Mangos Orchard in Moms Garden with My Grandmother and my Twin sister

                 

I believe in the power of have a really nice hobby, like cooking, picking fruits with my grandmother and twin sister in my moms orchard in our garden in Brazil.

Summer weekends on my mom’s house were full of so many things— cooking caramel sweets or baking a cake, or going to the garden to take some mandarin or mangoes and eat them only using our mount. I remember that when my grandmother peeled an orange with a help of knife, and with this peel you turned singing the alphabet and when it’s broke this letter will be the name of your future husband. It was so funny trying to find some strange names. It’s crazy how something so simple can be very nice. My grandmother was crazy about orchard and fruits.

But what I remember the best was waking up in the morning and following my Grammy in her bed and ask her to brush her teeth and be there only to be with her incredible and fantastic person. She was the best. Those mornings, I’m certain I ate as many mangoes as I dropped into her basket. The yellow juice dripping off my chin, I could have stayed out there all day, perfectly content on a diet of only mangos.

The taste of a beautifully mango and the nice effect it has on me is something beyond my understanding. My grandmother’s been dead some months ago, and I miss her so much that sometimes hurts. I can almost hear my grandmothers laugh. See her warm, wide smile. I can almost see her at my garden taking a bite into a mango herself.

My grandmother died when I was 37 and have time developed many memories of her, but for whatever reason, the time we spent together in a orchard picking mangos was very strong for me. These memories make me feel closer to her—like I share a secret with her.

While the taste of an orchard of mango is wonderful, nothing is more enticing than the smell. The way the deep, rich scent lingers just above the skin, warming the air, it’s as if—standing there with my eyes closed—everything around me dissolves.

These memories of my grandmother that I have only experienced through the power of a sun-warmed, orchard mango trees make me feel closer to her and my twin sister because we were all three together. I love and miss her so much. Although I'm now living in a large city—far away from my Mom's house andthe smell and taste of my childhood. I realize that my  belief in those mangos is what will eventually bring me to my mom's orchard with my sister and my grandmother.

Sweet Day na Sweet Joy Brigaderia!!!

Antonio Carlos Jobim - "Brazil/Aquarela Do Brasil"

       

     They know me as a verbal incontinence                 person.            

Suddenly, I lost my voice.

  I miss my voice.

  This country is not mine.

                       I cannot express myself.

     The words are not coming.

   They don’t know the real me.

     They don’t know who am I and sometimes I do               not recognize myself.

     America is a place said to be a dreamland,

                              I’m not dreaming,

  I’m lost,

            I’m completely lost, I need to find my way

Where am I? My heart began to beat faster when I need                   to express my self.   

   I think now after this first six months in New York 

I'm starting to find my way

I hope one day I will find my voice again and be

              Confortable in this new life in this big city as I am in my lovely country Brazil.

Rio - First 2 minutes

         If I could do something disappeared in the planet I would choose a microwave. This appliance must be banish forever. Microwave cooking is not natural, nor healthy, and is far more dangerous to the human body than anyone could imagine. Microwave cooking changes the molecular structure of food. If having a microwave in the home were a necessity, then perhaps I wouldn't feel ok, but it is totally a luxury, one I can do without, and to risk one's life for a luxury. Not me. You can install a convection oven, or a steam; which cooks almost as quickly as a microwave, without the possible dangers. 

         Let’s talk a little bit about the history about this appliance. Every thing started with the Nazis who invented the first microwave. Known first as radiomissors, they were used for preparation of meals on a mass scale during the invasion of Russia. After the war, the Russians had retrieved some of these microwave ovens and conducted thorough research on their biological effects. So alarmed by what they learned, the Russians banned microwave ovens in 1976.

         My sister has two lovely daughters and she told me that she had learned that microwave ovens leak dangerous radiation and that her obstetrician had told her to stay away from microwaves when she was pregnant. Further, she indicated that there's lots of proof that microwaves destroy the nutritional value of the food and that food that has been microwaved can cause cancer.

