Cultural Lesson on German "RUND" Geburtstag (part one) On the way to the party!

Here we are again on our way to Clausen in the Rheinland Pfalz (also known as Rhineland Palatinate) area of Germany for a 60th birthday party.

You know when you have arrived in this particular region of the Pfalz because it becomes mountainous and all you can see is trees. In fact, the Palatinate Forest is the largest contiguous forest in Germany.  Most Americans incorrectly think that the Black Forest is the largest forest in Germany.  This is such an important Forest that it has been made part of the international biosphere reserve by UNESCO.  Honestly folks, what you get here is unspoiled landscapes, castles and castle ruins and large sandstone rock formations. Sadly, the weather did not cooperate and we have had to take these pictures on a misty, drizzly day. The above picture gives you an idea of what you see when you enter the Pfalz.

This sandstone rock formation is called the "Teufelstisch".  Translated it means the "Devil's table" You find this formation near Hinterweidenthal  in the south most tip of the Plafz.

The story associated with the Teufelstisch is about how the devil, looking for a place to rest and eat on a stormy night could not  find anything nearby. Being inventive he picks up a few rocks to pile up to make his table. After refreshing himself he leaves the site and the storm passes. The next day everybody around is frightened except for one man. He claims he will sit and eat at the same table the following night. The villagers watch as he leaves them. At midnight a bloodcurdling cry is heard and the next day the daring soul is found dead at the base of the Teufelstisch. I onced asked an old man in our village why the poor man would have been found dead.  Without blinking an eye he replied with a gleam in his eye, "He got what he deserved! Christians should never share a table with the devil."

Quite so, I thought!

Mac insisted we leave early and we found ourselves 3 hours early for the party. Not a problem! We headed to Rodalben and the Hotel Pfalzerhof Restaurant to see our old neighbor Ruth who we knew would be working. We stopped in the bakery part to see what the owner had been up to making her chocolate bunnies and had a cup of coffee. Thought you'd enjoy the pictures. They had decorated the restaurant for Easter. No one decorates like the Germans.

The typical German Easter Egg Tree.

The German flowered Easter Basket.

Let's not forget our sheep which remind us we the sheep in God's pastures.

We enjoyed our coffee and Ruth started setting the table by us. 

 She said, "Oh, you know the people who will be sitting at this table for dinner tonight."  Turns out that they were two lovely couples from our choir in Clausen. Karl (nicknamed "der Badger") and Emsha.  Herr Badger turned 85 last year and his wife Emsha turned 8o last November. The other couple was Karl and Annie. They were coming to celebrate Annie's 73rd  birthday along with Annie and Karl's children and grandchildren. We learned that "der Badger" had a brain hemorrage and had lost eyesight in one eye and the other Karl was learning to walk again after a bad heart attack earlier in the year.  Ruth insisted we stay to greet them.  She had Mac hold the door the open as they came into the restaurant. It was worth staying to see the surprise and joy on their faces. The phrase they kept repeating ,which was music to our ears, was "Didn't we have the most wonderful 4 years while you lived in Clausen?"  We chatted for a bit about beautiful memories and wished them a lovely evening. Then it was off to Clausen

for Erhard's 60th birthday.

Mac gives this "Happy Accident" seeing some old friends we didn't expect to see 3 thumbs up.

Mimi's Butternut Squash Risotto

What's the secret to making a good risotto? I learned this years ago from an Italian lady while I was in nursing school in Middletown, Connecticut.  She claimed you must use fresh ingredients and follow 5 steps.

Here I've chopped up my butternut squash, 2 red chile peppers, 2 large cloves of garlic.  Now for you onion lovers out there. Chop up an onion, but since you all know what Mac thinks of onion I don't have one here.

Step 1: Soffritto

Every risotto starts with a good soffritto.  Sautéing onions garlic and chili peppers is your first step in butter or olive oil.  I prefer butter. Pretend you see an onion in the pan!

