I never met a *Swiss* chocolate I didn't like!

Switzerland is known for their chocolate. They boast the best chocolate in the world and it's easy to taste why! Swiss chocolate is known for it's smooth texture and high quality due to the ingredients used and care that is taken in producing it. Although they import their cocoa, the milk comes from Swiss dairy cows raised outside on the mountains and the grasslands (They have organic diets). The Swiss also regulate what ingredients go into the chocolate and the ingredient ratios to ensure the highest quality. In many countries you can buy "chocolate" that isn't technically chocolate. However, if you buy Swiss chocolate you are guaranteed that it is real chocolate and completely manufactured in Switzerland!

Lugano has a few of its own chocolate shops in the city, the supermarkets have entire sections devoted to Swiss chocolate and located a few miles outside is the Alprose Chocolate Factory, where you can visit and take a tour.

Läderach Chocolate Shop Lugano

I always knew Swiss chocolate tasted good, and although surrounded by it here I never thought to ask why. Until I saw this statistic:

• The average Swiss eats 23lbs of chocolate per year compared to the 11.7lbs consumed by Americans!

The Swiss are the largest chocolate consumers in the world!! And with that little fun fact I stumbled upon I began to wonder about Swiss chocolate and the history behind it.

Chocolate was introduced to Switzerland in 1697 by the Zurich Mayor Heinrich Escher and was served in secret to various ruling guilds. Although enjoyed, it was banned in 1722 by the Zurich Council because they considered chocolate an aphrodisiac. A few decades later chocolate was reintroduced by the Italians and the first chocolate manufacture opened in 1750 in Bern. However, it didn't stay open for long. Nevertheless, chocolate did take and before the end of the century chocolate factories began to open up. (One even opened in Ticino, the canton of Lugano!) Since then the Swiss have continually made their chocolate the best in the world and are credited for many of the innovations that make chocolate what it is today.

• The first chocolate bar was produced in Switzerland by Francois Cailler in 1819 and the Cailler brand still exists today. (They are now owned by Nestle) 

Callier Dark Chocolate Bars

• Peter Suchard invented the mixing machine that combined the cocoa and sugar which it is still used today.
• Daniel Peter was able to successfully create milk chocolate by using Nestle's condensed milk instead of regular milk. Milk has a high water content that wouldn't combine with the cocoa and the milk turned the chocolate rancid quickly.

Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Milk Chocolate from Alprose in Ticino!

• Rodolphe Lindt (of Lindt Chocolates) created a machine called a conch that makes the chocolate smoother and less bitter by breaking the chocolate and sugar into particles smaller than your tongue can detect. The longer the chocolate stays in the conch the higher the quality. Some chocolate stays in the conch for up to 72 hours.

Lindt Chocolates

Next time you buy chocolate make sure it's Swiss to enjoy the finest chocolate in the world!

*Title adapted from Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation

A New York Minute

Happy belated New Years! No Triskaidekaphobia here, 2013 is going to be a great year!

I came home to NY for my four week break from school and had a great time seeing friends and family. I can't believe how fast the break went and that class starts up again on Monday!

A quick overview of my month off from school:

• Christmas Eve and Day was spent with new and old family! Christmas Eve we went to my Uncles to spend time with my cousins, a yearly tradition that I always look forward too. We switched it up this year on Christmas day and headed to Teresa's house which was so nice since we got to spend time with our officially new family.
• New Years Eve- I headed to NYC to ring in the new year with Colgate friends! We went downtown in the Flat Iron District to Beecher's New York, a cheese shop (where they make their own cheese), cafe and cellar. During the day the first floor operates as a cheese shop and cafe and just downstairs is their cellar. The cellar was dimly lit and perfect for the perfect New Years with friends. We tried their cheese plate and their "World's Best Mac&Cheese" and everything was great! It was a wonderful night with 6 of us talking and enjoying the drinks and cheeses that they had to offer!

Me, Boots & Caroline

Boots, Me & Katie enjoying some wine & cheese

  
• Arthur Avenue- My Colgate friends and I headed down to the Italian Section of the Bronx, Arthur Avenue. It's a family favorite location that we head to for food shopping, pizza and the great coffee. I always would rave about it at Colgate and come back to school fully stocked with food for us. We had great pizza at Full Moon Pizzeria and then shopped around. My friends went home with biscotti, pasta and cheese. Before we left we stopped at Palombo's for what I believe are the best cappuccinos around.   

