Mai, the co-worker with whom I share my office since 2007, watches a TV show called perfect dinner. I have never seen it, but she says it's interesting. "Perfect dinner" is a reality show in which a person cooks "the perfect dinner" for other show participants. Mai is a psychologist and finds it fascinating to see how each cooking-host defines the "perfect" banquet; apparently the parameters that define that "perfection" hugely vary from one host to another.
This is my recipe for the perfect dinner:
Invite 2 or three friends; the evening will be more interesting if your guests don't know each other very well. Tell one of them to come at 7:00 pm so he/she helps you cooking, the other guest(s) should come later...let's say at 7:30 pm, since this last guest won't cook, he/she will do the dishes. Tell your friends they will eat on of the best pasta-dishes ever.
You will need simple stuff, so don't go to the supermarket, being home hearing your favourite radio station is nicer than spending 30-40 minutes buying groceries; but be sure to have two bottles of wine a chilled white wine and an oak-aged red (Yesterday we had an organic Cabernet Suavignon, oak aged, vintage 2006). You will need:
- Garlic
- Dried chillies
- Nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds, pecan nuts...walnuts also work)
- Pitted black olives
- Spaghetti
- Olive oil
- Lots of parsley
When your first guest arrives ask to help you cook. You both should fry with lots of olive oil at very low heat one chopped garlic clove for each guest, a teaspoon of dried chillies and two spoons of grounded nuts per guest. Slice 2 or 3 black olives per person Be sure that the oil boils lightly, if the garlic toasts this sauced is useless.
After 5 minutes of frying the ingredients, start preparing the spaghetti (use half a litre of boiling for guest). Start washing lettuce leaves (3-4 per guest), keep the salad simple: use only balsamic, olive oil and fresh basil leaves. Meanwhile, you or your guest should chop lots of parsley (1 tablespoon of chopped parsley per guest).
Turn off the pan where you are frying the garlic and the nuts.
About now, the rest of the guests will arrive. Open the white wine and make a toast. When the pasta is al dente, take it out of the stove; lightly rinse the spaghettis and leaving some of the water in the pot. Put the pasta back in the pot; add olive oil, the parsley and the stuff you have been frying. Mix all ingredients well.
While you do this, someone should look for a space to eat (the dinning room is ok, but try your own room or the kitchen itself), put chairs, forks and glasses for everyone. Serve the pasta on soup plates, shred heavy amounts of fresh parmesan or grana on top of the pasta.
Open the red wine, make a second toast, eat the spaghettis, have some salad. Finish the red, go back to the white (Finishing with the white wine is a good idea, since the meal is rather heavy).
If this dinner takes place during on Friday or Saturday, get your most expensive bottle of schnapps, rum or other distillate. Drink a glass or two with your friends and enjoy being with them!
Salud y buen provecho.
viernes, 30 de julio de 2010
miércoles, 21 de julio de 2010
el triste
Today is everything but a perfect day. At work I received two bad news about projects in which I really invested lots of time. Today was also cleaning day in my apartment and the use of cleanser in the restroom triggered my allergy, since then I have been sneezing like hell; in addition to that, I watched an episode of South Park and for the first time, in the 7 seasons I have watched, the episode was very sad, it was so depressing that I almost cried three or four times.
Right now I don’t feel very motivated, the only inspiration I have now it to be even sadder (yes, I am an old-fashioned melancholy-junkie). All evening I have been hearing to sad songs along with a glass of white wine.
If I take a look to the last 14 hours, there was only a really pleasant moment: I hugged a friend of mine; it was the first time in a while. By the way, she’s the girl who will never be my girlfriend. Being next to her was lovely, but as soon as I left, a strange mixture of joy and sadness ran all over me.
I will get another glass of Chardonnay, listen to more dark-romantic music from the 70’s and 80’s and top this depressing ceremony with "el triste" from José José.
Right now I don’t feel very motivated, the only inspiration I have now it to be even sadder (yes, I am an old-fashioned melancholy-junkie). All evening I have been hearing to sad songs along with a glass of white wine.
