Gutten Tag Germany!

No Weckmann is complete without a smoking pipe.

    Some very German food at a very German beer garden in Düsseldorf. Brian and I both ordered the main dish, which was an assortment of cabbage in apple sauce, potato dumplings, and pot roast. While I wasn't overly impressed, Brian polished off both his meal and half of mine along with a frosty Füchschen Alt, Düsseldorf's dark, home-brewed ale.

    A view of the brewery from our table 

     Brian enjoying his grub.

    How about a refreshing German Aperol Spritz from the top of Rheinturm (tower)?

     View from the top

... Next stop Amsterdam!

From Crepes to Chestnuts: Flavors of the Fall in Europe (so far)

        

    

Last Friday my friend Brian joined me in Paris to partake on the last part of my adventure through Europe. After a long weekend of seeing all the sights and tastes that Paris has to offer (including a mind blowing cabaret performance at Crazy Horse) we jumped on a train to Zurich, Switzerland. With no expectations or prior knowledge of what the city had in store, we were delighted and well, completely blown away(as was our cash), by the beauty of Zurich. I won't even try to put into words--instead here are a few photos capturing a glimpse of magic from the old town. And yes, it was well worth the price.

                

               

                                       

           The crazy delicious and crazy expensive Cafe Conditorei Schober all ready for the holidays 

Our next stop is Dusseldorf, Germany, for which we, once again, have no expectations. But before we get there let's take a timeout to savour the flavors of Paris and Switzerland. 

Some of the best highlights from my time in Paris with Brian included sampling local cuisine, both classic and new.

Brian enjoying his first Croque Monsieur. 

For those who are unfamiliar, it's a really fancy french grilled cheese, with gruyere on the top of the bread and ham in the middle. Our meals were accompanied by a simple, but vibrant salad of tomatoes, olives in parmigiana, and romaine. But what Croque Monsieur would be complete without french fries? No ketchup needed! With crisped potatoes seasoned to perfection condiments would only be a detriment to this tasty dish. Perhaps some dijon mustard though :)

Next up...

Un petit bistro pres de mon apartement where we enjoyed a lighter, more modern meal de poisson; pour moi, I enjoyed saumon with pesto and alphalpha sprouts atop olive oil and balsamic Ratatouille*. Brian had un poisson blanc, seabass with the skin left on and cooked to a delicious crisp, over rosotto. We were brought sel de fleur (flower salt) and as is custom, a freshly baked baguette to enjoy alongside la repa. 

Happy Halloween! Someone is very happy with his meal! Me and Brian (aka Ms. Muro the beauty pageant queen) enjoying our homemade dinner woth fresh ingredients all bought at the local marchè. Pictured: pineapple curry chicken, green beans with mushrooms sauteed in garlic and olive oil, fromage and fresh baguette, all washed down with a french sauvignon blanc.

Welcome to Switzerland!

 Here in the land of chocolate we were welcomed with hazlenut hearts on our pillows! And that was just the beginning...

               

Hot chocolate with, you guessed it, more chocolates...

               

   Yummm hot chocolate with Rum and whipped cream

Death by chocolate. At cafe Conditorei Schober.

         

              View of Cafe at night.

Believe it or not we did eat other foods besides chocolate. The first evening we sampled local Swiss fare at Cafe Zahringer...

                                       

I'm so excited I just can't hide it! Roasted wild boar with carrot, glazed chestnuts, spaetzel, cabbage and orange slice. With this hearty supper I'm ready for winter!

And alongside out hot chocolate we enjoyed what I would describe as the most delicious bagel of my life, at a mere 11 franks what a bargain!

                                                         Pictured: salami, red pepper, pepperoni, romaine, and pesto.

Brian's sandwich: goat cheese, romaine, pesto, tomatoe.

Everything has been so delicious, unique and above all, fresh. Everyday Brian and I find ourselves trying new flavors and loving what we taste; today glazed chestnuts, tomorrow who knows? Perhaps wienerschnitzel and a microbrew from a German Biergarten, the possibilities are practically infinite. And the best part of it all? We are having a blast, taking in each new (sometimes strange) and exciting sensory experience all while being true to our outrageously goofy selves. See...

                                                                   

                                            

                                     

                                       Miss Muro riding in cognito on the TGV train to Zürich 

So what flavors and fun times does the rest of Europe have in store for Miss Muro and Heather?

We can only imagine...

       

  

                                                                 Sashay Away!

*

          

Eternal Tourist of the American Mind: A Year in Paris

    

      

Ponies, Puppies, Paris. What more could an American gal ask for? How about a year of ponies, puppies and Paris, or maybe just Paris and the chance to travel around Europe for months at a time? Well, unfortunately for this Heather I'm limited to weeks, but such is not the case for Heather Dornblum. In fact this has been her reality for the last ten months. The ponies and puppies, however, were reserved special for me.

Heather, a friend and fellow classmate of mine from Hunter College, will have spent an entire year in Europe by the time she heads home this coming January. I caught up with her on Sunday and gathered some precious details about her experience living abroad. Our conversation covered everything from her initial shock of moving all the way to the challenge of enduring heartbreak alone. Sound amazing? 

N'oubliez Pas. . .

To feed your mind and soul.

                                 

                                  Yes that is me in the reflection of the massive cutlery.

       

It would seem that with all the delectable and tempting culinary delights to be had in Paris, one would become lost in a sort of sensory induced state of taste-consciousness, forgoing pleasures of a higher sort in favor of mindlessly pursuing lower indulgences. That's obviously not the case. But it's easy enough to imagine how someone like you or me could be crushed by her overwhelming passion for baguettes or seduced by the sumptuous array du fromage and as a result, well, lose an appetite for tastes of the intellectual or spiritual assortment. Perhaps it's actually the contrary though.

In Search of Lost Time, In Search of Tomorrow: Paris and Myself in theHere and Now

Cette matin I went to my first open- air market in Paris, Marche Biologic des Batignolles (see photos below). A mere fifteen minute walk from my apartment and I found myself immersed by the scents, sounds, and sights of a glorious culmination of all things culinary, as well as hand made soaps, perfumes, oils, shoes, and much more. Making my way through the hustle and bustle of the folks trying to find the freshest biologic nourriture*, I couldn't help but wonder if this is how it always was.

                         

 

Beneath white tents and swaying trees, leaves already painted by l'automne swirled to the ground where I stood waiting and watching the man shucking sea shells at le poissonnerie. The unmistakable odor of fresh scallops and sea salt wafted through the air as I awaited my turn to order. How lovely, how joyfully simple I thought, we are all here, strangers, but fellow humans sifting through the earth's bounty beneath the shelter of her very own trees. Magnifique!

Time for Some Really Stinky Cheese...

Vivre la vie de fromage !

Faire des Courses (update)

Round 2 was a success! Well I bought everything on my list and I hardly made a fool of myself, except when I paid the man selling legumes and he kept repeating "deux cents!" But I didn't make out the last word the first three times or so and thought he was trying to charge me two more euros for champignons (mushrooms). Right when I figured it out he said nevermind ("c'est bien!") but I insisted he take those two cents.

So for my troubles, and my success, I had to reward myself...

                                Pain au chocolat et un biscuit 

Yes that is chocolate inside that pastry.

Well I'm off to explore Batignolles parc, and enjoy mes pâtisseries :) 

Ciao!