Celebrating the 4th of July in Italy

Well Happy Belated 4th of July everyone!!

I meant to post this last night, but sadly in the middle of writing I fell asleep! Actually, I hadn't even started writing, I only successfully opened the page.  I guess that just means I'm exhausted from work and the heat... or quite possibly that I should sleep more!

But I hope everyone had a great day yesterday and that the fireworks didn't get too delayed thanks to the rain I heard about.

Here in Rome, it was beautifully sunny and quite hot all day, but it definitely didn't quite feel like a holiday because I left for work at 7:45 am and then stuck around until 5:30 doing various planning and projects for next week.  And there were definitely no real fireworks for me! :(

Homemade Strawberry Jam Tart

That being said I had a wonderful day because although I started early, I got to work with four great
kids (2 Americans and 2 Italians) for a 4th of July themed English lesson (the 2 Americans were my assistents). We had fun talking about the 4th and playing games. And one of the girls brought in a homemade strawberry tart that she had helped her mother make!
But the most fun for me was all the crafting.  We made Statue of Liberty Crowns and FIREWORKS!! That's right, but don't worry, they weren't the exploding kind.

My firework! I wish I had photographed the kids' projects!
Theirs were amazing!

Although, we also went outside and exploded coca cola and mentos!  They had a lot of fun and so did I!

My beautiful 4th of July grilled dinner

Then after work I took a trip to the super market and got the workings of a non-traditional Italianized
4th of July meal.  When I think 4th of July, I think of hot dogs and hamburgers, pasta salad, potato salad and corn on the cob.  So I made a regular salad, a couple of mini hotdogs (I have no idea why they're so small but they taste like real hot dogs), and veal hamburgers with Asiago cheese.  I originally wanted to make turkey burgers or regular burgers, but I didn't find either at my grocery store, instead I found ground veal and thought it would be a fun

I even found sesame seed buns

experiment.
Let me tell you, it was a delicious experiment that worked out quite well!! I think I'll definitely be making veal burgers again so I'll have a separate post up with the recipe soon.  I made them quite simply and found sesame seed buns in the store as well.  I took out my indoor grill pan and grilled up my burgers and hot dogs and served it up beautifully with ketchup, mustard and mayo on the side.  And I had half a beer, delicious for only 87cents.  I wanted to drink the whole beer but I fell asleep before I could. It was definitely a long day!!
And then I had a plate of cold cherries and peaches all while watching Doctor Who in Italian and then in English (on my computer).  All in all, it was a good 4th of July!

Such gorgeous color

Restaurant Review Prague: U Vejvodu

Their downstairs

We spotted this restaurant while walking from Old Town Square to Charles Bridge. It looked large but somehow quaint and friendly and I got a kick out of the name. For whatever reason, I kept mispronouncing it as Dejavu, and so we decided to go back and figure out how to pronounce it.  After taking pictures by the bridge we walked back and found it again.  Luckily it was quite easy to find.
The restaurant is actually quite famous not only for its typical Czech atmosphere in the style of an Old Bohemian restaurant (once upon a time the Czech Republic was known as La Bohemia, which I think is awesome) but also famous for its Pillsner beer and traditional Czech cuisine.  I'm quite glad that we stumbled upon it.
We walked inside and it has a lovely traditional ale house feel.  The bars are prominent in all the different sections of the large restaurant.  There are a lot of different seating areas so we decided to go downstairs to escape the chill, damp in the air (since we had gotten rained on earlier in the evening.
 The waiters were lovely and low key and did not really care where we seated ourselves. They also throughout the evening left us in peace. They definitely didn't rush us even though we stayed in there for a long time but they also were pretty good about paying attention to our table. We didn't sit there too terribly long waiting for them to clear the table or for them to bring us the bill.
We chose a table in a not terribly crowded nook. It wasn't too loud but still had a lot of sound and vibrancy. The restaurant wasn't too dark or too bright which really let us relax after a long day of travelling and walking around.
I also loved the table settings because there were pretzels on a rack on each table. It was quite quaint and picturesque to me. We sat down and promptly ordered drinks. I got my Kingswood Cider and Endira got a more traditional Pilsner.
We took a lot of time to look over the menu. We wanted to get traditional Czech food that would warm the soul and stomach after all the damp of the afternoon.

Enjoying my cider!

