Category: foooood

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foooood

kvikk lunsj

quick lunch chocolate

when we were back in germany earlier this year, some norwegian friends introduced us to kvikk lunsj (aka “quick lunch”!), a chocolate snack from their country. we already liked the brand (freia) for their their mellow chocolate hearts, so we were curious to try other creations.

quick lunch chocolate

traditionally this is a mountain snack — something to take on your trips into the wilderness, for when you might need a pick me up. once unwrapped, it looks a lot like a kit kat bar but with cute storks stamped on each chocolate finger.

quick lunch chocolate

and when you bite into it, the interior is pretty much like a kit kat bar too, made of crispy waffers covered in chocolate. no objections here and perfect for sharing!
quick lunch chocolate

one cute detail: the norwegian mountain code is printed inside! it says things like “plan your trip and inform others about the route you have selected” or “pay attention to the weather and the avalanche warnings“. my favourite: “don’t be ashamed to turn around” — sounds like good advice… and not just for mountain trips!

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algarving foooood

xarém

corn flour is used in the north of portugal to make “broa”, a heavy kind of bread that often accompanies countryside meals… but in the south, this bread is nowhere to be found. instead, they grind the corn coarsely to make xarém, a sort of soupy concoction resembling very watery polenta. corn being corn, it tastes mostly to the flavorings one adds to it, and so it’s incredibly versatile.

you can eat it with mussels and bacon, as is traditional in olhão:

or with octopus, as in this cooking demonstration in tavira:

the corn meal was cooked in the octopus’ cooking water, and turned an unappealing brown, but was actually way tastier than its yellow alternative. either way, it is super heavy as a meal, and best enjoyed in winter. i approve!

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foooood in germany

kastenpickert

this year’s annual october pilgrimage to bielefeld was probably our 10th or 11th visit to the city. between postcards and rubberstamping, the city that doesn’t exist has slowly become the second city we know best in the whole germany. although i like traveling and discovering new places as much as any fellow wanderluster, there’s also a comforting allure in familiar places, that allows us to dig a little deeper under the surface, discovering a bit more of its essence… or its deliciousness!

this time, we made a new local friend who took us to try kastenpickert, a local speciality.

pickert is a potato cake or pancake from westphalia, fried and served with jam or a savory side. there are different versions throughout the region, but the one we tried looked a bit like french toast made out of cake. there’s nothing about cake or french toast that i don’t like, so predictably, it was really good.

i picked sanddorn (sea buckthorn) jam because i love its tangy taste and it’s such a rare sight for us in the south tip of europe.

in the end, 3 slices might have been a bit of an ambitious goal for a mid-afternoon snack… but it was worth it for the company and the opportunity of unlocking a bit more of the bielefeld puzzle. :)

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foooood in italy

taralli

taralli was one of the best discoveries of our latest trip to italy. they are southern snacks and the version we tried was both salty and spicy, as well as extra crunchy from all the almonds in it. they look somewhat soft in the photos, but they’re actually quite hard and break into pieces when you bite into them.

it was delicious, and i wish we had the forethought to bring back a couple extra bags because the one we got was finished way too quickly… :( i shall be thinking of these rings of deliciousness until our next visit!

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foooood

harvesting honey

remember the family hives? despite some hiccups along the way, we still have them after all these years! when autumn comes, the honey is collected and this year we were fortunate to have quite a bit of the sweet stuff. my brother recently harvested it and i made some videos of the process, skipping the opening of the hive as there were not enough suits for everyone.

i like beekeeping — every phase of the honey-making process is beautiful!