Milano, Coffee and more.

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I was lucky enough to have a short stop over in Milan.  Unfortunately due to the weather and a scheduling snafu, my original plan of taking a day trip Lake Como didn’t happen. But when things don’t work out as planned go to plan B.

It turned out to be a great plan B.   While I’m a bit of a history nerd, I’m also a confirmed caffeine fiend, so when I saw a tour combining both I was sold.  Maria our guide not only took us around the interesting historical areas of the city like the cathedral, royal palace,  the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ll, La Scala opera house and the trendy Brera district, she interspersed these with stop offs for coffee in interesting coffee spots serving different styles of coffee (coffee is a big thing in Milan).

  (Quick traveller tip, museums in Milan are free on the first Sunday of the month, but expect long lines).  Leonardo Da Vini also moved to Milan when he was 30 and you can visit different museums to see his work.  You can also try to book to view his Last Supper but this can be booked up months in advance so be prepared.  If you feel like even more culture you can don your glad rags and visit the world famous La Scala opera house.  Performances can book out months in advance as well but you can try your luck and visit the box office at 1.30pm to see if any tickets are available.  You might be able to get a seat (with obstructed view) for €10.  It was a great way to get a feel for the vibe of the city and not just haul around historic buildings.

Remember to pace  yourself, I went all in and was pretty wired afterwards as I wasn’t used to having so many espressos in one morning (totally worth it though).  I would definitely recommend doing this tour and you can find out more by visiting @cliotales on Instagram.

Milan is kind of like a European version of New York but with more history and better architecture.  It’s famous not only as business and financial hub but as the fashion capital of Italy.  The super elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ll is right beside the Duomo and has gorgeous high end designer shops like Prada and Dior (many of these you have to visit by appointment, to keep the tourist riff-raff like myself out).  If you feel the need for some refreshment you can visit the Camparinella bar just inside the Galleria.

Milan is the birthplace of Campari, so when in Milan! A Campiri and soda will set you back about €8 if you stand at the beautiful art deco bar being served by well appointed barmen in crisp white jackets.  You’ll pay a little more if you want to sit at a table. (Quick traveller tip, you may incur a small surcharge if you take a table in a cafe or bar in Italy) .  Instead many Italians prefer to eat and drink at a counter.  This is really common if you’re going out for breakfast, don’t expect bacon and eggs, as a common Italian version of breakfast is a quick coffee/cappuccino and pastry eaten standing at a counter.)

The are any number of great places to eat ranging from super filling sandwiches to grab and go, to very posh fine dining restaurants. Milan is famous for its risotto (risotto Milanese).  This is bright yellow, and coloured with saffron (although apparently less scrupulous restaurants will use turmeric or yellow food colouring because it’s cheaper). I had it for lunch one day and to be honest, while I enjoyed it, I wasn’t blown away (maybe I didn’t get a great version) .  Milan also has some amazing bakeries and I tried pistachio coffee for the first time (Italians love pistachios so much so, you can even them on pizzas), and that for me was my favourite taste of Milan.

Milan is pretty cheap to fly to, as a couple of different low cost airlines fly there.  I flew into Milan Bergemo airport and the bus transfer to the city centre dropping off at the central station was €10.  The city also has great public transport links with buses, trams and metro service. €2.20 will get you to most parts of the city and is valid for 90 minutes.  Day cards and multiple day passes are also very reasonably priced.  If you’re not staying Milan for a long time I’d suggest staying by the central station.  It also has metro stops and it’s a good base for seeing the city and the next leg of your trip.  It also has an amazing food court (go to the mercato side of the station).  You can get coffee and a pastry or select from pizza, sandwiches, aranccini, sushi or steak all while having a beer while waiting your train.

Banh Mi (sort of)

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If you haven’t tried one before, these are  super fresh and tasty Vietnamese sandwiches.  They started of as simple street food, using the baguettes made popular by the French who invaded and colonised the country.

I make no claims that this is 100% authentic.  But I think I have done justice to the tangy crunchy lightly pickled vegetables, and the freshness of the herbs and some heat from the chillies hold true to the original thing.

You can use left over chicken or ham in these, but the first version I ever tried had little chicken meatballs that were packed with flavour.  You could also use pork mince to make these.

 My main tip is don’t scrimp on the herbs, they are what makes it. The pickled veggies can live in your fridge for 4-5 days are great served with other dishes.

