A family day at the EXPO 2015

The Universal Exhibition in Milano was reason enough for me to take the kids out of school for a day and travel to Italy hoping we'd enjoy an unforgettable experience. It sure was memorable but not entirely as expected.

Having bought the tickets online a year ago, reserved a place in the parking garage, even booked entry vouchers for the Swiss stand, I felt I was ready to face the humongous site showcasing more than 140 participating countries. Each pavilion was asked to present - through some mind-googling technology at times - a concrete answer to a vital need: being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the Planet and its equilibrium.

I might be biased but I do feel the Swiss managed to visually and emotional defend their case. They were by the way, the first country to join the Expo Milano 2015.

Its pavilion was made up of four towers, full of local food products which the visitor could take away. But there was a limit to the resources available, to exceed that limit meant depriving other visitors of the same opportunities.

Thanks to the modularity of the structure, the platform on which the towers stand is lowered as they are emptied, allowing everyone to see for themselves their own habits of consumption. The project, which focuses on the availability and distribution of food resources in the world, invites visitors to reflect on their behavior as consumers.

Apart from curing our home-sickness, however, we had to fight the hoards of visitors. It started at the parking house where we queued to find a place, despite the reservation. We were asked to take the shuttle to the main exhibition entrance, walked across some bridges for another 10 minutes, stood patiently though the security check and when the finally the gates opened in front of us (about 50 minutes after having driven onto the site) we felt like we had entered an International Disney Land!

Where to start? Argentina was Expat boys natural answer, he was born there. 50 minutes of queuing for a very disappointing slide show. Spain's slideshow was slightly more entertaining and only 20 minutes of waiting in line. Guess what? Haiti, Venezuela and Kenya had no queues. We skipped Japan's stunning pavilion, apparently 6 hours of patience was required for that visit. No way!

The US contingency which was trying to sell placemats, mugs and t-shirts was very disappointing, especially since their entrance looked to be the grandest one of all. The kids could not even get excited about the food trucks out the back given we were - after all - in Italy!

Qatar's building tempted us with images of 1001 Nights and after standing in line under the pouring rain for 40 minutes the presentation of a typical local feast made out of some sort of plastic did not live up to our expectations.

So, the message about respecting the planet and its food sustainability did get lost in whirlwind of country-hoping. Tourist promotion would be a more adapt term. The crowds were un-imaginable. Picture Heathrow airport at Christmas then imagine it 10 times worse. The day we visited the Expo we were 4 of 178'000 battling our way through the crowds from 12:00 to 21:00! The next day, the event hit a record number of 272'000 visitors!!!!

The best part in the kids opinion was the food! We enjoyed many different regional delicacies and despite the queues for drink and food, once we found a little spot in the sun, we had a smashing time eating our way through the continents!

It's a challenge!

Going with the flow...

Argentina's pavilion looked very promising.

Spanish creativity

Guess what? The auditorium is PiNk!

Casa de Italia: 3 hours of queue. Not happening!

Impressive architecture...

... everywhere you turn.

American Food 2.0 ???

Welcome to Switzerland

It's all about sharing

Quantities are calculated to last for the entire 6 month of the exhibit...

... IF every visitor only helps himself to one portion!?!

The last two cartons of dried apples...

... which are rapidly diminishing!

  

 If I share with my daughter, the portion of apples might last another 52 days. 

Sadly, the apples lasted only additional two days!

Switzerland is rich in natural water thanks to its many mountain springs.

Expat girl was inspired by the Swiss pavillon

 Hitting the crowds AGAIN!!!

A well kept secret: Haiti!

Qatar from the outside looked much more promising than...

... from the inside!

The French pavilion was a nice surprise: creative and welcoming. 

The Dutch had no budget for a pavilion so a backstreet food market was mounted

which totally felt like Little Amsterdam: good job!

The tree of life granted a well deserved break from all the chaos.

 We ended the day with a well deserved Neapolitan dessert: la sfogliatella!

Origins of All Saint's Day

"Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower, We will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind."
William Wordsworth

November comes from the Latin word "novem" which means nine. It was originally the ninth month of the year in the Roman calendar which began with March. When January and February were added to the Roman calendar, November became the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar. November is one of the four months that has thirty days.

All Saints' Day, often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on November 1st by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown.

All Saints Day, the day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown, is a surprisingly old feast. It arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their martyrdom. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, local dioceses instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs were properly honoured.

