Enjoying Austrian Food, Wine and Flowers
Austria is known for its pastries and sweets, a food category right up my alley. There is Apple Strudel and Topfenstrudel (a cream cheese strudel that used to be my favorite). Coiled buns resembling "snails" and our new favorite, Schnecken. Schnecken closely resemble ordinary Cinnamon Buns but are stickier, gooier and filled with nuts or chocolate instead of just cinnamon. The Sachertorte is a torte made with chocolate and glazed with apricot jam (I can take it or leave this torte) and another favorite, the Zwetschkenfleck, an upside-down cake topped with plums and cinnamon. Fortunately, I don't have to pronounce these names in a Bakerei. Just point to one yummy or another...
Entrees you are probably familiar with are Wiener Schnitzel (either a pounded piece of fried pork or veal) and Goulash (plain old stew). Guy, Chef de Cuisine at Hotel Tannahof, prided himself on not serving just "ordinary" Austrian cooking but a more gourmet version that sprung from his French background. Creamed Curry Soup, Guinea Hen in a Zucchini sauce with noodles and even blueberry tarts using fresh blueberries picked by him on the nearby mountains....View image... Never heavy and always a tasty surprise with a very creative touch.
TIP: When taking half-pensions (breakfast and dinner) at your accommodation in Europe, you are customarily offered a choice of two entrees for dinner but, if not, speak up and mention likes and dislikes to the hotel/pension when you arrive. Our short "ick" list is venison, rabbit and strong-tasting fish. They will always be happy to substitute another entree in its place.
Wine. You can never go wrong by asking if there is a house wine or ofen (open) wine available. A 1/4 liter (2-3 glasses) ran about 5 Euros for either a Grüner Veltliner (dry white wine) or a Merlot. The most important wine-producing areas are in Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, and Vienna. TIP: Rather have a bottle of wine? The hotel/pension will save whatever is left, mark your room number on it and serve the next night.
Apologies to beer lovers. We drink wine but you know that Austria and Germany is beer-heaven. Don't need me to expound on that.
The flower-filled Austrian surroundings completed my food and wine trilogy of happiness. Brightly colored blooms outside farmhouses, in gardens, growing wild in the pastures and forests, spilling out of windowboxes....
Austria really is one of my favorite things...
