German Faces in Market Places, PART II

German Faces in Market Places, PART II

….so, where was I?  Oh, yeah.  In Part I gave you a glance at some vendors and told you how to make mulled wine, Glühwein.  But, there is always more than just vendors at a German Christmas Market, Weihnactsmarkt.  Romance is in the air and parents with cute kids and people looking for romance and those who have unhappily found it and found that romance is a toxic mix of “I love you and I hate you and what was your name again?”

Then there are the happy folk who are just there for a drink and shopping and the sheer enjoyment of celebrating the season, with and without loved ones.  Take a glance at some more photos and try to tell me who is who. I always get confused.

But stick with me.  After the photos I'm going show you how to make your German Christmas perfect with a Stollen recipe.  Stollen?  Yep, Christmas Raisin Cake.

Now for the Stollen - Easy to put together. Takes about 2 hours and another hour to bake

4 Cups flour

1 Cup milk, warmed to at least room temp

1  Cup (2 sticks) of softened butter

1 Package yeast

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1 Teaspoon powdered cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon each of cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg

3/4 Cup sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoons salt

1/2 Cup chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts)

1 1/2 Cups raisins

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Melted butter for painting the top of the Stollen

Powdered sugar for dusting the top of the baked Stollen

OPTIONAL:  1/2 Cup Rum (I didn't add Rum)

Mix rum (optional), lemon zest, lemon, and raisins.  Add a little bit of water and heat.  When the liquid is hot, remove the mixture and allow the raisins to plump.

Put the yeast in some milk and allow to sit about 15 minutes.

Put the flour and spices in a large bowl and mix well.  Drain the raisins/zest and add it. Then, add the yeast and the rest of the milk, plus the butter and nuts.

Knead until you have a smooth dough.  I mixed and kneaded by hand.  As you knead, add more flour to keep the dough dense.  Knead time should be about ten minutes.

Adding more flour and extended kneading does two things:  Allows the loaf to hold its shape better while baking and keeps the loaf from being too crumbly after it's baked.

Dust the loaf (or separate into two small loaves) with flour, cover and let rise until it has doubled, about 2 hours.  I put mine in a cold oven and turned on the oven light.

Heat oven to 350ºF

Place the loaf (or two small loaves) in the oven and bake for an hour or until a knife jabbed into the center comes out clean.  Ovens vary, so check the loaf a couple of times, before and after the hour.  Mine took 50 minutes to bake.

When the loaf comes out, paint on the butter and dust well with powdered sugar.

Pour yourself a Glüwein and settle down in front of the roaring fire!

German Faces in Market Places. Part I

German Faces in Market Places

‘Tis the season for Christmas Markets, or as the Germans call them, Weihnachtsmarkt (pronounced Vile-knocks-marked), or Christkindlmarkt (Chris-kindle-marked). Lots of food, some kids rides, gift kiosks, artisans at work, and steaming mugs of mulled wine, Glühwein, (Glue-vine).  I think of Glühweinas a German version of warm sangria.

Want to make your own? Sure you do.  Nothing better to get you in the holiday mood and bring out the German in you!  Here’s an easy recipe:

1 Bottle dry red wine (or a white wine!)

1 Orange cut in slices (or lemon or mix and match)

2 Sticks of cinnamon

2-3 heaping Tablespoons sugar

3 Cloves

1 Cardamom pod, or to taste

 Optional: A slosh or two of your favorite whiskey or rum or brandy

Another option: a splash of vanilla.

Heat the wine until it’s very warm, but not so hot that the alcohol evaporates.  Remove the wine from the heat and add everything else; cover the pot and let it steep for an hour.  After an hour, remove the solids and add the rum or brandy if desired (Yes, I do desire).  Add more sugar if you must, but the German version is just sweet enough to soften the flavor.

So you’ve got your mug of Glühwein to warm your innards and lift your spirits. Now it’s time to stroll and check out the bundled-up people swirling around you and stop to chat with vendors. Don’t speak German? No fear. They’re here to sell some truly beautiful crafts and will greet you with smiles and speak any European language you can imagine, including English, accompanied by hand gestures, and pats on the back and more smiles.

As for me, I’m all about the people and on these Christmas Market visits, I concentrate on faces. Unlike the U.S. when anybody with a camera is a bit suspect and subject to arrest, the Germans don’t seem to mind a click here and there.

For portraits, even long distance portraits, I prefer shots in black and white.  More drama, more concentration of features.  Got a few blurry ones?  Hey, they can be interesting, too and after a few Glühweins…..

Here are some photos of the vendors to show you what I mean:  German faces at a couple of  Weihnachtsmarkts.  In Part II, I'll show you some of the crowd.

Wait a sec! Before you view these masterpieces, grab another mug of Glühwein!  You may also want to grab a Brat or a Schnitzel and have Oh Tannenbaum playing gently in the background.  By the way, Tannenbaum means Christmas tree, but the Germans also say Weihnachtsbaum. 

I say, Prost!

Christmas Market, Christkindlmarkt, Weihnachtsmarkt

Christmas Cheer!

Christkindlmarket means Christ Child Market.  Weihnachtsmarkt means Christmas Night Market.  Whatever title you choose, they all mean bright lights, Glühwein, wurst, potatoes, and lots of little thingies to stick on and under your Christmas tree.

What is Glühwein anyway?  In English speaking countries we call it mulled wine.  In German, glüh means glow and you only need a sip to understand the name.  Usually made with red wine and served hot and redolent with spices, you can get it with or without a shot of schnapps or rum.  Either way, the glow translates with ease and on a chilly, red-nose-day, there’s nothing like it.

The recipe is simple and here’s a site for a good one: http://www.food.com/recipe/gluhwein-81041

Almost every German town, from the smallest to the teeming metropolises has a Christmas market.  Depending on the location, they run from late November to late December and sometimes even into early January. The tradition goes way, way back.  Matter of fact, the one in Vienna dates to the 13^th Century.

If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all, right?  Not quite.  Different parts of Germany and Austria have different food specialties and the vendors differ everywhere you go.  Woodcarvers come out of the woodwork to sell their wares.  Fanciful Christmas lights wait for you to take them home.  Steam comes off the grills as a chef rakes at the roasting potatoes and grilled meats.

Personally, I like the big markets in the big cities.  They’re spread out and aglow with never ending lights.  Besides the lighted booths, you see gigantic ornaments the size of houses.  In the bigger markets, the stores stay open at night.  Sometimes an ice rink beckons.

A Christmas market is a happy place, as well it should be this time of year.  Once you start, you won’t want to go to just one!

Pork steak with bacon and onion potatoes