The digital story of Nativity or Christmas 2.0

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Mercedes Werbung

Ain't this funny :D

Michael Jackson Medley - Sam Tsui

I know everybody is listening to Christmas Carols now, but I'm different :)))))

David Garrett - Kashmir

My blonde violin player strikes again ;)

Guy walks across America

Jeez, what a dusty blog I have...
I should do something about it! But what?
Till I decide here is an amazing advert for Levi's...



Curious how it was done?

Irish Film Festival in Bucharest Second Edition

Finally the Irish Film Festival was back with some short films, some funny, some not...

Here is the one produced by Brown Bag Films, the company who also produced Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty.
They make the funniest short films ever, don't you think :D

Above everything else

Are they real or are they computer generated...
Just take a wild guess ;))

Juanes - Y no regresas

My favourite colombian ;)

The making of Pixma Commercial

That's why I am a Canon fan :D

Dot

How funky is that...
Watch the commercial first and then the making of...
Wouldn't you buy the Nokia N8 in a second?
I would, but I'm a Blackberry fan :))

Moist chocolate cake

300g bittersweet chocolate, crushed, 200g butter, 5 eggs, 100g caster sugar
To serve: 300ml cream, 250g blueberries (or other seasonal fruit)

Preheat oven to 160 ° C. Butter a round tray, diameter 25 cm.
Put butter and chocolate in a saucepan and leave to simmer until they melt. Mix eggs with sugar using a mixer until the mixture thickens and doubles its volume (takes about 5 minutes). Add the chocolate and butter and mix well until incorporated.
Pour the mixture obtained in the tray and bake it for 40-45 minutes until its surface is hard to the touch. Remove the tray from the oven and leave it to cool 30-45 minutes.
You can serve hot when it is still soft and creamy, or you can wait until chocolate is cool and solid. However you choose to serve, add cream and blueberries.

Reamonn - Yesterday

Hurray, the latest Reamonn video is here!
Amazing as ever ;)

Sweet potatoes Soup

No comment...

2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 kg sweet potato cut into cubes, 2 onions chopped, 1 liter vegetable or chicken broth, 200 ml milk, 400g drained canned chickpeas, salt, pepper, 4 tablespoons cream

Heat a little bit of oil in a large pot on the stove. Add the onion and the potatoes, leave for 5 minutes, then add the curry, broth and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let it boil for 20 minutes until potatoes are done. Add the cream and then put the soup in a food processor and mix it. Add the chickpeas, season with salt, pepper and a little bit of balsamic vinegar and serve.

Fettucine with cream, basil and cheese

Hey, hey is pasta day today :))
Cheap, easy and fast... what more can you ask for?

4 Bacon slices chopped thick, 4 Green onions chopped, 1 Cup Whipping cream, 1/2 Cup Parmesan freshly grated, 1/2 Cup Romano freshly grated, 1/3 Cup Basil chopped fresh, 1/2 Pound Fettuccine, Salt and freshly ground pepper, Parmesan freshly grated, Romano freshly grated

Cook bacon in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown. Add green onions and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add cream and simmer until beginning to thicken, about 1 minute. Mix in 1/2 cup Romano cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and chopped fresh basil.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return to hot pot. Add sauce and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese separately.

Pallas Cat Kittens

Can they get any cuter than this?
I don't think so :))
You can watch them on Youtube on WildlifeHeritage Channel their development...

Curry Indian soup with cajou nuts

1 leek, 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon curry, salt, ground pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, grated ginger, 500 ml vegetable soup, 50 g cashew nuts

Wash the leek and cut it in rings. Peel the apple and banana and cut them in cubes.
Heat the oil and the butter in a pot. Add the leeks, apple cubes and bananas and fry for 5 minutes. Season with curry, salt, pepper, sugar and ginger, mixing constantly.
Pour the vegetable broth and cook for another 15 minutes. Finally mix and season it. Roast the nuts and add them to the soup.

