Winter Wonderland

On Sunday, we went for a brisk stroll in the countryside near Loex. As you can see, the trees were wearing their winter coat of frost.

These snapshots were taken with my smartphone.

Have a great week

Christmas Gift Idea - Apple Chutney

For Christmas I always add a DIY gift that I have made to the main present that I offer. In the middle of November, when I saw this recipe, I knew it would be a spectacular Christmas gift idea. You see, in my entourage, we all love exotic things and Indian food. As luck was on my side, there was a huge promotion on Swiss apples here in the area. So, I prepared this recipe on a Saturday afternoon. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Ingredients (Makes 6 small jars)

1.5kg apples (Golden apples if you prefer a sweeter chutney, Belle de Boskoop apples if you want it more tangy/acidulous)

1 onion

250g of yellow sugar

1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon clove powder

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

250ml of cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into not too large cubes. Finely chop the onion.

2. Put the apples, chopped onion, all the spices, sugar and vinegar in a pan and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir well to mix together all the ingredients and bring to the boil.

3. Reduce the heat to minimum and cook about 30 to 40 minutes until it is a soft, very aromatic mixture.

4. Place chutney, while still hot, in previously sterilised jars, close and store in a dry place.

5. Decorate with a pretty sticker and write down the serving suggestions.

To sterilise jars, wash and thoroughly rinse them in hot water. Place wet jars in a low oven to dry off and keep warm. Fill with hot chutney and cover with a waxed disc (waxed side down). Leave to cool, place a cellophane disc over the top and seal with an elastic band.

Et  voilà one thing done!

Basel Christmas Market

Hello ladies and gents!

Those who have been following my blog for some time now know that I absolutely love this time of year, even the long and dark evenings! It is so beautiful to walk in the richly decorated streets; the only thing missing is snow to make the scene magical.

Christmas markets are undoubtedly one of the events that bring me the greatest pleasure. This comes from my childhood. I grew up in a home where the Christmas season was VERY important; the tree was put up at the end of November and was taken down at the end of January. Around the Christmas tree there were gifts for everyone. Each gift had different wrapping paper and was accompanied by a beautiful Christmas gift tag. I have kept to this day all of these Christmas gift tags, as well as the Christmas cards I received by mail. Our table was a feast for the eyes (and the tummy!) that lasted from Christmas Eve to Saint-Silvestre (New Year’s Eve).

We  often used to go out after dinner to see the city lights, that is to say, the beautiful Christmas decorations that adorned the whole city centre. I really loved doing this, despite the cold. I also adored Christmas fairs and markets - all the craft stuff, the culinary specialties, the goodies, the toys and the fairground rides. This is what excites me every Christmas. I love to find that magic each time. Last year, I shared our getaway to the famous Montreux Christmas Market with you. A couple of days ago, we went to the Basel Christmas Market which is considered the most beautiful Christmas market in Switzerland.

The Basel Christmas Market started on 24 November and lasts until 23 December. Here you can find trees, snow globes, baubles, Christmas figurines, perfumed candles, pine cones, Christmas wreaths, socks and pullovers and mugs with cheeky reindeer on them with large smiles on their faces…all the ridiculous, wonderful things one needs to create a magical Christmas. This is heaven for Christmas addicts.

Tempting food is on offer everywhere you turn…Sometimes you cannot resist. Look at this tasty “Flammlachs im Weizenbrötli mit Salat und Sosse” (Flame grilled salmon sandwich with salad and sauce).

Before our evening dinner we went for a traditional mug of mulled wine, like all the locals do!

Apart from the Christmas Market, Basel is also famous for its Baselworld, the World Watch and Jewellery Show, which usually takes place in the last week of March. Basel has the most charming old town in Europe. The local people are very welcoming. I remember an American expatriate saying “here you find the most gentle and friendly people in Switzerland”. Knowing the city quite well, I couldn’t agree with him more.

If  I don’t keep myself under control, this would be a very long post. Instead I will put together a second episode in January, in which I will tell you more about this beautiful city which I love a lot.

Author Jorge Amado

In  December, I have decided not to write any book reviews, but instead to help you discover and recommend to you two great writers. Here is the first one, Jorge Amado.

Jorge Amado was born on August 12, 1912 in Ilhéus, Bahia, whose society he portrays in acclaimed novels such as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon. His father was a cocoa planter and his first novel, Cacao, published when he was nineteen, is a plea for social justice for the workers on the cocoa estates south of Bahia. The theme of class struggle continued to dominate his novels in the 1930s and 40s, but with the 50s and Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1958), the political emphasis gave way to a lighter, more novelistic approach. It was in this novel, published in the United States when Amado was fifty and enthusiastically received in some fourteen countries, that he first explored the rich literary vein pursued in Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. Jorge Amado died in 2001.

Jorge Amado has been called “one of the greatest writers...also the most entertaining”. I totally agree with that. In fact, he is one of my preferred writers. I laugh so much when I read his books that people around me think I’m mad. He is the only author I know who has the ability to make the most dramatic and sad situation seem funny, even anecdotal. In his books, he describes a group of characters that are linked in some way to each other. He has great attention to detail for each of the characters, he even gives them nicknames. These multiple characters come to life and create a community or a town. We get carried away by their lives, their world.

Countdown to Christmas!

Hello Everyone,

I’m back from a two week break, feeling refreshed and ready to go... I hope you have been having fun while I’ve been away?

Look at what Sweetheart gave to me so that I could count down the days to Christmas. Do you follow the advent calendar tradition?

Lots of Love