We could dismiss this warning and risk our own health and the health of our loved ones? The effects of direct microwave exposure can be very serious and include corneal cataracts that can lead to blindness, tissue heating, and cellular damage. I never had a microwave, and I try not to eat anywhere that I know microwave cooking is used.

Some alternatives to microwave:

1-   You can heat food quickly in a convection oven. It's just an ordinary oven with a fan. And the food will have better taste.

2-   You can also easily and quickly heat up food, even frozen pasta, by using a saucepan with a lid and a little water.

3-    You can buy a steam.

4-   If you want to cook food, do it the old fashioned ways it tastes much better that way!

I choose a Chef’s hat, a “toque” (in French), because for being a chef we have a lot of rituals and the hat is one of theses. The chef’s hat is a symbol for all chefs.

Could you think of a chef without a chef’s hat? I think everyone has an opinion about the famous chef's hat, but this is very old tradition. The real legend about the first chef’s hat originated in the empire of King Henry VIII when Henry VIII found a hair in his soup. He ordered to had the cook beheaded, and also ordered the next chef to start wearing a hat. Although chefs have worn special hats, or toques, for centuries, it wasn't until 19th century chef Carême redesigned the tall chef's hat. Carême believed that top chefs needed tall hats to distinguish them from the cooks in their kitchens. Careme was the most important chef in history. He made the French cook be recognized. He was the first chef who put the name in the preparations and recipes. All the terms we use today he wrote. He was the father of modern gastronomy.

          The chef hat isn't for style but sheer practical use. They are for preventing every food eater's nightmare of finding hair in their food, purely and simply.

The modern chef's hat is tall to allow for the circulation of air above the head and also provides an outlet for heat. The hat helps to prevent sweat from dripping down the face. I heard that American chefs don't wear a toque, because they want be different from French chefs. For me is not hygienic.

The standard uniform for a chef includes a chef’s hat, double-breasted jacket, apron, trousers and shoes with steel or plastic toecaps, or clogs. When we put our uniforms we are ready to go into action and work with the food and make delicious meals. It's very important work properly in kitchen so why all our uniforms are white. We change our hats Every Day. They are disposable to ensure cleanliness. Now you guys know the true mystery of the chef's hat!! I hope you enjoy this explanation.

Oliver Koletzki & Fran - Echoes

Oliver Koletzki & Fran - Echoes

            Hello NYU friends, this music are dedicated to all lovers. I want to share this wonderful treasure with you. Oliver Koletzki first started producing music in the eighties. At aged 13, he started taking guitar and piano lessons. His inspirations were Breakdance and Hip Hop music of the early nineties. Why not listen to this new electronic music. I choose this lyric because it’s not a conventional music and inspires me. A very close friend from France Nicolas Sorel sent this music to me by mail. He is a quite famous DJ, he has a company who does music for stores, and hotels. Also he is playing in Alcazar a nice nightclub a Paris. When I was moving to New York he gave me a precious gift a very nice selection of music with hundred fifty music. It’s a nice selection and I use than to make my dinner ambient nicer. Also it’s the connection between my two worlds, Paris and new York and helps me to be myself. This group is from Berlin, German and I love this city because I went once to Berlin for vacation and I was impressed by the ability to reorganize of this city after the fall of the Berlin Wall. So this music also shows the modernity of this amazing city. This city is also the capital of electronic music. I especially like this music because is about unconditional love. Compared with others love music this music is this simply perfect to late night meditation. Awesome track! Just Perfect!!!! This music makes you dream and transports us to another reality. So it’s an occasion to know this music and travel with this love lyric. He has got brilliant talent, and she has a serious voice !!! THIS IS ART! THE ART OF MUSIC! ENJOY it!!!

