Archive for the Food and Drink category.
The Italian Cultural Institute plays a very big part in the promotion of Italian culture in Singapore. There are always new and exciting events on the horizon, and they have a wonderful support system that is extremely adept at helping to spread the word about their terrific events. It’s one way to keep in touch with what’s happening with Italian culture in Singapore. Another way, of course, is by regular visits to your favorite Italian restaurant. If you don’t have a favorite yet, or if you’re coming to Singapore for the first time, rest assured you will have a few favorites in a very short amount of time.
The culture in Singapore is impossible to classify, because there are so many cultures that exist here. The Chinese, Malay, and Indian populations are very sizable, and there are influences from their traditions all over this vibrant city state. There are many other cultures here, too, and of course one the best ways to discover them is through food. Singaporeans are, generally speaking, very discerning eaters, and dinner time is a very exceptional part of the day. It’s a splendid time to be alive anywhere, but here in particular, mealtimes are pretty spectacular. The availability of fresh ingredients makes it particularly lovely for chefs as well as patrons, because there are limitless possibilities for what can be obtained here, and a limitless passion for trying new things.
The same passion extends into film, and this is demonstrated by the success of the Italian Film Festival where, for two weeks, residents of Singapore are treated to a host of recent cinema from one of the greatest film cultures on earth. Some of the greatest masters of cinema are Italian, and the recent festival showcased films by Andrea Molaioli, Anna Negri, and Gabriela Salvatores. The festival always marks new benchmarks in the history of Italian and world film, and this was certainly no different. The 2009 festival was a bit grander than usual, being part of the European Season in Singapore, but it is always an exciting time to be here.
The history of the fishing and shipping industry in Baltimore is long. The Chesapeake Bay is wide. This is a city that has been built on the maritime history over the last two hundred years. The lives of the residents are in one way or another affected by water, from working on the docks and building in the ship yards to the the many Seafood restaurants in Baltimore. The Baltimore Aquarium has the help of many of the city’s volunteers, as well as those who travel from as far away as West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York, who learn about the effects large cities have on bodies of water.
Just as the city of Chicago came together to restore the Chicago River to a proper health, the volunteers gain skills and knowledge at the Aquarium that lead to hands on experiences to ensure the cleanliness and the safety of the water and the habitats along the shores. They study about over-fishing and pollution not only of the Bay itself, but the waters that drain eventually into it. This is the sense of community, in their participation and preservation of environment.
The blue crabs are one such species that while they are fished, the numbers are watched and research is collected to make certain that they remain part of the marine population. The scientists working with the volunteers keep track of that population by trolling the waters and taking stock of the crabs that are already caught in the pots of the fishermen. For years, even though crab festivals and feasts remain a tradition and love of the people of the city, the numbers have not decreased. Regulations placed on the industry and on the recreational fishermen, as well as in the seafood restaurants and markets, have ensured that this tradition will continue, and that the blue crabs still populate the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Every outdoor chef has a dream of the great outdoor party. With our outdoor kitchens, these dreams are suddenly very possible, and even very likely. It’s not long before your neighbors and friends start to catch on to what you’re doing, and the smells that flavor your neighborhood become one of your trademarks. With our built-in gas grills, a fantastic barbecue can become another one of your specialties. Our grills are exquisite examples of how far this technology has come, allowing you to cook with precision, giving the exact heat to the particular foods you’re preparing.
Not to forget speed. Our grills make it possible for you to cut the cooking time in half, and this means you can accommodate large groups with ease. There’s a million possibilities for your perfect outdoor party. There are splendid books available to help with ideas to make the sensational gathering of the season, such as BBQ Bash, which offers a magnificent array of recipes, and discusses all the details that will help you make your party a smash hit.
The idea of the backyard barbecue has an awfully deep hold on the popular imagination. You can play into this myth, and stun your guests with the fabulous menus you’ll be offering. There are more options that you could ever imagine for styles and themes, where black tie affairs to casual get-togethers are just the beginning. Because our grills are so advanced, they’re not just easy to use, but also extreme fun. It won’t take much to convince you to try new foods, and new courses, so that soon you’ll be grilling up the main course, appetizers, and even the desserts! It’s a great adventure, and you’ll love entertaining in your own backyard.
