A Night Like This

I know it's been a while. I actually had a beautiful macaron post typed up and it somehow got eaten up by the internetz. I was pretty bummed out and I'll try to rehash it sometime next month.

I've decided that I am going to trim down my monthly posts from 9 to 5. I can do more but I want to do at least 5. Today is the last day of January and it's my 5th post of the month...how convenient! It just seems less daunting plus, I don't want to start sounding tired.

It has been so darn cold these past few days. We had a wave of warm in the middle of the month (the temps were in the 40's) but for the past few days, it hasn't gone above freezing. I was looking back at some of my pictures from our last trip to Germany and came across the Gleuhwein shots. This stuff was all over Vienna as well. Every place we tried it was a little bit different.

It's a seasonal beverage in the German speaking countries and it's made with mulled wine. My friend Andrew used to live in Germany and he made it a point to tell us that we should definitely try some. The way it's pronounced, I thought he was saying blue wine and the mental image was not pleasant. What was in the wine to make it blue!? How could it possibly taste good!?

When I saw the tent, I felt silly. Gleuhwein! It's served up nice and warm in a commemorative cup. You pay a deposit fee of about 2-3 euros for the mug and the beverage itself is about 2. If you want to keep the cup, you've already paid for it so you're more than welcome to do so. We kept the pretty cup we shared in Vienna. It had a nice picture of the Rathaus which is a huge and gorgeous building. The picture below was the drink we shared in Germany.

As you can see by the pink froth, it isn't blue. :-) It's served up nice and hot but not scalding so you can drink it right away. I didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I did. Even if I did hear it correctly and didn't imagine it to be the wrong color, mulled wine just sounded strange to me! I managed not to write it off and I'm glad I gave it a try. While we were walking around and taking in the sights, this stuff did an excellent job of taking the edge off of the cold weather. It smells really strong but it's quite smooth! Not too sweet with just a hint of spice. Sehr gut!

With the weather being as miserable these past few days, my heart ached when I saw these pictures. I'd give anything right now to warm my hands and kick back with a nice mug of Gluewein! I should try to see if I can dig up a recipe. I did get a lovely German cookbook for Christmas.....

Viennese Coffee

Hello! I'm back from my AMAZING trip to Austria and Germany. I am surprised I was able to fit into my seat on the plane to come home because I ate SO MUCH! I suppose that the large amounts of walking helped! I definitely put some mileage on my Converse! I've been making up for it these past few days by being pretty darn lazy! This jet lag has me barely able to keep my eyes open!

We didn't have a single bad meal the entire time we were away. Everything that passed through my lips was to die for. No joke. I figured I'd kick the post trip posts off with something that Vienna is quite famous for: Coffee!

Coffee in Vienna isn't just a drink, it's an experience. The craftsmanship that goes into each beverage along with the velvety smooth espresso is unmatched. I ordered the same thing every time which was a caffe macchiato

Macchiato translates from Italian as "marked". The dark espresso slightly stains the white foamy milk. A proper macchiato is almost an even mixture of liquid milk and foam. I've had one that comes close at Starbucks but the espresso tastes so scorched that you have to mask it with caramel flavoring. This was perfect. You can see the beautiful layering of the drink in this picture. Pardon the dark shots. I was trying to photograph my food without disrupting other patrons.

We decided to share some dessert to go with our coffee and Chris insisted on Kaiserschmarrn. As you can see in the picture, it is a thick German pancake that is cut into pieces, sprinkled with sugar and served with a warm compote of plums. This picture doesn't really convey how HUGE of a serving that was given to us. We couldn't even finish it which is practically unheard of! Ha! We had some serious food envy from the table next to us when they brought it out. I can't say that I blame them. It should also be stated that Chris had serious drink envy when he tasted my macchiato.

ETA: I went to Starbucks tonight and ordered a macchiato. It tasted like I was drinking a campfire.

Breakfast Date

When you have a kid, it's difficult to step out with your spouse for some couple time without having to make prior arrangements. A simple night out turns into a huge deal once you throw in having to book and pay for a sitter. We try to make a little bit of time for each other every week and we find that the best way to do this is breakfast dates. They are cheaper and more casual plus we both love morning meals! It's a great way to start the day! I'm lucky enough that I don't have to be at work until ten and he can usually get away with taking a little extra time in the morning as well. After Molly gets on the bus, we get cleaned up and we head over to The Blue Rooster.

Cranbury is full of historical buildings and the restaurant is located in a beautiful old home. The outside is cozy and welcoming and that feeling doesn't stop once you step inside. There's a lovely sitting room that is followed by a hostess counter where you can either pick up some coffee and homemade baked goods to go or you can ask to be seated in their charming dining area. Also, they were just recently approved for outside seating. The place is owned by Karen and Bob Finigan. They just returned to their hometown of Cranbury after living in Ireland since 2000. Bob learned old European methods of baking at one of the top culinary schools and worked in two different restaurants in Dublin. His baked goods are a more than solid foundation for this fantastic cafe. It's the only place I know of where you can get a fresh baked pain au chocolat. Two dollars will buy you a little trip to Paris. Get there early because they are sold out about 40% of the time we go.

They have an excellent selection of loose leaf teas which is a huge bonus for me! To top it off, they offer a Chinese flower burst complete with glass pots for your viewing pleasure.

I never get tired of watching it bloom. It's my zen moment. I always order the same thing. The servers all know what I want event though they do ask just to make sure I haven't grown a wild hair.

This is the eggs timbale and they're some of the best scramble I've ever had. They're creamy and delicious. They are served with some of Bob's artisan bread which is the perfect vehicle for....

...sour cherry preserves. My absolute favorite. I don't know of any other place that serves them. I make them every summer and it is a labor of love. I really appreciated discovering that they feature them here. It's the perfect way to top off the eggs and tea.