Serves 4

For the pickled vegetables

100 ml Cider vinegar

100 ml Water

1/2 Tsp Sugar

1 Large carrot (cut into into matchsticks)

1/2 Onion (thinly sliced)

7-8 Radishes (thinly sliced)

For the meatballs

500 Grams Turkey or chicken mince

1 Egg (beaten)

1 Tsp Fish sauce

Handful of breadcrumbs

2 Cloves of garlic (grated or finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Grated ginger

1 Small chilli pepper or more if you like a lot of heat (finely chopped

4 x Demi (small) baguettes

4 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1/2 Cucumber (cut into batons or what ever shape you like)

Coriander and mint

Chilli peppers (finely chopped)

Lime wedges to sere (optional)

Method

  • In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the meatballs and combine well.  Take around a tablespoon of the mix and roll it into a ball. Continue until you have used all the mix.  Set the meatballs onto a tray and chill for 30 minutes
  • For the pickled vegetables, add the chopped vegetables to a large jar.  Combine the water, vinegar and sugar and pour over the vegetables. Seal the jar and shake before letting stand for 30 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius), and bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, or you can fry them if you prefer.  I usually pop the baguettes in to the oven for a couple of minutes to let them crisp up
  • Cut the baguettes length ways and scoop some of the soft white bread from the centre (this will make it easier to load up your sandwich)
  • Spread a tablespoon of mayonnaise on each baguette (you can add more if you like), then add the pickled vegetables and meatballs before adding the sliced cucumber, mint, coriander and chilli.  Give each sandwich a quick squeeze of lime before getting stuck into sandwich perfection. 

Apple Pancakes

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I don’t do sweet breakfasts that often, but since it’s nearly pancake Tuesday I went all in try these out.

These are light and fluffy and the recipe makes 4 enormous American style pancakes that freeze well, if you’re organised enough to cook a double batch.

I griddled some apple slices to go with this, along side some Greek yoghurt (you can use different fruit and squirty cream if you’re feeling decadent).  These also taste great along side bacon if you want to go savory.

Ingredients

250 Grams Plain flour

225 mil Milk

1 Tsp Baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1 Apple (roughly grated)

1 Egg (separated into yolk and white)

A little oil for frying

Method

  • Add flour, baking powder, and sugar to a large bowl
  • Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add the egg yolk, mik and vanilla extract, whisk until smooth
  • Grate an apple roughly on the large side of box grater and stir into the pancake batter
  • Whisk the egg white until it becomes light and fluffy and forms soft peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the pancake batter until well combined
  • Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan and spoon in a quarter of the batter on to pan. When small even holes begin to appear on the pancake flip it and cook for a further couple of minutes checking to make sure it doesn’t burn
  • Continue doing this until you have used all the batter and sprinkle with icing sugar and some cinnamon if you’re feeling fancy

Potato and Raclette Galette

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Last year I ate the world’s nicest pizza when I was in France, which was made with potato and the yummy French cheese Raclette.

I took a craving for it but couldn’t be arsed with waiting to prove pizza dough, so I decided to make a galette using puff pastry.

I made a big galette, and it’s yummy served with salad for lunch.  If you’re entertaining you can make smaller individual ones that make lovely appetisers. You can prepare all the elements the day before and assemble and bake just before people arrive so that you’re not super stressed, and people will rightly assume you are a total domestic god or goddess.

If you can’t find Raclette (it can be tricky enough), any other tangy hard cheese can be used.  The lovely folks at my local Indie Fude recommended a brilliant Irish alternative called St Gall, which was delicious. I used a left over baked potato that I cut into slices, but you could also use left over boiled potatoes and crumble them across the pastry.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 Sheet ready made puff pastry

250 Gram Onions finely sliced

1 Tbsp Oil

1 Large potato (use either cold boiled potatos or a cold baked potato

150 Grams Raclette or other tangy hard cheese (finely grated)

Few springs of thyme or whatever your favourite herb is.

