Stormy sky above Lake Balaton

Hanging out in the park

During the day there was plenty to do or we could just chill out by the pool.  And eat…eat some more and then eat again!

Food in Hungary was great – we had so many fabulous meals.

Of course, people always think of food in Hungary think of Goulash. I was not aware that the traditional Goulash is a soup rather than a stew.

Traditional Goulash served in a crusty cob loaf

Here is a recipe for Goulash, I thought your might like to try.

Ingredients

• 1kg/2lb 4oz braising steak or venison
  
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, leaves and all, diced
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tbsp good sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tbsp caraway seeds, crushed
• 60g/4 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 litres/3½ pints good beef stock
• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• flaked sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• sour cream and flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Trim the meat and cut it into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl, mix the flour with a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss so that all the chunks are dusted with flour
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef in small batches, setting each batch aside while you brown the next. Take care not to crowd the pan or the beef will steam rather than brown
3. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan, add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper and garlic. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until they start to soften
4. Add the beef, paprika, caraway seeds, tomato purée and bay leaves, then pour in the beef stock
5. Stir well, cover the pan and simmer for at least 1½ hours until the beef is starting to get tender. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the seasoning before serving
6. Serve the soup in bowls with a generous swirl of soured cream and a good sprinkling of parsley

So give the Goulash soup a try and let me know what you think about it!

Happy tastings!

DC

Have you ever been sitting round with a group of friends and a conversation begins and when it ends, you think….”how did we get to this point?”  Well I have a group of BFF’s that this seems to happen with......often.

Some years ago a conversation, after a long and raucous dinner party resulted in 11 of us spending just over a week together on the Greek island of Symi, in the Agean Sea. It was undoubtedly one of the best holidays and destinations of all time. I shared this with you once before.

When the same group of friends started a conversation about doing it again, two quirky conclusions occurred.  We ended up deciding to rendezvous in Budapest and the group decided to call themselves “The Simples”.

The Budapest decision is not so hard to fathom. One of our group (our darling friend Peter) was of Hungarian descent. His father immigrated to Australia from Hungary as a young man (not unlike my own father from Italy). So as the conversation developed about various destinations, we quite easily came to the conclusion that we should visit Budapest. He was the only person who had ever been there before.  This was a new destination for the rest of us. He did an incredible job of seeking information, researching places to stay and generally being the most awesome “go to man” for details of travel.

Naming ourselves “The Simples” was a little more “quirky”.  Somehow related to the TV advert for insurance that features a strangely accented Meerkat talking like a Transylvanian aristocrat, somehow took us all to Hungary and standing tall with our heads poked forward….hence we became “The Simples”. OK…..Yes, there was a lot of wine consumed during the conversation to reach that point – but it was a unanimous decision! 
 
Tez and I were making our way to Budapest via a very short Paris stopover (see previous post). Our quick trip to the airport from central Paris and a 2 ½ hour flight became a 20 hour journey – long story, probably too boring to retell, but it did conclude with lost luggage.  Poor Tez went for another 24 hours before he could change his clothes. Our Air France experience was not what we were expecting ……………… enough said perhaps!

Finally reunited with our Aussie friends and our very dear friends from North Yorkshire (Jules, Hank & Robbie – you know them, they run the fantastic ‘Glamping’: Down in the Copper Beech Glade), we headed off to explore, over the bridge to Buda. 

Now those of you who know geography will know that Budapest is actually two cities, united into one, Buda and Pest. I promise I will not give you a history or geography lesson, but suffice to say I had no expectations, what a wondrous surprise the history, culture, beauty and the cosmopolitan vibe of Budapest, turned out to be.

We had such a great time. What turned out to be the group favorite restaurant was a local small venue in Buda. Probably only seated 40 people and I imagine was a very good representation of good home style cooking. The waitress was such a lovely woman who would blow kisses to us all, when we arrived and departed – to the point that we affectionately nick named the restaurant “Kissy Kissy Restaurant”, rather than try and recall its actual name. The most refreshing part of visiting there was that it was never a hassle for her when 11 of us arrived and she had to re-arrange tables to accommodate us. We were always welcomed with a smile and such sweetness. Many happy tastings experienced at that eating house!

