Saturday, December 14, 2013

Æbleskiver: The Danish Christmas Donuts


Aebleskiver is a Danish dessert, somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes but light and fluffy like a donut. Traditionally served with glogg during December. Cooked in a cast iron pan that resembles an egg poacher. Served hot with syrup, jam or powdered sugar.

Check out how to make your own aebleskiver below:


Thursday, December 12, 2013

Julehjerte: Christmas Danish heart :)

The pleated Christmas heart is a special Danish tradition.It is said that the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen invented the braided heart, since the oldest known gloss paper heart was made by him in the 1860s. Christmas hearts consist of 2 pieces of glossy paper, which are braided together. 
The video below shows you how to make your own Julehjerte - enjoy it :)

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Risalamande: The Danish Christmas rice pudding

Risalamande is a dessert traditionally served on Christmas Eve in Denmark. It is a kind of rice pudding, usually served cold and warm cherry sauce is poured on top (kirsebærsauce).
Portioned from a large bowl at the end of the Christmas dinner, a whole almond is hidden in the bowl of the pudding. The one who finds the almond wins a gift. The fun is to hide the almond in your mouth as long as possible so that people will keep taking seconds and thirds in an attempt to find the almond and win.
Have you ever tried Risalamande? Time to make your own! Kathrine from Metropolitan University College shows us how to make Danish rice pudding in the below video - enjoy it :)

Thursday, October 24, 2013

ARKEN hosts "FRIDA KAHLO - A life in art" until January 2013

Arken hosts "FRIDA KAHLO - A life in art" exhibition until the 12th of January 2013.


From Arken's website:

"Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is an outstanding artist and a passionate power woman. Strong and independent, she is an inspirational role model. The exhibition offers a look at Kahlo’s oeuvre through a number of her most iconic self-portraits, drawings, pages from her diary as well as jewelry and dresses from her time. The works reflect her tragic life, embracing a horrible traffic accident and countless surgeries, tormented love for the artist Diego Rivera, affairs with both men and women, miscarriages and childlessness, as well as political activism." 

Read more here: http://www.arken.dk/content/us/art/exhibitions/frida_kahlo





We visited Arken and we highly recommend a visit.
Writing this post, we are debating as to whether it should just be a tribute to Frida Kahlo or to Arken and its various very interesting exhibitions (even for those who do not get along with art).
We have decided to just stay objective :)

Take a sneak peek of Arken:



 Frida Kahlo

 Frida Kahlo

 Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst

 Ciprian Mureşan - I am protesting against myself


ARKEN OPENING HOURS:
Wednesday: 10-21
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-sunday: 10-17

ADMISSION FEES:
Adults: 95 kr.
Students: 75 kr.
Children under 18: Free
CLUB ARKEN: Free
Groups (min. 10): 80 kr.
Pensioniers: 95 kr.

Read more about Arken here: www.arken.dk


P.S.: (it is going to be a quite big P.S. and it will have no relation to Arken)  

2011 - 1941 - 1938
A song, a writer and a painter

1938: After a tragic accident that changed her life, Fridha Kahlo paints "What the water gave me"


1941: Novelist, essayist, publisher and critic Virginia Woolf, puts on her coat, filled its pockets with stones, walked into the River Ouse near her home, and drowned herself. In her last note to her husband she wrote: 

"...If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can't go on spoiling your life any longer. I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been."

2011: Florence and the Machine have a new song. The title (i.e. "What the water gave me") is inspired by a painting of Frida Kahlo and the lyrics from Virginia Woolf's suicide...

“Lay me down
Let the only sound
Be the overflow
Pockets full of stones



Saturday, October 5, 2013

Must do: grab your friends and have a dinner in Vespa - Copenhagen

We have already mentioned this restaurant in a different post (read more here), but we cannot resist dedicating this post to Vespa in order to introduce you to the place.

Before visiting Vespa, we thought it was a quite high class restaurant: a quiet, calm, fine dining place... Well, it is not exactly like that. We would not recommend this place for a romantic dinner for two or for someone who wants to have a fine dining experience..

