Spritz

On a weekend trip to Venice a few weeks ago, I came to discover the Spritz. A bubbly apperitif with Campari (or Aperol for those with a sweeter tooth) mixed with Prosecco, sparkling water, and served with an olive (yum) and orange. These delicious drinks are found everywhere in the city - from the ritzy cafés on the piazza to tiny local bars - and are appealing to any budget. I fell in love with the Spritz because I am neither a fan of the overly sweet cocktails (see Cosmos, etc) or the overly alcoholic ones (see Martinis). They are balanced, a tad bitter, and happily bubbly.

When you can't jet set to Venice for the weekend, you can make these wonderful drinks (perfect for a boozy brunch or a picnic) from the following 'recipe':

1 part Aperol/Campari
3 parts Prosecco
1 part Seltzer
Add olive and orange (preferably blood orange) for some sass

Gobble Gobble

Since I have visited three continents since my last post, I feel obligated to share some of the culinary highlights. (Preview: cooking class in Thailand with recipes to come). As delicious as the baguettes, cheese, pastries, and cheese are in France, I always love to freshen up my plate with some mediterranean food. I spent a week in Istanbul in December and had the pleasure of staying with a friend and her amazing family. With a wonderful farm (fresh pomegranates, peppers, and olives**... yum!), I sampled some of the best of turkish cuisine. I also got to learn a few tricks, including how to make Dolmas. Using grape leaves from her garden that were preserved from last summer, we stuffed and rolled them with a delicious mixture of rice, currants, peppers (both sweet and spicy), garlic, lots of lemon and herbs. Other delicious additions include mint, basil, onions, and diced cucumber for a bit of a crunch. Also, don't cook the rice fully before stuffing the grape leaves since you will cook them again after and don't want them to be too soggy. While I don't have an exact recipe with me, I recommend looking around on some blogs and playing around with the ingredients.

Unfolding the leaves.

Rolling them up. Adhering to proper folding techniques, of course.

The final product!

Our mixture

To accompany our dolmas, we made a garlic yogurt which seems to be a delicious side for practically everything. Purée some plain yogurt with garlic (to taste) and a pinch of salt and pepper.


**Olives are a staple in my diet. As of late, I have become particularly in to olive oil tasting. Not only is olive oil practically the best thing ever for you (see: shiny hair, detox, lower cholesterol, delish), but it has some amazing flavor as well. Olive oil boutiques are popping up all over the states with plenty of spices, richness, and body. I have also found some in France - O & Co was opened by the 'creators' of l'occitane and is an adorable space with a great selection that tided me over until I made my trip to Italy last month. My personal favorites are the darker ones with a richer, more full body taste.