Μερα που ειναι σημερα η μνημη ξυπναει και αναμοχλευει τα παληα.
Η μνημη ομως δεν υπαρχει αφ εαυτης, αλλα παντα μεσα στο πλαισιο του παροντος χρονου. Και η συγκριση του παροντος με το παρελθον που γονιμοποιει τη μνημη ειναι αναποφευκτο.
Κοιταζω γυρω μου και βλεπω τη χωρα των χαμενων ευκαιριων. Μετα απο 36 χρονια και παρολους τους αγωνες, τη θυσια της Κυπρου, τα σημαντικα ποσα που εισερευσαν απο την Ευρωπαικη Ενωση, το κρατος ειναι χρεωκοπημενο, τα εθνικα συμφεροντα εχουν παραγκωνισθει απο την αναγκη να ειμαστε αρεστοι στους αμερικανους, οι ιδεες ειναι παροπλισμενες, σχεδον μουσειακα αντικειμενα, και πολλοι νεοι και ωριμοτεροι παλευουν με το τερας της ανεργιας. Οσο για τις πολιτικες ηγεσιες, και τα πολιτικα κομματα, η συνολικη εικονα ειναι απογοητευτικη.
Εχω πλεον πεισθει οτι σαν λαος δεν μαθαινουμε απο την εμπειρια μας, και παμε σαν τα ζωα προς το σφαγειο.
Στο ατομικο επιπεδο μπορει ακομη να σωζονται καποιοι ελληνες και καποιες ελληινιδες, ομως στο συλλογικο επιπεδο μας παρεσυρε το ρεμα και φοβαμαι οτι τωρα το ρεμα εγινε ποταμι και δεν παει πισω.
Ξερω, ειναι απαισιοδοξα αυτα που γραφω τετοια μερα, αλλα η χρεωκοπια σε συλλογικο επιπεδο ειναι βαρυ πραγμα. Και δη η χρεωκοπια παντου!
The first bite came compliments of the chef. Trout with onion and yellow ginger. Succulent and full of aromas, a nice way to start the meal.
Gillardeau Oysters with buttermilk, glass pasta and pea shoots. This is the first dish in the 5-course set menu of the chef. The dish evolves around the oysters and magnifies their taste and flavors. A subtle and discrete dish.
Braised “Oxheart” Carrot with fillet, milt and marrow from Styrian beef. When I first read the menu, I thought that this was the heat of the ox! Wrong! Oxheart is a type of carrot, named so because its shape is like the heart of the ox! The braised carrot was served on top of raw Styrian beef fillet sliced paper-thin, and topped with a very light vinaigrette with marrow. The sticks you see on top are a type of rich bread with majoram.
Gilt Head Bream and Moscardini, with black radish, rocket and parsley. The fish was pan fried to perfection, its fresh firm and juicy. And -as always- the skin was the best bite of all! The bream was served on top of a angel pasta bed and was accompanied by one moscardino in vinaigrette, and paper-thin black radish, which was delicious! I must say that I somehow lost the flavors of the moscardini, this iwas rather neutralized. But if you exclude that, everything else in the dish was perfect.
Pheasant breast with chevril root, chanterelle mushrooms and yellow dates. What a wonderful dish! The breast was cooked to perfection, succulent, full of flavours, accompanied by the mushrooms and the dates. But the real taste booster was at the bottom. The skin of the bird was served with a semi sweet and savoury sauce, and this made the difference!
It is across the boulevard from the Parliament, in a quiet corner of the Burg Theater.
The decoration inside is 19th century “fin de siecle”, as you can see from the bar photograph.
The dish arrived in the hands of the chef, Christian Domschitz, who explained that it is crunchy gabbage, lightly treated in salt and vinegar, served to accompany the lobster in its butter sauce. This was a first course, and it had in it almost half a lobster! Tender, juicy, divine!
