Pasta Ciclabile

22/02/2018

Still rollin' that pin...

Sauce carrots+fava beans à la tunisienne

24/07/2017

HARVEST

From North to South summer has come and wheat is being harvested. I made it to Turkey and I finally decided to turn my bike to the west. It has been an hard decision but I need to take a little break for now.

I realized that is time for me too to start harvesting something after many months on the road. I gained a lot, I lost a lot, still haven't figured out what learned from this journey. It takes time.

Will I see you give more than I can take?
Will I only harvest some?
As the days fly past will we lose our grasp Or fuse it in the sun?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXStKdubasA

Thanks to FuoriRotta and Emanuela Minasola for the opportunity and trust they gave me
Thanks to Sar Acca who supported me no matter how painful it was to her
Thanks to Alessandro Giacomello even if we couldn't ride together
Thanks to Romain Dufour and Filippo Giubelli who were fool enough to start this adventure in winter
Thanks to Thomas Pomas Estel Astel Stefano Zanini who shared some road and food with me, waiting patiently
Thanks to Catalin Cretu and Ioana Cretu who had been family and home when I needed and pushed me back on the road

Thanks of course to all the people who helped out, shared their houses and kitchens. Too many to number but every single one so precious and peculiar! There's a nice world full of great people and tasty food out there: go and get it!

Personally I will look for a temporary home and keep on baking and cooking before hitting the road again.
Cheers!

20/07/2017

TURKISH RANDOMNESS

It was short, definitely too short for a country like Turkey. I will be back, I want to be back with more time and energy!

Güle Güle

18/07/2017

IRMIK
Turkish delight, one of the most popular actually. A dessert for every occasion

Stir-fry until brown durum wheat semolina. Warm up some milk and sugar. Add them to the semolina and let it cook. Add hazelnuts, raisins, cinnamon and whatever taste you like.
Serve it hot topped by kaymak ice-cream, yum!

It is basically a sweet polenta, quick, tasty and nutritious.

14/07/2017

Over 40 degrees, too hot and hearing the sound of the tarmac on my tire I decided to stop at 2pm. Still for once I could enjoy the afternoon turning into a fresh(er) evening.

Got fed green chickpeas(!), cake, bread, cheese, baklava with some spongy ice-cream and way too much watermelon! Lost count of the teas I drank, had some nice conversation over google translate and offered a shave!
Finally no hurry in Turkey!

PS I saw my first pistachio tree, it's beautiful!
PPS for some reasons Turkish people love this song https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ijEHZufmKU8

10/07/2017

Çiğ köfte

Interesting story. Literally it means "raw meatballs" and they used to be very popular. Just lamb meat seasoned with mint, lemon and spices.
Since few years, due to the process to get closer to UE, Turkish hygiene standards hotness stricter and raw meat got banned.
But Çiğ köfte still exist just made out of wheat bulgur and they are very popular as street food (I remember tasting them in Kosovo). Good for vegetarians!

06/07/2017

Wow! Turkey, you don't even have to look for bread, it literally comes to you! Such lovely faces!

Basically there's a common oven in every village and every 2 days the ladies use it to bake bread&much more for every house.

Sounds like the stories my grandma used to tell me about her village in South Italy. Maybe a good idea for the future too?

29/06/2017

Ciorba de Burta
(Vegetarian version)

A vegetarian version of a tripe soup sounds almost as an oxymoron. Nonetheless, following her uncle's recipe, Ioana Cretu​ did it!

Just substitute the tripe with Pleurotus mushrooms. The texture is similar and the taste probably improves (but this is my humble opinion).

Stir fry the mushroom with garlic and add them to a vegetable soup (carrots, parsnip, potatoes, onions, celery k**b) thickened with eggs and smântâna (Romanian sour cream).
Season the soup with freshly pressed garlic and vinegar. It sounds funny but trust me: it's great! Almost an asian feeling...

Suggested soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmZgAggUNcs

13/06/2017

Anne Pekelharing just got on her bike and started to cycle and cook from Norway to Italy along Life Cycle Stories

Dimitris Bogas started a slow trip back home to Greece trough the far west of Europe http://snailtour.eu/

Cherif El Bakkali still hopping on&of his bike Hope in Bike - Cherif Around the World

It's good to know we are not the only ones!

The slower you go, the more you'll see

29/05/2017

ROMANIAN ROADS

Over 1000 km in Romania. Definitely one of the best countries I ever crossed, and not only because of the season (actually it rained quite a lot!) Diverse and amazing landscapes, from rocky mountains to green hills to endless flats.
But the people made the difference: I never experienced such warm hospitality, committed helpfulness and genuine curiosity.
Multumesc!

25/05/2017

Holnap jobb means "tomorrow is better" in hungarian and it is the name of these delicious walnut&cinnamon pies offered, along with great hospitality, by the wife of the protestant pastor.

Their village, in the heart of Transylvania, is called Olasztelek, which in Hungarian is means the place of Italians.
So Hungarian speaking persons in Romania, living in an ancient Italian settlement: what a mix!
That's why I love eastern Europe so much: people, languages, recipes going beyond borders and exchanging!

By the way the pies were as good today, with a warm coffee during a thunderstorm, as tomorrow for breakfast under a bright sun!

23/05/2017

A good meal is essential while travelling by bike, especially something warm in the evening.

Expert cyclists and warmshower hosts Diaconescu Radu and Mihaela Diaconescu suggested this tasty recipe: vegetables&red lentils curry with rice.
Nutritious and tasty, easy-to-carry ingredients, quick to make!

Check out their blog: http://www.diaconescuradu.com/

Then, we also enjoyed some local Romanian potato bread and cheese, another classic food while cycling. And having the comfort of a good kitchen some rhubarb and cream!