Meet me at Sweet Couture

Sweet Couture Cake Boutique... one of my favourite places in London. I have already mentioned it in another post in the past but now I want to focus on it.
 Well, this is the one I have chosen to buy the cupcakes for my first birthday in London and Sweet Couture has become sweet memory! 

caramel, red velvet & triple chocolate cupcake

I am a demanding bear in certain occasions, even more if we are talking about celebrations! 
So I really like this cute little corner just 3 minutes from Covent Garden going to Leicester Square. It's warm and you will find a lot of different fantastic cupcakes.
What I love most is the perfect balance I find in the butter frosting: it does not hyde the flavour of the cupcake, it simply matches it and improves it. It's deliciously perfect!
Do you want to have a look to the website? Here you go: http://www.sweetcouture.co.uk/sweetcouture/about.html

Sweet Couture Cake Boutique... uno dei miei posti preferiti a Londra. Ne ho già parlato in un post precedente ma voglio approfondire stavolta.
Ebbene, questo l'ho scelto per il primo compleanno che ho passato qui ed è diventato un dolce ricordo!
Io sono un orsetto esigente a volte, specialmente se si tratta di festeggiamenti!
Adoro questo piccolo angolino a 3 minuti da Covent Garden andando verso Leicester Square. E' accogliente, caldo e ci troverete un sacco di cupcakes tutti diversi.
Ciò che amo di più è il perfetto equilibrio che trovo nella copertura alla crema di burro: non nasconde il sapore del cupcakes, ma si sposa perfettamente e lo valorizza. Deliziosamente perfetto!
Volete dare un'occhiata al sito? Eccolo qui: http://www.sweetcouture.co.uk/sweetcouture/about.html

Pasta tips: unforgettable spaghetti

Teddy has a new job from this moment: he will be busy tasting my family's pasta recipes.
As expat far from home, one of the things I miss the most is cooking with my parents and my sister. We used to share a lot of lovely moments in the kitchen and we still do when I am on holiday.
Anyway, no panic: internet gives a lot of solutions and if we cannot share a plate of well done italian pasta around a table, we will do that on this blog between us and whoever wants to look at it!
Honestly I can smell the flavour from here ;)

So this time we will start from a very simple but amazing recipe: garlic, olive oil and red hot pepper spaghetti (with a secret special guest that I will reveal later).

This kind of spaghetti is perfect when:
1 - you don't have the fridge full of ingredients and you need a basic idea
2 - you are single with nobody around and you are sure garlic won't kill anybody ;)
3 - you come home late at night after a long working day and you realize you're starving (Midnight-Spaghetti are always a special event in Italy!)
Ingredients:
Garlic
Olive oil (I use Napolina in UK, Monini in Italy)
Red pepper (how much depends only on your strenght but if you really like it, try not to hyde the other ingredients, balance is always the best choice, 3-4 pieces will be good)
70/80 g spaghetti per person

And now let's prepare them:

Put olive oil in a pan and turn the flame on, as it gets warm put the red pepper and the peeled garlic, being careful not to burn it.
Now, add our special guest, the magic ingredient that makes this recipe a little different from the original one: a crumbled anchovy that will give an even more tasting suggestion.

Let the water boil in a pot with salt (I'd say 1 spoon per liter that is 8/9 g.) then cook spaghetti precisely for the time reported on their box, whatever it says, could be 5 -7-10 minutes, NOT a minute more please or they won't be real spaghetti anymore, but only a sad copy, believe me ;) (I think I saw the most dreadful things with these poor spaghetti during the international experiences of my life)






Drain them once ready and put in the pan, blowing them up with the dressing.

And now... You, your spaghetti, a candle in a corner and Frank Sinatra. What else?

Ricetta degli spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino... non c'è bisogno di scriverla in italiano ;)

European Living Costs

Europe has a reputation as one of the more expensive expat destinations, which is highlighted in the 2013 Expat Expenses League Table, with Ireland (37^th), Netherlands (35^th), Italy (34^th), UK (33^rd), and France (32^nd). The Expat Expenses League Table ranks countries in terms of “expat economics”, whereby the higher a country’s ranking, the more financially advantageous it proves for expats. The low ranking of these European countries means, simply, that expats will not get as much for their money there.