Best Friends in New York

How to do friends in New York? I don’t have a rule for this but, I’m very lucky because I could find some very nice new friends in this huge city. One of the worst things about relocating is leaving behind your network, friends and family, but for going ahead we need to recreate a new life. I moved to New York and I began a new chapter of my life. I moved to this city with exactly zero friends or family members waiting for me. I didn’t worry about loneliness, because I’m lucky and I have my husband as partner in this new challenge. My priorities were first find new ingredients for keeping cooking and secondly should be able to find new friends for share my cook. I chose to do English class to improve my English and also I was sure that I would met some new friends. It was true because I found some nice friends there. We have one thing in common we are foreign!!!! For sharing with my new friends my cook I invited them to have a dinner in my home. The dinner was like United Nations because It was present in this dinner friends from, Spain, Japan, Turkey. Brazil and France. It was amazing!!! For dinner we had.

For cocktail I did some small appetizers like Maki de salmon avec pistachio, Little pate with dry meat and butternut with yogurt sauce, Some Portuguese cod cream, some Brazilian bread cheese, quail eggs with ratatouille and caviar, Carpaccio with pesto, pinholes and balsamic reduced. As the first dish I made avocado roll stuffed with crab, herb salad and guacamole. For the main course we had lamb with vegetables (potatoes, onion comfits, garlic carrots et mini pore) polenta and sauce of lamb. Then we had Roquefort cheese with guava paste and had as dessert Panacota (Italian vanilla cream) with some raspberry sauce, raspberry Macarron and raspberry agar.  All home made did with all my love and passion. The dinner was wonderful, the lamb was softy and very tasty. Everyone face was like shine. My husband and friends were very happy. The next day, everyone writes to say how tasty was the meal.

I’m grateful to move here because, in this movement I found these adorable friends to share my cook. Living in another country opens up a world of opportunity for new bonds, powerful friendships.

Spring Break

           The spring break was a wonderful opportunity to know better New York and all it's great attractions that we can find here. Also the weather helped a lot because it was sunny and warm very attractive to walk and explore this magnificent city. So, I explored some museums. It is better to expand our  knowledge visiting museums and happier than spending time and money in material purchases like clothes and handbags. I love to shop, I’m a normal girl but I prefer doing something more intellectual and cultivate this time. So I spent two days in MOMA, one half day in the museum of New York City, another day in Jewish museum and one evening in MAD (Museum of Art and Design) museum. It was a surprising experience because these hours in these museums provide me one positive and relax experience. Going to the museum is like traveling in the time or stepping it. We always learned a lot with this interaction and also provide us a lot of inspiration.

       I was alone in this big city because my husband was traveling for work. Here in New York I have some friends that we are used to go out to try the New York restaurants. They love food as much as I love it. Also is nice to try a new place with good company. So a couple of friends that knew I was alone this week invited me to go out with them. So I accepted and also I asked if I could bring my friend’s husband with me. Of course I asked my friends permission to ask her husband to go out with me. We went out to an Italian restaurant in upper west. I enjoyed a lot in this dinner. 

        In the end of my spring break my husband came back from his business trip and was so nice. Some Brazilian friends of us were in New York so we booked one table in “Boulud Sud”, a new Mediterranean restaurant. At the end we ate alone because ours friends was stuck in 5th Avenue in the Saint Patrick’s pared. In the end was great because we had a romantic lunch with champagne and also some special dishes because I have a friend of mine who cooks there. She used to work with me in Paris as an intern. It was a pleasure experience and also was great to share this moment with my lovely husband. If you are lucky enough to live in a town like New York where there are plenty of restaurants we need to start having fun with trying new ones. It can be risky to eat at a new restaurant but think of it as a wonderful opportunity to find the pearl rare. If you don't like it, at least you gave it a try.

          In the evening we went out to see a great Japanese documentary “Jiro Dreams of sushi”. It was a great and inspiring movie. Sunday we went to take our brunch in the MAD(Museum of Art and Design) restaurant a interesting spot to be with a wonderful view to the central Park and upper west. The food was good and we have a great time with Jazz live music. Finally my spring break was a nice with cultural moments and some great food experiences.

