One of my favorite creative travel keys invites you to savor one perfect sip or bite. You know when you've come across a food that you want to last in your mouth forever.
When this happens, slow way down and savor that one perfect bite or sip.
One day in Amsterdam, I savored a perfect sip of the most delicious hot chocolate in the world...
The chocolate is a cube on a stick that you dip in hot milk...
Of course, it's recommended to lick the cube while it's all hot and milky...
then top with accompanying whipped cream for the perfect Amster-treat.
I wanted to bring a case back but settled for a few of these Choc-O-Lait hot chocolates.
mmmmmmm..........
What's one perfect taste that you've experienced on the road or at home? What one perfect taste will you savor today?
I was heavy into coffee this year, particularly the macchiato. There’s nothing like a hit of espresso to fuel an afternoon in Italy, or anywhere else for that matter.
But I do favor tea, and when I’m not drinking my favorite – homemade chai – I love a smoky tea.
In Amsterdam I recently came upon the marvelous tea shop Simon Levelt, where I bought some smoky Earl Grey. It wasn’t the best tea I've had, but it did bring me back toward the smoky tea, which I love.
I’m going out to buy some lapsang souchong right now.
Last meal in Cinque Terre>Trattoria Mario>Florence airport to Amsterdam
After breakfast in Cinque Terre, lunch in Florence, we bussed to the airport, where I applied a spritz of Bulgari perfume, and got on a plane to Amsterdam.
We arrived late on a Friday night. Mr. B and I made our way to our apartment, dropped our stuff off, went shopping for breakfast supplies and laundry detergent, threw a load of clothes in, and headed out for a late dinner.
The guy we rented the apartment from gave us directions to a street where he assured us there were plenty of restaurants. But when we found the street, it was like some kind of joke. We passed Italian restaurant after Italian restaurant. “No!” I shouted every time I saw one. Then burst out laughing at the absurdity of it. This is some kind of weird food juju.
Finally we found a place that looked open and not Italian. It was Daar Baand, a Persian restaurant. I have eaten Persian food, homemade for me by my friend and leadership tribe mate Parisa, who is from Iran. But this food was different.
We ordered several small dishes: two kinds of eggplant, dolmas, Everything that was hot had a crust of cheese baked on top. I’ve never eaten dolmas hot with melted cheese. The eggplant dishes were the best. All of it was great, washed down with beer.
If I’d not been so travel weary I would have written down or drawn what we had. All I have are some bad photos.
I’ll always be grateful for Daar Baand for breaking the Italian food spell.
Forget finding a place to sit in a European café -- standing at the bar is where it's at. The food and drink is significantly cheaper and that's where the action is.
We’d just had a big fight in the streets of Paris. The map ripped in half, names were called, gauntlets thrown. It’s day three of our five-week trip through Europe. The last thing I want to do is sit down with him for a fancy French dinner, but I don’t want to eat some crap later.
So, apologizing for being late, we’re seated at a tiny table in the middle of l’Épi Dupin in the 6th. We’re tucked up next to a pair of German businessmen. There’s nothing to do but let go of the argument and enjoy the meal.
The food was incredible. The amuse bouche: something green turned into jelly under a pumpkin purée scattered with poppy seeds, sesame-crusted fried mussels afloat a sweet potato purée with a fluff of foam, and dorade filet atop a bed of leeks and cream and garnished with a sweet drizzle of something A bottle of sassy wine (I never remember what we drink). For dessert, sable with vanilla cream and fresh raspberries.I’m panting just writing this, from the memory of it plus the effort it takes to describe food like this. I bow to food writers everywhere, for they work hard.
Over dinner, my partner illuminates one fact of life to me: Men only care about sex, and if they tell you something else, they are lying.
At this time of year, my Muse begins to get a little squirrely. The holidays loom, a season laden with expectations and traditions that I don’t necessarily want to participate in. With tradition and obligation on the horizon, my Muse often wants to rebel and go her own way.
If your creative self feels restricted by holiday expectations, try something different this year. Let your Muse lead the way in your holiday decisions.
When considering your plans for the holidays, be creative. Here are ten ways to be proactive this season, so you and your creativity can thrive even at holiday time.
1. Big picture Start by considering what kind of holidays you want this year. Think of an adjective to describe how you want to feel. Peaceful? Grateful? Connected? Make some notes about your intention. From that intention you can look at the following ways to enjoy your holidays with your Muse leading the way.
2. Food Don’t go like a zombie toward foods you don’t really want just because they’re ‘holiday treats’. If you don’t really like the cranberry sauce or the sugar cookies, choose what you do like. Take traditional foods and tweak them to make them more healthful or reflective of your tastes and/or local produce. Set an intention for how you want to eat (mindfully, with gusto, only foods you really want…)
3. Friends How do you want to connect with your friends? I most enjoy the holiday season for the time I spend with friends reflecting on how we’ve enriched each other over the year. My friends are one of my biggest gifts and when we get together during the holidays, I make sure to acknowledge the impact they’ve had on me and thank them. Jot down the names of friends you really want to connect with and make plans that are meaningful to both of you.
