Tag Germany

A BIG thank you for the “Dampfnudel recipe” from Austria

brilliantviewpoint 8 Comments

3983C00E-C08A-4ED6-ADA7-B9EB1BBCE61EI enjoy German / Austrian cooking, especially when Fall and Winter come as their recipes are nice and hearty comfort foods. Recently, I came across Karin’s Blog called, “The Austrian Dish.” What a lucky find, a site specific to Austrian recipes.

When I think of Austria, I remember the movie, “The Sound of Music.” Not long ago I was on a train going from Italy to Munich and sat next to some Canadian backpackers. They had just been in Salzburg and took “The Sound of Music tour,” which took them to all the movie locations. FABULOUS – they raved about it!

Now, back to “The Austrian Dish.” As I was going through Karin’s recipes, I started longing for a German recipe that a friend’s German mother would make on special occasions called, “Dampfnudel.” I put a request in with Karin for this recipe.

Well, I woke up this morning to see a post called, “Sweet Dampfnudel.” It was the recipe on her Blog. Dampfnudel, for those of you who have never heard of it, is a wonderful Bavarian yeast steamed dumpling that can be served savory or sweet. I have always had it as a dessert with vanilla sauce. Thank you Karin!!

History says a hungry Swedish army came to the town of Frakenfeld, Germany in the 1600s. They told the towns people that if they could feed their army a hot meal, they would not plunder the town. The head baker, Johanes Muck, saved the town by making 1286 Dampfnudels.

Guess what – last year the “The Great British Bake Off” had the contestants make dampfnudel. The Irish Mirror news site wrote an article, “Dampfnudels rule Great British Bake Off as viewers fall in love with the German treat.”

Wow — Dampfnudel went global!

Globetrotter – German Sportswear, Outdoor Gear

brilliantviewpoint 1 Comment

imageI was recently in Munich walking down the sidewalk and kept seeing these fantastic store windows of outdoor displays. The colors of the clothing and equipment were so bright and vibrant, I thought, “What is this store!”

Store window

So, I went in. Wow – I felt like Charlie did from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” when he walks into the factory and he’s amazed by the “Oompa Loompas” and the factory process.

I had that same feeling of wonderment. This store was modern, bright and beautiful. Three levels to explore. imageThey had everything from outdoor clothing, to camping gear, biking, hiking boots, skiing, travel maps, canoes — what am I missing?  Oh, a tiny cafe too.

image

We have REI, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro Shops as our “go to outdoor stores,” but this was unique. When trying on shoes they had different terrains to test them out. They had a pool on the ground floor, so you could try out your kayak. I got a kick out of this alligator one, great way to get a child involved in kayaking.

You can try everything out. Before you buy the rain jacket, go into the rain chamber and see how it works OR test a jacket for warmth, go into the cold chamber, where it is minus 20 degrees. That’s great!

If you are an outdoor person, if you are traveling through Germany, I highly recommend adding this store to your list of “things to see.” I promise you, you will be like a kid in a candy store.

If you’ve been there – post your recommendation. Would love to hear what YOU thought.

OK — heading to Green Lake, canoeing races today!