La Belle Au Bois Gourmand

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Airline Food


Ever wondered about high-flying food?
Like the menu suggestion by Emirates (above) or British Airways and Delta?
I discovered this website some years ago and I fancy having a glance at its pages every now and then.
I'm talking about Airline meals.
The section I enjoy most is without any doubt the food the crew or the passengers were having in the 50's and so on.
It is so close to the nowadays reality and at the same time so strange thinking about for some it was and habit to travel on a aircraft.
Letting this surprises apart I recommend you to pay a visit to www.airlinemeals.net
Worthy to see.




Japan airlines in the 70's


Thai Airways International


Condor

A taste of Pixar



Milan is not behind any other European city in terms of shows, attractions, events, exhibitions.
Opened in November and closing on Valentine's Day, PAC the Pavillon for contemporary art is hosting PIXAR- 25 years of animation that I visited this weekend.
Not mentioning the queue was much more formed by adults rather then kids, I felt a young baby again. Pixar leaves your mouth wide open and thrills you while showing the original sketches, storyboars, colorprints and reels.
Nemo, the jumping table lamp where everything started, Elastic girl and of course, Rémy. The inspiring rat that I'm grateful to, from the motion pic "Ratatouille".
If you happen to be in the North of Italy, don't miss the chance: Mike & Sulley from Monsters INC welcome you and are ready to be part of your picture.



PAC - Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea
Via Palestro 14
Milano
www.mostrapixarmilano.it/

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

What's in your lunch box?

When I was a child, watching the anime Bijoujo Senshi Sailor Moon gave me a taste of what bento was. That squared bo containing lots of tasty and good looking food. I gotta had one!
Bento is a common word to describe how Japanese people use to eat when out of home.
In Italy we have a specific word too that describes the lunch box, a name known mainly in the northern part: schiscetta.
Whatever was previously cooked is put in plastic container.
Belgian or french speaking Countries have la boite à tartine that children start to take with them in kindergarten. Bread with Jam or Nutella on a white soft sandwich bread can be an
example for it.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Bunet


The king of pudding, at least in Italy is the bunet. Not so famous outside its Region, Piedmont, but very popular in the city of Turin. It's a tipycal dessert from the tradition and it's not a regular pudding, there's egg and amaretti in it.
Its consistency and flavour are unique, in fact from the first bite you cannot describe it as a pudding, you definately know it's a bunet.
My suggestion: try a local one and mistrust any industrial imitation.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Los Reyes

Epiphany in Spain means ROSCON DE REYES: a typical cake with a plastic baby Jesus and a bean. Finding the bean may represent the obligation to buy the cake for the next party or in some Countries may mean that the person finding it will soon have a baby. Somewhere this cake dedicated to women is called Queen cake.
Fig fruit, quinces, cherries or dried and candied fruits are used.
Down below, the king cake baked by my friend Carlota. Even living in the Netherlands.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Kürtőskalács


Inhereted by the former Hungarian region of Transylvania, Kürtőskalács is a sweet bread rolled onto a wooden stick and cooked on a charcoal fire or baked in modern ovens.
This delicacy can be found in pastry stores or on the streets. I had mine just outside the Royal Palace in Budapest.
The name refers to the chimney, in fact kürtőskalács is also known as the chimeney cake.
It can be eaten simple as it is with a taste of vanilla or with additional topping such as walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate, almonds. Everything is caramelized in order to chew a crispy crust.
Yummy!
As for me, I had again the chance to try this food in Italy during a fair dedicated to the artcrafts coming from all over the world to Milan.



Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year, Korean style 떡국


While wishing a happy new year to all of us, Il Hee a girl friend of mine from Seoul, told me about the traditional soup that has to be eaten among korean families on the very first day of the new year. It is called 떡국, ddeok guk translated into rice cake soup. The main reason why this dish is so important is that if one's eating that, that person is gaining one more year of life.
I guess it is also due to the fresh ingredients used: rice cakes, oil, garlic, scallions, eggs, seaweed, soy sauce, salt, pepper, sesame oil.
In other words, when comfort food meets health.
A similar dish is present in China and Japan, where the name of the soup is respectively Niángāo and Zōni.