Step 2: Tostatura

 You will now add your rice to the soffritto with no liquid, so that each grain gets warmed up. I always use  Arborio rice, 2 cups.  I stir the rice into the pan with the soffritto mix, it's kinda like what you do when you prepare  Rice-a-roni. I warm the grains 3 or 4 minutes and stir continuously.

Step 3: Stock

Never use water!  Use stock. Stock is full of flavor and it will make a better risotto. You can prepare stock in just 15 minutes if you have shrimps shells (for fish stock), chicken bones or just a some vegetables to throw in a pot. It’s well worth your time, although I sometimes use Knorr bouillon dissolved in hot water…Here I used knorr chicken stock....I made enough for 8 cups of stock. To start I pour 2 cups of hot stock over the rice. Put your butternut squash in now.

Stock will  need to be added slowly, one ladle at a time, and replenished when it is almost completely absorbed by the rice.  Each addition of the stock needs to be accompanied by continuous stirring, so that the temperature is maintained constant and each grain gets the same exposure. Most importantly each ladle of stock must be VERY hot when you add it to the rice.

This is about how full you want it each time you stir in a ladle of stock.

Step 4: Resting

In order to prepare risotto for serving, you need to let it rest. This means taking the rice off your heat source when the rice grains are still a bit al dente.  Do not stir. I usually wait 5 minutes. The process allows the temperature to come down and to prepare risotto for the last and most important step.

Step 5: Mantecatura

Manteca is Spanish for butter.  At this stage, you will do what you can to emulsify the rice and give its creamy consistence.   Beat in 5 really cold butter cubes and cheese ( Parmigiano) I also add fresh parsley here and salt and pepper to taste. It's best to use a cup to cup and a half of shaved parmigiano.

Now garnish with shaved parmigiano and some parsley. This is a lovely dish if you are having vegetarians for dinner. If you are a meat lover you could add Italian sausage instead of the squash.  If you don't like the bite of red chiles leave them out!

And there you have it..... a creamy delight!

This weekend we are going to be surprised guests at a German "Rund" Geburtstag (Round Birthday) in Clausen.  Our friend Erhart is turning 60.  Should be fun!

Saturday in Switzerland

This was our breakfast buffet at "The Lion" hotel.  It was delish and I gorged myself

on the scrumptious meats, cheeses and fresh breads!

Then we set off for Zurich, Switzerland. We crossed on the ferry from Meersburg.  There was a cold and bone chilling wind, not to mention Lake Constance was quite rough. We stayed in the car for the quick 15 minute crossing.  Frank napped. I played with Jaxson and Mac did his usual gawking at everything and everybody!

We arrived in Zurich. None of us were much impressed with it.  It's big, sprawling and not particularly nice.

After we were caught up in this rather unfortunate demonstration

we decided to head for Brugg.  Brugg is where a foreign exchange student to Belfast from 1971 lives.

Frank was to meet up with Werner the next morning.  We looked for a place to stay in Brugg and only found one called the Rotehaus. (Red House) It was most unpleasant to pay more for this hotel than the "Lion" in Meersburg. The Rotehaus was little more than a hostel.  The food was not noteworthy nor was the breakfast. All very basic and we all felt we paid too much for what little we got. In addition, there was some parade outside our window at 2 am that woke us all up.

It all ended with the rather embarrassing BUTTON incident.  Mac is still quite a "boy" at heart and couldn't resist pushing the buzzer here at our table numerous times although I did ask him to cease and desist from this action. The poor waitress came in and looked quite bewildered at who had pressed the button. No one said anything because we didn't realize the button called her.  OF COURSE, Mac pressed it again and I figured out when she showed up  looking quite cross that it was HIM that was calling her with his incessant button pressing.

She did look slightly amused when Mac admitted he was just pressing it for fun not realizing what it did.

I am afraid, dear readers, that this place earns the first thumbs down from Mac.

Not wishing to leave you with the disturbing vision of a thumbs down. I am showing you the pictures of the village and area where we dropped Frank off with Werner!

Now that's more like it!  Swiss Alps!

