Happy New Year

Einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr ;)










Let the party begin...

Brandenburg Cheese Salad

I started already the preparations for the New Year's Eve even though we are invited to the party.

But still... I have to experiment a little, if not for this party, then for the afterparty ;)
Here is a very simple salad, light and refreshing...

400 g emmental cheese, 2 sauer apples, 2 pears, 50 gr nuts, 400 mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon sweet mustard

Cut the cheese in small cubes. Peel the fruits and cut them also in cubes. Mix the fruits with the cheese and the nuts. Add the mayonnaise mixed with the mustard. Mix well and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
For a different taste add 10-15 red grapes.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Serdanu Style...

Here without you...

This week's soundtrack:

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all :D

Waiting for Santa...

Christmas Greeting

Here is the lovely Granny O'Grimm wishing you a Merry Christmas :)

Raducu the flying boy

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
No... it's Raducu Spiderman :D
Hurray, I finally get to photograph a boy, not only girls for the Perfect Baby...

Juanes - Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor

Do I have to say something? Nope :D

Simon's Cat Snow Business

Simon's Cat Snow Business was published today.
This cat is totally amazing, he's like my cat's twin brother or something :))

Golden Globes Nominees

And the nominees are...

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid

Best Director -- Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score -- Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
"I Will See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," The Crazy Heart
"Winter," U2, Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Paul McCartney Everybody's Fine

It seems that I have a lot of catching up to do this Christmas ;)
I'll let you know my favourites :D

Breaking Benjamin - Breathe

I found these guys through a friend's blog (thanks Muntzi) and I decided to share them with you all.

Photography Exam

Hurray, hurray!
I'm now officially a photographer with a degree (actually with a diploma ;p)
Of course I got some answers wrong at the exam (but who cares, I mean when you see a photograph you do not ask yourself what photoshop tools the photographer used), but luckily I got a perfect 10 for my portfolio, so I'm a 9.25 :D

P.S. I'm sure my Milka ad helped a lot :))

Nobel Prize

Five Nobel Prizes were instituted by the final will of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and industrialist, who was the inventor of dynamite.
The five Prizes are: Physics, Chemistry and Economics, Literature, Physiology or Medicine and the last one - the Peace Prize.
Each "Nobel Prize Award" consists of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary grant. The grant is currently 10 million SEK, slightly more than US$ 1.4 million.
Four Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm, Sweden, at the annual Prize Award Ceremony on the 10th of December, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
The Nobel Peace Prize is presented at the annual Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo, Norway, also on the 10th of December.
For more information and this year's winners go to the official website: http://nobelprize.org/

Portfolio

I finally finished my portfolio for my exam on Friday. Hopefully I will pass the exam. If not it would be a funny situation - a photographer who is not able to pass a simple photography exam...
But I am quite confident, especially after I finished my ad.

P.S. None of the hearts survived the shoot. They were absolutely delicious ;)

You took something perfect and painted it red

I have been so busy these past weeks that I had no time to write anything.
Unfortunately I still haven't got time so I'll just keep posting music and videos for a while.
Right now I just love this song, I heard it today on my mp3 for 50 times at least.
The words are absolutely beautiful, or maybe it's just the mood this song gives me...

And I’m alright
Standing in the streetlights here
Is this meant for me
My time on the outside is over
We don’t know how you’re spending all of your days
Knowing that love isn’t here
You see the pictures
But you don’t know their names
Cause love isn’t here

And I can’t do this by myself
All of these problems, they’re all in your head
And I can’t be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red

No sympathy
When shouting out is all you know
Behind your lies
I can see the secrets you don’t show
We don’t know how you’re spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn’t here
You see the pictures
But you don’t know their names
Cause love isn’t here

And I can’t do this by myself
All of these problems, they’re all in your head
And I can’t be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When you took something perfect
And painted it red

You take the best things from
Then everything gets empty
That’s not a world that I need
Ooh, you take the best things from me
Then everything gets empty
That’s not a world that I need

And I can’t do this by myself
All of these problems, they’re all in your head
And I can’t be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red

When you took something perfect
And painted it red
You took something perfect
And painted ït red

Discovery Channel

This is such a beautiful way to start the week, don't you think?

