On the road and at home, it's always about food and fun!
Author: Jane Simon Ammeson
Jane Simon Ammeson is a freelance writer who specializes in travel, food and personalities. She writes frequently for The Times of Northwest Indiana, Mexico Connect, Long Weekends magazine, Edible Michiana, Lakeland Boating, Food Wine Travel magazine , Lee Publications, and the Herald Palladium where she writes a weekly food column. Her TouchScreenTravels include Indiana's Best. She also writes a weekly book review column for The Times of Northwest Indiana as well as food and travel, has authored 16 books including Lincoln Road Trip: The Back-road Guide to America's Favorite President, a winner of the Lowell Thomas Journalism Award in Travel Books, Third Place and also a Finalist for the 2019 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in the Travel category. Her latest books are America's Femme Fatale: The Story of Serial Killer Belle Gunness and Classic Restaurants of Northwest Indiana.
Her other books include How to Murder Your Wealthy Lovers and Get Away with It, A Jazz Age Murder in Northwest Indiana and Murders That Made Headlines: Crimes of Indiana, all historic true crime as well Hauntings of the Underground Railroad: Ghosts of the Midwest, Brown County, Indiana and East Chicago. Jane’s base camp is Stevensville, Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan. Follow Jane at facebook.com/janesimonammeson; twitter.com/hpammeson; https://twitter.com/janeammeson1; twitter.com/travelfoodin, instagram.com/janeammeson/ and on her travel and food blog janeammeson.com and book blog: shelflife.blog/
Tomorrow, December 29th, join Francisco Glaria Baines and his daughter Fidji for a Facebook Live cooking class where they’ll be demonstrating how to make polvorones, shortbread-like cookies enjoyed during the holidays in Spain. The class, which is free, is interactive and conducted in English.
Fran on tour.
The name polvorone comes from are from the Spanish word polvo meaning powder, or dust. Similar to Mexican wedding cakes and Russian tea cakes, they are made with flour, sugar, ground nuts, butter, and vanilla and then sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Polvorones, a classic Spanish holiday dessert.
Fran, as he is known to his friends, is a native Basque, a region of waterways, mountains, beaches, and historic villages and towns in Northern Spain. It’s also a gourmet’s delight with wonderful seafood, cheeses and meats. And the excellence of the Region’s terroir yields the best vegetables, fruits, and grapes, making it a must for those who love wine and hard ciders. The Basque Region, one of the best fine dining destinations in the world, has nearly 40 Michelin starred restaurants. Fran, a professional tour guide, takes visitors on insider tours, exploring the foodways, vineyards, and wineries, the best of big city restaurants and village bistros, the tastes of haddock or shrimp just pulled from the Bay of Biscay and the foods grown on the small family farms nestled in the rolling hillsides.
Polvones
Fran´s guiding life started 20 years ago as a local guide in the city of Pamplona. In 1999 he created a company that provided tours throughout both Basque country and the Rioja wine region. In 2012 he joined the Rick Steves team in what was a life changing moment for him. He learned from Rick´s philosophy encompassing the way to approach a culture as well as the truth and values of Rick and his company. Living with his family in Pamplona, Spain, Fran now is sharing his knowledge, his love of Spain, and the tours he has curated online so we can experience Spain even during the times when we can’t travel there.
If you miss the live event you can watch later–just click on this link.
If you decide to cook along, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand:
17 ounces flour
6 ounces lard
6 ounces powdered or ground almond
6 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 29 at 9:00 am PT; 12:00 pm ET and 6:00 pm Spain
About a month ago, I sent my friend Patricia Winn Wood, Press and Public Relations Manager for the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago, a copy of one of my favorite books, one I like to take with me when I’m traveling through Wisconsin. Called the Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet, and Savory Recipes from the State’s Best Creameries, it was written by Kristine Hansen, a Milwaukee-based journalist who covers food/drink, art/design and travel and whose work has appeared ArchitecturalDigest.com, Fodors.com, Vogue.com, Midwest Living Magazine and Milwaukee Magazine.
The book works on a variety of levels. With over a million cows, the state turns out more than 2.8 billion pounds of cheese per year. Hansen focused on the growing number of artisanal cheese producers in the state and though her cookbook has 60 recipes (as well as beautiful, lush photos), it’s as much of a travel guide — call it a cheesy road trip if you can excuse our pun — to 28 of the state’s creameries.
Hansen also includes background information, a kind of cheese data base about cheese events, cheese pairings, different cheese characteristics, how cheeses from the milk of goats, cows, and sheep compare, and cheese award winners.
BelGioioso Cheese.
As for poutine, it took a trip to Montreal and Quebec for me to become familiar with the dish. It’s said that more Canadians have eaten poutine than have seen a moose (and moose crossing signs dot the highways) or have been in a canoe – two things I associate with Canada way before fries with cheese and gravy. It’s a hearty dish—don’t even ask about the calorie count—but delicious. There are a ton of varieties, but the recipe Pat used is simple to make.
Door County Creamery.
“The curds were direct from Wisconsin, and the dark malt beer that my husband bought at my request was from a store near here,” says Pat.
One suggestion she offered is that she thought the dark malt beer was a little too bitter for her taste and suggested using a sweeter, milder beer. Though if you like your beer hoppy, then stick with the dark malt.
Holland’s Family Cheese.
We also discussed whether to use homemade French Fries or the frozen kind and Pat and I quickly concluded that frozen work for us. The recipe says you can also use frozen tots (I’m thinking Tater Tots) but neither of us have tried that.
For those who don’t want to use beer at all, I included another recipe from the book that uses beef stock instead.
