#Garden in the Wachau

[antoniettabrandeisova]

Garden in the Wachau (detail), c. 1939. Hugo Charlemont (Austrian, 1850–1939)

[saurabhanandtripzygo]

Experience Austrian Charm Top Attractions to Include in Your Europe Tour

When planning your European adventure, make sure to carve out some time for Austria—a country brimming with cultural richness, stunning landscapes, and historic marvels. Here are some must-visit attractions that will add a touch of Austrian charm to your Europe tour:

1. Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace

Step into the opulence of the Habsburg dynasty at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna's most famous historical site. Wander through the lavish rooms, stroll in the beautiful gardens, and don't miss the Gloriette for a panoramic view of the city.

2. Salzburg’s Old Town

Immerse yourself in the baroque architecture and musical legacy of Salzburg. The birthplace of Mozart, this charming town offers picturesque streets, the grand Hohensalzburg Fortress, and beautiful Mirabell Gardens.

3. Hallstatt

This fairy-tale village on the shores of Lake Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its serene beauty, traditional Alpine houses, and stunning lake views make it a perfect day trip destination.

4. Innsbruck’s Golden Roof

Nestled in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck is known for its winter sports and imperial architecture. Visit the Golden Roof, a landmark with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles, and explore the charming old town.

5. The Wachau Valley

For wine enthusiasts, the Wachau Valley is a must-visit. This stunning region along the Danube River is known for its exquisite white wines, medieval castles, and beautiful vineyards.

6. Melk Abbey

A masterpiece of baroque architecture, Melk Abbey overlooks the Danube River and offers breathtaking views. Its lavish interior, stunning library, and beautiful gardens make it a must-see.

7. The Austrian Alps

Whether you’re an avid skier or simply love breathtaking mountain views, the Austrian Alps are a highlight. Regions like Tyrol and Vorarlberg offer picturesque villages, ski resorts, and hiking trails.

From historic palaces and charming towns to stunning natural landscapes, Austria has something for everyone. Make sure to include these top attractions in your Europe tour for an unforgettable journey through Austrian charm and beauty.

[tynatunis]

#Repost daily.art.daily.picture

👨‍🎨Hugo Charlemont

🖌Garden in the Wachau, 1939

-Oil on Canvas

-Impressionism

Certainly Charlemont makes you feel very nice about the warmth in garden compositions. The combination of shadow and sunlight gives the detail that the work was made in the evening hours. Whichever side is looked at, orange, green, brown and red colors come to the fore in the composition where there are flowers planted in pots or in the ground. The work, which was created with short brush marks and strokes, reminded me of "A Garden Idyll".

#gustavklimt #henriedmond #gustavecaillebotte #vincentvangogh #claudemonet #impressionist #paulcezanne #henrymoret #impressionistart #oilpaint #camillepissarro #art #gabrielemünter #gustaveloiseau #georgesbraque #giorgiomorandi #alfredsisley #giovannigiacometti #andréderain #alexisgritchenko #camillepissarro #childehassam  #fypp #claudemonet #henriedmond #henrimartin #henrymoret #fypシ #henrimatisse #augusteherbin #salvadordali #impressionist #impressionistart #impressionism

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[septembergold]

[aphrodite-would-be-proud]

🕯 Anon said: I can hardly ever find someone who writes for Moblit? Could we have some more relationship headcannons? Hes one of my favorite characters yet hes so underrated! 🕯

Moblit relationship HCs

{ Moblit x reader | tw:none | fluff | modern }

{ "Garden in the Wachau" by Hugo Charlemont 1850 - 1939 }

His weakness is puppy eyes and honey glazed words, will tremble and his logic stops whenever you play the role, guaranteed to work 99.9% of the time.

Very fun to poke at, tease and fluster, will get defensive in an instant and tries to play it off but you can clearly see him huffing. Don't worry deep down he enjoys it.

Amazingly good at sketching and art in general, even with a number 2 pencil and the cheapest sketchbook out there, he will create a masterpiece.