1 Egg yolk or little milk for glazing the edges

Method

  • Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onions stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes until they’re brown and caramelised (brown not black). Allow to cool
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  • Unroll your sheet of ready made pastry.  I put it on baking paper and put it a cooking sheet
  • With a knife, score a line (don’t cut through the pastry) about 1-2cm on the inside edge of the pastry this.  Then pierce the rest of the pastry with a fork (this will help it cook evenly). Brush the edges with the egg yolk
  • Sprinkle the caramelised onions on the pastry (keeping the edges clear), then lay out the slices of potato on top and sprinkle with herbs and grated cheese
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  It can be eaten hot or cold

3 Minute Tortolini Soup

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It’s January and everyone is broke, so we’re all back to bringing lunch from home.

Generally, I find sandwiches pretty boring, and I always try to find different lunch ideas, and love this. It takes 5 minutes to assemble the ingredients at home and when you’re ready to eat just top up your container with freshly boiled water. Just make sure you use a jar or container that can handle boiling water. Mason jars are ideal, but I’ve also repurposed the plastic containers that you buy ready made soups or stews in.

I used spinach and peas but you can swap out the vegetables you use, for things like kale, this might need to be chopped finely as it has a tougher leaf than spinach. I used normal shop bought tortolini and just use the filling you enjoy. I have listed the ingredients for 1 portion, but you can scale up the amounts for this soup and make it in a pot.

Makes enough for 1

Ingredients

4-5 Pieces of tortolini

Small handful of spinach

2-3 Tbsp frozen peas

1-2 Scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)

1 Tsp Pesto (just use the stuff from a jar)

1/2 Stock cube or 1 teaspoon of bullion powder

Method

  • Add all ingredients to a mason jar or heatproof container (this can live in the fridge for 2-3 days
  • When you’re ready for lunch top up the container with freshly boiled water and cover 3 minutes
  • Stir well and transfer to a bowl (the jar or contain will be really hot, so be careful), or you can eat it straight from the jar if no one is around and you don’t want the washing up

Roast Red Pepper, Tomato and Lentil Soup

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Cold dark winter days call for warm comforting food.

This delicious bright red soup is super healthy and filling, packed with fibre and flavour.

When I’m using the oven, I always throw in a tray of vegetables to roast so that I get my money’s worth by cooking a couple of things at once. I roasted a red pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic which give a really intense flavour. I also used a potato which helps give a creamy texture.

Ingredients

1 Red pepper (deseeded and cut into large chunks)

1 Tub Cherry tomatoes

1 onion (peeled and cut into large chunks)

1-2 Cloves of garlic (skin left on)

100 Grams Split red lentils

1 litre Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube)

2 small potatoes (cut into large chunks)

1 Tbsp smoked paprika (add half a teaspoon first then check for taste as some paprika is stronger than others)

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

Salt

Method

  • Add the onion, pepper, tomatoes and garlic to oven proof dish, drizzle with oil and roast at 180 degrees (Celsius) for around 30 minutes or until the edges of the pepper start to char. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly
  • Add the lentils, potatoes, and vegetable stock to a large pot and bring to the boil, before reducing to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes (or until the lentils and potatoes are soft)
  • You can use a blender/food processor or an immersion blender. Add the roast vegetables (remove the skin from the garlic), to lentils and stock.
  • Sprinkle in half the smoked paprika and blend the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Check the seasoning, add more paprika if you like it spicy and salt if you think it needs it
  • I served this with some fried up tortillas that had gone a bit stale (try this it’s yummy), but fresh crusty bread is also delicious with it

Roast Red Cabbage with Orange Dressing

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Side dishes can be a bit meh, and this is a tasty and healthy way of getting more vegetables way into your diet.

I like this served on a bed of humus, and it makes a really good vegan meal. It’s also really good served along side roast meat, and takes very little prep.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Half a red cabbage divided into 4

Zest and juice of 1 small orange

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil (plus extra to grease the baking tray and drizzle over the cabbage)

1 Tbsp White wine or cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius), lightly grease a baking tray
  • Divide half the cabbage into 4 (remove most of the stalk in the centre). Lightly drizzle with oil and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until tender)
  • To make the dressing, grate the orange zest, and then squeeze the juice into a bowl. Stir in the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper
  • Remove the cabbage from the oven, and drizzle with the dressing before serving

Pork, Apple and Sage Sausage Rolls

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After Christmas many of us have pork sausage meat and sage left over from making stuffing, and this recipe is a great way to use it up. I actually didn’t have this so you can also use pork mince instead, it will still taste great.