If I take a look to the last 14 hours, there was only a really pleasant moment: I hugged a friend of mine; it was the first time in a while. By the way, she’s the girl who will never be my girlfriend. Being next to her was lovely, but as soon as I left, a strange mixture of joy and sadness ran all over me.
I will get another glass of Chardonnay, listen to more dark-romantic music from the 70’s and 80’s and top this depressing ceremony with "el triste" from José José.
sábado, 17 de julio de 2010
The happiest day this summer
It is a fact that in spring and summer people are happier; one of the reasons for this feeling is the sun. When the human body receives more sunlight than usual, the natural production of serotonin is triggered. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which supports the feeling of well-being and is considered as one of the happiness-hormones. Serotonin is also produced in plants, actually, the happiness that we experience when eating chocolate comes from the serotonin contained in cocoa.
During sunny seasons, the human body also produces sexual hormones.
Near my house, a group of three young guys are renovating parts of an old bakery in order to transform it into a space for cultural exchange. Our festival may be one of the organisations with office in that building.
Hannes (who also lives close to the bakery) and I helped last week in the demolition works. It was a very hot day; it actually reminded me of a Saturday afternoon in Chihuahua. Before going to the construction site, I had half a litre of cacao milk.
At the site, I saw a construction machine and immediately felt in love with it. It was one of the best tools a man can held: A Hilti demolition machine
The combination was incredible:
- I had the strength of happiness (Serotonin from the sunlight and from cacao)
- I had a new best friend along (The Hilti demolition machine)
- but we also had an enemy: Three brick walls.
Last Saturday was amazing and if you don't believe me see these photos
During sunny seasons, the human body also produces sexual hormones.
Near my house, a group of three young guys are renovating parts of an old bakery in order to transform it into a space for cultural exchange. Our festival may be one of the organisations with office in that building.
Hannes (who also lives close to the bakery) and I helped last week in the demolition works. It was a very hot day; it actually reminded me of a Saturday afternoon in Chihuahua. Before going to the construction site, I had half a litre of cacao milk.
At the site, I saw a construction machine and immediately felt in love with it. It was one of the best tools a man can held: A Hilti demolition machine
The combination was incredible:
- I had the strength of happiness (Serotonin from the sunlight and from cacao)
- I had a new best friend along (The Hilti demolition machine)
- but we also had an enemy: Three brick walls.
Last Saturday was amazing and if you don't believe me see these photos
domingo, 11 de julio de 2010
I hope to meet a girl soon, and I hope she never gets to read my blog.
Yesterday, Maria Hannes and I went to have a glass of wine to a terrace café in
Innsbruck's centre. While there, we discussed an important topic for us: Being single in our early thirties.
I won't tell anything about María's and Hannes' lives since it would be mean from my side, but I can tell we laughed about our situation and even made a terrific forecast: In some years, we three would be sitting in the same bar laughing about the time when we thought that being single was miserable. Maria, who has a refined sense of humour even pictured us: We three will be sitting on the same bar, same table, all of us would be in a a happy relationship, but there will be something different: The size of my breast would be even larger than now.
Maria is one of my closest friends and one I can hug, kiss on the cheek and held hands to with no problem. Having her as a guest in Innsbruck is a nice placebo; she is a person I can give affection to, she's a "receptor of friendliness".
Yesterday at the terrace I told my friends I wanted somehow to to start a relationship, it's been two and a half years since I had my last normal, official relationship. Although this summer started late, this July is hot and there are masses of women wearing shorts tops all around town.
Hannes and Maria don't believe me and think I just want a girlfriend until winter
comes, I cannot argue against that, actually I have never been able to plan my life for longer than 2 months...never. However, I hope to meet a girl soon, and I hope she never gets to read my blog.
p.s. I didn't change my profil pic this time, because I really like the actual one
Innsbruck's centre. While there, we discussed an important topic for us: Being single in our early thirties.
