Limit to Your Love

Do you even need a dinner with this one? If so, pair it with any of the below and if you still have complaints contact your shrink.

Spicy Chocolate Pops

Crunchy sweetness on a stick...with a little something to spice up your day.

If some of my recipes are pure improvisation, this one is from the out of space of the back of my brain. 

It's a bit unusual in the sense that it is really hard and crunchy (I like), but if you are not a fan of exercising your beautiful teeth, you can always add the usual bit of flower, milk, butter, and egg mixture. Also, though I like it sweet, I think I'm sweet enough myself so I don't over do it with the sugar. Expect the richness of dark chocolate with only a touch of sugar. Suite yourself to add more if you wish.

Miami Art Basel -> sunshine, design, music, good crowd

I am about one year late with this one; however, this may just be the perfect time to put you in the mood for the upcoming Miami Art Basel 2013, which will take place on December 5-8.

Where great art meets sunshine and equally great music, you know you will meet interesting crowd. This venue gathers fun loving art lovers from around World; a more mature crowd with more refined taste and acute sense of design. Yes, there are parties but it is not a party focused venue. A little culture is always good for the soul. Over 250 of the world’s leading galleries exhibit art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries by over 4,000 artists. You can buy a detailed guide to this year's exhibits from Hatje Cantz.

So if you are thinking of visiting this sunny city this year, here are some useful tips:

Burning Man beyond Art, Music, and the mighty Dust

So what is Burning Man? Uffff….this may be one of the most difficult questions to answer.  No matter how many photos you show, how many stories you tell, there is no way of creating an adequate picture in the other person’s even the most creative head. To begin with, how do you explain to someone that a bunch of people (well…68,000 to be exact) go out into a desert each year to build a city, which lasts only a week. They build streets, beautiful art, move around in art cars, create theaters, schools, bars, clubs, even a post office; they all participate. There is no cellphone network, there are sand storms, and they probably don’t shower for at least a few days in a row; it’s radical self-reliance.  So why would they do that?

Feeling sLOVEnia

This post has a special dedication to my dear friend Nina Vodopivec...a woman, a rock star, a friend to keep forever. Thank you Nina for showing me your paradise :)

My visit to Slovenia was quite unexpected I have to admit and formed a part of my 6-month sabatical, which completely changed the way I approach life in general...for better of course. I had a chance to visit this surprisingly beautiful country, the only country that actually has the word "love" in its name and very appropriately so may I add. I mean really, how much breath taking nature and kindness can you fit in a country the size and shape of a chicken? Impressive.

I did have a wonderful guide, my dear friend Nina, a warm hearted and crazy Slovenian rock star (literary). Nina loves nature and is not afraid of the most extreme rafting, canyoning, horse racing, or whatever the day may bring upon you, and she takes you for a ride. So we begin our journey from the chicken's tail and the home to the turquoise waters of the Soča river.

Cytrynowka -> The Kozak Family Nectar

Cytrynowka reminds me of home back in Poland and the large, loooong, and loud family dinner parties. 

The experience:  It is served small and innocent in a shot glass, chilled to the texture of a jelly. The color is of pure gold with the freshness of a lemon; the flavor…mmmm sweet yet sour with a hint of cheering fermentation to put you in the mood. I could safely admit that it is a bit dangerous.

This golden drink quickly became the family icon and gained its popularity among the various aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends in Poland and around the World. Every time I was going back home to visit my family I had a list of orders for a bottle of Cytrynowka. And so I have decided to master the recipe and make it no matter where I am on this beautiful planet. Here goes the scoop:

1410 - History or just good old Polish home made booze?

1410 is the year during which the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by the king Władysław II Jagiełło, won the battle against the knights of the Teutonic Order. This was one of the most important battles in Medieval Europe, and the largest battle to involve knights.

Curiously enough, 1410 is also a recipe for the home made Polish booze called "bimber", think of it as home made vodka just stronger. Not for amateurs I would say. How is that for a tool to teach lazy students their country's history? So here is how it goes:

1 kg sugar

4 lt water

10 dekagram yeast

Of course, you still have to go through the whole distillation process etc. and really, you are better off buying a nice little bottle of Żubrówka or Belveder :)

Poland meets Mexico -> The Wild Boar

From the thick Polish forests to the warm coasts and deserts of Mexico, there is always a way to combine cultures and their flavors and make something special. It is even more special when you can share it with the people you love. In the case of this delicacy, I teamed up with my dad, the Wild Boar expert. He made the meat and I was busy with the chile sauce and tortillas. 

Steamy kitchen, glass of wine, good company, wild stories, and mutual teaching was more than I could have asked for during my last visit to Poland. On top of that, call me biased, but OMG it was too good to be true. I literary came back the next day for a refill.

Cusco - Machu Picchu Decoded

Although Cusco and Machu Picchu have been on the top of my travel list for a while, I planned this particular journey very spontaneously and bought the plane ticket two days before my journey. It was the perfect moment for me to do it, as I was on the crossway of my life, both professional and personal.

When I arrived to Cusco, I immediately felt the energy of this place. Located on the altitude of 3,300 meters above the sea level this Andean city is filled with energetic ruins and other historic memoirs of the Incas. It also gathers many healers and shamans from the region and abroad. People come here not only to discover the archeological wonders of the ancient civilizations but also to experience their healing powers and listen to the teachings of Pacha Mama or Mother Earth. We still have a lot to learn from our ancestors.

It is really worth staying around Cusco and the Sacred Valle for days and days but for this itinerary I will assume that you only have one week.

Hungry for Romance: aphrodisiac cookbooks

I am gathering a list of aphrodisiac cookbooks as part of some research that I am doing and I thought I'd share some of them with you. 

Here are a few to play around with in the intimacy of your (or someone else's) kitchen. Happy romancing :)