Christmas in Vienna

One of the most beautiful cities I’ve been to is Vienna, and during the holiday season it is a stunning festival and a treat for the eyes to behold. All dressed up in holiday finery, the streets and buildings are aglow with decorations and lights. Festive Christmas markets seem to appear at every turn adorned with Christmas trees and holiday stalls. Locals and tourists alike are out enjoying the atmosphere, their companions, and a drink or two. It is a joy.

Streets of Vienna

A few years back we were lucky to have an early December business conference in this fine city, so we were able to discover first-hand the magic of Christmas in Vienna. Any time of year Vienna is filled with majestic buildings, fine museums, grand churches, good shopping and restaurants, and a plethora of things to do. In December, the Christmas festivities add a whole other dimension to this beautiful city.

The pedestrian streets are laden with spectacular light displays, colorful decorations, soaring Christmas trees and food and drink stalls. Shops lay out their offerings in beautiful arrangements of gifts and pastries. To stroll these streets at night is something truly special to behold. One night, as we were walking along taking in the sights, the sweet sound of music drifted in the air. As we turned the corner, we saw a tuxedo-clad gentleman playing a grand piano in the middle of the street. How he got that piano there I have not a clue, but it was delightful.

Rathausplatz Christmas Market

Perhaps the biggest treat for me were the Christmas markets. I had never seen anything quite like it. Lights, trees, craft and food stalls, people everywhere ... it truly was an enchanting scene. The biggest, and I guess most touristy, was the Rathausplatz (city hall) market. One night, as I wandered alone among the stalls, it started to gently snow. I have to say it was magical.

We also visited the markets at the Museum Quarter, Belvedere Palace and Schönbrunn.

It was very cold, but the Viennese people were out, gathered around food and drink stalls, thoroughly enjoying themselves as though it was summer.

We not only enjoyed all the Christmas pageantry, but took in many of the traditional sights as well. On our first day we attended a performance by the world-famous Lipizzans, white stallions, at the baroque Winter Riding School at Hofburg Palace. Built under Charles VI, the riding hall looks more like a grand ballroom rather than a place for horses to perform.

Schönbrunn Palace

The Ballet of the White Stallions is the result of years of training for the rider and the Lipizzans. As a horse lover who used to ride in my youth, I was excited to attend a performance and splurged on front row seats in the royal box. To see these magnificent beasts dance so elegantly and effortlessly across the hall was a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience for me.

The following day we ventured out to Schönbrunn Palace via the Underground (U4). Surrounded by beautiful gardens, this baroque palace has a long history. Most recently it was a residence of the Habsburg emperors. Equaled only by the Palace of Versailles in its opulence, Schönbrunn, together with its gardens, was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

It is worth taking a tour of the palace. In addition to European history, the US has a little history of its own there. The palace’s Great Gallery was the sight of the 1961 Vienna summit between President John F. Kennedy and the Russian head of state Nikita Khrushchev.

Belvedere

Outside we enjoyed a warm beverage and the Schönbrunn Christmas market full of trinkets, food and drink.

The next day we stopped by the Naschmarkt, a historic landmark and best fresh food and flea market in the city. I’ll go into a little more detail about this market in a later posting. We then headed to the Belvedere.

With a long history, from museum to Imperial residence and back again, the Belvedere is another stunning Baroque landmark and is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today the Belvedere houses a vast collection of Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The acquisition of some of their pieces of art, including paintings by Gustav Klimt, has been controversial. For almost a decade the Belvedere and the Republic of Austria became entangled in a lawsuit by Maria Altmann. Ms Altmann, who as a young woman had fled Austria for safety in the US, sued to reclaim artwork that had been stolen from her relatives by the Nazis just prior to World War II. Of particular note was Gustav Klimt's iconic painting of her aunt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, renamed The Woman in Gold by the Belvedere.

Delightful Store Windows

Ms Altmann eventually won her claim and the portrait, along with other paintings, was returned to her. Ronald Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder Companies, acquired them for his New York gallery, The Neue Galerie, on the condition they be permanently displayed for all to see and enjoy. The story was made into a terrific movie called Woman in Gold, staring Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann.

