The World Is an Oyster ⋆ Cruising Memoirs of a Wanderlust Soul. A Travel And Food Blog

May 7, 2021

25 Easy Pasta Recipes Ready In Under Half an Hour

Easy Pasta Paradise Pasta is one of the most versatile, easy to make and absolutely delicious meals humankind should thank the Italians for inventing and spreading worldwide! Every nation must have heard of and made pasta at some point or in some form, even if adapted to specific regional or cultural circumstances. Traditionally, pasta is associated with Italy, although there are mentions of similar foods in the Far East or the Greek mythology going back many thousands of years. It does not matter if you are looking to impress someone on a special occasion or just have limited time to...

chilli con carne vegan gluten-free healthy

Mexican / Savour the Flavour

April 30, 2021

Healthy Vegan, Gluten-free Chilli Sin Carne

Mexican Food Adapted to Various Dietary Needs Chilli sin carne is an adapted, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free version of the world-famous Mexican dish chilli con carne (simple disambiguation for non-Spanish speakers: sin=without, con=with, carne=meat.) In Spanish, el chile means hot pepper, which would be the prominent flavour of this dish (in slang, it has a more offensive meaning, but we’ll keep with the cooking side!) Please do not mistake it for the South American country Chile, though! The word has variations for American English (chili, pl. chilies/chilis) and British English (chilli, pl. chillies/chillis. Source: Merriam-Webster, accessed 30/04/2021). Since I live in the...

Savour the Flavour / USA

April 24, 2021

Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins | Easy and Healthy Recipe

Life’s Sweet Delights And A Cuppa’ Coffee Almond flour blueberry muffins are healthy, delectable and easy to make. What is better next to a steamy coffee cup than a fluffy muffin packed with tasty flavours? With origins in American cuisine, muffins have quickly become internationally adopted treats, typically served at breakfast or coffee/tea break. The use of blanched almond flour in preparation makes these muffins gluten-free. Choosing specific substitutes can easily make this recipe keto/paleo/vegan friendly. Likewise, the mixing and matching of the ingredients will result in various choices to satisfy all preferences. My favourite combinations are either blueberry-lemon-almond flakes,...

Easter / Holidays

April 17, 2021

Why Do Christians Celebrate Easter On Different Occasions?

Why is Orthodox Easter celebrated at a different date than Catholic Easter? Well, it is almost impossible to grasp the intricacies of a two-thousand-year-old religion, especially when there is so much controversy around it. There is an ocean of written information for those interested in more profound diggings, but I will attempt a simplified explanation. Christianity is not the first monotheistic religion. Allegedly, Zoroastrianism seems to be about 12.000 years old and had lasted a few thousand years (even until today in some areas). In contrast, Akhenaten’s attempt to impose a monotheistic religion by instating Ra as the sun god...

Italy / Savour the Flavour

April 9, 2021

How to Make Upside Down Caramelised Orange Cake With Ricotta

An Italian Inspired Delight for Your Morning Coffee Orange and ricotta cake in endless variations is a famous desert around Italy, especially in the south where orange trees grow everywhere, not only in orchards, and cheesemaking has become a true art over the millennia. I often look for inspiration in the incredible Italian cuisine when cooking or baking, and each time I congratulate myself for the result is always exceptional. I tried two versions for this cake: for one, I sprinkled sugar on the bottom of the baking mould and placed the orange slices over it to caramelise them during...

Easter / Holidays

March 26, 2021

How to Make a Fluffy Easter Bunny Cake

Chocolate and Mascarpone Easter Cake There is great fun for kids of all ages (going up to 45!) to pinch chocolate eggs and cut a chunk of this fluffy looking Easter bunny cake! I speak from personal experience. For a long time, I searched online for a bunny-shaped cooking mould. As I am a bit picky and hard to impress with the available offers, I decide to ditch wasting time and make my own shape. An A4 paper, a pair of scissors and a rectangular baking mould readily available made for the trouble of ordering online and waiting a couple...

Easter / Holidays

March 19, 2021

Traditional Easter Foods For A Special Celebration

What is on Your Easter Table? Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus’ resurrection three days after his horrific killing by human fellows. Chronologically (according to the Bible), Easter or Passover in Hebrew has been celebrated 1500 years before Jesus’ time, since the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt. Etymologically, the Latin word for Easter – Pascha, of Aramaic origins – is at the base of the names for this religious holiday in all Latin languages today (Paşte in Romanian, Pasqua in Italian, Pâques in French, Pascua in Spanish and Páscoa in Portuguese.) The English word is newer and has Anglo-Saxon roots...

Easter / Holidays

March 13, 2021

Easter Pasca: A Traditional Cake for A Special Occasion

The Romanian Traditional Recipe Pasca is a specific Romanian Easter cake filled with sweet cheese and raisins. The recipe consists of a basic Romanian cozonac dough or the Italian version of it, Panettone, with added sweet cheese filling. Pasca has a deep religious symbolism that revolves around Jesus’ resurrection. The name of the cake itself has prehistoric roots. In the past two millennia, it has been associated with the Christian feast that commemorates the miracle of resurrection. Pasqua in Italian means Easter, and derivates of the word mean the same thing in all Latin languages. In Romanian it would be...

rustic roasted potatoes with game sausages

Romania / Savour the Flavour

January 30, 2021

How to Make Rustic Roasted Potatoes With Game Sausages

A Cosy Winter Dish Rustic roasted potatoes with game sausages or traditionally prepared meats are a regular dish in any Romanian restaurant, especially in Transylvania.I grew up in the magnificent city of Brașov, surrounded by mountains. The ski resort was only fifteen minutes away, so I would go up to the slops even without the intention to practise winter sports, but only for a hearty meal at one of the restaurants that would offer traditional foods. And take my word, there is no better, tastier and delicious food than the traditional Romanian!I had this dish with small and big game,...

Christmas / Easter / Romania / Savour the Flavour / Valentine's Day

January 23, 2021

How To Make Homemade Chocolate From Scratch

The Best Chocolate Is Always Homemade! Homemade chocolate is the most delicious treat mom used to make when I was a child. Using simple ingredients and requiring little time and effort, homemade chocolate is easy to make from scratch, and the taste is divine! The velvety softness and aromas will make you fall in love with it and prefer it over the classical bars, guaranteed! Mom always saved it for special occasions, Christmas, Easter or birthdays, making it more desirable. These days, homemade chocolate would make a perfect Valentine’s Day treat or gift, or a unique addition to the special...

Holidays / Valentine's Day

January 16, 2021

Valentine’s Day. Why and How Do We Celebrate It?

Why Do We Celebrate Valentine’s Day? The world celebrates Valentine’s Day – the winter holiday of love – as a religious remembering of St Valentine, a Roman priest that married couples against Emperor Claudius’ order. Claudius was involved in endless wars with the enemies of the largest ancient empire and needed soldiers. In his vision, a soldier who had a wife and family was not reliable. So he declared marriage illegal. Valentine, a young priest in Umbria (Umbri, in Roman times), cared more about young love than he cared about an emperor’s orders and kept marrying couples secretly. In the...