The 25,000th BIG MAC

It started as a fantastic day. Made my coffee, sat on the balcony to read my paper.
Nothing could strike me. Not even the sad look of my garden which was destroyed by the storm last night or the latest news on Osama's death which apparently happened in 2006 already on a very normal way and not just last week due to gunshots.... Completely normal. The world seemed just as crazy as usually. So I went on peacefully with my reading until I saw this article on the LA Times:

"Wisconsin man eats his 25,000th Big Mac"

!!!!!!!!!! 25,000??? No joke, just 25,000 times super easy, super fast, super size, super salty, super horrible food kind of thing.

Don't get me wrong. I am not one of those people, who proudly announces "never going to McD again" or "haven't even been there since age 6". While secretly or with an excuse occasionally (nothing else was available, I was on a hurry, or the best one: the kids wanted to go...) but with pleasure stuffing the plastic crap straight into the mouth. I still remember, how many people - and how long - were cuing up front of the doors to get a bite of some American taste, once McD opened the first stores in Eastern Europe. So everyone, just go a little softer on those statements please.  Since we all got some kind of sentimental relationship with McD. Don't tell me you have never organized/ended a date/meeting or a party at the clown house!

Let's face it. The good old - lately healthy-food pretender- golden gate company made it into the childhood part of our brain. We know that it's crap and plastic. But we also know that excited grin on our face at the counter while asking for a menu just after thinking for about 10 minutes what to take from the offer we know by heart....It's not about the food at McD. It's about the idea of going there.

No, I am not encouraging you to do so, since as you know by now, I hate bad food. Just like bad junk-food. But I have to tell you honestly, that I like to have fun there. I like to eat with my hands, make a mess with my food and to feel that real American spirit we imagined to linger around about 20 years ago. And I still like the Happy Meal plastic gifts idea, even if its days are seriously numbered by the WHO. That's the reason why perhaps I won't cross McD completely off from my list. But 25,000 plastic buns? 2x a day a Big Mac and even keeping some in your freezer? That's the worst confusion since the American Psycho...

"I plan on eating Big Macs until I die," said Gorske, 57, the Big Mac hero. "I have no intentions of changing. It's still my favorite food.... I look forward to it every day."

Good for you mate. Just please do not spread your obsession around... and please start to see someone with obsessive mental/eating disorders. It's sad. Really it is. I am telling you... this world is going crazy.... beyond all imagination....

Coolest cooler ever

It's hard to tell you something new about this fantastic brand and its amazing promotion ideas. But this time, I just couldn't resist to blog about their promotion cooler pack. Check this out!

Get a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, add a design idea made from high quality plastic with  cooling function. En voila, you created a wanted collectors piece. WELL DONE!

The CHOCBAR experience

As you know I love chocolate.
Even more nicely packaged chocolates.
And more than that quality chocolates.
Well... CHOCO's CHOCBAR made it to my basket and once I opened it, straight into my heart.
(I picked the crazy chili & caramel version, but there are other tempting options out there in case this is too hardcore for you.)
Woow! Cool packaging! You can see the actual product. No seek and hide. No joke. Just the naked truth. Front of your eyes even before buying it. If you dare to be so transparent, you must be good. And they are. It's made from Valrhona chocolate, which stands for luxury and outstanding quality. Once you open the package another pleasant surprise awaits... The shape of the CHOCBAR is chic. Not just chic, it looks like a high-end design piece. It's actually hard to bite in it, not just because it's so pretty, also because it's so voluptous.The experience is not for beginners. Sweet caramel taste all around....hmmmm.... and just at the moment, when you start wondering what happened to it.... little chili sister kicks in and completes the experience. It's really intense, so despite its size, you will not finish it on the spot.
Try it please...I am hooked....

Ethiopia's white capsule

Nespresso is out with a new limited edition - Onirio -  coming from Ethiopia.

A very interesting blend, promising flower notes of jasmine and orange blossom.The coffee was roasted on a special way to provide refined aromas.

I liked the idea. Not to mention the elegant white packaging and the marketing communication with all those white flowers. I was amazed by

Publish Post

the new cup design, I really find it something special. I would say, one of the best editions ever from the Nespresso boutique.

