you are what you eat . . .

I must confess, I'm a closet foodie. I love everything about food - I like eating out and trying new restaurants; I like talking about food; I like shopping in farmer's markets; I like watching cooking shows; I like cookbooks; I seek out food blogs and frequent them; I sometimes even buy a magazine because I want to read the recipes (knowing full well that I'm never going to try them); and I would love to travel to France or Italy to attend a cooking class (a perfect vacation!). It's unfortunate that I'm not a good cook (LOL). Don't get me wrong if you come to my house for dinner you won't be served McDonald's as I have a few recipes that I've mastered over the years (because I like to invite people over) but I am aware of my limitations.

Last night I traveled south to Setúbal and had a fab dinner in a cute little restaurante called "Champanheria" (the Champagne Shop - loosely translated). It was such a good experience that I just had to share . . . The owner is a very warm Brazilian woman who makes everyone feel welcome. The Champanheria markets itself as a "Restaurante/Tapas Bar" - but it's tapas with a twist.

Tapas (which are basically starters) is typically Spanish. When in Spain I love to frequent the tapas bars and gorge myself. It's so much fun and you don't have to speak Spanish to order - most of the items are on view at the bar so you can just point and eat! (What a relief!) Evidently each bar has its own speciality but you see a lot of smoked ham and cheese plates, olives, boccadillo (little open-faced sandwiches), and calamari.

The cook at the Champanheria has re-invented tapas and taken it to the next level. The restaurant serves an array of interesting and appealing appetizers. It offers some old favourites (like warm camembert with blackberries - yum) and interesting new combinations (baked apple stuffed with a special Portuguese sausage, alheira, garnished with a reduction of balsamic vinegar - to die for!) artistically presented. Just when you've finished one starter another one arrives - like culinary magic. We didn't "order" the starters individually - they just "showed up", each tastier and more original than the other. They did wonderful things with oysters, foie gras, and salmon. Then there were these amazing little nests topped with melted cheese and honey... The nests were crunchy threads made from potatoes. (Potatoes? - How did they manage that? It's beyond me!) All this was complimented by their signature drink - champagne sangria.

If the saying "you are what you eat" is true, then I'm interesting, magic, original - not bad, not bad at all. Thanks Champanheria!

For a pleasantly different kind of Portuguese dining experience - check out: Chamnpanheria, Av. Luisa Todi, 414, Setúbal.

yes . . .

"We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are."

— Talmudic saying

Ralph Lauren and El Corte Inglés - Laughing all the way to the bank . . .

Never one to lose an opportunity to shop, I used my trip to Lisbon today to renew my passport (another post altogether) as a segue to spend 5 hours in a department store. After all even old chicks need to look cute! My excuse (right, like I need an excuse to shop. For me shopping is on the same level as tennis or scuba diving. Yes, I see shopping as a sport! And like all sports - one needs to practice, practice, practice! You don't want to lose your edge - lol) is that I need to do some back to school shopping and the sales are on so it's worthwhile to take advantage of them. How thrifty of me.


And "No" you didn't miss anything. I don't have any children, but since I will be gainfully employed this coming school year as an information technology teacher at an international school near Lisbon (hooray) I thought it would be fitting to pick up a few things for myself. :-)


While browsing in the Polo department of El Corte Inglés (a Spanish department store of very good quality located in Lisbon) I began to feel befooled. Some of the prices - even on sale - were so expensive that you would need a second job (or a second life - hahaha) to afford them. I can't decide who the bandit is - Ralph Lauren or El Corte Inglés - but we are being robbed. The normal ladies' polo shirt is 115 Euros. Consider the fact that the Euro is UP against the dollar (€1.3659 to $1). Don't bother taking your socks off I'll help you with the calculation (lol). That means that the €115 classic-fit polo shirt is equal to $157.00. I went to the official Ralph Lauren website to do a little comparison shopping and found the same classic-fit polo available in the US for $75.00. Yikes! That's about a kazillion percent profit. At any rate it's way expensive for a little shirt to run to the mall in on the weekends.


I recognize that the main goal of a business to make a profit (otherwise Ralph would be making all these polos and giving them away as gifts - very benevolent but unlikely). And I realize that when you buy a Ralph Lauren product (clothing, fragrance, housewares) that you are really buying a lifestyle (and that don't come cheap!!!). I also understand that there are duties and excise taxes on imported items and that one will pay more for American products here in Europe (although I really don't know why because these products are NOT "Made in the USA" but elsewhere - including China, Mexico and Thailand) but I think that Ralph and El Corte Inglés can now be included on the same list as the sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Francis Drake, Louis XVI and other various bucaneers, profiteers and theives. . .