Real Goulash at "Kissy Kissy Restaurant"

The Simples!

Peter our "Tour Guide"

DC

I have no illusions that I am a writer, therefore, there is no way I can find the words that will do justice to describing Paris. Folk either love or hate this city. If you love it, it is such an embracing city that makes you tingle in a way that, I simply can’t describe.

Happy in Paris

I don’t know where to start to share how happy I feel when I am in Paris. One place that always makes me happy is a small shop I discovered the first time Tezza and I visited Paris. Numerous trips back to this store have occurred over the years and as a result I have a very unique collection of brooches and necklaces. What started out as a spontaneous present form Tezza, has now become an unintended collection, that  is now quite meaningful to me. I adore visiting the store and have gained so much pleasure looking at all the baubles and designs.

For the first time in all my visits to this shop, I was able to meet the designer/creator of the jewellery and the owner of the store.  What a surprise and treat to meet Jackie, who is the inspiration behind Fabrice Bijoux. 

The lovely Jackie (the creator of Fabrice Bijoux) and I 

Yes, there may have been a few new items added to the collection! Paris is about beauty, style and shopping ……. I love Paris.

Ooh la la.

Tezza in Paris

DC

Ireland has always been one of those places people seem to love. Stories of the Irish and their love of life, music and enjoying themselves are often told by travellers. We are not sure why we had never visited Ireland before; however for this trip, it was definitely on our itinerary. Again, with only a few days scheduled we needed to plan as efficiently much as possible, so Tez chose the region for us to visit.

County of Kerry (CO of Kerry as per the maps) and the town of Kenmare was our destination.

But not before we passed through Dublin for the evening.

My day job has offered me great opportunity to meet new people around the globe. One such gorgeous person is Ava Battles.  When I asked Ava for some recommendations for a stopover in Dublin for the night, she so generously offered us accommodation at hers and she assured me she would think of somewhere for us to dine and hear some Irish music. We had a wonderful visit with Ava and husband Sean. Johnnie Fox’s Irish Pub in the hills of the outskirts of Dublin was where we were taken for dinner and to listen to a local musician sing.

A treasure chest of the past and fun in the present.

What a fantastic night we had. Great food, great atmosphere, even better companions and simply a relaxed and fun night. 

With our first night in Ireland boosting our spirits (not that we needed much encouragement, we had cruised into holiday mood quite efficiently) we took off heading for the south west corner. 

On the recommendation from our friends, the first town for a stop  was Adare in the CO of Limerick. Such a picturesque and quaint village. A few hours to wander around and stretch the legs and off we headed again.

Adare, Co Limerick

We were pleased to finally arrive at our destination of Kenmare, CO Kerry. Another picturesque town, much larger than we expected after being told several times it was only a small village. 

Located our hotel and quickly settled in. A walk around the town clearly indicated this was a popular destination and we were fairly sure we had chosen a good spot for our first Irish experience.

Tez had been a little unsure if we would visit the Ring of Kerry. He thought it may be too touristy. We now reflect and wonder what we were expecting – as it was such a surprise! A 10 hour drive around the Ring of Kerry the next day was simply spectacular. Some of the best scenery, rugged cliffs and coastline, stunning little villages, windy little roads full of character and with a few wrong turns (depending on which one of us was navigating at the time) taking us to some great viewing points.

Some snapshots

The next day we headed for the ring of Beara. Is it possible that it was even more spectacular than Ring of Kerry? 

Not sure when we will return, but Ireland has certainly met our expectations and so much more……we just know there is so much more to see and experience.

DC 

Sometimes I do wonder if people get sick of hearing me rave about London. I apologise in advance if it is a bore for you.  Maybe don’t read any more of this post it might be too OTT for you!!!

My first real big O/S trip was just after I turned 21…..quite a few years ago now and I recall so many details, like it was last week.  Before I departed I remember a friend who was lamenting his travels had said to me “London is magic”.  Those words have always remained with me and every time I have the good fortune to visit London – I still think it is indeed magic.