But I digress. My husband had to go off to his conference so I was on my own for the rest of the afternoon and our last full day in Vienna. I spent my time visiting churches (including the towering St. Stephen's Cathedral), listening to church music, wandering the festive streets, window shopping, browsing the markets and touring the vast Hofburg complex.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty rulers. Originally a medieval fortified castle dating from the 13th century, the Hofburg was enlarged by each emperor. 

Today it serves as the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria and houses a number of museums and the riding school. It is located right in the center of Vienna. In addition to attending a Lipizzans performance, you can tour the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection. I toured all three and found each one to be both interesting and informative.

From Vienna we took a train to Prague. I’ll discuss the food and café culture of Vienna and our visit to Prague in follow-up postings.

Double the Fun ... Two Parties Instead of One

Well it’s that time again – time to start thinking about holiday entertaining, especially if planning on hosting a large party. It’s lovely to entertain at home, to invite people into your private space – your inner circle. It's a warm and welcoming way of saying how important and valued each relationship is.

Here's a tip that I’ve used at home and professionally: To simplify entertaining, it can make sense to have two smaller parties on consecutive evenings – say one for business and the other for personal friends – rather than inviting everyone to one large event.

The smaller gatherings are more intimate, they provide the opportunity to group people that have the most in common together, and they allow more time for the hosts to spend with each guest.

Because almost all the party items can serve “double duty” when hosting back-to-back parties, it really isn’t much more expensive, if at all, than having one. Flowers, rentals, food and beverages can be used for both with minor tweaking.

I’ve often done this at work where we might have an employee party one evening followed by a customer or business partner event. At home I’ll have a family gathering followed by friends or business colleagues. Now I will say at home, I keep the first night smaller so there is less clean up before the next event.

Anyway, something to think about.

On Comfort Food ... New England Clam Chowder

As much as I enjoy an elegant meal, both the food and its presentation, there is nothing more satisfying than what is referred to as “comfort” food.

People younger than I may picture snack food, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a pint of Häagen-Dazs when they conjure up visions of comfort food. But when I think comfort, I think of foods warm and filling … foods that make you feel toasty warm and cozy; like a soft, comfy blanket or a glowing log crackling in the fireplace. I get nostalgic and harken back to my youth remembering my mother’s stews, soups, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and tapioca pudding.

As it is now December, I am dreading the thought of winter. We had it pretty good last year, but with all the storms that have careened up the coast the last few weeks, and an unusually cold last month, I am concerned that we may be in for a long, hard winter.

Thinking back to the last time we lost power in the winter, during a particularly bitter cold spell, we were forced out of the house once it had become cold enough inside to see our breath. When the power was restored and the heat turned on, it took a number of hours to remove the chill from the house. Hungry, the only thing we wanted was a big bowl of something warm and comforting, but it had to be easy and fast. So what better than a hearty pot of chowder?

To the pantry and fridge I went. Luckily all the ingredients were there, smiling at me … I smiled back, very happy to greet them all.

In a very short while, two piping hot bowls of New England Clam Chowder were on the table. Nothing could have tasted better, not even the most expensive five-star meal in the world could have bested that chowder.

There just are those times when you need that special kind of food that warms your heart and soul …

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This is a quick and easy clam chowder, but it is rich and tasty. Because the recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of flour, it can easily be made gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free flour mixture.

New England Clam Chowder
(Serves 4.)

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 4 strips of cooked bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour (or use a gluten-free flour mix for a GF soup)
• 2 medium red potatoes, diced
• 2 cups bottled clam juice
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
• 2 cans chopped clams (6.5 ounces), drained
• Chowder crackers (optional)

Easy, Comforting New England Clam Chowder

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until just softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the bacon, then the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the potatoes, clam juice, milk and bay leaf.

Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and clams. Cook for 1 minute longer to warm the clams through.

Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with chowder crackers. Serve immediately.

Eggs Benedict

I think my favorite and most decadent brunch item is Eggs Benedict, all silky and luxurious on the top and rough and crispy on the bottom. The combination is a real treat for the mouth as every bite has a blend of textures and tastes that are sure to delight the ham and egg lover.

