Raclette

If you are reading this in Brazil, this post probably is not for you, at least not right now(summer time) but this is perfect for those of us in the North Hemisphere where the winter got to us late but it decided to come strong..."better late than never" right?

So this morning in Versailles was -10°C(14°F) and I couldn't think of anything better to eat tonight then Raclette, especially because I was in Switzerland until yesterday!

Matterhorn in the Valais, Switzerland

The Raclette is a Swiss dish, from the region of the Valais, made from cheese and potatoes. This is the base and then you can add bread, cured meat, pickled onions and cucumbers, etc..

Raclette is also the name of the cheese used to make the dish, it's a round cow's milk cheese that weights approximately 6 kg.

When it first was created, people used to cut the cheese into half a circle and melt the center by putting it next to an open fire, and then with a wood spatula they would scrape the melted cheese into a plate and eat it with boiled potatoes. That's why the name raclette which comes from the french term "racler" which means "to scrape".

Today the dish is served in restaurants, usually in the french and swiss alps with an electric plate with sliced raclette cheese or a big electrical resistance that fits half or a third of the whole cheese and you scrape it yourself by the table(which is much cooler).

When we went to have fondue at Caveau des Vignerons in Montreux, the waiter told us that you should always have cheesy dishes like raclette and fondue with white wine(not too cold)or a hot drink, he explained that you shouldn't drink anything too cold like water or soft drinks, because it makes the cheese hard in your stomach and it will cause indigestion.  I'm always looking for this kind of excuses, so I can drink more wine, it's like "No, it's not good for your health NOT to drink wine", so you have to, right?

The wines that are good to pair with it are white wines, not too acid, in France is common to drink it with a Savoie wine, in Switzerland with a Fendant from the Valais, but you could also pair it with a Riesling that is easier to find!

Christmas decorations at La Calèche 

I guess that's it, oh and the best place I ever ate Raclette was in Chamonix, a ski resort in the french Alps, next to the Mont Blanc. The restaurant is called La Calèche, and the ambiance is adorable, you feel like you're actually in a chalet on top of the Mont Blanc(well, you're not really that far from it!!!).

Bon Appétit!!!

Bonjour

This tip is to anyone that comes to France as a tourist or even to live here! The most important thing you need to know how to say it in french is "Bonjour" which literally means Good Day, but you could translate it as Good Morning. You need to know that if you don't say Bonjour in the beginning of a phrase or conversation, it's just like you never said anything at all. They won't hear you.

When I first arrived in France, I had a problem with my french bank account, so I went to the bank desperate to fix it. I got there and started blabbing about the problem to the recepcionist and when I was almost finished, she looked at me, raised her hand making a "stop" sign and said to me "Bonjour" and nod her head like "Now you can start". And I really had to explain everything all over again! It's like they have a recorder in their heads and "Bonjour" is the start button!


You should know that this is only one of the many particularities of the French, but each one is worth their own post!

First post and Why cinnamon in my purse?

Today I woke up without any knowledge of what would happen throughout my day that would lead me to start writing my first blog. I actually have tried to start many blogs before with the ideas all in my head, but couldn’t quite put it in paper, or better, in screen.

I’m 23 years old and considering my age, I believe I have already travelled a lot and met a lot of places, people and of course ate a loooot of good (and bad) food! The number of places I’ve been to are not even a half of the ones I want to visit, but thinking that I don’t wanna live only till I’m 46 I guess I can still see a lot until I pass or be unable to travel (I don’t know which is worst!).

I’ll write here about the things I saw and know and also everything that interests me and hopefully will interest you too! I love to travel with my own planning, trying to find different places to go and also traditional ones.

My husband worked(until today) at a 2 star Michelin Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Versailles, and next month he will be starting at another 2 star Michelin in Switzerland. As it’s “his job” we try to go as often as we can(cause you know, the prices don’t actually help) to starred restaurants, and until now we have gathered  a few great experiences, some good ones and even some bad. We know a lot of people in this business, which helps a lot with good tips of places to go and especially of places not to go to!

You’ll see that even though we are inside the starred restaurants world, I looooove hamburgers and small cozy restaurants, so you can read about a little bit of everything!

Well, I guess you can have a pretty good idea of what I want to write about…. all the good things in life…eat, drink and travel!!!!

Oh, I forgot to tell you about the name of the blog. So, last year I went to Modena in Italy and visited a Balsamic vinegar "winery" or "farm", anyway, the owner of the place told me that nowadays, everyone that makes balsamic vinegar can't leave their homes without a small flask of their balsamic to season restaurant food. When I heard that story I immediately remembered that I love churros(you'll see that there's a logic to that) but in France they don't put cinnamon on top of churros, and for me churros without cinnamon is like Fondue without wine, so I've started putting a small container with cinnamon in my purse, and that's why the name of the blog!

Hope you like it and of course I would love to receive comments, travel tips and stories from you guys!!!