Standard Wisconsin Poutine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
6 ounces dark malt beer
½ cup beef stock
3 cups crispy potato tots or French Fries
1 cup Cedar Grove cheddar cheese curds
Cook onion and brown sugar in butter until onion is translucent and begins to caramelize. Slowly stir in flour and dark malt beer. Simmer for vie minutes. Add beef stock and simmer for five minutes. Add beef stock and reduce for seven minutes.
Cook crispy potato tots or French Fries according to package directions.
Add curds to potatoes until hot. Pour gravy over curds and tots and serve immediately.
Cut potatoes into fry shape you desire and mix in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
To make gravy, heat olive oil in saucepan on medium heat, whisking with flour until it becomes a paste. Cook for 30 seconds. Add beef stock and bring to a simmer. Let sit to thicken and add pepper if desired.
To serve, layer fries and Red Barn cheese curds in a bowl and ladle on gravy.
Recipe by Sophia Herczeg
Serves 4–6
Both recipes courtesy of the Wisconsin Cheese Book by Kristine Hansen.
The Christmas markets in SouthWest Germany are particularly charming as they are often nestled in small towns with cobblestone streets and half-timbered buildings, palace courtyards while former cloisters also provide romantic backdrops. Each Christmas market is different than the next with gifts and goods varying from town to town and neighborhood to neighborhood. On Lake Constance, the many Christmas markets lure visitors lakeside and to tour the islands between the snowy mountain peaks of Switzerland and Germany’s baroque castles.
The lake that carries the sugary scents of waffles and cinnamon is the same on which ferries sail back and forth connecting visitors to different Christmas markets around the Bodensee. Schupfnudeln (finger-shaped potato dumplings), Dinnele (thin-crust flatbreads with different savory toppings) and Winzerglühwein (hot mulled wine) make the perfect outing also delicious. From Baden-Baden to the Black Forest Highlands, Christmas markets offer unending satisfaction – browse, buy and marvel!
Lakeside and Island Christmas Markets Offer Special Experiences Around the BodenSee
In the town of Constance, the Christmas ship with its 360° panoramic bar, a two-story Christmas tavern, the breathtaking lake and alpine panorama characterize the Constance Christmas Market. Take a stroll along the Advent village of 170 stalls set up between the medieval city center to the harbor.
Almost 100,000 twinkling lights reflect off the lake and the fragrant scents of hot mulled wine and gingerbread bring the holidays to life for the whole family. You can also enjoy the wintry landscape of the island of Mainau on a leisurely stroll through the sleeping gardens. After exploring the island, two warm places invite you to linger: the Butterfly House and the Palm House. In addition to the winter exhibition, come and explore the new boutique winter market in the Baroque castle courtyard. Many of the regional hotels around the lake offer Christmas specials.
Chocol’ART in Tuebingen in December Lures Chocolatiers and Chocolate Lovers around the World
Tübingen famous for its university, the River Neckar and its old town is particularly fun during the Advent season. Tübingen’s particular flair can be experienced in the small, owner-managed shops that offer exceptional goods and personal advice. From the 3rd to the 8th of December 2019, the city of Tübingen once again turns into a city filled with chocolate.
Throughout the city’s main squares, vendors offer some of the most extraordinary chocolate experiences. Chocol’ART is one of Germany biggest chocolate festivals and offers a unique chocolate odyssey in a magnificent historic town. All different shapes, sizes, and flavors are on offer with handmade chocolate bars, chocolate figurines, chocolate cream, chocolate tools, chocolate drinks, chocolate beers, pralines, truffles, nougat, and even dragees. From sweet and bitter to mild and spicy, exotic and bio-chocolate to fair trade, vegan to sugar free chocolate are on the stands. The cheerful window shopping and the white chocolate tents in the city square and the magical lighting across the historical city square turn this experience into a fairy tale adventure.
Stuttgart’s Special City Illuminations Create a One of a Kind Holiday Experience
With some 290 stalls and a tradition of more than 300 years, Stuttgart’s Christmas market is one of the loveliest in Germany and one of the oldest and largest of its kind in Europe. It was first documented in 1692, though its roots go back much further. From November 27 to December 23, the stalls of the Christmas Market will stretch from the New Palace and the Königsbau across Schiller Square, the Old Palace and the Collegiate Church to the Marketplace.
Special to Stuttgart is the incredible light display highlighting Stuttgart’s top destinations. For example, a Porsche, a Mercedes or the TV tower bring the city center together with an atmospheric illumination that runs from the Schlossplatz, the heart of the city, down the 1.2 km long pedestrian shopping street. Only 20 minutes outside of Stuttgart is the exciting medieval Christmas market of Esslingen where felters, dyers, jugglers and musicians take visitors back in time. The elegant baroque Christmas market at Ludwigsburg is also close to Stuttgart and offers beautiful handicrafts and delicious foods next to the palace.
Surrounded by the mountains of the Black Forest, visitors to Baden-Baden’s traditional Christmas market will experience the feeling of strolling through a scene from a winter fairy tale. The enchanting atmosphere begins at the start of the world-famous Lichtentaler Allee: flickering candles and lights in front of the Kurhaus and festively decorated stands next to the exclusive boutiques in the Kurhaus Colonnade while in the air the aroma of mulled wine and gingerbread follow you around as you amble past the wooden yuletide cabins.
Arts and crafts, Christmas jewelry at the over 100 stalls are on offer and a nativity scene also greets visitors. Younger visitors can look forward to tasty Christmas treats, a children’s bakery, a merry-go-round and a varied program of Christmas entertainment performed on the open-air stage. The Christmas market is open November 28 to January 6 so you can actually experience this festive display into the new year.
