Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

Moussaka

Posted on August 2, 2013August 8, 2013 by cheryl

The Greek national dish Moussaka, for a summer dinner. A drop of Lambrinì Theodossious olive oil from Plomari on the romantic island of Lesbos, adds just that extra beam of sunshine.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2013

As much as I love Italian cuisine, pasta has not so far made it into my top favourite dishes. However, in many respects a Greek Moussaka could be seen a lighter version of a Lasagna, that will leave some room for that special cherry chocolate tiramisù dessert, that indeed is one of my favourites.

Since there are so many good Moussaka recipes to be found on the Internet by the click of a ‘mouse’ I will not go into all the details of this dish but just mention some ideas that I find useful myself.

There are four steps in putting this dish together. A little bit time consuming maybe, but well worth it in the end.

Thyme into the meat sauce.

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Marstrand

Posted on July 26, 2013August 8, 2013 by cheryl

Carlstens Fortress at Marstrand as seen from Koön
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, 2013

About an hour’s drive north of Gothenburg lies an old stone fortress called Carlstens Fortress. Huddled around its imposing stone wall is the old town of Marstand. The town is located on two islands, the one outermost and housing the fortress is called Marstandsön while the inner one is the Koön – the Cow’s island.

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Ideally, one would arrive by boat to dock alongside other seafaring adventurers, a natural thing to do since during the summer, Marstrand hosts an endless number of sailing competitions. The winter season is somewhat of a lull while most activities try to hibernate the best they can.

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By the quayside, having spotted some über lush princess yachts flagged Norwegian (not pictured), christened “Rojoto” and “Fru Nilsen” (Mrs. Nilsen).

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Swedish west coast summer party

Posted on July 22, 2013July 22, 2013 by cheryl

One of the things in life to be grateful for, is to have friends. And that they sometimes have garden parties during the summer. Another thing to be grateful for, is that they invite you. I would consider time spent with friends, one of life’s luxuries. Thank you! for a wonderful day and evening.

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Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, 2013

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At the western end of the silk route, Istanbul 2013

Posted on July 20, 2013June 5, 2014 by cheryl

The Süleymaniye Mosque from 1550 as seen from the Galata bridge
across the water of the Golden Horn. To the left, a corner of the Egyptian Spice market
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, Istanbul 2013

The Süleymaniye Mosque

Crossing the Galata bridge from Pera towards the Old City part of Istanbul, the Süleymaniye Mosque dominates the skyline. It dates to the 1550s and the era of the Ottoman Empire.

As with other imperial mosques in Istanbul, the Süleymaniye Mosque was designed as a complex with adjacent structures to service both religious and practical needs. The original complex consisted of the mosque itself, a hospital, primary school, public baths, a Caravanserai, four Qur’an (ethics and moral) schools, a religious (hadith) school, a medical college, and a public kitchen which served food to the poor. Continue reading “At the western end of the silk route, Istanbul 2013” →

Love at first bite

Posted on July 17, 2013July 26, 2013 by cheryl

Personally I would leave the steak some eight minutes before serving to let it rest a bit and even out the temperature. I have found that this leaves the steak much juicier too.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2013

Admittedly, it was a feeling of pure lust that washed over me from the moment the succulence of it appeared under my visual radar. I wanted it. I knew from the first instance I saw it, it was mine. Without a doubt, I wanted all of its deliciousness home with me.

It was not so much a question about how many inches of it I could have, but the fact that already the first two would give me a really nice piece, with both strip steak side and the tenderloin.

I really don’t know what it is with big chunks of beef that releases so much of the primitive hormones in me, but it seems the case that I often end up buying way too large steaks to a small household. Perhaps I just like large, in general, like fruits, diamonds, cars, houses. Anything.

However, there is no way any one single person can down a four lbs (2kg) T-bone steak alone. Not even two grown up persons can do it comfortably. With some modest side dishes, you need to be at least four.

And there you have it, a perfect reason to call a few friends and throw a dinner party.

I have always also felt a little bit intimidated by outdoor barbecuing, because it seems so hard to get any steak exactly the way you want it. Too many burst and charred tomatoes, too many raw and inedible chicken parts etc. have left their scars on my self confidence I’m afraid, but this would be the day, with a gorgeous find of a T-bone.

After considering a Barolo, my choice fell on a full bodied 2001 Rioja which worked out well.

When planning a dinner, I like to choose a wine that will complement the food, as soon as the menu is settled. In this case I felt a steak this brutal, would take a robust, mature red wine that would stand its own ground and not fade into the wallpaper when a medium rare two inch thick steak landed on the plate.

My rule of thumb when preparing a meat dinner, is one glass in the sauce and one in the chef. In this case I was not planning to have any sauce, so I recalibrated the wine ratio, which also worked out OK.
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Istanbul end terminus of the Orient Express

Posted on July 16, 2013May 19, 2014 by cheryl

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The Sirkeci Terminal in Istanbul, by the Golden Horn,
marks the end terminus of the noted Orient Express railroad line.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2013

The Orient Express, was the first long-distance passenger train service to connect the Orient with Europe. It began its operation in 1883 and in various forms continued to operate until 2009, after which the “Orient Express” disappeared from European ordinary railway timetables, reportedly a “victim of high-speed trains and cut-rate airlines”. In fact, the Orient Express had stopped serving Istanbul already in 1977.

