Dobra družba. Sonce. Hrana. Vino.

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Ne vem kje začeti. Ne vem kje končati. Ali se ustaviti. Ne vem sploh, če sem oseba, ki bi se lahko spustila iz oblakov in postavila noge na trdna tla. Mislim, da ne spadam med tiste, ki bi se želeli ustaliti. Ever. No, ampak življenje me je pripeljalo, kjer sem danes. V Ljubljano. A brief phase. Nedokončane zadeve… V resnici si nisem nikoli predstavljala, da bom živela tu, a ko sem že pristala v tem mestu, hočem vse, kar ponuja. Ljubljana se je spremenila odkar sem prvič prišla. Evropska prestolnica (v pravem pomenu besede)? Don’t think so. Ima pa zanimivo kulturno sceno, ki se je v zadnjih letih neverjetno razvila. In v primerjavi z ostalimi mesti eno veliko prednost: ura vožnje in znajdeš se v popolnoma drugačni pokrajini, z drugačnimi tradicijami, in seveda, hrano.

Zadnja leta se je kultura prehranjevanja v Sloveniji zelo spremenila. Na bolje. In bil je skrajni čas. Verjetno so h temu pripomogli tudi projekti kot Teden restavracij. No in tako smo se s puncami odločile zadevo malo testirati in se napotile proti Primorski.

brdaPrva postaja: Goriška Brda. Definitivno ena izmed mojih najljubših regij. Poleti do koder ti seže pogled brdašca prekrita s trtami. Pa stare vasi, ki te prestavijo v drugo dimenzijo. Pomladi pobeg soncu in cvetočemu drevju naproti.

Povod za Brda je bil Teden restavracij. In tako smo se odpravile do Kabaja. Ko sedaj razmišljam o tem, kar so pripravili, moram priznati, da so se izkazali. Sir, jajca, pomladno zelenje, dobro olivno olje… Pomlad na krožniku. Nekaj trpkega, prijetno trpkega. Globoko zelenega. Nekaj, kar te spomni, da je ponoči še vedno hladno. Hkrati pa nekaj svežega, ki naznanja, da se narava prebuja in zemlja počasi segreva. Sveže sestavine, pripravljene v lokalni maniri. Plus odličen Beli pinot, 2010. Mislim, da je bila to kar perfekcija k mojemu vegetarijanskemu meniju. Definitivno se bo treba vrniti in se malo bolj strokovno poglobiti v njihovo žlahtno kapljico.

Večer v Brdih smo preživele na Kmetiji Šibav. Gostoljubje in radodarnost, s katerima so nas pričakali, sta bila bila nekaj, kar si ne bi nikoli mogle zamišljati. Neprecenljivo. Od pokušine vina, odprtja nekaterih družinskih “draguljev”, penine pri zajtrku, do nadvse prijateljskih pogovorov, ki so nam razjasnili marsikaj o pridelavi vina in življenju v Brdih. In nikoli ne bom pozabila tistega jutra, ko so me zbudili najtoplejši sončni žarki in s soncem obsijana krajina. Another dimension. Po obilnem zajtrku, polnem lokalnih dobrot, smo se odpravile novim avanturam naproti. Odšle smo s toplino v srcih, z nasmejanimi obrazi in avtom, polnim daril. In seveda, z vrečo domačih briških limon, ki so bile potem pametno porabljene v velikonočni pletenici.

Jutro smo nadaljevale s turo po Brdih, med vinskimi trtami in starimi vasicami. V iskanju popolnega kraja za počitek in uživanje v soncu, smo po priporočilu lokalcev zavile v Dvor. Sprva skrajno nezaupljivo. Smo imele občutek, da je nekako fino. Prefino. Ampak kako smo se motile… Dvor se je izkazal za oazo. Bolj spokojnega in uživaškega kraja si v tistem trenutku ne bi mogle zamisliti. Družinski hotel, ki se je nedavno odprl. Če sem prav razumela, so zadnja leta kupovali posestvo. Del po del, da bi ustvarili celoto, ki jo predstavlja danes. Res jim želim vse najboljše, ker so opravili več kot odličen posel! No, in seveda, sestradane kot smo bile, smo naivno naročile hišno belo in kaj “za pikat.” In to… naj kar fotke govorijo zase. In da sploh ne omenjam odličnega domačega olivnega olja, ki ga strežejo s posebno mešanico začimb. Skratka, TOP!