Thomas Raffles stepped into Singapore almost two hundred years ago. When the government was set up on the island it was set on the banks of the Singapore River, where it still stands today. This is located in what is known as the Colonial District. There are many monuments and historical sites that are located in this neighborhood, each of them reflecting a bit of the rich heritage and history of the island.
In this district one will find a Singapore restaurant to suit ones culinary desires as well as large shopping malls, museums and galleries, cafes and pubs, all set within the incredible architecture and historical buildings and homes. It is the neighborhood that still provides the influences of the British, as well as the traditional Singaporean aspects such as the rickshaw drivers and the hawker stands.
The river has been the life line for the country for hundreds of years, as far as commercial and economic industries go. Raffles is honored along the river by a large stature, and his house still stands on the hill that it was constructed upon, two hundred years ago in Fort Canning Park. One of the best night time walks is to stroll along the river banks and take in the beauty of the skyline as it sits just on the other side.
While standing in the Colonial District, and looking across at the skyscrapers of the business district, one is immediately and at once, in the old world witnesses the modern world. Located in the area of the Padang, are many museums and historical buildings such as the Old and the New Parliament House, as well as the Raffles Hotel, historical churches and the Esplanade, home to the Theatres on the Bay. Art and culture is found in the Colonial District as well as the history of the hard work of those who labored in the past along the docks and in the warehouses. This is just one of the areas of the island, where history is located on every corner.
For tourists on the lookout for splendid stays in splendid five-star hotels, Goa has much to offer. The accommodations are a reflection of the place, with a wonderful combination of hospitality and amenities, giving the best of all possible worlds. The decor is impeccable, with a sense of design that meets international standards of excellence while also maintaining local flavor. Service is also world-class, and will make the guests feel very welcome and always comfortable. Then there is the place. With a fabulous reputation among travelers, excellent beaches, and a very lively local scene, there is always something to do. The whole family can find a wide range of amusements here, with tours and sight-seeing, and people watching is at a premium.
While out on the town, it would be a good time to see some of the historical sites here. Goa has a rich and complicated history, with a mix of cultures. Walking through the streets, one might find oneself walking in the footsteps of the ghost of one of its famous sons, Abbé Faria. He was born in Candolim, District of Bardez, Goa in 1746 to Portuguese Goan parents. When he was 15 years old, his father took him to Lisbon to begin study for the priesthood. There is a very famous story about him there, when he was to give a sermon before the Queen, D. Maria I. He felt tongue-tied, and could not speak, and his father whispered to him, “Hi sogli baji, cator re baji,” which translates to, “THey are vegetables, cut the vegetables.” At these words, he found his voice.
Although it was certainly far from his father’s mind, it gave Abbé Faria an idea. If an utterance from his father was enough to cure his stage-fright, then there was the possibility that merely suggesting something to someone could unlock enormous mental capacities. This idea became known as the power of suggestion, and it was central to his work after this. While Mesmer, the Parisian hypnotist, was doing live performances using magnetism to induce hypnosis, Abbé Faria began doing live acts of hypnosis based on the power of the spoken word. He died before he could complete his scholarly works, but the idea is enough to have influenced schools of contemporary psychology. Mustard Seed Art Company in Goa has done a theatre piece about him as part of his 250th birthday celebration, and Alexandre Dumas created a character, Edmond Dantas, in his Count of Monte Cristo.
Singapore is a most magical island, filled with all that is enchanting in nature, stylistic in architecture, and modern conveniences such as in the industry of business, marketing and investments with any private bank. Singapore manages to blend all this modernity with a sense of tradition that is embraced and celebrated. One of the best ways to get an idea of the culture and the people is to simply walk around the island. There is a Garden of Fountains located on the island, that is filled with sparkling white lights, and dancing fountains set to music and colors, the one specific show that draws tourists and spectators is the Dance of Fire, that utilizes modern technology of lasers and lights and sound, and has been compared to a ballet set in fountains and water.
