UlrichK's Food and Travel Blogs: 2021

Monday, December 13, 2021

Tilapia-Fisch: Seine Vorteile und Gefahren

Tilapia-Fisch: Seine Vorteile und Gefahren: Tilapia ist ein preiswerter Fisch mit mildem Geschmack. Es ist die am vierthäufigsten konsumierte Art von Meeresfrüchten in den Vereinigten Staaten und in Europa. Viele Leute lieben Tilapia, weil er relativ günstig ist und nicht sehr fischig schmeckt. Wissenschaftliche Studien haben jedoch Bedenken hinsichtlich des Fettgehalts von Tilapia geäußert. Mehrere Berichte werfen auch Fragen zu … Read More

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

A Vertical Start into Coffee Market

A Vertical Start into Coffee Market: Claudio Marty and his wife, Yesenia Rosero, have successfully invested in difficult times. What began as a start-up a good two years ago today supplies private and business customers across the country with one of the most sustainable coffees in Switzerland. Agrifuturo takes fair trade to a new level. The Altorf-based company purchases green coffee … Read More

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Swiss Big Band Pepe Lienhard

Swiss Big Band Pepe Lienhard: In October 2021, the well-known musician Pepe Lienhard (75) visited Residence Falkenstein in Menziken, Canton Aaragu, together with his wife Christine. My mother Lilly is a resident of this home, on January 29, 2022 my mother will celebrate her 100th birthday! Pepe Lienhard's visit to this home has nothing to do with my mother's birth … Read More

Saturday, October 30, 2021

THE POTATO OF THE TROPICS

THE POTATO OF THE TROPICS: Manioc, Cassava, Yucca or Mandioca - this tuber has many names. It has been cultivated for over 40,000 years and grows in the tropics, Latin America, Asia and Africa. You can find Yucca on every dinner table in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Cassava is characterized by a high starch content and is … Read More

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Pontius Pilati ?!

by ULRICH KOEPF on AUGUST 31, 2021

From below, sailing on Lake Lucerne, Mount Pilatus is a striking mountain range; if you look down from above though, you can see a fantastic lake landscape.

There is no summit called Pilatus. That may be surprising, after all, one always speaks of the Pilatus. But it is a mountain range that consists of many individual peaks. The most prominent elevation is the donkey (6951 ft.); the tallest is the Tomlishorn (6983 ft.).

How to reach the Pilatus

The Pilatus can be reached on foot from Kriens, Lucerne in around five hours. Less exhausting and sweaty: since 1889, you can take the world’s steepest cogwheel railway ( 48% gradient) from Aplnachstad, Canton Obwalden, to Pilatus-Kulm in 20 minutes. And since 1956, Lucerne’s local mountain has also been accessible from Kriens by gondola and cable car, it has a length of 16000 ft., goes 4.5 meters per second, takes 30 minutes, and carries 750 people per hour.
On the way back down you may want to enjoy the largest Toboggan Track, 1350 meters, and the biggest suspension rope park in central Switzerland.

Pilatus Hotel Kulm at 6801 ft. features 27 double rooms and 3 junior suits, it was built in 1890, renovated in 2010. There is a full-service upscale restaurant open to visitors.

The Legends and Myths

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from the year 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best know for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and later ordered his crucifixion. They say he was buried on the Pilatus; they say when you look at the mountain it resembles a big man laying on his back, just as Pontius Pilati was.

A walk through the Dragon gallery will take you back to the 12th century, when an enormous dragon flew to the Pilatus and crashed to the ground, so close to the farmer Stempflin, that he fainted! When he came to, he found a lump of clotted blood and the dragon stone, which was legally declared as having healing powers in 1509.

In the middle ages, people believed that dragons with healing powers lived in the rugged clefts and crevices of Pilatus. In 1619, it was written that someone saw a very bright dragon with flapping wings go from a cave, on the Pilatus, into another cave on the opposite side of the Lake.
The mountain, today, is fortified with gun emplacements, radar, and weather stations.

The History of Pontius Pilati – click here to read

The Dragon Myths – click here to read

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Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Fondue or Fish & Chips?

