our entire house and the warmth smelled heavenly-  a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, allspice, and ginger 

there are many recipes for gingerbread orlebkuchen.  i used this one since i am familiar with their spices and found a blueprint to construct the house

this was the joy.

gingerbread dates back to the medieval times in europe, predominantly in england. the making of gingerbread houses or lebkuchen hexenhauser (gingerbread witch houses) was modernized and romanticized in the 19th century after one of the many brüder grimm  german fairy tale collections, hansel und gretel

i wasn’t sure how i was going to pull this one off since there’s nothing really french about my life. all i knew was that i wanted in on winning this fabulous book by vicki archer.  it’s easy,  go here  if you want in too.

i thought about telling one of my many stories of when in france but there are so many other guides or bloggers that are doing that way better than i ever could-

my melange:: getting the most out of your french adventure and infusing european culture into your lifestyle 

paris parfait::with added insight into french life and culture 

tongue in cheek:: french antiques and stories of and american mother and her french family-i read this one every morning with my coffee

le petit cabinet de curiosites:: shop your heart out here, french antiques and european fabrics galore!

tarte flambée

tarte flambée, or flammkuchen in german, is a specialty of alsace, an eastern region in france that borders germany. it is a favorite savory dish here in our region and often served in the winter at open or christmas markets. the name comes from the method of baking translating to  ”baked in flames”, it is served fresh out a wood fire oven.

it is quite easy to make at home too in your own oven. it is always a big hit in ours! that’s about as french as we get around here.

try this sour cream chicken enchiladas recipe, it is easy and you will love it 

 

classic recipe: asparagus, ham, and boiled potatoes with hollandaise sauce 

i arrived here in may at the height of asparagus (spargel in german) season. i have to admit that i did not know asparagus had a season and couldn’t register it’s abtruse, mass appeal. i just could not understand it. as i was looking for german asparagus recipes online, i found an article written for the dallas morning news by william a. davis in which he says “there’s a vegeatable-and it is not cabbage-that germans of all generations are absolutely mad about: asparagus”. it’s so true! he goes on to describe asparagus as “a symbol of spring in germany, a culinary first crocus, and its annual arrival is a cause for national celebration. during asparagus season, roughly from the end of april into early july, most germans eat asparagus at least once a day, and eateries all over the country, from corner taverns to three-star restaurants, offer at least one asparagus dish, but more often several.” i could not have described it any better. this year i decided to jump on the bandwagon. i experimented with a few different recipes and found the classic with hollandaise sauce to be the hardest. i just couldn’t get hollandaise sauce right. the third time, i just went to a restaurant in the next village and orderd a quarter of a liter. i added a teaspoon of heavy cream and a pinch of garlic which made it even more delicious.  next it’s strawberries. they’ve already started picking the first ones at the field across from the bakery. this means june is coming. i love and delight in the symbols that the months and seasons carry. it’s a wonderful way to appreciate time. 

try this to die for buttermilk pancakes recipe .

 

we had a lot of fun this morning using this pan heart former.

Wendy, my fabulous girlfriend in texas sent me this hillarious Mother’s Day funny:

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL  OF US MOMS

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION  TITLE : Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Momma, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION : You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

~

i also love amanda’s mother’s day post over at soulemama.

Herr Patrice Heib

one of the nice things about being surrounded by farms is that you can always find natural (or bio, in german) fruits and vegatables that are in season, delicious milk, cheese, and eggs. every wednesday and saturday, Herr Heib sets up his “fresh from the farm” stand in the center of the village. he sells fruits, vegatables, honey, and fresh, natural milk products (he can tell you the name of the cow from which he used the milk to make it!). this week i brought home by far, the best spinach in the world. 

it beared a striking green and was so fresh, it made me think twice about cooking it

used it to make spanakopita (greek spinach pie) and it was still delicious.

living just about in the middle of nowhere combined with having two young ones makes it close to impossible to go out to eat. a night out on the town with tall, dark, and handsome is a rarity and when it does happen, we talk about it for days like two kids that just arrived from disneyland. so we either go somewhere child-friendly or have fun getting creative in the kitchen. on sunday we made sushi for dinner. it was the third time we made it at home using a wonderful guide that uses simple step by step instructions. laborious, yes but very simple and absolutely delightful to make! it obviously can be scary at first so one must use very fresh fish. we are fortunate to have one of the best fish houses in the world located nearby at the lakeside . They have fresh fish delivered daily and it is delicious. we enjoyed nigri with salmon, shrimp, mackerel, red snapper, and hosomaki with smoked eel and sausage (korean style) for the sun and moon.

sophia’s cookies, german weihnachts plätzchen

sophia baked her first christmas cookies today. she was very proud and so were we

michael, eager to help his sister

vanillekipferl “classic german christmas cookies”

250 g flour

1/2 tsp backing powder 

125 g sugar

2 tsp vanilla (if possible bourbon vanilla)

a pinch of salt

3 egg yellows

125 g ground almond

150 g cold butter

2 tbs powder sugar

mix the flour and baking powder and set aside.

blend together the sugar, vanilla, salt, egg yellows, and ground almond and pour into the the flour mixture.

slowly add the butter and blend well (you can use your hands or a mixer).

cool in the refrigerator for 30 min to an hour

traditionally these cookies are formed into moon shapes then baked. we spread out our dough and used cookie cutters.

place on baking paper and bake at 175 degrees celcius for 10 minutes.

let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar

butterplatzchen (classic german butter cookies)

250 grams butter

250 grams sugar

2 tsps vanilla

4 eggs

500 grams flour

mix the first 4 ingredients with a mixer then sift the flour in and blend until smooth. refrigerate for one hour. roll out with a rolling pin then use cookie cutters to form shapes.

bake at 160 degrees celcius for 10 to 15 minutes.

let cool and then the best part: decorate as you like. we dipped ours in chocolate and then sprinked them with shredded coconut. use your imagination.

had a lot of fun baking together. like in many other cultures the germans bake a lot during christmas time. this is not something usual for me but i have merrily added it to the list of traditions to start for my family.

 

thanksgiving 2006

roast duck

1 (5lb/2000gram) duck

2 tablespoons soy sauce

11/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon ginger

1. wash and dry the duck

2. combine all remaing ingredients and stir well

3. brush the marinade inside and outside of the duck

4. roast at 350 degrees for two hours while basting with dripping occasionally.

all ovens are different so baking times may vary. check on your bird regularly. i have also tried this marinade on salmon and chicken. always turned out fantastic!

here is sophia enjoying a leg. tonight she saw kofi anan on television and called him opa michael (opa is grandpa in german. both are black with grey hair). quite amazing considering she saw him a month ago for the first time in over a year.