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Choice of Magic

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May 30, 2020

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About Me

About Me

I am Cristina - a Lisbon based Romanian writer in love with Victorian novels, comfort food and foreign lands.

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Hello. My name is Cristina and I cannot stop buyin Hello. My name is Cristina and I cannot stop buying books even though I have: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. no time to read them all 2. no place to store them all 3. no money to buy all the books I want to buy ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (which is pretty much everything ever written with a few exceptions involving vampires, romances and overly descriptive and lyrical novels). What about you? Do you also love buying books? In paper form or e-books? Fiction or non-fiction? Tell me everything! 📚 ✨🌿 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bookstoread #whattoreadnext #bookrecs #bookstack #personallibrary #bookfriends #bookdesires #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #bibliophile #booklover #bookpeople #bookish #BeautifulBooks #booksaremagic #bookworm #fortheloveofbooks #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #fiction #nonfiction #bookshelfporn #bookadditction
Açaí (/əˈsaɪ.iː/, Portuguese: [asaˈi] - a f Açaí (/əˈsaɪ.iː/, Portuguese: [asaˈi] - a fruit growing on the Euterpe oleracea palm in the Amazon, and miraculously appearing in more and more brunch places across Europe. Personally I am not crazy about it, but with the right toppings (today I added banana, strawberry, pitaya and granola), it can be quite nice. Oh, and it gives me all of them Brazilian vibes needed for me to start my Rio de Janeiro blog article. 🌴 ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ And you - açaí fan or not? ✨​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ #homemade #foodporn #foodie #instafood #foodgram #nextbestfoodie #foodblogger #foodblog #foodphotography #foodstylingandphotography #foodstyling #choiceofmagic #breakfast #mealprep #nutricious #healthyfood #healthybreakfast #brasil #brazil #açaí #açaíbowl #acai #acaibowl #brazilianfood #fruitbowl #tropicalbreakfast #exotic #exoticbreakfast
7 Fun Things to Do in São Paulo is now online! 🏙☁️🌎​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ It’s been way too long since I wrote an article for the blog so this feels like such a big win to me! Even if I didn’t find São Paulo particularly beautiful (it kind of pales in comparison to Rio for me), I loved putting this list together, researching the history of the places I most liked and finding some totally unexpected twists to idyllic places (hinting at number 7 on the list 🤯). I hope you’ll like reading the article and referring back to it if you ever decide to visit São Paulo! And now that I’m back in the game, expect a recipe with one of the dishes I most loved in São Paulo. 🍳​​​​​​​​ Coming soon, on choiceofmagic.​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ #saopaulo #brazil #brasil #visitbrazil #visitsaopaulo #embudasartes #mercadão #becodobatman #avenidapaulista #jardimpaulista #bairroliberdade #wanderlust #travel #instatravel #travelgram #magicalbrazilseries #brazilseries #travelblog #travelblogger #summer #exotic #tropical #southamerica #magictravels #choiceofmagictravels #portuguese #romanian
They say São Paulo is a very grey city. To add to They say São Paulo is a very grey city. To add to that, I wouldn´t call it very beautiful either. But man, is it lively. There´s culture and art, and great music and excellent food, and it´s just so very much *in your face*. And if you look close enough, you´ll find plenty of colour. In the streets of Embu das Artes, in the fruits of the Mercadão, in the many graffities, or in the numerous paintings of the city´s museums. Now tell me - have you ever been? is it on your list? why or why not? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #saopaulo #brazil #brasil #visitbrazil #visitsaopaulo #embudasartes #mercadão #becodobatman #wanderlust #travel #instatravel #travelgram #magicalbrazilseries #romanian #streetstyle #travelblog #travelblogger #summer #colour #colourfulsaopaulo #sunny #exotic #tropical #southamerica #magictravels #choiceofmagictravels #foodIlovedinSaoPaulo #reformation #ootd #portuguese
First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⭐️ 6/10 ⭐️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let it be known that I have never rated a Murakami book this low. Despite that, I wouldn´t go as far as to say this is the worst book of his that I have read. I just didn´t really enjoy it much. As I was reading I kept feeling I am missing the point, and/or that I´ll see the bigger picture at one point. Neither happened. While the tone of voice is utterly Murakamian, something I very much enjoy, out of the eight stories in this book, only two stood out - Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey and the First Person Singular. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Murakami´s short stories. But I think I, myself, will just stick to his novels instead.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bookreview #ataleoftwoworlds #michelfaber #bookstoread #whattoreadnext #bookrecs #bookstack #personallibrary #bookfriends #bookdesires #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #bibliophile #booklover #bookpeople #bookish #BeautifulBooks #booksaremagic #bookworm #fortheloveofbooks #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #fiction #murakami #harukimurakami #firstpersonsingular #japanese #japan #japaneseliterature