I decided to order the Plzeňský guláš sypaný cibulkou, houskový knedlík otherwise known as the Pilsner Urquell Beef goulash, served with fresh onion and bread dumplings. It was really heavy as a dish but absolutely delicious and flavorful. The stew was thick and had a hint of spice and the beef was quite tender. I didn't love the quantity of raw onion on top (it was definitely too much raw onion for me), but I did like the texture that it added to the dish. My goulash was served with 3 pieces of crust-less bread to sop up all of the stew-like sauce. This worked for me since I liked the flavor.  It also came with a bread dumpling. The dumpling was a little on the dry side, but it was quite good with the sauce and beef.  Overall I liked my dish even though it was quite heavy and I was ready to burst after eating it all.  I didn't even finish all the bread and sauce and I was incredibly full. And I was missing my vegetables. I really wanted greenery.
Endira decided to go for something traditionally Czech as well.  She ordered Moravský vrabec s bílým
zelím, bramborový a houskový knedlík which is Roasted pork pieces with white cabbage, potato and bread dumplings.  Warning: the menu says white cabbage, but they really mean sauerkraut (which I suppose is equivalent but we weren't thinking) which is pretty important since Endira nor I really like sauerkraut. Endira did not love her meal. I liked the flavor of her pork but it was quite rich, and I think needed more sauce. Since neither of us actually like sauerkraut I can't really make a comment on the kraut served, it looked and tasted like ordinary sauerkraut to me.  I did like her potato and bread dumplings as well, although they were admittedly a little strange. I've never had anything like them. They were potato and bread pressed together and then steamed. I have no comparison point for it. They were great for soaking up the flavor of sauces but they had no real flavor of their own and I don't think there was enough sauce in that plate for them to be totally useful.  The dish was quite heavy and Endira was also ridiculously full at the end of our meal. I know that she would have loved some vegetables as well.
We opted out of getting dessert because we were too full to eat even another morsel.  The prices were also quite good (at least I think since I had very little concept of the Czech money) and I felt like we didn't spend a fortune on our very filling and traditional meal.

The cuteness I found on the way out of the restaurant

Prague Adventures Part II

The beautiful clock tower

Delays, delays... I'm always delayed! But I'm working on it!

entertaining music

Here's Part II of my Prague fun.
On our first morning we went on an awesome free walking tour through the center of Prague. I saw so many amazing eateries while we were walking but there just wasn't enough time to stop, not if I wanted to learn about Prague's history too... I chose to satiate my brain and ignore my stomach for a while (which was silly since I hadn't eaten breakfast). On our one break, Endira did get Mulled Wine which was delicious. I could have gotten food but I was having way too much fun relaxing in the sun listening to this older man play saxophone and singing. He even sang in Italian for the crowd.
When the tour ended we went back into the market and got chicken skewers with onions and red

Chicken Skewers and beers on the street

peppers. They were well seasoned, smoky, and juicy, fresh off the grill.  The skewers were served in a long toasted bun. They were delicious but slightly difficult to eat unless you removed the chicken and vegetables from the stick which was quite difficult to do with no plates while sitting on the ground. That being said, I managed it and it was totally worth it.  Removing the skewers made it a lot easier to eat and we were very happy. We also had some beers with our meal while sitting in the shade of the gorgeous clock tower.

me and my dark beer

Then more beer. I tried dark beer for the first time and it was delicious. It wasn't as dark or as thick as Guiness nor was it a meal unto itself. It was a little heavier than the blonde beers I've tried before but it was not overly rich and really tasty. I liked it even better than the Pillsner.

my beautiful berries

We walked around center and found another market to explore as well. It was mostly witches (I'm still not quite sure what they were doing there), beautiful paintings and other artisan made things.  It was quaint and adorable and I wanted to buy everything. I especially wanted to buy the fruit. It was beautiful and fresh and the colors were vividly bright. It was awesome.
Then we went back to touring. We went to the Jewish quarter

from the window of the
museum

and saw the museums and WWII memorials there and we also saw one of the oldest standing Jewish cemeteries. It was absolutely stunning and a little eerie. The oldest grave that I saw dates back to the 1400's. I would actually really like to learn more about that cemetery because it was so crowded with graves spanning back centuries. They are literally one on top of the other, no space, no plan. It is hauntingly beautiful.
Afterwards we wandered around the city some more and grabbed another snack before heading over to the Ice Bar (more on that in a moment). We went back to the market

I was super hungry so I forgot to take a before shot.

again and I got a grilled cheese on toast. But it wasn't like the grilled cheese that you think of in the states. it was quite literally a hunk of cheese placed directly on the burner until melted, creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside.  It was served on a piece of bread and had a wonderful flavor and texture. I'm not sure what kind of cheese it was but it was quite delicious.  Endira instead opted to try some goulash soup.  It was quite tasty and considerably lighter than the goulash main

course that I'd tried the evening before.  It had a kick of spice but it wasn't overwhelming. the soup had a full and heart flavor.
Next we headed over to the the Ice Bar by Charles Bridge.  I insisted on going. I could not resist, a bar made of ice where drinks are served in glasses made of ice, yeahhh, it was necessary.

I'm such a goofball 

We found discount flyers at our hostel and so got an extra shot each which was lovely.  We got to go into a bar made of ice for 20 minutes (they have timed sessions to make sure no one gets too cold) and it was absolutely hilarious.  They decked us out in big silver jackets and black gloves and then we got to do 2 shots each. We danced a bit and goofed around taking pictures, but we weren't even really that cold. However, there was an Italian family with us and well, they were definitely feeling the cold. Italians are freddolosi, aka they're always cold. They had me cracking up because they were shivering and jumping about while we were sitting on the ice chairs and having a ball. There's an ice bar in Rome and I would absolutely love to go to that one too. It would be especially nice in the summer since it gets so hot here.