Calandra's Cheese Shop

• Eri's Birthday- My last weekend in NY was spent celebrating Eri's birthday and seeing Jeannie! Jeannie was in NYC for the week with her mom so she came out with me to celebrate. We went down to Alphabet city to Blackbird. The music was great and the atmosphere was a lot of fun. 

At Blackbird for Eri's Birthday

• Spending time at home- I got to see my high school friends and catch up with them. It is always so great to spend time with them because I don't know what I would do without them. Between grabbing drinks, getting coffee and just hanging out it was great to spend quality time. Allie, just booked her ticket to come visit me in Switzerland so I am so excited that I can show her where I now call home!

Now that the break is over it's time to head back to Lugano to begin my last semester as a grad student! I am so looking forward to what the semester has to bring and cannot wait to share my experiences with you!

København

After our semester was over and before I flew home, Shannon, two of her teammates and I went to Copenhagen for the Tivoli Christmas market. In December there is very little sunlight, we only had around 5 hours of “daylight” a day, but it was mostly grey and rainy so it didn’t really make a difference! We arrived Saturday evening and went to dinner. Sunday was jam packed with touring.

We started off at Lagkagehuset, a well-known bakery for breakfast. We had danishes and “snail” pastries. After we climbed Rundetårn, known as the round tower.  The tower was built in the 17^th century under Christian IV as an astronomical observatory. Instead of stairs we circled up to the top on a sloped ramp. Copenhagen is known as the City of Spires, due to the relatively flat skyline with few towers and spires piercing the horizon, which could be seen from the top of the tower.

View from the Tower

As we made our way throughout the city we walked down Østergade the main shopping street. In one of the squares off the street we found a small Christmas Market, which reminded me a lot of the typical German and Austrian Markets.  We then made our way to Nyhavn, a 17^th century waterfront and canal that is dotted with many colorful bars and cafes. This strip is probably one of the most photographed sections of Copenhagen and even in the rain it was beautiful.

It was finally time for the Tivoli Christmas market! Located in the Tivoli Gardens, it is one of the most famous Christmas Markets in Europe. We wanted to go in the late afternoon/early evening to see the Market lit up. The Market was so large and unlike other Christmas Markets that I have been to! Over 50 stands were in the shape of mini houses and they sold a wide array of food including pastries, Glühwein, crepes and waffles. We found one stand that sold pulled pork and Danish Meatball sandwiches that were delicious. After eating we began to walk taking in the sites. As it got darker and the lights came on, it became even prettier. This year’s main theme was Russian Christmas and in the center of the Tivoli Square was a Russian village and St Basil’s Cathedral. The rest of the Market had the Nordic Theme, so thousands of bells, ornaments and lights hung from the pine trees and houses twinkling at night providing the perfect Christmas atmosphere!

Shannon and I at Tivoli

Sunday morning we went in a totally different direction and headed to Freetown Christiania, a self proclaimed autonomous neighborhood in Copenhagen. Freetown started in 1971, when locals began to take over the Military barracks. The Christiania Law of 1989 governs the area and their nine main laws include no hard drugs, no guns or bulletproof vests, no fighting, no gangs and no private cars. It is definitely not somewhere that I would picture myself going because it cannot be further from my likes and my style, and the four of us couldn’t have looked more out of place, but it was interesting to see. After we headed for lunch we walked around a little more and caught our plane back to Milan. 

Bikes in Christiania. The bike on the left is the Christiania Bike

Copenhagen was a beautiful city and the people were so friendly and helpful. It was a great place to go for a quick weekend trip and with all the Christmas markets and Christmas themed decorations it really got me in the holiday spirit! Throughout the city there were Christmas decorations everywhere, including hundreds of red hearts. We asked a girl why there were so many hearts and she replied “It’s Christmas!” and when we asked why the hearts she replied that Christmas is love. I think that pretty much sums up the Christmas Season perfectly!  

Heart Tree at Tivoli

It's Christmas Time in The City!

Wednesday marked the half way point in my masters program! It's hard to believe that the semester is already over and I am going back to the states in a few short days. With all the papers handed in, presentations given and tests taken my friends and I were able to go into the city and enjoy Lugano at Christmas time! Wednesday night, to celebrate the end of our semester, we went to the city for aperitivo and dinner.