Really good at shading, lining and having strong stable lines. Pretty good at mechanical designs and even architectural floor plans. On top of that he can draw faces and anatomy, sketches people a lot as practice when he's bored.

Speaking of that, whenever he's working on paperwork or making a work sketch, he finds himself drawing parts of you at the corner of each page surrounded by little hearts.

He also draws you a lot in general, would just glance up at you and study your features for a good meeting before getting to work, he finds it so relaxing that he uses it as warm up when his brain won't cooperate.

Really thankful and smiley whenever you get him art supplies since he runs out of them pretty quickly, will give you the most heartwarming smile you've ever seen just because you brought him a new sketchbook on your way home.

Pretty good at eye measuring stuff, can accurately point an objects dimensions without a measuring tape. It's a really useful skill when furniture shopping.

Listen to him when he says that couch is too big for your living room, he knows what he's talking about.

Will reluctantly help you move it if you still decide to buy it, but will be all huffy about it.

Will also be grumpy the next day when he has to move it again so you can return it because it turned out it really was too big for the living room and you kept accidentally hitting your leg against it.

Despite his grumpiness and "i told you!" Attitude, he will still help you without hesitation or for you to ask.

The trick is to give him a small "thank you" kiss and that will shut him up, he'll instantly forget what he was even complaining about and just immediately be wrapped around your finger again.

No matter how long you've been together, he still gets surprised whenever you kiss or hug him. He blinks for a few seconds as he process what just happened.

It's probably because his mind still hasn't caught up to the fact he now has someone to be intimate with, having always thought he'd end up one of those guys married to work.

So whenever you remind him that, hey you're actually here and still with him, he still gets that warm and fuzzy feeling each time like cotton filled his brain and he can't think about anything beside you and how the clouds wouldn't compare to the softness in his heart when you call his name.

Since you came into his life, the colours have been a lot more vibrant and the chaos that is his constant overthinking brain finally began to calm down a lot more.

The type to give you his, scarf, jacket, gloved and even hat if you show any sign of being cold, he'll just do it without question and takes your hands in his to blow a warm breathe on them.

Also the type to take whatever you're holding and carry it for you instead, no matter how heavy or light, he'll just continue the conversation like it's nothing.

Whenever he's tired, he doesn't like to talk about it, he just buries his head in your shoulder and takes a small nap as he vents to you about his worries.

Plays multiple instruments actually, doesn't like bringing it up because he thinks it's not that impressive. 

He's genuinely a very artistic person by nature, yet chose the path of experiments and mathematics.

Sometimes he will think which will sound better, if he took your last name or if you took his. He has these thoughts a lot throughout the day but doesn't bring them up.

Quick reflexes. Can and will catch anything you dropped, catch something before it spills and knows when to save a document before the app crashes. 

Really really likes it when you come for him for help, even for mondaine stuff. It doesn't show much but inside he's beaming, he actually even expects it and will get pouty if you don't.

Has a hard time asking you or anyone for help though, you'll have to subtly initiate it first.

Gets nervous if someone watches him while he's drawing, will mess it up, especially if it's you.

Doesn't...get hints or Flirting much, for someone so smart he sure is oblivious. It isn't that he doesn't understand it but it's more he doesn't think that's the way you meant it.

Yeah, romantically he's very awkward.

Yet very easy to read once you catch on to a couple things, his body language and voice tone almost makes him an open book.

If you mention something you like or show him something you're interested in, he will save that information in his brain till an occasion arrives.

He remembers everything, every single thing.

Will get you that thing or something related to the Internet in the span of a few weeks. His logic is that if you want something surely it is his job to get it isn’t it? 

Likes to provide, a lot. 

Is pretty good at cooking, terrible at baking. 

Makes a lot of small sacrifices for you throughout his day without mentioning them.

Like getting the kind of chips you like instead of his, making your favourite food for dinner instead of his, picking candles in your favourite scent instead of his, getting things in your favourite colour, etc.

