Everyone seems to be talking about spring lately.  The flowers are budding and it no longer gets dark at 4pm, that’s for sure.  However, I’m not so convinced that spring is really just around the corner.  People aren’t quite ready to walk outside without their scarf and hat on here in Zürich.  It’s been awfully cold, and this past weekend – I wasn’t exactly flower picking.  I was on snow-shoes, trailing down a mountain!

Whether spring will be upon us soon is up for discussion. But one thing is for sure: Easter is almost here.  It’s difficult to pass a bakery or chocolate shop without admiring its window overflowing with all sorts of chocolate eggs, milk and dark chocolate bunnies in all sorts of outfits, some even on motorcycles, others with funny hats and accessories – the bunnies are really diversifying here. Department stores have almost entire floors devoted to Easter, decorations and egg-related everything.  It’s really quite fun.  One of them has a cart of different colored chocolate eggs from Cailler: you grab a bag and make your own assortment.  Kind of like jelly bean dispensers.

As you’ll see in the photos below, it’s all about bunnies here.  Apparently in France, bunnies don’t take center stage though.  The stars there are hens and bells, as my French husband tells me.  I am curious what the traditions are around the world.  I am guessing chocolate is a common theme, but the molds are of different animals. Let us know what you have wherever you may be.

Here is a selection of Easter treats that I’ve seen around Zürich.  You’ll see below the chocolate creativity at Zürich’s Confiserie Honold, Truffe, Jelmoli, Coop and Vollenweider Chocolatier Confiseur.  

Now for the real fun stuff!  I recently received a care package from across the Atlantic Ocean with plenty of fun Easter goodies.  The classic candies I remember eating as a child in New York – Cadbury eggs, marshmallow Peeps and assorted chocolates.  Are these the treats of your childhood too?  One thing I’m enjoying right now, which I definitely did not have as a child are Fritz Knipschildt’s white and dark chocolate “quail eggs” that even come in a egg carton.  Let the young ones enjoy their colorful paper wrapped sweets, this is a treat I recommend for the adults!

Wishing all those who celebrate, a happy and sweet Easter to come.  Don’t forget to tell us what you hope to have in your Easter basket this year!  :)

It’s fun to look back at my photos from the summer of 2008 when I first moved to Zürich, and see what I took pictures of.  There were buildings and structures so new and exotic to me that they stopped me in my tracks. Now I may pass by every day, and they are all too familiar.  The old town near Lindenhof seemed like a regular labyrinth, yet now seems so very easy to navigate.  There was one spot that I kept taking pictures of, every time we walked by; it was just a wall to me, but so fascinating and almost “hidden” amongst the small winding streets in the area.  

Little did I know that it was the famous frescoed facade of a well known restaurant where the poet Goethe once stayed, and where I would have one of my best meals in Zürich.    

We sat down inside Kaiser’s Reblaube and started to ponder the menu.  Translation: skim through the pages, trying to find as many words as possible in German that we understood.  All the while, munching on some warm, almost hot, nuts that were set down for us.  Luckily, our German was not quite up to par, and it took us some time to figure out what to order – and thus, savor those nuts!  We were then given a menu in French and a second bowl of nuts, seeing that the first quickly disappeared.  We still needed some more time to decide between the many enticing dishes – Swiss cuisine with a modern touch and a real focus on fresh, seasonal products.  The waitstaff (100% female in the ground floor restaurant where we ate) could hardly miss our excitement about those nuts that once again disappeared.  One waitress returned giggling and this time, presented us with a much larger bowl of those nuts.  It goes without saying that we finished that too, and would have received more, but told the waitresses that we needed to leave room for dinner!  

The nuts were surely a sign of what was to come. Granted, our appetizers and main courses were not quite as addictive and we did not receive multiple plates of each.  As for the dessert, a pineapple minestrone, I can’t say I would have minded… A cold pineapple “soup” with almonds and various dried fruit standing in for the pasta and vegetables.  Plus a large scoop of vanilla chile ice cream.  A nice kick to soften the sweetness and acidity of the other ingredients. Talk about first… and last impressions.  And all the while, absolutely impeccable service.

I asked one of the waitresses if she could share the recipe for those nuts.  Thinking it was some highly guarded secret, I couldn’t believe she rattled it right off – rosemary, sugar, butter. Gee, no wonder they were so good!  I asked if she could send me the exact proportions, as I’d love to make them at home.  Patience paid off. She did!  And I have now tried the recipe several times.  These nuts are awfully good – real crunchy with a mix of sweet and savory, addictive for sure, whether hot or cold. But nowhere near as good as the real deal in the restaurant. 

Almost Kaiser?s Reblaube?s Irresistible Nuts
Adapted from the original recipe for Reblaubennüsse

1 1/4 cups (175 grams) shelled almonds
1 cup (130 grams) cashew nuts
1 Tablespoon chopped rosemary 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon flour
1/2 Tablespoon (7 grams) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celcius).  Put nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, giving a shake halfway through.  In the meantime, mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Add the toasted nuts to the bowl and mix well. 

Serve warm.

Kaiser’s Reblaube
Glockengasse 7
8001 Zürich
Switzerland
+41.44.221.21.20
www.kaisers-reblaube.ch

With a couple of perfectly ripe bananas on my counter, the baking pans called out to me once again.  There’s nothing like the smell of fresh banana bread wafting through your entire home. Or that of banana macadamia chocolate chunk cookies too!  But I also had an enormous supply of the most moist, sweet Medjool dates – due not only to my obsession with them, but also to a funny misunderstanding at the farmer’s market the other day.  I had attempted in German to buy a (small !) box from an Italian, who was speaking Swiss German back to me!  But that’s a whole other story!