Veal with cajou nuts and couscous

700 g leg of veal, 150 g cajou nuts, 200 g couscous, 100 g butter, 1 small onion, 600 ml vegetable broth, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, chopped coriander, salt, pepper

Cut the meat into 1 cm thick stripes, fry them in butter until browned, then add chopped onions, crushed nuts, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. After 3-4 minutes remove the meat, and keep it warm on a covered plate.
Put couscous in the hot soup and mix thoroughly until it absorbs all the broth. Put the chopped coriander, salt and pepper, mix well.
Serve the meat with hot cajou nuts sauce and couscous.

Fusilli Salad with Chicken Breast

250 g fusilli, salt, 3 tablespoons oil, 250 g chicken breast, pepper, 200 g mangetout, 1 red pepper, 1 bunch chives

Dressing: 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt, white pepper, a pinch of sugar, 4-5 tablespoons of oil, 150 g yogurt, 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon pesto

Boil pasta in salted water, drain and mix with one tablespoon oil. Wash the meat and then cut it into strips, fry it in remaining oil, add salt and pepper, then allow to cool.
Clean the pea pods and boil them in salted water, cut in half. Cut the pepper into narrow strips. Cut the chives in rings.
Mix all the ingredients of the dressing with the pasta, the pea pods, peppers and the chicken. Allow 15 minutes for the flavours to penetrate.

Spinach Lasagna with Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts

300 g spinach (frozen), 150 g goat's cheese, 1 shallot, 1 clove of garlic, 30 g pine nuts, 2 tablespoons Olive oil, 100 ml cream, 1 mix MAGGI fix & fresh broccoli gratin, 8 sheets Buitoni Lasagne, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 200°C. Thaw spinach, crumble the feta cheese. Peel the shallots and garlic and chop finely. Toast pine nuts in a pan without fat and remove it. Heat the oil and saute the shallots and garlic for about 1-2 minutes. Add spinach and sauté another 2 minutes. Add 300 ml of water and pour in the cream. Add the Maggi fix & fresh broccoli gratin and stir until boiling. Stir in pine nuts and half of the goat cheese. Alternate layers of Lasagne with the vegetable sauce in a baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese with bread crumb and sprinkle over the casserole. Add the butter on top of the casserole and put it in the oven and bake about 30 minutes.

Jamie Oliver's Chocolate Tart

To celebrate my departure to Riga the day after tomorrow I decided to bake a cake.
And I asked myself what kind of cake should I bake? With fruits or with yoghurt because it's so hot outside? It was a tough call and I finally decided that the best fruit is chocolate ;) so I asked Jamie for a quick recipe... so here it is:

140 gr unsalted butter, 155 gr best quality cooking chocolate, (70 percent cocoa solids), 8 tablespoons cocoa, powder, sifted, 1 pinch salt, 4 eggs, 200 gr caster sugar, 3 tablespoons golden syrup, 3 tablespoons sour cream or 3 tablespoons creme fraiche, 1 10-inch flan or tart shell, baked blind

Place the butter, chocolate, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and allow to melt slowly, stirring occasionally until well mixed. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar together until light and well creamed, and then add the golden syrup and sour cream or crème fraiche. Stir the chocolate mixture into this mixture, scraping all the chocolate out with a spatula. Once you’ve mixed it well, pour it into the pastry shell. Place into a preheated 150C/300 degree F/Gas 2 oven for 40 to 45 minutes. During cooking a beautiful crust will form on top. Carefully remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes, during which time the skin will crack and the filling will shrink slightly. Serve with cream or vanilla icecream ;)

And then was the concert...

