NO time for boredom today

Tag: entertainment

  • The Schonbrunn Palace: A Bit of Viennese Magic

    The only unfortunate part of my visit was that the palace is getting the site ready for the annual Christmas markets so the front area looked like it was partially under construction. That said, this is an amazing place to visit. My husband and I were totally enchanted. We have both visited many palaces, including Versailles, Buckingham and Windsor, this one really excited both of us.

    The name of the palace translates to beautiful spring. Its location was chosen for access to fresh water when there were health concerns about the water near the winter palace. Both the location and look of the palace are impressive. This was the Habsburgs summer palace. When it was originally built, the location was in the remote countryside away from the city of Vienna and winter palace. Over the years, Vienna has expanded and the palace is in the city.

    The Schonbrunn is Austria’s number one tourist destination and I understand why. It has something for everyone. It is popular with both Austrians and foreign visitors.

    The palace itself is huge. In its heyday, it accommodated over 2,000 people. The royal apartment rooms are impressive. The palace even has the bed where Empress Maria Theresa delivered all of her 16 children. The Empress Elizabeth, known as Sisi, lived there, too. Lately, between recent books and the mini series about Sisi, there is a renewed interest in the Hapsburg dynasty.

    Interestingly, the Austrian government actually rents out some of the apartments to people. Our tour guide knows someone who rents one of the apartments. In addition, we spotted a bride and groom with a photographer taking their wedding photos. As we were wrapping up our visit, people were getting one of the larger reception rooms ready for a music concert.

    In addition to the extensive gardens, there is even a zoo on the palace grounds that dates back to 1752 and is the world’s oldest.

    We spent several hours at the palace and were able to see everything we wanted to. The only thing we missed was enjoying coffee and cake at the cafe on site.

  • Enjoying Paprika with My Dinner

    For our final dinner in Budapest, the head chef of the Viking Baldur, and his team, prepared a great menu featuring paprika. The salad was served with a delicious dressing which showcased paprika. The showcased entree was chicken and homemade spaetzle noodles served with peppers and a creamy paprika sauce.

    For dessert, most of the table ordered the chocolate lava cake which was fantastic. I am a cheese monger when not on vacation so I had to try the cheese plate. I enjoyed it except for one detail. The crackers appeared to be Ritz crackers – really? What a disappointment! My husband roared with laughter; the rest of our table chuckled, too.

    On a positive note, during our nightly presentation in the lounge, the chef offered us an amazing smoked salmon mini cone. Both my husband and I loved it.

    Early this evening, we started sailing towards Vienna. I cannot wait to see what our chef comes up with. Stay tuned for more!

    Fun smoked salmon tidbits served in the lounge
    Dinner Menu for Second Day
    Farm Salad with Paprika Dressing
    Chicken with Paprika
    Chocolate Lava Cake
    Cheese Plate

  • From Automotive Repairs to Killer Tacos

    Today, while checking out Frogtown in Los Angeles, we stopped for lunch at Salazar. What a gem this place is.

    Originally, this site was home to an automotive repair shop called Salazar. The restaurant opened in 2016. It’s an outdoor Mexican BBQ restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere . Even the salsa is made from scratch – starting with grilled tomatoes. The tacos were outstanding. The al pastor ones come with small pieces of grilled pineapple and a slight taste of heat.

    Dessert options are limited but fantastic. The tres leche cake was probably the best version I have ever eaten. It even came with tiny bits of fresh peach. Our friend ordered the flan with blueberries; it looked exquisite.

    It was a hot summer afternoon and we had a long drive home. Hence, we skipped ordering cocktails. However, the drink menu was impressive. The place does a great business and the staff is friendly and efficient. Our waiter was an actor from Argentina who shared great stories and made us feel so welcomed. Mexican food is plentiful in California but Salazar’s is special; both the food and atmosphere really stand out.

    My only complaint is the parking. Frogtown is an older community with narrow streets and limited parking. We found street parking about half a block away on a busy street near the 5 on-ramp. Exiting was definitely an entertaining experience.

    Salazar – An Amazing Restaurant in Frogtown.
    Homemade Salsa with Roasted Tomatoes
    Al Pastor & Carne Asada
    Machas & Al Pastor
    Huevos Rancheros
    The Famous Tres Leche Cake
    Flan With Blueberries
    The Bar Area

  • The Path to a Perfect Baked Brie

    I finally figured out how to make the perfect savory-style baked Brie.

    Prior to assembling, be sure to leave a roll of refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust out for 30 minutes to warm up. I have tried cheaper versions and they are not as good. Slightly warming the pie dough will make it much easier to handle. Also, preheat the oven to 400.

    As with a traditional jam version, the Brie needs to be cut in half. With this recipe, I first spread a coat of tomato pesto followed by a tablespoon of chopped sun-dried tomato pieces (drain any oil from the sun-dried tomato). Then put the Brie back together.

    Next, pull out the pie crust and use a small rolling pin to make the dough thinner. Wrap the Brie in pie crust. Trim away the excess – roughly 25% of the crust. Cover the top of the pie-crust covered brie with jarred pesto sauce. Barilla sells a creamy style version that I like.

    Create a circle of crust, from the extra, that will fit over the Brie’s top. First, use a cookie cutter to cut a window in the center of the dough circle. I like to use a cutter in the shape of a tomato. Place the crust circle with window cut-out centered on top of the Brie. Smooth out the edges. With remaining pie crust, use very small cookie cutters to cut out a few shapes. Then, place these pieces around the Brie to make it look extra special.