I couldn’t decide whether to make banana bread or to make one of my many recipes using those irresistible dates.  So… I didn’t.  And what resulted was a most delicious and tender banana date cake, which I will be making many more times in the future.

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Talk about spring being in the air!  The sun has been shining here in Zürich and people are enjoying the longer days, being outside as much as possible.  The Alps in the distance seem to have lost their large, white blankets and those people on the streets are losing their layers too… fast.  I am not sure whether I will be more excited that it’s the first day of spring… or that it’s “le Jour du Macaron” in just a few days.  A day to honor the macaron, that delectable, colorful pastry that has become cult famous and fashionable in Paris and around the world.

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A blood orange a day keeps the doctor away.

Ok, I agree.  ”An apple a day” does have a better ring to it.  But it’s been working quite well for me so far.  During the entire month of February, I ate at least 1 or 2 blood oranges a day.  Talk about taking advantage when a certain fruit is in season!  They were just too good to resist, and just too stunning to look at.  A bowl full of these oranges always sat on my counter, and I often wondered what shades of red, orange and even purple they would have inside. (more…)

Following the Jewish New Year last fall, I mentioned that the celebration of Jewish holidays tends to be involved with food.  Ok, that’s an understatement.  What’s a Jewish holiday without food?!   We recall a period in the history of Jewish people, recount a battle that was fought and the miracle of the Jews coming out on top.  We celebrate that by fasting and/or feasting, or by just feasting.

And so, with the beginning of Purim tonight at sundown, we ask ourselves:  Who did the Jews defeat?  …and what’s cooking?  Better yet, “what’s baking?”  The Jews of Persia were saved from extinction, and we eat hamantaschen, triangular shaped jam-filled cookies.  Before we get to the latter, first a word on this fun, colorful and charitable holiday.

A short history lesson: Persian King Ahasuerus had chosen Esther to be his queen, not knowing she was Jewish.  Her uncle Mordechai – and leader of the Jews – went against the king’s orders and refused to bow to Haman, Persia’s anti-Semitic Prime Minister. Haman ordered a decree to kill all Jews.  Mordechai called all Jews together to pray and fast, while Esther revealed both her true identity to the King and Haman’s wicked plans, thus convincing him to help save her people.  Change of plans – Haman killed, Mordechai made Prime Minister and the Jews were free!

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And so it was, my regular visit to Zürich’s Bürkliplatz market, of course way before 11am to avoid the- well, you know who!  I chatted with a few market vendors and asked about those intimidating Market Police and the funky 11am fine.  Turns out the market has a deal with local shop owners, which makes rather good sense.  Otherwise, they would hang around all day long and potentially hurt local businesses.  Now as far as the fine goes, this one had several readers wondering… just how much?  CHF 50 !  50 Swiss Francs the first time, and if you really can’t keep your hands off those cauliflower after 11am, well the fine goes up from there!

Luckily I was there real early, as is usually the case, and had plenty of time to pay a visit to my fruit and vegetable guy, swing by and pick up a rustic baguette from my bread ladies, as well as the day’s fresh catch from my fishmonger.  Most of all, I simply enjoyed strolling through what was a rather lively and full market.  Seems that the harsh winter season is slowly saying good-bye, and plenty of flowers and seasonal produce are saying hello.  Nothing like bright tulips and promising bulbs to assure you that spring is not far away.

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After waxing poetic about the beauty of Switzerland’s gray skies, which dominate throughout the entire winter, what was this?  Just yesterday, there was a perfectly blue sky, not a cloud in sight, not nearly freezing temperatures and the streets of Zürich overflowing with people, reminiscent of the summer’s wild Street Parade.  You’d think I put my summer album in Photoshop and simply added a few jackets here and there, and whitened the mountains in the distance a bit.  Restaurants with tables outside filled, people sitting in the sun reading, families picnicking, friends playing catch with a frisbee or kicking around a soccer ball.  Runners like myself taking advantage as well, no need for extra layers, hat or gloves – just a bandana to wipe the sweat from my brow.

And what perfect timing for that beautiful weather.  Perhaps a thank you is in order – to the Mardi Gras gods of course!  It’s Carnival here in Switzerland, Fasnacht as they call it. And I know, I know, Zürich is not quite the most happening spot for Carnival.  Better off partying the nights away in Lucerne or admiring the customs and traditional music in Basel.  That will be Fasnacht 2010 for me.  And I will be there, at 4am in Basel when it all begins… next year.  This year, I stayed loyal to my new hometown.  Carnival in Zürich it was.  And while it may not live up to Rio di Janeiro or New Orleans, or even its fellow Swiss cities, there was still fun to be had, lots of loud music to enjoy, colorful costumes of all sorts to gaze at and as always, tasty delights to devour.

The gray skies came back for today’s parade, but I don’t think anyone noticed.  They were all too busy admiring each other’s creative outfits, fun makeup and props.  Each group that marched through the old town had a specific theme and costume to go with. Crowds lined the street to watch, many dressed up themselves, the theme there being “anything goes.”  Put a puppet on your head, and you’re ready for Fasnacht!

Children took part as well, some dressed up like the adults, marching along in the parade.  Others watched, dressed up as clowns, various animals or simply wearing funny wigs.  No matter the outfit, they were all armed with confetti!  Just like Bern’s Onion Festival, kids had their hands at all times in huge bags of colorful confetti.  They threw it on the groups marching by in the parade, on their parents and friends and on just about everyone that came within a 10 foot radius!

And oh the food!  Any festival or event in Zürich is a good excuse to fill the streets with yet more wurst stands, tables piled high with candied nuts and cakes, raclette stands and large vats of Glühwein.  Just make sure to get your fill on Fasnachtchüechli, rounds of dough flattened and deep fried, then covered in powdered sugar.  A Carnival specialty not to be missed,… nor properly pronounced!