Fondue or Fish & Chips?: Eggberge, a Mountain Guesthouse, and Restaurant, situated on a sunny plateau above Lake Lucerne. Through our English-speaking chat on Whatsapp, I found out about the new owners of this great spot located between Altdorf and Flüelen in the Canton of URI. My wife Nazarine is British and we live in the area for the past 8 … Read More

A Bubbly Place Full of “Fizz”

A Bubbly Place Full of “Fizz”: Driving from Lucerne to Tessin, the southern part of Switzerland towards Italy, or driving back from Tessin, you should take the Altdorf exit and make a stopover at FIZZ

Mount Everest just got 5G!! Really!?

Mount Everest just got 5G!! Really!?: We are so doomed! It’s the latest signal the faster wireless networks will soon be available EVERYWHERE. China's Huawei says they have installed five 5G hotspots on the world’s tallest mountain. The network provides 20-times greater capacity than a typical 4G network. And they’re also three times smaller in size. The 5G network will provide … Read More

Guyana, Gordon Ramsay Style!

Guyana, Gordon Ramsay Style!: Gordon Ramsay, the English Celebrity Chef, decided to divert from the scenes of English and American eateries to the deep of the rainforests in Guyana.

Population Control – Hypocrisy- or Narrow Headed?

Population Control – Hypocrisy- or Narrow Headed?: I would not trust a stranger on the bus or on a train with my life, because that person refuses to wear a mask.

China reaches out, strengthen influence on the African continent,Europe

China reaches out, strengthen influence on the African continent,Europe: Beijing now has extensive partnerships with most European countries.

Awesome Art by Nazarine Koepf on ArtPal.Com

Awesome Art by Nazarine Koepf on ArtPal.Com: Nazarine, Ulrich's talented, passionate, and creative partner has created some incredible pieces, from acrylic wall paintings to glass and handcrafted items. You may see her complete collection on ArtPal.com

Shocking World Changing Events of The 1940s – Part 2

Shocking World Changing Events of The 1940s – Part 2: These are the subsequent turns of events that lead to the 2nd World War!

Humanity’s Dilemma and Fate

Humanity’s Dilemma and Fate: “IF MEN COULD LEARN FROM HISTORY, WHAT LESSONS IT MIGHT TEACH US!”

Observing, Reminiscing, Contemplating and Evaluating!

Observing, Reminiscing, Contemplating and Evaluating!: Sitting back watching and observing as the whole world is on lockdown, and trying to make sense of this situation.

Friday, July 30, 2021

Go Bananas.. drink Beer!

Go Bananas.. drink Beer!: BloggerLinkedInMySpaceTumblrShare Previous Post Next Post

Monday, July 26, 2021

Not your usual Hotel! Nicht dein übliches Hotel!

Not your usual Hotel! Nicht dein übliches Hotel!: f you are searching for an unusual, special hidden gem to spend some quality time in Italy, and at the same time enjoying Abruzzi traditional Cuisine, look no ...

THE PROFESSION OF CHEF

THE PROFESSION OF CHEF: The art of a chef to prepares the tastiest, easily digestible, nutritious, and also healthy dishes

Third longest train tunnel in Switzerland

Third longest train tunnel in Switzerland: The Ceneri tunnel is opened, the work of the century is completed The last phase of the tunnel. (see video here) The new tunnel reduces travel times between Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland. And thanks to fast S-Bahn connections, it turns the southern canton into a “Città Ticino”. But some problems remain unsolved. The time has … Read More

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Daniel Humm is revolutionizing 3-Star Cuisine

This is how the first vegan menu tastes in “Eleven Madison Park” in New York that could change the world.

Beetroot is not a Kobe entrecôte. Adrià may have created espumas, fruit leathers, and other varieties of surprising textures, but his main contribution to the world of fine dining has been rethinking it. And that will probably also be the role of Daniel Humm. The Swiss could become the most influential chef of the next decade, a modern Bocuse. The main ingredients of his kitchen are plants, but no matter how naturally a Demeter beef has grown and tastes great, and even if it was exposed to Mozart symphonies while it was growing, it cannot be compared to a steak made from Kobe beef Kagoshima.

More time and creativity.

The most important ingredient of the future is therefore creativity, time, and manpower. Refining vegetables so that they become a tasty and social experience requires a lot more thought than frying a good piece of meat to the point and combining it in an interesting way. Not simply replacing butter and cream with some highly processed soy industrial product, and finding new ways to clarify broths other than with egg white, is challenging because you can hardly rely on decades-old, traditional knowledge. In a plant-based kitchen, the product is not worth much on its own; only intensive occupation with it – combined with the enormous effort of preparing it in an exciting way – turns it into a memorable dish.

Event from the clay pot.