Christmas Markets of the Black Forest Highlands are Charming and Unique
Christmas markets in the Black Forest Highlands offer a special experience and the little towns are so close together that it is easy to visit two and maybe three in one late afternoon and early evening. These romantic towns, including St. Blasien, Breitnau, St. Maergen, Todtmoos and many more, are sprinkled throughout the Black Forest Highlands and around the city of Freiburg so you can stay in Freiburg which has its own special Christmas market and a variety of hotels or you can overnight in one of these charming towns. Just above the Lake Titisee in Hinterzarten for example is a very special four star boutique hotel, the Alemannenhof which provides wonderful views of the lake, beautiful rooms, and delicious meals.
The Christmas markets in the Black Forest towns are charming and the cheery atmosphere is highlighted with the scent of hot mulled wine, baked goods and beautiful huts decorated for the season. Handicrafts and gifts and local products are for sale and each town has its unique offerings. In the Ravenna Gorge, there is a very popular Christmas market that is nestled underneath the 120 foot high train overpass. Guests can also stay overnight at the Hofgut Sternen which offers glass blowing and Black Forest cake demonstrations and great gifts. The Christmas markets offer a real escape and capture visitors with their atmosphere, delicious food and holiday spirit.
For interactive maps and more information on cultural events and destinations in SouthWest Germany and to start planning your trip, please go to SouthWest Germany
4 cups plus 1 tablespoon room-temperature water, divided
1⁄4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
4 teaspoons Kosher salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit 10 minutes.
Add brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Using the flat beater attachment, beat on low speed to combine. Mix in flour. Switch to dough hook attachment and knead 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic.
Remove dough and spray bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Return dough to bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large ungreased baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large pot over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into eight equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough into a rough heart shape. Using a sharp knife, lightly score or scrape the Mickey shape into the dough. Once you’ve achieved your desired shape, cut all the way through the dough.
Add baking soda to pot of boiling water. Working with one Mickey at a time, use a big, flat spatula to carefully lift a dough Mickey into baking-soda bath, and poach 15 seconds. Remove to prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mix together egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water. Brush onto Mickeys. Sprinkle remaining salt over pretzels.
Bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
An amazing book totally about pizza from recipes for such stunning varieties like Mortadella & Pistachio pie to city guides on where to get the best pizza when in Rome, Naples, Paris, and Chicago as well as a chapter on great pizza pop cultural moments. And that’s just for starters.
The Nutella Ring
4 ½ ounces Neapolitan pizza dough (see recipe below)
1 ½ ounces ricotta
3 ½ ounces Nutella
Sea salt
Ice cream, to serve
Preheat your oven as hot as it will go.
Using your fingertips, stretch out the dough into a long rectangle about 35cm/14in long and 12cm/5in wide.
Using a spoon, spread the ricotta over the dough lengthways in a long line. Then spoon as much Nutella as you can onto the dough in a long line down the middle of the ricotta. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Fold the dough over itself lengthways so you have a long Nutella parcel, then, using a closed fist, hammer the long edge to ensure a really strong seal on the dough.
Bring the ends of the parcel around to create a ring (with the seam on the inside) and press the two ends of dough together, using your fist again to make a strong seal.
Bake until the ring has inflated, and the crust is golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Making Neapolitan Pizza Dough
Tip: Weigh out all your ingredients before you start.
35 ounces ‘00’ flour—the authors recommend Caputo ‘blue’ which can be purchased on Amazon or your can substitute semolina flour
⅔ teaspoon fresh yeast
21 fluid ounces tepid water
1 ounce fine sea salt
Make a mountain of flour in the middle of the table. Using your fist, make a deep well in the middle of the flour, exposing the surface of the table (turning your mountain into a moon crater).
Crumble the yeast into the tepid water. Use your good hand to mash up the yeast in the water until it has dissolved. Fill your crater of flour with a third of the yeast/water mix. Using your fingertips, start making very small circular motions to combine the flour and water.
Start dragging in some more flour to the mix, by ‘undercutting’ the walls of the crater with your fingertips. As you do this the mixture in the middle will become thicker. Once it reaches the consistency of porridge you need to add a bit more water. Don’t let it get too thick; if it starts to form a dough too soon it becomes difficult to incorporate the rest of the water. Keep dragging in a little flour to thicken the mix, then pouring a little bit more water in to loosen it, until you have all the water used up.
Sprinkle the sea salt over the mixture while it’s still very wet to ensure it dissolves and disperses evenly throughout the dough. Now use both hands to push the remaining flour from the outside into the middle. Fold and press the mix until all the flour is absorbed, and a dough comes together. If you have a dough scraper it really helps get everything off the table, but you can improvise with a paint scraper, spatula, or knife.
Work the gluten by kneading the dough. Use the heel of your hand to stretch out the dough and roll it back up, while the other hand acts like an anchor. You’ll be able to see the strands of gluten stretching, breaking, being put back together, and becoming stronger. Continue this for about 8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and glossy. It should also feel tighter and elastic.
Let the dough have a 10-minute rest to relax the gluten. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or some plastic wrap to keep the air from drying it out. Then divide your bulk of dough into individual portions. Ensure your dough balls are neatly shaped – pinched at the bottom and tight on the top – then place them in a tray or container 1-inch apart. Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap.
Leave the dough at room temperature for approximately 6 hours until it expands to almost double its size, then store in the fridge overnight. The next day remove the dough from the fridge for 1–2 hours and bring it back to room temperature before making your pizzas.
Cod en Papillote with Spinach, Olives and Mediterranean Herbs
It doesn’t have to be a bag, you could instead use foil, baking parchment or oven-proof plastic and silicone bags, but the concept is the same with all these recipes—easy, quick, and little to clean up afterwards. Recipes include Roasted rhubarb with vanilla, orange and cinnamon and Pineapple en papillote with honey, thyme, and rum.
