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Along the Luther Trail

September 20, 2021September 20, 2021 havie7Leave a comment

As we enter the fall and approach the anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses, I thought now would be the perfect time to share our trip along the Luther Trail, or “Lutherweg,” in Germany. We took this trip almost a year ago, just a couple of weeks before Reformation Day 2020. Over the course of two days, we ventured from Weimar, to Erfurt, to Eisenach, and finally to Wittenberg, sleeping each night in the back of our Volvo.

Day 1 – A monk’s life

We drove up most of the way to Weimar the night before and got an early start, hoping to see the famous Cranach altarpiece. The City Church of Saints Peter and Paul was not yet open when we arrived; so we snooped around the town, finding some bakery goodies to munch on, as well as the prison where Bach (yes, Johann Sebastian Bach himself!) was held for a few weeks. We also stumbled upon a beautiful park and bridge, where we watched ducks bob about and the reflection of fall-colored leaves dance on the river. These unexpected discoveries actually made Weimar a gem of our trip. After a quick dash back to the church to see the altarpiece, we hit the road for Erfurt.

Our first stop in Erfurt was the Augustinian monastery where Martin Luther became a monk. The monastery, once Catholic in the times of Luther, is still functioning, but now as a Protestant monastery. In the monastery’s chapel lies the gravestone of Johannes Zachariae– the zealous Catholic who condemned Luther’s predecessor Jan Hus to death–where Luther would lay and spend many prayerful hours. Our favorite part was seeing the Luther Cell, where he studied Scripture and worked meticulously as a young monk.

While we were in Erfurt, we walked over to the Merchant’s Bridge, which is the longest inhabited bridge in Europe. Erfurt was once famous for their production of woad, a blue plant-based dye. And one of the shops on this bridge continues to sell woad goods, honoring the centuries-old tradition.

Next, we drove over to the town of Eisenach to tour Wartburg Castle and experience some fine dining, Luther-style. Wartburg Castle was Luther’s hideout after he escaped capture at the Diet of Worms in 1521. Or I should say: his supporters “captured” him so that he would not be taken prisoner by the Pope. During his ten-month stay at Wartburg, Luther took on the pseudonym “Junker Jörg” (Knight George), translated the New Testament into German, and famously tossed his inkwell at the Devil. The castle itself was interesting to peruse, but we were honestly a bit underwhelmed.

As an aside, the castle we would most recommend for anyone interested in Luther history (or just an amazing castle in general) is the Veste Coburg. We visited this castle a couple of times on day-trips, prior to our Luther Trail adventure. And it spoiled us. The castle itself is authentic, boasting a luxurious hunting gallery, medieval ramparts and guard towers, a room walled with elaborate wood intarsia scenes, and a full collection of armor and weapons that left Tex with a dropped jaw. Additionally, the Luther section of the castle is much more visitor-friendly than Luther’s room at Wartburg. This was yet another place where he hid out from his Catholic pursuers for a few months.

Okay, back to the Luther Trail… After we finished at Wartburg, we headed down into the town of Eisenach to the Hotel Eisenacher Hof for a Lutherschmaus, or Luther meal. This turned out to be one of the most delicious and most memorable meals that we had during our time in Europe. And since we had saved money on sleeping arrangements by snoozing in the car, we felt justified in spending 30 Euro per meal. Ha!

As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we knew we were in for something special– the room was quite dim, lit only by massive candles, and the sound of medieval songs drifted through the air. Our multi-course meal began with a dark, crusty loaf of bread spread with schmalz (lard flavored with bits of pork crackling), mustard, and krauter yogurt. At the prompting of our waitress, we then drank our soups, one meat and one potato, from our bowls, since people in Luther’s day would not have used spoons. The main course included a true smorgasbord of German meats and sides, from a wonderful Thuringian sausage and meat skewer to spitzkohl (creamy cabbage), knödel (potato dumpling), and Katharina bread (some combination of Thanksgiving dressing and fruitcake, named after Luther’s industrious wife). Those are only three of the ten side dishes they served us; and every single one was certainly worth trying! The finale was a flaming fruit skewer, which brought our evening to an impressive close. Needless to say, we were not hungry for days after that.

