Discovering Arni

Weekend! Hope you're all having a great one. This week I will be writing much about the trip we did in Bolivia and Peru in 2008. Travel Gourmande will definitely be in a South American vibe this week. I will be quoting some of the passages I've written on my travel journal and all the crazy things that happened to us during that trip.

Though I have made several posts last year in Design Gourmande about them, I thought of re-posting them all down with added details to help me formulate a nice itinerary for my friend, Cyril who's planning an adventurous trip there.

I would like to start this week with a great recipe of the popular Peruvian cuisine that is surely a must-try:

Lomo Saltado

Peruvian Stir-fried Beef & Potatoes

Ingredients:

1/2 kg (1 lb) Beef tenderloin (Stroganoff cut)
1/2 kg (1 lb) Potatoes, peeled and cut into strips
2 Red onions cut length wise
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 big tomatoes, seeded, cut into strips
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup of cilantro
1 sweet red pepper cut into strips
Extra Virgin Olive oil for frying
Salt & pepper
Optional: Aji amarillo, deseeded and sliced into strips

1. Prep. 30mins to 1 hr before cooking: Mix beef tenderloin with garlic, lime juice and 2 tbsp. of cilantro, salt and pepper. Cover and allow it to marinate inside the refrigerator.

2. Fry the potatoes in a pan. Dash some salt and pepper as though they're regular french fries. Set aside.

3. Stir fry the marinated beef in a large wok over high heat for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

4. In the same wok, saute onions stirring occasionally for 1 minute and add the tomatoes, red pepper and 1 tsp cilantro stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add in the stir fried beef, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook until the tomatoes soften. Feel free to add in more soy sauce to taste.

You could optionally mix the fries afterwards to absorb a bit of sauce or serve separately.

Serve immediately on top of a rice on plate. It's best when it's hot.

I cooked this dish twice so far. I think it's a great addition to this week's dinner menu. Are you up for it?

Bon appetit!

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Summer is upon us. Busy week triggers the need to escape for a vacay. We haven't booked anything yet for this summer. Life feels on hold for us at the moment. Things are quite uncertain so we haven't planned any trip. I was hoping to go home instead, but June-September is usually a very rainy season to go back to my homeland, Philippines. If we were to do so, we would like to take a glimpse of at least one white sand island with clear waters on a bright sunny day.

I'm itching to go away and it's a great idea to do so during the hottest months in Dubai from June- September. Yes, there are great beach fronts here. The water is clear and the sand is soft, pebble free underwater. It's a shame, we rarely go to the beach on weekends. We are confined in the comfort of air conditioning watching movie marathons during lazy Fridays.

The upside during these months in Dubai are low hotel rates and special packages for the family, for couples, for a girls weekend or boys adventure desert trips. For the shopaholics, there is the Dubai Summer Surprises from the 22nd of June to 31st of July 2011. Best shopping deals, lots of events, concerts, international shows and lots of promotions during the summer festival.

For those, who are staying behind and who are like me, undecided. What about we throw a vacation- themed weekend party? It doesn't need to be a big event. It could be a quiet dinner with closest friends, or an afternoon with the family. Just to try something different

Choose a country you would like to go to this summer.
Check out the recipes of that country's traditional cuisine for your party's menu and treats.
Decorate! Pick out elements and create DIY banners, table pieces and name cards inspired by the country theme to set the mood.
Perfectly set the tone with a matching music. E.g. Play Andrea Bocelli for a Tuscany backyard dinner party
Imagine the scent of that setting and try to capture the aroma with scented candles. For example, if you're having a South of France theme afternoon coffee party, lavender!
Try creating trivia games about the touristic sites or any game related to learning the foreign language.

Check out Mexican Theme Fiesta Party

Here are more theme ideas:

English Afternoon Tea Party

India Inspired Lunch

While we're at it...I think this is soo cute! French cafe theme

Wishing you all a fabulous Friday!

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Sunday should mean fun day. I can imagine for the rest of you lucky people, you might be blessed with longer sleep today. It's the beginning of our work week. I would like to start though by ending the Tuscany Tour series with the final destination from our Best of Tuscany Tours by Walkabout Florence.

Siena, is a medieval city, 70 km south of Florence. The walled city is resting on three hills. Our tour bus parked below the towering hill and I remember entering a passage tunnel with an escalator. I can imagine, that's a lot of climbing steps otherwise.

We were led by a Siena local tour guide who gave us a very clear background of each and every site we went to. We explored the city centre by walking. The touristic sites are all spread out unto the three hills and are only accessible on foot so lots of workout as most of the roads are inclined. Hence, a lot of Italian locals are slim. Despite the amount of food they eat, they hardly get fat! Old ladies are hiking up the steep slopes pulling their grocery trolley without effort.

Rich in history. Siena was a proud and wealthy Gothic city which dates back during the medieval period. Evident from the oldest bank in the world and lot of rich habitants who dare not expose their wealth.

Part of the Palazzo Salimbeni - Bank Building with sculpted heads of important figures.

It's like they're saying, "We're watching you..." I wouldn't really look up at it at night though. :) The reflection of the heads on the windows across the street (below).