One can catch incredible views of night skyline from atop either the Merlion Monument or from the viewing towers at the Dragon Court. The city is a true kaleidoscope of color and beauty, a cultural blend of entertainment, and activity that includes parties on the beach, sculptures made of sand, festivals of dance and music as well as concerts that include pop stars and the impresarios of the classical world of symphony. International sporting tournaments and events are also a popular draw for tourists. There are many options for accommodation, from luxury spas and resorts to boutique smaller family owned hotels, and bed breakfasts.
There is also quite a range of restaurants, from the many fine dining restaurants offering up Thai and Chinese cooking, to the best of Seafood and Sushi spots and the delightful hawker stands. Singapore and the surrounding islands offer up something for every economic strata, from five star luxury to low cost activities, that will provide everyone with the opportunity to live it up once they reach the islands. Transportation around the island is easily attainable as well, from the buses and taxis to the trains and the monorails. Each day is filled with a new adventure when visiting the island, for the first time, or the first time of many trips back to the fascinating and the exotic South East.
There is always an opinion about the best of tradition, and the best of contemporary culture, and the best Valencia hotels will carry a little bit of both. With old world sensibilities that value hospitality and graciousness, mixed with new ways of keeping comfortable and connected to modern life, there are happy marriages of the old and the new here. Your stay in Valencia will be one of your most memorable travel experiences, and you may leave here deciding not to choose between the old or the new, but to take the best of both.
The city offers so much in the way of culture, arts and music being a lively part of the social scene. There is also fantastic people watching, great clubs to spend an evening dancing and mixing it up, and fascinating side trips that always make the journey full. However, it is probably the food that you’re most likely to write home about. Known particularly for its paella, Valencia has a historic position in the culinary story of the world. There are many, many generations of chefs and cooks who will insist that paella cannot be altered, that the rice has to be the same short grain that has characterized it for centuries, and that the real secret of paella is Valencia’s water. The amounts must be precisely measured, exactly as the grandmothers have done. There are also some chefs who are doing fantastic things to food here, making meals into works of art, and the artwork suggests that change is in the air.
Local Valencia chef Quique Dacosta is the head chef at El Poblet, and his creations are making mouths water around the world. He’s not entirely an iconoclast, but he is taking certain liberties with how things are supposed to be done here, and the result, it seems, is making life better for everyone who tastes his creations. The restaurant itself is a kind of post-modern twist to the traditional restaurant. Walking in, one sees the kitchen right in front, and on the way to your table, you can hear Dacosta yelling at his staff. You are then greeted by none other than Quique Dacosta himself, who loves to talk about his food. From the way to slice mushrooms, to new ways of carmelizing rice, his enthusiasm for his life’s work shows in his speech, as well as the food. Diners are not only in for one of the most exquisite meals in the world, they are also able to witness an artist at the peak of his creative power.
On the prowl for the perfect boutique hotel? Cape Town will offer some fantastic choices. The hotels here are splendid in style and blend traditional with contemporary urban designs to make your nesting place a feast for the senses. Dine and relax in comfort and luxury as you enjoy some of the most sophisticated and time-tested methods for rejuvenating the body and the spirit. Cape Town is an amazing place, with an exciting city that doesn’t sleep. But you should sleep, because you’ll be staying in the lap of luxury, and adventures will wait for you to take a long and well-deserved rest.
When you are out on the town, however, rest assured that you will be treated to some of the most interesting urban excitements in the world. Cape Town has an incredible music scene, whose talents reflect the history of South Africa. Some of the liveliest bands here will freely mix rhythms and styles from Europe and the U.S. with local tribal sounds that reinvent rock and roll and jazz all over again, and there are dozens of African musical inventions every week, constantly redefining the world beat. It begins in Africa, of course. There are also culinary adventures here, and although the world is too large to try everything, one can certainly make an attempt. Some of the boldest foods here are extremely local. Sampling the menu from the indigenous Xhosa tradition will make the carnivorous eaters extremely happy, and knocked nearly sensible for a time.