Day 2- The work of the Reformation

We spent our second day in Wittenberg, which is famously known as the birthplace of the Reformation. It was in this town that Martin Luther lived with his family, taught, and worked for most of the rest of his life. First, we visited the Luther House Museum, which is a massive former monastery where Luther lived with his wife and children. Here we learned so much about Luther, both as a person and a Reformer. It was mind-boggling to see the amount of writing that this one man produced in his lifetime. I also enjoyed learning a bit about Katharina von Bora, the nun who married Martin Luther. Their household was always abuzz, between Luther’s Table Talks with students, Katharina’s many home-making endeavors (including beer-brewing, managing farmland and animals, bookkeeping…), and their dining table full of children, boarders, and reforming collaborators. I loved finding this quote from Luther in a letter about gardening: “No matter how much Satan is raging, meanwhile I will laugh at him and watch the gardens, that is the Creator’s blessings, and enjoy them to His praise… Just get me even more seeds for my garden, if ever possible many different varieties: If I am going to stay alive, I would want to become a gardener!”

Next, we stopped by the Cranach House and Workshop, where we enjoyed studying an old printing press like what the Reformers would have used to reproduce Luther’s and others’ writings. Lucas Cranach and his son were renowned painters who helped propagate the Reformation. The most famous portraits of Luther were Cranach masterpieces.

We then ambled over to St. Mary’s City Church, where Luther preached over 2,000 sermons. At St. Mary’s, we discovered a painting by Lucas Cranach the Younger called The Reformers in the Vineyard of the Lord… This work of art really struck me, with its stark contrast between those working for the Lord and those working selfishly against Him. Especially after seeing just how much the Reformers labored to bring about change in the Church, I was so encouraged by this idea: Working unto the Lord out of gratitude for the Life He gives, rather than working unto salvation which will always result in death.

Our final stop in Wittenberg was the famous Castle Church, where Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on October 31, 1517. After admiring the commemorative doors in the same place where Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation, we ventured into the church to find his grave, along with the grave of Philip Melanchthon. The church interior was simple, yet grand, and almost other-worldly as tranquil organ melodies echoed throughout.

St. Eve Pastry Recipe

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021 havie7Leave a comment

Over the summer, we visited Normandy in northern France in order to check a big to-do off Tex’s bucket list. Meanwhile, I found one of my favorite European towns—Bayeux. We stayed in an Airbnb right smack in the center of town, a few minutes’ walk from the stunning cathedral (built during the time of William the Conqueror).

Another highlight was getting to examine the 70 meter-long Bayeux Tapestry, which is actually an embroidery depicting scenes from William the Conqueror’s life and the Battle of Hastings. We learned that it was commissioned by the bishop of Bayeux (a Norman), but was most likely stitched by Saxons. So there are a few discrete jabs throughout the images at the Saxons’ Norman captors. It was a bit like reading the Sunday funnies! The tapestry is quite a beautiful work of art, one I could have studied for days.

Oh, and I also found one of my favorite sweet treats—the Saint Eve pastry. This pastry is a Bayeux specialty, and we were only able to find it at one bakery in town, which also happened to be quite established and popular with locals. Recipes for these things don’t exist online, or at least not that I could find. But I’ve been determined for some time to try making them. I was shocked at how delicious these turned out… They are ridiculously rich and sweet, but somehow I always feel like I want another, ha! The smooth, melt-in-your-mouth macaron in combination with the silky, cool buttercream and toffee-like crunch of the nougatine— it’s just too much goodness!

There are lots of steps and several particular instructions… So set aside a morning, turn up some bardcore, and start baking!

There are three different parts to this pastry: the macaron shell, the vanilla buttercream, and the nougatine for the buttercream and dusting. Below, you’ll find some notes regarding the trickier parts of the recipe and then the full recipe at the end.

Only 4 ingredients make up the actual macaron part. So as long as you follow the directions closely, they are not as difficult as you might think. For example, I almost opted to put the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture straight from the food processor into the batter, but I decided to go the extra mile and sift it. This made a big difference in the smoothness of the batter. From what I’ve read, the mixing of the dry mixture into the egg whites is the most precarious part. All I did was use a rubber spatula to gently fold the flour into the egg whites, by scraping the edge of the bowl and folding the egg whites up and over the flour, until the flour was fully incorporated. And one last note for the baking of these macarons—if the shells are still somewhat stuck to the parchment paper, they probably need to cook a bit longer.

You can tell this mixture of almond flour and powdered sugar needs sifting…

Stiff peaks after whipping egg whites for macaron shells

The macaron mixture after folding in dry ingredients

The nougatine is fairly easy, and is also the one part you might be most inclined to skip… Please don’t! This brittle almond candy is what takes the St. Eve from being just another macaron to a truly gourmet French dessert. I had never tried a recipe where you cook dry sugar over the stove, but I was interested to try out this method. Sure enough, the sugar will eventually liquefy and become a thick dark syrup. It does take a bit of patience though. When you have rolled out the syrup between two sheets of parchment paper, give it just a minute to cool so that the top parchment paper peels easily off; but if you are going to cut it, try to do so while it is still warm and somewhat pliable. Finally, when grinding up the nougatine in the food processor, make it fine crumbles. It will be somewhat powdery, but you still want some small chunks to add texture.