Cod en Papillote with Spinach, Olives and Mediterranean Herbs
Serves 2
½ cup pitted black olives
2 anchovy fillets in oil
4 thyme stalks, leaves picked
4 oregano stalks, leaves picked
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
olive oil
14-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
4 ¼ ounces baby leaf spinach, washed
2 cod loins (approx. 5 ½ ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
6 radishes, sliced
a handful of pea shoots
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking dish with a large piece of parchment or foil, or an oven bag.
Finely chop the olives, anchovy fillets and herbs together. Mix together with juice from half of the lemon in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and add a little glug of olive oil.
In a separate bowl, combine the butter beans with the spinach leaves and two-thirds of the olive and herb mixture. Drizzle in a little more olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Tip into the lined baking dish and spread everything out evenly.
Slice the remaining lemon half into 4–6 slices and lay these on top of the spinach and beans. Place the cod loins on top of the lemon slices, season with salt and pepper and spread the remaining herby olive mixture over the fish. Close up the parcel and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes. (If using an oven bag, snip a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.)
When cooked, unwrap and serve with the radish slices and pea shoots scattered over the top.
Santos, who owns a Louisiana-centric restaurant in Boston, offers up some great recipes such as Deviled Egg Toast with Country Ham and Hot Pepper Salad, Cast Iron-Baked Brie, and Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Mac & Cheese, the most popular dish at his restaurant.
Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Mac & Cheese
Serves 4
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup meat scraps, diced (bacon, andouille, pork belly, ham, etc.)
½ cup diced celery
¾ cup diced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded fontina
½ cup shredded yellow cheddar
½ cup shredded gouda
½ pound campanelle pasta, cooked (can substitute fusilli, penne, rigatoni, macaroni, or rotini
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup spicy cheese puffs (I like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos), slightly crushed
¼ cup minced chives
½ cup spicy cheese puffs, whole
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the meat scraps until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the meat, reserving the fat. Then add the celery, shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 3 minutes to incorporate. Deglaze with the wine and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, cream cheese, heavy cream, and half & half. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the Parmesan, fontina, cheddar and gouda and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves and puree the entire mixture with a stick blender (or in batches using a regular blender/food processor). Add the meat scraps back to the pot.
Combine the sauce with pasta and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the mixture into 4 casserole dishes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the crushed Cheetos, and scatter on top of the pasta mixture. Bake for about 7 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with chives and the whole Cheetos.
This holiday season, give some fascinating food products that also give back to needy causes to the food lovers on your list.
COFFEE CHAI CHIA PUDDING (w/ P.B. COFFEE CHAI SMOOTHIE on top) with Blue Lotus Chai
Blue Lotus Chai, a spiced tea free of all sweeteners, additives, artificial flavorings, or colorings, comes in an assortment of masala blends—Traditional, Golden, Mint, Rooibos, Star Anise, and Mandarin. Caffeine-free, it’s easy to prepare, and contains anti-oxidants. This year, Blue Lotus Chai won the Specialty Food Association’s 2020 sofi™ Award for innovation and taste in the 48th annual awards. They donate 10% of their net profits to charitable organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, American Cancer Research and A Hope for Autism Foundation.
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)
½ teaspoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon hot water (enough to dissolve chai powder & sweetener)
A few ice cubes
In a measuring cup, dissolve Blue Lotus Chai powder and sweetener in hot water; stir.
Add it, along with milk of choice and ice cubes, into a blender. Blend until ice is well crushed and milk is frothy. Add chia seeds, stir, and let sit for a few minutes. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Note: If you prefer, you can add the chia seeds to the dissolved mixture before adding milk and mix them up in the blender. This adds to the creaminess, with no crunch & chew from the seeds.
Sacred Sauce
Another company that donates 10% of all company profits, in this instance to the Rainforest Trust, Sacred Sauce is a medium-heat sauce made with serrano chilis, cacti and blood oranges containing only vegan-friendly, organic, and natural ingredients. Their Sacred Salad Sauce is probably one of the few medium heat sauces for salads. Made with habanero and serrano chilis, mashed up mango flesh and citrus tangerines giving it a sweetness with out having additives such as sugar or artificial sweeteners. The spicy taste contrasts well with the coolness of salad greens.
Neither Sacred Sauce nor Sacred Salad Sauce contain any preservatives, chemicals, xanthan gum, extracts or concentrates.
With the mission to leave the world a happier, healthier place, the mother and daughter team who founded SkinnyDipped offer a variety of whole nuts “skinnydipped” in thin layers of a dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate. There’s cashews skinnydipped in a dark chocolate salted caramel, Milk Chocolate Peanuts, almonds in dark chocolate espresso and their Lemon Bliss–almonds in white chocolate with lemon. Low in calories, the ingredients are also non-GMO verified, gluten-free and contain no artificial ingredients.
SkinnyDippers are now available nationwide at @walgreens! Snag a bag of Peanut Butter + Cocoa Almond to keep yourself fueled up when you’re on-the-go! To find out where else they’re available, click here.
SkinnyDipped Daughter & Mom
SkinnyDipped Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1 box (3.7 oz) organic vanilla instant pudding
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup Peanut Butter SkinnyDipped Almonds
To garnish:
• 4 dollops of whipped cream
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp crushed Peanut Butter SkinnyDipped
1. Start by preparing the pudding. Pour 2 cups almond milk into medium mixing bowl, add vanilla instant pudding and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. In four jars, layer sliced bananas, peanut butter, SkinnyDipped and pudding mixture. Repeat layering until all ingredients have been used and refrigerate.
