Monday, April 23, 2007

Recipe: Stuffed Aubergine

Before we start, you may want to look at the slide show, to have an idea what you are going to eat tonight. This dish goes very well with dark red wine (Merlot)...

Ingredients (Per Person):

  • 1 Aubergine
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 Glove of Garlic
  • 2 Table Spoons of Sweet Corn
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Butter
  • Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • Spices (Salt, Pepper, Chilli Powder, Garlic Granules, Sweet Paprika Powder, Black Mustard Seeds, Cumin Powder, Turmic Powder, Kitchen King (mix), Qasuri Methi (dried leafs)

Preparations:

First thing we are going to do is to chop onion and garlic. Then, grate carrot in to separate bow.
Next, cut the aubergine in half and take out the soft middle using sharp knife. Try not to damage the skin as we will use it later. Now, chop the insides of the aubergine into small cubes and put it in a bow.

Time to fry:

Heat the sunflower oil in heavy pan (not thin aluminium stuff you can buy for ½ pound). When the oil is hot, add spices and keep heating them on medium heat for a minute and half. Make sure that you do not burn the oil and spices as they will loose their taste and aromatic qualities.
Next added chopped onion and garlic and fly for another minute. After that, add grated carrot and keep frying until the carrot became soft (2-3 minutes). Added aubergine and sweet corn and fly for about 5 minutes, till aubergine cubics are soft.

Let's bake it all:

Turn on the over on 200°C. Meanwhile, cut thin slices of butter and place them into the two half of the aubergine's skin (try to stick them to the walls). Then, fill them equally with the fried mix and cover with grated cheddar cheese.
Put the two portions of aubergine on the baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Bonn Appetite!

I want to thank to Ms. J Chuksina, who taught me this recipe.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Weekend in Barcelona


Hello my dear readers.
One again, I write about wonderful places where we all want to be... vacation! This time we went to Barcelona for a long weekend. Also, my dear mom, her husband (Mr. Arie Feldman) and his lovely daughter Avia can to breath cleaner, sharper and much more "sophisticated" European air.
I will try to write as entertaining as possible and to provide as much useful information as possible.
Where shall I start?
We took the cheapest flight from London Gatwick airport and arrived to Barcelona at 11:23PM. To our surprise, it was amazingly easy to get to the city using bus A1 which goes straight to Plaza Catalonia, where was our hotel. And it cost us just 7.80€...
Next morning, we went to see "Gaudi's Places". First of all, we went to some church, and the city is full of them, then to museum of Picasso and finally to Gaudi's garden. The garden was amazing place, full of devices and creatures from Gaudi's crazy mind. Following that, we went to Plaza of Spain to watch a fountain show (http://picasaweb.google.com/john.markh/20070406Barcelona).
The day after we all went to Sitges (http://picasaweb.google.com/john.markh/20070407Sitges), a lovely town just outside Barcelona. There was nothing really special in there, so we walk a bit around the town and had couple of beers while there.
On a third day, we went to Monserrate. It is a monastery on top of a mountain one hour from Barcelona (http://picasaweb.google.com/john.markh/20070408Monserrate). Instead of going to "another" church, we decided to buy loaf of bread, pack of cheese and olives, and to climb to the highest peak of the mountain. After two hours of going up (1236 meters) we finally reached the top. What can I say... if god is somewhere it is probably there, high in the mountain.
The last day of our trip we spend in Barcelona. We went to the famous "Sagrada Familia" and sough last two buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi (http://picasaweb.google.com/john.markh/20070409Barcelona). On the same day, we tried famous Spanish dish called "Paelya". Personally, I would prefer to have chorisos...
Now, if we are talking about food, let me give you a good recommendation. The place is called "Los Toreros". It is clean, the food is fresh and delicious, and it is cheap! They have amazing "Brava Potatos" and "Sangia" (chilled sweet red wine with oranges and lemons).The restaurant is not far from Plaza Catalonia (map).
Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Malinkii Malchik


Malenkii malcik nascul pistolet
Bolshe v derevne milizii net!


Malenkii malcik nascel pulemet.
Bolshe v derevne nikto ne zivet!


