Month: January 2011

čevapčiči

čevapčiči was the only balkan dish we had heard of before going to slovenia, a recommendation from the mother of a friend who had fond memories of it, many years after having visited the country. it’s a simple dish, meaty & greasy, and a mess to eat, but oh so good!

it consists of minced meat, shaped into small sausage-like bits and grilled. there are several variations of the dish: the slovenians serve it with warm lepinja (flat pocket bread), onions and delicious kajmak (clotted cream). we prefer the pola-pola version that harambaša serves, with 5 čevapčiči and 2 sausages:

grab a piece of lepinja, slather it with the creamy kajmak, stick a piece of čevapčiči in it, and enjoy! (for extra slovenian points, wash it down with some cockta or the local laško!)

harambaša is on vrtna ulica 8, ljubljana.

in slovenia

world cup ski jumping in planica

almost a year ago, in march 2010 we went to planica, in the kranjska gora mountains, to see something we had only ever seen on tv: ski jumping!

according to wikipedia, it’s even called ski flying since the ramp line is at 185 meters (normal ramps are at 80-100m and large ones at 120-130m).

in a nutshell, it was amazing!! i don’t think pictures can really convey how huge the ramp is, but anyway, i tried! you can click the images for bigger versions, and i’ve added some arrows to help locate the jumpers :)
someone jumping... ...jumping... ...and done!

planica is known for having the perfect conditions for really long ski jumps: the current world record was set here in 2005 by bjørn-einar romøren from norway, an incredible 239m! unfortunately, it is also known for making jumpers walk stairs almost all the way to the top – thought i’ve read on several sites that the government has plans to modernise the place by 2013.

we were there on the qualifiers for last years world cup, and despite the cold, the atmosphere was really vibrant! lots of flag waving, songs shouted around according to the jumper’s nationality, and just general enthusiasm in each jump! another day well spent :)
crowd @ planica

Post author By ana
Post date January 15, 2011
No Comments on world cup ski jumping in planica

in slovenia

piran

we’ve picked our new destination and if things go as planed, we should move countries in a few months time… until then, i’m making an effort to post as much as possible about what we like in slovenia and the things we saw here. first up: the town of piran!

i think when god created slovenia, it must have gone something like this: well, we got tall mountains, we got the bluest/greenest rivers and lakes, we got caves, now if only we could squeeze in a bit of sea it would be perfect. all countries should have a sea view, right? and then he pushed croatia and italy a bit to the side and voilá! 46 kms of slovenian coast facing the adriatic sea. perfect. :)
slovenian’s coast is a succession of 4 towns, connected by a road by the sea: koper, izola, piran and portorož. we don’t know the others very well, but we ♥ piran!
there’s old medieval houses in narrow cobbled streets, with lots of lovely details on the walls. there’s a church with a campanário that resembles the one from piazza s. marco in venice and from which you see the whole peninsula. there’s a cute little harbour with ice-cream stands and one of those machines that turns 5 cent coins into a mini-panorama of the city. and there’s fish restaurants, fresh sea air, plenty of sun… what’s not to like?
there’s a saying in portuguese “those who don’t have dogs, hunt with cats” and this is a bit the spirit around here. no sandy beaches? no problem! we’ll lay our towels right here in the cement or over there in the pebbles and we’ll be ok! it’s a bit strange for us portuguese: the concept of a beach without sand… is not a beach! but hey… i guess it’s better than nothing, and besides, the water is not that cold so you would be spending most of your time there anyway! :)

we must have been there half a dozen times now, and it hasn’t lost its charm yet :)

Post author By ana
Post date January 13, 2011
2 Comments on piran

foooood in portugal

the food list

as always when we go back home, we had a long list of things we’d been craving all year. this year version of the list, scribbled on a notebook page during our long london layover, was promptly snatched by my mom upon arrival. she planned, plotted and delivered what she could cook – the rest was consumed in various cafés and small restaurants here and there. kilos were gained and we left today with a happy belly and more cholesterol that we can afford… it went a bit like this (click images for bigger):

meiadeleite

croissants

salame de chocolate

bola de berlim

jesuítas

broas de mel

pastéis de nata

bola de carne caseira

doce de tomate da mãe

alheira

bifes com cogumelos

bacalhau

francesinha!!

leite creme

pão

bolo rei de chocolate

sonhos

pataniscas de bacalhau

bacalhau à brás

croissants

ucal & croissants

medronhos

pão de ul & regueifa

limiano & marmelada

yes, we have a slight obsession with portuguese croissants (booo to puff pastry croissants!), traditional pastries and bread. and codfish. i suppose there’s no food like the food you grew up with, eh? what does your mom cook when you go home? :)

foooood in portugal just life

consoada

consoada, the family dinner on christmas eve, is the epitome of christmas celebrations in portugal. families get together and a ton of food, homemade wine and sweets are consumed. there’s nothing fancy about it: everybody brings something and we share it all. and then, when people are nearing sugar coma, santa claus descends upon us and distributes the presents. because the family is quite big and loves to give cleverly disguised gag gifts, the process takes hours… plus for the first time in a really long time, there’s a baby in the family again – his name is martim, and he loves to help people tear the wrapping paper off their presents! :)

it never gets old! :)

Post author By ana
Post date January 7, 2011
4 Comments on consoada