A Taste of Bavaria

If I've seemed a bit absent lately, there's a perfectly logical explanation for it...I was absent. In fact, I was across the ocean absent. That may not seem like a big deal to some travelers but it was my first time outside of the U.S. altogether. Traveling across the pond by myself was pretty stressful for me but definitely worth it. After all, the purpose of the trip was to get to see Melanie...and Bavaria. In truth, I was primarily excited about spending time with Melanie but the more I planned for the trip, the more excited I became about Bavaria. Some things are pretty tough to capture in a picture, to be honest. They're the sort of thing you have to experience to get the full magical effect.

We didn't climb every mountain....

but we did take a cable car to the top of one part of the Alps.

Yes, these clouds really were at eye level.



I enjoyed the half timbered houses,

the beautiful gardening,

the attention to detail,

tracking down 1000+ year old gates,

and being awestruck by a fortress clearly visible from over 50 miles away.

On occasion we just stumbled upon random spots that had their own unique beauty.

I love the U.S. but there are definitely some things you just can't see until you get to part of the world that was settled by people so much longer ago. There are some parts you can bring back with you though. Aside from a ton of  (ahem) a few pictures, I brought back some great memories and some new food inspirations. This is a food blog after all.

Starting with a little breakfast, I really came to love these pretzel croissants...

and the cherry jam served with them...and the cherry juice available on almost every drink menu.

Did you all know I LOVE tart cherries? Now you do....or you are least starting to get the idea.

Other breakfast options were also tasty, such as, this muesli mixed with chocolate shavings, whole hazelnuts, fresh homemade yogurt and fruit. If you're wondering about the weird orange fruit in the middle, its called a physalis, a.k.a. cape gooseberry, ground cherry, or golden berry in the U.S. I'd never heard of them or seen them prior to this particular morning's breakfast. It was tart with a sweetness that made me want another. The juiciness and texture was like that of a cherry but the flavor was unlike anything I'd eaten.

Did I mention I liked cherries? Then you won't be surprised that I was unable to pass up this cherry strudel. 

There were other tasty treats for breakfast. Not to go unmentioned is the hazelnut croissant horn I had one morning but sadly devoured before taking a picture. I looked online and have failed to find it....I'm going to start checking around for someone with a recipe. If you have one, let me know!!!!

Alright, time to get past breakfast and move on to lunch and supper. These contain pretty much the same options regardless so they're all together here. We found Indian, Thai, Italian, French, and (of course) German food. The Italian was disappointing to me. The pizza was thin crusted...covered with crazy toppings but I guess I just love Americanized pizza. I prefer a bready crust with a touch of sweetness and salt covered with plenty of sauce and cheese. I like a mix of toppings but I prefer salad separate from my pizza.

All the French food we had was fabulous. However, the restaurants didn't seem the sort that it would be ok to pull out your camera. The food honestly wasn't totally photogenic but it was flavorful and tasty. It reminded me that I really need to get rolling through some French recipes.

How about what you can see? First up is fresh spaetzle. Spaetzle is a traditional German pasta. Yes, German's have their own pasta. Cute isn't it? It was thinner than gnocchi so I liked that. Spaetzle is often served with meat and a meat sauce or gravy. Watch out if you have a mushroom allergy though as they occasionally slip them in the meat sauce!

I took a picture of Mel's white asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. It was so odd to see thick white asparagus. The Germans were thrilled with it and were actually celebrating asparagus week since it was just coming into season.

Meanwhile, I was trying out the Nuremburg sausages and Bavarian style potato salad. I learned that potato salad varies by state or region in Germany. Since we were in Bavarian the whole time, the potato salad there was all the same. It was rather like semi mashed potatoes with mustard and vinegar. Not bad but not my favorite variant of potato salad. The Nuremburg sausages were small and very flavorful. One of my favorite sausages of the trip.

Unfortunately, my other favorite sausage of the trip didn't get a photo taken. Wikipedia has one for you though. Saving my favorite for last, I'll spare you the drumroll. I really enjoyed stuffed schnitzel. This is otherwise called cordon blue. In normal terms, its a southern fried pork chop stuffed with ham and cheese. They kinds of ham and cheese varied, for example, I think this one had swiss and maybe pancetta. It was served with Johannisberry sauce. (This is similar to cranberry sauce but a bit sweeter.) In addition, there were potato cakes on the side. It seemed like a dressed up version of food my mom or grandma make. The dress up was pretty simple though and one I plan to repeat in the future.

Last but not least, Germans love ice cream. What a coincidence, me too! Here's an example of some ice cream treats we enjoyed one day to beat the heat. Mine is at the back and has caramel sauce and some hazelnut bits. Yum!

In case you can't tell, it was a great trip. Don't take my word alone though. Pop over to Mel's blog to see her thoughts on the food during the trip.

Oh yeah, new posts are coming!