Without Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations start appearing rather early. The window displays have been up for a while and the advent calendars were on sale in early November. Starting December 6, on the feast of Saint Nicholas, the bakeries begin selling Grittibänzen, also known as "Christmas bread men." The bread tastes like challah and are sometimes baked to look like Santa Claus. They usually use raisins for eyes and some hold twigs and pine. Mine, below, looks more like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and his raisin eyes were swallowed in the baking process.

Christmas Bread Man from Munger

The city strings up Christmas lights throughout the streets and wraps the trees surrounding the lake for the holidays. It is so pretty and festive at night with everything lit up!

Christmas Season in Lugano!

In the piazza they have a huge Christmas tree that they decorate with gold ornaments and lights. A tree lighting ceremony on December 1, which I couldn't attend, marked the beginning of the official Christmas Season!

Christmas Tree!

The Christmas Market takes place from December 1 to January 6. In the main Piazza they set up an ice skating rink and a mini Christmas market. The stands sell food and drinks such as crepes, pretzels and hot spiced wine.

The rink, stands and lit trees in the back

Friday morning, my last full day in Lugano, I awoke to a snow covered city! Jeannie and I went to the center to walk around the Christmas Market. We got crepes from one of the many vendors and then went to our favorite cafe, Grand Cafe Al Porto, for tea, since we were freezing.

Cinnamon Sugar Crepe!

This has been an amazing semester and I cannot believe it's already over! I am so glad I met the friends I did! Lugano has really begun to feel like home, so although I'm excited to return to the states for a little, I am very much looking forward to come back to Lugano for a few more months!

Merry Christmas!!

For Coffee Lovers Only

So here I was thinking that ordering coffee in Europe would be the same as the US, and I was wrong. European coffee names are not the same as what America (and Starbucks, which I still love) has led us to believe. Therefore, in Lugano and other non-touristy cities you must be sure of what you're ordering. This past semester I've come to learn the actual differences in the multitude of espresso based drinks, through some trial and error. People have their one size only coffee in the cafe or bar and therefore to-go cups do not exist. I'm still trying to comprehend the reason behind this, and am currently unsure if I ever will. Therefore, I am ordering a large coffee to go right when I return to the states!

Un Caffe

Also known as espresso in the states, it is the basis of the specialty drinks described below. Espresso is just hot water run through coffee beans in a very concentrated manner. It has a higher caffeine volume than most beverages. In Europe, espresso is the caffeine drink of choice in the afternoons and after meals because you are not supposed to have hot milk after you eat. I don't like espresso and therefore, do not follow that rule.

Latte Macchiato:

Latte Macchiato literally means stained milk. Therefore, there is only about half a shot of espresso- not even a whole shot!! It took me a little while to realize this and have since stopped ordering it- because 1/2 a shot is not enough to get me through the day....The Latte Macchiato consists mostly of foam, rather than milk, and they make it by adding warm milk, espresso and than topping the rest off with milk, creating the layered effect seen below. The latte macchiato tastes more like a latte that you would get in the states. However, if you order a "latte" you will receive just hot milk, I can luckily say that I have not made that mistake!

Latte Macchiato and a berliner from Al Porto

Cappuccino 

The most popularized espresso drink. It's equal parts espresso (1 shot), milk and foam. The espresso is added first, followed by the hot milk and topped with foam. Sprinkled on top is usually cinnamon or chocolate, but here in Switzerland, they naturally choose chocolate. Originally cappuccinos were usually consumed in the morning as part of breakfast, however, now people order them in the afternoon at cafes as well.

Cappuccino and Raspberry Tart from Al Porto

Caffe Latte

This is just espresso added to hot milk. Out in restaurants and cafes they add just a little bit of foam to top the drink off. The Caffe latte is much stronger than the macchiato due to less milk and more espresso, which I personally prefer. It is usually ordered in the morning with breakfast. This has become my caffeine drink of choice, due to the stronger espresso taste.

Caffe Latte from Al Porto

¡Barcelona!

This past weekend, Jeannie, a friend from school, and I decided to take advantage of our long weekend and head to Barcelona! The trip started off with us sprinting through the airport to barely make our plane due to our delayed bus to the airport! We arrived in Barcelona and and continued our streak of bad luck in terms of transportation. We got on the bus going in the wrong direction. Unlike the US, in Barcelona the buses are extremely confusing and the even if the number is the same (i.e. bus #59) the direction is more important because they do not have the same stops. After about an hour of on the bus we realized something was wrong. The bus driver was extremely helpful and realized what we did so he escorted us to the correct bus in order for us to reach our hotel.