The main course was my choice. black truffle with beef marrow, served on a “sponge” of crispy white bread. This is beyond description! I have never before tasted such a sweet, buttery substance, that melts in your mouth with overpowering you, while at the same time the truffle infuses the liquid with all the aromas of the woods.
And now the dessert! Dark chocolate praline with campari sauce in the middle, accompanied by blood orange sorbet on the left and orange grog on the right.
Veronika, Christian, thank you!
Titian’s Venus of Urbino (Uffizzi)
Michelangelo’s David (Academia)
Donatelo’s David (Bargello)
Raphael’s Madonna of the Chair (Palazzo Pitti)
Giambologna, The rape of the Sabine women (Academia)
It is a city that does not knock you out on first sight, but instead grows on you.
The river Arno is the blessing and the curse of the city. It has flooded the city many times, and in some of the floods has killed people and destroyed invaluable art treasures.
Galleria Uffizzi, an art lover’s dream.
Around the corner…
Standing there for centuries
witness to the rise and fall of the Medici
Wandering around the streets you can see the emblem of the city
and have dinner in Enoteca Pincchiori, one of the gastronomic landmarks of the city, straight across the street from Michelangelo house.
Buonanote Firenze e grazie!!!
The medieval center is floating on the early morning mist.
And when you go hungry, Bassomondo is a family run osteria where you can forget the toils of life and enjoy the good side of it!
Moving on to the medieval town of Pienza, a relatively unknown jewel a few kilometers away from Montalcino.
The square of Pienza takes you back to the medieval times. You can easily forget time and abandon yourself to the miraculous effect of the beautifully preserved surroundings.
The whole town is a brilliant example of what you can do when you respect your past and create a product for international tourism that sells quality and respect for civilization. And in case you get hungry, you do not need to go far, the Enoteca of “Marusco e Maria” will take care of you.
And the railway station to take you away.
After a couple of kilometers I arrived at a beautiful spot on top of a hill.
It was an old residence, and had the name “Castello Vicchiomaggio”.
I went to the dining area, where a few people where finishing their meal.
The last guests left, and I had this huge area for myself.
A wonderful fresh salad, was accompanied by prosciuto, salumi and pecorino.
The wine was produced by the owner of the castello, John Matta, and it was fantastic for lunch.
The waiter finished his work and came to play the piano in the dining area. He started with some light tunes I did not know, We started talking and the discussion came to opera. All of a sudden, he played “Nessun Dorma”, the famous aria of Puccini’s Turandot. He smiled and thanked me for listening.
Today I have prepared a dish that belongs to the family of Italian timbale, but I have changed the ingredients to a considerable degree. The overall concept remains the same. The timbale is a big stuffed drum. What has inside varies, as well as its skin. 
For the meat I got a nice chunk from the upper leg, that had some fat in it. I then browned the meat with onions, one red and one green pepper.After browning, I added tomato paste and two chopped fresh tomatoes.
I let the meat to simmer in low heat for one hour.
After frying the vegetables, I let them rest on paper, while I prepare the dough for the skin of the timbale. I made it like a rich bread, in order to adsorb all the juices of the vegetables and the meat without becoming excessively soft.
Add the vegetables and slices of parmesan cheese.
Add the penne.
Add the meat and make sure you have at least 2 centimeters to the rim of the dish, as the dough will expand in baking.
Add a layer of dough at the top, spread egg all over to give it a nice golden color, and bake in the oven for one hour, in 250 degrees centigrade. Stick a nice in the timbale a couple if times, to let the steam out.
Once baked, let it rest for 15 minutes, then serve on a round dish. A very sharp knife is required when serving.
Let the timbale warm your heart with its harmony of smells and tastes!
Slice them as thin as possible and brown them in olive oil.
Add finely chopped cured pancetta (if you do not have it, bacon will do).
Add a couple of finely chopped dry onions and parseley to colour and add taste, coarse sea salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat and let it rest and cool. Add a couple of eggs and a quarter of a kilo of strained yoghourt.
Bake in 200 degrees centigrade for one hour.
Serve and enjoy.