What are you cooking this Christmas? If you´re fe What are you cooking this Christmas? If you´re feeling uninspired, or just want to get creative, check out my latest recipe ->⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🎄🦆Portuguese Duck Rice 🦆🎄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ingredients⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (serves ten)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 600g rice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1,5 kg duck chest⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 150g regular sausage + 150g black sausage⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 300g bacon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3 big onions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 garlic⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 300ml tomato sauce⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 400ml red wine⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a tablespoon pepper grains⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ one teaspoon cloves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ two bay leaves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ salt and pepper⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1/2 litre olive oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Instructions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. Add the duck, half of each sausage, and the bacon to a big pot. Add 300 ml of red wine and enough hot water to cover it fully. Add the bay leaves, clove and five cloves of garlic and pepper grains to it. Let it simmer for 1h. 2. After the meat is done, remove duck, sausages & bacon from the pot. Note: leave the water and spices in the pot, you´ll need it all for the rice. 3. Let the meat cool, and once cool start shredding the duck. Chop the sausage & the bacon into small pieces. 4. In another pot, chop the one onion, 5 cloves of garlic and add half of the previously cooked and chopped sausage and bacon. Fry until golden, add the rice and fry until slightly crispy (about 5 minutes), then start gradually adding the broth that the meat cooked in. Add it one cup of the time, continuously mixing, until the rice has cooked completely. Make sure the rice is not loose and has a more risotto like consistency. (continued in the comments)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #homemade #foodporn #foodie #instafood #foodgram #nextbestfoodie #foodblogger #foodblog #foodphotography #foodstylingandphotography #foodstyling #choiceofmagic #portuguese #portugal #portuguesefood #christmasdinner #portuguesechristmas #duckrice #arrozdepato #christmasmeal #masadecraciun #cinadecraciun #craciunfericit #merrychristmas #christmasfood #festivefood #festive
Any Harry Potter fans over here? 🪄 Last week I Any Harry Potter fans over here? 🪄 Last week I spent a rainy day in Coimbra, Portugal´s student city that seemed to have inspired JK Rowling in her writings. The city is usually full of students wrapped in big black capes, giving you all the Hogwarts vibes. And while its large university buildings might not be actual castles, you will be blown away by the city´s Joanina library. It is said to have inspired Beauty and the Beast, and believe me when I say it could possibly be the most beautiful library you´ll ever see. But enough for Instagram, you can read more on the wonders of Coimbra, on the blog. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #coimbra #visitcoimbra #joaninalibrary #harrypotter #jkrowling #library #beautifullibrary #daytripfromlisbon #portugal #exploreportugal #viajaremportugal #visitarcoimbra #portuguese #warmoutfit #rainy #wanderlust #travel #instatravel #travelgram #home #romanian #streetstyle #travelblog #travelblogger #smile #ootd #zara #massimodutti #winteroutfit
🥥🍪 Coconut Cookies (with a Dash of Orange) 🍊 I´m mixing it up this year, and instead of my traditional American Christmas cookie recipe, I bring you one with coconut and orange. Fluffier, but just as yummy, and ready in 10 minutes (plus 10 for baking). Ingredients (for about 30 cookies) 150g flour 150g oats 150g sugar 100g coconut flakes the grated skin of one orange two eggs 150g butter a tbsp baking powder a pinch of sea salt Instructions 1. Mix the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and coconut flakes in a big bowl while you´re melting the butter. 2. Once the butter is melted (not too hot though, you don´t want to cook the eggs!), mix it with the eggs and the sugar. 3. Combine the dry ingredients with the paste and mix into a dough. 4. Add the grated skin of the orange and mix in well. 5. Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees while you portion the cookie dough. 6. On large tray with baking paper, form the dough in small balls of about 2cm in diameter, place them a couple of cm apart (you will need at least two trays to bake them all) and bake for about 10 minutes. 7. Let them cool only slightly before enjoying them with a nice cup of tea. #homemade #homebaked #dessert #cookies #coconutcookies #coconut #chirstmas #chirstmascookies #orangecookies #orange #sugar #sweet #sweets #foodporn #foodie #instafood #foodgram #nextbestfoodie #foodblogger #foodblog #foodphotography #foodstylingandphotography #foodstyling #romanianchef #choiceofmagic #vegetarian #christmasrecipe #christmasdinner