3. Before serving, top each jar with a dollop of whipped cream, a peanut butter drizzle and some crushed SkinnyDipped. Enjoy!
Lisa Walker, whose blog Neighborhood Sprout is designed to inspire her readers to put time and energy into their homes, is guest blogging today with ideas for the perfect budget friendly travel gift ideas in time for the holiday season.
Save money with coupons and promos and be able to travel the world.
Check Out Coupons From Top Retailers
Before you shop for travel presents, you need to check for Black Friday promo codes and holiday deals first. You may also be able to combine these promotions with cash back offers for even more money back in your wallet. Need a few suggestions from top retailers? You can score deals on luggage at Macy’s, whether you plan on buying a single piece or an entire set. Looking for stocking stuffers? Travel-sized beauty products from Ulta are the perfect fit for stockings and your loved one’s carry-on. Just be sure to check for coupons before checkout!
You can purchase gift cards and vouchers for restaurants, tours, and other experiences for your family and friends. For instance, if your loved ones have a trip to Michigan in the works, you could pick up gift cards and gear from award-winning Michigan breweries like Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids or Perrin Brewing Co in Comstock Park. If they’re not into beer, pick up gifts and passes to give them yearlong access to thousands of national parks and recreational sites.
The travel industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, there are countless hotels and resorts offering discounted vouchers and packages to entice folks to travel once restrictions are lifted. If your loved ones have their hearts set on a Caribbean vacation, for example, you may be able to snag some pretty sweet deals on spa services, massages, and extra nights when you purchase gift cards now. Your loved ones can then put those gift cards towards future travels. Be sure to confirm expiration dates and restrictions before you buy.
If you want to give your loved one a gift with fewer limits, you may prefer travel gift cards instead. Gift cards purchased from Airbnb, Uber, Southwest, Hilton and a handful of other airlines, hotels, and retailers usually do not have an expiration date. This means you can rest assured that future pandemic restrictions won’t put a damper on any redemption plans. You can choose how much you would like to spend, which is even better for your budget.
Pick Up Some Popular Travel Essentials
When you want something more tangible to wrap up, one or two of the top travel essentials for 2020 could do the trick. There’s always something for every traveler and every budget. So whether you want to spend $10 on a relaxing travel mask or $300+ on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, you should be able to find something that fits your spending limit. You can also scan through reviews of the latest travel tech for even more ideas. Then you can impress your loved ones with a cutting edge smartwatch or a secure travel safe.
Shopping for gifts on a tight budget doesn’t have to be stressful. Use coupons, promo codes, and cashback offers whenever you purchase travel gifts, or pick up gift cards so that you can choose a value that’s in line with your budget. Either way, the travel-lovers on your list are sure to be grateful that you chose such practical and thoughtful gifts, and you’ll be grateful for the savings!
Guest blogger Lisa Walker is the proud mom of two adorable (but feisty) sons. She created Neighborhood Sprout as a passion project to share her love of homeownership with others, and she enjoys writing home- and community-related articles in her spare time. When they’re not tackling their latest DIY home project, she and her husband, Jake, love taking their boys trail hiking or beach combing.
The charming Ticino region is a well-kept secret for travelers in the know wanting to escape winter’s cold. But that’s likely to soon change with with the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel this December. Train times between Zürich and Lugano are now less than two hours making a trip to this magical Italian-speaking region of Switzerland within an easy reach of the North..
Lugano, the largest town in Ticino, is located in the very heart of breathtaking mountain and lake landscapes, and offers year-round a fascinating mix of culture, cuisine and Mediterranean joie de vivre.Curretnly, a selection of hotels are offering special deals with a 20 percent discount on the daily rate, theme packages with overnight stays, and fixed price offers including dinner.Bookable through ticino.ch/ceneri
The 4-star Hotel LUGANODANTE, located right at the center of Lugano has a colorful urban stylewith public areas that create an ambience of an open living room looking out onto city living. The 85 rooms and suites, as well as the lounge and conference room, have been decorated to reflect the pleasant and soothing color hues of the lake and surrounding landscape. In the newly opened Flamel restaurant, the Maci brothers wow diners with an innovative gastro concept that blends Italian and French cuisine and offers – in keeping with the French alchemist Nicolas Flamel’s name – a unique flavor experience. www.luganodante.com
Monte Brè –An excursion above the roofs of Lugano now also available in winter The Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore are two majestic local mountains that are now accessible during the holiday season aboard a historic funicular. Over a half-mile high, Monte Brè is considered Switzerland’s sunniest mountain. Both mountains offer stunning panoramic views of Lake Lugano and the surrounding snowy peaks. www.montebre.ch
Dario Ranza, Kuechenchef, Ristorante Ciani, Lugano. copyright by http://www.steineggerpix.com / photo by remy steinegger
Il Forziere del Vino – Tastings in a sublime Wine Cellar The luxury hotel Splendide Royal Lugano is home to the stunning Forziere del Vino (“wine safe”), which houses a real treasure – some 500 of the world’s very best wines. The guardian of the safe is Simone Ragusa, a Swiss Master Sommelier in 2015. The stunning Wine Cellar is ideal for enjoying first-class culinary experiences and wine tastings with Ragusa who shares his deep knowledge of the best vini of Ticino and other top-class international wines, also provides insider information about the wines and their producers. Oenophiles up for the challenge are invited to participate in an evening of blind tasting: four different wines are paired with food and answer questions about what they’re drinking.. At the end of the evening, one of the guests is crowned “Sommelier of the Evening”. http://www.splendide.ch
