When a Chef does the Cohen Diet

 The first Cohen meal she prepared for herself: baked Tuna on top of steamed zucchini ribbons

My sister the chef  finally took the plunge and started on the Cohen Diet two days ago! I'm very excited because Lita is one person who is very disciplined and always goes for what she wants. I know she will be successful on this program.  Lita grew up as a heavy child, and has struggled with her weight ever since. She is always on some diet or another.

When I desperately wanted to lose 20 pounds last year, I wanted to just follow something to the letter. Cohen gave me that solution, except that they told me I had to lose 30 lbs, not only 20. Yeah right, let me see them get me to that goal weight!

Lita's dinner that day: Steak topped with garlic chips with cabbage, asparagus and zucchini

Less than four months after I started  on the diet (with no deviation at all), I was down 35 lbs and feeling great. More important than saying "it works"--because everyone knows that all diets work as long as it's followed--the diet makes sense.

Now I know what my weight triggers are. I can eat bread with no weight gain, and also rice and potatoes. But pasta is dangerous for me. If I exercised more (or I should say, IF I exercised at all) I would be able to eat all kinds of carbs with no worries.

Her breakfast invention: Asparagus and zucchini "crepelette" (one scrambled egg made into a crepe), 

Lita is very health conscious and she knows a lot about nutrition. I think her weight in stalled only because a metabolic disorder. I'm certain it doesn't have anything to do with a lack of discipline because she's one of the most disciplined people I know.

Her lunch: Tuna stack with "angel hair"cabbage and zucchini ribbons.

I wanted Lita to try Cohen so badly that I was even trying to get the Manila clinic to process her  program. And then, just  a couple of months ago, a Cohen Clinic opened only 15 minutes from her house in Sydney. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is! The person behind the Cohen Center there is Margaret Homsy, a success story herself. They have met and are now FB friends. This is a perfect support scenario for both of them

With her keen understanding of food and experience with other diets, I know this will be the diet to finally get her to that elusive "goal weight".  I can't wait!

-o-

*All photos taken by Lita on her iPhone. She was a photographer in a previous life. Now, she is a pastry chef in Sydney (I know, deadly combination: chef? diet?)

*Photos used entirely without permission. Sorry Lita, you'll just have to keep taking shots of your future meals and continue inspire people!

A Brocante in the 16th, Paris

I got excited when my cousin told me there was a scheduled brocante near her apartment the same weekend I was visiting her.

This is a roving brocante that pops up in different arrondisements every week in the spring and summer months. This particular one was in the 16th, a residential part of the city.

 upcoming schedule of the roving brocante

The things you see range from real valuable items, to real junk. But as the cliche goes, one man's junk...

A Paris trip for me is never complete without a visit to les Puces de Clignancourt and Porte de Vanves--the two permanent flea markets of Paris. And since I get my fix by just browsing, taking pictures and buying small things, I can cover both markets on Saturday. On Sunday, I have the option to go back in case I really want to buy something.

If we happen upon a brocante or a vide-grenier (an attic-clearing sale), that's an added bonus.

There are many bargains at a brocante, and my Asian haggling skills come in handy. My cousin always cringes when I ask for a much lower price. When the vendor gives it, she even feels bad for them. I have to assure her that these vendors are very sharp and have calculated, in their sleep, how much lower they can go.  She grew up in Canada, where she didn't learn any haggling skills. 

It also helps that I know my French numbers pretty well now. Once before, I asked the price of something, and in the hopes of haggling, I replied with a higher number. You should've seen the face of the vendor. Lol.

I have to keep reminding my cousin that she doesn't need more plates, but she is always drawn to them.

I used to gravitate towards all kinds of  armchairs, until I accepted the fact that I was never going to pay the shipping costs back to Manila.

I've  been eyeing a "manche a gigot" for a long, long time now. This is a sterling silver serving piece that holds the leg of a lamb while you carve it.  I've also seen it on eBay for less. 

I'm still attracted to chandeliers still, but since I installed one at home, my obsession has dissipated a little.

I usually end up buying small artwork. They make great trip souvenirs and I can always find somewhere to hang it.

Old teacups are always beautiful but I no longer buy them because I don't have any more space in the cabinet. I might upgrade my collection and get rid of those I don't love. I love this pattern.

The bargains in a brocante are usually in boxes on the floor. Old leather bound books, paintings, brass accoutrements...

I'm not too thrilled when there are new things in a flea market. Or something that says "get this look" like these mirrors below. I want these things to look old and a bit banged up, not newly minted.

My loot from this brocante? Three small, beautiful paintings!

The technique of this watercolorist is quite masterful. She focused on the upper part of the body, where she created the sharpest detail, leaving the other areas weak and almost unfinished.

This one above is not even finished!  It reminds me of my own paintings--unfinished! Unfortunately they aren't signed (Of course, they weren't finished!)

Bea was able to tear her attention from plates finally and ended up buying this small lovely oil painting above.

Here is another beautiful oil I picked up for the grand price of (drumroll please) 5 euro! Nice colors and strokes, except that it's painted on old student-grade board instead of canvass or wood. It will be beautiful framed, and it will remind me of the brocante in Paris. I found it inside an old box under a table.