Absolutely amazing concert, the boys from Reamonn were great as ever, and the fact that Sebi played the saxophone for Supergirl was the perfect bonus ;)
The Aerosmith oldies made a great show, I can't believe Steven Tyler is 62... he was acting like a total teenager, drulling over the Romanian Women... who were screaming their heads off for every song (maybe that's why I can't hear properly since then - vuvuzelas are nothing compared with female rock fans)
We were lucky with the weather too, not too cold, not too hot, and no Killers storm :))
And the fun continued after the concert, trying to find my friends to go for a drink in the city center. After seeing a sea of people coming my way, and getting dizzy because of that, we finally met and then the complicated part started, first trying to find a decent taxi and then trying to put 8 people in just one car...
But all is well when it ends well, drinking a Guinness in an Irish pub and chatting till the early hours of the morning.
I must be getting old, because I was surprised to see so many people on the streets at 4 o'clock in the morning...
And now for the people who couldn't be at the concert, here are a few glimpses...

Reamonn 18th of June

Update on the Aerosmith/Reamonn concert: I bought the ticket today so 18th of June I'll be cheering for Reamonn at Romexpo :D
It will be my fifth time seeing the boys, hope many more times will come ....
Till then:

Greyson Chance - Paparazzi

Such an amazing voice for such a young boy...
Remember his name: Greyson Chance - he will give Justin Bieber a run for his money ;)

Glorious day :D

I started the week feeling a little bit depressed, then I had a lot of work to do, which meant I became a little happier and then when I arrived home I received great news which made my day!
Actually it made my year, or at least half a year anyway :))
Reamonn are going to play in Bucharest as an opening act for Aerosmith.
I wasn't planning to go see Aerosmith because I'm not such a fan and I don't have money for the ticket, but now... of course I'll go.
So on 18th of June you'll know where to find me: Romexpo, Bucharest!
What a great way to end the day... and it's not even evening yet :D

Cream Cheese Brownies

Because I'm going away this weekend I decided to bake some brownies... for the road ;)
They are absolutely delicious and easy to make.
Thanks Joyofbaking.com :D

Brownie Layer: 115 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces, 120 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped, 250 grams granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 65 grams all purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Layer: 250 grams cream cheese, at room temperature, 65 grams granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 large egg
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 23 x 23 cm square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan.
In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set it aside. Place the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the brownie layer.
Spoon small dollops of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Then with a table knife or wooden skewer, swirl the two batters without mixing them.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (at least two hours). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board.
With a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Makes about 16 - 2 inch squares.

Carrot soup with coconut

5 green onions, about 1 kg carrots, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, lemon juice, 1 liter vegetable broth, 200 ml coconut milk, curry, salt, cayenne pepper, coriander

Wash and chop the green onions. Peel the carrots and chop them. Fry the green onions in sunflower oil on low heat, add the carrots, stirring from time to time, then add the lemon juice and the vegetable soup. Boil the soup for 15 min, add the coconut milk and the curry abd boil till the carrots are soft. Blend the soup, sprinkle coriander and serve.

Kansas - Carry on my wayward son

And the flavor of the week is... musically speaking of course ;)

Kansas - Carry on my wayward son - Supernatural OST

Boeuf Stroganoff Dish

1 onion, 150 g fresh mushrooms, 5 small gherkins, 300 g beef, 20 g butter, 150 ml soup, 100 g sour cream, 1 tablespoon Mustard, salt and pepper

Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes.
Clean the mushrooms and slice them thinely.
Cut the Gherkins into thin strips.
Wash the meat, dry it and then cut into 1 cm thick and 5 cm long strips.
Heat the butter. Season the meat and fry it.
Remove from the pan, sauté the mushrooms and the onion in the dripping. Add the soup and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add the meat and leave for another 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and the mustard. Add the cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper.

Daughtry - What about now...

During my web surfing I discovered an interesting voice: Chris Daughtry. He was one of the finalists of American Idol in 2006. He has a very interesting voice and when I heard the song "What about now" I was convinced he was a guy with long hair who plays the guitar...
Surprise: he is completely bald :))
If you think you heard this song before there is an explanation: Westlife covered it ;)
Here is the original version:

Pizza rolls

6 crusty bread rolls, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 6 slices ham, 3 tomatoes , sliced, 2 balls mozzarella , sliced, 2 tsp dried oregano, 6 black olives

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Cut the tops off the rolls and scoop out the insides.
Spread the rolls with tomato purée, then fill with ham, tomatoes and finally the mozzarella.
Scatter with dried oregano and top each with an olive, if you like.
Place the rolls on a baking tray and bake for 15 mins until the rolls are crusty brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Leave to rest for a min, then serve hot with a side salad.