Exhibition at the MASI Palazzo Reali – Ticino in the Tide of Change
The Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI) will continue to show the monographic exhibition “Ticino in the Tide of Change” in the Palazzo Reali January 10, 2021. Showcasing the work of local photographer Vincenzo Vicarni (1911-2007), the exhibition features more than 100 black-and-white and color photos he took of Ticino from 1936 and 1987. It’s a wonderful way to see how Ticino changed and its inhabitants adapted from the agricultural post-war years to the more urban Ticino of the 1980s. www.masilugano.ch
Da Vinci Experience – Dive into the world of Leonardo da Vinci
From 03.12.20 – 21.02.2021, the Centro Esposizioni Conza in Lugano is featuring a new interactive multimedia exhibition called the “Da Vinci Experience”. Bringing da Vinci’s story, art and inventions to life in multimedia format that includes projections and virtual realities, takes visitors on a sensory journey as they learn about his greatest inventions. In the Inventions Room, visitors interact with many of da Vinci’s original works reproduced in full scale. The Immersive Room is an extensive cinematic experience projecting a series of images and videos of da Vinci’s best artistic works and scientific inventions. The third room – the Oculus Room – houses eight 3D virtual reality stations with VR glasses where visitors navigate, by a virtual paddle boat or flying the roofs, of Renaissance Florence. davinciexperience.ch
Copyright DaVinci Experience
Carta MAM – five museums in the Mendrisiotto come together in one ticket At the southern tip of Lake Lugano lies the Mendrisiotto, a region which is not only rich in rolling hills and flourishing vineyards producing the best wine, but also a wide range of different cultural experience including the Carta MAM of the Musei d’Arte del Mendrisiotto (MAM) network. This consists of five different museums: the M.A.X. Museo in Chiasso, the Museo d’arte Mendrisio, the Museo Vincenzo Vela in Ligornetto, the Pinacoteca Cantonale Giovanni Züst in Rancate and the Teatro dell’architettura in Mendrisio. Visitors purchasing a ticket at any of the five museums also will be given the Carta MAM which provides a discount for the other museums and their gift shops. ! www.museidartemendrisiotto.ch
Nuova Segnaletica in Piaazza del Ponte a Mendrisio (FOTO FIORENZO MAFFI)
Lugano ex Convento Santa Maria degli Angioli Copyright Ticino Turismo – Foto Loreta Daulte
Grand Cafè al Porto – Lugano’s living room since 1803
The narrow alleyway Via Pessina in the old town of Lugano is home to the Grand Cafè al Porto, a café dating back as 1803. A gathering place for the literati, artists and politicians, it is still to this day referred to as the salotto (English: living room) of Lugano. The jewel in the crown of the Grand Café al Porto is the Cenacolo Fiorentino on the first floor, formerly a monastery dining hall with stunning 16the century wooden ceiling and wall frescoes thought to have be created by Florentine painter Carlo Bonafedi. In more modern times, In March 1945 Cenacolo Florentino was the setting for Operation Sunrise, a secret meeting between German officers and representatives of the Allied powers that resulted in the surrender of German troops in North Italy and shortening the Second World War by several days. The Hall is now available for private engagements. www.grand-cafe-lugano.ch
Grand Cafe al Porto di Lugano. Copyright by Grand Cafe al Porto / Photo by Remy Steinegger HDR-Image
Photo courtesy of Gabbani.
Gabbani – tradition and innovation The Gabbani delicatessen in the very heart of the old town of Lugano offers the best in fresh fruit and vegetables, regional cheese specialties, selected charcuterie products, the finest bread and sweet pastries as well as the great wines. The Gabbani name is synonymous with freshness, quality and tradition since 1937 when butcher Domenico Gabbani set up his delicatessen Via Pessina. His son, Lino succeeded him and since 2010, his sons Domenico and Francesco Gabbani have carried on the family tradition. In 2020, they established a boutique hotel, restaurant , wine bar, coffee bar and delicatessen stand on the Piazza Cioccaro.
The hotel has 14 stylishly designed rooms, each with the name of the different type of food upon which the room’s color palette is created. The latest innovation from the Gabbani family is the Ikobani Roof Bar & Restaurant on the fourth floor of the hotel. It serves traditional Japanese cuisine, ranging from classic temaki to fresh sashimi and special dishes such as Kaisen salad, fried fish in Nanban, the house ramen soup and many other traditional Japanese dishes. www.gabbani.com
Ristorante La Serra – a greenhouse with a twist
Located beyond the town’s borders, Ristorante La Serra or, in English, The Greenhouse is housed in an actual greenhouse now transformed into a cozy modern restaurant owned by Mara Bertelli, a yoga teacher. Their the motto “local food, global taste” translates into a menu packed with culinary creations from across the world but based heavily on regional, seasonal ingredients. In addition to the restaurant, there is also a lab which holds cooking classes, yoga lessons and other creative workshops. www.laserra.ch
Copyright Alina Smit – Ristorante La Serra
Restaurant Ciani – the address for gourmets in Lugano’s green oasisThe destination for any gourmet in Lugano is the Restaurant Ciani, where Head Chef Dario Ranza dishes are based on local ingredients and recipes including pasta, risotto and fish. The 15 Gault & Millau points awarded to the restaurant show is indicative of its quality and creativity. Situated at the edge of the Parco Ciani – the town’s green oasis – guests can enjoy stunning views of nature and the historic Villa Ciani while enjoying the restaurant’s modern and elegant design including its lounge, wine bar and large terrace. www.cianilugano.ch
For more information: Ticino Turismo Via C. Ghiringhelli 7 CH – 6501 Bellinzona T +41 (0)91 825 70 56 www.ticino.ch
The Poilâne Bakery, founded in 1932 and famed for their wonderful breads, continues to be located at their flagship store at 8 rue du Cherche Midi in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. But now you don’t have to travel to France (though who wouldn’t want to?) to buy a loaf or even find one of the bakeries in the U.S. that sell Poulaine breads. Instead you can learn to make your own through MasterClass, the streaming platform where offering learning experiences from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, is featuring Apollonia Poilâne who will be teaching a class in bread baking as well as sharing family anecdotes and expert techniques.
