German Gems

Jack-o-Lanterns

are quintessential Halloween and Halloween is an all-American holiday.  So why are these at the front doors of my German neighbors and

this is what is in front of ours?

Because Germans are embracing Halloween and we're trying to fit in.

Man's Best Friend

Taken at the Frankfurt Museumsuferfest.

WEBMU 2011

concluded today.  Two and a half days of eating, drinking, talking and sightseeing among the English-speaking bloggers in Germany took place in Köln this past weekend. 

The large group meant lots to talk about and lots of fun, but not enough time to see and do everything or even get to meet everyone.  We're already looking forward to meetups with new friends before next year's event.

Many thanks to Cheap as Chips, Futile Diatribes, MusikKöln Media and Resident on Earth for their planning, preparing and hospitality. And to TQE for upholding tradition.

Looking down on the flying butresses of the famous Kölner Dom. 

Baumkuchen

is a very special German treat.  Literally translated it means "tree cake" which makes perfect sense when you look it.  The cake is made in very thin layers, like rings of a tree trunk.  These layers were originally created by hand, making the outside uneven, like the bark of a tree. Then, when the cake is taken off the spit and placed on its end, it is very tall with somewhat of a tree shape.

My baker friend tells me making this complicated cake is part of the final test for receiving your baker's certificate.  I was also told, but can't confirm, that there aren't very many cake shops that make this cake because it is difficult and time-consuming even using the "modern" machinery rather than over an open spit.

We were lucky enough to see the cake being made when we were in Dresden and visited the Christmas market on the Neumarkt.  We also found a shop not too far away where this is one of their specialties. 

It is an exceptionally light and tasty treat that is a bit sweeter than most German cakes. It is also costs a bit more than the more common items. I should have taken a photo of the whole slice, but I was too busy eating before I thought to snap a photo.

 
  If you want to see the whole process, watch this.

 

Quince

or "Quitte" in German, is a fruit I had never seen and knew nothing about until recently.  My neighbor who makes apfelmost, also makes and sells Quittensaft or Quince juice.  The fruit looks similar to a pear and is often grown in a pear or apple orchard.

We happened to find a quince tree when we were visitng Hessen Park.

 
 

Learning German

is difficult enough without having to deal with two separate dictionaries.

For my English speaking readers, this is essentially the dictionary for children to translate parent words.

Most

is not an adverb or adjective in German, it's something you drink; Apfelmost. Those of you from the northeast or northwest of the United States would know it as apple cider.  It's the unfiltered juice from freshly pressed apples with absolutely nothing added. It's non-alcoholic, unless it sits for too long. Then it becomes German apfelwein or apfelwoi, a popular alcoholic drink in Hessen, particularly in the Sachsenhausen district of Frankfurt.  This photo is apfelmost served in an apfelwein glass; a sweet and a sour version.

 
Our neighbor presses apples in one of the small side buildings on his lot throughout the apple picking season. Usually for four or five weeks. It's a small family operation and the likes of it would never exist in the US.  He uses an apple press, like this one, from Hessen Park, only his is a tabletop version.

 
These photos from the Museumsuferfest in Frankfurt are another look at how the process works. 

 
 
 

Hessen Park

is the Colonial Williamsburg of the German state of Hessen.  It is a living museum of old buildings removed from their original location and rebuilt as a new town for visitors.  It's a half timber heaven.

At the entrance is a recreation of a village square with modern shops and restaurants.  Inside the park buildings from throughout Hessen have found a new home.  There are barns, churches, school houses, and a variety of different homes.  Most are open to visitors and filled with something interesting -- exhibits, craftspeople, artisans, or a peek into the way life used to be.

The park was celebrating the harvest season this past weekend when we were there. It was one of the numerous festivals held througout the year.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Schlemmer Wanderung 2011

was last weekend in the vineyards near Oppenheim.  Billed as a "gourmet" walk, it featured federweisser/neuer wein and a variety of treats to accompany this unique European drink.  The drink is completely unheard of in the United States.  I'm sure it would be banned by the USDA/FDA because it is unpasteurized, unfiltered, full of active yeast and who knows what else and for some people, it may not agree with your system.

Federweisser is one of the names given to the liquid from the first crush of wine grapes.  Literally translated federweisser means "feather white" and refers to the milky white color of the newly crushed white wine grapes as they start to ferment.  Also known as "neuer wine" or new wine because it literally is the newest wine of the season.

Federweisser is only available for a few weeks in the fall, after the first grapes are picked and crushed.  It is definitely a seasonal item and it isn't for everyone.  I used to think I loved it.  I never tried one I didn't like.  This season, however, I've found more I didn't like than I did.  I guess it's like any wine, some you like and some you don't.

We spent about three hours wandering through the vineyards, eating, drinking and enjoying the summer-like sunshine. 

 

 

And we even got to spent some time with fellow blogger Frau Dietz' relatives.

 
 

 
 

Fabulous Fall Flowers