Ratimir about student life in Dresden

31. May 2013
by troutandhawk
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I had the pleasure to talk with Ratimir (23 years), originally from Duschanbe (Tajikistan),  about student life in Dresden. Since 4 years he is studying electrical engineering at TU Dresden.  Here’s my little interview for you:

How would you describe Dresden to someone who has never been?
It’s a cultural city with a stunning Altstadt and a perfect campus; the atmosphere is familiar. Even being more than 35.000 students you often see familiar faces.

The best neighbourhood to live in?
Dresden Neustadt or on the campus (there are a lot of parties)

How do you get around the city?
Students get a free semester ticket for public transport (valid all over Saxony!) -or by bike

Where do you meet girls?
During the week: at the small bars at Dresden Neustadt
On weekends: At Pier 15, a chic and stylish club with beautiful outdoors. There’s a beach, a volley ball court and a swimming pool. Perfect place to chill!

The coolest clubs?
Pier 15 (Leipziger Str.15, 01097 Dresden)
Downtown (Katharinenstr.11-13, 01099 Dresden)
Kraftwerk (Wettiner Platz 7, 01067 Dresden)

What is a tourist place you love to visit?
Frauenkirche and Zwinger

The best place to have coffee and watch people?
The cafés at Weiße Gasse and the Borowski (Prager Str. 8a, 01069 Dresden)

What is your favourite restaurant for a dinner with friends?
Va Piano (St. Petersburger Str.26, 01069 Dresden) and Al Capone (Alaunstr.62, 01099 Dresden)

Where do you go when you want to eat something healthy?
(I never eat healthy, haha!) Ok, maybe to Sushi and Wine…

What should you bring back home from Dresden?
Dresdner Christstollen and Radeberger

A place to stay when springtime comes?
the meadow behind SLUB (University library)

What do you do to stay fit?
I go to Fitness First twice a week and I love running in the Großer Garten.
University Dresden offers courses in football, dancing, riding, tennis, actually any activity you can imagine.

Your idea of a perfect Saturday in Dresden?
An early morning run along the Elbe, brunch at Rauschenbach (Weiße Gasse 2, 01067 Dresden),
shopping at Prager Straße, chill on a rag at Elbwiesen or Großer Garten, have drinks at BBC (Alaunstr.16, 01099 Dresden) or in one of the close by shisha bars Habibi, Canape and Magnolia,  dance at the Downtown until the morning comes.

how to make the best use of the first tender baby beetroots

20. May 2013
by troutandhawk
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Drinks / Lunch / Salads

 

It’s always a feast when Mr. Herzog from Landmarke delivers the first young and tender vegetables of the season. They are so fresh and tiny, you literally can eat them with root, stems and leaves. Here’s how I prepared my first spring beetroots:

green smoothie with fresh beet leaves

the leaves of 4 baby beets
a handful of lemon balm leaves
a few mint leaves
1 apple
1 banana
1 teaspoon almond butter
1 cup water
1 cup ice cubes

Mix all ingredients in your blender until smooth.

beet stems in vinaigrette

stems of 4 baby beets
olive oil
vinegar (in case you’ve got raspberry vinegar, use it!)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the stems until smooth (about 5 min.), cool down quickly in iced water and marinate for half an hour in the vinaigrette.

salad of grated beetroot, apple and turnips

4 baby beetroots
2 turnips
1 apple

Dress with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Grate the beetroots, turnips and apple (I always use my little Zyliss grater). Add the lemon dressing.
You may substitute the turnips by young carrots, it’s equally delicious. Enjoy!


overnight oats

13. May 2013
by troutandhawk
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Breakfast / Sweets

In the evening I fill a jam jar with

  • dried goji berries
  • dried sour cherries
  • water to soak
  • oat flakes
  • almond cuisine (= creamy almond milk)
  • pestled flaxseed
  • chia seeds
  • chopped and roasted nuts
  • chopped dates, agave or maple syrup to sweeten

Next morning I top the mixture with fresh fruit.

Be inventive and combine whatever you fancy. In case you need more inspiration click on  Zain’s Swiss Summer Oats. Great photos and recipes!

weekend links

28. April 2013
by troutandhawk
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Long-awaited, Garance Doré shares her secrets on how to look better in photos.
“Ok, if you really can’t say no, do what the fashion editors do: put on the biggest sunglasses you
can….”

Do you like honey?  Look at these pictures! The recipe is definitely on my  to-try list.

From a modern man’s view: the most interesting blog I stumbled upon last week.

Exciting photography about sports, travel, horses, polo, toreros…. have a look at Andrew Lever’s portfolio.

If I lived in England I’d order healthy snacks by post. What a luxury!

And for a great start into the next week I recommend this Christian Dior inspired “smoothie dell’amore”

 

Earth Day Smoothie

23. April 2013
by troutandhawk
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Drinks

Did you know that yesterday, April 22, was Earth Day?

Earth Day Smoothie

Inspired by Zain who created an Earth Day Smoothie using ingredients from earth, ocean and sky:

1 banana
1 apple
a handful of red oak leaf lettuce (gives the nice earthy colour!)
a small piece of ginger
1 ts tahini
1 cup of coconut water
1 handful of icecubes

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

aqua fresca scented with rhubarb, rose and vanilla

21. April 2013
by troutandhawk
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Drinks / Jams + Preserves
Whenever I prepare a rhubarb sauce for dessert I add more water than the usually needed for the cooking. Later I strain the juice into a little crystal jug and put it apart. I love to pour a sip of this essence into my  water. It’s a refreshing,  mouth-puckering springtime beverage. Even the boring oatmeal for breakfast becomes a perfumed extravaganza, if you substitute part of the milk by rhubarb essence. Don’t be disappointed if the juice initially shows a different colour than in my photo (less colourful, I guess). The rhubarb needs to cool down and to repose a few hours before the juice develops the beautiful coral-red colour.

Aqua Fresca scented with Rhubarb, Rose and Vanilla

4 rose-red, fresh stalks of rhubarb, trimmed and sliced

3 tablespoons demerara sugar
1 tablespoon rose water
1/2 l water
Put the ingredients into a saucepan and let them simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool down and repose. Strain the juice into a recipient. I store it in the fridge for max. 3 days.

The flavours of rose water and vanilla harmonize perfectly with the rhubarb. Just make sure to not use  too much of the “perfumes”. By any means rhubarb must remain the diva!

 

fruity

1. April 2013
by troutandhawk
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Breakfast / Drinks

 

I’m looking forward to my super fruity breakfast tomorrow morning: pink grapefruit, pears, banana, apple, flaxseed oil, almonds, goji berries( still to be soaked) and chia seeds. All mixed in a blender and poured over a bowl of white rice. A cup of light green tea would match perfectly, what do you think?