The Afters...

With the help of a friend I discovered a nice band, with a rock 'n roll sound.
Their name is The Afters http://theafters.com/

Boyzone - Right here waiting

One of their best songs... can't wait to hear it live in Dublin :D

OK Go - This too shall pass

Now this is an amazing video! The music is not so spectacular, but the idea is totally brilliant!!!
The total time to create the video from conceptualization was about six months, with two months of planning and four months for design and filming.
The final construction within the warehouse took over a month and a half during January and February 2010.
Once the machine was completed, the filming, using a single Steadicam took two days to complete on February 11 and 12, with an estimated 60 takes for the machine to properly function.
The first day of filming included 47 takes, none of which successfully completed the entire machine and necessitated a second day of filming.
Many of the takes ended only 30 seconds into the process, at the start of the song's chorus, where a tire would fail to roll properly into the next section of the machine.
The band had a group of 30 people to help reset the machine after each failed take, a process that took upwards of an hour depending on how far the machine ran.
(thanks Wikipedia for the information ;)

Long live the king ;)

I almost forgot how beautiful Biathlon is...
Right now I'm on the edge of my seat watching Ole Einer Bjorndalen and his Norway team at the Vancouver Olympics.
Will he win or not?
I almost can't watch it...
When I was little I was a fan of alpine skiing but 8 years ago I discovered biathlon and Ole and since then I have been hooked ;)
Update:
He won!!! He won his 6th gold medal and his 11th medal at an Olympic Game!!!
He absolutely rocks!!!

Lasagne al forno

Well considering that my birthday is tomorrow I already started cooking ;)

And because not all the guest can come tomorrow I decided to bake a lasagne for tonight...
Here is the receipe:

4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 onions, chopped, 450 g minced beef, 225 g minced pork, 340 g fresh tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped, or a 400 g can chopped tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves, crushed, 1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano, 1 heaped teaspoon dried basil, 150-300 ml chicken or beef stock (optional), salt and freshly ground pepper, lasagne made from Fresh Egg Pasta dough, or 225 g dried lasagne, 900 ml milk, 1 bay leaf, 85 g butter, 85 g plain flour, a pinch of grated nutmeg, 450 g mozzarella, grated, 85 g Parmesan, freshly grated

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and sweat them until soft and translucent. Add the minced meats and fry until crumbly, stirring to break up lumps. Add the tomatoes to the pan with the garlic and herbs and let them soften. If they do not make enough liquid to cook the meat in, gradually add a little stock, but always a bit less than you think you might need - you can add more later if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 1 hour, stirring from time to time.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F, gas mark 4.
Cook the lasagne in a large pan of boiling salted water until almost al dente. Remove, dip into a mixture of water and oil, and leave to drain on a damp cloth.
Put the milk in a small saucepan with the bay leaf and infuse over a gentle heat for a few minutes; discard the bay leaf. Make a bechamel sauce with the butter, flour and warmed milk. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
When everything is ready, assemble the lasagne in a buttered wide gratin dish or casserole: put a layer of about one-third of the meat sauce on the bottom, then add a layer of one-third of the bechamel, a layer of half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan, and a layer of half the lasagne. Add more meat sauce, more bechamel and the rest of the lasagne. Then make layers of the remaining meat sauce and bechamel, and finish with the rest of the grated cheeses.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until browned on top.

And the nominees are...

