The Christmas Stollen Project

Christmas Stollen never played a role in my childhood. We rather preferred Hamburg brown cookies or spekulatius for our Christmas baking. Anyway, without Christmas Stollen Christmas in some places of Germany is not even imaginable…That’s the reason, why I found it always exciting. A heavy yeast dough with candied fruit, raisins and a dash of good rum. The Stollen must traverse several weeks (minimum two weeks) before you eat it – if you do manage to defend it against the family. Attention: This weekend is your last chance to bake a Stollen, which can be served “well matured” at Christmas on your coffee table. Otherwise, you must wait another year…

Black salsify soup with trumpet royale

Waiting for spring. It’s cold again and stormy. Despite calendar start of spring. That makes you want a hot soup. And before we can finally harvest the first wild garlic, whose tips I have already discovered in the garden, there is again, probably one last time for this season, black salsify. A creamy salsify soup with trumpet royale mushrooms, garnished with lemon peel and our best olive oil.

Tokaj wine tasting with Adam Varkoly

Our trip to Budapest also took us to Hungary’s most famous wine-growing region, the Tokaj region. There we met a young Hungarian winemaker full of esprit, Ádám Varkoly. If you think Tokaj wines have to be sweet and full-bodied, Ádám will quickly teach you a lesson. His winery Árpád-hegy Pince in Szerencs also produces wonderful, dry wines from Furmint.