Ratatouille

Ingredients for 4

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

2 peppers

2 zucchini

2 eggplant

250gr cherry tomatoes

2tbsp of butter or olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1tsp Herb de Provence

1tsp Oregano

3-5tsp Ground paprika

Process

Chop the garlic and the onion finely, paprika in 2cm strips, zucchini and the eggplant into 2cm chunks, tomatoes in half.

In a medium size pot, on a medium heat, melt/heat up the butter/oil, add the garlic and brown it lightly. Add the onion and cook under the lock until soft.

Add the peppers and cook, under the lock, until they get a bit softer-around 10min. Stir every couple of min.

Add the zucchini and cook, under the lock, until it gets soft-around 10min. Stir every couple of min.

Add the eggplant and cook, under the lock, until it gets soft-around 10min. Stir every couple of min.

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, herb de Provence. Cook under the lock for around 10min.

Add the oregano, ground paprika and cook for around 5min.

I usually serve the Ratatouille with oven baked salmon, pan fried new potatoes and some sour cream.

Enjoy!

M

Kanazawa

We were staying in Kanazawa only for one day and the plan was to see Kenrokuen garden and if we have time the area where the samurai lived. So, on the way out of the hotel my camera fell on the floor and the lens protective glass cracked, which is not that big of a deal. The problem was that I couldn’t remove it from the lens because the side that hit the floor got pushed into the lens plastic part and was stuck. I started crying the moment I saw what happened and even now when I know that it ended good in the end, it still makes me sad. Anyway, I tried to remove it, which was scary because the cracked glass could brake if I push too much. So, we went out to look for a camera shop but since it was Sunday most of the shops were closed. So imagine me standing on the street, crying, holding my camera.. how dramatic does that sound :D Then two boys came up to us and asked if we need help. They didn’t speak English so we communicated via google translate, which doesn’t always work that well. Long story short-they have spent around two hours with us, taking us to a friend that knows about cameras but couldn’t help and in the end we ended up at a mall where a guy that makes the photos cracked the protective glass and somehow managed to keep the lens undamaged. The weight that was lift off my shoulders… We offered to thank the boys for all the help but they wouldn’t receive anything. I am forever grateful!

Kenrokuen garden-one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.

On the way to the samurai district.

So peaceful. I absolutely loved the afternoon light in the garden.

We stopped at a random place for lunch and of course I had to get ramen.

We decided to go back to the hotel a little earlier than usual. We were traveling the next day and I felt exhausted after everything that happened with the camera.

The hotel we were staying at, right next door to the Louis Vuitton (totally unintentional :D), had a pastry chef working there, displaying chocolate figures and cakes. I chose a cheese and apricot one which tasted like something I would have eaten in my childhood. That made me smile!

M

Cute from Japan

Praying

Daylight beauty 4/4

Feeding the deer and beauty of the modern architecture

Busy morning at the station.

When it comes to architecture I like colour and details. And to be honest, I didn’t really expect that I will like or be inspired by this kind of modern architecture but I was!

On the way to Nara.

Where we were greeted by these beautiful animals! They were behaving like dogs, they knew were threats were and were not shy to ask for more :D

On the way to the temples in the end of the park…

Park is not so big but it took us some time to get to the temples as I was stopping to feed the deer.

The “main” attraction.

Quick lunch stop.

Back in Osaka.

Just in time for the sunset!

Night, night!

M