Malenkii malcik nashel pulemet.
TU-104 domoi ne pridet!



Malenkii malcik na vishnu zalez.
Vdrug iz kustov pokazalsa obrez.
Razom razdalis i vistrel i krik:
"-Sorok sestoi!"-usmehnulsa starik!!

Deti v podvale igrali v gestapo.
Zverski zamucen santehnik Potapov.

Malenkii malcik nashol kimono.
Sorok priemov on videl v kino.
Vizgi i kriki,udari nogi...
Papini jaica stekli v sapogi!

Malenkii malcik na krishe gulal.
Malenkii malcik s krishi upal.
Smotrit v okno izumlennaja mat':
"-#% tvoju mat',on umeet letat'!!!

Malenkii malcik na kryshe sidiel,
Byl by on babockoi, - on polietiel.
Ticho podkralsia s dubinkoju ktoto -
Vot i sbylas' mecta idiota.

Malenkii malcik na krishe sidel,
Solnzhni luch emo golovu grel.
Ruchnula krisha, chrustnuli kosti...
Net, ne poedem mi k malchiku v gosti.

Malenkii malcik na ldinke poplil,
Szadi k nemu ledokol podvalil.
Netu otradnei kartinki na svete:
Sleva pol Peti i sprava pol Peti!

Malenkii malcik konfetku sosal,
Szadi podechal k nemu samosval...
Zavtra nautro napisali gazeti:
"Malchik pogib, podavivshis konfetkoi".

Malenkii malcik na stroike gulal,
Basheni kran ryadom gruz podimal.
Tazhest ne viderzak starenki tros,-
Malchik ushami k sandalyam priros.

Malenkii Petya na travke lezhal,
Misha nezhaino s krishi upal.
Ne rozabrales roditile v morge:
"Gde zhe zchi ruki, i gde zhe zchi nogi?"


Devachka v pole kakashku nashla,
K dyadye s voprosom ona podashla.
"Bros etu gadost" dyadya skazal,
Dolgo potom on lezo viteral.

Deti v podvale igrali v roddom.
Ne vynes aborta sedoi upravdom.

Devochka v pole britvu nashla
"Chto eto,papa?"-sprosila ona
Papa otvetil :"Gubnaya garmoshka!"
Vse shire i shire ulibka u kroshki

A u nas vo dvore sneg segodnya rozovii
Papa s malchikom igrali V Pavlika Morozova

Malenkii Vasya shemu payal.
Payal on,payal i payalnik upal.
Zharenim myasom zapahlo vokrug
Devochkam Vasya bolshe ne drug.

Zvezdochki,bantiki,shortiki v ryad
Tramvai pereehal otryad oktyabryat.
Siska nalevo,siska napravo
S nimi pogibka vozhataya Klava.

Babushka vnuchku so shkoli zhdala,
Kalii Cianistii v stupke tolkla
Dedushka babushku operedil
Vnuchku gvozdyami k zaboru pribil

And, here are some more :

Golie zhopi po nebu letyat
V banyu popal reaktivnii sn aryad.

Skromnaya devochka s imenem Rita
Popu chesala kuskom dinamita.
Vzriv prozvuchal na ulice Zhdanova
Nogi v Medvedkovo, popa v Chertanovo.

Malenkii malchik na lifte katalsya,
I vot dokatalsya - lift oborvalsya
Roetsya mama v kuche kostey :
"Gde zhe krossovki za 30 rubley?"

S ulici mame sosed prokrichal :
"Vash sin pod asfaltnii katok tut popal!"
Mama sprosila : "A gde on teper?"
"Shas ya ego vam prosunu pod dver!"

Deti rezvilis v shkolnom bufete,
Zhainikom vibrali tolstogo Petyu,
Petya ne dolgo na plitke pichtel,
V fortochku pepel ego politel.

Petya na lizhach vodnich katalsya,
Vdrug ne zametno tros oborvalsya.
Plavayut v ozere rvanie plavki,
Ostatki ot Petyi doeli piavki.

Special thanks to my good friend Bonita, who helped and inspired me...