Travel and Living in Another Country

The best thing to do is travel. It’s so nice to do something only for pleasure. I’d had a lot of chance in my life because I had an opportunity to visit a lot of different places in the world. Also l lived in three different countries. I use to live in Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France) and now New York (USA). Living in another country we need to habituate so I’ve learn a new language like, Catalan, Spanish, French and in this moment I’m learning English. Living away from your country can be a really interesting and unforgettable experience, but at the same time it has very important effects on one's life. The most significant effect of living away from home is the independent behavior that grows inside of you also my husband became also my best friend. It’s nice? Isn’t it? When I lived in Barcelona I felt the pound of responsibility. For the first time in my live I was obligated clean my room, wash my clothes, and organize my expenses, for the first time I have a good and strong meaning of responsibility. Being independent and responsible will help you get through life every goal you want to achieve. Living far from home, even for a short period of time, can be really hard at the beginning. We have to remember that all changes are difficult, but they are necessary to go through them to build character. Most important of all, it helps us appreciate everything we have. Not realizing how lucky we are can be a really bad mistake because things don't last forever. Living on your own far from your family gives you a lot of experiences. I’m incredibly grateful to have lived in so many beautiful places around the world. I’m from an amazing country and I love having the opportunity to share it with others. I truly live a full and abundant life!

 Dubai was a disappointment for me.

Dubai was my travel consume dream .My husband used to travel a lot there for work. I was all the time complaining because I wanted to go with him to see this mysterious land. Last winter was very cold in Paris and my husband invited me to go to visit Dubai, the most famous glamour city for tourism in this moment. I was so happy to finally know this place built in the middle of desert a real modern oasis. The Dubai Government is not a monarchy, aristocracy, democracy or communist. It’s a hybrid of a few types that became the kingdom of Sheikhs, whom rules the Emirate. Since 1833, one royal Sheikh family has ruled Dubai. Family Al Maktoum.The climate in Dubai is warm to generalize. In winter the temperatures are better, when It gets real hot and often humid is in summer. It’s common for the temperature to be over 100°F. It’s desert after all! This experience was a disappointment for me. I was expecting a city with a lot of traditions and customs, but I found an occidental city with a lot of traffic, pollution, and no sidewalk.

Firstly, when I arrived there I realized that you are obligate to take a boat, car o taxi to do everything because they don’t have sidewalk. Even in the beaches you need to take a taxi because they are private and they have walls separating them. My dream a modern Oasis built in nowhere, became a deception for me.

Dubai is not very big. There are a lot of people in a small landmass, more cars, more traffic and congestion, more pollution as a result of vehicle emissions and never-ending construction. When you think you are in the middle of nature in desert, fresh air, but it’s not truth. Dubai attracts tourists, expats that move to work. As of Dubai’s infrastructure was not built to handle this people movement. The culture is very diverse. The population are mostly immigrants who are working in Dubai. The biggest immigrant population is from India, leban followed closely by Pakistan and Iran.

A big wave of Europeans and Americans has also flooded Dubai since 2001 mainly for career reasons. Sounds like America don’t it? It’s quite surprising to observe the diversity in Dubai. When I go there I was surprised. It was like New York you can find there all country, languages etc. But there they are not integrating like in New York. The poor are looked down upon and you won’t find the equal treatment and respect that you see here in the USA. That is one thing I absolutely cannot tolerate. My blood boils when I see one human being treating another with such harshness and rude attitude.

I absolutely hate Dubai freeway driving. Not only are people nuts, but the roads were just not set up to handle the massive traffic volumes. This city is empty, cold without personality. What I want to saw is on city artificial, and all the amazing things like culture and customs are lost. For example you can’t walk in the streets or beach. You need a taxi because all are private. I felt like I was in the middle of a railroad with building.

