paris.
There was of course a waiting period as the photos go up for a vote…but low and behold, all five made it into the guides!
So, if you'd like to see the photos and check out Schmap's in general, I'll provide you the links.
And if you want some more photos for your viewing pleasure, you can always go right to my Flickr page and enjoy the slideshow!
Happy Clicking!
Newsflash: Travel Can Be Stressful! Duh.
Planning, packing, arranging transportation, keeping on a schedule, flying, not-flying when you are supposed to be flying, making sure you didn’t leave anything behind- it is enough to drive the sanest person crazy.
And being the type-A personality that I am- I tend to be wound up as tight as my undies in my luggage – so I need any little bit of advice on making travel stress-free.
Here is a few things that help me out- hopefully they’ll help you as well!
1. Have a spa day. Whether it’s before you go- or after you get to your destination (I prefer before) it sets the tone. A massage, maybe a mani-pedi- anything to get you in a pleasant mood, unknot those tight muscles and get you in a relaxing spirit. And don’t forget to do some Travel Yoga.
2. Book travel at smart times. Consider booking your flight, train or driving times during non-peak times. Attempting to make a flight while stuck in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic will grate on the strongest of nerves and you’ll end up chewing that polish off those freshly French manicured nails.
3. Speaking of transportation … rather than relying on public transportation, why not get a good friend or family member to drive you to the airport instead? It might relax you, knowing that you’re in good hands and that you can talk up a storm with a friend- taking your mind off that leg of the trip. And unless they own a Yugo- It’s a sure bet that the seats will be more comfortable!
4. Don’t overbook your intinerary. You run the risk of being stressed, running from place to place- not even taking the needed time to actually and experience your destination. Don’t schedule every waking moment – leave time to just be.
5. Try pre-packing. Always keep your bag packed and at the ready, except for your clothes. Top-off liquids when you arrive home from your trip. Replace anything you ran out of right away- that way when it’s time to pack for your next trip- all you need is your clothes, camera equipment and electronics.
6. Lists, lists and more lists. Make lists of everything and check off as you go. Packing list, a list of chores around the house before you leave, a list for the house-sitter, a list for things you need to buy before you leave. This way- you are sure not to forget anything, spending less time wondering and worrying.
7. Take enough time off. Don’t plan to work right up until the second you’re due to leave and make sure to give enough time to unpack, relax and get used to the time-change on the way back, especially if it is an international trip you are returning from. Build in an extra day on each leg of your journey- act as if it is part of your intinerary!
And if these tips don’t work, you can always revert to my favorite tip of all - drink heavily and take Vallium!
—
Now, hop on over to My Bella Vita to see what Cherrye has on offer today!
Well, in about nine days, I'll be stuffed into a cramped airplane seat, headed to my beloved Italy. Rome to be exact!
Soon after I'll be wandering the streets, sipping cappuccini, strolling the old cobbled streets, meeting up with friends and devouring the best in Roman wine and cuisine. And for the first time ever, I plan to be connected on my trip.
Have laptop and blackberry- will travel!
So, what does that mean for you? Well, besides meaning that I'll be blogging and Twittering from the road it means that I'll be taking you along for the ride…so to speak!
But I need a little something from you, dear readers.
I need to know- Where do you want me to bring you? What do you want me to bring you? What do you want me to eat (no organ meats)? What do you want to see a picture of?
I want to bring Rome to you!!! If you haven't been, I'd like to take you, for the first time.
Of course, I have a short visit, a rough itinerary to stick to and a list of food and restaurants to shake a stick at- but I want to do my best to try to bring you to Rome- or to bring Rome to you!
Tell me in the comments what you'd like me to do, see or eat- and I'll do my best to bring it to you.
Keep in mind, I won't be going to the Vatican this time 'round- as I did that last time. And not really visiting any museums, either. I prefer to be out and about with the Romans and living life in the museum that IS Italy.
