Yum

For my 1600th post and first after a 3-1/2-months hiatus, here is something sweet (and it's coffee & chocolate time here), which arrived during my last official postcrossing activity in the spring, thanks to Peter :)

Bergische Kaffeetafel

Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany, east of Rhine river and south of Ruhr. This coffee table is traditional for the area since the 18th century. Looks yum doesn't it? Rye bread with black corinth raisins, milk rice, honey, butter, quark, waffles, cinnamon, pretzel, zwieback, marmelade, sausages and ham...and and...wow and I thought English breakfast is rich! Thank you Michele :)

Time For Breakfast

A nice continental breakfast coming all the way from Singapore, thank you Kay Jin :)

Åland Pancake

Continuing in the food mode...this is the last postcard I received via private swap, thank you Nina :) This pancake looks like a king of all pancakes! I found a recipe online, courtesy of finland.fi.

Recipe: Åland Pancake This deliciously filling local snack and dessert is popular in homes and cafés throughout the Åland Islands – especially with cycling tourists keen to recharge their calorie count. (Thanks to Pettas Organic Home Bakery for advice on the recipe.) 2 dl (4/5 cup) semolina (some islanders use the same amount of pudding rice instead of semolina) 1 dl (2/5 cup) wheat flour 1 litre (4 1/4 cups) whole milk 2 or 3 eggs 1 tsp salt 1 dl (2/5 cup) sugar 2 tsp cardamom Serves 4 to 6 people Heat the semolina in the milk for a few minutes to a porridge consistency, and let it cool down. Mix eggs, sugar, salt and cardamom separately, then stir this mixture and the flour into the semolina. Pour the mixture into a baking dish greased with butter, and scatter a few small knobs of butter over the top of the pancake. Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit), until the surface of the pancake is golden brown. Serve hot or cold topped with whipped cream and stewed prunes or jam (popular jams in Åland are made of local apples, strawberries, rhubarb or buckthorn berries).

Official - Olives And Feta Cheese

Today is Easter but I don't have any Easter cards, eggs, chicks or bunnies to show...The next best thing (or actually the best thing haha) is food, as this is also the day when people will (hopefully) feast and enjoy both food and each other's company. 

Olives and cheese are one of my favourite combinations - add some crackers and it is the only meal I need..! Plus some red wine of course :) Thank you Anouk for this card :)

Happy and blessed Easter!

Official - Snacks From Switzerland

This postcard looks like a cut-out as some letters are missing. However one thing is for sure, the Swiss have always had excellent bread. Pretty stamps too :)

Lappi Tastes, Finland

As the sender wrote: this card shows some wonderful delicacies from Lapland; sauteed reindeer meat, Finnish squeaky cheese (leipäjuusto) with cloudberry jam, and of course some coffee by the campfire. I must admit I am intrigued by the cheese! Thank you Virpi :)

The stamp shows the Linnansaari National Park, situated in the heart of the Finnish Lake District - on the Haukivesi Lake. A large part of the island is natural-state coniferous forest, with some herb-rich parts. The critically endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal inhabits the park.

Buon Appetito From Piedmont!

The Xmas and New Year's celebrations are behind us, the time when we inevitably gain a few pounds because of all the fine foods we treat ourselves with...But we shall continue with at least a visual immersion into the world's gourmet delights :) Here represented the Langhe wine region in northern Italy's Piedmont. Cheese and wine, mmmm....thank you Gianluca :)

Moldavan National Cuisine

This lovely card was send to me by dear Nastia, complete with fantastic stamps of the same theme :) The dish on the green plate is called mămăliga and is a porridge made out of yellow corn flour, cooked in a special-shaped cast iron pot called ceaun or tuci. It is usually served with cheese. What is hiding in that unique flask I wonder..? Perhaps Moldovan brandy called divin :)

The stamps show a bean stew with thyme, and fried fish with garlic sauce.

Borsch, Ukraine

This yummy card arrived for a tag, I hope I can try it one day! Spasibo Julia :)

NI Multiples - Les Tapas

I could seriously live off this stuff for the indefinite amount of time...even now I am getting hungry, better wrap this up quickly and change my focus! Gracias goes to Mike :)

Delicious Macedonia

Ana and me were writing this postcard after savouring the delicious lahmacun with ajran on the side, loved it!

Fresh Figs

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmm...yum :) I am looking forward to august just for the fresh figs in our garden, one of my favourite fruits. Thank you for this swap Regina :)

And now I learn that this common fig is a species of Ficus genus, go figure..! I've never thought of ficus and figs in correlation before. The common fig fruit is called syconium and is rich in vitamines (esp B) and anti-oxidants.

NI Multiples - Yum!

Aah I am sucker for fancy breakfasts and coffee breaks; the most enjoyable thing to do when you visit another town is to find a nice and cosy place to have coffee and a snack - and then imagine having a PC meeting in one of such places? Soon such a meeting will take place with dear PC friends and am sooo jealous I cant be there...Thank you Mirijam and Lotty, and everyone who signed :)

Olive Oil, France/Germany

French olive oil variations, with fennel, rosemary, and a special pizza mix :) I have turned from an olive-oil-hater as a kid to a big fan as an adult, yum! Thank you Regina :))

Snails And Spirits, Romania

Love the food-on-the-table scenes! Snails are also popular, not to say a delicacy heh,  here in Dalmatia (my dad is quite a fan but I still haven't dared to try!) but what really caught my attention just now is the drink with a big red pepper dipped in it - until now I just assumed it was wine, but after some investigation I came up with the word pertsivka, which is horilka with, well, peppers. Horilka is Ukrainian national drink (destilled from grain) and this card depicts 'culinary Bucovina', which is the region divided between Ukraine and Romania. In any case, would love to try either, or both :) Thank you Daniela!

Coat Of Arms And Recipe From Jamaica

Another old-new country, the gorgeous Jamaica - I am still hoping for a view card! But the Coat of Arms is really great, showing the native peoples of Jamaica the Arawak Indians and the motto Out of Many, One People. There were many changes and versions, the last one was adopted in 1962. I think it really cool with a crocodile is on the crest :)

I received both cards for the recipe RR, hence the second card - many thanks to lightchick, whom i haven't seen around in a long while  (she seems to be 'hiding' in the 'sending other items' subforum :))

Religion And Traditions Of Bahrain

I am very happy to have received these two awesome cards from Bahrain, thanks to Sanjay :) And the variety of stamps is great, as is the fact that this time they got cancelled, yay!

1st card shows the Khamis Mosque, the first mosque in Bahrain, founded in the 11th century.

The 2nd card shows baking the yummy flatbread  khoubz in traditional clay oven tandoor.

NI Multiples - La Passion Du Chocolat

A very yummy drool-inducing chocolatey postcard, again from dear Sara :)))

Japan - Sushi Platter

'The joy of eating sushi lies in appreciating the skill and the aesthetics.

Virtuosity lies in simplicity, in trimming away all excess.'

What a joy to be tagged by someone who is so thoughtful when sending a card - great choice, awesome stamp! And quite a curious cancellation - i was wondering for a while if it really was one! :D Thanks so much Rie :)))