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July 31st, 2011 My mum’s garden is a paradise of fresh vegetables and fruits. I like to come back to see my parents in the tomato season. In Carinthia, we have Norther Italian climate in the summer and this results in the most beautiful and aromatic tomatoes one can imagine. When you walk around the house, you are haunted by their delicious smell and you can’t help yourself but eating the cherry tomatoes, heated from the sun, straight from the vine. They taste of summer, of long nights drinking white wine on the balcony, of languid days on the beach with the sun on your back…
My parents buy the tomato plants in Italy, which really makes a huge difference to the ones you get in Austria and probably also in the UK. This year they went a bit overboard and have 5 different species growing. Apart from the beef tomatoes which are wonderful with mozzarella and for cooking, we have cherry tomatoes, vine tomatoes and, particularly optically pleasing, green zebra tomatoes and yellow tomatoes. The only favourite of mine missing is the sweet and intense tasting plum tomato. Well, next year.
 Tomatoes fresh from my mum's garden Apart from tomatoes, there loads of cucumber and zucchini, huge bright orange pumpkins, red and yellow peppers, chili plants looking all innocent until you make the mistake to bite into one of their fruits, green beans, basil plants (I counted 5 different varieties), not to mention raspberries, red and black currents and figs. We also have apples and pears, but they don’t taste very nice.
It is almost too much to eat it all fresh in salads, so my favourite way to get the flavours of summer into a healthy, light and delicious dish is the Spanish Gazpacho. Dependent on which vegetables you have around and like (I for example am not keen on peppers and only add one red pepper for colour), you can vary the proportions.
GAZPACHO
Amount: for 4 people
Cooking Time: 20 min (and afterward, allow enough time to chill)
Ingredients: Read more... (653 words, 3 images, estimated 2:37 mins reading time)
- 1 salad cucumber OR 1-2 garden cucumbers
- 1 red pepper
- 2 ripe beef tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 l vegetable stock (from cube is fine)
- 1/4 l tomato juice
- 1 hot chili
- 1 big spoon olive oil
- 2 big spoons of Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche
- 1 slice of white bread (e.g. ciabatta)
- salt, pepper
July 29th, 2011 When I lived in Vienna as a student, the main thing I got to know were pubs, bars, clubs and other more or rather less cultural venues. Now, only sporadically returning as a ‘tourist’, I have the opportunity to explore Vienna from a different viewpoint. I am still not very keen on the standard tourist attractions such as the Stefan’s Dom, Schloss Schoenbrunn or the Hofburg. I have seen them as a child or teenager and have never had the urge to go back fighting for space with masses of tourists from all over the world. However, I tremendously enjoy the excellent restaurant and food scene in Vienna, the beautiful parks, the outskirts of Vienna with small vineyards and the great art museums and exhibitions. Read more... (873 words, 11 images, estimated 3:30 mins reading time)
July 28th, 2011  Category: £££ 
(Double Room from 293 Euros)
HOTEL DAS TRIEST
This traditional hotel with 72 rooms has been re-designed in the 1996 by Sir Terence Conran resulting in a contemporary, stylish but at the same time inviting place. I really like the location – even though it is only 5 minutes walk from the First Disctrict with all the monuments and sights, sleek bars and fancy shops, it is in the middle of ‘real’ Vienna, with neighbourhood bars and restaurants and odd little shops.
The rooms:
The rooms are generous and nicely designed. I hated the shower though, if you try not to get your hair wet, you end up having to balance the hand-held shower head with one hand while trying to soap your body with the other, flooding the bathroom at the same time.
Room Rates: 
Doubles from 293.00 Euros a night which includes breakfast.
Food and Drinks:
The breakfast buffet has everything an Austrian would want. Fresh semmel (Austrian rolls), a choice of home-made jams, a selection of tasty hams and cheeses as well as Apfelstrudel. My American companions enjoyed the freshly cooked eggs. I was not so keen on the buffet closing at 10:00 am sharp, and their selection of English language news papers was poor. Read more... (443 words, 6 images, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)
July 26th, 2011 Category: Bistro (££)Â
I went to university in Vienna and left the Austrian capital almost 6 years ago when I moved to London. Whenever I come back to Vienna now, I am reliant on Austrian foodies for advice on exceptional restaurants. Following my urgent request on Facebook for recommendations for my recent impromptu trip to Vienna, Artner auf der Wieden was suggested to me by several Viennese friends. It is in walking distance of the hotel I was staying at (Hotel Das Triest, review to follow) and, even though in close vicinity of the city centre and the First District, far off the beaten track.
Artner auf der Wieden serves traditional Austrian (Viennese) cuisine with a sophisticated twist in modern and stylish surroundings and cosy atmosphere. A great restaurants to introduce the food conscious tourist to Viennese cuisine.
