But then, this is what the streets look like today and I am sure, a couple of hundred years ago, they also looked like this. Ladies, wear your comfort shoes. No fancy shoes on this street.
Our dear hostess, Lily, prepared us dinner one night and we were impressed. As is typical in France, dinner hour is 8 p.m. Okay, I will admit it....I am usually relaxing and getting ready for bed at this hour of the night. But, when in Rome, or France.... We started with Cremant, an Alsatian sparking wine and warm pretzels out of the oven. Then, one hour later, after chatting with our hosts and the other guests staying in the B and B, we had a lovely lettuce salad and Zwiebel kuchen (onion tart) hot out of the oven. Oh, Yum!!
Then came the main course. Roasted duck breast with pinot noir sauce, haricot verts wrapped in bacon and steamed, half a tomato topped with bread crumbs and herbs and broiled in the oven and gratin potatoes. Everything tasted wonderful, but it was too much food. After all, by this time, we were close to 10 p.m. The 6 of us guests drank two bottles of pinot noir with the meal. Then came the cheese course. Six different cheeses to eat with sliced bagette. We tried a local muenster cheese on which you spooned caraway seeds. Very nice. By the way, these caraway seeds tasted like none I have ever had before. They were vibrant and strong and very, very good.
Then came the main course. Roasted duck breast with pinot noir sauce, haricot verts wrapped in bacon and steamed, half a tomato topped with bread crumbs and herbs and broiled in the oven and gratin potatoes. Everything tasted wonderful, but it was too much food. After all, by this time, we were close to 10 p.m. The 6 of us guests drank two bottles of pinot noir with the meal. Then came the cheese course. Six different cheeses to eat with sliced bagette. We tried a local muenster cheese on which you spooned caraway seeds. Very nice. By the way, these caraway seeds tasted like none I have ever had before. They were vibrant and strong and very, very good. Then came a pause, a slight pause. Then we were presented with a rhubarb pie with a crisp shell and a light custard on the rhubarb and a beautiful meringue. We finally left the table shortly after 11 p.m. It was so good, but as Americans, we are not used to eating so late in the evening and then...simply going to bed. We were not hungry at breakfast. I wonder why?
But, when I saw this Kugelhopf for breakfast, I could hardly wait to cut into it. In fact, it was still hot out of the oven. So good, so light and the crunchy almonds on the bottom. Yes, I certainly forgot that I was not hungry. Wouldn't you?
But, when I saw this Kugelhopf for breakfast, I could hardly wait to cut into it. In fact, it was still hot out of the oven. So good, so light and the crunchy almonds on the bottom. Yes, I certainly forgot that I was not hungry. Wouldn't you?
I am enjoying your Germany posts so mcuh. I'm possibly going this summer so I'm trying to learn more about it before I go.
ReplyDeleteI love your posts. I have had the opportunity to spend time in Germany and heading to France again thisi summer. I can totally visualize the scenery and the experiences. I love it!
ReplyDeleteNice place to visit. that kugelhof looks so good
ReplyDeleteDuck breasts are my husband's favorite. He would be on a plane to Alsace tomorrow if he knew he would be served duck breasts for dinner.
ReplyDeleteI also love the charming, narrow streets of Europe and agree, it is easy to imagine people of generations past using these very streets you are walking on.
Sam
Love your posts - they make me hungry!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an amazing dinner. My problem, and I must admit it's a problem only as I age,I'm is sleeping after such a large and glorious meal. The photo is gorgeous, Susan. There is a fairy tale quality about it that I love. Oh, try calling it a visitors or go to meeting pie. Actually raisin pie would work well also :-). Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds wonderful, especially the caraway seeds. I love them and wonder how they are different. They definitely know how to eat over there. The street is so interesting and unique. What a great time you must've had!!! I love your tales of it all!!!
ReplyDeleteWhoa! Such delicious sounding food and I'm sure you had a wonderful time, but if I ate that late at night I'd have nightmares! LOL
ReplyDeleteSuch charming photos, Susan! There is something about walking down a street that has remained practically unchanged, isn't there? A lovely continuity.
ReplyDeleteAnd double yum on the duck!
A little note to point out that Alsace is in France!
ReplyDeleteYour hostess seems an excellent cook! I love duck.
If you stop by in Paris, don't forget to call!
Laura, I am glad you pointed that out to my readers. Even though Alsace was German and then French again 4 times, it is now French. I will talk about this later in a posting. I will definitely give you a call when we are in Paris.
ReplyDeleteThis street scene reminds me of how Rottenheim an der Tauber looked thirty seven years ago.....And I hope it still does, but I think it is very much more touristy now. Still all over Europe you can find unexpected beauty if you look a little. I've never spent time in Alsace and it looks so wonderful in your pictures. I'm really enjoying them!............The dinner looks absolutely wonderful and extremely abundant as well as surprisingly late! You'll have to have a European lifestyle with walking everywhere to deal with this deliciousness!
ReplyDeleteExcuse the total mispelling on my last comment. It's Rothenburg ob der Tauber! I've been gone too long.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm reading about all the wonderful food I think is there anything close to that in my little world, it all sounds so amazing! Then you talk of the rhubarb!!! We (ok we as in my husband) makes a rhubarb dessert that has a crust, custard and meringue, it may not be close to your experience, but as our foreign exchange student would say when we would ask if some thing here was the same as she had in Brasil..."same but different"!!!
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