I won't tell anything about María's and Hannes' lives since it would be mean from my side, but I can tell we laughed about our situation and even made a terrific forecast: In some years, we three would be sitting in the same bar laughing about the time when we thought that being single was miserable. Maria, who has a refined sense of humour even pictured us: We three will be sitting on the same bar, same table, all of us would be in a a happy relationship, but there will be something different: The size of my breast would be even larger than now.
Maria is one of my closest friends and one I can hug, kiss on the cheek and held hands to with no problem. Having her as a guest in Innsbruck is a nice placebo; she is a person I can give affection to, she's a "receptor of friendliness".
Yesterday at the terrace I told my friends I wanted somehow to to start a relationship, it's been two and a half years since I had my last normal, official relationship. Although this summer started late, this July is hot and there are masses of women wearing shorts tops all around town.
Hannes and Maria don't believe me and think I just want a girlfriend until winter
comes, I cannot argue against that, actually I have never been able to plan my life for longer than 2 months...never. However, I hope to meet a girl soon, and I hope she never gets to read my blog.
p.s. I didn't change my profil pic this time, because I really like the actual one
lunes, 5 de julio de 2010
nice memories from my desk
About 8 days ago, Hannes and I painted my room walls, since that day I haven’t bought new book shelves and ever since, my desk is a mess.
Since I have not so much to tell, I will randomly describe some of the objects on my desk:
On Saturday I skyped with Tanja (she is currently in Peru) and I turned on the webcam. Wile talking with her I drew emoticons which I placed in front of the webcam. I draw a happy face, a sleeping face, a sweating face, a sad face and even a face talking on the phone (because Hannes called me while I was skyping).
There is also postcard Verena sent me from India in March; it is a pretty foldable postcard.
On the far left-end there is a bottle of hot-salsa I brought from Chihuahua for Lisa. By the way, Lisa turned 24 last Saturday and she organised a pretty nice barbeque. The weather was wonderful and the evening was great, but there was a big small problem: Mosquitoes.
There is also a big bunch of Polaroid pictures, I can recognise one my brother made of me playing a concert in 2008; Carol and me at the Garda Lake in Verona, Italy in 2009; the film-festival gang from last year and one from January 2009 with Sarah, Lisa, Hannes, my mom, my sister and brother, this is a pretty one.
There is so much stuff in here that I should stop writing about everything on it, there is plenty to say about the Woody (toy story) I got from my sister, the pap maché cat I got from Isabella, the kazoo I bought last week, the kaleidoscope that I for from Kathrin for Christmas three years ago…
P.S. Click on the profile pic to see three emoticons from the skype-session with Tanja
Since I have not so much to tell, I will randomly describe some of the objects on my desk:
On Saturday I skyped with Tanja (she is currently in Peru) and I turned on the webcam. Wile talking with her I drew emoticons which I placed in front of the webcam. I draw a happy face, a sleeping face, a sweating face, a sad face and even a face talking on the phone (because Hannes called me while I was skyping).
There is also postcard Verena sent me from India in March; it is a pretty foldable postcard.
On the far left-end there is a bottle of hot-salsa I brought from Chihuahua for Lisa. By the way, Lisa turned 24 last Saturday and she organised a pretty nice barbeque. The weather was wonderful and the evening was great, but there was a big small problem: Mosquitoes.
There is also a big bunch of Polaroid pictures, I can recognise one my brother made of me playing a concert in 2008; Carol and me at the Garda Lake in Verona, Italy in 2009; the film-festival gang from last year and one from January 2009 with Sarah, Lisa, Hannes, my mom, my sister and brother, this is a pretty one.
There is so much stuff in here that I should stop writing about everything on it, there is plenty to say about the Woody (toy story) I got from my sister, the pap maché cat I got from Isabella, the kazoo I bought last week, the kaleidoscope that I for from Kathrin for Christmas three years ago…
P.S. Click on the profile pic to see three emoticons from the skype-session with Tanja
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