Paris & Penne with cashew cream and Butternut Squash

It’s been a long time…
Two days ago I arrived back from a marvelous week in Paris. It was a trip that my mother, older sister and I have been dreaming to do together for years. (Aunt Shuli tagged along.) For my mother and sister, it was the first time so you can imagine how exciting it was for them and how fun it was for me to see their reactions. We had the best time of our life… until the sixth day of the trip.
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While I gather my thoughts and notes about my favorite places to eat in Paris, I will tell you what happened on the sixth day. So you don’t repeat the same mistake and be a bit more careful. 
It happened in the middle of the day, while we were enthusiastically browsing through kitchen gadgets in a shop in Saint Germain. A day before the end of our trip my sister’s wallet got stolen. In a store packed with people, the professional crook unzipped my sister’s handbag and pulled out her wallet. Nobody at the store noticed anything, including my sister. There’s nothing we could of done but going to the police to report the stolen passport and credit cards. The Parisian policeman told us that we are not the first one today to report. Apparently it’s a plague throughout of Europe.
From our experience, I highly recommend to travel without cash or valuable things. Be extra aware of your bag when you are in crowded places such as shops and trains. Don’t carry your passport around.
My sister and I had to spend our last day in the Israeli Consulate (I had to wait outside in the freezing cold…).
It’s sucks to be robbed! Especially when you are far away from home or when it’s on your birthday, like it was for my sister. Trying to cheer her up with my cliches It’s only money, or something worse could have happened, or, I hope that thief did something good with money” didn’t work. But an almond, rose croissant at Pierre Hermé totally did. 
My flight to Los Angeles was leaving three hours before my sister’s flight to Israel so she accompanied me to the airport and stayed with me until my boarding time. Before I got into the security line, we hugged and wept like toddlers. I felt right away that our bad experience wouldn’t harm our good memories from this trip. Being together with her in Paris was one of the best times in my life. We waved to each other and promised to meet again, soon.
I miss her already.
p.s. originally she was supposed to stay for only four days but we convinced her to stay three days extra.
Irish-twins
My Irish Twin sister and myself (I’m on the left, Liraz is on the right.) 
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After a week of cheating and eating so much dairy, I was beginning to miss my dairy-free home-cooking. I wanted to share this recipe for a while now. It’s tastes like real cream, rich and smooth. I adapted it from a lovely vegan blog but I made a few changes. 

Penne with Cashew Cream and Butternut Squash

Servings: 4
Author: Shelly

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup raw cashews - soaked in ¾ cup water
  • 1 acorn squash or butternut squash - cut in half and seeded
  • Coconut oil
  • 1 package of penne or any pasta of your choice
  • Pinch of nutmeg - optional
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 sage leaves - cut into thin strips - optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450º. Slice the acorn or butternut squash in half and remove seeds. Brush the flesh with coconut oil and sprinkle salt.
  • Put the squash in a roasting pan and put it in the oven for about 45 minutes (you can cut it into smaller pieces to cook quickly and you can also steam it). Roast until tender and spoonable.
  • Cook the pasta (follow the instructions on the package).
  • Meanwhile, put the cashews with the water in a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Scoop the acorn flesh and add it into the blender, with the olive oil, nut mug, salt and pepper and blend until you get a smooth paste. If the paste is too thick add 1 -3 tablespoons water.
  • Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Add the sauce and toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Serve in deep plates and garnish with sage.
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  1. My dear sister you made me cry. I had such a great time with you. Despite my stolen wallet, I miss our time together in Paris. For many more trips to come. Xo

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