I find that I’m trying to make excuses to turn on the oven these days. I may as well bake something while trying to heat the apartment.
That, and baking stuff always smells good and wins me brownie points with J. Luckily, he’s happy with a bowl of warm apple crisp.
All in a row
I don’t know if apple crisp even counts as baking. The only reason I can pull it off is because it’s more like cooking than baking. Measurements don’t have to be precise, you can add other ingredients and it won’t destroy everything. It’s brilliant, and satisfying. It’s also a great way to use up all of the apples starting to pile up on my counter.
This time around, I used a mix of Cortland and Granny Smith apples. Granny Smith are my very favourite kind of apple for snacking on.
I also decided to throw in a handful of dried cranberries. These were a really great addition, because they are sweet and tart and take on the spiced apple juices really well.
Solo
This recipe is the result of years of trial and error with different recipes, different techniques, different spices. I think it has a lot to do with how much liquid you add to the cooking container. Previous recipes had me adding way too much water to the bottom, leaving a mushy mess of apple. I prefer the apple to be soft, but still able to keep its shape until it reaches my mouth.
I think I also prefer making these in their own individual ramekins, rather than in one big dish. It cooks faster, and looks cute.
Celebrating the start of a new year can be a cathartic experience. We feel as though some things can be left behind, along with the change in digits. The world starts over, and with that – for us in Canada – there is almost a glimmer of hope that the Winter will eventually end. The combination of the Winter Solstice and the New Year seem to bring hope for a new start.
That makes it a great holiday for us to celebrate. J and I don’t have our own Christmas traditions, and have always floundered for a day to choose for ourselves. This year, we made the decision to celebrate New Year’s Day. It’s a day to relax, tidy up from the parties of the night before, live in jammies and watch movies.
To this, we’re adding a special dinner for two.
A frickin' adorable rapini bud. Delicious!
This year’s special dish is something that I’ve made in various forms over the year – pasta with rapini. Full of lemony goodness and topped with lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano, this pasta takes a bit of the bite out of the bitter rapini. With florets that are sometimes mistaken for broccoli, rapini comes in bunches of leaves and buds that can be sautéed or steamed.
It is quite a bit more bitter than broccoli or spinach, and requires a proper combination of flavours to ensure it doesn’t overpower your meal. I find that sweet, lemony, buttery flavours really help to incorporate the rapini into the meal. I often serve it as a side to steamed crab, as the sweet crab meat and melted garlic butter take the edge off.
This pasta dish is best when made with al dente, chunkier hand-shaped pastas like orecchiette or cavatelli.
For years and years – as far back as I can remember (all the way to last week?), we went out for brunch on Christmas Day. It was something I always looked forward to as a kid, and we usually went to the same place. Things changed, the places to go were limited, our little group dwindled, and we decided it was time for a change. Continue reading Holiday Brunch: Drunken Mushroom, Spinach and Gruyere Strata→
The massive tree and drinking Glühwein with friends in Dortmund
My obsession with the German Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) began in late Fall 2006, on my first trip to Europe.
Being in Germany was a big deal for me – having been told my whole life that, being of German heritage, I had to go to Germany when I was older. Some of my early memories are of exploring the Christmas bazaar at the German hall. There were always handmade crafts, lots of food, singing and dancing. I didn’t know that it was the quiet offspring of a greater and older cultural event that happens every year in cities, towns and villages all over Germany.
I think I first understood the spirit of the German Weihnachtsmarkt in Dortmund. We were brought there by friends, who let it be known that you could not experience the market without having some Glühwein. The hot, mulled wine is served in keepsake mugs at the various markets. It keeps you warm, gives a wee buzz and leaves you with a memento of your time there. This would not be our only taste of Glühwein – I made a point of having some at both of the other markets we visited.
A winding market on cobblestone streets, and fairytale structures of Römerberg.
We spent most of our time at the market in Frankfurt am Main, once when it was first opening up and then again three weeks later, when it was in full swing. It’s a winding road of sights, sounds and smells, culminating in the square at Römerberg. This was the highlight for me – the Römer buildings look like something out of a fairytale, like they’re made of gingerbread or something.
Some chocolate covered fruit kebabs, and some sausages and sauerkraut!
Being a food girl, of course we had to try a bit of everything! We enjoyed some chocolate covered (real) marshmallows, giant cookies claiming “Ich Liebe Dich!” (aww, cookie, I love you too!), skewers of chocolate-covered fruit, sauerkraut and brats, and more!
Can’t go without a Thüringer, mit senf!
One of the best things I ate had to be the Thüringer sausage, served from the weird swingy fire contraption from the photo above. Topped off with some fantastic strong mustard, it was heaven in a bun. Mind you, eating meat was a very strange thing for me in 2006, so indulging in a sausage was a bit novel.
Kölner Dom – up the impressive Cathedral we go!
Later in the trip, we had a free day in Köln, and headed right for Kölner Dom. Of course, there was a Weihnachtsmarkt right out front! First, we explored the cathedral, climbing higher and higher. The photo above, on the right, is the view of the market from one of the windows in the cathedral. Amazing views.
Take the train to the various Christmas Markets in Köln
Köln had a number of markets, and you could get to them all on the train. The biggest was definitely Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom, but there was also a neat Medieval market near the chocolate museum, and a few others. This was a great way to take a load off and see the markets and parts of Köln. Of course, I bought a pile of chocolate at the museum shop. It couldn’t be avoided.
The Köln Weihnachtsmarkt, with the backdrop of Kölner Dom
Once it gets dark outside, the market becomes more magical. If anything, it’s busier, and the dark is broken by the lights coming from the various stalls, and Christmas decorations. A nice mug of Glühwein keeps you warm as you worm your way through the crowds, picking up some roasted almonds, baked goods, teas and crafts.
