Although it really does not feel like it, we are heading into (or are already in) the 6th month of the year. And the previous 5 months have been very very crazy. Nevertheless, and besides all the ups and downs, we have made it through anyway and are now more than ready for Summer! For long evenings, picnics in the park and drinks at a friends house. And obviously, we cannot start into the month without sone seriously good Top 5!
As always, nothing of this is sponsored, all of these following are my personal recommendation, based on my experiences and my own opinion.
Restaurant of the month: NENI am Prater
This really is what I have been looking forward to for months. Ever since they first announced it (and I think that was November). And, oh my goodness, worth the wait – it did not disappoint. The new NENI am Prater is a must visit!
Why? For several reasons. First of all, the view. Just like holy damn wow. You have a view above all of Vienna during the sunset. The intense yellow and orange sky just covers every single building and the entire Prater. Just insane. And you have this view from the interior and exterior, since there is glass all around.
Then the atmosphere; chill music, chatting all around, friendly waiters who are in a very good mood, the noises and smells from the open kitchen, the open bar, where you can watch the barkeepers making drinks. It feels like you‘re sitting in some restaurant in the middle of Tel Aviv.
Well, and we cannot forget about the most important part: the food. This. Was. Delicious. The menu is similar to the NENI am Naschmarkt but still pretty different. At Prater it has more of the Balgan style cuisine, more of the sharing, the smaller meals, meals from the stone oven, and ALL sourdough bakery. There are plenty of dishes, no matter whether you want to go vegan, vegetarian, have some fish or enjoy some decent meat. It all was incredibly delicious. Plus, you can there now order the NENI organic Rosé there (which also tastes pretty amazing); from their own production. So worth a try!
If you go there (which you definitely should!) you simply NEED to try the popcorn falafel, the sourdough focaccia and the knafeh. There is no way you‘ll be going home without having tried this.
All in all, what I can say is: amazing. The view, the atmosphere, the service. It all has such a friendly and home-like feeling. Definitely will be going there more often. And once you have visited it, you‘ll be doing so too!
Food of the month: Strawberries
Everyone‘s favourite (at least in ice cream) fruit is finally here. Finally we can find those delicious, juicy, sweet goodies from our local farmers either on the farmer‘s market or in the supermarket shelves. But why are strawberries actually this healthy?
First we‘ll have a teeny tiny history lesson; strawberries are fruits that originally had grown in woods. Even today you can find some very small ones there during June/ July. Strawberries have first been planted in gardens in the 14th Century in France by Charles V.. The ones we eat today have first been cultivated in the 18th century and are called „Garden Strawberries“.
Now, moving on to the health side of it; strawberries are incredibly nutritious foodsl They are loaded with Vitamin C, which is very beneficial for immune and skin health, Manganese, Vitamin B, which is important for tissue growth and cell function and potassium, which, for example, helps regulate blood pressure. But there also are many other nutrients such as iron, copper, magnesium, Vitamin K, E and B6. Plus, strawberries are also loaded with water and with fibre, both good for your digestive system.
All of these nutrients have shown to contribute to many health benefits, such as blood pressure lowering, inflammation decrease and improve overall heart health. Strawberries definitely are very delicious and nutritious fruits!
If you want to try some strawberry recipes, you can try the Strawberry and Chickpea Caprese, the Pesto Couscous with Feta and Strawberries, the Strawberry Chia Jam, or the Asparagus and Strawberry Salad.
Recipe of the month: Pesto
Pesto never disappoints. And this one, let me tell you, definitely does not disappoint!! Really, if you only try one recipe from the blog, try this one. With pasta that is al dente, and creamy burrata – holy cow, the best thing ever.
So why is this the recipe of the month? First of all, I feel like pesto is a real summer recipe. It reminds me of Italy (since it comes from Liguria) and Italy basically equals summer. And since it‘s June, the month in which summer officially starts, it kind of is like a perfect match.
And well, obviously, it is so damn delicious. I made that on a Sunday night when the whole family was here, and believe me. Not a single pasta and not a single drop of pesto was left. If this is not a confirmation that this pesto is tasty, then I don’t know what is.
So all in all we can say; it is healthy, sooo tasty, summery, and damn easy to make.
Product of the month: girlfriend collective
This activewear brand is not just any activewear brand but one with a mission. A mission to make the world a better place. The planet and nature is their number 1 priority, but that does not make their designs any worse or not as pretty as conventional activewear. Actually, the opposite is the case.
So what’s the crux with girlfriend collective? What makes them special? They produce activewear made from recycled materials. To be specific; from recycled plastic bottles and fishernets combined with other materials. They turn plastic bottles into a yard through washing, breaking apart and polymerization. And the result is incredible. When touching or wearing the leggings, you would never guessed that this before has been a water bottle or a fisher net.
I personally just believe that this makes this brand incredibly unique and incredibly cool. Plus, their activewear is super super comfortable. Soso soft, yet sweat absorbing, very well fitting and looking really good. The designs are rather simple, which I love because it makes them even more sustainable because they are not out of fashion after a year.
I have been working out (especially running) in girlfriend collective for almost a year now and and still super super happy. The cloths have not lost any quality, still look the same as on day one and are as comfy. If you live in Europe, you may need to check some european sports websites (I order on thesportsedit), so you do not need to pay taxes and customs when ordering.
Next time you want to get some new activewear, make sure to check this brand out before, you won‘t regret it!
Workout of the month: supercycle
There were a bunch of things I missed in the pst months of lockdown. Going out to restaurants, leaving Vienna, seeing a bunch of people, and so on… but there has been very little that I missed as much as supercycle.
For all those of you who do not know Supercycle yet, it is a fitness studio in Vienna with cycling classes. The cost is at 14€ for students (per class) and at 16€ regularly. Normally, you‘d sit in a dark room, only with disco lights, loud music, and the best instructors ever shouting at you. And the feeling is unreal. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, it is hard to describe. Such pure happiness combined with pure sweat. Definitely a lot of both.
Happily, they were able to open again, so I literally ran to get there. And just saying; So so so worth it. I went to the outdoor studio (which very very sadly) closes soon, and the view was amazing, the feeling out of the world, and the instructor (steph), well she just made every drop of sweat so worth it.
Yes, you‘ll be feeling dead by the end of your class, you‘ll be sore for the next day and your legs will be shaking. Still, you will want to come back. So, give it a shot.
Inspiration of the month – the daily stoic:
Actually, this is not an inspiration of a month or for a month but an inspiration for a year. The daily stoic is a book with 366 pages with little stoic life lessons and meditation prompts, one for each day.
Usually, you‘d buy the book in December and start reading it on January first, since the pages are numbered after the days in the month (e.g Jan 1st, October 15th, …). But really, it is not necessary to buy it in December, you can get it and start at any time of the year. I myself got it in April and started it then.
The book itself is divided into 3 categories, each spanning over a period of 4 months; the discipline of perception, the discipline of action and the discipline of will. And those again are split into 4 subcategories, 1 for each month.
The cool thing about this is that you are focusing on one topic for a whole month, and then the next month a different one, but one that builds on the topic from last month.
I myself kind of included it into my morning routine because I really enjoy having a little something to think about during the day or to live my day by.
The book itself can be ordered at most book shops, or there even is a download of an e-book version in the internet that is for free.
I really, really hope that you‘ll be enjoying all of these things and that your June will be amazing!! Wishing you all the best,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière
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