Sometimes I come here alone if Chris is not available to join me just because it's so enjoyable. I feel very lucky to have it so close by. Walking down the streets of Cranbury before and after such a great meal gives me a sense of peace. The food is great, the people are friendly and the menu is very reasonably priced. My eggs with toast, jam and tea runs a little under $6.00 which is a real bargain considering the quality of the ingredients and the skill with which they are put together.

The Blue Rooster also has afternoon tea and will soon be opening for dinner. I'm sure our family will dine there from time to time. Who knows? We might even be able to have a dinner date!

The Blue Rooster Bakery and Cafe

17 North Main Street
Cranbury, NJ 08512
(609) 235-7539

A Broken Promise

Two summers ago, I took a trip to San Francisco to visit my friend Laura while she was interning at a law office. I have known her for 20+ years, since the sixth grade. We're old married ladies now but it was so much fun to have a girlfriend getaway! I spent eight days there and I really feel like we saw a lot of what the City by the Bay has to offer. We went to Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Japan Town, The Japanese Gardens, Chinatown, Little Italy, The Castro District, Haight Street, Golden Gate Park, the piers and we also did a wine tour. Each night, we walked a few blocks from where we were staying and hung out at a karaoke bar. We sang Don't Stop Believin' together every single time. Fantastic sights, excellent public transportation and a good friend made for quite an unforgettable trip!

When we took the wine tour, we were in this biodiesel van and the driver set up the tours as we went along. We didn't do the touristy Napa Valley, we went to the Russian River Valley instead. There were vineyards as far as the eye could see and I lost count of all of the wineries passed. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and seemed to know most of the wine makers by name. We probably went to about 4-5 wineries and I bought a bottle from two. Each one was $30 which is about 2-3 times my normal budget for a bottle of wine. These babies were special and I wanted to bring something home to Chris that we could enjoy together. On my flight back home to New Jersey, I sat next to this adorable old Italian couple. I told them all about my trip and when I mentioned that I was bringing home some bottles of wine, they made me promise that I wouldn't wait for a "special occasion" to drink them. They told me that when one gets as old as they are, every day is a special occasion. I concurred and I told them that I would enjoy the wine as soon as possible. I lied.

I really tried but I just couldn't bring myself to open the wine just for any old day. $30 wine is a big deal in our household! A year ago, I took one of the bottles along with us for a farewell dinner. Some friends of ours were moving across the pond....one couple to England and the other to Germany. I took great pleasure in sharing our wine and it went over quite well. It was just as good as I remembered. It came from a winery in the town where Charles Schulz resided when he died. Peanuts statues were scattered all over. The winery, Paradise Ridge, had a Snoopy statue. The second bottle of wine came from Longboard Vineyards. The creators have a passion for solid wine and surfing. I remember being blown away by two different tastings and it was difficult to choose which one to buy.

I went with this one. I am sitting on my couch and sipping it...enjoying it...almost two years later. Today is Memorial Day and the fact that I am alive and that most of my family and loved ones are also alive and well seemed like a good enough reason to celebrate and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. My Opa is a veteran of Vietnam and Korea and I am respectful and thankful for his service to our country. I'm blessed that he is still with us and that my Oma, my mother and uncle never had to experience that fateful knocking on the door by uniformed soldiers bearing ultimate devastation. My heart goes out to the thousands of families who have had to endure losing a loved one to war.

Drink with me
To days
Gone by
To the life
That used
To be
Let the wine of friendship
Never run dry
At the shrine of friendship
Never say die
Here's to you
And here's
To me...

-Les Miserables

Cappuccino Kick

This hasn't happened in about a year but I am on sort of a cappuccino wave as of late. I'm able to keep it under control for now. I've had two in the past week so that's not bad. If I could limit my dessert intake to twice a week, I'd be set!

I rarely drink my calories, I drink lot of water and tea and occasionally I'll have some juice or a sweetened iced tea when we go to the only place that I know of in New Jersey that serves it. It's borderline unsweet actually. In the south, it would never fly. As far as fattening coffee drinks go, cappuccinos are about as good as it gets. I always get skim milk and I rarely add flavor. I'll drop in the occasional piece of chocolate if it's available. Of course, I'm usually drinking it with some sort of sweet treat so there's a dangerous correlation there. I don't normally drink coffee and I also don't drink soda so my tolerance for caffeine is low. I get headaches if I don't order decaf.

There are few things more dreamy to me than a perfectly coiffed stack of milk foam. The steam causes the lactose to bind together and the subtle sweetness is the perfect compliment for the slightly bitter espresso. I rarely get cappuccinos because most espresso shots taste like a campfire. If it is pulled with finesse, there will be a slight creamy layer of reddish/beige swirl on the top. This is called crema and it is a result of the fat that naturally occurs in the bean. It also contributes a sweet flavor. Combined with the milk foam, it's heavenly if it's done right. It almost floats right out of your hand! It was always troubling when I worked as a barista and customers would give me a perplexed look after I handed them their drink. They would then proceed to complain that the cup felt too light and there must be some sort of mistake. Obviously they ordered a cappuccino when what they really wanted was a latte which has more hot milk and less foam. I'm the exact opposite. I tend to frown if my cup is too heavy but I never say anything. I realize there are variations on the wet and dry spectrum but sometimes I feel like a snob when I throw too many adjectives into my drink order. There was this one guy who always ordered a latte and and after he gave us the specific stats, he would instruct us to only heat the milk to 115 degrees (We usually do 140). We were total jerks and we made fun of him even though he was always nice about it.

We have a cheapo espresso machine that we got with a JC Pennys gift card during my last cappuccino kick. It's sitting at the bottom of our pantry. It might be time to dust it off.