A Tale of Two Cheeses...How Yoga Enables Me

I've been a yoga guide (teacher) here in Italy for the past three years. Jokingly in the class I tell all of the students I only practice yoga so I can eat more Italian food. This past month, we've been working on a sequence I call "Twist and Flow." A detoxifying vinyasa sequence, which I tell the class not only brings fresh blood and oxygen to our internal organs...but it also whittles away inches from our mid-section thus allowing us to eat more Mozzarella di Bufala. Three weeks ago a couple of my Italian students pulled me aside and began to rave about a cheese they claim is MUCH BETTER than my beloved Bufala.(Above) It's called Burrata. The expression on their face while describing this Italian delight from the Puglia region of Italy, was one of overwhelming delight. My class ends at 6:30pm and I was already hungry before they started talking of this creamy cheese from the heavens. They kept repeating..."It's just like Bufala, but better!" As the name would suggest, this cheese is made with butter. Well...I like Bufala...and I like butter...so this immediately became a "must find, must have" Italian food. I asked several of my Italian friends. They'd never seen the cheese in the Vento. Well...I found it! At the Camisano market, where I have been buying my cheese for the past three years. There it sat right next to the Bufula. The price was much higher than my beloved milk of buffalo cheese. As I stood in line, my mouth began to water. Were the two ladies in my class right...could there be a cheese that is better than what I have been coveting for the past three years?

When I cut into the Burrato, I could easily see the difference between the two cheeses. Burrato has a more pronounced crust than Bufula does. Also, you can quickly tell this cheese uses "butter." It almost looks as if someone stuffed bufula with even more delicious cheese. While cutting this wonderful piece of cheese, I noticed it was "sticky." What I mean is, it stuck to my fingers. Quickly, I began to smell the butter. I was ready to get this stuff in my belly and quick! I prepared a couple of plates, each with both Burrata and Bufula on them. I dressed them like I always do and then of course poured some wine. The Burrata lived up to it's "butter" taste. Although it was very creamy, it had a ton of texture too. It looked fantastic, smelled fantastic....BUT, I'm not converted. Not by a long shot! Don't get me wrong, the Burrata was very good, but no where close to as good as Bufula. I might have to put some of this cheese on a pizza to see how it tastes there. Here is a pic of my lunch.

Traditional Ethiopian Eats

This is what a typical Ethiopian dinner looks like. There are several types of spicy meats, or wat served on injera, a spongy bread. The bread also serves as your fork. In the middle of this meat lovers dish, there was also some spicy bean dish.





As you can see, I wasted little time before going all in. The food was perfectly seasoned and as you can tell by the video, the restaurant had incredible atmosphere. Combine those with some good beer (blog coming) and good company...and well....TIA!
(This Is Africa)

(Randy, Guy, and Randy diggin' in too!)

Welcome To The Home Of Coffee....Italy...err...I mean Ethiopia

It is thought that the energizing effect of the coffee bean plant was first recognized in Yemen in Arabia and the south west of Ethiopia, and the cultivation of coffee expanded in the Arab world. So I think it is appropriate to start my Ethiopian Eat This! tour with the wonderful elixir of life...COFFEE!

For many, coffee is more than a daily drink, it's a; must have before this lazy ass rolls out of bed, or right of passage, or as is the case in Italy...meeting place. Well, I'm sure that is all true in Ethiopia too, however, since this is the "birthplace" it has a little more tradition than just the 37 years of history Mr. Coffee has in the states.

I had coffee at three different places during my stay in Ethiopia. I took the above video in the lobby of the Hilton, Addis Ababa. This lady roasts the bean right before you and then grounds it and prepares a ceremonial cup of coffee for you. The taste is a little bitter, but the smells of freshly roasted coffee makes up for that...plus it only costs roughly 30-cents.

The next place I went to was in the city...I mean...in the city. Addis Ababa has everything you would expect to see in a thriving African country; paved roads, western-looking buildings, banks, and shanty-towns. However, Ethiopia has something most African countries do not:
THEY'RE HOOKED ON THE BEAN OF LIFE YA'LL!

The first place I went to was Alem Buna. It was just a few minutes away from the hotel. As you can tell, at 6'2"...I was a giant in Ethiopia.

This is what Alem Buna is famous for...The Darko. It is much like the Italian Machiato, but with more coffee...and btw, the coffee is very intense and rich. To date this is the BEST CUP OF COFFEE I'VE EVER HAD!

This is Mohammed...one of the drivers!
This is Guy "Woody" Wood

The coffee bean transportation system has not changed much over the years. What has changed is just how much we pay for it. Now prepare yourselves...To the right you see a man sending coffee on donkeys. Clearly a very expensive mode of transportation. Above you see three men enjoying "Organic, Ethiopian Plantation coffee." Cost for all 3 coffees: $0.50
If you're a coffee drinker like me, then you MUST demand that all coffee be brought in on the back of an ass!