With the afternoon ahead of us we headed to Parc Guell. Parc Guell was designed by Antoni Gaudi and built in the early 1900s. Sadly, one of the two main buildings was under construction and therefore covered in scaffolding so we couldn't really see it. However, the parc entrance was still beautiful and we were able to see the mosaic covered benches, the mosaic salamander "el drac" and the building's twisting architecture! After we went to see the Sagrada Familia, also designed by Gaudi. The church is still under construction and is expected to be finished in 2026. The inside of the church was unlike anything I've ever seen!

Overlooking Parc Guell

Inside the Sagrada Familia

Thanksgiving dinner consisted of sangria and tapas at a popular restaurant. The meal was not our favorite, but we were glad we experienced some typical Spanish food. Thursday was shopping night out so all the stores were open late so the streets were packed! We ended up at a Hotel rooftop bar that was holding an event for the night, we may or may not have crashed it...

Tapas and Sangria!

Enjoying the view!

Friday we set out to explore the city. We stumbled upon Cornelia and Co. a restaurant on Carrer de Valencia and had an amazing breakfast! (the restaurant was so good we returned Saturday for breakfast and lunch!) We continued to Passeig de Gracia and Las Ramblas until we hit the pier. The day was perfect. We wandered in and out of shops having our own little Black Friday while taking in the sites! We saw Casa Batllo, another Gaudi design and La Boqueria, a public market with stalls filled with meat, fresh fish, fresh squeezed juice, chocolates and more! We ended the night with dinner at Sesamo, an amazing vegetarian restaurant, that gave us a a seven course tasting menu and pumpkin pie for desert (a little belated Thanksgiving)! After, we had drinks at the rooftop bar of The W overlooking the water and the city.

Inside La Boqueria

Saturday was more relaxed, after breakfast we headed to Camp Nou. We ended up not going inside due to the fact that they were charging an obscene amount to tour the stadium. FC Barcelona was away playing in Russia, so we sadly couldn't take in a game. We went back to Cornelia's for a late lunch and some apple pie (some more American fall dessert!) Tired, we stumbled upon a wine bar to complete our day!

Outside of Camp Nou

The trip was a lot of fun and Barcelona was a great city. The weather was beautiful and sunny all weekend which was a nice reprieve from the rain here in Lugano. If it was just  a few degrees warmer, we would have been on the beach! Jeannie and I returned to Lugano Sunday morning and now face the growing amount of work that needs to be done in the next three weeks!

Let's Talk Turkey!

Happy early Thanksgiving!! Thanksgiving is my ABSOLUTE favorite holiday. I love everything about it: being with family, helping my mom cook eating all of her delicious food, family football games, cousin pictures, etc. etc! (Side note: I spent many hours perched on the kitchen island after school chatting away with my mom watching her cook dinner. I have her to credit for my love of good food and the ability to cook.) We always have Thanksgiving at my house with my mom's entire family and guests. It usually ends up being around 30 people and this year does not disappoint!

Thanksgiving dinner table a few years ago

I won't be in Lugano on Thanksgiving and therefore will miss my friend's Thanksgiving dinner. I decided I still needed a little bit of Thanksgiving anyway so I decided to make pie. My mom sent me some Libby's pumpkin (one can for the pie and another for options like pumpkin oatmeal, which I am really excited to try next week), necessary spices and Nana's famous Pumpkin Pie recipe.

Surprisingly, Switzerland does not sell many baking ingredients like brown sugar, baking powder baking soda etc. Luckily, the only ingredient I was lacking for this recipe was brown sugar. I ended up attempting to make my own with white sugar and molasses, but due to the fact I don't have a mixer or blender it didn't really take on the brown sugar look...however, the proportions were correct so I threw caution to the wind and used it anyway. After a little over an hour of baking the pies were done.
My room now smells a little like Thanksgiving and I am really enjoying it. Tomorrow I'll bring the pie up to class so we can all have a little bit of home!

Finished Pumpkin Pie!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving! And in the spirit of Thanksgiving a little list with a few things I am thankful for :)

• A loving family
• Amazing friends
• My health
• My freedoms 
• My life
• The ability to travel and explore
• The Fall season & all things "fall"
• Good food & fine wine
• The Adirondacks (especially the escape & beauty it provides)
• Skype/iMessage (to easily keep in touch!)
• Coffee
• Colgate
• Photos & scrapbooks
• Laughter
• Fireplaces