Christmas in Germany is what I imagine most families everywhere do. Family you haven't seen in a year drive over and you gather at one place to eat until you don't ever want to hear the word 'food' again. I never experienced such a Christmas because my family outside of its immediate members reside in Japan and living in NY never made it easy to come together. Now it's almost routine to ask Oli which house we're going to on which day and what we should bring and wear.

The morning of Christmas Eve was a peaceful one.



The tree was ready and I had finally finished wrapping the gifts to put under the tree!!


I also made some pancakes! Pancakes are kinda my specialty. If I'm not feeling creative but want a nice breakfast, pancakes are my go to. Pancakes + holiday music = the best way to spend the morning.

After breakfast we went to Oli's mother's house. Her house was literally covered in cute Christmas decorations.





After many hours of tea, coffee, cake, card games, and dinner, we went back home to sleep. It's normal in Germany to open gifts on Christmas Eve but to stay true to my American tradition of opening gifts on Christmas morning, we decided to sleep and wait til the next day to open presents.


The smoking figure Oli put out for Christmas.




Sorry for the photos from blursville and my red puffy face (was a bit under the weather) but we were excited to open gifts!

The gift I was most excited about was the one I gave Oli.

Oli has a pair of Adidas sneakers that he literally wore TO DEATH in the past 3 years. I had several ideas for gifts over the past 2 months or so but then it hit me to replace his sneakers because I knew that unless they fell apart on his feet, he probably wouldn't replace them. I got him the same exact model and great gaggling goose, look at the difference!!! Mind blown.

After present opening and cat feeding, we got to work in the kitchen preparing food for ourselves.


Honestly doesn't get much more German than this, does it?

It was a really nice few days just talking, eating, and playing games. I think it's kind of crazy how this year just flew by and it's already nearing the end of 2014 and the start of 2k15! I am super excited for what's to come. Hopefully this blog will see some positive changes as well. Look forward to my next post, which will be a continuation of some Christmas fun!

Christmas in Brandenburg

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My trip to Italy in August consisted of only two things: art and food. Not to mention the time before that and the time before that and, well, you get the drift. There's something about hopping from church to museum to random-cool-building-facade-I've-seen -a-million-times-in-cities-around-Italia that leave me completely content. Of course, not without a good handful of stops in between to pick up gelato, a glass of wine, espresso, bread, pasta, cheese; you name it, I probably ingested it.

The challenge is finding a spot that serves good Italian food. Despite what some people may think, not all Italian food is good and much of it can be overpriced. Oli and I definitely landed ourselves in a few situations where we left feeling unsatisfied and slightly foolish, so imagine how delighted we were when we found this gem of a place on our last day in Verona.

The interior was very warm and inviting. There was a lot of natural lighting from outside and small little decorations hanging around the dining space. The servers were also very kind and never hesitated to answer questions. Definitely the best service we had eating out in Verona!



We tried a deal of two local wines: one red and one white. Oli and I both agreed wine in Verona is strong! Definitely not to be had on an empty stomach.



I snapped shots while Oli was busy preparing his pasta for his mouth.


I believe most, if not all, of the pasta is homemade. The prices also range from 7 euros for pasta to over 10 euros for main entrees (nothing above 15 euros). I saw one woman eating a soup which I thought was huge and her main course, only to see her eat a second chicken entree that was even bigger, so I guess they're very generous with portions as well!


We sealed the deal with chocolate salami! It's said to be a Veronese specialty and I highly recommend it. It's also very similar to Kalter Hund, which is a treat in Germany.

If you're ever in Verona, do check this place out!

Osteria il Ciottolo
Corso Cavour, 39
37121 Verona, Italy

Osteria il Ciottolo in Verona, Italy

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I have been a very bad girl.



It all started with an innocent stroll around town. I already had my first gelato in Verona. It was okay, the guy behind the counter was nice, and it made for a pleasant end to the day. Suddenly I see a corner packed with people and a line coming outside a store. People emerging with cups and cones of gelato and whipped cream, chatting away in Italian.



I knew then that it was fate and that I had to return to try what clearly looked like a potential party in my mouth. Naturally after the first time, I came back two more times (and I'm not even going to tell you how many times Oli and I debated on whether it would be okay to get back on line for a second cone).





The store is adorable and kitschy (as all trendy places are now a days). They also had a fridge of what looked like incredible cakes that we never got to try because every time we went into their shop, we became gelato junkies.
Yes guys, we struggled to return to reality each time.



