meet dodek

Today it is new year's eve, so I have made something extraordinary, a cake that smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, ... with big amount of dried fruits and marzipan. New year's eve is only once a year, so we want to celebrate it.


I  added bracelets and orchid to intensify the feeling of this special night. We invite you, because I really doubt it will last long.


Happy New Year :)

Over last couple of days people were constructing a festival stage near our house, where groups from the surrounding villages, in traditional costumes were taking part in the contest. A girl who was standing outside, playing without paying any attention to the surrounding crowd was something I could not just walk on by.

Beautiful women, aware of their beauty were posing to impress even more.


Surrounding music was very intriguing, because I associate Spain more with flamenco than this kind of sounds. Another extraordinary items were handmade hats covered with flowers, worn by both men and women. It looked more like middle of the spring not end of December.


In the main pavilion were competing bands, while in the open-air participants were not only preparing themselves, but also those who finished were encouraging everyone to play and dance with them.


How to use castanets and an example of the music I've already mentioned.


Pictures and videos are available in gallery.

Another obligatory item that has to appear during Christmas is gingerbread. Its taste and smell reminds me my childhood, when we used to have a Christmas gingerbread factory. During studies in Krakow I introduced this tradition to my friends.


This year I used another recipe for pepparkakor, but instead of adding molasses I used honey, so my version is much lighter than the original one.


First part was very thin, I think it had only 1 mm, so after one week even tiny stars, Christmas trees and hearts were falling down from the Christmas tree. Eating them was a pleasure, we were taking one after another, because eating air is not fattening ;)


And black makes you slimmer ;)

Which one do you like the most?

My grandparents come from the eastern Europe, hence at Christmas time at our table always appears kutia - poppy seed, barley, dried fruits and honey.

Melva is a typical fish from Andalusia from Scombridae family, it's similar to tuna or mackerel. Tastes more like meet than delicate, white fish, we are used to eat. Chris added Christmas accents, like red pepper and rosemary.


After Christmas eve our stomachs were a bit overloaded, so we added just a piece of home made bread.

We've just started eating poppy seed cake - makowiec - now it's time to cycle ;)


I also want you to look more carefully at the red tablecloth with gingerbread cookies.

Merry Christmas.

Because tomorrow is Christmas I wanted to add a small Christmas accents - beetroots (don't worry, we started preparing pickles almost a week ago).


I don't recommend beetroot pickles for people with arthritis, because they contain oxalates.


If you want a recipe, write me.

For me there is no better place than mountains with snow. We spent the last two days in the Sierra Nevada. During the day the sun was shining and after skiing we were watching colourful sunsets with a lift in the foreground.

I really like the area where we live, picturesque hills just before sunset.

El pavo means turkey. For cyclists before Christmas it means even more - in Spain every December people race to win a turkey. Yesterday we were in Marbella where the race was held on the main road of the city.


Today we went to Velez to go for another one. However, the weather was awful and I decided not to take the risk. Probably, I got used to Spanish sun too much. Congratulations for all the participants and even bigger ones for the winners.

Cheers to Dani - we are going to try ourselves again soon.


More photos  here.

Yesterday I wanted to feel a bit that the Christmas is coming, so I prepared candied orange and lemon peel. This dragon, really helped me. Unfortunately he suffered once an accident in the oven.

As I previously mentioned I started buying fruits and vegetables on a market, this time was a pineapple day and everybody wanted me to buy one. After refusing couple of times I had say yes, to a very nice salesman and I bought a delicious, juicy and very sweet pineapple. I didn't have to add anything more than mint, because it was so good.


I brutally peeled it, I need to learn how to do it properly.

A lot of vegetables with small amount of rice. Artichokes, tomatoes, lentils, olives spiced with fresh ginger, garlic and huge amount of turmeric powder.

Do you know that for some Spaniards lentils seem to be the food from the worst nightmares, because in their childhood they have to eat it as a healthy meal. I do remember disgusting, tasteless spinach that I have to eat in the kindergarten. Do you have similar memories?

