CURIOUSER NEW YORK

Funny, how I haven't noticed the fried mushrooms at the Christmas market back in 2005, when I last visited Germany on Christmas.  Now that I've discovered it and indulged in it quite often in the last two weeks, I can't, really, call the Kartoffelpuffers  dish my favorite Weinahtsmarkt food. It is now - the Frische Champignons!  Frische Champignons mit Knoblauchsauce Interestingly enough, my parents weren't aware of it as well. When I mentioned to my mom that I've tried the fried champignons at the market in Gottingen, she was surprised and asked me: "How can you enjoy champignons, they don't even have the taste?!"

It's Christmas Eve today and almost time to go back to NYC! I must admit, I'll be missing German Christmas markets, even though they will be soon closed anyway for the season.  I, personally, think they add quite some magic to the holidays. Without them, German cities wouldn't bring upon us the same kind of joyful holiday spirit. It's a special, special time when Christmas markets open, and I do love my Glühwein on a cold snowy day... The tradition of Weinahtsmarkt has been around for centuries and Glühwein is as old as the Christmas market itself . However, as much as it is popular in Germany, the Glühwein recipe does not originate in Germany. To learn more about the history of Glühwein and how I've come about it, click here .

Yesterday I tried Apfelkuchen - a delicious and relatively contemporary addition to the Christmas market 's expanding drink selection in Germany . Warmer Apfelkuchen translates to "warm apple pie". It consists of mostly Mulled Cider, which is essentially spiced and heated apple juice, a traditional and tasty seasonal drink that is usually non-alcoholic. With the addition of a liberal amount of Zubrovka bison-grass vodka (a sweet Polish vodka with a flavor similar to apple) the beverage becomes a Warmer Apfelkuchen. However, after trying hot white cocoa with Baileys, hot cocoa with Rum, Weisswein (a white wine copy of  Glühwein ) and Apfelkuchen, I still prefer a good old  Glühwein . Here's why it's so good and so popular in Germany . But there's just so much more to try!...

I'm in Germany right now to visit my family for Christmas, so most of my blogs will be about the happy holiday Christmas time in Germany - from foods I love and miss when back in USA to street fashion and German lifestyle. I'd like to start with the Christmas Market, or, as the Germans call it - Weihnachtsmarkt. It's one of the things I miss about Europe... So, the things we eat at Weihnachtsmarkt: The Kartoffelpuffers...