Saint Nikolaus

Did I behave this past year for Saint Nikolaus to pay me a visit? Do I deserve gifts or a rod? Maybe both?
I remember 9 years ago today I went to my first ever rock concert in a club. The venue was Georg Elser Halle in Munich and the band was... of course Reamonn :D
They were just starting, their first album was a success, everybody knew Supergirl (although in the beginning I thought U2 was singing it, I wasn't too far from the truth - there was an Irish lad involved...)
Loved the show, I couldn't imagine a better Saint Nikolaus than Rea.
After 9 years they are still amazing...
Here is the improved version of their latest single - Aeroplane.

Link:

Whiskas

Finally the Christmas commercials have appeared.
Beside the Tuborg one, this is my all time favorite ;)

The Last Lioness

I read today a touching story in the newspaper: it's about a lonely lioness who sought the company of humans when she lost her pride...
Below is the article from Daily Mail. The documentary will be shown on National Geographic Wild on 11 January 2010 at 9pm.

"It was a cry of such loneliness and despair that everyone who heard it that night vowed that they had to act - and act fast. The lioness named Lady Liuwa was so lonely that she had come to humans, camped in the Liuwa National Park in Zambia, looking for company.

The gutteral roar was the unmistakable call of friendship. She was the last surviving lioness in Liuwa - and her loneliness was enveloping her - her dreams of belonging to a pride and of motherhood long gone.

The extraordinary story of how Lady turned to humans for companionship and love - and how they, in turn, fought to find her a family - has become one of the most moving wildlife films of all time. It began in 2004, when Namibian filmmaker Herbert Brauer arrived at the National Park to make a wildlife programme.

As he began filming animals from his open-topped truck, he noticed a single lioness in the distance, watching his every move. Local rangers told Herbert that her entire pride had been slaughtered by poachers. Lady had somehow managed to survive, and was now the last lion left in the National Park.

From then on, the lioness appeared to be waiting for him as went about his work. She began to tentatively follow the filming truck, sitting at a distance and watching as they focused their cameras on the wildlife. Then, one day, she made an extraordinary move. Bounding up towards the truck, she suddenly dropped down onto her back and rolled over, purring deeply. 'I was so shocked,' says Herbert, 'that it took me a couple of seconds to realise what I was seeing. Here was a wild animal who was greeting us with an unheralded display of friendship.'

But Herbert quickly realised that there was more to this behaviour than a simple show of affection. Lady was lonely - and the film crew were her only company. 'She began to follow us each day,' he says, 'and would sit happily nearby watching us complete our filming. You could sense her contentment that she had found company at last.

'It's the most unnatural thing in the world for a lion to be relaxed with humans around. Her only experience of humans had most certainly been a violent and destructive one - with memories of the poachers who had killed her pride. But, despite this, she was willing to trust us, and accept us.'

Then one night, as Herbert and his crew relaxed outside the tents in their camp, they heard a noise in the bushes. Slowly, but surely, Lady walked towards them. To a man, everyone froze. But Lady appeared oblivious to the tension. She simply stopped ten yards away from Herbert, dropped down on her vast stomach, and purred deeply.

'As soon as I saw her, I was strangely unafraid,' he says. 'I somehow sensed that Lady had come into camp just to find me. When she dropped down and relaxed, we all realised that she just wanted to be near us.'

And so an extraordinary ritual began. By day, Lady would roam the wilds, always on the lookout for the film crew. At night, once they had returned to camp, she would creep in and settle down to sleep just yards from their tent. Humans had become her only comfort - and, despite every wild instinct in her body, loneliness was driving her closer and closer to the only friends she knew.

In 2007, another fresh face arrived at camp - Craig Reid, the newly appointed Project Coordinator for Liuwa National Park. Craig, 37, recalls, 'As soon as I arrived, Herbert - who had returned to the Park to monitor Lady's progress - and the other rangers told me about Lady, who had become a local legend.