Substitute a fried green tomato for the ham, or use spinach or artichokes for a meatless dish. For the seafood lover, a layer of moist, flavorful wild smoked salmon makes for a perfect flavor combination. Toast up some gluten-free bread for a GF dish. Eggs are so versatile and they fill you up for the day.

Eggs Benedict
(Serves two when serving 2 eggs per person, four when serving 1 egg per person.)

• 2 English muffins, split, toasted and buttered

• 4 thick slices ham or Canadian bacon, warmed
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (for poaching the eggs)
• 1/2 cup Hollandaise sauce (recipe follows or use a mix such as Knorr)

Hollandaise Sauce
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 cup warm clarified butter*
• 1 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Dash hot red pepper sauce (optional)
• Salt and ground white pepper to taste
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Eggs Benedict

For Sauce: Place the egg yolks and cold water in the top of a double boiler or in a large stainless-steel bowl set up as a double boiler. Off the heat, whisk the egg mixture until it becomes light and frothy. Place the top of the double boiler or the bowl over, not in, barely simmering water and continue to whisk until the eggs are thickened, 2 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the eggs get too hot.

Remove the pan or bowl from over the water and whisk to slightly cool the mixture. Whisking constantly, very slowly add butter, then whisk in lemon juice, pepper sauce and salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water. Serve immediately or keep the sauce warm for up to 30 minutes by placing the bowl in warm (not hot) water.

To poach eggs: In a large skillet, bring 2 inches of water and the vinegar to a boil. Crack one egg into a glass. Reduce water to a simmer and pour egg into water in one quick motion. Quickly add remaining eggs. Let eggs cook for 4-5 minutes. The white should be firm but the yellow should be runny. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

In a non-stick skillet heat the ham or bacon until warm. Toast the English muffins until golden.

To assemble: Place 2 English muffin halves on each plate. Top each with the warmed ham or bacon, poached egg and sauce. Garnish with parsley.

* For Clarified Butter: Place butter in a heavy saucepan and melt slowly over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Skim the foam from the top, and slowly pour into a container, discarding the milky solids in the bottom of pan.

Clarified butter allows meats and fish to be cooked at a higher temperature than regular butter, making it ideal for pan-frying. By clarifying the butter the milk solids that burn quickly are skimmed out, as well as the water and salt. About 1/4 of the original butter amount will be lost during this process. The clarified butter will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for about 1 month.

The Incredible, Edible Egg

Eggs are so good and can be served in so many ways, I just love them, although I don’t eat them all that often.

I’ve never been a breakfast person. My mother used to practically have to shove even a piece of toast down my throat in the morning when I was a kid. But occasionally she would make a “breakfast dinner” for her brood of five, and we all loved it.

She would whip up some fried eggs, either bacon or Jones Dairy Farm sausage links, toast and what she called apple fritters. The apple fritters were not fritters at all, rather homemade pancakes with sliced apple in them. They were delicious all smothered in maple syrup.

We don’t have true breakfast dinners at home, but I occasionally make corned beef hash with a fried egg or a quiche with a big salad for dinner, and they are both tasty and satisfying. So why don’t we have breakfast for dinner? I don’t know, but I think it is a tradition that should become part of our dinner repertoire.

Wild Smoked Salmon with Goat Cheese, Eggs and Capers

Eggs are certainly economical and are quick to prepare, making them a good choice for any meal. I can’t think of a way that I don’t like eggs. Hard boiled they can wind up as egg salad, tossed with greens they become part of a chef or Cobb salad, thrown in with ham or tuna they make a good sandwich, then there are the wonderful deviled eggs … always a buffet favorite.

When we have overnight company it is easy to scramble up some eggs, open a package of wild smoked salmon and voila!, breakfast is served. Or top a crusty baguette with goat cheese, chopped hard boiled eggs, salmon and capers for a nice break from lox, bagels and cream cheese.

Of course when I feel ambitious, I’ll make the perennial favorite, beautiful and velvety Eggs Benedict. I made eggs Benedict for brunch just last Sunday. They are easier than they look, and can be made even simpler if using a mix for the Hollandaise Sauce.

Because of the high cholesterol content of eggs they shouldn’t be eaten in excess, but in moderation they are a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals.

For egg novices, here are some Egg Basics: