The World Is an Oyster

Cruising Memoirs of a Wanderlust Soul. A Food And Travel Blog

World travel
cheese pie 60

Romania / Savour the Flavour

Sweet Cheese Pies. Easy Desserts from Mom’s Recipe Book

Sweet Pockets Cheesecakes in any form and shape are widely present in international cuisine. The sweet cheese pies I will talk about today are a traditional Moldavian recipe from Northern Romania. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! This recipe, as many on this blog, is from mom’s recipe book that was filled with delicious dessert ideas she collected from her friends. If she liked a cake when she was a guest in their...

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Romania / Savour the Flavour

Biscuit Salami. Easy to Make Goodies From Mom’s Recipe Book

The Taste of Childhood I was eleven years old when I made my first biscuit salami. In the good old days, the parents would go to work, and the children would spend the three months long summer holiday at home doing whatever they wanted. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! We would mostly go outside to play with other kids (we had a key we wore on a necklace), come back for lunch...

Spooky house 49

Travel Wisdom

Halloween 101. Reasons to Throw a Ghoulish Bash!

Release the Ghosts! The Americans alone spend $9 billion on Halloween. It puts famine into perspective! Those familiar with my posts would understand why my face “fell off” when I read this fact in a news article. My otherwise fierce courage deserted me in my hour of need: I dared not look for a global statistic. I care about my face! 😄 Well, I understand societal consumerism and the urge to party for whatever reason, and I get it even more in the fateful (first) year of the pandemic. I accept both reasons even when they apply to nations that...

Autumn foliage forest 62

Travel Wisdom

A Walk in Time. Born in October

Ice Age Old We all love an autumn walk and dragging our feet through the rustling carpet of colourful leaves bedding a forest path in fall. Ochre, crimson, copper or brown, depending on what decomposing stage they were when they fell from the trees, the dead leaves work their magic on us.  We greedily take in the soothing feeling selflessly provided by nature, the bit of sanity so much needed, and the escape provided by a few hours hike to recharge our batteries. We selfishly don’t give anything back, though. We walk, drag our feet, pick a chlorophyll-deprived leaf and...

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe 31

Italy / Savour the Flavour

Cannelloni With Spinach and Ricotta: An Easy Dinner Idea

Cannelloni With Spinach and Ricotta – The Best Italian Sunday Meal Cannelloni are, in essence, pasta tubes filled with ricotta and spinach or cooked mince meats. Although Italy’s history of pasta goes back to the 4th century BC, cannelloni seems to be a bit younger. Their origin traced around the 8th century CE, in the Etruscan times. There are mentions of this dish in Toscana and Campania around the same time, even if there is some distance between the two regions. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links...

upside-down apple cake with whipped cream 62

Romania / Savour the Flavour

Upside-Down Apple Cake With Whipped Cream – Mom’s Astonishing “Welcome Home” Delight

A Symphony of Scents and Flavours Disclaimer: This recipe contains allergens! Please use suitable substitutes if you have a nut allergy! The “welcome home” favourite in mom’s recipe book was always an impressive upside-down apple cake with whipped cream. I can’t call it pie or tart because it is not; it is a soft sponge over whole apples filled with nuts and spices (we don’t have any food allergies). This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information....

Space ship 42

Travel Wisdom

About Time Travel: Meet Me on a Starship!

What Do We Know? “Meet me on a starship!” my friend told me five years ago when he decided to die. He said he’d had enough; eighty-six was plenty of time spent in this world and needed some rest from it. A week later, he was gone, just like that. It was not the first time I saw someone setting their mind on departing and succeeding; I had seen it before in old age. All seems good, and suddenly people decide enough is enough. In a few days, their bodies shut down quietly, and they pass peacefully. I was amazed...

Rosemary Pita bread recipe 33

Greece / Savour the Flavour

Greek Pita Bread. Bake The Fun And Easy Way!

Baked Greek Pita Bread There is no more straightforward recipe to bake nor yummier than pita bread! With origins going back to the Middle East’s first farming settlements, pita can be considered a prehistoric bread type.  Our ancestors used to bake this flatbread directly on the fire. Later, the stone ovens came into use. Today, we bake it in the oven or fry it in little oil, depending on how much time and effort we invest into preparing pitas. In time, the method has changed, as has the name. Apparently, as its use spread through the Mediterranean, it became pizza in...

Istanbul Twilight 42

Mediterranean Sea / Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey. The Night’s Mistress on the Golden Horn

The Spell of Twilight Music: Nemo, Nightwish Movie: The Promise (2016) Book: The Bastard of Istanbul, Elif Shafak There are those places in the world that are impossible to grasp in one sentence, see in one day, or ever forget. Istanbul is one of them. Booking.com Stretched on two continents, Europe and Asia, at the mouth of Bosporus Strait that connects The Black Sea to The Sea of Marmara, the city sits on layers of history layers. Istanbul is a tempting mistress that wraps you in her voluptuous mystery like an alluring siren’s song. Wherever you turn your head, the skyline is bristled by...

Greek moussaka 45

Greece / Savour the Flavour

How to Make Light Greek Moussaka

A Greek Dish With International Influences Greek moussaka (or light Greek moussaka for those who don’t care about the heavy béchamel sauce) is a must-have dish if you travel to Greece, just as it is proper to try Greek coffee or wine. The flavours are unique! As you sit on a tavern terrace and (preferably) enjoy a fabulous sea view, remember that the stress is on the last syllable when you ask the waiter for moussaka. Original from the Levant and updated by adding a posh French sauce, moussaka is known as a Greek dish, cooked with variations in most...