You can see that the sugar has begun to dissolve but still needs a few more minutes to get rid of the lumps.

After cutting the nougatine into squares

And lastly, the buttercream! I chose to make a French buttercream for this recipe, which I’d never done before. And I was a bit surprised that it worked so well the first time. I highly recommend using a candy thermometer to determine when your sugar syrup is hot enough… something I didn’t have this time. So I eyeballed it and got lucky! Also, for whipping the eggs, I used my Kitchenaid whisk attachment and then switched to the beater attachment when I began adding butter. Do note that this recipe will make more nougatine and buttercream than you actually need for the macarons. But my philosophy is that I would always rather have too much filling/frosting/topping than too little!

Beginning the assembly… Here the macaron shells are laying with the flat side up.

Rolling the Saint Eve in the nougatine crumbles, and… DONE!

Well, I think those are all my notes. I hope the pictures help provide a little more clarity about some of the specific instructions. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I’m thinking this would be the perfect treat for the one you love!

This recipe makes about 10 Saint Eve treats.

Ingredients

For the macarons:

3 egg whites (room temp)
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. almond flour

For the nougatine:

1 1/4 c. white sugar
Approx. 2/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds

For the buttercream:

1 c. white sugar
1/3 c. water
4 large egg yolks plus
2 large whole eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1 lb. unsalted butter (4 sticks)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean
Nougatine

Directions

Macarons:

1) Prepare a piping bag with a round tip, or snip a corner off a gallon Ziploc bag. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) In a food processor or in a blender, combine the powdered sugar and almond flour and process on low until the mixture is fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a sieve into a bowl.

3) Add room temperature egg whites into a separate bowl. Then on high speed beat until the eggs begin to foam. Continually beating, slowly add half the granulated sugar. And then, when soft peaks begin to form, add the rest of the sugar. Continue to beat just until stiff peaks form.

4) Add about half of the sifted mixture into the egg white mixture and gently fold in with a spatula. Once incorporated, add remaining flour mixture and continue to gently fold until well the mixture flows like honey.

5) Transfer the batter to the preparing piping bag. Pipe the batter into snail-like swirls forming about 2½ inch circles. Space the macarons about an inch apart.

6) Pick up the baking sheet and drop onto a flat surface. Repeat 3-4 times to release all air bubbles rotating the baking sheet.

7) Let the macaron shells sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the macarons shells form a glossy layer. (You will be able to run your finger along the top of the macaron smoothly and the batter won’t stick to your hand.) Preheat the oven to 325F.

8) Bake the macarons for about 15 minutes, until the macarons form feet and the shells don’t stick to the parchment paper.

9) Allow the macarons to cool before removing them from the parchment paper for easier removal. Transfer the macarons to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Nougatine:

1) While the macarons are glossing over, line a metal baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure a second sheet of paper the same size and set aside along with a wooden rolling pin.

2) Heat sugar in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until it dissolves and turns a golden caramel color. As soon as there are no lumps, the syrup is ready.

3) Remove from heat and stir in almonds until combined.

4) Working quickly, pour the mixture onto the prepared tray using the wooden spoon to spread it out a little.

5) Place the second sheet of baking paper on top and use the rolling pin to roll the mixture out quickly into a thin sheet before it hardens. Remove the top parchment paper, and cut into approximately 1.5 inch squares while still hot.

6) Once cool, place 15-20 of the nougatine squares into a food processor, and pulse until no large pieces remain.

French Buttercream:

1) Allow all ingredients to reach room temperature (you could do this before you even make your macarons). Cut the butter into cubes. Prepare the eggs by separating 4 yolks from the whites and keep two whole.

2) To make the sugar syrup, heat sugar and water over medium heat. Place a candy thermometer inside. Continue to boil until the sugar syrup reaches about 238° F on the candy thermometer (soft boil stage). Keep a close eye so you don’t caramelize it.

3) Meanwhile, whip the eggs and egg yolks together with salt in a stand mixer bowl, using medium speed. After about 2 minutes, your eggs should be at soft peak consistency. Turn the mixer off to avoid over-mixing.