A combination of lower earning potential coupled with higher expenses explains these low rankings on the league table, but there are many ways expats can enjoy a cost-effective lifestyle on the European continent:

1.       Move to Spain: At 15^th, España sits eight spaces above its nearest European rival, making it our top pick for European Expat Expenses.

2.       Ride a bike:  Public transport is a major factor in pushing up living costs for European-based expats. But the good news is that many European expat destinations are hotspots for cycling commuters. Take to the bicycle lanes of Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Seville and burn calories while you save euros.

3.       Shop at local markets: Europe is known for its variety of produce, seasonal markets and local delicacies. And thanks to street sellers, gourmet food doesn’t always have to come with a hefty price tag.

4.       Make friends: More quality chat with local friends will translate to substantially cheaper phone bills, as you have less need to call home – and Europe is a great place to forge new friendships. The prospect of finding friendship in the UK, for example, is so good that more than two in five (43%) expats say that they prefer the company of local friends over fellow expats.

5.       Relax: Nearly 2 in 5 (39%) of expats surveyed on the cost of living abroad had the perception they were spending less since relocation, even if the figures didn’t bear this out. The other cultural and lifestyle perks to living in Europe may just outweigh financial considerations.

4seasons/4places pics of the River Thames

Thames from a window, January 2014

It's winter even if it's not so cold (yet...?) but sometimes it rains... a lot. Really a lot.
So enjoying my hibernation in my warm hole I keep an eye to our glorious Thames, that goes up and down... luckily down!
I really hope it will go back to its usual level because other bear-friends are having some problems at the moment. In the end, it's only 3 or 4 months to go...!!! Where are you Spring?

Waiting for it I want to leave some 4seasons/4 places pics of this important river.

E'.inverno, anche se non troppo rigido (non ancora...?) però talvolta piove e tanto anche.
Quindi passando il mio letargo al calduccio nel mio buco tengo un occhio sul nostro glorioso Tamigi che in questo periodo va su e giù, anzi, per fortuna giù!
Spero davvero che torni presto ai suoi livelli usuali perchè alcuni amici orsetti stanno avendo problemi in giro.
Alla fine mancano solo 3/4 mesi... Dove sei Primavera?

In sua attesa vi lascio alcune foto 4 stagioni/4 punti diversi di questo fiume così importante.

Aggiungi didascalia

10 Postcards from Winter Holidays

Courmayeur - Mont Blanc (Aosta, Italy)

Before returning definitely to London I want to leave you 10 pics from my unforgettable (and quick!) winter holidays. Beautiful places and sweet memories to keep this winter warm.

Prima di tornare definitivamente a Londra voglio lasciarvi 10 immagini della mia mini-vacanza. Posti meravigliosi e dolci ricordi per tenere al calduccio questo inverno.

Courmayeur - Mont Blanc (Aosta, Italy)

Courmayeur - Mont Blanc (Aosta, Italy)

Roman Theatre, Aosta

Is it a snowy mountain or what? Maybe a chocolate mountain!

Baci di Nus cookies and Vanilla Twinings Tea

 These cookies deserve a special comment: simply delicious, coming from Baci di Dama recipe but made with walnuts and chocolate cream: you will find more informations here http://www.pasticceriabuzzi.it/baci-di-nus/

Questi pasticcini meritano un commento speciale: sono deliziosi, provengono dalla ricetta dei Baci di Dama, ma sono fatti con le noci e la crema al cioccolato: qualche informazione in più http://www.pasticceriabuzzi.it/baci-di-nus/

Cervino - Matterhorn 4478 m.

Souvenir from the italian Alps: Fondue Recipe

There's something I simply adore when I spend time on holiday with my bear-family: cooking all together!

This time we tried a really famous mountain recipe and it tasted absolutely amazing: the fondue alla valdostana and I'm happy to give you our recipe, as souvenir from your little bear.

Well, the real fondue alla valdostana needs only Fontina cheese, but I admit that we mixed different kind of cheese in the end, and the result is definitely fantastic, so you can try it with any cheese and option you prefer.