You can tune in here everyday between May 20th and May 27th for my Roman adventure. All Rome all the time! And if you are not on Twitter yet, you can join here and follow me. I am @MyMelange. You'll get one update a day on the blog- but so many more on Twitter.
Now it's your turn. What do you want to see? What is Rome- your way?
—
And speaking of Rome and countdowns – I am also looking forward to the release of Angels & Demons. It opens this Friday, May 15th and I'll be headed to the theater that night!
Another Foodie French Friday and today we are talking bread. Not just any kind of bread, but a bread so special, from a one-of-a-kind bakery, that the bread itself is named after said bakery.
Pain Poilâne {peng pwa lahn}. Here is what the good book says:
" This bread is a creation of the Poilâne family, who opened a bakery in the Latin Quarter of Paris in 1932, the Poilâne bread is a handmolded sourdough wheat bread, made of stone-ground flour, flavored with sea salt from the marshes of Guérande in Brittany, and which is, to this day, still being baked in a traditional wood oven.
Thanks to its unique taste and color (grayish-brown), and obvious nutritional qualities, as well as the great PR work in Lionel Poilâne, who took over the business in the early 1970's at a time when industrial white bread was very much en vogue.
Yet, despite the opening of a second bakery in Paris and one in London in 2000 (the first authorization in more than three centuries to build a wood oven in the city that had banned them since the Great Fire of 1666), the Poilâne miche (a round loaf of about 4.2 pounds that bears a 'P' signature) remains handcrafted, thus preserving the philosophy of its creator, Pierre-Léon Poilâne. He believed that, along with the choice of quality ingredients, the handcrafting process made all the difference between an authentic product and industrial breads. Needless to say, Pain Poilâne is simply the best bread for any tartine."
When in Paris, it is very common to see tartines (open-faced sandwiches) advertised as being made on Poilâne bread. In fact we visited one of them, Cuisine de Bar, coincidentally right next door to the famed Poilâne bakery on rue Cherche-Midi.
I first learned of Poilâne from The Barefoot Contessa. She waxed poetic on her shows about Paris and her love of their bread- and she goes into further detail in her cookbook, Barefoot in Paris, where she got a backstage pass on the breadmaking and had her picture taken with the staff, holding the popular signature miche.
Giada has even raved about their bread!
And if you can't get to Paris- the great thing is that you can actually order their bread on-line and have it delivered fresh, right to your door. At least in the States. It sure ain't cheap- but it is a bit cheaper than a plane ticket!
Have you tried Pain Poilâne?
I have never tried Osso Buco. I rarely eat veal. Not that I don’t like the taste of veal, I guess I just consciously decided that I didn’t want to eat a baby calf.
But Osso Buco has always intrigued me.
Last week, I happened to be perusing the meat section at my market and I saw it. One single veal shank. Wrapped up real purty, with my name on it. It was calling too me. As I moved closer, I saw the label.
“FOR OSSO BUCO”. It was fate.
Now, I had to find a recipe. Where else would I do that? The Interwebs. First, I found one from Giada DeLaurentiis. Then, I turned to Twitter. Deb from Italian Food Forever sent me this link.
And I must admit, it didn’t really matter which recipe I made. In the end it was Deb’s picture that pushed me over the edge. So I used her recipe as the base for my own dish.
I always estimate amounts when I cook, as opposed to when I bake. Especially when it comes to meat dishes, because I am only cooking for one – and nobody writes recipes for just one serving. Half the fun is experimenting.
Osso Buco:
- veal shank
- flour
- salt & pepper
- butter
- olive oil
- finely chopped onion, celery and carrot (mirepoix or sofritto)
- clove of minced garlic
- dry white wine
- beef stock
- chopped tomatoes
Gremolata:
- zest of one lemon
- finely minced garlic clove
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Season shank with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.
In a dutch oven, melt a mixture of butter and oil, and brown the shanks well on both sides. Remove to a separate plate and pour off any fat. Add a smidge more butter, and the vegetables. Saute the vegetables until tender. Add a generous splash of wine, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom, add some beef stock, bring to a boil and reduce.