Brda smo zapustile v poznih popoldanskih urah in se skupaj s soncem počasi spuščale k morju. V Izolo smo prispele ravno v trenutku, ko je sonce izginilo za obzorjem.

Večerjo smo imele v Hotelu Marina, prav tako v sklopu Tedna Restavracij. Priznati moram, da so me kar presenetili, predvsem s starteji in z odlično sladico. Naslednje jutro smo se sprehodile do svetilnika, martinčkale na plaži, potem pa se s krajšo postojanko pri Ekremu (aka sladoledu) napotile proti domu.

Pred vrnitvijo v Ljubljano, je bila še zadnja postojanka. Bile smo na poti na Kras. A world apart. Ustavile smo se v Brestovici, kjer vsako leto organizirajo festival špargljev. Lokalni prebivalci poberejo divje šparglje, ki rastejo povsod naokoli, potem pa z njimi pripravijo tradicionalne jedi. In seveda frtaljo. 

In tako je viken prišel h koncu. Domov smo se odpravile utrujene, a srečne in polne dobrih spominov, odločene, da kmalu začnemo z načrti za nov izlet.

All this said, vas puščam z receptom za frtaljos soncem, pomladjo in vsemi lepotami, ki jih prinaša življenje!

Frtalja z divjimi šparglji

  • 3 jajca
  • 2 žlici moke
  • 3 žlice mleka
  • šopek divjih špargljev
  • koščki pancete ali pršuta (po izbiri)
  • sol
  • poper
  • 1 – 2 žlici olovnega olja

* Ok. To je seveda ena verzija frtalje. Lahko se naredi tudi brez moke in mleka. Pa seveda se lahko doda tudi sveža zelišča.

Priprava:

  1. Stepite jajca, moko, mleko in sol. Pustite počivati.
  2. Očistite šparglje in odstranitte olesenele dele. Narežite na večje kose.
  3. Segrejte olivno olje. Dodajte šparglje in koščke pancete ali pršuta ter pražite minuto ali dve.
  4. Dodajte jajčno mešanico. Frtalja naj bo bolj debela omleta. Pecite na obeh straneh dokler ni zlato zapečeno.
  5. Narežite na trikotnike in začinite s sveže mletim poprom.

 

Montréal: FOOD

I haven’t been really active lately. In between visiting interesting places, hanging out with amazing people, enjoying the summer, exploring the city and everything it offers, there wasn’t much time left to be spent on the internet. So it’s about time to put into words at least couple of those magic moments from my last trip to Montréal.

Some of those who have visited Quebec claim that people there don’t eat well, that the food isn’t that interesting and savory… Well, it might be true, if the only thing that comes to your mind is poutine, the ”national” dish consisting of french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. And yet, even poutine can be a culinary experience if you know where to go.

My food guide is a base for every traveller who wants to explore the city flavors in couple of days. There are many places to be added. I of course didn’t have enough time to do them all. And there are many places for which I have no visual testimony because their food was sooo delicious that was devoured in no time and I unfortunately missed out on having a second pair of hands to take photos.

Marché Jean-Talon

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One of the first things I like to do when I come to a new city is to go to the local market. When I see what people eat and how they prepare their food, I seem to understand better their culture and the way they live. Jean-Talon is big and you can find just about everything there. But still, you will quickly understand what are the domestic products, colors and flavors.

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La Fromagerie Hamel, Marché Jean-Talon

I once thought there was no good cheese in Quebec. I was soo wrong! When I was crossing Lanaudière region this winter I came across La Suisse Normande cheese makers and their wonderful Pizzy that proved me I was wrong all that time. There are certainly many cheese shops in Montreal with domestic and imported goods, but as far as I’m concerned La Fromagerie Hamel is one of the best ones.