But the coffee is not the best Nespresso has ever picked for a limited selection. The claimed rounded body  it's just not there. Despite the intensity level 5 the coffee is rather easy and light. The taste is not capturing and compare to other members of the Nespresso family, it doesn't leave any big impression once you taste it. It's weak for an espresso. Missing the kicking effect. More like a grandma kind of espresso. For sure this is something different in the range in terms of its light taste and the even lighter texture. But it's also sure, it's not gonna be the favorite of the coffee lovers.

Give it a try. Surely, I'll invest into a few cups. They are just amazing.

Byron goes pasta

Guess what! I LOOOOVE pasta... tomato and seafood. Especially if they are all together on my plate. There is a very special place in Athens where I believe seafood pasta is by far the best, but I only get there once a year, so I am always looking for alternative sources.

Today I had lunch in Lausanne, Switzerland at a lovely Italian restaurant, called Accademia.
The restaurant belongs to the elegant Hotel Angleterre and facing the Lac Leman without any compromise with a fantastic view to the breathtaking mountains of France. Just perfect. Like the service. You want to sit in the sun. Great, Mr. X. Enjoy! But when 10 minutes later, already half-cooked with a slight sunburn on your forehead, you ask for some shade, the waiters rolls out a 600 kg umbrella stand with a smile within a second and hop you are protected by an elegant white canvas. A big like.

This place is special. Not just because this is a restaurant where Lord Byron wrote his Prisoner of Chillon, but also because the staff is very keen on providing great service.
Here you are Mr. X.Y. Z and not just "Mr Guest". Everyone speaks Italian, so you better memorize that Cozzi means Mussels and don't ask inappropriate questions about the shape of your pasta. Just figure the main ingredients, close your eyes and pick something. It's gonna be fine. I did the same and once my plate appeared, I knew it's gonna be amazing. The spaghetti was soft, but not overcooked, the tomato sauce was sweet with tantalizing basil and parsley taste... and it had tonnes of Cozzi and even more Gambas....  hmmmmmmm... I was thrilled. 

I got only one small issue during my lunch. I had to share my plate, because it looked so amazing, that everyone wanted a bite... Too bad for a food maniac :)

If you are ever around Lausanne, go and try it. Take it easy. Book a table. Drink a glass of Oeil de Perdrix from Neuchâtel and enjoy the view before the pasta arrives. It's gonna be a yummy experience. I promise.

wings of taste

I like to travel. It’s always been a great pleasure for me. Embracing different cultures, get lost in their gastronomy and life style for a short period of time it’s just fun. I don’t mind the packing chaos, the pre-trip stress or the taxi hunting before the check-in. But there is something during my trips, what is hunting me. Frequently reminds me of quality and service and pulls me in again and again to my never-ending war against horrible, unhealthy, ready-made industrial food. It’s called: AIRPLANE MEAL.


And not just on the good old economy class. I have the same opinion on business class meals as well. Just because it’s served with metal cutlery instead of a paper box, it’s the same experience. Just bad.

And it all starts with those fancy paper boxes strictly decorated according to the latest art design ideas. A waste of effort of the designer team and even more money on the production costs. In 5 minutes it’s going to land in the rubbish bin anyways.  It feels like a silent interactive theater. It’s a sarcastic comedy with a tragic end about food. The play is always the same. Looking forward to get THE box. It arrives sooner or later with a smile or an ignorant way, depends on your luck. Fingers moving, it’s the grand box opening ceremony. Eyes wide open with a touch of disbelieve. You bite with hopes. Silence falls onto the plane. The second bite. You take another look at your snack with faces of disapproval, yet brave chewing and swallowing follows. The stomach starts sending a strong "SOS PLASTIC" signal. Looking around for approval from others. Chewing. Swallowing. Coffee arrives. Relief. Box closing. We are still alive.

I wish the airlines would understand the importance of food and its influence. Instead of wasting money on fancy meal boxes, they would focus rather on better food quality. Who wants to eat crap from a nice box instead of eating something proper from a plain re-cycled paper box? I bet you wouldn’t miss those funny peppers and tomato pictures. Would you? I thought so…

Hello, hello!
To be honest, I am struggling here people... I promised I won't blog about bad service or horrible food much, but it's actually way much harder as I thought...

