Friday Chocolate Link Up

  
 

 

“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.” 
 Joanne Harris, Chocolat

Have you ever tried making your own chocolate truffles? It's easy and complicated at the same time. Last sunday, i was hosting an "Art & Chocolate" event in my house  - to showcase my summer paintings, treat some old and new friends to an afternoon of sweetness and fun and to brighten November greys. I really did get my hands dirty 2 days in advance of this and experimented with new and better ways, to male scrumptious, velvety, deliciously chocolaty treasures.

This recipe here got me great results. It's  simple and easy to play and be creative with. BUT there's a warning: Grating chocolate, if you don't have a kitchen machine to do that for you, is an arduous job. Think about hiring an assistant or get your man to do it for you. The rest of the process is rather fun and brings you back to a childlike feeling - like when you were playing with play-dough or clay.

I like the very dark truffles best - they taste wonderful, if you love a touch of bitter, as i do, plus they give you all the health benefits of pure chocolate, and all the energy. They taste ..... very yummy, yet they're so rich that one makes you feel satisfied for the day.

If you're a chocolate lover and would like a special recipe or show pix of what you made - add your link to the list below. Can't wait to see your entry!

Holiday at the Italian Riviera

You may have the universe if I may have Italy.

Giuseppe Verdi

Italy is maybe my favorite country in Europe and i always look forward to having the first "Espresso" after crossing the border. I just love the musical language, the great treasures of  renaissance art and architecture, the simple but elegant cuisine, the fashion and the lively temperament of the people.

It's hard to say, what region of IItaly is most beautiful, because they all are. My brother and family are living in Rome, which i simply adore. But on our last visit, we went to Chiusanico in the provence of Imperia in Liguria, the northernmost part of the mediterranean, and fell in love with it too.

Olives and  Lemons fresh from the tree,  curved streets that climb up the hillside while offering magnificent views on the blue mediterranean, ancient medieval towns and castles to discover, lively beach villages with cafés and palm trees along the Promenade - the Italian Riviera and the Landscape called Liguria is what i now often dream of when i think about a perfect holiday. 

Wandering through the shady streets of Torria almost felt like time-travelling, and even though the town was so neat and romantic in every corner, it wasn't at all crowded. We caught glimpses of a mourning family, sitting in a little chapel,  saw a river running through it's stone carved bed right through the town, looked at roses climbing up the soft pink and yellow walls. ate wonderful pizza right out of the wood oven on the market place and bought beautifully wrapped sweets in a tiny store.

One day, we drove along the hills where the air was cool and misty and  the trees were covered in ivy. We saw a flock of goats climbing effortlessly up a very steep rock, visited a sanctuary to mother Mary tucked away in the woods, and took pictures of the "Castel vecchio" - the old castle, that proudly resides over this area.

Almost every afternoon, we spent in a little beach town called Varigotti, where a grand aunt of mine used to live after marrying the italian ambassador. Varigotti has the nicest little beach with only a few people and a great many pretty stones in all sizes and colors and it feels wonderful to walk barefoot along the shore .Hubby and i  love to lay on the beach for a few hours, soaking up the sun, listening to the waves - it's what never fails to recharge my batteries very quickly.

As for having a tiny mimi break in your day, make an espresso where ever you are and close your eyes ... can you hear the ocean? See more pictures of this trip here

This post is part of  Anitas Link Party. Go to her blog here and see many more posts about wonderful destinations in Europe.

Photos: Martine Voigt-Schmid