‘Tis the Season for Food and Drink

It is that time of year when holiday parties are in full swing and generally people allow themselves a little bit of indulgences. There are a few favorites that we enjoy almost every year, whether at home or on the road. If we are traveling, we will sometimes seek out places that serve some of our holiday favorites just so that we don’t miss out on our traditional meals. We may not be big sweet eaters, but this is a time where we will sometimes give in and have some pies, cookies, or even candy. Here are a few of our favorite meals and drinks for this time of year.

Fondue in Zurich
  1. Prime Rib – If we’re at home, we will make a nice meal of prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. It is a simple meal that is elegant and is great for entertaining as it can feed a crowd. The leftovers are also great for cold sandwiches or even a hot French dip.

    Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding
  2. Snugglers – Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps is a perfect way to warm yourself from the inside out. Whether ending a day of skiing, coming in from playing in the snow, or just a perfect ending to a cold day, this is a very festive drink.

    Snuggler with Peppermint Bark
  3. Apple Pie – At this time of year, warm apple pie with some vanilla ice cream is a wonderful treat. It is also good as a cobbler or a crumble with traditional spices that will remind you of the holidays. We did miniature versions so that everyone got their own individual pie.

    Apple Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream
  4. Mulled Cider – Spiking some mulled cider with some brandy or whiskey is another great way to get a taste of the season. Although we usually have it during the fall, it is also great all of the way through winter as well. It has many of the tastes of an apple pie, but in a drink.

    Enjoy the Spiked Cider in a Rocks Glass
  5. Pumpkin Cookies – Although many people have pumpkin pie at this time of year, we opt for cookies. We can share them with friends or take them to a party. They are easy to make and are soft and almost cake-like.

    Moist and Delicious
  6. Fondue – Whether an oil fondue, which is our tradition, or a cheese fondue, like we had in Switzerland, it is a very communal way of sharing a meal. There is something really festive about eating small bites of food while talking with friends and having a glass of wine.

    Our Fondue Table
  7. Gluhwein – We always enjoy going to the Christmas markets this time of year, whether in Europe or even here in the United States. If we’re not at a market, we will make ourselves mulled wine, which certainly reminds us of the wonderful Gluhwein that we had during our time in Germany.

    Gluhwein in Frankfurt

Regardless of your holiday traditions, food and drink is likely to be part of them. We have enjoyed learning about other traditions throughout the world, but that doesn’t keep us from gravitating back to the ones that have been part of our lives for years. Whatever your traditions, we hope that you have a wonderful holiday season.

The Christmas Markets of Vienna, Austria

There are many reasons to visit the historic city of Vienna in Austria, but planning a trip in November will treat you with the extra treat of the Christmas markets. The markets in Vienna start in the middle of November, which is earlier than most of the other markets in Europe. We were there two years ago and visited four different Christmas markets that were located near the top sightseeing sites in the city. Although you can certainly visit the Christmas markets during the day, to really enjoy them, you should go at night.

Glass Ornaments for Sale
We Still Have One of These Gluhwein Mugs

Plenty of Crowds at the Markets
So Many Options for Gifts
Angels
Specialty Teas
Outside of the Cathedral

Obviously there are plenty of hot drinks to be found such as hot chocolate and gluhwein (hot mulled wine), but there are many more things to be found in the markets. Handmade crafts are on display with many of them being for the holiday season as well as items that make excellent gifts for family and friends. Food is certainly another highlight of all of the markets with many choices of bratwurst, roasted chestnuts, pretzels, and a variety of sweets. We actually purchased a candle holder with images of Mozart and Vienna at one of the stalls as a souvenir of our trip.

Unique Gifts
Ice Skating at a Market
Fairies
Wein Lounge
Where We Bought our Candle Holder
Getting Busy
Colorful Hats
Perfect Setting for a Market

The markets are a great place to spend time with family and friends or just to stroll as a couple. With so many people gathering to enjoy the spirit of the season, they are certainly places of happiness. One of the markets that we visited in Vienna also included ice skating as they had frozen the walking paths and turned them into a skating rink. It certainly was one of the more unique Christmas markets that we have seen. Clearly Vienna has many reasons to visit at any time of the year such as the palace, opera house, and cathedral, but if you plan your trip during the holidays you will also get to enjoy some of the best Christmas markets in all of Europe.

Frozen Sidewalk for Ice Skating
Late in the Day
One of Four Christmas Markets that We Visited

 

Christmas Decorations
One of the Smaller Markets
Great for the Whole Family
Handmade Ornaments
Toys for Sale

 

Do You Have a Holiday Meal Tradition?

We have mentioned before that we have certain meals that we always eat during the different holidays. On Christmas Day, we always have prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, which is typically an English tradition, but we have adopted it for ourselves. It is actually pretty easy to prepare and we usually find prime rib on sale, which makes it more economical for this special dinner. One of the best things about making prime rib are the sandwiches that you make with the leftovers during the following days, especially if you save the juice from the prime rib and make French Dip sandwiches. Last year, we were in Prague during Christmas, so we didn’t end up having prime rib, so we are looking forward to having it more than ever this year. We will be in Chicago visiting our youngest daughter for Christmas, so we will be leaving the cooking up to her. We are looking forward to seeing how she prepares our traditional dinner, but here is the recipe that we would normally prepare.

Prime Rib

Ingredients

  • 6 – 8 lb Prime Rib (3 or 4 ribs)
  • 5 Garlic Cloves – minced
  • 1/4 cup Prepared Horseradish
  • 4 tbsp Fresh Rosemary – roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Thyme
  • 1/4 cup Sea Salt
  • 1/8 cup Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3/4 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Pan Drippings from the Prime Rib
Combine Herbs

Instructions

Stir together the flour and salt into a bowl.  In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of Rosemary and 1 teaspoon of thyme.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the prime rib, bone side down, into a large roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, combine the garlic, horseradish, 3 tablespoons of the rosemary, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Whisk the ingredients until it forms a paste (whisking instead of stirring allows the ingredients to bind together).  Generously rub the paste over the top (the fat cap) of the prime rib.  Roast the prime rib in the oven for 2 – 2 1/2 hours (approximately 20 minutes per pound) until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees. Pull the roast from the oven and set it aside, tented, for 20 to 30 minutes to rest (cutting into the roast without letting it rest will cause the juices to run out and the prime rib to be dry).  Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Pour the pan drippings into a 9 inch square baking dish.  Place the baking dish into the oven for 5 minutes to get the drippings smoking hot.  Take the baking dish out of the oven, pull the batter out of the refrigerator, and add the cold batter to the pan drippings.  Place the pudding back into the oven and cook until puffed and dry, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Yorkshire Pudding
Carving the Prime Rib