Add some tomatoes and mix well. Return the shanks to the pan, cover and place in the oven for at least 2 1/2 hours.
Serve each shank with some sauce over top and a healthy sprinkle of the gremolata topping. Add a chilled glass of the white wine used in the dish for a perfect meal!
I have to tell you, this was sooooo good, I was literally making noises when I ate it. Yes, it was that good! And though it was my first attempt at making Osso Buco, it surely won’t be my last.
How ’bout you? Have you ever had Osso Buco? Whose recipe do you use?
We have all been there. Forget something or better yet, forget to do something before we leave the house on vacation.
Hopefully, it's just your shower gel, which you can just buy at the nearest drug store when you get to your destination. No harm-no foul.
But often, it's something bigger. Much bigger.
Here is a list of things travelers forget at the last minute. Hopefully by seeing them in print- you'll remember next time!
1. Calling banks and credit card companies to let them know you're traveling. Doing it will not only alert them of out of town/country activity, but it'll save you the headache of NOT having the card work when you try to use it- they may flag it as stolen!
2. Holding mail at the post office. The last thing you want is for mail to be falling out of your mailbox, advertising to local criminals that your house is the perfect target.
3. Copying your passport. Hide one in a safe place to take along and also give the other copy to a friend or family member, just in case. Write down your credit card toll free number, in case you need to report the card lost or stolen.
4. Bringing emergency cash for the trip. You might need a taxi on the way there or back. You don't want to be stranded or worse yet- take a pricey cash advance on the 'ole credit card! Ouch!
5. Packing battery chargers for cameras, cell phones and computers. They are often overlooked. The same applies to voltage convertors and adapters.
6. Leaving the keys for the house-sitter. Why not make a spare set and give them out well before the trip?
7. Making a list of emergency numbers and expected itinerary, in case of, well, an emergency. Nuff said.
8. Pets. Often overlooked, but never forgotten, sometimes pets get the short end of the, er, bone?! My pooch has her *own* bag that always stays packed with the essentials and her own bowls at Grandma's. Make sure you have more than enough food for the length of your trip, enough toys and snacks to entertain and lots of walks and human contact to make up for your absence.
9. Essential Tickets. No, not your plane tickets, although that would be tragic, but often times people buy tickets to concerts, shows, special events, museums etc., well in advance, keep them in a safe place, only to forget them later. Avoid buying tickets in advance if it can be helped. If not- place the tickets in your suitcase as soon as they come in the mail.
10. Making Reservations. You want to plan a special dinner or a massage at your destination, but you forget to make the reservations. If it's a popular place you may just be out of luck when you arrive. Make sure you arrange it before you leave, or at least remember to bring the phone number with you to reserve when you get there.
Now it's your turn, fess up! What is something you have forgotten before traveling? And how do you now remember?
***
Whatever you do, don't forget to pop over to Cherrye's blog today for her travel tips!
In the Italian language, mangia is a command that means eat. Mothers tell their son's mangia, wives tell their husbands mangia and servers in trattorie tell their guests mangia,mangia!
So, who am I to disobey? No, not this Italophile.
Some of the most delicious Roman dishes that I can't wait to scarf down are:
Pasta Carbonara. This is my all-time favorite pasta dish! Raw eggs are tossed with hot pasta (which cooks the eggs), parmesean cheese and lots of browned pancetta. Heaven on a plate!
Bucatini all'amatriciana. Thick, hollow pasta with tomatoes, guanciale (pork cheek) or pancetta (pork belly) and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Yum.
Cacio e Pepe. The simplest of them all- spaghetti, lots of black pepper, tons of that sharp grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a little of the pasta water create a delicious, creamy sauce.
Pasta Arrabbiatta. This is labeled *angry pasta* because of the addition of red hot chili peppers. (and no, not the band). I'm normally not a huge fan of hot and spicy food, but when in Rome….