4. Family Holiday family gatherings can bring a sense of obligation and even dread. Try looking to the characteristics you get from your family that you are proud of and that serve you in your life and creativity. Make a list and then thank your family members for giving you these gifts. Focus on what you love, not how your dad drives you crazy with his TV watching.
5. Gift giving While I love giving gifts, I hate the obligation to give that accompanies the holidays. I prefer my gift giving to be more spontaneous and based on finding the perfect gift and matching it with the giver. What’s true for you and gift giving? Take time to consider what you really want to give. It may not be the old standbys!
6. Assess the year The end of the year provides a natural marker for reflecting on your year. Spend some time considering your wins, your disappointments, your insights. I’ll post a worksheet on the blog later this month to help you assess your year so next year can be even better.
7. Money Get real with your finances. How much do you want to spend? Many people get in financial trouble because they spend from their heart and not their bank account. Take a look at how much money do you have to spend on gifts and holiday hoo-haw and then determine where you’ll allocate your funds.
8. Creative time Time seems more crunched than ever during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you have to let your Muse languish. Try to maintain even the thinnest thread of connection to your projects. Time spent with your Muse will provide fuel for your other activities.
9. Treats The holidays provide a great time to indulge. Rather than mindlessly taking in anything that appears as a treat, consider what’s truly a treat for you. What’s a treat you can give yourself? A piece of pie with extra whipped cream? A visit to the massage therapist or local museum? I treat myself with time in the bookstore or in my favorite shop, Two Hands Paperie in Boulder. I don’t necessarily spend money, but I gain inspiration from the beautiful books and paper products.
10. Celebrate The holidays are meant to be a time to celebrate but that intention can get lost in the rampant commercialism and sense of obligation that looms. What’s one thing you want to celebrate this year?
How are you expressing your creativity this holiday season? Drop a comment below to share your Muse’s inspiration.
This article is part of my year-long series of top ten lists to celebrate ten years in business at Original Impulse. Stay tuned until the end of the year when I bring all the articles together in one place for your creative enhancement. Subscribe to Impulses for free.
If you know me, you know that it’s all about the food for
me. Well, almost. Food can make or break any situation and bad food is just
depressing. I come to Italy because I think Italian food is the best in Europe,
hands down. Especially for a quasi-vegetarian. These Italians know what to do
with vegetables.
Praying for caloric impunity in the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
So, arriving in Florence for a week or two, I want to know
where the good food is. Paolo, who runs Home in Florence, the bed and breakfast where we’re
staying, showed us the way. After checking in, he immediately got the map out
and marked the restaurants we needed to know about. I’ll share them with you
here, to enjoy vicariously or to visit when you come to Florence and need food
after taking in all the art and beauty of this Renaissance city.
When I travel I like to stay in residential neighborhoods
rather than around the main tourist drag. Here in Florence that’s Oltrarno, the
other side of the Arno river. Most of these places are in this neighborhood,
which is a pleasant 15-minute stroll over a bridge from the main part of the
city.
Charming Florence
Florence, and Tuscany, isn’t the most ideal place for
vegetarians. Menus loaded with wild game and steaks will make meat eaters
happy. The salt-free bread will please those with a limited sodium diet and few
others. But I am not complaining; there are still plenty of pastas to try and
vegetable side dishes to enjoy. I let Mr. B choose the wine, so be assured that
this fine food is accompanied by flawless Italian wines.
Much as I love food, and much as I love writing, I am not a
food writer. I haven’t spent a ton of time trying to find the best way to
describe the nuances of this food; just wanting to give the basics so you can
follow in my virtual or Florentine footsteps.
A note about food juju. After week here, I commented about
how fortunate we’d been with the food juju. Sure enough, that night we
experienced bad food juju: pasty gnocci and flaccid pizza. The borlotti beans
were good, but not enough to make up for the bad food. Lesson learned: digest
your good food juju silently.
{Where there’s not a web site, I’ve included a site
referring to the restaurant.}
Great atmosphere and a great menu. We took our time
deciphering it, putting together a delicious meal. We started with: carpaccio
of porcini mushrooms (thinly sliced porcini layered with parmesan cheese atop a
bed of arugula), eggplant slices rolled around a soft, creamy goat cheese. I had
tagliatelle with truffle slices and a side of fagioli (beans). The truffle
pasta was sublime, the beans forgettable. All enjoyed with wine and the amusing
company of a group of drunken Germans on holiday together as a bowling club.
That's grilled veal in the foreground, with my truffle tagliatelle behind
Pizza isn’t a Florentine specialty and we’ve already
encountered a shamefully bad pizza. Gustapizza is the place to join the locals
around tables made of barrels for wood oven pizza. For ten euros, I had a beer
and the house pizza, topped with cherry tomatoes, arugula, parmesan and
mozzarella. It was exactly what I had been craving. I prefer my crust to be
thinner and more crispy, but I would go back for another pizza any day, and
might just do that tomorrow!
