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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Chilcano cocktails







Following the popularity of the Peruvian cuisine, Pisco sour has become a famous cocktail. Another cocktail from Peru that is not as well known yet is Chilcano. Chilcano is made with pisco, ginger ale, a few drops of bitters and some ice cubes. And I have to admit... I like it even better than pisco sour, Peru's national drink.

The primary ingredient in chilcano is (just like in pisco sour), pisco, a brandy similar to italian grappa. But it's lighter, fresher. My first and best chilcano ever, was at restaurant Mayta in Lima and it was prepared by bartender Renzo Amaya. He has won several awards for making the best cocktails based on pisco.

To mix a chilcano, you can also use pisco infusions, called "macerados" (second photo), made with fruit, leaves or roots. I especially loved the ones made with mango, camu camu and goldenberry. Although it will never taste as good as in Peru, I tried to make chilcanos at home.... and they turned out pretty well if I may say so myself (last photo). Salud!

Read more about Mayta here:
http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2015/04/restaurant-mayta-lima-peru.html

Monday, March 6, 2017

The First Days of Spring






Spring is here, or so it seems. At least the crocuses are blooming, but it's still pretty cold outside! That won't spoil my mood though... watching all thoses crocuses in bloom is such a delight, year after year! Don't you just love them?

Photos taken in front of Hotel Des Indes at the Lange Voorhout in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Hello March!




Finally March is here again!!! The 1st of March is the start of meteorological spring in the Northern hemisphere. In The Netherlands it's still pretty cold right now, so to me, it's really the promise of spring.... when birds finally start singing again, flowers flowering, days getting longer, new clothing collections arriving in the stores... In the mean time, here's some spring inspiration, enjoy!

Champagne by Moët & Chandon
Metallic yellow bag by H&M
Pink sweater by Zara
Cotton napkins by Zara Home
Scented candle by Diptyque
"Tompouce" tulips