EMP remains EMP, and there are now clay pots in the refrigerator where ducks used to be dry-ripened. They hide beetroot inside, which is first smoked, dehydrated, then rehydrated for three days and then, wrapped in salads and herbs, baked in this vessel. The result is – you have to put it this way – a rich, extraordinary taste that is reminiscent of meat. The beetroot is served after it has been freed from the vessel at the table with a hammer and wrapped in lettuce, kimchi, and thinly sliced nashi brine. There is also a beetroot red wine jus, which tastes dark, sweet, earthy, and slightly sour.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Why is Urine Yellow?? Do You know

Why is Urine Yellow?? Do You know?

by ULRICH KOEPF on APRIL 14, 2021

You may think “What does Urine have to do with food and traveling? Well, since traveling is not on the to-do list these days, I was talking quite a bit about food concerning our health. My whole family turned vegetarian about 6 – 7 weeks ago!

Being a chef by trade this conversion wasn’t exactly an easy process, however, after almost 2 months with no meat, I must admit, I do not miss it too much. The challenge arises when I go to the Supermarket walking by the meat department, I still do miss a good minced meat with mashed potatoes, or some of the Swiss cold cuts and or sausages, but so far I behaved myself, and wasn’t accused of being a traitor by the family!

When you change your diet at the 0f 70, you wonder what that could mean for your body? So, one starts to Google a lot of information, in order to find out whether one misses something, or maybe overdoes certain things.

That is how I came across the Urine subject; as part of a healthy body, one must drink a lot of water. That is where the bladder comes in action!

I asked my family members if they had any idea why the Urine was yellow? None of them had an idea! Here is a simple explanation through a video and some pictures of how that system operates; and should also make you aware and appreciate of what an incredible invention of a machine, gadget or contraption, (or whatever you want to call it), God provided for us!

Our kidneys are important filters and produce around 1.5 to 2 liters of urine (Latin: urine) every day. This causes waste products and pollutants to be eliminated from the body. Ideally, it is light yellow and clear and consists of 95 percent water, as well as urea, salts, hormones, vitamins and colorants. The yellow color comes from bilirubin, a breakdown substance of hemoglobin (the pigment in the blood) in the gallbladder.

If you drink little, the urine becomes more concentrated and therefore dark yellow.

If you eat a lot of beetroot, for example, it can turn red.

Taking Vitamins (B2) in excess colors it bright yellow.

Diseases and pregnancies can be detected in the urine. Today this is done with laboratory techniques, and in the past it was also done through taste. If the urine tasted sugary / sweet, you were “diabetic” (diabetes).

An adult’s bladder can hold about 1 liter of urine, and at around 300 milliliters, you feel the urge to go to the toilet.

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Dominikanische Republik – Die schönsten Strände in der Karibik

by ULRICH KOEPF on APRIL 11, 2021

Puerto Plata Flüge aus Europa

Für Direktflüge zum Flughafen Puerto Plata aus Europa haben Sie hauptsächlich Optionen aus Deutschland, Belgien und Holland.
– TUIfly hat Charterflüge aus mehreren Städten in Deutschland, darunter Frankfurt und Köln / Bonn. Die meisten Flüge finden in der Sommersaison statt.
– Condor fliegt von Frankfurt nach Puerto Plata.

Sie können sich auch bei Air Beling, Eurowings, Finnari, ThomsonFly und XL Airways erkundigen. Sie fliegen von Zielen in Europa nach Puerto Plata, sind jedoch nur auf bestimmte Jahreszeiten beschränkt.

Eine gute Option aus Europa ist es, nach Miami oder Newark (New York) zu fliegen. Beide sind gut mit Puerto Plata verbunden, dies könnte jedoch für die meisten EU-Bürger einen «Visa Waiver» erfordern.

Santo Domingo Flüge aus Europa
Wenn Sie nach Santo Domingo fliegen, haben Sie mehr Möglichkeiten aus Europa.

– Madrid hat gute Verbindungen Santo Domingo. Die spanische Fluggesellschaft Iberia verfügt über Direktflüge sowie Air Europa. Vor kurzem startete die spanische Fluggesellschaft Plus Ultra regelmäßige Flüge nach Lateinamerika mit Anschlussflügen zwischen Madrid und Santo Domingo.

– Brügge-Ostende (Belgien) bietet Flüge nach Santo Domingo mit JetAirfly an, diese hängen jedoch von der Jahreszeit ab.