4) As soon as the sugar syrup reaches 238° F, pour the hot syrup slowly into the egg mixture. There is no need to rush this. With the mixer on medium, start pouring the hot sugar syrup into the mixer bowl with the mixer on medium speed. The syrup should stream between the whisk and the edge of the bowl.

5) Once all the syrup is in, turn the mixer on high and whisk for about 3 minutes. The outside of the bowl will be hot at first and then be barely warm. Your meringue should look shiny with soft peaks.

6) Let the mixer run on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Using the beater attachment, begin adding in the butter—one cube at a time. Once all the butter is in, whip the mixture for another minute or two until you have a smooth and satin-like buttercream that is light and fluffy.

7) Scrape the seeds out from inside the vanilla bean. Mix in the seeds and vanilla extract. Finally, add about half of the ground nougatine (equivalent to 8-10 squares) to the buttercream and mix well.

To assemble:

1) Lay out your macaron shells with the flat sides facing up. Using a piping bag or large Ziploc bag with a hole cut in it, pipe the buttercream generously onto half of the macaron shells. My buttercream probably ended out being about an inch thick.

2) Place the remaining macaron shells on top of the piped buttercream, forming a sandwich. For each Saint Eve, turn it on its side and roll in a plate of the remaining nougatine crumbles. You want the buttercream to be completely covered in a layer of ground nougatine.

3) These treats can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. They can be served cold or after coming to room temperature.

Provence Copycat: Eggplant Garlic Chutney

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020 havie7Leave a comment

Here’s a wonderful recipe for your Christmas table. We bought a few jars of a splendid eggplant garlic chutney at the markets in Provence. It’s addicting. So naturally, I needed to make some more, since we hadn’t eaten it in five months. Tex and I were both pleasantly surprised with the results…

And then I remembered that I had saved the jar from Provence (which was empty by all accounts except my own) in the back of the fridge. I pulled it out, perused the ingredients on the label while making notes for how to improve the recipe next time, and scraped out a bit to taste. All I can say is that this recipe comes quite close to the taste of the original!

That jar of chutney is the one I found in my fridge… empty.

Some notes for adjusting in the future:

Roast the eggplant and garlic in the oven before adding to the pot.
Add a teaspoon (or more?) of herbs de Provence.
Possibly add a roasted bell pepper and/or sun-dried tomato slices.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe that I made today. Making the above changes is totally optional… If you only have the ingredients below, just go for it! It’s really quite delicious. Do note that the recipe calls for one and a half heads of garlic, which sounds like a ton, but it’s what makes this chutney so flavorful.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 eggplants (chopped into approx. 1 inch cubes)
1 1/2 heads of garlic (peel each clove)
1 small red onion (chopped)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Pinch of cumin
3/4 c. apple cider vinegar
Water
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

Place the chopped eggplant into a colander and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. salt. Coat the eggplant well with the salt, then let sit for about an hour. Rinse eggplant with cold water to remove the salt. Dry the eggplant with a paper towel.
In a pot, over medium heat, pour olive oil and cook the onion till translucent. Add cumin and cook for another minute.
Add the eggplant and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and enough water to almost cover (I added 1 1/4 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave simmering for 45-60 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
Stir in salt. Then transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree.

It’s as easy as that! I will be serving this on a cheese board for Christmas, paired with homemade sourdough bread (baguette would be a great option too!) and spreadable goat cheese.

Bon appétit!

A Military Wife’s Guide to Enjoying Germany

September 18, 2020September 26, 2020 havie7Leave a comment

We have officially less than a year left of living in Germany, which has me thinking of all the fun we’ve had over the past two years. I wanted to compile some ideas, especially for other military families who are looking to make the most of their time in Germany.

I have heard people say they love living here, and I’ve heard people say they hate it. It really is a choice we have to make and an attitude we choose to have. Hopefully, we choose to take advantage of the many unique opportunities, and to approach the whole thing as one big learning experience. Sometimes this choice is hard, because we want our American comforts and familiar faces (and language!). But when I take in the beauty around me and appreciate the differences of culture, I realize how much I’ll miss this place one day.

Here are a few practical tips for anyone looking to bloom where they’re planted in Germany:

Learn to live seasonally, as the Germans do.

I must admit that the fall leaves are gorgeous around here.

Eat the bakery goods that only roll around once a year. Currently, we’ve been in “Zwetschgen” season–plums! So the bakeries are full of different pastry treats that boast plums as their star ingredient. But before you know it, they’ll be gone! So you eat them while they are available. Same goes for Fasching donuts in January or February.