The current date of November 1 was instituted by Pope Gregory III (731-741), when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and ordered an annual celebration. This celebration was originally confined to the diocese of Rome, but Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the feast to the entire Church and ordered it to be celebrated on November 1.

The vigil or eve of the feast, October 31, is commonly known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. Despite concerns among some Christians (including some Catholics) in recent years about the "pagan origins" of Halloween, the vigil was celebrated from the beginning—long before Irish practices, stripped of their pagan origins (just as the Christmas tree was stripped of similar connotations), were incorporated into popular celebrations of the feast.

Happy Halloween

Trick or treating?

There are many stories as to the custom of trick-or-treating might have begun.

In the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain, which means "end of summer", the Celtic New Year. During Samhain, the Druids believed that the dead would play tricks on mankind and cause panic and destruction. They had to be appeased, so country folk would give the Druids food as they visited their homes.

An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, breadcake, cheese, eggs, butter, apples, etc., in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill.

Also a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.

Some people think that this led to asking for treats on Halloween in verses or rhymes. Such as:

Deal out, Deal out,

The witches are out!

---

Trick or treat, you're so neat.

Give me something good to eat.

Nuts and candy, fruit and gum.

I'll go away if you give me some.

---

Trick or treat, smell my feet.

I know you'll give us lots of treats.

Not to big, not to small,

Maybe the size of Montreal.

---

I hear a bang, bang, bang

On the door, door, door

A ghost, a witch, a pumpkin, a skeleton and more,

I hear a bang, bang, bang,

On the window too,

A knock, knock, knock,

They want to get you,

It's Halloween Night...BOO!

Candy Corn Parfait recipe

I love Candy Corn and after having shared the Candy Corn Macaroon recipe, I have now come across a fast and easy dessert recipe that will impress your dinner guests... IF they are familiar with Candy Corn! ;)

Ingredients:
1 large orange
1 to 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
3 tablespoons lemon curd or custard
1/4 cup whipped cream
1 tablespoon crushed shortbread cookies (optional)

Preparation:
1.) Peel and segment the orange with a paring knife, removing the membranes and white pith.
2.) Chop the segments and toss with the orange liqueur in a bowl; set aside for about 10 minutes.
3.) Spoon the lemon curd/custard into a small liqueur glass or brandy snifter in an even layer.
4.) Top with a thin layer of whipped cream, then pile on the oranges and dollop with the remaining whipped cream.
5.) Sprinkle with crushed shortbread cookies, if desired

P.S. You can order Candy Corn at AFoodAve: http://afoodave.ch/collections/halloween

A lovely autumn day in Lugano

Last weekend was one those perfect autumn Sundays where Lugano works its magic on me and there is no other place I'd like to be in the world. AS they say a picture is worth more than 1000 words.

Stretching to see the Ponte de Melide

Monte Bre or the Vesuvio?

Tempted to jump off?

Souvenirs for tourists...

... and treats for the locals.

Vanini, the place to see and be seen over a coffee or Aperitivo

The delicatessen store in town

Feeling nostalgic

Lugano's latest addition: LAC

Lugano's new cultural centre, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura was created with the aim of adding value to the cultural and artistic life of the city and the region.

Eco-friendly food shopping: a new kid in town

We are all concerned when it comes to recycling. If you live in Switzerland you know what an Eco center is, a place where you meet your neighbour on a Saturday morning - on your way to washing your car - to sort and throw out the recyclable trash accumulated during the week.

Packaging is an essential part of a product's sale. It's all good for those who appreciate the form, the aesthetics and the information it can provide. It's all bad for those who believe and/or work in daily task of reducing waste production.

Negozio Leggero promotes over 1500 cooperative goods in bulk. Just like in the olden days when having a bucket of milk was essential to transport it, you'll be helping yourself from a tap, filling containers brought from home with the desired amount.

Finally an alternative to shop without packaging! Great prices, organic products and there is everything: vegetables, soaps, pasta, wine, detergents, spices, teas and more.

So check out this new eco-friendly store where trendy presentation and emerging flavours will capture your attention and provide you and your kids with a totally new shopping experience.

Negozio Leggero, Via Lambertenghi 2, 6900 Lugano

Stay Creative!

For some weekend inspiration I thought I'd share an infographic of "40 ways to stay creative".