The product in question is absolutely lovely! First they drip your choice of melted dark or white chocolate into the tip of the cone, then you get to choose 2 flavors from their selection. I loved every flavor I chose so I'm guessing you can't really go wrong. They don't do very unique and far out there flavors like I've seen in other gelaterias in Rome and Florence, but what they do do (which are Italian classics such as Fior di Latte, Stracciatella, and Zabaione), they do very well.




Luckily La Romana is a chain and you can find one in various cities around Italy. Buon Appetito!

La Romana Gelateria
Piazza Santo Spirito, 9 37122 Verona, Italy

La Romana Gelateria in Verona

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When in NY, do as the New Yorkers do. In other words, get your behind out to Brooklyn and eat vegan, maybe raw, maybe gluten free. Sun in Bloom fits all of those requirements. Not to mention it's also right next door to a sex shop in case you want to get saucy with your sunflower seed burger. Just sayin'.




The lighting was a bit sparse so some of my photos look a bit grainy but what a lovely place! There are single tables as well as a communal bench in the center. The room is not that big but the space is very organized and I don't feel like I'm shouting over the table next to mine. There is also a fridge on the wall to the left where you can pick up soups or raw desserts.



My friend Amy as I caught her talking on the phone. I swear I did not make her pose for this.




When it comes to dining out vegan, I'd say I'm a pretty seasoned pro. The thing I've noticed with many vegan establishments is that they cater to the idea that veganism is still a new idea and therefore the food is prepared like it ordinarily would be except with substitutions so as not to scare people off. Sun in Bloom is the total opposite in that they really celebrate vegetables and grains and seeds and actually make you like the dish for being vegan instead of a good second to a meat equivalent. My Sunny "Couture" Futomaki was delicious--I will definitely add roasted veggies to my rolls from now on. The ginger dipping sauce was also way better than any soy sauce. I'm not sure how the burger tasted but Amy seemed to enjoy it. For dessert, we split a gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie. Considering you could trick anyone into thinking it was a regular cookie, I'd say it was job well done.

Overall, it was my favorite vegan meal of this trip. My only qualm is I wish there was a tad bit more on the plate so you know, I could rub it all over my face. Haha, just kidding (but not really).

Sun in Bloom
460 Bergen St
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Sun in Bloom Restaurant

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Hey guys, as you may or may not know, I am currently in my hometown New York City! My flight consisted of an overnight layover in Helsinki, so I hit up my friend Marinka and we did a quick tour of the central area. It quickly became something of a food tour since, well, it's me, and there were just so many foreign foods to try!


My first night in, my friend Marinka picked me up from the airport and we went to a 24-hour grocery store. I have YET to find a 24 hour store in Berlin, especially on a Sunday, so I am in awe at how much more advanced Helsinki is already. But more so, I was intrigued by this Licorice flavored ice cream??! Finns love their licorice, eh?


The loot from the grocery store. Oh and I had that Susu bar yesterday and it reminds me of Twix candy bars.

The next morning we walked by a farmer's market near the ports.



THIS. It's OMG-good. It's like having your fish and chips in one go. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the fish or what this snack is called so if anyone knows, please inform me!

After maybe 20 minutes or so, we spontaneously decided to look for reindeer. It sparked from Marinka's idea to go get some reindeer waffles but because the place was closed, we went to a gourmet food store in the basement of a department store instead.




The man at the counter was so friendly and also recommended a lingonberry tart. It was very good--it's not a sweet berry so it went well with the savory tart. The reindeer, I concluded, tastes like a smoked ham. It could be the way it was prepared in the dish (also Marinka said the texture is quite different in real life) but none the less, it was salty and delicious.


Browsing the supermarket portion of the department store, I was somehow amused by a cereal called "Rude Health."

And then we found this jelly!


I have never heard of cloudberries before! I did a bit of research and they seem to be indigenous to Northern Europe and Canada. I wanted to take a jar with me so badly but we couldn't find a jar 100g or smaller (I only had a carry on so it was vital that it fit those requirements). I hope one day I can try this fantasticle sounding fruit . . .

Finally we ended up at Frazer cafe. It was quite big and pretty full of people enjoying lunch. I was completely distracted by all the cute Moomin goodies they had before heading to the pastry aisle and picking something out.




A butter eye? Well, it makes sense since it's buttery on top and looks like an eye. The taste was pretty similar to a Swedish cinnamon roll so in other words, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I really want to come back to Helsinki and visit the other islands (and try to swing for a day other than Monday, when all museums are closed). I hope you guys liked what you saw and if you know of anything I should try in Finland but missed, let me know! Ciao!

Eating in Helsinki!

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