Although I have written about the many negatives about Dubai is that I personally dislike. Dubai is beautiful there is no doubt about that. It’s a charm city with all beautiful architectural building and beaches.  It’s amazing to know that before was a desert, without noting even water, electricity and now we can find every thing we want or desire. In this city in the Middle East offers also an amazing snow setting. How I sad before every thing is possible. Also the food is delicious tastfull. It's funny being around a city like this. The Park Hyatt Hotel were I was being, Its a magic place. It was a pleasant experience this incredible nice Hotel.

I didn’t find all the scenarios that I had imagined. It’s a metropolis like ours, one copy of a occidental a city with the same hotels and restaurant branches. However, I’ve learned that with all the traditions they have, they want to be like the occidentals. It was interesting to see those transformations, but is somewhere I’ll not return to, because it is empty without soul. 

It's all about horses.

When I’m not cooking or thinking about food. I have a second hobby which is horse ridding. It is much more than a ride it is a family tradition. 

I love horses. In my family we learn how to ride a horse like every body learns how to ride a bike. We are crazy about horses. My family have a breeding of horses in a small village 4 hours from Sao Paulo. It’ s a very lovely place with beautiful landscape, lots of flowers and trees. We can also see sugar cane fields, soy been and corn. My family plays Polo, very beautiful sport, but only for men. Nowadays women can do Polo also, but when I was young it was a sport for man.

            What I like most is riding with my friends and my family because it’s a very pleasant experience. We can get a new perspective when we ride a horse. When I was younger I did endurance as sport and competition. It’s a very hard competition because you are given only one map with times and kilometres and you need to know very well your horse and find how many kilometres your horse does on step, galloping and trotting.

            Riding a horse is also something very personal.  A horse is very smart and he can really learn a lot if you teach him. Also I think horse is the best friend we can have.

            When we are not in Brazil, my husband and I enjoy to see jumping and dressage competition. Last year We went to Hermes competition in Paris and a very closed brazilien friend Doda win the competition. My twin sister she was for a moment one the best jumping amazon in Sao Paulo.

            Every winter I go to Brazil with my husband to my family farm and we spend a lot of time riding horse. My husband learned also to love horse and ride them. We use horse also to go to another farms and see friends and family. We do once a year a family ride, that every body all ages can enjoy to ride a horse. It’s a magic moment, there are some carriages with water, juice and beers and others with food. In the middle of day we stop to have a barbecue and in the end we have evening party.

            I miss a lot my horses. I’m lucky that my husband loves horses also, so we go once a year to my family farm to enjoy them.

Something Forgot. My scariest night in New York.

Once, I was in New York inside a taxi and I though I was die. Un Friday, November 2012, I was just moving to New York and I was crossing the city between Upper West and Downtown to do my relocation. I was living in Third Street with Forty Second Street in my husband enterprise apartment. Waiting for the end of our movement we lived there. It's taken a lot of time because we bring all ours stuffs from Paris to New York. For some days I had this routine to go organizing the new apartment during the day, and come back to the other for open the door to my husband. We have only one key. In these days I was not habituated with the New York subways so I done the crossing street by taxi. I choose taxi, first because I was afraid to be lost and secondly lot for convenience. My scariest night begin when I was in the taxi and I saw that I forgot my wallet in Upper West.

This day in special I was so tired, I had a very long journey and when I saw my watch was so late and I thought that perhaps my husband was waiting for me in the another apartment without key and I realize that I forgot my mobile in Third avenue. I closed the apartment and took a taxi as fast as I could to try to arrive and open the door for my husband.

My husband is a very kind person, lovely but he hates my way to forget always my mobile and every thing. He thought that I lived in a very dangerous way.

I took a taxi. I was relieved when I picked one. I was talking naturally with my taxi chauffer, very kind person, how loved Brazil and soccer. We were very near third street when I started to look for in my handbag for my wallet to see if I had enough money for the tip, and nothing. So I try to find my telephone and I also wasn’t there because I forgot in Third Street. I didn’t know how the better way to say my taxi that we need to come back, because I didn’t have enough money.