Gnocchi. In Rome, the old tradition in real trattorie is to have a special plate for every day of the week. Thursdays happens to be gnocchi night. You can bet we'll have some fluffy, delicious pasta pillows- with whatever sauce they are serving!
Fiori di zucca. Fried zucchini flowers, stuffed or plain. Crispy, salty, goodness.
Abbacchio Scottadito. Roasted Roman spring lamb chops that are grilled. The name implies burnt fingers- because you'll burn your fingers in haste trying to claw your way at them. Maybe, but rumor has these are finger licking good.
Porchetta. Sucking pig, stuffed with herbs and garlic and roasted on a spit. Then it's sliced and slapped on a sandwich. And it's sold out of a truck in Italy. That is what I call fast-food!
Pizza Bianca. Many a forna in Rome make this. It's sold by the pound and gets wrapped in paper as you take it with you. You might think it is white pizza- but it is really more like a foccacia dusted with salt, rosemary and olive oil. There can be toppings likes potato and rosemary or zucchini blossoms. This ain't pizza hut!
Roman pizza. Romans cook their pizza in a scorching hot oven, which means that the extra-thin Roman crust comes out extra crispy- even a bit scorched around the edges. My favorite is the simple Margherita- tomato, basil and mozzarella. Oh, I hope it's bufula mozzarella.
Supplì. A larger version on arancini. Basically a ball of risotto rice, surrounding a hunk of mozzarella and held together with egg, tomato and breadcrumbs and then fried.
Carciofi alla Romana. Artichokes braised in olive oil and water, sometimes with garlic and mint- the traditional Roman style.
Carciofi alla Giudia. The typical Jewish version of artichokes-flattened and fried.
—
But, there are a few Roman delicacies that no amount of sweetly-spoken mangia's, could make me eat. They are:
Trippa. Tender tripe in creamy, spicy tomato sauce, served sprinkled with pecorino cheese. Basically, intestines. I'll pass.
Pajata. Chopped suclking calf intestines boiled with it's mother 's milk still inside and served with tomato sauce. Oh, yum. Teeny-tiny baby intestines. No thanks!
Coda alla Vaccinara. Ox tail in celery and tomato broth. I'm sure it is delicious, but I'll stick to all the other edible parts of an ox, of which I am so sure there are many.
Now, I am sure that eating my way through Rome will be my activity of choice. Let's just hope that all the walking and the extra shots of espresso, speed up my metabolism enough to avoid me gaining 20 pounds!
What's your favorite on the list? Would you try any of my off-limit dishes?
Well, we are taking a break from our Foodie French Friday, because it's the first Friday of the month…and you know what that means. It's time for another edition of Travel Photo Friday. You may remember a while back, we had some photo submissions for "My Melange Sent Me".
Well, it seems that Tracey, from Stuff By Tace, remembered too.
So, when she was going on vacation to California, she remember to bring her sign. Or should I say signs?
You gotta hand it to my readers- not only are they willing to make complete fools of themselves by holding up a sign in public…but they are willing to drag others down with 'em!
Standing in the Amboy Crater in California, Tracey and her husband hold up there "My Melange Sent Me Signs".
And here they are again at the Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park- this time a little closer to the camera! I love the cacti set against the massive mountain range and the blue sky in the background!
But, I especially love hubby's sign that says, "AND me…."
I don't know about you, but I can feel the love. Oh you wonderful, darling, kooky travelers and readers you!
I. love. every. single. one. of. you.
Special thanks to Tracey and her husband Alan, for being such good sports!
********
Do you have a special travel photo that you'd like to have featured here on Travel Photo Friday? Or are you willing to throw away your last ounce of self respect and don a silly "My Melange Sent Me" sign on your next trip? Either way- I'd love to have you. Just email your photo and short description to mymelange (at) yahoo (dot) com.
See you next week for Foodie French Friday and on June 5th for the next Travel Photo Friday!