In the last few weeks I have visited several restaurants and trust me it's hard to find anything good to report. Not because I go to bad places. It's because people think opening and running a kitchen is a piece of cake.

This made me think. How much time and energy do we actually invest in finding a good restaurant or a proper butcher? Why do we pick certain restaurants? Since fame is not equal to quality, there must be a reason why bad restaurants are packed and enjoy a great image, while offering warmed up canned food quality. How well educated are we on gastronomy, hospitality and on food in general? How much do we expect to get once we sit down to a table we had to reserve a few weeks in advance?

I tend to say, we do know a beep, but not much more. Which is unfortunate, yet it's not a crime.
There are plenty of ways to get educated on these matters. If you are interested. The problem is, that we all go to restaurants and only open our mouth to order or get a bite, but never to complain or give a compliment. Like blind eating machines with poor taste receptors. And it shows. On the quality of the service, on the quality of the food, on the unbelievably cheap preparation and presentation of the dishes... Just sad... The other day, I've tried some beef tartar, and it was so horrible, that I actually felt bad about that particular animal, who lost its life to end up so badly prepared on a plate. A wasted life and clearly just waste of money...

You are what you eat. Even if you eat in the restaurant, you are what you eat. Don't forget that and open your mouth if you don't want to turn into that tasteless, ugly something on your plate....

mangolicious

Mangolicious-Infusion

 Tiffin's is a safe bet in Zürich's downtown.

If you go there you know that you are going to eat well. This lovely restaurant not just offers all the classics of all Asian kitchens, but gives you the opportunity to personalize your choice according to your daily wish. You order your dish and decide on tofu, beef or chicken. Lovely! You get huge portions of fresh and tasty food from the friendly, but not at all professional waiters. And on top this whole attraction is reasonably priced. Because of its casual spirit, the atmosphere is easy going and the place is always full. Except on Sundays, when they are just closed.

But the last time I had lunch there, I was deceived. Big time. Not from the food. That was ok this time, but not really worth to blog about it. I had a fresh drink, called Mangolicious-Infusion. 

No joke people. 

I have never drunk anything so amazing in my entire life!!!!!

This creation is so tantalizing, that after the first sip you forget about everything what bothered you two minutes ago and after the second you are only capable of one thing. Desperately wave for an another one. 
The drink is just amazingly fresh. The presentation is actually very modest. It's looks like a funny home made summer drink from the 80's. But once you get a sip, you have to face a taste shock and a long lasting love-effect in the middle of your gastro-heart. The mango taste is so intense, that your taste receptors almost can’t believe that you are actually drinking and not biting into a fresh, juicy fruit. 


It’s a little crazy from a few slices of bamboo and ginger. Chilled by a few ice cubes. Perfect! 

www.tiffins.ch 

I love chocolate.

Not just that first sweet bite, but already the whole idea of buying a chocolate bar. How is it?

You get the idea. You are tempted to go for it, but then reality kicks in. So you say no. How could you? Summer is arriving… Rather just follow your Atkins-Diet…But since you are at the store already, it can’t harm you to look at the chocolate section. Just to look. And just to get lost. Especially if they are packaged smart. Something different. Just to get a little attention once you walk in. To stop you. Front of them. They are smiling at you. Straight from the packaging. Sexy underwear. Beautiful bodies. 100% US style from 1953. Not the desperate ones. But the lovely pin ups. Seriously Monroe is not even close to these girls. Temptation pure. Smiling down at you from an old-school chocolate paper. You are lost.

Let’s see. Wow! Big size! America hits you immediately. Really, it hardly fits into your palms. You turn it around: Made in USA. You pull your nose. No way to buy it. It’s not really sophisticated. Do you agree? Or not? Atkins swings in. And your mother. Talking about being appropriate... You put it back. She looks at you again. No way to leave it here. You are deceived. And you haven’t even tasted yet the delightfully rich, but smooth chocolate bars of MarieBelle New York. The Columbian chocolate combinations are fantastic. Reminds me of the good old chocolate bars of grandma. Takes you back in time for a bite.

My personal favourite is Daisy. But if one day Charlotte will ask me again, I won’t say no….

Partyglass confusion is over!

