Monday, September 27, 2021

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter – or Jam!!!

Greetings all!

I was recently discussing ravioli with a friend, who thought ravioli can only be served with a marinara or a similar pasta sauce. Imagine his surprise when I said I like my cheese ravioli with jam!! 

But think about it! Crepes can be served with sweet sides – so why not cheese ravioli!? If you are still hesitant to explore the ravioli+jam realm, here is a fantastic recipe you can start with and then work your way to a sweeter side!

Ingredients

  • 18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter     
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt    
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  3. Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

When you are ready to taste my jam variation, cook cheese ravioli as described in Step 1 above and then serve with your favorite jam! 

Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it! 

Monday, September 20, 2021

Selection of Funnies: Overheard at the Symphony

– [While the orchestra is tuning] “I don’t know the name of this piece, but they always open with it.”

– [Before a performance of Pachelbel’s Canon] “What do you mean there is no cannon? That’s the only reason I came to this thing!”

– [During a performance of Turandot, after ‘Nessun Dorma’]: “The guy playing Pavarotti didn’t even look like him.”

– [Before a performance of Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ Symphony] “Are we supposed to clap at the end, or...?”

– [At a Beethoven concert] “And which one of them is Beethoven?”

– [After a concert of Mozart symphonies] “I thought there would be some singing as well.”

– “My husband has a very loud sneeze. We were at a piano concert and when he sneezed, one of the pianists was startled right off the piano bench.”

– [A child at a performance of Rhapsody in Blue] “They stole the airplane commercial music!”

– [A child listening to the Dvořák Cello Concerto] “Daddy, can we go home when the old man has sawed through the box?”

– [A small child in the Royal Opera House foyer before a family performance] “But mummy, will they sing *all* the time?”

– [Woman on the phone during the interval of a concert where Krystian Zimmerman was playing Chopin] “I thought he was taking me shopping.”

– [Boy talking to his mum] “Why do they have to taste the wood thing before they tie it to their instrument? Does it taste good? What flavours do they have?”

– [During a performance of Aida] “A man in front of me slept through the whole thing, woke up right at the imprisonment and loudly asked ‘What happened? Did someone die?’”

Source: https://amp.classicfm.com/discover-music/humour/funniest-overheard-comments-at-classical-concerts/

Which one was your favorite? Drop me a line!

Monday, September 13, 2021

Cake Quiz [But Mostly Pictures!]

Greetings all!

Do you like cake? I came across a cake quiz – and although the quiz does not tell you anything you already do not know, I LOVED the pictures of the cakes – drool, drool!




















Source:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/lizmrichardson/how-many-cakes-have-you-eaten-quiz

Which one is your favorite?

Monday, September 6, 2021

2022 Bucket List Trips

Greetings all!

A friend recently lamented to me that it has been almost 2 years of no travel! Even though we do not know when things will get better and when we can explore the world safely again, I try to stay positive. 

For me, thinking about destinations, looking at pictures, reading itineraries and dreaming about traveling again soon - all that sparks joy!

Here are 2022 Bucket List Trips, according to SmarTours:

Alaska

Eastern Europe

Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands

Egypt

Iceland

Mediterranean Cruise

Peru

Rhine River Cruise

South Africa

Vietnam and Angkor Wat 

Source: https://smartours.com/best-bucket-list-trips

What did you think? Drop me a line!

P.S. I am not advertising these tours or the company – I just like the pictures and the travel ideas!