Land Mine Awareness

One Island - Two Countries

I could not believe my eyes! I see people in proximity of a handshake, right outside of the window!  Should I even mention that I am on an airplane, still in the air? We are landing at the Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten Island. I am speechless. The beauty of this heart shaped island is overwhelming.

“The signs — they say “Danger” in bright red letters and depict a man getting blown off his feet by a landing jet — could not be clearer. Yet that doesn’t seem to deter people from lining up on the beach at the foot of the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport to jump up as if they could touch the approaching aircraft with their fingertips. This spectacle poses several confounding questions: Don’t they realize they can’t jump high enough to reach the planes? And don’t they realize what would happen to them if they did?” – Jeremy Peters.

First time I visited this lovely part of the world, was about eight years ago while taking a cruise. We docked about 7AM, and half-hour later we were let free to explore the island. Some passengers disappeared at lightning speed, rushing to make sure they get the best pieces of jewelry before anyone else.  I was more impatient to discover what was so distinctive about this island.

One of the most attractive features of this island, besides its picturesque beaches, is that it hosts two countries. Half of the island is French and the other half is Dutch. You can clearly notice the difference right away. Cuisine, people, prices, architecture, and much more. Also, the Dutch part of the island operates significantly faster than the French side, what a surprise!

I would definitely suggest to anyone visit St. Maarten and explore its unique beauty and culture, and trust me you will not regret!

You can find full article by Jeremy Peters here.  

Nigella Bites

Nigella Lawson’s Black Cake

“This recipe comes from one of my favourite books, Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking. There are few food books that have such genuineness of tone, such love of food and of life. Laurie Colwin died young, and I often think of her family, her daughter, whom she writes about with such passion and interest. It’s an extraordinarily powerful legacy that she’s left her.

This cake was introduced to Laurie Colwin by her daughter’s West Indian

babysitter: ‘Its closest relatives are plum pudding and black bun, but it leaves both in the dust. Black cake, like truffles and vintage Burgundy, is deep, complicated and intense. It has taste and aftertaste. It demands to be eaten in a slow, meditative way. The texture is complicated, too – dense and light at the same time.’ Here is the recipe, altered only.” - Nigella Lawson.

I was mesmerized. Her amateur approach to cooking makes you connect instantly. I can do it as well! I can cook something beautiful and tasty, and I don’t even have to be a professional cook! She inspires you to be more creative and not to be afraid of food. Enjoy cooking and don’t make it a chore.

For all the dessert lovers, I’ve posted a sample of her Black Cake recipe. Here, you can get an idea how avid and passionate her writing is. She tells you to mix “pleasurably and stickily” and put fruits “to sleep”. I am not a dessert person, but this makes me want to try and explore, why not. Of course, I will probably add or take something away from the ingredients, but that’s okay, in fact, according to Nigella, best meals are born in your kitchen when you personalize and tweak it a bit, again don’t be afraid to be creative.

I hope you are enjoying something sweet and chocolaty right now. I am on my way home to “put my fruits to sleep”.