I love the louvered windows and well preserved historic buildings.

This Italian Romanesque Cathedral is definitely a work of art. The marble detail on the floor and well preserved frescoes inside were heavenly. The black and white stripes are uniquely prominent as we climbed those steep slopes to get there.

Duomo Cathedral

Lastly, the most popular site of all, Piazza del Campo. A unique shell shaped piazza used twice a year on July 2 and August 16 as the race track for the famous 600 year-old Palio Horserace. Learn more about Il Palio here.

Piazza del Campo with Gothic style Palazzo Pubblico, town hall of Siena

Cafe at Piazza del Campo

This coffee shop was our last stop. The trip ended with the tour bus driving us back to Florence Terminal Station. We arrived at exactly 8:30 PM despite the weekend evening traffic, just in time to collect our luggage from the hotel to catch our first class night train to Milan. I dozed off during the ride. The travel sleep masks from our flight deemed very useful.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

How's your weekend going? For the third installment of the Tuscany Tour, I would like to share with you the beautiful San Gmignano . This is a part of the Best of Tuscany Tour from my previous posts organized by Walkabout Florence.

Below is a map courtesy of Knowital.com illustrating the whole of Tuscany. As you can see, for the Twilight fans, this is quite close to Volterra, the popular land of the Volturi in the vampire saga. In comparison to Volterra, San Gmignano has a more welcoming vibe.

San Gmignano is a walled medieval town sitting on the hill over the valley of River Elsa in the province of Siena in North-Central Italy. It is approximately 56 km from Florence. Renowned for its 15 historic towers visible from the surrounding Etruscan countryside, the architecture is well preserved. It somehow reminds me of Mont St. Michel upon entering the walled village, but having a friendlier atmosphere without the dark abbeys and demonstrations of medieval torture shows.

Sunday Market in the village

I couldn't help taking a snapshot of these lovelies.

I found this beautiful gallery a few meters away from the weekend market stalls. I love the way the wooden door on the left balances the composition of the glass entrance archway of the gallery and the displayed artworks .

Relaxing by this cafe for a nice cappuccino or espresso is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I love the way this tree provides extra shade at the entrance of the coffee shop. There are lots of coffee shops and restaurants within this walled town.

Centre of San Gmignano

Below is the central fountain found at the heart of San Gmignano

Historic Centre of San Gmignano

Check out the small arched glass doors on the left hand side of the above photo with queues of people outside. The tourists are lined up to get a taste of the award winning gelato from that shop. I had the opportunity to try it. I took the pistachio & chocolate flavor. Absolutely yummy!

Eating one of the best gelatos in the world. Had to hurry, it's melting.

I definitely enjoyed my time there. I can't wait to go back one day and spend some more flexible time comfortably exploring with lots of eating. That gelato shop is definitely on the list.

Have a great Saturday!

How's your Saturday going? Weekend is travelling at lighting speed as always.

Speaking of speed, the train ride from Rome to Florence was approximately an hour and a half. The Trenitalia's final destination was Milan and Florence, being the first stop.

We stayed in Hotel Residence La Contessina, a few blocks away from the train station located at the heart of the city and is walking distance from the Florence Duomo. It is a stylishly designed hotel inclusive of a breakfast buffet with lots of homemade goodies at a very reasonable price. We love the place! The standard loft type suites include a foyer, spacious bathroom, huge living area, kitchen and dining. The space is perfect for a family or a couple on a honeymoon. Each of us took our own separate rooms. The bedroom is located on the mezzanine and each suite is equipped with LCD screens. The atmosphere is very homey and the receptionist is very accommodating and helpful, making our very brief stay in Florence a memorable one. The suites open up to a central courtyard that we all find very charming.

We were all excited to explore the historic city centre immediately. Cobble stone streets lined by cafes, shops, restaurants and pubs housed in elegant well preserved Renaissance buildings. It was a Saturday and the square was filled with weekend flea markets. The vibe was festive. It made me understand why it has been nominated as the most desirable destination for tourists around the world.

Piazza del Duomo, Baptistery on the Left

Florence Cathedral

The walk to the Piazza del Duomo was entertaining, watching tourists decide where to go for dinner and all the fashionably dressed elegant locals out and about. We sat at Piazza della Republica people-watching until it grew dark. It was like sitting at the front seat of a fashion runway. No doubt why Florence was once Italy's fashion capital.

Piazza della Republica

By late evening, we found a very welcoming restaurant not far from our hotel, Ristorante La Falterona situated along Via Zannoni. The tables were along the street with table cloths, candles and obviously marked as more than casual dining. We were gladly accommodated. We took advantage of the evening by ordering a fine selection of Chianti Classico Reserva. The taste was smooth and one of the best wines I've ever tasted. For more information on the restaurant click here . We were serenaded by a street musician, a music student practicing his craft in the streets of Florence. He played several of our requested songs with his classic guitar. His great voice drifted joyfully in the air over delicious local cuisine. Three greats: Food + music + great wine.

It was a night to remember! A perfect evening of bliss.