They said that she would come into camp at night to say hello, but nothing could have prepared me for our first meeting. As I stood outside my tent, a huge lioness appeared and strolled up casually to within ten metres of where I stood - I was frozen to the spot. All my years of experience taught me to be extremely wary of lions, but it was clear that she was totally relaxed and happy. She looked me up and down, and then settled nearby, rolling and purring. I had never seen anything like it in my life. It was clear that she viewed humans as her friends.'

Our story might have ended there - as a quaint tale of a lion who enjoyed human company. But one night, Craig and the rest of the camp heard Lady give a distinctive call. Craig says, 'She was calling out to us in a low roar, a special sound which lions produce when they want to make contact with other lions. It was clear that she was calling us - a cry of friendship. But it sounded so lost and so mournful, and that's when we all realised that this lion was desperately lonely.'

Haunted by her cries, Craig and Herbert hatched a plan to find her a mate and bring him back to Liuwa. In September 2008, a team set off to find a lion for Lady. The expedition, to the Kafue National Park in central Zambia, which was 400 miles away, started well. A glorious and fit young male was spotted on his own - and sedated by the vet with a dart gun. He was then loaded onto the back of a truck and taken on the long journey to Liuwa, where the team had built a special, safe enclosure.

Craig says, 'Lions have extremely strong homing instincts, and we couldn't just let him loose in case he tried to find his way home. Our plan was to leave him to wake up beside some food, and then spend a few weeks letting him become used to his surroundings - and hopefully Lady, who was roaming the outer park.

'We were all so excited for Lady's sake. It was like a truly personal mission. We all desperately wanted her to be happy, and to end her awful loneliness. When we went to bed that night, we were all physically exhausted, but buzzing with excitement about the future.'

But when Craig and his team rose the next morning and raced to the enclosure, tragedy had struck. The healthy young lion had woken from his sedation, panicked and choked to death on regurgitated food. Herbert was distraught, and the entire crew fell silent as his healthy young body was cremated. Craig says, 'It was absolutely devastating. We had put so much into bringing this lion to Lady, only to find him dead. Of course, we felt so guilty. We all felt that we had let Lady down, and that a beautiful young animal had died unnecessarily. 'We don't think Lady had ever seen the young male lion. But that night, she came into camp and started to give soft cries. I don't know if it was our imagination, but she seemed so mournful. It was almost as if somehow, she knew that her chance of companionship and motherhood had died. Her sorrow just added to our own horror.'

The team decided that they must try again. This time, they chose the rainy season, some eight months later. 'We decided to take two young male lions this time,' says Craig, 'because Liuwa is overrun by hyenas, who might snatch any cub that Lady gave birth to. With two young males, she would have more protection and the three of them might form a natural pride.'

It was a muted team, their nerves jangling, who made the journey to Kafue National Park in May this year. Craig says, 'All we could think of was the tragic outcome of our previous attempt. We brought the two males back, and placed them in the enclosure, hoping that the fact there were two of them might make them panic less.' But when the lions awoke, the initial signs were not good. Confused and agitated, they threw themselves against the electric fence surrounding their enclosure. The crew could only watch, horrified, as the lions injured themselves.

Then, something extraordinary happened. Out of the depths of the wild stepped Lady, who stopped - and stared. 'We didn't have a clue how she was going to respond to other lions,' says Craig, 'because we had never seen her interact with her own kind. We sat and stared at Lady - and she sat and stared at the new arrivals. Her presence seemed to calm the young lions, but we were all so nervous.' That night, for the first time in years, Lady failed to appear in camp. Craig says, 'We raced to the enclosure the next day and there was Lady, sitting watching the two lions, and looking incredibly happy.'

The plan was to keep the young lions within their enclosure for several weeks, so that they could become used to the territory and reduce the risk of them attempting to find their own way home. But, on day six, disaster struck once more. 'When we arrived at the enclosure, there was a hole in the fence and the two lions were gone,' says Craig.

