Metz, France Christmas Markets, Marché de Noël

 Metz, France Christmas Markets, Marché de Noël

Photo by Jan Stroud

Photo by Jan Stroud

To get in the swing of Metz at Christmas time, you must get to the Christmas markets…yes, that’s plural, and you also have to understand this ancient city is French to its core, offering an air of exuberance, from the elegance of it’s famous St Étienne (Saint Stephen) Cathedral, to the lively Marché Couvert, to the winding cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes.  Metz is a feast for the senses.   The streets are alive with a joie de vie, that rivals anything in Paris.  Even so, the Christmas markets bring new and colorful life to the old city.

Most towns in Germany are satisfied with a single market, but Metz has five or six or seven.  Every time you wander down a new street there’s a new market.  But, even the streets themselves are dressed up for Santa’s arrival.  Even the square by the cathedral has its own market, with a lofty Ferris Wheel. 

But Christmas is over, right? When it comes to Metz the answer is yes and no. I’m writing this on the day after Christmas, but Metz’s multitude of Marché de Noël will continue until 30 December.

We arrived in the afternoon and began our feast near two o’clock, stopping into a bistro for quiche Lorraine and a glass of Alsatian white wine.

No need to speak French, except for smiles and the mandatory Bonjour!  This simple greeting opens the door to polite service, and conversation in French or English or German or any combination.   Maybe you’d like to know the correct way to pronounce Bonjour?  Your friendly guide to fun is here to help!  Check the greeting in both the English and French pronunciations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gtY4Lr2IIs&vl=fi

In the late afternoon, the drizzle abated and dusk approached.  Time to stroll the well lit streets and get to the markets.  

You may notice, France is all about the three F’s…..hey, this ain’t Hollywood, so get your mind strait.  The three F’s are:  French language, French food, and French fashion.  The French, as a rule, like to look classy.  A young man may wear a sweatshirt, but with a flare for color and often a scarf, his hair immaculately scuffed de la mode.  The young ladies, even if they’re dressed down, wear jeans as tight as a second skin and with high heels, jewelry, and hair and makeup in the movie star class.  If there’s a party on, the young women dress like fashion models.

If you aim to follow the French fashion, it helps to be as slim as a willow, both men and women.

As you adventurously browse the Christmas kiosks, you’ll find everything your taste buds could ever dream about.  Pasties direct from the heavens above, cheeses of every description, sausages tame and wild, crepes of course, but also a variety of mulled wines. 

While the Germans may offer white or red Glühwein, the French will ask which Vin Chaud you prefer and when you answer either white or red, further questions follow.  White? Yes, but which white? The Riesling? The Mirabella?  The Chenin Blanc?

My fellow traveler opt for warm and fruity Mirabella and I succumbed to an Irish Coffee, topped with sweetened whip cream.

Then we followed up with Churros fresh from the grease, with enough powdered sugar to challenge our insulin level.

But, there is more to the markets than sugary food.  Hats and scarfs galore.  Freshly shucked oysters, snails in a rich buttered wine sauce. Christmas ornaments.  Submarine buns overflowing with deliciously melted local cheeses, whole candied fruits, and chocolates enough to astound Willy Wonka.  Wine and champagne by the glass or bottle, shops and department stores open well past the edge of darkness, and restaurants and bars overflowing.

Shucking Oysters

Christmas in Metz expresses exuberance of every sort. If you really want to feel the mood, get a hotel room and bring your party spirit.  We kept pace until we couldn’t, then paused to wander one more market before drifting back to our hotel, stopping to visit a wine shop and a kitchen shop and a shoe shop on the way.

And, of course, there’s always room for one more vin chaud!  Why not?  It’s Christmas.

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!

Slap Together Mexican Casserole

So you’re in a clutch situation.  Guests are coming over and your wife told you ahead of time, but what the hell, a six pack got in the way.  

No, wait a sec….It’s the football bowl season….It wasn’t your significant other who told you, it was your buddy!

“Smiley, don’t forget we’re coming over for beer and eats!”

“Uhhhhhhhh….hell, no, I haven’t forgotten!”

Now what?  You search the frig and pantry in vain.  Gotta be something besides a jar of pickles and a can of sardines in mustard sauce!

Fear not!  I’m here to save your self-respect and make you a culinary hero to everyone except your significant other.  I’m not a miracle worker.

Everybody has onions and garlic, cheddar, canned tomatoes and canned beans. What about the protein?  Use anything.  Ground beef….hey, I always keep some sausage in the freezer.  Hot sausage.  Also, always have corn tortillas and flour tortillas in the frig.