This is the kind of place you dream about: family-run restaurant
that despite the harsh lighting and austere setting makes great, simple food at
a good price. The place was packed when we went, which allowed us to stand near
the door and watch. We had a view into the kitchen, which was staffed by what
seemed to be the nonni and nonna of Florence. No up and coming chefs but real
Italian elders cooking. The waiter asked if we wanted wine or water and brought
us carafes of both. No wine list. No fuss. We ate: fagioli beans on garlic
toast, wild seafood salad, arugula and grana salad, spaghetti with pesto and a
cheese plate. Home cooking and not too expensive either. Too bad we were too
full to eat the tiramisu or grape tart. Make reservations or wait like a dog at
the door.
I take it as my duty to eat a daily dose of gelato while in
Italy. This is a great plan because it allows me to vary from my normal
favorites (coffee, chocolate hazelnut and pistachio). This gelateria at La
Carraia bridge serves sublime gelato, and cheap, too. For 1.50 – 2 euros you
can get two-three flavors and plenty to satisfy the daily gelato fix.
yes, that's my tongue track where I licked away at the gelato
I had my first meal in Florence here; a Greek salad with a
glass of the house red. I’ve been back a few times to this osteria on the
Piazza Santo Spirito. Mussel soup with garlic toast, spaghetti alla vongole,
the tuna salad and black olive tapenade with a view of the Santo Spirito Church
and you know you’re living la dolce vita.
Another neighborhood restaurant tucked into a side street in
Oltrarno, Trattoria Raddi was fabulous. We started with a cheese and honey
plate. Then I had what was described on the menu as a cauliflower and broccoli
pudding with an onion confit. Of course it wasn’t a pudding, more a mousse,
released from its mold on the plate and accompanied by the sweet onion confit.
And a pasta, of course, giant stuffed pillow-like ravioli with wild mushrooms.
We chanced upon this trattoria near the train station one
night, and went in because the Italian Touring Club had voted it best
restaurant. If you don’t want to pay more, sit inside rather than on the
terrace (common in Europe). Still, the house wine was excellent and the pasta
fabulous.
I ordered tortelacci with pomodoro fresco. Imagine a package the size
of a baby’s fist of fresh homemade pasta stuffed with soft cheese and doused
with a sauce of fresh tomatoes and lightly seared onions. I had the grilled
vegetables on the side, which would have been better served by a few more minutes
on the grill. Mr. B had the ravioli, which was amazing even with bits of ham. For
some reason we were able to take in dessert, too: panna cotta with fresh
strawberries and tiramisu. The Italians absolutely know what to do with cream
desserts.
Half the fun of being in Italy is drinking the great coffee
here. I’ve gotten hooked on the macchiato, a shot of espresso with a dollop of
milk. It’s like a little shot of love and often when I have one I immediately
want another. I go to Caffe Ricchi in the Piazza Santo Spirito, stand at the
counter with the locals and down my daily love shot. Mmmmmmmm.
If you rent an apartment or stay somewhere with a kitchen,
you want to visit the Mercato Centrale to stock up on local treats: cheese,
truffles, tripe and pastas. We had an apartment for a couple of nights and I
went to the market and loaded up. I made: cherry tomato and arugula bruschetta,
orchiette with truffle sauce and pecorino bits and baby zucchini slices grilled
with onions, garlic and parsley. With a Chianti and chocolate biscotti for
dessert.
This market is a food lover’s paradise, with stalls selling
fresh produce, olive oils, truffle products, meats, fish, cheese, salami….
Plenty of places will vacuum pack cheese and meats and if you’ve figured out a
way to get that fancy pasta home intact, let me know. You can also have a
sandwich made with fresh meats and cheeses, or sit down at Nerbone for lunch,
where you get cafeteria-style food for cheap. When I was there it was all
meat-based, so I ordered the Greek salad, which was just fine. I couldn’t bring
myself to have the tripe sandwich nor the lamb’s intestine sandwich. If you try
it, let me know how it goes down.
You can't miss the market happening outside, stalls groaning under the weight of all that Italian leather, scarves, jewelry and other cheap stuff tourists like us love. I buy scarves for myself and friends when I'm here, the stretchy wool kind that go over my neck like a tube.
If you’re there around 8 pm, they bring out the apertivo
buffet, an Italian version of happy hour: olives, risotto, fresh cheese, potato
torta, pastas, crositini spreads – tuna, whitefish, liver – sliced carrots and
fennel…it goes on and on, as does the wine list and drink specialties and the
conversation with locals and travelers alike.
Anything else anyone recommends. I’m going to Venice for a
few days and will be back in Florence, so drop a comment if you have
suggestions, or if there’s a gelato flavor you want me to try. After that
there’s Amsterdam, and I would love recommendations for dining there.
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