Friday in Meersburg, Germany

We wanted to take Frank to one of our favorite cities in Germany.  Meersburg means "Burg on the Lake", the Burg referring to the castle which, according to a tradition  was built here in 630 by the Merovingian king Dagobert I.  The Lake is called the Bodensee by the Germans but we know it as Lake Constance.

The town is home to two castles, the Old Castle and the New Castle. The Old Castle is open for visitors and features a self-guided tour.

The New Castle was built in the 18th Century as a home for the Bishop of Constance. The New Castle was used for a variety of purposes before becoming a museum

Here's Frank contemplating what an old historic city he's visiting.

We settled on this very old hotel called the "Lion"  Honestly, where else did you think former Belfast "Lions" would stay?  The price was right and the interior clean and quaint.

Hotel Weinstube Löwen

Marktplatz 2

88709 Meersburg am Bodensee

Telefon: 0 75 32 / 4 30 40

http://www.hotel-loewen-meersburg.de/

I asked Mac to take a picture of our hotel room but apparently he became rather taken by the footprints on the bath mat and we didn't get a room picture.  Never fear, he made up for it by taking plenty of the dining room.

Look at the ornate wooden ceilings and carvings.

This is on an old warming oven.  It says, "Drink, love and Smoke till your last breath"

I suppose that advice was given before they knew drinking and smoking in excess were not terribly good for you.

The boys had been on a walk about the village and came back for drinks.  This is me joining them for dinner.

This is not the best picture but probably the best soup I have had in my life.  It was filled with pasta and dumplings in a clear beef broth. Beautifully flavored.

The ever pretty and tasty German salad!

Frank and Mac had the homemade spatzle with pork medallions in a creamy mushroom sauce.

I had the fresh "Catch of the day" from Lake Constance.  I still am not sure what kind of fish it was, but it was lovely.

Frank tried a Pear Scnapps because he had a bad cold.  I am not sure if he thinks it would kill him or cure him at this point! Needless to say, we had an early night because poor Frank was not well.

Tomorrow we say ta-ta to Meersburg and go on to Switzerland!

This hotel and restaurant gets the thumbs up from Mac, as well as thumbs up from Frank and me!

If you are down Meersburg way, give it a try!

Frank ist hier!

Frank Wareham is here visiting.  He was one of my all time favorite teachers.  He taught me music and drama!  Here he is doing his best impression of a German telling me off!  We are off to Meersburg on Lake Constance today.  I hope we can find that nice pension we took my Mom and Dad to years ago.

Mac has never met Frank before.  He gives him the thumbs up!

Birthday Bash/ Restaurant Waldhorn Bebenhausen

Our good friends Aimee and Jason introduced us to this michelin star rated restaurant. It's called Restaurant Waldhorn on Schonbuchsta. 49  in Bebenhausen. They have held a star since 1985.

Their restaurant philosophy is "No indulgence is temporary-the impression it leaves behind is ever lasting." A quote from Goethe.  So here I am ready to see if that is true!

I would never have thought to do this with tulips but it looks lovely doesn't it?

This exquiste old candlebra was sitting on our table. It was quite stunning.

I have no idea what the starter was other than a clear soup and some amazing tastes.

Look at Mac's starter.....pretty huh? He says it tasted great.

Here was my main meal.  It was delish!  Frog legs served over a bed of spinach with carmalized garlic. UMMM UMMM!

This was Lobster with chili pumpkin tortellini and a small steak with asparagas.

Don't know what this was either!

Not sure what this was but it looks good!

Of course just because we were in a posh restaurant didn't stop the boys from getting up to their antics.

Look at these desserts.  This one was chocolate terrine with pear granitee

Aimee and Jason had the other dessert which was a quark sofflee and some thing to do with passion fruit.  The little spoons and forks were gingerbread cookies.  Look at the nests of spun sugar on the dessert!  Very fancy.

I had fun but mac is thinking about all the money that cost ! I can see it in his eyes.  Don't worry Mac, we don't have to go back until next year!