Those of you, who have been there, probably get it. Those who have not, may wonder what the hype is about. I never quite know what to say when I am asked what it is I love so much. For me, it is simply the vibe that is there.

Really, it all commences as you disembark the plane at Heathrow Airport…the kaleidoscope of humanity in the place is HUGE! Yes, every single time – I can’t help but think of the opening and closing scenes of “Love Actually”  -  it really is that!  I am so in life, every time I arrive here.

There is always someone in London to meet up with;  relatives, friends, friends of relatives, relatives of friends. It is that kinda city, where someone is always hanging out and there is always someone to say hello to. Of course, a recent post shared with you that my nephew, Kane, is now living there with his partner Carly and their new baby.

Our visit this time was particularly quick only three nights, so some serious ‘getting about’ was necessary.

Time to wander the usual places we like to visit. Old & New Bond Street, Piccadilly and of course, Selfridges. Two noteworthy visits must be mentioned.

Firstly, the Vivienne Westwood men’s wear store. Tez has discovered quite a fancy for some of VW designs. So a quick look satisfied him with one new purchase.  

She is simply amazing!

Secondly, while heading back to the tube station we came across the new flagship store of Paul Smith. Great location and space and of course,  the new summer collection on show. Ian was attentive and helpful and several hours later after chatting, trying on clothes and hanging out in the very pleasant “space” some new pieces were chosen for Tez’s wardrobe. Yep, Mr PS always

seems to work for Tez. Lovely little surprise was the gorgeous Paul Smith outfit I located for Imogen!

We think he is great!

Liz has been here in London for awhile now, so we arranged to meet her for dinner. Yotam Ottolenghi restaurant, Nopi, was our reservation.  It did not disappoint.  If you know him you will understand why it was exciting to be able to dine at his place. If you do not know him, you need to know about this amazing chef…..go Google him and find out more! We ordered three shared nibble plates. Five shared starter plates and two shared main course plates. Major feast and every morsel so tasty.

Ottolenghi has a new recipe book soon…anticipation!

Next day we visited the new family….Kane prepared and cooked a great lamb BBQ for us. Carly and Imogen were just gorgeous and ooh, so delightful to be with.

That evening the venue was Andrew Edmunds in Soho. I think I chose the dish of the evening – beetroot stuffed ravioli. Sorry folks I was having so much fun with the company, food and wine I forgot to take photos. You will just have to imagine……. and, I must mention the company; our wonderful friend Lloyd. Many of you know Lloyd Morse as one of our very first guest Chefs at PCCS. Food always tastes just a tad better when dining with Lloyd, as he is always so enthusiastic about food, life and living. Kirsty and he had not long returned from a quick trip to Australia, so it was a lively discussion amongst the four of us. It had been Kirsty’s first visit down under so it was delightful to hear of her impressions.  

Another fabulous evening in London town.

I often lament how busy we all are and how difficult  it can be to catch up with friends at home, but it was easy to have breakfast the next morning with Janine. We both just happened to be in London town at the same time!!!

Next day we managed a few more stores and then a delicious dinner with Carly and Kane, again.  Such a joy to be able to hang out with them.

While we were there the backdrop was World Cup, Tour de France heading down from Yorkshire to London and Wimbledon.

All in all, plenty to see, plenty of places to eat and plenty to talk about. 

Oh London town, you are STILL magic!

DC 

The most recent couple of holidays Tez and I have taken, that involved O/S travel have commenced by taking a few days to “get into the zone”. This has involved choosing a place to visit and just chilling out for a few days; to sleep when needed, eat when needed and generally to recover from any jet lag that may occur. We have decided that it is a good idea to choose places we have not visited before.

This trip we decided on the Cotswolds in England. Never been there before and people generally have good commentary about this region.  After searching the web,  I booked into a place called The Wild Rabbit,  in a village named Kingham.  When I made the reservation the folk taking my call advised me it was a small village with only a couple of hotels and small store. Not much else. However, they advised, the hotel was only eight months old and featured a gourmet restaurant. Sounded lovely and certainly looked good on the website.

The Wild Rabbit, Kingham

Don’t you just love it when you arrive somewhere and it is so much more that you expected ?

