Valentine's Day

I know this post is a little bit late but I wanted to write about something that is quite close to me... romance!! Did you know that Valentine's Day is named after Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr? That means that he died trying to help Christians. Below is a little story about one of the many Saint Valentine's... the history is not so clear on this.

The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine, the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273.[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine

Anyway, Valentine's Day is one of my favourite holidays because I think it is a good excuse to show care to somebody you love. I do not think that care should only be limited to one day of the year, and to only your partner but if that is all you are capable of, then I guess it is a start ;-)

I know some people hate Valentine's Day because they think it is a day of commercialism and spending, and companies trying to suck money out of you. One of my friends (single, yes haha!!) complains that it is a day created by advertising agencies to sell you bad-quality flowers and cheap overpriced chocolate. I agree that it can be like that, but it is not always... I think it is a good time to get original with your presents!

The key about buying presents for another person is... the other person! Do not try to apply your principles on the gift when you are looking for something for them. It is the wrong approach because they are not you, and have different preferences and also needs. For example, you might not think a printer is a good idea but if it helps a person stop going to the corner shop every time they need to print something out, maybe it is a good present (if a little lacking in romance!!).

Of course you can romanticise it a little bit with some flowers, and a bottle of good red, and maybe a meal that you cooked (do not order takeaway then try and present it as your cooking!!) but the general idea is that you showed you care, because you noticed what the other person needs / does not have.

I love Valentine's Day because it is a challenge to get the right present, to do something that is sweet but not cheesy, and to find an excuse to spend even more money on my loved ones...

Do you like Valentine's Day? What do you like about it? Or maybe you do not like it? How do you spend 14 February if you do not like Valentine's Day? As usual, tell me! ;-)

Horoscopes

I am sorry I have not blogged earlier but I have been very busy these last few days. I am thinking of doing some gardening this year so I went to the garden centre a few times to look and ask some questions... it is always good to learn new things!

Please let me share with you one of my interests which is horoscopes. I really enjoy reading about horoscopes because they tell me a lot about myself. I am a Dragon because I was born in the year 1976, and I am also a Fire Dragon because of the year I was born in. Horoscopes is a very complex subject actually - the time you are born, the year you are born, etc. all has a meaning.

Oh yes, I am talking about Chinese horoscopes. I prefer them because they seem more complex and in-depth than the Western zodiac signs... and they also seem more accurate ;-) I do not know whether they are accurate because they are actually accurate, or because I am reading them and also trying to match up what they say to myself. Maybe it is a little bit of both haha!!

This is from one of the websites that I like to read when I have some spare time. I will be posting about this topic from time to time because it is a subject that really interests me. I think it is a wonderful source of knowledge about ourselves. I use it for my personal development, maybe you can too ;-)

Do you like horoscopes? Do you think they are accurate? Tell me!!

The Fire Dragon is a powerful force to be reckoned with. This is a Dragon doubled! The Fire Dragon can move from calm and collected to combustible in a matter of seconds. In some ways the Fire Dragon is his or her own worst enemy. These Dragons cannot help feeling they are valuable and all-knowing. When they are right their vehemence and vigor is an asset to the cause, and though they value objectivity, they do not always employ the best decision-making measures, and sometimes jump to the wrong conclusion. They also suffer from recklessness and quick tempers. Yet, when they do keep their temper, emotions, and rivaling spirit under control, they emanate a commanding influence on other people.

http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Dragon.htm

Cannelloni

Did you know that cannelloni and manicotti are two different types of Italian foods? Sometimes people make the mistake of calling manicotti 'cannelloni' but actually they are not the same.

I have loved cannelloni since I was a young girl. Even though it is kind of like lasagne because there are almost the same ingredients, I prefer it because the fillings are more flexible... or maybe I am just more rigid in how I like my lasagne to be made haha!!

This is not like the cannelloni like mamma used to make but it is still quite good, especially because of the mascarpone which is one of my favourite types of cheese... did you know, you can mix mascarpone with good quality ready-made custard, to use as the custard filling for a trifle? I know it sounds not quite right but I assure you it is quite good, as long as you do not use too much mascarpone or your custard will become quite thick.

Anyway, I digress!! I thought I would share the recipe here, it is from Jamie Oliver who is a British chef but specialises in Italian food.

I hope you enjoy it... let me know what you think!!

