Gastronomic Delight at Spiseloppen in Copenhagen's Hippie Town

Don't judge a book by appearances, indeed! That's what I learned when I visited restaurant Spiseloppen at Copenhagen's own free town, Christiania. This autonomous neighborhood in the borough of Christianshavn is more known for the mild scent of cannabis in the air on Pusher Street, its no-cars-allowed rule, homemade houses and the remains of the hippie movement, so imagine my delight when I found out that this nondescript entrance....

... led up to this cozy restaurant!

Spiseloppen has quite a nice menu. My husband and my friend chose dishes like shrimp and venison while I opted for an appetizer of a green bean salad with nuts and toasted goat's cheese, a main course of chicken leg stuffed with shrimp and served with vegetables and a small melon-apple salad and for dessert--a divine chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, berries and mango ice cream. YUMYUMYUM!

Just take a look at how gorgeous that looks! And the taste was just as beautiful and bursting with flavor!

It will definitely not be the last time I visit Christiania for a culinary experience at Spiseloppen, and maybe to explore some of the other cafes in the free town.

USA Vacation 5: About Wine Country and the Route Back to L.A. Through Solvang and Santa Barbara

Next destination: wine country. More specifically, director Francis Ford Coppola's wineyard in Sonoma.

If you are ever in the area -- and even if you don't like wine -- a visit to this wineyard is nice for a day trip.  Rolling acres of grape vines, interesting architecture and fresh air are an added incentive.

For movie buffs, bits and pieces from Francis Ford Coppola's career adorn the estate.

Of course, there are the wine tasting bars but if you are driving or if it's too early in the day for you, check out the winery's restaurant, Rustic. You can enjoy a delicious steak or chicken lunch under high ceilings, and the ambience isn't too bad, either.

On the way back to Los Angeles, our route took us near Solvang, the little Danish town in California. For someone actually living in Denmark, this experience was slightly bizarre, especially as many of the Danish landmarks were copied here on a smaller scale. But definitely an interesting pit stop on a long car ride. The Asian toursists seemed especially fascinated by it.

Another pit stop on the way back to L.A. was in Santa Barbara. What a nice town! I can also see why this is a great university town with it's proximity to the beach and nice areas. 

And that was the last leg of our holiday in USA. For you readers who waited patiently while I was enjoying the Danish summer and procrastinating on getting the blogs posts out, thanks for hanging in there! I can only recommend a few weeks in California and Las Vegas -- maybe there was a little too much shopping involved but, oh my, it was an amazing holiday!

Pink Christening

I was recently at the christening of a friend's daughter -- and my goddaughter --  and I absolutely loved the pretty table decorations at the christening party at their flat!

Doesn't it look cute?

For treats after lunch and some bubbly, my friend whipped up a cake and lots of delicious French macarons! Oh my...! Those macarons are dangerous for the waist line, because once you start on those colorful sweet treats, it's hard to to remember to stop. But so worth it! 

You can check out her recipes for the macarons, cake and other savory eats on her blog here.

Tip: the mocca macarons with salted caramel are divine!

(You might need a translation program since the many recipes are in Danish.)

All in all, a nice idea for a christening party or even a baby shower for a little girl.

Give 'em Pie...In A Glass

This recovering flu victim had to think fast and find a recipe for an easy dessert for our dinner guests. Here's a tried and tested dessert that is so simple -- even when you have been sick at home for 5 days -- and never fails to delight: lemon pie in a glass.

And that extra dose of vitamin C probably didn't hurt either! Nomnom!

PS. I found this recipe here. It's in Danish, but I'm sure you can get the gist of it through any online translation engine. Enjoy!