I don't know what about you, but I have got a real problem with drinking from other people's glass. I spent long hours on parties holding my glass, dragging it even to the dance-floor with me, just to avoid any potential glass-switch accidents...

Thanks to an innovative solution of Vacu Vin, these days are over. With these little colorful plastic figures you can easily mark your glass. The package is a bargain and you can find it in diverse funny themes. Pick your theme, find your color, choose a character. Mark your glass. It's going to stick longer on the glass, than any of your friends at the party.

Magical Verbena

No. I didn't lose my mind writing about one of the most sought after herbal infusions of the world. I am a great fan of this fantastic herb, which is good for your digestive system, calms your nerves and even reduces fever. Verbena is not just known as a natural medicine, but grown also for commercial use, and culinary purposes as well. Culinary as well, yes. But since verbena lost its appreciation in European kitchen in the last century, I am wondering how many of you have actually spiced your grilled chicken, fish stew or crème brûlée already with this lemony scent?

Well if you use it, you know, what I am talking about. If not, please give it a go.

You can actually replace oregano with verbena and create a totally new taste on good old recipes. Mix it with basil and you will fly to heaven once you taste your seafood pasta. Mix it with vanilla and add it to your fruit salad or sorbet. If you are lazy to cook, just peep your mojito with some fresh leaves and discover a new tantalizing drink.

Believe me, you will love it.

Le Rouge (Verbier, Switzerland)

Le Rouge Restaurant & Club is one of the biggest hit right now in Verbier, at one of the coolest ski-resorts of Switzerland.

To be honest, I've never had such a controversial experience ever in my life in terms of a restaurant. The perfect combination of a MUST and an AVOID. Kind of a hate & love relationship.

The restaurant is located just right the end of a slope, therefore on the late afternoon this place is THE aprés-ski spot for everyone, but mainly for the rich and beautiful. (And of course for those they think they are rich and beautiful. Or at least one of the two.)

The design is extremely cool. Creative, welcoming, stylish. It's got a lovely Swedish touch spiced up with a modern high-end chalet idea and decorated with old winter sports pictures. Perfect!

Unfortunately, the service is a great flop. If you see the job descriptions on their advertisements, it's always for skilled staff. Preferably just out of one of the great hospitality schools of Switzerland. The question is why they can't hire them at the end...

If you try to get a table for dinner, you have to book it well in advance. When you get there don't be scared if nobody notices or greets you. It takes a few long minutes to react on your arrival. But no reason to panic. Anyways you have to wait for your table about a half an hour at the bar, where you supposed to have a drink. If someone would ask, what would you like to have... Extremely busy barman. Initially you'll get to your table, after witnessing several groups, clearly the restaurant manager's friends disappearing within a minute to their tables, waiters running around without any reason, and - because of the (half)open design - the kitchen swimming in chaos....

Once you get to your table, the service gets fast and furious. The arrogant waitresses suddenly turn into friendly people and you tend to forget about your previous adventure. Mainly because overall the place has got a great atmosphere and you dine with really stylish people around you. High society from all around the world.

Disappointingly the menu is not well set. Most of the people order the same starter and it's limited on fish. The offer looks very stylish on paper, but in reality the food is really average and lacking of that fine cuisine touch, they pretend to offer. Rather a show - off fusion cuisine try with a strong neglect touch. Looks nice, taste nothing special. Brave presentation, courages preparation. Not even scared to pre-cook dishes and use a reliable microwave option.

The place is overpriced for what it offers. Nevertheless, if you want to have a chat with someone important after your ski holiday in Switzerland, you have to dine there.


Overall: Try it once and enjoy the atmosphere. Don't expect much from the food and shake off the lingering arrogance...

Show time

Hello Everyone!

Glad you are here to read my blog!

Not much of a talk needed on the basics and the intentions of this project. It's clear. Our focus is good food and great experiences in gastronomy.

So let's start our tour in this amazing world, instead of talking too much.

Promise I'll focus on good ideas instead of horrific examples. I'll report everything, I find useful for you on restaurants, food and other gastronomical ideas.

You are what you eat. You are how you eat.

You have the right to make your choice on your food and to get access to quality food.

I want you to eat well, think right of food and act, as it's the best for your soul and spirit.

Enjoy the ride :)