coco avant chanel

I was so positively amazed by this fantastic true story of Gabrile Chanel before she became famous as Coco CHANEL...

Everything starts in the miserable stage of Gabriele's life at the age of 9 when she and her sister were sent to a orphanage and the fascinating way of how Gabriele had to make her way up in life to become what she was. Thanks to her outspokeness, always telling what she thinks!

Audrey Tautou plays a magnificent role in this film, and also the fact that the film is in french with german subtitles makes it even more true and real.

The film is not just a story about Coco's success, it is also about her struggle to fit in a society that differed so much from her own opinions about her losses and heartaches and what mostly amazed me was how this little woman has changed fashion in these days with her individuality and modern anticonformist thoughts in a society where a WOMAN still didn't know that she could wear trousers;-)

Schmale Wurf, Rhein, Basel

if you want to get a nice plate of spaghetti bottarga in basel, you need to go to the Schmale Wurf down at the Rhein!

It is a very busy restaurant so make sure you book your table at least one day before, especially when the weather is nice...and if possible get a table outside with the Rhein view!

Once you get the table, the absolute must is to order a nice plate of pasta...they have a wide choice of different pasta types, I went a bit adventurous this evening and I ordered the "spaghetti alla bottarga" which I never had before!

The bottarga ingredient is found in north africa, greek and provençale food but its most often associate with italian coocking, particulary that from sardinia! 

It is a silver mullet roe which once it is salted, the roe is cured and dried to perfection.

In its block state it doesn't look very appetising, but once grated or sliced (like in the picture above), this curious ingredient reveals a red-gold colour, granular texture and amazing flavour: rich and intesely savoury. 

It is a highly recommended dish to everyone that loves mediterranean flavours;-)

all my secret working tools

to get a deeper insight into my working tools, products and materials I have set up for you a flickr page to look at anytime you run out of ideas!

Enjoy cooking;-)

where is their vote?

download this jpeg on your facebook account if you have one and help our iranian friends!!!

Go on www.facebook.com, register as a new user and use this picture as your profile picture, everyone can help!!!

Domstübli, Arlesheim (BL)

It has been now almost two years since I haven't been to Domstübli in Arlesheim, so last sunday we decided to go there for dinner.

Since we had already eaten quite a bit, we only wanted a pasta dish, so we ordered "trofiette alle vongole" and "risotto agli asparagi"...I enjoyed my trofiette with vongole (clams) a lot, everytime I go there it reminds me of my home region Puglia!

Unfortunately the owner Peppino was not there on sunday, but we still received a nice table outside in the garden and enjoyed the Church bells every quarter of an hour;-)

The only unsatisfactory point was the high bill at the end, we ordered 3 pasta dishes, one mineral water and two proseccos for way too much money!!!

But worth to go again for a good pasta dish from Puglia;-)

Congratulations...

....to D&D on their first month relationship together;-)))

citybeach Messe Basel

it was the perfect temperature and perfect time, right before sunset when we met up with our friends on top of the carparking of the Messe Halle in Basel...the citybeach is a fantastic work!

You  just feel to be far away on a holiday destination and you just have to imagine that there is some beach and you will find yourself in a new dimension;-)

Citybeach offers over 4000 Cubic meter, 1000 tonnes of sand, three bars and three beach volleyball fields, one swimming pool and one whirlpool. Of course this is only possible when the weather is nice and hot...just make sure to go pretty early and reserve your spot otherwise you will just be standing around and watch people;-)

enjoy your holiday destination at citybeach!

Art 40 Basel 2009 / Art Unlimited Preview / Part 1/2

Art 40 Basel 2009 / Art Unlimited Preview / Part 1/2

This year’s Art Unlimited exhibition of the international art fair Art 40 Basel in Basel, Switzerland, marks the tenth edition of Art Basel’s sectorfor large sculptures, and installation and video art. In the first part of our exhibition walkthrough we have a look at works by Elisabetta Benassi, Yoshitomo Nara, Beat Zoderer, Sislej Xhafa, Ayse Erkmen, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Fabrice Gygi, Surdashan Shetty, Farhad Moshiri, Jesús Fafael Soto, Sterling Ruby, Laurence Weiner, Franz Erhard Walter, Steven Shearer, Nedko Solakov, :Mentalklinik, Natsuyuki Nakanishi, Stephan Balkenhol, and Matthew Day Jackson.

SCOPE had troubles to showcase in Basel

"No Scope Here" read the angry protests of disgruntled Swiss residents inscribed on the field where Scope Basel hopes to hold their art fair. Neighbors aren't happy their children won't be able to use the park during the course of the fair, which runs from June 8-14th to coincide with Art Basel. According to local newspaperBasler Zeitung, it appears city law may work in their favor: Not only does the city stipulate the necessity of residential playgrounds, but it has also declined Scope's request for permits because the art fair did not specify what the public space would be used for. Scope has since sued the city, but three weeks out they still have no permission to build their tent. Art shipments are arriving to an empty field.  According to Scope's exhibitor's contract though, the fair is under no obligation to pay any damages incurred through the shipment. Scope Basel could not be reached for comment.

spontaneous lasagne evening

what's better than having your closest friends over at your place for a spontaneous lasagne evening?

my way of preparing lasagne is like this:

 - take a pan and put some OLIVE OIL extra vergine and fry it with one chopped onion

 - take 300 gr minced beef and cook it until it turns brown

 - add one bottle of passata di pomodoro and spice it all with pepper, salt

 - add one chopped carrot to take away the sour flavour of the tomatoes

 - cook it on a medium heat for about 1/2 hour

in the meatime prepare the beschamelle sauce:

 - warm up some milk

  - put some soft butter in a bowl and some flour

 - add the warm milk and whip it on a medium heat until it gets thick enough 

place the lasagne layers in a container

 - buy the hard or soft lasagne sheets ( I personally prefer the soft ones) and place them in a container, if you have the hard sheets you need to break them if they don't fit

- after the first layer, add the tomato beef sauce

- add some pieces of mozzarella or mortadella (whatever you like best)

- fresh grated parmesan cheese

- and cover again with a new layer of lasagne 

- repeat the process until you have three layers

on the top cover it with the beschamelle sauce and grated parmesan cheese

- put it for 1/2 hour in a 200 degrees oven

when finished, take out the lasagne and decorate it with some cherry tomatoes on top and some basilico leaf!

Make sure your guests are hungry;-)