Restaurants like Masande specialize in presenting Xhosa food to a wide local and international population, but their trademark is the “authenticity” of the food. Heavy meat stews, pumpkins, beans, and dumplings populate the dishes here. Masande means “let us prosper,” and the sentiment is always welcome. Another Xhosa restaurant is Aanamkela, which has won awards for its distinctive take on local spice. Imvelo is one of the most-mentioned of these, and should be tested, perhaps multiple times. There is a fantastic array of Xhosa restaurants, and all of these will give a taste of a school of cooking secrets that has been in development for centuries upon centuries. Their menus will please the curious traveler and surprise the taste buds that claim to have seen it all before.
There are many different destinations throughout the city of Udaipur that are beautiful, exquisite and breathtaking. One such attraction that many will find promoted in their Udaipur, India hotel, is the Garden of Saheliyon Ki Bari. This is one of the most incredible gardens of the world. There is sculpture carved in marble located throughout the green lawns and lush landscaping and the many fountains. The translation of the title means in English, the Garden of the Maids. Located on the Fateh Sagar Lake (shore, this is a retreat for those living in the city and visiting as well, an oasis that contrasts with the sometimes hot and dusty streets of the city. It was constructed in the 1,700’s by the Maharana Sangram Singh, in order for the women of the royal court to have the beauty surrounding and honoring them.
As the story goes, the king was the designer of the garden, and he presented to the queen and her forty eight maid-servants. He designed it not only for his bride, but for all of the maids, for them to have a destination located away from, and not resembling the chaotic and tedious nature of politics. This become a very popular spot for the women to retreat to for relaxation, for walks and girl-talk. This is how the garden found its name. The architecture is superb and takes one’s breath away. There are along with the many fountains, pools of water, sculptures of elephants, and carved kiosk sculptures. There are an abundance of flowers gardens and the romantic and serene fell of the garden is something everyone traveling through should experience.
The king continued to add to the garden over the years. He designed a series of fountains that rain down instead of bubble up. His idea behind the fountains were that they resemble the forms of rain and the maids dancing together. The kings have enjoyed the garden through the years, and it was just as popular and loved by the men as it was for the women for whom it was originally built. More fountains were added, some imported from Great Britain run along the main paths of the garden. There is a museum as well, that houses a collection of items and articles from the royal palace. There are portraits of the different kings as well as taxidermy stuffed specimens of tigers, cobras and other fierce creatures. This is truly one of the most picturesque locations in the city.
The other day, my friend and I went to the City Market, which is, to put it mildly, quite and experience. It not too far from one of the 5 Star hotels Bangalore offers. The Market consists of vendors selling from their stalls and from a big, centralized building that looks like it could date back to the days of the Raj.
I stopped at every stall selling spices, and that’s a lot. There are big cones of some of the spices colored yellow which is the saffron or purple brinjals, one right after another. The other vendor stalls sell housewares, what I mainly was were steel, iron cookware and aluminum. I didn’t see much copper. I purchase a cute little teapot. Of course, the main draw at the market is the local produce. Vegetables like cucumbers, onions, the freshest ginger, little and big cloves of garlic, heirloom tomatoes, I wanted to purchase every vegetable they looked so appetizing. We managed to make it down to the basement of the building and that’s where we found a beautiful array of flower vendors. Roses, Daisey’s, even marigolds. They sell the flowers by the weight. I bought a pound of marigolds. The basement was awash with color. We took tons of pictures and we even got some of the vendors to give us their email addresses so we could send them some of the pictures we took of them behind theirs stalls.
We found out that we had to stay vigilant as we walked through the market, a couple of times my friend and I got whacked by men carrying big bags of dirt or fertilizer. We weren’t sure, but it hurt what ever it was. As we were leaving the market, we saw an elephant walking down the road by the market and a man was on board. We ran up to catch it, loaded down with bags from the market, and asked if we could pet it. The elephant was friendly and doing its best to take what was in our market bags. We let it have some vegetables. I can’t explain why, but petting and feeding the elephant made our trip to the market even more special.