Cook with seasonal fruits and veggies. You can either choose to be frustrated by the lack of certain foods at certain times of the year, or you can experiment and have fun with the wonderfully fresh foods that are available. For the most part, German grocers have everything you need, but I have occasionally had a difficult time finding things like fresh beets, celery, sweet corn, and kale. Yes, the commissary probably has these things. But I think it’s more enjoyable to cook with the seasonally unique items, when I can. For instance, last year I learned that hokkaido pumpkins (a fall staple in German grocery stores) are delicious and don’t have to be peeled at all!

Have fun at all the festivals! Germans have a festival for everything, and each season is celebrated in its own way. We have attended a local Fasching parade, where the costumes and floats are extravagant; multiple Volksfests in different towns, which can be as simple as a row of food stands or as entertaining as a state fair; the large pumpkin festival in Ludwigsburg; and of course, several Christmas markets, which dazzle with their twinkling lights and magical aromas (I will be posting in more detail about the Christmas markets later this fall). There are also Easter markets and Oktoberfest. These all make for fun, memorable experiences.

One of the big Christmas markets in Dresden

Bring a good coat and warm boots. Or be prepared to buy them as winter approaches. Everyone’s happier when their toes aren’t freezing, right? We think it’s so funny that the Germans keep wearing their jackets through the summer…That is only sometimes necessary. Ha!

This is what a German winter looks like…

Become a tour guide (figuratively).

Get comfortable with public transportation. At first, it is definitely uncomfortable. But if you make yourself do it a few times soon after you arrive, it will become an old trick and you’ll love how easy it is. It took me a long time to figure out how to get the cheapest tickets from the kiosk at the train station… So I usually just went up to the counter, where the clerk could help me get exactly what I wanted.

Find your favorite local shops. Whatever you are interested in, there is probably a shop nearby for you. I have loved perusing a fabric shop just down the street, a map shop, a basket shop (where the man is often making baskets by hand!), a trachten shop (where you can discover all the German traditional clothes), and a few antique warehouses.

Carry Euros on your person, always. Germans use actual money (coins included!) much more than we do in America. Most places do take certain credit cards. But a few do not. And almost everyone pays in cash for their bakery goodies and gelato. Be prepared for those spontaneous stops!

One of the many places where we pay in coins– a 500-year-old sausage kitchen.

Learn the basics of the German language. I wish that I had put more effort into this one. But even a little effort will go a long way. Spend an afternoon learning how to pronounce different letters and letter combinations. That way, you can order from a menu, or at least try. From my frequent grocery trips, I have learned the basic numbers and food names, which is quite helpful. Also, don’t be discouraged when the lady behind the bakery counter looks at you thoroughly confused. It happens to all of us. The more language you know, the easier it will be to navigate various situations, driving included.

Create a local tour itinerary. This might sound odd, but personally it has really helped me feel like I belonged (at least, temporarily) in this foreign country. Make a list of all your favorite places in the area. For Tex and I, we have a few different lists–one of places within easy driving distance, one of all our favorite spots in our favorite Bavarian town, and one with slightly more distant places for day-trips. These lists include everything from castle ruins and monasteries, to scenic overlooks and the best schnitzel restaurant. Also, I often include some of my favorite shops, discussed above. Now, what to do with your itinerary is totally up to you. I have enjoyed learning some of the details about the different places and taking our various guests on tours. It has been fun to feel like the expert and to experience “old” things anew with first-time visitors. These lists also provide excellent date night (or friend date) inspiration!

Spend time outside and soak in the natural beauty.

Go on daily walks. There’s a chicken farm that we love walking to on warm evenings. There’s a forest path just around the corner. There’s currently a flock of sheep grazing in the pasture down the road. These are the kinds of things you find on casual walks about the neighborhood. What’s not to enjoy?!

Forage for berries and bouquets. I don’t even have kids, and love doing this! I think it would be even more fun with a crew of youngsters. Throughout summer months, wildflowers are plentiful; this was the year of poppies! Even in the fall and winter though, you can get creative with little bush branches and things. Obviously, you have to be more careful picking berries… But we did our research, and have collected wild blackberries, cherries, and tiny plums. Note the word “wild”–you don’t want to be picking things out of people’s gardens! If you don’t feel comfortable picking wild ones, go to a local berry farm in the summer; it’s a super cheap and fun way to stock up on strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.

Take exploratory bike rides. This has been our very favorite way of experiencing the German countryside. Germans take their bike trails seriously–there are so many! Not only is it good exercise with all the hills, but it is also a sure way of discovering rural surprises. Our longest ride yet was 21 miles of terrain we mostly had never seen.