Today the Oscar nominees were announced.
Can't wait till 7th of March to see who will win: James Cameron or his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. If she wins she will be the first female to win the best director.
On a personal note, I hope that Granny O'Grimm will win in the short animated films category :D
Here are the nominees:
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Animated Feature Film:
“Coraline” Henry Selick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
“The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
“The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
“Up” Pete Docter
Art Direction:
“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography:
“Avatar” Mauro Fiore
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” Christian Berger
Costume Design:
“Bright Star” Janet Patterson
“Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell
Directing:
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
Documentary (Feature):
“Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” Nominees to be determined
“Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa
Documentary (Short Subject):
“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
“Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Film Editing:
“Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
“District 9” Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz
Foreign Language Film:
“Ajami” Israel
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
“The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
“Un Prophète” France
“The White Ribbon” Germany
Makeup:
“Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow“
The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
Music (Original Score):
“Avatar” James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song):
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Best Picture:
“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
Short Film (Animated):
“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park
Short Film (Live Action):
“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
Sound Editing:
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
“Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Sound Mixing:
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Visual Effects:
“Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
“District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
“District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Writing (Original Screenplay):
“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

David Garrett

While in Munich I discovered an amazing violinist - David Garrett.
Born in 1981, he signed at the age of 14, as the youngest soloist ever, an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft.
He entered the Guinness Book of Records for the fastest-ever account of The Flight of the Bumble-Bee, a note-perfect live performance delivered in 66 seconds on BBC's Blue Peter show.
He is famous in Germany and around the world, I hope I will see him live one day, because his shows are electric, as you can see below...

Wingsuit Base Jumping

Just one word: AMAZING!

Blue Monday

Today is the saddest day of the year...
Maybe that's why Boyzone decided to release today the video for their first single since Steo's death.

The Proposal

Funny, funny movie, I laughed a lot, Sandra Bullock is really the queen of comedy...
I mean the eagle sequence is absolutely hilarious, the dog is cute, Scarlett Johansson's husband is a doll, Alaska is spectacular and Gammy is to die for ;)
I definitely recommend it, especially in this weather when everything is bleak and you get depressed so easily...

All I want is you

You know when you hear a song in your head and you keep singing it and singing it for a while and you still want more?
Last week it was 3 Doors Down with Here without you and now it's a U2 classic: All I want is you...

Pancakes with asparagus and ham

Monday is cooking day, and because I had some asparagus leftover I decided to make pancakes with asparagus and Parma Ham. Here is the recipe:

60 gr flour, 180 ml milk, 2 eggs, salt, oil, 100 gr creamed cheese (Philadelphia or Almette is good), 1 Parma Ham package, 1 jar of asparagus, bechamel sauce, parmesan

Make the pancakes with flour, milk, eggs and salt. Fry them and let them cool.
Spread the cheese on the pancakes. Roll the Parma ham on the asparagus and then place it in the middle of the pancake. Roll the pancake.
Butter a Jena dish, place the pancakes inside, pour the bechamel sauce and sprinkle the parmesan on top. Put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve with salad.

Biathlon Cup

Did I mention that I'm a huge fan of Biathlon? And especially of Ole Einer Bjoerndalen?

I think he is the most gifted biathlonist that ever existed...
He won the World Cup 6 times, thirteen World Championship gold medals, ten silver, and nine bronze, and a record high of 92 individual Biathlon World Cup wins.
Oh yes, and he won five Olympic Gold medals, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze. He is the only biathlete who has won every single event during the same Winter Olympic Games, in Salt Lake City 2002. Can't wait to see what he will do in February in Vancouver...
Till then he won this week the 4 x 7.5 km relay with his teammates from Norway, and today he won the 15 km Mass Start in Oberhof...