When I said him that I have a problem and we need to come back because I forget my wallet in Upper West and I was truly sorry. He asked me to call my husband and I said that I forgot also my phone. His face stays serious. He clearly has no interest in my deposition. “Look young lady, I’m habituate to theses story about money and Brazilian are always so cleaver and you don’t have also a mobile phone? Are you from this planet? The way he said it, made my stomach hurt. It isn’t really the stomach pain I have before, it was like nervousness before final exams, I was really afraid.

He was crazy, very upset, and said that Brazilian people were the thieves, and only a lunatic can be out home without phone. I was afraid. Suddenly I realize that probably he will kill me and send my body pieces in Hudson River.

         So we came back for upper west, but in the way he stopped in a junky food store and said me to wait because he was hungry and now was my time to wait. He looked the door. I was afraid, and also afraid that my husband could also go to the another apartment and took my wallet before me. So he came back to taxi with a plastic bag smelling strong, but I was speechless. We arrived in sixty Two west, sixty second, I went to my apartment and when I took the elevator my husband was inside. I was relieved and he said that he had my wallet with him.

         In the end we paid the taxi and took the same chauffer for came back again to Third Avenue. My husband said to me that like always I loved to live in dangerous I was almost relaxed and safe in my husband arms. All this complications is normal for human complexity and for the first time I feel part of this big city and I thought that this evening was the first of many adventures in New York.

Making friends in New York

Last Friday, I have a lunch with some new friends, and I realized how lucky I’m. In only few months I have a great friends. Is gorgeous have friends who Goes Great Together. Perhaps, Some people in life were just made for Know each Other.

Coming back to Friday, We were having a lunch together, a French girl, Japanese girl and me Brazilian girl. It’s like United Nations. We speak English. We laughs a lot with ours differences. And is like we know each other all ours life. It’s great.

Moving to another country opens up a world of opportunity for new experience and powerful friendships.

For example, my French friend is like me, she talks all the time, she has an opinion for every thing. Our friendship, started in one Charity dinner here in New York. The event is black-tie for men and women can wear long dresses. It was a delightful event. We danced a lot and we share ours visit cards. Our friendship started, when I invited them (My French friend and her Spanish husband ) to spent thanksgiving with us in our home with some another friends from Bolivia and Venezuela.

My Japanese friend I meet in NUY, she’s lovely, very nice and I don’t know why but we liked each other in the first day. And now she is like a sister for me.

My Bolivian Friend we meet in a marriage in Brazil and when I came here we saw each other, and she is great, she know all about shopping in New York, and we are thinking about work together doing some catering here in New York in her association “New York Junior League”. She does the social and I cook.

My American friend is Funny, a very good example for someone who lives in New York. She was born in France, from American Mother and Irish father. She’s catholic, and next month she’ll be marry an Indian Muslin. It’s great!!! She is very nice and she works as a critic gastronomic in NY. 

My Spanish friend, I knew in the first day on NYU presentation. She's charming and in the first day we saw that it will be a good friendship.

How you can see my adventures in New York is very complex is not only about food is  also about friendship.

 

Twins……It is impossible not to like my sister Regina. She lives in Sao Paulo with her two daughters Thais and Gabriela, husband Roberto and her dog Zidane. She is incredibly nice. “It’s true” She is the most inspiring person I have ever met. She is a huge part of my life, my every day. She has a gentleness and humanity that’s rare nowadays. 

A charmed life, there is one thing that she does very well being focused in her family, daughters, her husband and me. She's a very successful architect.

Regina is born a few minutes before her fraternal twin sister me, in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1974. Bound by birth but with widely different temperaments we grow together. The daughter’s of Maria Beatris and Francisco Diniz Junqueira were raised with a lot of love and happiness. Sharing a room. Even when an ocean separated us, even when we thought we are two, We are  only one. We complete ourselfs. Twins share special times, happy and sad days, as they are always somehow connected by that miracle of birth.