So what is Vespa?
Part of the Cofoco family, Vespa is an honest, easygoing, relaxed, simple restaurant that serves Italian food.
That's Vespa. It is in your face, it is clean, real and it does not pretend to be something else than what it really is: quite similar to the attitude of an actual Vespa if you think about it....

source here

And when should i go there?
Are you with your friends and want to have a delicious but at the same time fun dinner with loads of wine? Grab your friends and have a blast in Vespa! They have a special offer where you can have a full menu (antipasti, primo, secondo and desert) with all the wine you can drink (no limits) for around 400 DKK per person (when we visited the place the prices were at 400 DKK. We checked their website apparently now it is 425 DKK. Check their current menu here: http://cofoco.dk/vespa_menu.php).


And how is the food?
The food was great! Do not expect something super sophisticated. As we said Vespa is simple and easygoing. They have simple but delicious Italian flavors. What we loved was that in the beginning they bring you a lot of different antipasti. So right from the start, get ready to taste 10 different small plates of various delicacies.

 Insalata tiepida di polipo e patate – Blækspruttesalat med kartofler, persille, agurk og chili

 Insalata caprese con mozzarella di bufala – Caprese salat med bøffelmozzarella

Prosciutto di Parma – Parmaskinke
Finocchiona – Fennikel salami

Grissini e bagna cauda – Grissini med bagna cauda dip
Merluzzo alla Livornese – Friteret torsk med spicy tomatsovs

After all the antipasti, there are two more courses and a desert. Let's not forget that the alcohol keeps coming as long as you have chosen their special offer that includes the limitless consumption of wine :)

The desert: 
Susine caramellate con gelato al mascarpone – Bagte og karamelliserede blommer med mascarpone is

:) :) :) even though we were expecting something else, we loved Vespa just because it is down to earth. We loved the idea of having so many antipasti in the beginning and tasting all these different flavors. The wine offer was very appreciated :)

:( :( :( The place is small. Which is not necessarily bad, but it was very, very VERY crowded and noisy. There was no music in the background. All this noise and the fact that we were sitting very close to each other made us feel a bit uncomfortable and tired quite soon.


Vespa
St. Kongensgade 90,
1264 København K

Read more about Vespa in their website or in their facebook page
Also visit Cofoco website and facebook page to learn more about them :)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Living and working with the Danes

Before coming in Copenhagen i have read a lot about working in Denmark.
How people are working in teams, how there is no clear hierarchy and that everybody's opinion matters..
Nothing could prepare me though for what i would really encounter here...

First of all, let me clear out something. I am a short girl coming from a southern country: even if i hate stereotypes, this actually means that i have dark hair, dark skin and since my country is under "crisis" i am used to work like a slave. My personal life was never a priority and my "rights" as an employee could be described as limited (if not non existing).


STEP 1: First impression

When i first arrived in this wonderful country, Danish people were just huge. White, blond and huge. They were looking at me from up there (since there is clearly a significant height difference) like huge white giants and they would start speaking as if they were puking (yes! the way they pronounce "d" sounds like puking in my ears. Try out the word "hedder" and you will get the point..). I was terrified. 


STEP 2: A closer look

Taking a closer look at the Danes, the first thing i observed was their relation with "time". My thought back then was that since they were so huge they are looking "time" from above. From up there. And even though looking things from up there should make time look tiny, thus not enough, Danes still feel as if they have loooads of time ahead. And that is why they never hurry. Some of them think they are anxious. But in reality and to my small southern eyes, they are never anxious. They take their time = They plan ahead = They avoid mistakes = They are efficient.


