Favorite things about Switzerland

The unbelievable green grassThe desserts

The noise the cows make with their cowbells
The farmer's market every day
The nespresso machine in every home
The traditional Swiss apple tart
The cheese trays
The tiny desserts served with fresh figs
The views
The espresso
And pretty much everything else.

The best coffee

It used to be the drink of royalty in Africa and Arabic countries. Now we all can enjoy it, but is what we drink really meant to be called coffee?
Everyone who knows me also knows that I enjoy a good cup of joe. Not Starbucks or Caribou, I said GOOD, didn't I? The best coffee I ever came across is the Lavazza Italian coffee. I almost never see it in the grocery stores around here, so I either purchase it on Amazon, or I impatiently wait for packages from my mom from Europe...
Even though I use an espresso maker and end up with coffee that is pretty strong, Lavazza never has a bitter taste and I hardly have to use cream or milk in it. But I often do, just for that extra creamy flavor in it, and I even top it off with frothed milk - now that's just for looks!

Europe never disappoints - here in Prague enjoying an espresso.
Make sure to keep it in airtight container, mason jar will do! And, contrary to popular belief of keeping coffee in the freezer, you can just store it in the cupboard.

Favorite thing about Grandpa

My favorite thing about my grandpa is that he owns a Nespresso machine. Just kidding! That's only my second favorite thing! We sit around his huge round table, drink espresso, eat cake and look through old photos. These are truly the best times.

Piece of Italy

Thank you, FoodNetwork, for this little piece of goodness...
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
2 teaspoons dark rum
24 packaged ladyfingers
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
Giada De Laurentiis' directions are as follows; beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom. Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.
ANNA'S TIP: When Giada says that dipping ladyfingers too long will cause them to fall apart, she means it, people! Take that advice to heart, especially if you're unable to purchase ladyfingers and need to settle for nilla wafers - dip for 3-4 seconds. Otherwise, you will end up with a tiramisu soup... Also, the directions state to keep in the fridge for at least 2 hours; I think it takes more than that for the mascarpone mixture to settle. I have tried to cut it up before after 2 hours and ended up with a soupy cake - leave it in for at least 3 to 4 hours!