Hello again! Yes, I’ve been back to writing and I’m writing a lot you’ll say…yep! Probably, but let’s take it as it comes! 🙂
Or should I say instead: “Hallo” (hello in German)?
Probably yes since I’ve been nominated to participate in this Swiss 2017 Cooking Blog Award or, better & properly said: “Der Koch Blog Preis 2017”.
Cooking is part of travelling…
It’s been already almost a year and a half since we moved to Zürich and, as part of our discovery of Switzerland, of course food is one of the main interesting aspects! As 2016 approaches, we decided for a Swiss sweet specialty from the Appenzeller Kanton in its Xmas version: the Mandelbiber. And because we didn’t know how it tasted, we went for its smaller version, which is called Mandelbiberli in fact because it’s small. The small version is a common snack for Swiss people. It’s a sweet spicy dow filled with either almonds (mandel) or walnuts (nüss). Cinnamon is definitely king! But it also contains ginger, anis, cardamom, coriander, pimento and cloves. Usually its top is always decorated, for example, with a bear, the Appenzeller Kanton’s symbol, or other drawings or Xmas wishes like the one we bought at Wüst Patisserie in Zürich. I must say it’s a different taste, at least from pur Italian taste, but definitely an interesting one and good to have every once in a while! More info, I’m afraid …
In a bit more than 20 days it’s Xmas, yes again, but finally with all the atmosphere I was always used to. A bit of cold, Xmas trees, decorations and, most of all lights, everywhere, and that you can actually see because the sky is not lit up by the sun anymore…which prevent you from seeing them. (i.e. in Melbourne most of the Xmas decorations are not lit up because it would be a waste as there is still light some days until 9-10pm at night) By the way, it’s been a marvellous experience that of living Xmas in the summer, eating my husband’s favourite “anolini”, to tell it brutally and for the sake of letting you understand, excusing myself with my husband, the people of Piacenza and all the foodies and food experts, they are meat-filled “ravioli” usually eaten with broth. Well, on the first 24th of December we spent in Australia, my husband could not renounce to his traditional Xmas dish, so we had the anolini with broth, of course in the air-conditioning …
A friend of mine invited me to go to the Lichterfest in Zurich on the Bahnofstrasse and I decided to invite an American friend of mine that I was supposed to meet on that very same afternoon. We decided to meet just 5 minutes before 6pm, when the event would take place. And you’ll think: “what are you talking about?” Well, I’m talking about the fraction of a second when the Xmas lights are lit up on the Bahnofstrasse, the main street of Zurich, to celebrate the start of the new Christmas season. Well, as always, It took my tram in time to get there and when I was supposed to change and take the 2nd tram, well I just decided I’d walk because trams were full and a huge crowd was invading the square and the rest of the Bahnoffstrasse. So, it basically took me 15 mins to reach my meeting point, while I watched the lights being lit up while walking. It was nice, but the street was so crowded and people were …
Some Aussie friends, that I met recently, were talking about going to a wine festival on boats on lake Zurich. In my head I thought: ” what an interesting way of letting people taste and enjoy wine. Of course, the lake better be calm if you are usually sea-sick or, in this case, lake-sick! ;)” A week later I received the invitation to go together. I was trying to understand how long would this wine cruise take until I actually found out that the 12 or more boats at the Expovina were actually anchored at port ahah What a big laugh! The entrance is 25chf, and you usually better have cash, which could sound expensive. But since companies participating are actually distributors and you pay such a fee, you actually get to taste a lot of wine. Some just pour up to 1/4-1/3 of a glass. So definitely a fun activity, especially when you have to climb the different boats stairs 😉 So I’d suggest to have a hearty meal, or even a hot dog …
Last Saturday we went close to home to Amstad Chaeslaedeli, a typical proximity Swiss Cheese shop that sells cheese, but not only, also for example milk, pasta, wine, etc… and some gourmet food. We went there because they were celebrating the start of the raclette season. They offered a cheese and alcohol tasting. You could choose among many types of flavoured raclette cheese. We tried the saffran and the chilly ones and they were absolutely delicious! We tasted with sake, which I don’t know whether it was the right combination, but it was ok. You could also choose to stay there for lunch at very reasonable prices for Zurich, that is: a raclette dish with potatoes, pickled onions and cucumbers for 6CHF a glass of wine for 4CHF Everything was very good and the atmosphere very welcoming and relaxed. People form the neighbourhood got together, chatted, laughed, ate and drank in a very friendly atmosphere. You could also taste schnapps form the behind mountain and beer. Anyway, photos speak more than words! A very fun …