Ingredients:

• a handful of Parmesan, grated

• 2 x 250g tubs of mascarpone

• 100g taleggio cheese, grated

• zest and juice of 2 lemons

• a handful of chopped walnuts

• 180g bag of baby spinach, chopped

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 20g pack of fresh sage

• 2 knobs of butter

• 1 packet of fresh lasagne – 12 sheets  

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Mix half the Parmesan, the mascarpone, the taleggio, the lemon zest and juice, and the walnuts. Put ¼ of the mixture to one side, then combine the remaining cheese mixture with the spinach and season to taste. Fry the sage leaves in hot butter and crumble ½ into the cheese and spinach mixture, saving the rest for the top. Put a good spoonful of the cheese and spinach mixture along one of the longer edges of each lasagne sheet and roll up. Put them in a flat oven dish, dot with the leftover cheese mixture, drizzle over ¼ of a glass of water and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and crispy sage leaves. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/baked-cannelloni

Pizza Napoletana

This is what a pizza looks like.

A pizza does not look like that!! My poor mamma turning over in the grave!!

Good pizza is actually very easy to make. The key is the dough... and the sauce... and the oven haha!! But yes, a good pizza only needs those three 'ingredients' to be perfect. It is not complicated like other recipes. Make sure you use the freshest and best ingredients you can get to make it truly good because unlike other foods, you cannot hide a bad crop of tomatoes on a pizza!! ;-)

Do you like pizza? Which is your favourite? Have you ever tried making your own pizza?

The dough

A basic pasta is simple and dictated by l’Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana: 

-flour (tipo 00: the finest grind available)

-water

-sea salt

-yeast 

The ingredients need to be weighed as opposed to measured in cups in order to ensure the correct proportions. However, each pizza restaurant uses different variations of the basic recipe to create a dough personalized to each chef’s own idea of perfection. 

With all the ingredients mixed together and after a resting period of at least six hours, the dough should be soft and elastic, but not sticky. Following traditional regulations, the dough must be kneaded and shaped by hand—no electric mixers or rolling pins allowed (tough luck for those of us who don’t know how to do the fancy wrist-hand motion that most skilled pizzaioli or pizza makers use)! 

The toppings

Despite the numerous variations of toppings available at most pizza restaurants in Italy, la pizza napoletana should only include the following variations of a couple of basic, fresh ingredients: 

The Marinara: San Marzano plum tomatoes (sauce), oregano, garlic and extra virgin olive oil 

The Margherita: San Marzano plum tomatoes (sauce), buffalo or cow’s milk mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil 

With all of the toppings on the dough, you should still be able to see some of the tomato underneath the pieces of mozzarella and there should be a rim of dough running without toppings around the edge for your crust. 

The oven

After the toppings are added, the pizza is then put into a wood-burning oven at 485 degrees Celsius (close to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit). The whole baking process lasts for less than two minutes total and the pizza emerges hot from the oven with a perfectly golden and crispy outer crust. Sadly this process can’t be recreated in a regular home oven—which usually only reach 550 degrees Fahrenheit—but you can buy commercial ceramic “pizza stones” to help a pizza achieve a level of crispiness somewhat close to your Neapolitan favorite. 

Not feeling adventurous enough to make your own pizza? Check out the list of official Neapolitan pizzaioli at the website for l’Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/). Buon appetito!

http://www.flonthego.com/2011/gourmet/03-01/la-pizza-napoletana/

Incense

I really like to burn incense because it calms me, especially when I am doing meditation. There is a shop near my house that sells many different types of incense, but I like the herbal or the natural ones the best. Because I am very afraid of the other types which I think come from Thailand.

Anyway, I heard that sometimes when those non-natural types are burning, they release toxic smoke. Imagine getting poisoned while you meditate!! I think better not, I prefer to use the natural incense because that is using things God gave us.

Do you burn incense? What kind of incense do you like to use? Can I buy some? ;-)

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

One of my favourite authors is Haruki Murakami. I like his abstract style because it makes me think from a different perspective about our world and also about alternative worlds. I think his books are the type of books you must read when you have time to sit and contemplate, and watch your own mind to see how you react to the strange details that he writes about.

The first book I read that he wrote was "Kafka On The Shore". When I first picked it up, I honestly did not like it and I was thinking, "How weird!" But I am happy I persevered because it turned out to be a beautifully-written book. Even if you do not like his stories, you can appreciate how well he writes.

What is your favourite book? Is it by Haruki Murakami? Who is your favourite author? Tell me! ;-)