This past week marked the beginning of Oktoberfest, the Autumn celebration that started in Munich, Germany, almost 200 years ago. It has since spawned festivals everywhere in the world, from Cincinnati to Brazil. Aside from the beer and German delicacies, the event also includes cultural entertainment and attractions.
Although
cheesecakes squares or
macaroons are delightful options, my birthday party won't be complete without a birthday cake. Chocolate cake is my favorite and this interesting twist on the classic German chocolate cake is unexpected and scrumptious.
Since my party is at a bar,
15 Romolo, I'll show up early enough for the bartenders to securely store the cake in a refrigerator.
"You can call the operator/For the Super Perforator. . ."
I used to be one of those people who avoided Rieslings because of their overly sweet nature. However, I have since learned, from bottles like this 2006 Affentaler Blue Monkey Riesling, that dry (not sweet) Rieslings are abundantly available.
Crisp and clean, this lush white was smooth and highly drinkable.
If hamsters were bipedal, dancing theme park entertainers, would they have blond, curly hair? And wear cowboy hats? Would they engage in heinously choreographed line-dancing and booty shake for curiously large crowds of potentially deranged peeps?
Every year CasaSugar and her sweetie throw a big, holiday party called a Feuerzangenbowle. The place is well decorated with
homemade-snowflake chandeliers, but the highlight of the party is the actual Feuerzangenbowle — German for "tongs of fire punch" — which contains fruity and mulled wine and a flaming rum. A sugar cone is soaked in rum and placed above the punch.
Oktoberfest is Germany's most popular festival and it definitely involves lots and lots of beer! Although I've yet to attend the festival, my buddy Leo goes every year and has filled me in all of the fun. Have you attended?
In the world's oldest cookbook,
The Apicius Cookery, the sausage making process is described, making it one of the earliest forms of processed meat known to mankind. Today the bratwurst, perhaps the most popular sausage, is celebrated at the annual
Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus, Ohio. It's disputable who is the official bratwurst capital of the world; Bucyrus claims to be, as does Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Ice Wine
A type of dessert wine that is made with frozen grapes. The grapes are picked and pressed when frozen and only the grape juice is used in the wine making process. The majority of the water is frozen so the pressed grape juice is highly concentrated resulting in a very sweet wine.
Love your Rollerblades in the summer? Now you can convert your inline skates to snowlerblades.
Skate Sliders are skiing blades you attach to your Rollerblade boots, so they won't just sit in the closet all winter collecting dust.