'We felt physically sick. We knew that if they tried to make their way out of the park to get home, they would almost certainly be shot dead, either by the poachers who roam outside the park, or by terrified villagers. We immediately sent out a search party. Luckily, one of the lions had been fitted with an electronic collar while under sedation, so we were able to pick up a radio signal half an hour later.

'It had to be the longest half hour of my life. We raced to find the males - and suddenly we saw them. They were both sitting under a tree - and there, a few metres away, was Lady. As we sat and watched over the next few hours, it became clear that Lady wasn't going to leave her two new friends. If they got up and moved, she followed. If she moved, they followed her.' Lady turned and looked at the crew, before turning back to face her new friends - who appeared to have accepted their new home after quickly forming a new pride with Lady. From that moment on, her interaction with humans ceased. She was no longer alone.

Craig says, 'We still see Lady with the two males. We've seen them mate, and we are hoping that Lady will fall pregnant soon, because, at nine years old, her biological clock is ticking. We would love her to have a cub and to experience motherhood. We will never forget her purring, rolling and playing, and the incredible friendship that she shared with us. Now, we just want her to be happy with her new family.'

Leek soup with hot dog and mustard

100 g leeks, 2 hot dogs, 400 ml water, 1 Maggi French Onion Soup Mix, 1 tablespoon sweet mustard

Wash the leeks and cut them in big chunks. Cut the hotdog in small slices and fry it in a little bit of oil. Set aside. Fry the leek in the same pan, add the water and the Maggi Mix and boil for 15 minutes. Mix the soup, add the mustard and serve with the fried hot dogs.

Nový Měsíc

Movie night tonight :)
The gang is back again, hurray, hurray!!
And what a better way to celebrate than a ... vampire movie :D
Unfortunately no popcorn fights could occur because I reserved the wrong seats and we were separated by an aisle, but we actually wanted to watch the movie. What movie?
Well...
Yes, it's Nový Měsíc (that's New Moon for the inexperienced in Czech language ;) http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/
The long awaited sequel of Twilight is here! And guess what: it's better than the first movie :))
The special effects are more spectacular and the slow motion movements are coool.
The cinema was divided in Team Jacob and Team Edward and I think Team Jacob had more fans... At least the cheering was louder when Jacob was around.
If you haven't read the books you might not like the movie or understand most of the scenes, or as Adi said: when does he bite her? And when he discovered it won't happen any time soon he was a little bit disappointed :))
But all in all it was a good movie. Now we just have to wait for the next episode :P

World AIDS Day

U2 covered "I believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake (1974) last year, for Bono's Product Red campaign to fight AIDS in Africa.

Cat man do

Another episode of Simon's Cat adventures...
Does this scene look familiar?
It happens in my house every morning...

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are dead

I saw today one of my favourite movies: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead!
It's a weird film, half theatre half film, an absurdits drama, but it's funny funny funny.
The movie is based on the original Broadway production of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" by Tom Stoppard, which opened on October 9, 1967 at the Alvin Theater, ran for 420 performances and won the 1968 Tony Award for Best Play.
It counts that the director wrote the play, and the dialogues are absolutely brilliant.
Gary Oldman and Tim Roth are a perfect match as you can see in the dialogue below ;)

Han and pasta gratin

400 gr fusilli, salt, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 300 gr baby peas, 250 gr ham, 3 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 300 ml cream, 150 ml milk, 100 gr parmesan, nutmeg

Boil the pasta in salt water, drain. Chop the onion and fry it in hot oil. Add the peas and fry them for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Cut the ham in small cubes.
Mix the eggs with the egg yolk, the cream and the milk. Add half of the parmesan and season with nutmeg.
Butter a Jena dish, mix the pasta with the peas and the ham, pour the egg cream over it, sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and cook in the oven at 175 degrees for 60 minutes.

Sand painting

Kseniya Simonova is from Ukraine and she won the local version of America's Got Talent.
What can I say? She is very talented and she can do amazing things with a little bit of sand...