I was immediately taken by the delicious home-made bread which was served with a selection of butters (Irish butter and butter infused with rocket and garlic) as well as two different kinds of salts (Welsh sea salt and black salt). As amuse bouche we were served a shot of lovely chilled cucumber soup.
 Amuse bouche @Artner-Vienna
 Fresh Bread @Artner-Vienna
July 25th, 2011 Category: Ice Cream
Rating: 7/10
I have almost made my round through the most talked and blogged-about London frozen yoghurt places, the last one on my to do list was Yog in Charlotte Street. After having had some rather mediocre Thai at Thai Metro opposite(I don’t know if I can be bothered to write it up), I needed something cold, sweet, tasty and light. Time to hit Yog. Read more... (254 words, 5 images, estimated 1:01 mins reading time)
July 23rd, 2011  Category: Bistro (££)
Matt Chatfield is delivering produce from his home county Cornwall to the top restaurants in London such as The Ledbury and Marcus Wareing, apparently he supplies meat and fish to 25 Michelin stars each day. He is the owner of Cornwall in your Kitchen and works together with the Cornish fishmonger with major focus on sustainability, Fish for Thought.
 Cote de Boeuf at The Cornish Grill Matt decided that he wants to make his high quality ingredients accessible to more people and has founded The Cornish Grill, a pop up restaurant at the Manor House Pub in Clapham, which is open on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. At this decidedly laid back neighbourhood pub he sells his fish and meat to ‘BBQ prices’. The menu changing every weekend (when I went, the menu was Spanish-influenced) and he has young chefs (often sous chefs from London’s finest restaurants) prepare the food. Read more... (673 words, 6 images, estimated 2:42 mins reading time)
July 19th, 2011 Category: Le Budget (£) 
I was surprised by a torrential downpour in Notting Hill (yes, after having lived in the UK for almost 6 years I am still ‘surprised’ by rain and never carry an umbrella) and fled into the next restaurant on my way, which happened to be Ukai Sushi. Being soaked might have been the better option in the end.
As I was wet and frozen, I went for warming Vegetable Udon Soup (6.95) with some Edamame Beans (4.50) on the side. The Udon Soup was the blandest dish I have possibly ever eaten. It basically consisted of doughy tasteless things only marginally resembling my beloved udon noodles swimming in something that looked like washing up water and tasted like ehmm.. water. The tofu tasted of absolutely nothing and so did the broccoli. It was the first time I had cherry tomatoes in my udon noodle soup and let me assure you – it doesn’t work.
I won’t forgive them what they did to the edamame beans. Overcooking them is one thing, not seasoning them another but immersing them in some brownish coloured, luke-warm, watery sauce? Who would have thought that you can do so many things wrong when preparing edamame beans?
 Read more... (320 words, 4 images, estimated 1:17 mins reading time)
July 17th, 2011 Category: Brasserie (££-£££)Â
It was my last evening in Wales and to celebrate this we went to Y Polyn, which is located in the absolute nowhere between Llanelli and Camarthen in South Wales. Not exactly the place where you would expect a stunning restaurant to be… Let me introduce you to Y Polyn’s motto first. When you enter their website you are greeted by the ugly truth: “Fat equals flavour. Live with it!” The lovely waitresses (who despite the motto have largely managed to keep their figures) are wearing this slogan printed on their uniform and you can even buy a T shirt and become part of the “polynation”. Read more... (881 words, 10 images, estimated 3:31 mins reading time)
July 14th, 2011 Category: Ice CreamÂ
Rating: 7/10
After I blogged about the frozen yoghurt joint Snog and how little it convinced me, Catty left a comment, suggesting I should try one of her favourite alternatives, Yuforia. And that’s exactly what I did. Read more... (344 words, 4 images, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)
July 12th, 2011 Category: Le Budget
I met my Vietnamese food loving friend Naomi one Sunday in Soho with the aim to finally try out Viet in Greek Street, which has been strongly recommended to me by Leluu (who is Vietnamese and therefore must know where to get the most authentic and delicious Vietnamese grub). To our unimaginable disappointment, Viet was closed. We were not ready to give up yet on our quest for Vietnamese food in Soho and ended up at Pho, which is part of a small chain named after the Vietnamese national dish, in Wardour Street.
It might have been our mistake to not actually go for the pho but instead order my usual triad of papaya salad, fresh spring rolls and Bun Cha. Whatever the reason, the food at Pho turned out to be the most westernised and least authentic Vietnamese I have had anywhere in London. Paired with rude and unpleasant service, I won’t exactly hurry back. Read more... (666 words, 5 images, estimated 2:40 mins reading time)
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