I made cute little sausage rolls because I was making them for friends calling over over but you can make them bigger and they are great for lunches. I liked the sage with these these but if you don’t have, just use the herbs you have available. I know I have preached before about the buying reduced bread in the supermarket and turning it into breadcrumbs to keep in the freezer for recipes like this (do it, they’re super handy and versatile)

Use shop bought pre-rolled puff pastry to make these super quick to make. (only people with no life make puff pastry from scratch).

Makes 24

Ingredients

(for the filling)

400 Grams Pork mince or sausage meat

1 Small Apple (cored and cut into 1 cm chunks)

1 Clove garlic (finely chopped)

1 Egg

1 Handful of breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp Chopped fresh sage

Salt and Pepper

(for the pastry)

1 Sheet of pre rolled puff pastry

1 Egg yolk

1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

  • Preheat over to 180 degrees (Celsius) , and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Add all the ingredients for the filling into a large bowl and get your hands in and mix until all the all the ingredients were combined
  • Unfold your sheet of puff pastry, and cut in two lengthways, so you have 2 long strips of pasty
  • Add the filling mixture down the centre of the pastry leaving 2-3cm of pastry at each side
  • Beat the egg yolk lightly and brush some down one of the long edges of the pastry, then bring both side together with side brushed with egg yolk slightly overlapping the other side (it will help glue the 2 side together
  • Turn the roll over, so that the were the 2 edges meet is on the under side. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the sesame seeds if you are using them. Cut roll in half and then devise each half into three (you can make bigger sausage rolls if you want), before placing on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the other half of your pastry and the filling)
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown

Icelandic Christmas Cookies (Maren-Kornflexkokur)

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Some Christmas baking can be on the heavy side.  These are light as air, with a crumbly meringue outside and a soft marshmallowy centre.  Everyone went nuts for these. So give them a try,  they’re fairy quick and easy to make. Thanks to @roamingtaste for a great recipe.

They have only 5 ingredients, most of which you’ll already have in your cupboard.

Add some to a cute bag for nice gift when dropping into visit family and friends over Christmas.

Makes 24

4 Egg whites

170 Grams Sugar

130 Grams Dark chocolate (either chocolate chips or finely chopped)

70 Grams Cornflakes

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 150 degree(Celsius).  Line 2-3 baking trays with baking parchment
  • In a stand mixer or using an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until the double in size.  Gradually add the sugar to the egg whites until the mix reaches the soft peak stage
  • Add the other ingredients to the bowl and gently fold into the meringue with a large spoon until all the ingredients are combined
  • Using ether an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, soon the mix into the baking sheets leaving a space of 2-3cm between each cookie as the will spread
  • Bake for 20 minutes, and allow to cook on the baking sheet (they’re very soft coming straight from then oven and will set a little as they cool down.
  • Enjoy with some going coffee in front of a Christmas tree or roaring fire

Budapest

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Budapest was one of the jewels of the Austro-Hungarian empire. You can still find grand boulevards and impressive architecture. But unlike some other Eastern European cities it hasn’t enjoyed the same amount of investment. It’s original glory may have faded a little but it’s beautiful city with something for everyone.

Central synagogue

We went with a view to enjoying the Christmas markets, and I was left a little underwhelmed, as they tended to sell the same overpriced tourist tat as other Christmas markets that are franchised out to most major cities. However, I was really impressed by the great market hall. You can rub shoulders with the locals doing food shopping, and pick up gifts and handicrafts much more cheaply than in many of the over priced tourist shops.

The upper floor sells proper stick to your ribs tradional Hungarian food (although there is very little in the way of seating, you’ll probably end up eating at one of the counters that surround it)

Budapest is quite spread out and split in two by the river, one side being Buda and the other Pest. I opted for one of the hop on hop off buses as the most efficient way to see the city. A one day ticket with a Danube cruise included was €32. This was good way to learn more about the city and get warmed up in between stops (wrap up warm it gets really cold). The river cruise at night was also one of my highlights. You should also consider downloading the Bolt app (similar to Uber) if public transport isn’t your thing.

If you’re looking for night life the south of the city is where it’s at. Prices are cheaper than other western European cities. Like anywhere you’ll pay a bit more if you’re in a touristy area

The food was excellent, paprika is widely used, and brilliant bread and pastries are easy to find. Vegetarians might struggle as most of the dishes we found were meat heavy to say the least (but delicious).