How ‘bout a quick throw-together Mexican Casserole. Add a salad and fry some tortillas, then pop that second six pack hiding in the back of the frig.

 Mexican Casserole.

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot sausage (or ground turkey or beef or shredded chicken with red pepper added)

1 large diced onion

Olive Oil

3 diced garlic cloves

1 Can un-drained diced tomatoes

1 Can un-drained pinto beans

2 Heaping Tablespoons (or to taste) chili powder

2 Teaspoons (or to taste) ground cumin

A couple of heavy squirts of Sriracha hot sauce

Salt and white pepper

About 2 cups shredded cheddar

Sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and crème fraichefor topping. (I like the silky creamy taste better than sour cream!)

Heat the oven to 350ºF and have a casserole dish handy.

Add oil to a large frying pan and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is wilted, but not browned.  Add the sausage and break it up as it cooks.  As soon as the meat is pink, add the tomatoes and beans.  Stir well and add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

After a short while, take a taste and correct the seasonings.

Allow the liquid to reduce to about half.  Toss in about 3/4 Cup of cheddar and stir well.

Put the mixture in the casserole dish, sprinkle on the remainder of the cheddar and pop it in the oven.

When the casserole starts to bubble and the cheese begins to blister, it's ready.

Add the toppings to the individual servings.

Serve with freshly fried and salted tortillas.

See, that wasn’t so hard.  Even easier if you add a shot of Tequila when you pour your reprobate buddies a beer. Look at that! Was that a smile from the wife?

Kudos!!

Trees and Dreams in the Fog, PART II

Trees and Dreams in the Fog, PART II

My advice:  Always carry a camera.  Ok, so you’re not a photography nut and think photos are best kept to special occasions, with everybody staring wide-eyed, usually sitting and looking up at the camera.  Yeah, just as interesting as always having vanilla pudding for dessert.

How about the time you saw your young son or daughter sniffing the first flower?  Or your yard has a Fall coat of colorful leaves?  And one of my favs, fog.  Take some candids of those around you, some close-ups of your roses, or your kitchen triumph.  Except for landscapes, rely on ‘the closer the better.’

No, not going to turn you into a photographer, but beware of Cartier-Bresson’s watchwords:  Take the shot or lose it forever.  And don’t lose those precious moments at home or with friends. 

And another thing….isn’t there always!....You don’t need anything more than a cell phone or a pocket camera to catch those shots.  I shoot mostly with a Sony RX 100.  Fits in my pants pocket.

But, enough about you. Let’s get back to another array of black and white photos of my relationship with trees and the fog.

Trees and Dreams in the Fog, PART I

Trees and Dreams in the Fog, PART I

What makes a good photograph? Aside from a few hints about perspective, don’t know and don’t give a damn.  Just as with any form of art, I can only tell you what I like and what I don’t. More careful descriptions serve only to buttress my opinions in a plea for agreement, or a manner of taking off my hat and bowing to the artist.

An art critic’s opinion is only as good as a TV football commentator’s, who with great solemnity tells you which team will win the big game and why and how.  Doesn’t affect the outcome of the game one whit.

But, I can tell you this, with some assurity, a good painter will splash color on canvas with complete indifference to what anybody thinks, just as a good quarterback will run his offence and expect to win, no matter whom the experts picked.

A good artist lives on a diet of self-satisfaction, and often dines alone.

A good writer or photographer or ceramicist is the same.  Popularity and art are two separate entities and seldom are they friends.

I once overheard a woman ask an artist, whose work I admired, “I like this painting, but could you do it over, with more orange to match my couch?” Only the threat of arrest and imprisonment allowed me to silently walk away.

Art doesn’t have to be complicated.  Some of the paintings on my walls are literally child’s play, from my sons’ elementary days.  Emotion can make any art beautiful, just as love can make any woman beautiful or any man handsome.

Another example of simplicity: The French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, only used a Leica camera with a fixed 50 mm lens.  He shot in B&W and created photographs that to my eye plumb the depths of emotion. His specialty was the candid photo. As he famously said, “Take the shot or lose it forever.”

One of Bresson's most famous photos

Fog and trees and riders in the fog and braces of foliage along the highway intrigue and fascinate me. Today I offer a few examples of when ‘I took the shot.’

Are they art? Don’t know. Don’t care.  I do care that I took the shot.

 Tomorrow, PART II