Rapciuga ;)

Do I need a reason to post a picture of my cat?
Nooo, he's just sooo cute :D

Granny O'Grimm

Good news today, Granny O'Grimm was nominated for an Oscar :D
I first saw it at the Irish Film Festival in Bucharest in September and it totally killed me.
I'm not a fan of short animated films, but this one is quite special.
I hope it wins the Oscar, I know I'll keep my fingers crossed on March 7th, 2010.
It's the coolest Granny in the World, I'm just happy she isn't mine :)))

Milow - Ayo Technology

While I was this summer in Ireland I heard this song soo many times but I never knew who was singing it...
And last night watching german television I discovered the name of the singer: Milow :)
It's a great cover and it shows that Belgium has lots to offer besides chocolate...
http://www.milow.com/

Juanes - Para Tu Amor

Amazing voice, beautiful lyrics and not to forget... hot, hot, hot :D

Friday I'm in love

I haven't heard this song in a while, and is such a shame because it's the perfect friday afternoon song ;)


The Cure - Friday I'm In Love

Pear Tarte Tatin

4 pears, 5 tablespoons sugar, 25 g butter, 1 sheet puff pastry

Melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet.
Add the sugar and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to evenly caramelize the sugar. The sugar is done when it has turned a medium golden brown hue.
Peel the pears and then cut into quarters.
Arrange the pears in a single layer in the hot caramel.
Drape the pastry over the pears, bake in the preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry turns golden brown.
Cool the tarte Tatin for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a serving platter.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Before I lay me down

I discovered a funny poem today and I wanted to share it, so here it goes:

Before I lay me down to sleep
I pray Dear Lord o find my feet

I know there are two down below
With my fat belly they don't show

Please Dear Lord no more gray
Take the hips from in my way

My breasts are huge and hurt my back
Why does my butt stick out like that

My bones creek, I'm getting old
A face with wrinkles
New pains and folds

I wish that I were young again
I'm kneeling Lord beside my bed

Can you hear me as I pray
Please give me a sign
In some small way

I need a miracle
Willy you help
My knees have stiffened
I can't get up...

Rose Marie Streeter (2002)

Reamonn - Aeroplane

Hurray, hurray ;)
Reamonn's newest video is here!!!
Enjoy :D

Gheorghe Dinica - Sunt vagabondul vietii mele

Nu trageți dom' Semaca... sunt eu Lăscărică...


Gheorghe Dinica - Sunt vagabondul vietii mele

T-Mobile Werbung

Let the celebrations begin!
20 years and counting...

Westlife - What about now

This Westlife single was released on 26.10.2009, but the video release was today :)
The video was shot in Iceland and was directed by Philip Andelman.
The song was written by the guys from Evanescence for the band Daughtry, but Westlife covered it successfully...

Rich warm chocolate cake

I just saw today Reamonn's latest video: Aeroplane, but unfortunately I can't post it yet...

But it gave me a feeling of such happiness I decided to bake a chocolate cake to prolong the feeling ;)
And it was a good ideea, because the cake is absolutely delicious.
It's an English recipe because I'm thinking of my niece in London, all alone and no one to bake her a cake so ... here it is:

225 g strong bitter chocolate, 100 g unsalted butter, 100 g caster sugar, 3 eggs, separated, 25 g plain flour, sifted, pinch of salt

Grease and line an 18-20 cm, loose-bottomed cake tin. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Chop the bitter chocolate and mix with the butter and sugar in a stainless steel bowl. Melt together over a bowl of softly simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat. The chocolate needs to be at a warm room temperature. The egg yolks can now be forked together and then slowly added to the chocolate. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the sifted flour and salt into the chocolate mix before whisking in a quarter of the egg white. The remaining egg white can now be gently folded in. Pour into the lined cake tin, making sure it is smoothed evenly into the tin. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until firm. Leave to stand in the tin for 15-20 minutes before carefully removing. The warm chocolate cake is now ready to serve.
Thick pouring cream or a good scoop of vanilla ice-cream will eat very well with this dish.