The Orient Express ran between Paris and Istanbul, the original endpoints, sometimes listing ‘Londres’ as a starting point however there were no rails between London and Paris at that time. Istanbul or Constantinople was its easternmost destination and eastern terminus.

The golden age of this service was the 1930s with three parallel services with sleeper cars running between various destinations, providing the very real service of connecting continental Europe from one edge to the other. It was during this time, the Orient Express acquired its reputation for comfort and luxury, carrying royalty, nobility, diplomats, business people, probably spies, and the rich and privileged in general.

The Orient Express eventually became synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel also through literature such as the Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express and was felt to attract guests as varied and mysterious as from their lands of origin as from their interesting conversations, as for example between Sigmund Freud and Gertrude Stein.

It was also the first of its kind to have sleeper cars furnished with dark polished wood and velvet bed covers, that defined luxury traveling of the golden age of travels.
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Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul 2013

Posted on July 13, 2013June 5, 2014 by cheryl

Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul was built at the end of the 19th century
to host the passengers of the Orient Express.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2013

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, Pera Palace Hotel Istanbul courtyard

From the hotel outdoor terrace we had a splendid view over the old City of Istanbul,
straight across the Golden Horn.

The original Orient Express was a normal international railway service that began in 1892, the name of which has become synonymous with intrigue and luxury. The two original endpoints were Paris and Istanbul. Here at the easternmost terminus the Pera Palace Hotel was built also in 1892 to house its passengers. The hotel is located on the Pera side of Istanbul overlooking the Golden Horn and with a panoramic view over old Istanbul. It is within walking distance from İstiklal Cad, one of Istanbul’s more elegant shopping streets and lies within walking distance of the European and Russian consulates, being just downhill from the Swedish consulate that was built here already in the mid 18th century.

The hotel is filled with memories and mysteries of the Orient, much of which can be traced in writing, in literature and fantasies of the 19th century. The original chandeliers and the oriental rugs are all here, feeling plush against your toes. Immediately when you enter the Hotel, you feel whisked back into the romantic era of the Orient Express. Even more so, if you sit down in the Orient Bar and enjoy the atmosphere, and maybe order that whiskey sour that was the favourite drink of Ernest Hemingway when he stayed here. Continue reading “Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul 2013” →

Çay içer misin? Drinks that carry culture in Istanbul, 2013

Posted on July 10, 2013July 13, 2013 by cheryl

On the Bosphorus ferry carrying you from Europe to Asia, tea, coffee and orange juice
are offered as refreshments amongst hundreds of passengers.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2013

Whether seated on the ferry along the Bosphorus, in a narrow cobblestone paved side passage coffee stall or just standing in a street corner with a cup in hand, the drinking of hot beverages makes up part of the vibrant daily fabric and colourful streetfood lifestyle of old Istanbul.

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Istanbul’s street foods and the Karaköy fish market

Posted on July 8, 2013May 19, 2014 by cheryl

One of the more refreshing of drinks available in the city of Istanbul, is freshly squeezed orange juice you can easily find along the streets.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2013

The days in Istanbul found me drawn to the various available street foods the city had to offer, despite being warned by some local friends to not eat street food:

“And what is that? Roasted chestnuts?” I asked in enthusiasm.
“Yes. But that – you do not want to eat that.”
“And how about those breads? They look good.”
“That – is something you can buy also in the cafés. Go there instead. Not the street vendors. They are completely not healthy!”

Still, when alone, I couldn’t help but exchange coin for bread or coin for boiled corn whilst roaming the cobbled streets of this historically rich city.
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Jenga off Taksim Square, Istanbul

Posted on June 29, 2013July 8, 2013 by cheryl

İstiklal Cad is a lively street located in one of the most modern areas of Istanbul. This evening, it was a matter of whether it was crowded, or very crowded. Weekends are almost impossible to navigate with so many people wanting to take in the sights and sounds of one of the city’s most elegant walkways, filled with shops, cafés, bars and clubs from old to new.

I found myself in the company of a group of engineering students from the ERASMUS program of Istanbul University. Being an international group, we communicated across languages with some hand gestures. They navigated the crowded street in determined steps, as easy as fish in water that knew the streams of movement well. I had no clue where I was headed, except that it was according to them, a popular university student hang-out with cheap food, cheap beer and good music, all elements tailored for their purposes. I tried to keep up with the stream best I could.

“Do you play?”

“Play? Play what?” I shot back.

But there was no time for answer because I was immediately thereafter swept into a narrow blue wooden door that looked in desperate need of repair, up a winding staircase to land first at the third floor of this narrow shophouse, then back to the second floor where more students seemed to have nestled themselves.
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