STEP 3: Getting to know them better and better

Danes have rights that are earned long time ago and noone can just cancel or challenge this fact. They have the right to have a personal life, which will always be their priority number one. And they do not need to fight for that. They work to live and not live to work. And whoever tries to challenge that, he will simply just fail. In this country people know that they have the right to smile and just say "No, thank you!".And that is accepted from all: boses, colleagues, managers, supervisors..
In the majority of this world's countries, people have a formal way of speaking to those they do not know or to their "superiors". Thus they are using what in english is the formal "you": a polite plural that expresses respect towards someone. Well, Danes do not use this formal way of speaking. Everyone is equal. Your boss is equal with you. There is no "Dear Mr. Andersen". There is "Hi John" instead. Even a giant Dane and a tiny dwarf like me are equals.
Their cities are made for them. They have the right to enjoy them. Whenever the sun is out, they forget that tomorrow even exist and they lie naked in the parks. They grab their bears and they stroll laughing around the lakes.



GENERAL CONCLUSION:
Danes have understood what is important in this life: living it. 
And we should learn something from them. 
Don't panic, stay calm, smile more, live the moment :)

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Chico's Cantina Mexican restaurant - bar

Wanna have a brunch inside a jail cell? Or in the jungle?
We have a place to recommend :)

We visited Chico's Cantina and we have to admit, we liked it!
The whole restaurant/bar is divided in 4 different rooms: a common Mexican restaurant room, a bar, a jailhouse and a jungle.
In the jailhouse the actual tables are designed in such a way so that you can actually eat inside a jail cell.

The jail cell

In the jungle there are big round tables, giving the feeling of a bamboo bungalow hidden in the trees, the lighting is quite low and the whole atmosphere is making you feel as if Tarzan and Jane are actually joining you for brunch  (fyi, you need to be at least 6 to book a table in the jungle). 

The jungle - photo source here 

The brunch costed 89 DKK (in their menu it said 160 DKK but apparently they have lowered their prices and have not updated the menus..) and we got unlimited access to a Mexican buffet that had everything: rice, meet, eggs, tacos, chicken, bacon, nachos, salads... Don't expect something super-gourmet but you will eat a lot for a reasonable price in an amusing atmosphere. If you have a sweet tooth then this brunch is not for you since the only sugary thing they have is fresh crepes. Which is not bad at all actually!

See address and reservation number here
Find out more and check out their pictures in their website: http://www.chicos-cantina.dk


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Copenhagen Beer Festival 2013

Do you like beer?
Would you like to spend your evening tasting rare beers?
From the 23rd until the 25th of May the Danish Beer Enthusiasts are inviting you to the 13th Beer Festival in Copenhagen. It will take place in Tap1 on the former Carlsberg Brewery.
70 exhibitors and a range of more than 700 different beers are expected at the festival.

Want to know more?
Find out more about the Festival here and buy your tickets here

Also, take a look on the below video on last year's CPH Beer Festival:


Copenhagen Beer Festival 2012 from Copenhagen Beer Festival on Vimeo.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Dining in Copenhagen

We all know that Copenhagen has been the culinary capital of Europe during the last years, especially because of Noma restaurant (voted the best restaurant in the world for the last 3 years) and many others that followed its lead.

But let's be realistic... Even if we live here, the majority of us cannot afford a visit to Noma!
Do not be alarmed my friends. There are many other perfect choices here in CPH. Our favorite choice would be the COFOCO restaurants.

COFOCO covers 9 very good quality restaurants serving delicious food. We haven't been at all of them but rumors say that the standards are quite high in all of them and that no matter which one you chose the chances are that you are going to be satisfied! We can guarantee that VespaScarpetta Islands Brygge and Les trois cochons are quite amazing since we have already visited them. The great thing about these restaurants is that they offer some special deals, in which you can have a full 4 or even 5 course menu starting from 200-300 DKK per person (excluding alcohol), which is quite a fair price for a dining axperience in Copenhagen.

Wanna learn more?
Visit them on cofoco.dk, follow them on facebook and have a look on the below video:


Restaurant Cofoco from Hans Frederik Munch on Vimeo.


Yummy right???