Once Upon in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⭐️ 8/10 ⭐️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Quentin Tarantino´s debut novel, published in summer of this year, was a read that I wasn´t really counting with. I bought it in a bookstore in Edinburgh and read it remarkably fast, without having seen the movie that inspired it. The story in itself is interesting, as it portrays Hollywood in the late sixties, with all its characters (fictional and real) that are trying to make it in both the movie and music business. What is exquisite though, is Tarantino´s skill at character development. Whether you love them or hate them, the characters - "expiring" actor Rick Dalton, shady stuntman Cliff Booth, insane but charismatic Charles Manson, all make you feel *something* as they navigate the Hollywoodian jungle of 1969, one internal dialogue and fight scene at a time. I truly enjoyed this novel, and without wanting to allude I had low expectations of Tarantino´s novel writing abilities, I was genuinely surprised at what a vivid and entertaining x-ray for the American society of Hollywood in 1969 it was. Recommended to anyone that loves movies, and of course - Quentin Tarantino.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bookreview #ataleoftwoworlds #michelfaber #bookstoread #whattoreadnext #bookrecs #bookstack #personallibrary #bookfriends #bookdesires #bookphotography #bookaesthetic #bibliophile #booklover #bookpeople #bookish #BeautifulBooks #booksaremagic #bookworm #fortheloveofbooks #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #fiction #quentintarantino #tarantino #hollywood #onceuponinhollywood #americanliterature
🍅 Baked Tomato & Bean Soup 🍅⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you find regular tomato soup too boring, you´re in for a buttery and starchy twist!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ingredients⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (serves two)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ five/six ripe tomatoes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a red onion⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ four garlic cloves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a 260g can of white beans⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ truffle oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ five basil leaves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ salt, pepper and oregano⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Instructions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. While pre-heating the oven at 200 degrees cut the washed tomatoes in big chunks (if you cut a tomato in four that should do it). Cut the red onion in slightly smaller chunks (eight would be ideal). Peel the garlic cloves. 2. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves to an oven proof deeper tray, drizzle with truffle oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake for 15 minutes. 3. Add the baked ingredients and the liquid they left behind to a blender and blend along with the basil leaves until smooth. 4. Add the can of beans on top of the tomatoes and blend in on high speed as well. 5. Serve with croutons or with toasted bread and optional grated parmesan on top.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #homemade #foodporn #foodie #instafood #foodgram #nextbestfoodie #foodblogger #foodblog #foodphotography #foodstylingandphotography #foodstyling #choiceofmagic #autumn #fall #soup #creamysoup #tomatosoup #beansoup #tomatoandbeans #vegan #vegetarian #vegetariandish #healthyfood #healthylunch #vegandish #autumndish #baguette
Let´s talk Christmas shopping. 🎄 With Black F Let´s talk Christmas shopping. 🎄 With Black Friday becoming a whole week and then being topped by Cyber Monday, I feel that the Christmas shopping becomes a full-on one month long shopping spree where we end up with piles of stuff neither we, nor our dear ones actually need, and often can even afford. So I hope you´ll join me this Christmas season and shop local, support small businesses and artists (like my friend @adina.guguianu who hand-painted each of these beautiful Christmas cards) and really think about the things you´re about to gift. #giftwithpurpose #santoscollective #santos #christmasmarket #lisbonchristmasmarket #lisbon #lisboa #christmas #portugal #christmasshopping #christmasgifts #christmascards #handpainted #craftedbyadina #wanderlust #travel #instatravel #travelgram #home #romanian #streetstyle #travelblog #travelblogger #smile #ootd #zara #zaraoutfit #winteroutfit #ysl #sunny
🍋 Key Lime & Blueberry Oreo Cups 🍋 ⠀⠀⠀ 🍋 Key Lime & Blueberry Oreo Cups 🍋 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Everyone on Instagram: Here are some cozy autumn, borderline Christmas recipes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Me: Summer desserts, anyone?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Me (the next day): I wonder why my engagement is down...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ingredients⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (for some eight cups)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a large pack of Oreo cookies⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ eight limes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 100g of blueberries⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 350g of condensed milk⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200g of cream cheese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Instructions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. Start by grating the lime zest out of four of the limes, and then squeezing the juice out of all eight of them. 2. Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat well with a mixer until smooth. Add the condensed milk (making sure you got the sweetened kind), the lime juice, and lime zest and mix more, until smooth. 3. Add the blueberries to the cream and mix gently such as not to squish them, otherwise they´ll give their colour to the cream. Let cool for one hour in the fridge. 4. Once the hour is done, run the Oreo cookies through a blender and then divide the powder amongst the eight cups. A couple of teaspoons per cup should be enough. 5. Pour the cream on top of the blended Oreos and top with some more blueberries or lime/lemon slices.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #homemade #homebaked #dessert #keylimecups #lime #lemon #blueberry #oreo #oreocups #fastdessert #easydessert #sugar #sweet #sweets #foodporn #foodie #instafood #foodgram #nextbestfoodie #foodblogger #foodblog #foodphotography #foodstylingandphotography #foodstyling #romanianchef #choiceofmagic #vegetarian

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