For chocolate lovers, the rich Bitter Chocolate Sauce can also be offered: 300 g bitter dark chocolate, chopped, 150 g unsalted butter, 75 ml double cream

Place all of the ingredients together in a bowl over simmering water until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir well. This sauce must be served warm.

Urma - Terminus

Good song, interesting video. Can you believe they are romanians?

U2 360 degrees - Time Lapse

Maybe you're curious how the stage is build for the most amazing show on Earth...
No, it's not beamed from outer space, although when you see it you think it came from a galaxy far, far away....

Creamy Bubble and Squeak Soup with Crunchy Bacon

butter, 2 large onions, roughly diced, 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in rough 1 cm dice, 1 litre Chicken or Vegetable Stock, 250 g Brussels sprouts, finely shredded and rinsed, 125 ml single cream, 6-8 rashers of streaky bacon, rinded and cut into thin strips, cooking oil, salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once bubbling, add the onions and potatoes. Cook without colouring for 5-10 minutes, until beginning to soften. The stock can now be added. Bring to the simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are totally cooked. Season the soup with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Bring to the boil and add the shredded sprouts. Allow the soup to simmer vigorously for 6-8 minutes, until the sprouts become tender. The soup can now be completely liquidized. Add the single cream and check the seasoning.
Cook the bacon strips while the soup is being made, by heating a non-stick frying-pan with a drop of cooking oil. Begin to cook the bacon on a fairly high heat. This will seal the individual strips. After a minute or two, reduce the cooking temperature so the bacon is just bubbling. As the bacon cooks, its natural fat will melt, letting it 'deep-fry' in its own oil. Continue until the strips are a deep colour and have become very crispy, almost like crackling. Strain off the fat and sit the bacon pieces on kitchen paper to absorb any remaining oil.

SJ McArdle - Why

This guy comes highly recommended... from Rea ;) so he must be good!
And the fact that he is irish it's a bonus :))
Enjoy...

Blast from the past

I discovered an interesting website for "my generation".
It is called La Trecut and reminds us of all the tv shows before '89.
It's a nice trip down memory lane, remembering Arabella and all the Czechoslovakian Tv Series, Dark Clouds with Polkovnik Dowgird and all other characters that enchanted our childhood...
If you want to remember, visit http://www.igu.ro/latrecut/

Snow Patrol - Just say yes

The new Snow Patrol single is available now. The album will be launched in November, so till then listen to this:

Milow - You don't know

The new single from Milow is here...

U2 concert

I thought today I have nothing interesting to say, but to my surprise there is something I want to share with you all: the first ever live concert on Youtube!!!
The band?
Of course the band that broke all the boundaries...
If you don't know the name you are in the wrong place ;)
Here is the Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/u2official#p/u
On some sites it says it will be available only to certain countries, Romania it's not mentioned but it's worth a try.
How will it sound: I am going to Germany or Ireland to surf the internet for a live concert? If I only had the money :))))
Instead I'll wake up at 5.30 to watch it!

Frank Turner - The Road

On our way to Maizal City on Friday we heard this really cool song but we didn't know who was singing it.
Thanks to Google now we know ;)
Frank Turner - The road!
Enjoy :D

A-ha - Nothing is keeping you here

The second single from the album Foot of the mountain is here.
Beautiful video, pity the band announced today they will split after the tour next year.
New Year Resolution: I must see them live before it's too late ;)

Maria Clara - a pop princess

I had a Perfect Baby photoshoot today and I had a blast.
Maria was cute and chubby and you just wanted to eat her.
I really had a good time and the pictures speak for themselves ;)
It's such a pleasure to take pictures when you have a perfect model who laughs all the time...

Michael Buble - Haven't met you yet

Michael Buble newest album "Crazy Love" is launched today :)
Here is the first single:

It's a feel good song, when you hear it you just start dancing and singing...
It's quite weird, but it's the truth :D

Luciano

An amazing voice, every time I hear this Aria it gives me goosebumps...
Just brilliant : Turandot by Puccini

Luciano Pavarotti - Nessun' Dorma

Death Cab for Cutie - Meet me on the Equinox

Finally the first single from the New Moon OST is here.
Can't wait to see the movie - 57 more days... but who's counting?