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BalkaniMarché Jean-Talon

This one is a must if you’re from the Balkans. They have a variety of meat products and apparently their salamis are fabulous (haven’t tried them though since I eat no meat). You will also find typical condiments, sweets and snacks, so if you’re in need of Vegeta, Smoki or Milka, that’s your place. On the other hand, no kajmak here. The best approximation can be found at Slovenia meats on Rue Clark.

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Olives et Épices, Marché Jean-Talon

I’m in heaven baby! Just about everything you desire. And a vitrine à la vanille!

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Les delices de la mer, Marche Jean-Talon

Smoked and fresh fish. From Gaspesie. Gone too quickly. No time to take photos. Sorry.

Smoked maple salmon pavé is one of my favorites, but just about everything tastes delicious. We also took some fresh pétoncle géant (scallop) and their quality was really remarkable.

Les Jardins Sauvages, Marche Jean-Talon

Their stand offers a variety of fresh and dehydrated mushrooms and edible flowers. Besides that you will be served with advice on storage and preparation!

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Marché Atwater

Smaller than Jean-Talon, but non less interesting. If you’re doing Canal de Lachine tour, drop by for a lunch and pick something up at the bakery or treat yourself at outdoor food stands.

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Montreal Street Food

Simple, fast and savory. Besides the fixed addresses, opt for food trucks. There is a really great application available on StreetFood MTL that shows you all the food trucks operating near you. Every first friday of a month all the food trucks gather next to Parc Olympique. Check out Le Cheese, voted best food truck (MTL Awards 2014), Grumman 78 and Camion du Pied de Cochon. Come early!

If you miss the food trucks, you will surely find something on the market.

Satay Brothers, Marche Atwater

Bagels: St. Viateur or Fairmount?

Why bagels? If you haven’t had them yet, don’t ask any further questions. Go there and try it on your own. It’s open 24/7. Is there anything better than the freshly baked bread?

Tried them both but too hard to decide. Luckily they don’t make them all the same. Go to St. Viateur for rosemary and poppy-onion-sesamy. Drop by at Fairmount for caravi, wholegrain and bluberry (save it for breakfast! the next day it tastes heaven!). Take sesame at both and decide later.

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Dépanneur

It’s not really about culinary experience. Dépanneur is an institution! And everyone has its own. It provides you with what you need when everything else is already shut down. Just don’t buy wine. That’s my advice.

Sushi

It must be one of the things for which I will have to return to Montreal. Yes, for the photos. Couldn’t help myself…

My favorite being Sushi Tri Express, really different, with flavors bursting in your mouth. Try omakase I or II. Since I’ve tried it, I’m  never eating sushi in Ljubljana again!

The other two that I’ve tried are Sushi 999 and Sushi St.-Denis. All you can eat. Would definitely go there again.

 

 

This is my eden!

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I love my neighborhood! It must be one of the greenest parts of Ljubljana. When I look through my window I see trees and I more often hear birds singing than cars passing by. Our apartment building was built in mid fifties when living standards were relatively high. Apart from comfortable flats, that also meant that its surroundings were designed to provide a community place where people would gather and spent their time. What always fascinates me is how clever they were back than. Cooperation between architects and urbanists created a pleasant green living space in the middle of the city, something that we aim at today, but is not always possible anymore.

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My balcony is one of my shelters. When working at home, I like to make a pause and take a coffee outside. What I love even more are those warm summer nights when there’s no one on the street anymore, just pleasant silence. And a glass of a good red wine.

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This year I’m making an experiment. Already in previous years I had all sorts of aromatic herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and flowers. So this year I wanted to see how it would work to plant some real veggies that I could actually use when cooking, like cucumbers, zucchini, salad, spinach, tomatoes and artichokes.

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Eventhough it’s a small garden there’s a lot of work to be done. But I don’t mind. I must say that I’m really proud of myself. It feels so good going out on your balcony and picking up your own salads that you’ve seeded and watch them grow. It just makes me so happy. Besides, it’s sustainable and you know where your food comes from. Everyone who has some space should do its garden. It can work, so no excuses for not doing it!

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