After hours at the brocante, I treated B to a nice lunch of steak frites for being so patient. 

I had salmon and ended with this cafe gourmand. Delicieux!

B and B, sharing app information, as always

The next day was going to be another flea market day--Porte de Vanves and Clignancourt. Good thing B has fun scrounging around too. He bought a very nice fob watch for G, and she loves it!  Now that is what I call successful "brocanting'!

Sacher Torte in Demel Cafe, Vienna

 

The last time we were in Vienna, we were told we had to visit Demel and have a hot chocolate. This was in December 8 years ago--it was freezing, and Demel was always packed with people thawing out with hot chocolate.

One afternoon, Kat and I managed to squeeze in and shared one hot chocolate (there was no space at the bar). We then we rushed out because we also had to be somewhere else. We didn't have the opportunity to enjoy our hot chocolate but we now had bragging rights. It was thick and it was good. And we were rushed.

On this trip, Demel was right around the corner from our hotel. It still looked very popular with lots of tourists taking photos in and around it, but there was lots of elbow room too.

The Demel Coffeeshop goes back over 200 years. They were a supplier to the empress and were the creators of the original Sacher Torte. That claim, however, is controversial and the story is quite convoluted. This blog post tries to explain the history of the Sacher Torte simply and clearly. Read the comments too, very interesting.

 

Without the crowd, I had a clear view of the interiors. Oh my, what beautiful salons! I love these Versailles-type mirrors, and the gorgeous ceiling details.

Walking to the back of the shop, I discovered there was a salon at the back, and a visible bakery. There were stairs that led to a second floor, and more stairs that led to a third.  Eight years ago, I had the impression that they only had this bar out in front. This is where Kat and I battled the crowd for our hot chocolate.

B and I went upstairs and got a table in the quaint dining room. Since I'm not a fan of hot chocolate I decided to order the very famous cake of Vienna, the Sacher Torte, plus an espresso.  I wanted just a taste too so I ordered the mini version of a slice.

Oops, I only remembered to take a picture after I ate it.

This time though I thoroughly enjoyed what I had. The coffee was good and I savored every bite of the sacher torte which was small enough to be guilt-free. But I wouldn't come here just to eat. If it was full, I wouldn't jostle with the crowd.

 

For me, this is a place to enjoy a shopping break and take in the beautiful interiors. I'm a sucker for anything with a long history and distinguished provenance.

 The bakery in the back room

I like Sacher torte because I like dark chocolate and it isn't so sweet. Before this, Sacher torte = dry and crumbly cake. Not this one. It wasn't moist, but I wouldn't describe it as dry. The apricot jam under the coating of chocolate gave it a sweet zing. Maybe my palette has matured. Or maybe I was just mesmerized by the interiors. Whatever it was, I now know that I like Sacher torte-- in Vienna.

That said, and although the cakes are packaged well and can probably withstand an overseas flight, it didn't occur to me to take any home to replicate the experience elsewhere. I think the whole experience of a perfect Sacher torte is having it in Vienna, either here in Demel or at the Sacher hotel.

DEMEL

Kohlmarkt 14 

Vienna, Austria 1010

www.demel.at 

01-5351-7170

Blue Onion and Cesky Porcelan

I wasn't interested in buying anything in Prague until I saw this window.

I would have bought a dozen water goblets if Prague was our last stop

The store was closed when I saw it so I had to make a mental note of where it was in relation to our hotel. I also went online that night to see what Cesky Porcelan was all about. Almost everything in the window display was Blue Onion, a pattern that originated in the 18th century and copied from the blue and white porcelain designs from China during the Marco Polo days.

 

Cesky Porcelan's webpage makes a connection to Meissen, the first producers of the Blue Onion pattern in Europe, but they might also just be one of the many manufacturers that make this pattern. I wouldn't know.

These are not expensive plates--they are just classic and traditional.

I don't need any more plates, but I just had to have a couple of blue onion things from here.

This store looked like a factory outlet--probably the reason I was attracted to it. The store layout didn't encourage browsing or handling, and there was only one lady manning the whole store and the cash register.

She didn't speak a word of English so I had to use sign language and point to the pieces I wanted. She went to the back room to get them, removed each piece from its wholesale box, showed them to me one at a time, and then packed in tissue and then repackaged them into individual boxes.  It's a good thing I was only buying a few pieces. The two customers behind me waited very patiently. When their turn came, they knew exactly what they wanted too.

Now that I look at the pictures, I should've bought more.  But the purchasing process did well to restrain me. I bought two little egg cups with saucers, and one set of tiered plates. I can hear my mom saying,  "What? You should always buy a dozen, or at least half a dozen!"  She likes "round" numbers, while I am used to buying things in the flea-market, therefore one or two things at a time is par for the course--specially when I don't need them.

When I left the store, I saw this pretty Blue Onion Ruby pattern. I wanted to go back in and get the plate with the handles behind the bowl. But the thought of lining up behind those two customers and the slow-moving lady? It gave me enough time to rethink that I really don't need another serving plate at home. It would've made a nice souvenir though. Oh well, next time.