May29

Welcome to Love von Beauty von Love!

Posted on by
Standard

In the beginning there was … Love & Beauty & Life & Light & Spark  & Prosperity & Style & Soul & Bliss & Happiness & Wonder & Joy & Courage & Vision & Solidarity & Childhood & Freedom & Dream & Faith.

And then their step-brothers and step-sisters – hatred, lust, death, darkness, poverty, plague, immorality, scandal, despair, expectation, sorrow, envy, blindness, ego, greed,  cynicism, grievance, hunger, terror, fear, bullies –  made room and started messing things up … all for a reason, a very basic reason: to make our life more worth treasuring, every single day, every single moment.

I started this blog from a purely egocentric need: a need to remind myself of beauty and love.

In the beginning there was … Love & Beauty & …whatever we wish for!

Advertisements
Jul27

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” by J.K. Rowling

Posted on by
Standard

I read none of Rowling’s Harry Potter’s books and was curious about her writing style. This curiosity lead me to her crime fiction. The “Cuckoo’s Calling” is a 2013 novel of this genre by J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

It kept me entertained at night when sleep was not too eager to come. The novel did not leave any effect on me. And it is meant as a compliment.

Some of the main characters – a private detective named Cormoran Strike and his assistant – Robin are interesting. The story line is around the investigation initiated by a killer who hired a private detective to look into his famous sister’s “suicide”.  The story has a bit of everything: a bit of intrigue, a bit of crime, a bit of human show of vanity and a touch of unpursued love.

The novel is a first of a series. I would not read the others for now. Maybe later.

Jun24

Truffles

Posted on by
Standard

French chocolatier spoil your senses with the (perhaps) finest chocolate truffles.

It takes a Moldovan to take the best out of their recipe, add a bit of nonconformism and a personal touch, with my appologize to the French touch 🙂

Best Summer truffles recipe:

200 g finest chocolate (your favourite; mine is Valrhona), melted

125 g almonds

200 g pitted dates

2 spoons agave syrup (or a sweetener of your choice)

2 fine apricots (1/2 cup of orange juice in the original recipe)

All rolled through Cacao, nutmeg, cinnamon or other flavours you love.

Enjoy the golden taste!

Jun17

“Sayonara” by James Michener

Posted on by
Standard

I was looking to read something by Pulitzer winner writers. My research guided me to the work of James Michener. His historic take interplayed with human destinies sounded appealing. So I picked one of his novels – “Sayonara”.

“Sayonara” was written in 1954. It is the story of an ace US pilot falling in love with a Japanese actress and all the prejudices this couple encountered in the turmoil of those times. It is a beautiful tale of love and devotion, struggles and choices, gifts and sacrifice.

I noticed that the novel needs the reader to forget “Instagram” standards of fame, bravery and beauty and take the things as human as they were back then.

Jun16

Good morning Sunshine!

Posted on by
Standard

whoever you are

wherever you are

Here is to teddy bears in our lives!

I had none as a child. I did not know they existed. Latter in life they arrived in different shapes and forms. Like this one, who is 18 years old.

They may arrive as partners who cook and keep your bed warm. Or as friends who are there when you need it most. Or as a bear shaped cloud to make you keep looking up.

Love to all teddy bears!

Jun10

Clafoutis – a summer story

Posted on by
Standard

When the cherry season starts, I take it as a sign to slow down and enjoy a slice of clafoutis. With a scoop of ice cream. Or a sip of coffee. It is my kid’ s childhood dessert and a culinary joy to our inner child. I would not say the same about our grown-ups waist line though :).

This year I tried a Guy Savoy recipe. I managed to take one pic before the last piece was gone straight from the baking pan.

I noticed that baking a cherry clafoutis when outside France, it makes you feel as in France. Guy Savoy says it all: “Selon moi, le clafoutis aux cerises fait partie des desserts repères incontournables de notre culture française. Et que le premier qui n’a jamais mangé un clafoutis me jette la première queue de cerise !” https://www.allmychefs.com/recipes/cherry-clafoutis_998_2