We are very closed. We are identical twins.. We studied together in the same class, and I can't imagine my life without her. Despite we are very identical. We have different characteristics. I'm more active than her, more sociable and more emotional. I love the fact that I have someone who is always by me and give me a support in all things, whatever I do. We have spent twenty-eighth years together. When she got married I was lost. Our husbands are very closed and friends. They know that we need to talk every day and also when we meet each other they know the'll not exist for one day, because we need to update ours mind. Her daughter are like mine. I’m crazy about them. They are adorable.

Finaly, she is the best wife, the best mom, the best sister and best friend. She is beautiful over and over again. It’s fun being around her. She’s like a child almost, with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.


OBS:

I met my sister during our first days of life in our mom belly. Was love in first time. 

Valentines day,

My husband and I, we have ours Valentines tradition to taste a star Michelin restaurant. This year we commemorate before the date, cause my husband will be in Japan next Thursday. This ritual we do all year since we married even before. So this year, we went to Daniels, a very nice restaurant in Upper west side. A French cuisine inspired in by the New York market. This is the moment every one dreams of, mostly a gourmand person like me. I was wondering and dreaming to go to this restaurant since I came here. So it’s a dream that came true. I’m think I’m starting to love this city. When we arrived we gave our coats, and I was wearing a lovely red dress and my husband didn’t know that in this restaurant they have a dress cod, and his wasn’t wearing a jacket!!!! Bad news!So they gave us one jacket, Uff!, my dinner was saved. There was also a couple after us that also forget the dress cod and gave also another jacket to them. I think for me was a little bit strange, but they are used to face this kind of situation so the have jackets for clients. We have a love round table in the middle of restaurant room. The food was wonderful, tastily perfect cooked. I’m lucky because my husband also asked one delicious wine that was a perfect marriage with our food. As I took as start frog legs with wild porcini mushrooms, confit leek, crisps lollipops, garlic coulis and my husband asked sea scallops with celery mousseline, bottarga and Buddha’s hand lemon vinaigrette. As main course I ate Lamb loin, artichoke barigoule (cooked in acid liquid with vegetable), with beans puree and my husband roasted veal tenderloin with creamy polenta, crisps sweetbreads and mushroom. In the end we finished with a cheese selection and apple pie, chocolate cake with almonds cream. Delicious!! It was so romantic!!! The place is gorgeous. Taste, taste, taste, it’s the best food I ate since I came here. Le service was perfect too. We finished in kitchen because I want to know how we say “Mise en place” in English. Here in USA kitchen they say preparation (Prep) when we want to do all organization, portions, before the service. Visiting the kitchen we knew the Chef Eddy Leroux a lovely person and also we was presented to the top Chef Daniel a friends of my French chef. They gave me a signed menu and invited me to cook with them, before I start to work in the new restaurant. The kitchen brigade always impresses me. It’s like orchestra where the efforts of some cooks can do a wonderful food. It was a delicious celebration. I have a great husband. We are perfect for each other; it’s the true love!!! 

Today is Friday, a lovely day,no class, 

Firstly, Preparation for my dinner.This phrase is very important in kichten!!

This evening we’ll have a special dinner.UHmmmm Gazpacho home made over a pesto sauce and brunoises tomatoes, pinholes, scallion comfits, mozzarella “burrata” and brunoises red peppers comfits, after risotto with shitake mushroom, chanterelle mushroom and porcini mushroom, for the middle 

Roquefort cheese with goiabada (a Brazilian comfiture) in the end we’ll have Italian “Panacota” a vanilla cream with raspberry fresh and compote.

This morning, I went to Chelsea Market to buy the ingredients I need. I this place and we can find good Italian food, good bread and good fish…. It’s beside Budakan, a nice Chinese restaurant in New York!!! 

When I came back I try to find another place that I thought was near there and I got lost, but I finally I find my way in the end. The problem is always the same I'm a lost girl my brain came without a Gps …Even in New York the easily city in the world … I can lost myself.

In the afternoon I prepared the dinning room table. My cousin Denise will came this evening for dinner; She is lovely and lives here about 20 years now.