You just need:

milk 250g

2 egg's yolks (some recipes say 4... you can choose)

butter 40g

400g Fontina cheese or mixed cheese (Fontina, Emmenthal, Gruyère, blue cheese like french Roquefort or italian Gorgonzola): in this case your fondue will be really european, mixing some of the best Alps' existing cheese. By choosing one or two of them you will simply decide which citizenship your fondue will have (I would try all of them!).

Put the chopped cheese in a pan with milk for a couple of hours (we didn't have so much time, so we kept it for half an hour and it was delicious anyway!)

Heat until it's completely melted and transfer into a fondue pot, with a candle below, to keep it warm (but pay attention not to burn it or it will change flavour!)

If you like it, you can add nutmeg or truffle oil.

And now, just eat with toasted bread and croutons! It will be a tasting, lovely and funny time to share with your loved ones!

C'è qualcosa che adoro quando posso trascorrere tempo con la mia famiglia di orsetti: cucinare tutti insieme!

Questa volta abbiamo provato una ricetta montanara molto famosa e gustosa: la fondue alla valdostana e sono contento di lasciarvi la nostra ricetta, così, come piccolo souvenir dal vostro amico orsetto.

Beh, la vera fonduta alla valdostana richiede solo Fontina, mentre noi in verità abbiamo usato diversi tipi di formaggio, il risultato è stato fantastico e potete provare con i formaggi e le opzioni che preferite.

Quindi avete bisogno di:

latte 250g

2 tuorli d'uovo (alcune ricette dicono 4... potete scegliere)

burro 40g

400g di Fontina o formaggi misti come Gruyère, Emmenthal, Roquefort o Gorgonzola, e in questo caso avrete una vera fondue europea con alcuni dei più buoni formaggi delle Alpi. Scegliendone solo uno o 2 invece deciderete quale cittadinanza dare alla vostra Fondue (io le proverei tutte!)

Mettete il formaggio tagliato a pezzetti nella pentola con il latte per un paio d'ore (noi non avevamo così tanto tempo e l'abbiamo tenuto per una mezz'ora ma il risultato era comunque ottimo!)

Scaldate finchè non è tutto fuso e trasferite in una pentola da fondue, con una candela sotto per tenerla calda, (ma attenti che non bruci o cambierà sapore!)

Se volete potete aggiungere un po' di noce moscata o olio di tartufo.

E adesso, gustatela con pane abbrustolito o crostini! Sarà un bel momento di condivisione con i vostri cari!

Let's meet Ms Befana!

The new year has started, Christmas holidays are over... uhm... it's never easy, but you must know that in Italy we have a holiday on January 6th, the Three Kings indeed, but we call it Epifania, from greek epifaneia, or in the folk way: Befana.
Well in this date a legend says that a ugly old woman comes at night on a mop with socks for everybody  containing sweets and little presents, If you've not been good during the year she will bring you coal, so be careful!

I have been really a good little bear during the past year so I was able to have 3 days off and join my bear-family on the Alps.
It was so lovely, spending bright sunny days on the snow.
As I arrived my dear brother bear welcomed me with this amazing cake: the famous italian all-butter Pandoro filled with soft cheese cream, chopped chocolate and cherries... What a fabulous way to start! 

Il nuovo anno è iniziato e le Feste sono alle spalle ormai... non è mai facile ricominciare, ma in Italia abbiamo un'ultima festa il 6 gennaio, altrove anche se non viene festeggiata è conosciuta come il giorno dei Tre Re, noi la chiamiamo Epifania, dal greco epifaneia, che è poi stata cambiata nel più folcloristico Befana.
In questa data la leggenda narra che una brutta vecchia arrivi durante la notte su una scopa con calze per tutti piene di dolcetti e regalini, ma se non siete stati buoni non arriverà altro che carbone, quindi fate attenzione!
Io sono stato un orsetto molto buono l'anno passato così ho avuto 3 giorni liberi da passare con la mia famiglia di orsetti sulle mie amate Alpi.
E' stato bellissimo trascorrere giorni pieni di sole sulla neve.
Appena arrivato fratellino orsetto mi ha accolto con questo dolce, il famoso Pandoro italiano farcito con crema di formaggio, cioccolato a pezzetti e amarene... Niente di meglio per cominciare!