Germany | I Can Cook That

Now that Santa has waved from his sleigh in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it is officially the Christmas season! (Does anyone else use this reference, or just my family?)

New York may have the “official” start of the Christmas season, but Philadelphia is filled with its own wonderful holiday traditions from the old (going to the old Wanamaker building, now Macy’s, to see the holiday light show) to the new (ice skating at the outdoor rink on the Delaware Waterfront), but one of my absolute favorites is going to Christmas Village, located in LOVE Park (15th and JFK Boulevard).

Going to the open-air German Christmas Market, open daily between Thanksgiving and Sunday, Dec 28, is a priority of mine this time of year. Sixty-five international and local merchants and artists offer high-quality gifts that are sold in decorated tents and wooden houses located throughout Center City’s famous LOVE Park. With toys, apparel, jewelry, decorations, home goods, artwork and more, there will be something for everyone on Santa’s list.

Daily market hours starting Black Friday through the last Sunday in December will be Friday through Saturday 11:00am to 8:00pm, and Sunday through Thursday 11:00am to 7:00pm. Christmas Eve hours are 11:00am to 5:00pm (closed on Christmas Day).

Follow the smell of gingerbread and waffles to a full menu of European food, sweets and drinks, including mouthwatering German bratwurst or schnitzel served on a warm roll (Brötchen). Wash it all down with a warm mug of traditional German Glühwein (spiced mulled wine) or rich hot chocolate.

On top of the great shopping and dining experiences, be sure to check out the huge Christmas Tree in LOVE Park, a Wish Wall in conjunction with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a new kid’s zone on the weekends, theme days and weekends, tasting cheese and wine tours, live music during evenings and weekends, and other surprises to be announced.

So to get in the spirit, I wanted to make a traditional German Holiday Cookie to celebrate the return of Christmas Village! Cinnamon Stars (or Zimtsterne) are made with almond flour base so they are actually gluten free. And even better, they can be stored for quite a while, and taste even better as time passes, making these the perfect cookie to give as a gift!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for rolling
16 ounces sliced almonds, with skin (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Continue reading Cinnamon Star Cookies (Zimtsterne)

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may be aware that I went to the most piggy event I’ve ever been invited to, Cochon EPIC, back at the end of July. I went through a considerably long stage in my life where I absolutely refused to have any kind of pork product: no ham, no ribs, not even bacon. As I began cooking for myself, I realized that pig wasn’t nearly as awful as I thought and have since slowly started incorporating it back into my life (although I still don’t fully get ham and probably still need some time before I decided to try it.)

Anyways, going to this event was a big deal for me. I was about to eat pig, and basically nothing but pig, for an entire event. I couldn’t pass up this challenge especially when Crispin Cider offered me a ticket! One thing I’ve definitely learned in cooking is that there is rarely an ingredient I actually don’t “like.” I may not like the preparation, but to discount an ingredient entirely isn’t fair. So what better way to give pork a chance than with some of the best local chefs preparing it? “EPIC” is the perfect way to describe this event. It was absolutely insane. The chefs used all parts, and I really mean all parts, of the pigs to deliver outrageous treats for attendees: pork-fat matzo balls, cured pork loin “lox,” pork blood waffles, pork snow cones, and naturally, a scrabble bar (we are in Philly after all). I also was completely star struck to see all these amazing chefs in one location: David Katz, Kevin Sbraga, Marc Vetri, Jason Cichonski and more! I grabbed a Crispin cider to wash all the porky goodness down and was really pleasantly surprised by the taste. It is, well, crisp, and really refreshing. I tend to think of cider as a fall beverage, but Crispin easily translates into a summer drink as well. And it pairs wonderfully with pork. So naturally, I needed a bit of a break from pork after the event, but I couldn’t stop thinking about making a dish with pork and Crispin Cider. I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Pork and Cider Stew on the Whole Foods website and used it as a base for my recipe below.

Ingredients:

3 leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced
2 lbs pork loin
2 red apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup baby carrots
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
¾ cup Crispin Cider
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 box spaetzle

Continue reading Slow Cooker Pork with Cider Broth over Spaetzle