Pizza Pinwheels

1 sheet frozen pastry, 150 g champignons cleaned, 200 g boiled ham, diced, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 onion finely chopped, 200 grams grated cheese, 200 g sour cream, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon pesto

Lay a clean kitchen towel on the table and sprinkle flour on it. Place pastry sheet on the towel and leave it to defrost completely. Cut the mushrooms and the ham into cubes. Put them in a bowl and add bits of tomato, onion, cheese and cream. Mix thoroughly. Season the mixture obtained with a little salt, pepper and pesto and spread it on the pastry. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Roll the pastry and then cut the roll into thick slices about. 2 cm. Place slices in a baking tray, put them in the oven and let them bake 20-35 minutes.

Juanes & Nelly Furtado - Fotografia

One of my favourite songs in Spanish...

Ham Risotto

1 onion, 10 g butter, 100 g round rice, 1/2 l soup (or more, depending on the rice), 1 tablespoon Creme fraiche, 50 g parmesan, 150 g ham cut into small cubes, 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped, white pepper

Finely chop the onion and then fry it in the butter together with the ham. Add the rice and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the soup and stir occasionally until it's done. Add the chives, pepper, Creme fraiche and parmesan, mix well and left covered for 5 minutes to rest. Serve with pickles.

Feel - Jak Aniola Glos

I discovered a rock band from... Poland!!!
The singer has an amazing voice, I have no idea what are they singing about, but they sound pretty good...
They website is http://www.feel.net.pl/
Here is a sample of their music

Feel - Jak Aniola Glos

Rustic courgette, pine nut & ricotta tart

I didn't have time tonight to go to the movies because I had loads of work, so I decided to treat myself with an easy to make courgette tart discovered in a Good Foods magazine ;)
You can replace the ricotta with feta cheese...

2 tbsp olive oil, 4 courgettes , thinly sliced (try to use a mixture of different varieties if you can find them), 2 x 250g tubs ricotta, 4 eggs large, handful basil leaves , shredded, grating of nutmeg, 50g Parmesan , grated, 1 large garlic clove , crushed, 500g block puff pastry, dash of flour , for dusting, large handful pine nuts

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the garlic and the courgettes for 5 mins until golden around the edges, then set aside.
In a bowl, beat the ricotta with the eggs, basil, nutmeg, half the Parmesan. Set aside.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rough round about 40cm wide, then transfer to a baking tray.
Spread the pastry with the ricotta mix, leaving a 4cm border. Press the courgette slices into the ricotta, then scatter over the pine nuts and remaining Parmesan. Bring the sides up over the edge of the ricotta, pinch to encase the filling, then bake for 30 mins until the filling is puffed up and golden.
Leave to cool slightly and enjoy warm or cold with a crisp green salad.

The Fun Theory

Only the Swedes can think of something like this...

Irish Film Festival in Bucharest part 3

Today was Short Film Day.
I haven't seen short films in a while, I'm not a fan, but the films that I saw tonight were great, so I didn't regret at all.
Here are some samples:

She's like the wind

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner"
Who doesn't know this line...
It was the best movie I saw when I was a teenager, and I think every girl I know had a crush on Patrick :)

RIP Patrick, you will be missed...

Moelleux au Chocolat

Here is the promised dessert. It it absolutely amazing... especially for chocoholics like me :D

300 g bitter chocolate, 6 eggs at room temperature, 200 g sugar, 150 g butter melted and cooled, 1 tablespoon rhum, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter 8 small ramekin dishes or one big one (26 cm diameter). Preheat the oven at 180 degrees. Melt the chocolate. In a big bowl mix the sugar with 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks, until it triples its volume. Add the alcohol and the vanilla extract. Mix for another 30 seconds. Add the chocolate bit by bit, mixing well with a spoon. Now add the butter also bit by bit. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and then fold them into the chocolate mousse. Pour the chocolate mousse in the buttered ramekins and put them in the oven for 16 minutes (the small ones, or 35 minutes the big one). Leave for another 10 minutes to rest in the forms and then you can take it out.
You can serve it warm with vanilla icecream or cold with some cream on top.