    Also, I like to sprinkle a handful of pine nuts on top of the exposed pesto as well as a few pieces of diced sun-dried tomato, too.

    Finally, the Brie is ready to go into the preheated oven at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. I use a glass Pyrex dish but a cookie sheet will work, too. Make sure that the Brie crust is a light brown before removing from the oven.

    Share with family and friends – enjoy!

    The Perfect Baked Brie with Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomato and Pine Nuts

    Key Ingredients and Steps to the baked Brie

  • Best Crab Dip Ever – Forget the Mayo & Sour Cream

    Recently, my husband I tried the warm crab dip at The Prado restaurant in San Diego. Our waiter recommended it and he was spot on with his suggestion. The combination of flavors was fantastic.

    Unlike other similar dips which combine sour cream or cream cheese with mayonnaise, this dip has a base of mascarpone cheese. Based on the menu, I knew the key ingredients but had to guess a few items as well. The crab dip I replicated at home is a masterpiece. My husband was in awe.

    Ingredients are as follows:

    Mascarpone cheese, small tub of crab claw meat, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1 poblano chili pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/3 cup sherry & 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

    The key thing is to melt the mascarpone at a very low temperature on the stove. If you melt the mascarpone at too high of a temperature, you will cause the cheese to separate. This dip is great warm and does not to be scalding hot.

    Step 1 – Roast the poblano chili. I cooked mine for 10 minutes ub the air fryer at 400.

    Step 2 – Saute the fresh spinach in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper.

    Step 3 – Start melting the mascarpone in a sauce pan. Add in the wilted spinach and roasted poblano chile (dice first). Add in Worcestershire sauce and sherry. Constantly stir the mixture as the Mascarpone softens. Add in the Parmesan and Dijon mustard. Keep stiring and add in the crab meat, too. Keep stirring. The dip will be warm but not scalding hot.

    I served the dip in a bowl with a basket of toasted French bread that I cut up into smaller pieces. Prior to toasting the bread in the broiler, on low, I spread both sides of my halved bread with light coating of garlic and herb compound butter.

    This dip can also be made in advance and reheated. I had leftover dip which I stored in a glass container and reheated two days later.

    The Prado Crab Dip on the Left & Mine on the Right

  • The Brightest Museum – Vegas of Course!

    The Neon Museum in Las Vegas is one of those museums that appeals to everyone. For years, I have seen photos and heard great stories about it. Finally, my husband and I recently visited the place. The Neon Boneyard does not disappoint.

    The museum, founded in 1996, is located in the downtown area in the lobby of the former La Concha Motel lobby and a surrounding 2.27 acre space. Naturally, it is a dream location for taking amazing selfies and so much more. The place reeks of old rat pack Las Vegas.

    I highly recommend taking a docent tour. We learned so much. It turns out that the casinos did not own their elaborate neon signs. The signs were actually owned and serviced by companies such as the Young Electric Sign Company. Many of the signs were rescued from demolished casinos and then lovingly restored by the museum. Some of the signs go back to the 1930s and 1940s. The signs are named after neon gas which emits a red ish-orange color. However, other gases, such as argon, which reflects a blue light, are used as well. The average lifespan of a neon sign is between 8 and 15 years.

    Fremont Street still has lots of neon signs but much of Las Vegas has switched to LED signs. LED is not only provides more energy efficiency but more creative opportunities…or so “they” say. That said, I am a fan of old school Vegas glitz and really loved my time at the Neon Boneyard.

    The Iconic Hard Rock Sign
    The Museum Entrance – La Concha Motel Lobby

  • Writer’s Drama In Coronado CA – 6th Annual SD Writers Festival

    My husband and I just attended the Sixth Annual San Diego Writers Festival. It was an amazing event with panel discussions for everyone.

    Call it a combination of spring fever and frustration over recent national politics. I was feeling out of sorts until attending this recent writers festival. I loved every panel that my husband and I attended. Reading a great book takes me to another destination, time period and so on.

    My husband and I both love murder mysteries, historical fiction and nonfiction. Our first panel was about crime and included several authors unknown to me as well as the charismatic Lee Goldberg. Goldberg is known for his work as as a television screenwriter on Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Monk and Diagnosis Murder. Not surprising, he has a very quirky personality. He is also extremely regimented in his writing technique – sticking to his initial outline. Others on the panel claim not to know the killer until they are in the middle of writing. This is not the case with Goldberg. I am currently reading his latest novel Ashes Never Lie. It’s an easy and fun read with a clean writing style.

    Our second panel was about historical fiction and included former newspaper reporter and editor Stephen P. Kiernan. His latest novel, The Glass Chateau is a World War II novel about the restoration of the stained glass windows in the cathedrals of Europe. On the same panel was first-time author Trisha R. Thomas owned her own wedding dress shop for 14 years prior to writing The Secret Keeper of Main Street. Her previous career inspired Thomas to write a tale about an African American wedding dressmaker in Oklahoma in the 1950s.

    I so enjoyed my final panel for the day with Ed Bagley Junior. I have always enjoyed his work as an actor. I was unaware of his serious battles with alcohol and pills back in the 1970s. Based on what he shared regarding his consumption and car accidents while driving under the influence, he is lucky to be alive. Parkinson’s has slowed him down physically but his memory is sharp and his sense of humor is phenomenal.

    Because this was a smaller venue, lines were at a minimum and we were able to have conversations with the writers. People were generous with their time and stories of how they broke into the business. I will definitely be attending this event next year.

    With the amazing Ed Bagley Jr.
    This is the Sixth year of the event
    A few of the treasures my husband and I brought home from the festival