Friday, December 31, 2010

All ready for the new year

There are some rituals which must be followed when starting a new year. And even if you are not a superstitious person, you will probably do it... just in case. In Spain we start every new year with a mouth full of grapes, because as the tradition says, when the clock strikes twelve at midnight, you have to eat 12 grapes, one for each stroke.

Berlin people are not that delicate. They also have a ritual to follow but instead of eating grapes, this is what they do.

Pfannkuchen für Silvester

But don't worry, the tradition doesn't say that you have to eat one Pfannkuchen, aka donut, with each stroke. Is there any special tradition or ritual that you follow?

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Advent Calendar 2010

Are you ready for the countdown? Only one week left and December will be there, again!
After the great time we had last December, the Spanish big brother of this blog is also organizing an Advent Calendar this year.

Every day until the 24th we will be opening a "window" in the calendar, that will take us to a new blog, a new place, a new story and, sometimes, even a new recipe. The stories will be in Spanish (who knows, there could be an exception though ;-) but perhaps you may like to join us too? See a couple of new places? Refresh your school Spanish? Or get a taste for the language?

We would be very happy to have you with us! You can click on the image below to get there (the actual calendar will appear there soon) and even get the code if you'd like to make some publicity for it. In this case, the more, the merrier!

Banner3

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Magical magic word

What is the first image that comes into your mind when you think of Denmark? For me, and not that I'm not ashamed of, apart from a couple of films, very very few (and I'm beeing optimistic).

Fortunately, this situation has changed, and now, when I think of Denmark, I will inevitably think of pålægschokolade.

Surprise from Denmark!

Plus I will remember the thrill I felt when I opened the envelope that arrived from the North and discovered two small boxes with magical magic words on them. The contents: pålægschokolade, those very thin layers of chocolate ready to be eaten on bread that, as I've learned, are usually taken for breakfast in Denmark. I couldnt' help but comparing, as they remembered me of the chocolate bar sandwiches we ate in Spain when we were kids during the 70's. I wonder if the kids there are still eating these chocolate sandwiches today.

The person to be blame for this new association of mine is Henriette, a nice århusianer whom I met last summer. She has also talked about pålægschokolade in her blog. Don't miss it!

Pålægschokolade

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Leipzig

In less time that it would take you to cross Berlin from one end to the other, you can reach Leipzig city centre by train. And that's exactly what I did last week. Once my work duties were done, I just had the time to visit one of the city's favorite sons and make a stop in a patisserie to buy Leipziger Lerchen.

Bach & Lerchen

In 1876, after the prohibition of one of the most famous regional dishes back then, the filled larks, the patissiers of Leipzig created this cakes remembering the forbidden speciality. The present lark is a sweet shortcrust pastry filled with marzipan.

Leipzig really makes it easy for its visitors, and if you don't believe me, what do you say to these metal plates which help you find the best position and camera settings for a good shot of Leipzig most famous places?

For good view step into

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sponge Toffee

Do you believe in love at first sight? I do. Even more since I saw this beauty and got a crush on it.
Warning! This recipe is only suitable for sugar and chocoholics.

Sponge Toffee

To make it happen, just follow the instructions on the mentioned site!