First of all what is kisiel - it's something like pudding but instead of milk you use water, but I can surprise you, only fruits flavour are available, a bit like jelly.

In Andalucia is very rare to have central heating, so I wanted to warm myself from inside with a hot kisiel: cherry kisiel with pomegranate.



I normally like to have contrast, so another shoot with a leaf:


I really liked this detail:


Last image very similar to the first one, but recently I have a lot of problems with taking any decision ;)


Which photo do you like the most and why?

I would like to thank my parents and Fido for providing us kisiel :)

Yesterday while we were walking on the beach we saw a seagull.

Today we've had another fast cycling lunch - fried tuna garnished with fresh onion, with radish.


On the second photo you can see Chris in action - he couldn't resist any longer - the best lunch is a hot lunch :)


I recommend adding a bit of olive oil, it will enhance the flavor.

Today Chris was making a home made nutella - banana, avocado and cocoa paste. The photo ripe avocado, those with a green rind can be bitter.

Recently I have been detoxing my body using freshly lemon juice - it's important to drink it just after it's squeezed - if you want to know more visit Tomak - lemon treatment. You can see lemons on a realistic, dark grey background


and on a totally black one, looking like levitating ;)

We ate a pumpkin soup recently. I added a chilly pepper to my portion, because I like spicy food :)
Chris preferred a milder version.

Another tomato day, they are so beautiful and tasty, that I couldn't regret not taking another photos.


Especially for Chris photo with a different structure/texture that gives impression of real life.


Which one do you like more and why?

Today for lunch I served marinated squid with rosemary and juniper, garnished with celery.

Today something completely different. Instead of going for a race we made a circle around our neighborhood by car as the majority of the crossroads was stuck, here and there few cars which wanted to pass were trapped. Despite improving conditions moving around is still difficult.


A short movie showing why we didn't get to Moron despite we really wanted to. Last year it was great!

Yesterday it was a bit different than usually, instead of cooking and working I went climbing with a funny couple. I had to mention that I was not only taking pictures, but also trying to do it myself. I haven't done it for a really long time, probably 10 years, but even though I admired it a lot, especially that in Poland I used to climb on artificial walls inside buildings. Nature in here is so spectacular, that after a short period of time I forgot about the fear of falling down ;)


From the top, there was a really nice view. I was very satisfied that I managed to reach it, a bit like in Nepal ;) I've been dreaming about another trip to the high mountains. In the pictures Doris and Adam.

Homemade pizza on a fast and thin yeast dough with artichokes, sun-dried and fresh tomatoes, capers, 4 cheeses - mozzarella, rullo de cabra - goat cheese,  curado de oveja - long ripened sheep's milk and feta, with fresh basil from our garden.

Before the fall began with heavy storms, a mantis appeared unexpectedly on our balcony mantis. I must admit that I did not know that they are so big.

Yesterday, it was probably the last rainy day. Such weather continues since last Monday with short breaks dedicated for cycling;) The weekend was unfortunately very ugly, so the only thing we could do was to eat and wander with an umbrella, though, we did about 20 km. The views are very nice, seems like spring has come :) Sometimes, I'm really astonished that in Poland the spring is once a year and here at least twice. In the pots, not only at home, iris and freesia start to germinate and grass is growing on the beach.

Totally different idea of shooting a chocolate pudding. I played with colours and light. Do you like it?

Today another vegetarian dish - lentils, spinach, onion and tofu instead of meat on my favourite, used pan ;)

Today I have been playing again with dark background - fresh, delicious tomatoes smelling like summer. Recently I have more free time, so I can go to the market, where all the fruits and vegetables that remind me my childhood, that time in Poland there were no hypermarkets with low prices and artificial food.

Fresh artichokes, they will be tomorrow for dinner, but today only on this picture. I've been learning macro shots, all comments are welcome. Well, I invite you for dinner tomorrow :)