Jamie Oliver's Amalfi baked lemons

Today is my mum's birthday and because she doesn't like presents!!! I decided to cook something nice for her. And this time she liked them...

So I'm sharing the receipes here: today Jamie's Oliver Amalfi baked lemons and tomorrow a really nice dessert.

2 large unwaxed lemons, 1 or 2 x 150g balls of buffalo mozzarella, sliced into 0.5cm thick pieces, 4 fresh basil leaves, 2 anchovy fillets, 2 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Remove the ends of the lemons and discard them, then cut the lemons in half crossways, giving you 4 x 2.5cm thick discs. Now, using a small knife, remove the lemon flesh leaving you with 4 hollow circles of skin. Basically, what we're going to do is flavour the mozzarella and push it inside the lemon skin so that it absorbs the lovely lemon flavour when it bakes. Now the mozzarella is obviously going to melt and ooze out when baked. In Italy, a lemon leaf is placed underneath each one to keep everything in place, but it's fine to use a square of greaseproof paper to do the same thing. So, lay a greaseproof paper square or a lemon leaf on a chopping board and place one of your lemon skin 'wheels' on top. Cut a piece of mozzarella to fit inside, then lay a basil leaf, half an anchovy fillet and half a cherry tomato on top with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Add a little dried chilli if you like. Put another slice of mozzarella on top - the lemon skin should now be filled up. Do the same to the rest of the wheels, place them on a baking tray, and cook in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with some hot grilled crostini. Simply scoop the mozzarella out, eat with the toast and mop up any juices.

Carrot Soup with Dill

I continued today with the cooking, making an easy and delicious carrot soup.
My mum just told me she missed the train (actually the train didn't run today at all because it is scheduled to run only at the weekend...) Maybe it's a cheap excuse from my mum's part not to try my cooking... but really the soup is delicious. You should try it :)

1 tablespoon oil, 1 onion chopped, 1 garlic clove, 1 l vegetable stock, 1/2 kg carrots peeled and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, salt, pepper, 1 cup of plain yoghurt, 1 spoon of chopped dill

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, garlic and the carrots and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the soup and the thyme and cook for 30 minutes. Add the yoghurt and the dill and boil for another 5 minutes. Puree the soup with a blender and serve with croutons.

Ratatouille

My mum is coming home tomorrow from her short holiday so I decided to cook for her as a sign that I missed her ;) ... not that she will eat everything! So I started with a simple receipe of Ratatouille from the Good Foods Magazine...

2 large aubergines, 4 small courgettes, 2 red or yellow peppers, 4 large ripe tomatoes, 5 tbsp olive oil, small bunch of basil, 1 medium onion , peeled and thinly sliced, 3 garlic cloves , peeled and crushed, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp sugar (any kind)

Cut the aubergines in half lengthways. Place them on the board, cut side down, slice in half lengthways again and then across into 1.5cm chunks.
Cut off the courgettes ends, then across into 1.5cm slices.
Chop the peppers into bite-size chunks.
Score a small cross on the base of each tomato, then put them into a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leave for 20 secs, then remove. Pour the water away, replace the tomatoes and cover with cold water. Leave to cool, then peel the skin away. Quarter the tomatoes, scrape away the seeds with a spoon, then roughly chop the flesh.
Cut the onions into quarters, peel the garlic.
Mix the vegetables with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Put them in a tray in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Add the chopped basil, the sugar and the vinegar and leave in the oven for another 20 minutes or until the aubergines are cooked.
You can eat it warm with feta cheese.

P.S. Another way to cook the vegetables is by simply mixing them with a little bit of olive oil, the juice and skin from an orange, some garlic, thyme and 1 tablespoon of honey. Put them in an oven for 30-40 minutes until they are sticky and sweet.