The last place Mohammed and I went to was called Tamoka. This place is also where the UNICEF friend I met on the plane and all of the tourists in the hotel suggested I go to buy coffee to bring home. Tamoka was little more gritty on the inside, but the smell of their beans was incredible. I was ready to once again be WOWED! Both places "hand-pumped" their espresso makers. The sounds and smells of this joint had my senses working overtime. The coffee was very good. Bold, dynamic and full. However, I prefered Alem Buna. I did buy my full-alloted amounts of whole bean and ground bean from both places.

Ethiopian Pepper Pot Soup

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this one of Ethiopian Pepper Pot Soup, is also worth a thousand smells. For those of you who don't know...I love peppers. I love spicy food, not HOT food. I knew I had to have this soup the moment I saw it on the menu. This is my take for this particular bowl of soup I purchased (five times) from the Hilton, Addis Ababa Ethiopia.



Imagine your mom's or maybe you grandma's famous vegetable soup. If you can't do that...then imagine the best vegetable soup you've ever had. Now think about the time you visited Germany or Hungary and had the best goulash you ever had. Combine those two tasteful memories, let them swirl about in your taste bud imagination for awhile. Finally...multiply that imaginative taste by four...and some peppers...and that is what this bowl of soup tasted like. I really enjoyed this was mad when ever my hosts took me places that didn't have this soup.

If you ever happen to be in Ethiopia...this is a must eat.

Drink This! Cheap Beers of Europe

Over the past five months, I've traveled N.E.S.W. over the European and African landside. I've collected my fair share of beers. Cheap Beers! I've already posted a few of them, but now I will finish the beer...err, job off.

I will also spice up the blog series with a few nice beers too! Here is a great link on a fav of mine...not just a beer, also a meal!

Generic Light Beer...Croatian Style!

As soon as I saw this beer in the store...I knew it was something special!

This was my second trip to Croatia. I really enjoyed my first visit to Split. I guess it's safe to say...I kind of fell in love with Croatia. The people are very nice, and they love to eat meat...lots of it! They also have several real good beers and wines.

This beer was by far the cheapest beer on the shelf. For one half liter, I spent a whopping...36 euro-cents. So for a little more than two 8oz cans of beer, I spent around 50 cents. I great deal for beer drinking on the cheap! The logo was what first caught my eye. It just seemed to be a generic logo. I was right. The red box the the white "M" in it is the stores generic brand. Pivo is Croatian for "beer" and Svetlo is Croatian for "light." So this is in fact...generic light beer. YUMMY!
You can tell by the picture this beer had a really nice pour. The head was thick and aromatic. The color golden-amber. I was really starting to get excited about my cheap Croatian beer. However...the excitment stopped dead in it's tracks as soon as I took a drink. The aromatic smells of the head were gone. There was suprisingly NO taste in this beer. It tasted like lightly flavored water. 4.0% flavored water.

Don't judge Croatian beers by this! They do make a fantastic beer. I guess you could call it the Bud of Croatia...Karlovacko. Very tasty. As for the rest of Croatian beers...??? Well I think this video best describes them:

Why Not Be Yourself For A Moment...Cheap Beer Review

I've decided to embark on a new gastronomic adventure...in beer! Everywhere you look there is some guy touting about the latest and greatest beer du jour! I admit...I do like to read about those beers and drink them too. However, after a year of living in Italy...away from many of such beers, I've decided I should do the opposite. What about those beers...no one drinks nor blogs about? What about those lack-luster beers? Well...they are everywhere here in Italy! Long gone is my huge selection of German, Belgian, and Czech beers. Everywhere I look...cheap beer from the "non-beer" making countries.

"Why not be yourself for a moment," is the catchphrase from what appears to be a pedestrian, middle-class, non-descript Swedish beer maker. This beer has been in production since 1965. I found my Norrlands Guld (7.2) at my favorite home away from home....IKEA, for 1 Euro. Roughly $1.35!

My eyes first were drawn to the word "DYNAMIT" on the very top of the can. I thought maybe this can was packed with explosive hops and barley. Then the three trout caught my attention. What advertisement agency told these guys..."Hey...put three fish on the can if your really want to sell a lot of this beer." Of course the magnificent Swedish landscape that rounds out the can puts me at ease. Will this beer have notes of fish, spring water, and dynamite?

Here is the review. I was completely ready for a crap beer that possibly might be made from left over IKEA meatballs. However, that was not the case. The beer is a whopping 7.2%, but it went down like a 3.2%. It has a delightful ashy and fruity taste. The head was thin and deflated only moments after the pour. Very little after taste. In all...a pretty good beer. I guess I will have to go back to IKEA and try it with those famous meatballs! The beer was almost as good as their advert campaign. Please enjoy the Swedish commercial!