Greek Salad with Feta Cheese 46

Greece / Savour the Flavour

Traditional Greek Salad: Healthy, Nutritious and Easy to Make

A Gastronomic Tribute to Homer’s Mythical Heroes and Feta Cheese It is impossible to visit any part of Greece without eating at least one traditional Greek Salad. I’ve had my fill almost everywhere, but I liked it better in Santorini. Not because the recipe was any different, but because the company was excellent!  I was spending one afternoon idling around the streets of Santorini with my then my boyfriend Hotass (not his real name, just a nickname he acquired on a funny occurrence!) We stopped at a tavern for dinner in the evening while admiring a fabulous Mediterranean sunset over the...

Greeting words in foreign languages Travel Abroad 77

Travel Wisdom

What Do You Learn When You Travel Abroad?

Foreign Languages Proverbs – Colloquialism Or Popular Wisdom Do you really have to speak foreign languages when you travel abroad? With today’s technology, translation is always at hand on your mobile. Although being fluent in all the languages of all the countries you are visiting would make you a candidate for the Nobel Price nomination! This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! But what do you learn when you travel abroad, really? In preparation,...

Italian Ciabatta bread 37

Italy / Savour the Flavour

Make the Best Italian Ciabatta Bread

Rustic Ciabatta: Our Daily Bread from the Eighties Bread might be one of the oldest foods created by humans, but people will always invent new varieties, especially the French or Italians. It is the case of rustic Italian ciabatta, our daily loaf from the eighties, which at nearly fifty is one of the youngest assortments of bread that found worldwide fame in just a few years from being invented.  How has the delicious slipper-shaped bread with a smooth, crisp crust and porous, slightly humid interior come to be? It seems we owe it to the Italian rally pilot turned miller,...

Amathus Limassol Cyprus Mediterranean 39

Cyprus / Mediterranean Sea

Limassol, Cyprus. Where Will Your Love Story Find You?

Ignis Music: Corazón Espinado, Carlos Santana Movie: Genius: Einstein (Season 1) Book: Killing Pythagoras, Marcos Chicot This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! In the middle of the eastern Mediterranean lies Cyprus – an island divided between Greece and Turkey. Cyprus was populated by a thriving civilisation as far back as the Neolithic era. Greeks, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians, a certain young Macedonian king who set to rule the entire known world, Romans, Arabs, Turks and post-colonialist Brits conquered...

Tiramisu Italian Recipe 58

Italy / Savour the Flavour

How to Make the Best Ever Classic Tiramisù

A Finger-Licking Delicious Italian Dessert I had the idea to make a classic Tiramisù after reading this book: Every Day Is A Holiday by George Mahood. The author, a family man, had an epiphany that people invented or created many holidays connected to something meaningful. The entire calendar, all 360 days of it, consists of something significant enough that deserves recognition. So, Mahood celebrated something every day for a whole year. Anything is worth revelling, from Zombie Day on the first of January to Oopsie Daisy Day, Awkward Moments Day, Work Naked Day, No Diet Day and everything in between. The book...

Rhodes Greece Mediterranean Beach Holiday Europe Travel Destinations 26

Greece / Mediterranean Sea

Rhodes, Greece. Love in the Times of Ancient Civilisations

Colossus. Glory And Oblivion Music: Amaranthine, Amaranthe  Movie: Colossus of Rhodes, a Sergio Leone classic Book: The King Must Die, Mary Renault This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! Rhodes, 226 BC “Ebele, come greet Croesus! He has come to arrange the transport for the archon’s order!” “Mother, I’m busy now. Tell Croesus I’ll speak with him later!” Ebele rushed to the pot of stale water to rinse her hands of clay before checking the kiln.  Dry clay covered her...

Amalfi Coast Italy Spaghetti with clams Italian Pasta Recipe 44

Italy / Savour the Flavour

Make the Best Spaghetti With Clams – Pasta All’Amalfitana

An Amalfi Coast Special Release the well-known aphrodisiac power of seashells in this easy to make spaghetti with clams recipe that will make your dinner special! Date night, a memorable Valentine’s Day meal or even a regular easy dinner would become notable when you add a touch of Italian cuisine magic! The truth be told, no Italian food can go wrong, but you can make it just a bit more particular by adding ingredients that work wonders to a relatively simple dish. Imagine the sparkle this dish can ignite on Valentine’s Day! To many, pasta with clams does not even...

Venice Italy Carnival Mask 55

Italy

Venice. The Jewel Of The Adriatic

Game of Masks Music: Winter in July, Sarah Brightman Movie: Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips) Book: The Honest Courtesan, Margaret Rosenthal  For the entire summer, the cruise ship docks in Venice for three days every three weeks. A few minutes stroll through a sea of tourists that swarm the city in the summer months takes me to Piazza San Marco.  This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! Even closer to the pier is an extension of the Giardini...

Caprese salad cover photo 36

Italy / Savour the Flavour

Make A Quick And Easy Caprese Salad

Simple Is Beautiful and Delicious! As the name implies, the fresh, delicious and effortless Caprese salad originates from Capri – Mediterranean’s most fascinating island, just a short boat ride from Naples. It might seem a humble dish, but it is one of Italy’s favourites. And we love it too! The Italians take pride in considering it a homage to their flag: green, white and red served on a plate. Caprese is ready in minutes and brings the unforgettable taste of a holiday in the sun. It is perfect as a main or side dish served with garlic bread or pita....

Alexandria Egypt 37

Egypt

Alexandria. The African City Of Alexander The Great

Taste of a City Music: There’s a Storm a’ Coming, Richard Hawley Movie: King Tut                                                                      Book: The Fires of Alexandria, Thomas K. Carpenter. The Amun Chamber, Daniel Leston This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you! I don’t remember seeing a dark cloud in the skies of Alexandria. I wonder if it ever rains in this urban oasis at the fringe of the Sahara Desert. I’m up on the open deck to watch the ship...

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