Selfies

After we got done being silly in the Ice bar we walked along the river and took some selfies before
heading back to the market for another snack. We decided to do a snack and then a late dinner (another snack really) since we were signed up for a 9pm ghost tour. Endira got another sausage while I decided to go for something sweet. I decided to try something called "fried curd". Really, it was fried dough with a sweet filling inside. I, of course, chose chocolate. It was so good. The dough was crisp and not too sweet and the chocolate wasn't overwhelming.
And then we went to our ghost tour.  It was interesting but not particularly scary (the stories had potential but you could absolutely tell that our tour guide didn't believe a word she was saying).
Afterwards we grabbed some dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Las Adelitas. It was quite good with large portions. The strawberry margarita was also great. But I'll write more about that in another blog.

And then we headed back to our hostel to rest because we had big plans for the next morning.

Prague Adventures Part I
Prague Adventures Part III

Prague Adventures Part I

A picturesque walk across Charles Bridge

Sooo I originally wrote this as one longgggg blog, and then I realized that there is no way anyone would have the attention span to read the entire thing. Hence, I decided to split the blog into 3 parts, 1 for each day spent in Prague.  I'll also have a Restaurant review or 2 because some of the restaurants were good enough to warrant their own posting.

The Easter Market

Just about 2 weeks ago during my work break I went to Prague for 3 days. It was an absolutely gorgeous city and I can definitely envision myself living there one day. It is the biggest city in the Czech Republic but it's still on a considerably smaller scale than NYC or even Rome. It reminds me of Florence in size, beauty and feeling (it oozes comfort to me). The city is very walk-able. It has art, history, culture and of course incredible food.

Delicious sausage and beer

I'm going to be honest. I didn't love Czech food, I liked it. It was tasty. But the things I tried were quite
heavy and there weren't many vegetables involved (which I know would thrill some friends of mine).
When I first got to Prague the first thing I did was try sausage from the Easter Market. It was served simple with a slice of wheat/whole grain bread and some mustard.  I loved it because it was simple and full of flavor.  Plus it was great with my Pilsner beer. I'm not the biggest beer drinker but while in Prague beer drinking is an ABSOLUTE must. Prague is the beer capital of the world. It's where Pilsner originates and I can

Potatoes of delight

absolutely confirm that beer costs less than water in some places.  Soo I had a lot of beer there.  It was necessary for a proper Prague food experience.  Sadly, I never made it to a beer tasting but that ill just have to wait till next time.  I think it would be worth it simply because I know next to nothing about beer.  I know there's light)blonde beer, red and dark beers. All other classifications are lost on me.
So my first meal involved Pilsner and then I switched to cider (there was a cider shop in the Easter market that was utterly adorable). They had Kingswood which is a Czech Cider. I love cider and had it again with dinner too. It is delicious and sweet but not too sweet. We also got this lovely, spicy potato salad that had sausage, bacon and lots of great spices. It was heavy and delicious and went really well with the rain. It rained that afternoon, so cider, sausage and potatoes really hit the spot.

Kingswood cider

At dinner I stuck with my cider. It was great but I must admit beer probably would've gone better with my Goulash. Goulash is a typical Eastern Euopean plate and quite common in Prague. It is a kind of stewed beef. The sauce is full of flavor and quite heavy and it is served with a variety of different traditional dumplings. Goulash can also be served as a soup sans chunks of meat  (we tried it the next day).
We had our first sit down meal at a restaurant called "U Vejvodu" which I kept pronouncing incorrectly as Dejavu. I'm going to review the entire meal in a separate post because it was delicious.
After dinner we were going to get cocktails or ice cream made with absinthe but sadly we were too full and tired. Absinthe is competely legal and there are a lot of absinthe bars foating around. I was very tempted but I also wanted to enjoy the intense schedule of walking tours we had planned without a hangover or migraine.  I think I made the right choice.

Prague Adventures Part II
Prague Adventures Part III

Recipe: Beer Cupcakes with Chocolate Beer Frosting and Caramel Bacon

Ok, so for the last batch of cupcakes I definitely cheated.... I had to! I got tired lol... So I used a cake mix and just adjusted the recipe.

I used a box of Pillsbury White Cake. Rather than using a cup of water as called for on the box, I used 1 cup of High Life Miller Life. I also added a teaspoon of orange zest.
Then I followed the rest of the directions.

I pulled them out of the oven and then brushed them with a little more of the beer.

Once they cooled, it was time for frosting.

Chocolate Beer Butter Cream:
1 stick butter (room temperature)
3 tbs cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbs beer, poured and settled before being measured out
1 tsp salt

Beat the butter until smooth for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar, cocoa powder, beer and salt. Beat for about 5 minutes.

Frost and eat.

Or you can make caramel bacon as a garnish.

Caramel Bacon: 
1/2 cup caramel sauce (either bought or homemade)
1 tsp paprika
bacon

Cut your bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix the caramel and paprika together. Coat each piece of bacon and then lay on a baking sheet. Bake for aout 20 minutes or until crisp.

Place a couple of pieces on each cupcake and serve.

Eat and enjoy!! I was seriously surprised at how good these are!  The caramel bacon is SOOO delicious!

And that's what I'll be enjoing for the superbowl.

-Raspberry Truffle