Personally, my number 1 source of inspiration would to be go out for a walk or a run. It does not matter where, either in the woods or in the city, depending on my mood at the moment. What is your best way of getting creative?

1. Create an inspiration board
2. Get out more
3. Sketch more
4. Experiment!
5. Socialize
6. Keep up with trends
7. Learn a new skill
8. Read books
9. Use sticky notes
10. Break your routine
11. Be around creative people
12. Spy on the competition
13. Visit exhibitions
14. Collaborate with others
15. Travel
16. Get a new hobby
17. Challenge yourself!
18. Make lists
19. Meditate
20. Get feedback from peers
21. Listen to music
22. Watch films
23. Take risks!
24. Write stuff down
25. Declutter your workspace
26. Love what you do
27. Finish projects!
28. Visit museums and galleries
29. Keep a dream diary
30. Have sex!
31. Take naps
32. Watch motivational speeches
33. Go to the theatre
34. Practice!
35. Eat different cuisine
36. Stop comparing yourself to others
37. Question things
38. Turn off distractions
39. Let go of fear
40. Be curious

Candy Corn Macaroons recipe

It is not easy to get a hold of Candy Corn in this part of the world but I have found a way to put a French twist to my Candy Corn craving. The macaroons are both festive and delicious, making them the perfect sweet treat for the Halloween celebration.

The recipe sounds more complicated than it is. I have had lots of fun making these with my daughter.

Ingredients for Macaroon:
180g ground almonds, sifted
270g powdered sugar, sifted
150g egg whites, aged 2 to 4 days in the fridge and then brought to room temperature
100g granulated sugar
Yellow food colouring

Ingredients for Vanilla Buttercream:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Orange food coloring

Preparations:
1.) In a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, sea salt and vanilla. Whip until smooth and light, this takes about 5 minutes. Tint with orange food colouring. Voilà, your buttercream is ready.
2.) Line four heavy baking sheets with good quality parchment paper and set aside. Also, set aside two pastry bags for the piping of the macarons.
3.) Sift together your ground almonds with the powdered sugar and set aside.
4.) Whisk the egg whites (at room temperature) on medium high speed to glossy firm peaks adding the granulated sugar gradually in four parts. You don't want to whip the egg whites too quickly, this should take a good 5 to 7 minutes.
5.) Incorporate the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites using a large rubber scraper and mix just until everything is combined then stop and divide the batter in half. Tint one half of the batter with yellow colouring.
6.) Fold each of the mixtures with a rubber scraper by pulling down the sides and flipping the mixture over. Do this until you have a smooth mixture that falls like a “ribbon” off the scraper.
7.) Transfer the mixtures into separate piping bags. Use rubber bands to close the piping bags. Clip the tip of the bags, one at a time, and pipe small quarter sized rounds, leaving 1-inch of space between each because they spread as they set.
8.) Leave to set for about 30 minutes or until the top has formed a crust and is not sticky to the touch.

9.) While they are setting, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
10.) Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cookie is firm, matte and doesn't wobble when touched.
11.) Leave on the baking tray until cool then lift them all off the parchment carefully. You may need to use a thin knife to help lift them off.
12.) Sort into pairs and fill with Vanilla Buttercream.

Fox Trail in Lugano

Have you heard of Fox Trail, the latest addition to Switzerland's many activities? Fox Trail consists of a thrilling paper chase organised across the country. The ingenious team event leads you to a city's most charming nooks and crannies or even to a castle's bizarre rooms on the Fox' various trails. Every course is different: decipher messages, interpret clues and coax secrets out of intricate puzzles.

Whether friends, family, acquaintances, company or club: Fox Trail makes for a group event that is rich in variety, and suits curious people between 8 and 88 years of age and it always has a new surprise up its sleeve.

It is not a race or an athletic feat, but a fun and elaborate group event, which lets you playfully discover a city with investigative skill, creativity and team work.

Ticino's trail is called Galileo Galilei where you'll search for the mysterious green treasure chest in the centre of Lugano. The trail leads you from the train station directly into the hills of the city but do not let yourself be too distracted by the breath-taking view, as there is still much to do: knights have to be saved, old characters have to be deciphered or trails of blood pursued. Even an exclusive cableway will help you with the enigma! This extraordinary tour through Lugano ends in the city center and is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience.

Seek and book a trail right here: http://www.foxtrail.ch/en. The organisers will tell you all in an e-mail. Happy hunting!