Turron

Turron is a beautiful spanish word...
It describes a nougat confection, typically made of honey, sugar and egg white, with toasted almonds or other nuts, and usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake.
It is frequently consumed as a traditional Christmas dessert in Spain and Italy.
It is absolutely delicious and if you try the one with alcohol, do not drive ;)

The Man who can't be moved

Do I need a reason to post a Script video?
Nope :)

January Holiday

Hey Hey Hey
I'm going on a holiday :)
It's the first holiday of 2010 and I hope many more to come.
Now where I could go?
Somewhere I have never been or somewhere I love to go?
I think I'll choose the last one - I'm going to Germany. When I say Germany I mean Bayern :)
More specifically Munich - Ein Weltstadt mit Herz ;)

Sherlock Holmes

I have a new New Year Resolution: A movie a day keeps the doctor away...
No... :)
A movie a day keeps the spirit awake :))
I saw today Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.
It's absolutely brilliant - it has a lot of action (weird I know but it's a new Sherlock, who knows a lot of tricks...), the script is well written, and the best part is the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law - they are a perfect match.
It's one of Ritchie's masterpieces, and shows that he is more than Mr. Madonna and that he can direct a blockbuster movie as easy as a low-budget movie.
I'm almost certain in 2 years time a sequel will follow. So till then here is the trailer.
Cours mon lapin cours...

New Year Concert in Vienna

Since I was a kid I watched every 1st of January the Neujahr Concert from Vienna and I dreamt of attending it one day.
When I first went to Vienna in January 2007 one of the first trips was to a Ticket Counter to ask how can I buy a ticket for the famous Concert. The ticket vendor nearly died of laughter when I asked and told me he worked there for 30 years and he was never able to buy a ticket... but there is a chance: the Ticket Lottery that takes place at the end of February.
All you have to do is enroll on their website and pray for the best. I did it and so should you...
But remember, if you win, one ticket is mine :D
Here is the link: http://www.neujahrskonzert.at/verlosung_en.php

Marinated mushrooms with mayonnaise

What better way to start the week than with a quick and delicious recipe thanks to Delia Smith?

225 mixed fresh mushrooms, wiped and thickly sliced, 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 225 ml red wine, 2 tablespoons fresh dill, salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the garlic and smoked pimenton mayonnaise: the basic mayonnaise recipe, plus 3 extra cloves garlic, peeled, 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the mushrooms, along with the garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat - shaking the pan and stirring from time to time. Now pour in the red wine, turn the heat up high and let it all bubble for a minute or two and reduce a little. Turn the heat down and cook for a further 4 minutes. Season to taste, stir in the chopped dill and then transfer to a small serving dish. Allow the mushrooms to cool before covering them and popping them into the fridge to chill.
Now make the mayonnaise, but using 4 cloves of garlic instead of 1 and stir the smoked, sweet pimenton into the finished mayonnaise. Serve the mushrooms on crisp lettuce leaves with some chopped dill sprinkled on top, and about a dessertspoon of mayonnaise per person. The leftover mayonnaise will keep for a week in the fridge.

The One

Let's end this week with a cheerful song... for some :))
The One sung by Gaelic Storm ;)

Dakar Rally

What is the most important event at the beginning of the year?
The Neujahr Konzert in Vienna?
That one too, but the most important is the Dakar Rally!
http://www.dakar.com/
I'm sure you are going to ask where does the Paris-Dakar Rally takes place?
The answer is simple: in Argentina & Chile :))
This is the second year the Rally takes place in South America and probably it will take place here for the next few years.
I started watching the Rally for the first time about 15 years ago and since then I always have time for a quick look to see who is winning...
My personal favourite is Stephane Peterhansel who won the Dakar 6 times on a Yamaha bike and 3 times with a Mitsubishi Pajero.
Let's see if this year he will win his 4th Dakar as a car driver.

New Start

How do you know you had a good New Year's Eve Party?
Waking up with a hangover...
Do you know the best cure for it?
Drink some more :D
Of course I made some New Year Resolutions, and of course I won't be able to make them all reality, but as everybody knows I'm an expert when it comes to planning, and what are these Resolutions but some good plans...
Hopefully some of them will become true:
- I will have interesting things to write here, not to post just pictures and clips
- I will take amazing pictures
- I will visit new places and meet interesting people
- I will stay in touch with old and new friends
- and the most important one: just be happy!!!
And what better way to start the year than to watch the Neujahr Konzert from Vienna?
I will enroll this year too for the tickets draw, who knows maybe I will get lucky and next year I'll be there in fron row ;)