In staying true to its founding principles—making high quality bread for all—and in creatively joining the arts of living well and eating well, Poilâne has flourished, offering its savoir-faire across France and all over the world.
Courtesy of MasterClass
“In this flash-in-the-pan world, Apollonia represents the things that endure—a company passed down through three generations and a commitment to honoring the timeless tradition of bread baking,” said David Rogier, founder, and CEO of MasterClass. “In her MasterClass, she will intimately share her passion and help members understand how to best utilize their senses while baking.”
Courtesy of MasterClass
In her MasterClass, Poilâne will teach an approach to bread baking that is sensory, fluid, and adaptable, sharing her passion for honoring the philosophies and techniques that her family has perfected over the last eight decades. Through rich stories of Poilâne’s personal history alongside expert tips, MasterClass members will learn her family’s method for making five kinds of bread, including brioche, rye, and her novel sourdough starter.
Courtesy of MasterClass
Incorporating her warm energy and profound determination into her lessons, Poilâne shows how a loaf of bread, and the practical ways to use it, change over time. She’ll share her rare insight on the evolution of bread, paired with a number of creative and practical recipes involving bread at all stages, which she calls breadcooking. From a true-to-form take on pesto to an innovative riff on granola, her view on using bread as an ingredient should inspire members to never leave a crumb behind. Regardless of prior baking experience, members will leave Poilâne’s class feeling inspired to try their hand at her recipes and feel a deeper appreciation for the timeless traditions of baking bread.
Photo courtesy of Amazon.
“Baking at home, putting your hands in flour, getting a feel for the dough and seeing your bread rise is a one-of-a-kind experience, one that you must do in your lifetime,” said Poilâne, whose book Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) was released last year. “In my MasterClass, the most important lesson I will teach you is how to attune your five senses to what it is that makes the perfect loaf.”
Beginning life cradled in a crib made from a breadbasket, Poilâne was poised to take over Poilâne, her famed family bakery in Paris, founded by her grandfather in 1932. Following the accidental death of her parents in 2002, she assumed the title of CEO at the tender age of 18 and ran the international bakery and business for four years from her Harvard University dorm room.
Courtesy of MasterClass
Poilâne’s class is now available exclusively on MasterClass.
ABOUT MASTERCLASS:
Launched in 2015, MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to 100+ instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects, including Arts & Entertainment, Business, Design & Style, Sports & Gaming, Writing and more. Step into Anna Wintour’s office, Ron Finley’s garden and Neil Gaiman’s writing retreat. Get inspired by RuPaul, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes, and discover your inner negotiator with Chris Voss. Each class features about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. You can learn on your own terms—in bite-size pieces or in a single binge. Cinematic visuals and close-up, hands-on demonstrations make you feel like you’re one-on-one with the instructors, while the downloadable instructor guides help reinforce your learning. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV®, Android™ TV, Amazon Fire TV® and Roku® players and devices.
I was just scrolling through the news on my phone procrastinating doing some work when I saw a photo of Ben Watkins. I didn’t really need to scroll any further to know what that meant. Ben, who competed in “MasterChef Junior” three years ago, had been battling an extremely rare type of cancer at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. It’s the kind of place where if you have any chance of surviving, they’re the ones who’ll make sure it happens.
Photo by Leila Edwards.
He had been diagnosed with Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma. I mentioned above that it’s very rare–so rare that only one out of six people have been diagnosed with it.
I knew Ben and I knew his mother, Leila Edwards, who created lovely jewelry and who adored her son who was friends with my nephews, all of whom live in Miller Beach. My niece and her husband and family were friends with the Edwards-Watkins family.
Ben Watkins in his home kitchen making his special Oreo recipe. Photos by Leila Edwards, Ben’s mother.
As I’ve said before, I never met Ben’s father and Leila’s mother, Michael Watkins, but everyone I’ve ever talked to, described him as the nicest person. Which is what made what happened three years ago so baffling. He too was diagnosed with cancer and one morning took a gun and killed Leila and then himself. Ben was in the house but unharmed.
Ben went to live with his uncle and grandmother and the Miller Beach community raised a great deal of money to help with finances. As I mentioned he had competed on “MasterChef Junior” and had made it through several rounds, advancing each time but finally was sent home by Gordon Ramsay in a not very nice way. We were all aghast. How dare he. Our sweet Ben. Newspapers criticized the way Ramsay sent Ben packing. Ben was the type of kid who was totally likeable. When Ben was diagnosed with the cancer, Ramsay stepped up and donated $50,000 to his medical fund.
Photo by Leila Edwards.
Ben loved to cook, he started helping out in the kitchen when he was three and he liked creating his own recipes though sometimes, when I’d asked him how to make one of the dishes, he couldn’t remember the exact amounts and would have to do it again. He was a kid who got good grades, helped out in his parents restaurant in Miller Beach, competed in spell bowl, math bowl, chess club or also fixed broken bikes for kids in need through the Ken Parr Build a Bike program in Miller Beach. He wanted to be an engineer when he grew up. But alas, already facing so much sorrow and pain in his life, had to face more in the hospital as the tumors grew and grew. His pain may be gone now, but that of those who knew and loved him, including that of his uncle, Anthony Edwards and his grandmother Donna Edwards who took over his care after his parents died. I can’t even begin to fathom the depths of their sorrow and anguish.