That happened, The Wild Rabbit was exactly the way to commence our holiday, that most suited us. Décor very much to our taste, food very much to our palette and certainly chilled out enough for us to groove into the zone !

So the story evolved that this establishment is part of a bigger plan of activity & lifestyle owned by Lady Bamford. Just down the road, we were advised, Lady Bamford owns the Daylesford Organic Farmhouse store. We decided to take a walk and visit the store, a relatively short walk of about three miles.

Along the way we come across the organic food production warehouse that is making food for the store and the outlets they own in London. We chatted to the Executive Chef there for a while and he gave us ongoing directions, to follow down the farm track. A short while later we came across a farm gate and entered the rear of a property, there is an exclusive spa and wellness retreat, a fashion store with some of the most exquisite cotton and wool clothes (way beyond my price range) and adorable accessories. We walked through a wonderful and very aesthetically pleasing garden and flower store to find the farmhouse store. Wonderful fresh produce, complete with food, wine, home wares, cafe…..and just about anything else you could think of store.

“Wow”,  Tez and I say to each other, “this is amazing and it seems to be in the middle of a farm/property”. 

Then we  discovered it!! I have died and gone to cooking school heaven!!!!!

The Daylesford Cookery School. The most incredible set up, I actually don’t know how to describe it. It was the dream cooking school, if I had to dream and create another cooking school. 

Bench top ready to go for class

“You have to take a class,” said Tez.

We go into the school and I have the class identified that I would love to do…..sadly the classes for  the week had been cancelled. Just was not meant to be for me for that week. However, we chatted to Kathy and she provided lots of information and I just know that if it is meant to be – one day, I will be back there again.  IT. WAS. AN. AWESOME. SET-UP.

Just goes to show, when you go a walking down a farm track you never know what is at the end of it.

Happy tastings…DC 

Imogen Rose Webster, born 11:45pm 29 June 2014.

First daughter of Carly Williams and Kane Webster.

First granddaughter of Nonna Terri Cerasa and first great niece of Aunty Debby!

After taking off for holidays, we had a short transit stop in Dubai.  Thought I would take advantage of the free WiFi and check messages etc. My excitement was uncontainable to find the message announcing that Carly and Kane had become a family, with the arrival of their daughter.

My views on childbirth and new born babies are well known and most recently through a previous post.
 
Certainly people who have known me a long time, know that I often reflect upon the time of my clinical career as a midwife with enormous clarity, affection and love.

I am in awe of mother nature and the master design of women to be pregnant and to birth. I respect the process and strength of every woman who has birthed their babies. I am always in total wonderment at the pureness of the beauty of a new born baby.   Many of you have heard me say that “there is only one perfect beautiful baby in the world….and every mother has it”!

So today I am struggling to find the words to express the love and pride I feel for the newest member of the extended Cerasa family.

My two sisters both had three kids each and for many years my six nieces and nephews were regular co-habitants in my life. As they grew older and I married Tez, all our lives started to take us all in different directions, I still like to know what is happening in the lives of the six of them. Each one of them holds a special part of my heart. So when one had a little boy a few years ago, the joy and pride, to become a great aunt for the first time was immense.  Now it is regenerated again with the arrival of baby “Immy”. The circle of life is a powerful rhythm!!

Not quite 12 hours old!

Today I wish I had the talent of great poets, writers and lyricists to be able to find some magical words and say – simply how wonderful this is.

It will come as no surprise then to hear that as soon we landed in London, dragging the Tumi cases behind, we headed straight to meet the newest member of the family – not even 12 hours old yet.  How lucky I was to be able to do that!  (YES, there were a lot of tears of joy – in Dubai, on the flight into London and at the hospital!!)

New parents Kane and Carly.

Welcome to the world Imogen and may you always have your dreams fulfilled and be surrounded by happiness.

Daddy and daughter

How lucky I was to be able to visit as soon as we arrived in UK!  (YES, there were a lot of tears of joy – in Dubai, on the flight into London and at the hospital!!).

Huge love and best wishes to the new parents.

#LOVE…..DC