Another great thing in Copenhagen is Copenhagen Dining Week.
During week number 7 (mid-end February) Copenhagen celebrates dining with a very special way: some of the best restaurants of the city open their doors offering a full menu with 200 DKK per person. Last February 100 restaurants participated and the experience was great! It was quite chaotic to book a table in the nicest places since the demand was quite big but still there were plenty of choices available. Keep that tip in mind for next February and follow Copenhagen Dining week on facebook to stay updated about 2014 special offers :)

Do you have more places to propose for a quality dining experience at a reasonable price??

Cheers!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Copenhagen Carnival 2013 is just around the corner :)

On the 18th of May - in 2 days from today - Copenhagen goes in Carnival mode, all included:

A big parade, dancing, partying, music, bright colors, costumes, activities for children....
Check the detailed program here.

Will you miss out??

Have a look on the below video to get a taste of what's coming in CPH, visit the official site and like the facebook page of the Carnival for more info :)

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Friday Night Skate in CPH

Do you enjoy skating? Then Friday Night Skate is made for you!

The concept is simple and sounds really fun:
On selected Friday evenings you are able to skate through Copenhagen in the middle of the street with a large group of people. FNS gathers 500 to 1.500 participants per event. There is an FNS planned every second Friday during the period from April until September.

The best thing: everyone can participate, it is free and there is no signing up.
Just show up in Solbjerg Plads at Frederiksberg at 7:45 pm sharp and enjoy the ride :)

The next FSN event is coming up on the 17th of May.
Will you be there?

See all the FSN event dates here, visit their website and follow them on facebook to learn more about this amazing event :)

Monday, May 13, 2013

Spring in Denmark - Survival tips

Spring is here!
And for the newcomers in Denmark here are some survival tips:

1) "Sun" (clearly a "he") and "Temperature" (a "she") are two concepts that have different meaning and application here in Denmark than what you are used to (especially if you come from the South). Sun may do us the favor to come out once in a while but then again never be sure that he will stay out for long. On the same logic, Temperature is definately bipolar. Rumors say that Sun and Temperature have a weird love affair with each other and that is why nothing is never easy or predictable with these two.

2) For the above explained reasons, once you see the sun, just follow the Danes: get your thumbs out of your ass and go out! Drink a beer near the lakes, grab your bike and just ride near the sea, lie on the grass, go to Bakken. Or Tivoli. But we prefer Bakken (sorry Tivoli!). You get the point: do it now that you can!

3) Layering is your best friend. Master the art of getting dressed like an onnion. It's a must! As mentioned above, you never know (especially during spring!) when it is going to rain, when it will be sunny, hot, cold, etc. Everything here is a mystery. Or even better, a huge joke...on us!

4) If you come from the South and you brought your countless pairs of flip flops with you, then the joke is -again- on you. We don't think that you will be needing them..






Sunday, May 12, 2013

Our first post on the way to a more hyggelig Denmark!

Dear friend,

Welcome to our small community which aims to make Denmark a little bit more hyggelig for you and - in the end of the day - for ourselves as well!

We are planning to share our everyday stories, places that we saw and we think you should visit as well, great events and happenings we have heard about and think you would be interested too, tips and "how to" guides that will hopefully help you and us during our stay in this country.

Our goal is that this project will allow us to share all the cool things we found hidden and at the same time learn about all the things you have found as well.

We don't like being alone - we hate it! We want you with us! So feel free to speak with us! Let's discuss, exchange and together, let's explore and re-invent the way we are living in Denmark :) We hope that after some time we will form a community of friends exchanging interesting stuff, info, tips even things! (but we will talk to you about this idea in another post)

Are you a Dane? A French guy? A Greek girl? Are you a Filipino? Or maybe from Spain?
You are welcome to join us! Everyone is welcome!
(unless you are an animal torturer... or a psycho killer... or a.. anyway you get the point!)

Join us on facebook at facebook.com/livingindk, follow our blog, become a part of our community and let's have some fun!  

Copenhagen street art, Norrebrogade



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