Ben Watkins. Photo by Leila Edwards.
“We were praying for a different outcome,” Anthony Edwards told the Chicago Tribune shortly after his death which occurred earlier today. “But Ben’s lungs could no longer give him the air he needed to breathe. It’s been devastating.”
Photo by Leila Edwards.
Indeed.
Gordon ramsay tweeted today, “We lost a Master of @MastrChefJrFOX kitchen today. Ben you were an incredibly talented home” cook and even stronger young man. Your young life had so many tough turns but you always persevered. Sending all the love to Ben Watkins’ family with this terrible loss. Gx.”
I have shared this recipe before, Ben made it up and he was so proud of it so I will share it one more time.
“Our Ben went home to be with his mother Monday afternoon after a year-and-a-half battle with cancer,” wrote the Edwards in a statement. “Ben was and will always be the strongest person we know.”
Amen to that.
Ben Watkins’ Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oreo Brownie Bars
Mix butter with sugar until creamed. Add eggs and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl mix flour mixture and baking soda. Add to creamed butter. Fold in chocolate chips and spread evenly on the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch pan.
Spread crumbled Oreos evenly over the top of the chocolate chip cookie dough.
Brownie Layer:
4 ounces unsweetened Baker’s chocolate
¾ cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
Place chocolate in microwave and melt. Melt butter, stir in chocolate and sugar. Stir in eggs one a time and vanilla. Add flour. Mix thoroughly. Spread evenly on top of chocolate chip cookie dough and Oreos.
Located in the heart of France’s Loire Valley region is the Cher Valley, which encompasses the area from Chenonceau to Valençay. Even now, would-be travelers can scout out their next trips to the iconic châteaux of the area, which wouldn’t be complete without sampling the region’s signature wine and goat cheese.
One of the most famous châteaux in all of France – as well as the world – Château de Chenonceau is unique not only due to it being an architectural marvel, but also thanks to its legacy as the “Château des Dames.” The château has always been owned by women, notably Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, whose lasting touches and influences can be seen today. The exceptional gardens, named after both Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, are today managed by American gardener Nicholas Tomlan, who takes inspiration from the ladies of the castle’s past. As of last year, the château unveiled a recreation of Catherine de Medici’s apothecary, where Nostradamus once prepared remedies for the queen. Visitors can also tour the château’s own on-site floral workshop, where leading craftsman Jean-François Boucher creates daily flower arrangements to decorate the château. An incredibly unique way to see the château is by taking a boat ride directly under the château’s iconic arches, along the Cher River, either by canoe or boat. Or, see the château by air via a hot air balloon ride or plane.
Wine tasting stops in the area include the Château de Nitray, just 20 minutes from the château, located in a 106-acre landscaped park. Registered as a national heritage site since 1947, this Renaissance architectural masterpiece houses 25 acres of vineyards dating back three centuries, labelled AOC Touraine.
For now, would-be travelers can experience the château via a virtual visit here: http://www.chateau-nitray.fr/en/the-castle/virtual-visit. Another stop is Château de Fontenay in Bléré, an intimate château-hotel and vineyard, offering five rooms in the château, and three cottages located in the 42-acre park.
Finally, at Caves Monmousseau, visitors can try sparkling wines that have been perfected for over 130 years, while experiencing a very unique art show. In the underground cellars, images are illuminated on the tunnel walls, telling the story of the châteaux of the Loire through a spectacular sound and light show.
Foodie destinations include the gastronomic restaurant at Auberge du Bon Laboureur in the village of Chenonceaux and Bistrot’quai, an open-air café located in a garden right by the water, open from May to September. Accommodations include the charming La Folie Saint-Julien B&B, featuring five guest rooms, a garden, and an indoor pool located in a barn; and the Château de Chissay, built in the 16th century as a royal residence under Charles VII and transformed into a hotel in 1986 with 27 guest rooms and five suites.
Located just 20 minutes south of the Cher River is Valençay, known largely by name for its goat cheese and wine. The Valençay vineyards, which overlook the scenic Cher, have a long history, with the first written records dating back to 965. White Valençay is fresh and balanced, with a nose of citrus and flower; red Valençay is structured, fine and fresh on the palate; and rosé Valençay is flexible and structured. Top wine tasting spots include Domaine Roy and Domaine Jourdain. A perfect pairing with Valençay wine, Valençay PDO goat cheese is made from whole, raw goat’s milk, characterized by a truncated pyramid shape and a bluish gray rind. A top spot for cheese tasting is Fromagerie Jacquin. Find more details on Valençay AOC here: https://www.vins-fromages-valencay.fr/
Aside from the wine and cheese pairings, travelers in the area should look to Domaine de Poulaines spanning 62 acres of woodlands including beautiful themed gardens and an arboretum (with more than 1,200 plants). Beautiful trees and boxwood surround a Renaissance mansion and a set of buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The domaine also offer overnight stays in private guest houses in the heart of the gardens.
Another must-visit is the Château de Valençay, one of the 22 major sites of the Loire Valley, featuring both Renaissance and classic architecture, overlooking the Nahon Valley. The estate’s 13-acre grounds feature traditional and modern gardens, a deer park, and a two-mile path along the “Forêt des Princes.” The château hosts the Talleyrand Festival every two years (with the next festival taking place in 2021), showcasing ancient musical instruments.
Located less than ten minutes from the Château de Valençay, at the foot of the majestic ruins of a Renaissance castle in a charming flower-filled village, is Restaurant Auberge St Fiacre. The restaurant is located in an authentic 17th-century house, transformed into a restaurant in the early 1970s, the restaurant today offers a selection of top local cuisine.