Will jump in your defence without a second thought if he saw you being uncomfortable, literally pushes himself in front you.

Doesn't wear ties because...he's terrible at them, they always end up messy, too loose or too tight.

Hange 100% teases him about it, even though they don't know how to tie one either.

If you do it for him, he will actually melt into a puddle on the floor and end up on his toes the whole day.

Will secretly intentionally untie it just so you can fix it for him.

[lescuriositesdelafoire]

Hugo Charlemont, Garden in the Wachau

[rhonddaandallaneuro]

Another bus trip to Passau where our boat is docked. The trip scheduled to start in Nuremberg changed due to not enough water in the Danube. An unexciting drive through tall trees and farm lands. Our actual berthing for the boat about thirty minutes past Passau in a little town Engelhartszell that has a huge Austrian beer garden and another church. Hahah Some of the other passengers are complaining about losing a days sailing but to be fair what else can the tour people do. They have been so obliging and you only think about something you want and it is there. The cruise guides still trying to fill in time (we are ahead of actual river cruising due to not starting at Nuremburg) we were taken into Passau for a day tour. A city built at the mouth of the Danube along with two other rivers it is again has stoned paved roads and footpaths. Very hard on the feet but worth the effort with again a massive church and old town centre. Back to the ship a nanny nap was in order prior to starting what seems to be endless eating. The food on board is amazing and you can basically find something to eat 24 hours per day. The entertainment on board is also some of the best we have had the pleasure of viewing. Finally on Monday we hit the river, so to speak, cruising down to Lintz a total of 45 minutes away. Hahaha More food and great entertainment with a walking tour of the city which has some incredible history.also the place where Adolf Hitler lived as a young man and went to technical school. Took a tram to the church high up the mountain before taking the time to eat the local pastry delicacy, from the oddest bakery in the world. Very nice. Entertainment tonight being the movie "Casablanca" which was great with popcorn. Hahah This is the latest we have stayed up going to bed after 11pm. Tuesday saw an early rise so we could visit the Melk Abbey which is huge taking the decision to walk down through the town back to the boat. This is one site that is a must for anyone coming through this way. The rest of the day we have spent cruising through Wachau Valley which has castle after castle to view. Each with it own story. Amongst these castles you get to see vineyard after vineyard. Went through one of the numerous water locks the Danube has. This one was nearly a 20 metre drop from one level to another. Must also mention the nuddies that line the shores. We even had a nudist couple in a speed boat travelling next to the ship. Arrived finally in Vienna (Wien to us locals) where we did a night sight seeing tour ending at the local arts theatre where we were able to sit through a series of opera, dance and orchestral music. Actually very good but the room was so hot. The final song on the program the "Blue Danube" waltz which was a great way to cap of the night. Back on the ship we elected stay up with the big people but given we could not fit another piece of food in settled for water and coffee. We just could not see where these people could fit in a fourth main meal for the day with a dish of goulash. Slept in as big people do but made the bus to do the city tour. The guide knew her stuff and the walk through the old area was worth the pain (cobblestone pathways). We are in port today as they are numerous other tours you can do but have decided to have a chill out afternoon (rest our feet). Wednesday we are doing a banquet for the people leaving us on Friday in Budapest. We are going on to Bucharest (Romania) but it will be nice to get dressed up as the dinner will be formal. The tour of Budapest was great seeing the old palaces, church's and historical sites as you do along with some of the best and most varied bridges in such a small place. They have a site where there is 60 pair shoes, cast in iron, representing the 600,000 Jews killed in the last year of the war by the local nazis. We will never get over how cruel our human race can be at times. One last venture to the local tourist market saw us return with all our money. These guys obviously do not understand that markets are cheap. Haha. I must mention that the night lights tour of Budapest is a must to all visitors with neon lights banned within the city making the view very mystical and fairy light. The city is beautiful. I must also say that sharing your birthday with the crew and other guests was a lot of fun and the candle a must have for future cakes. Hahah Our last outing today we are going to spend just walking around the city looking for free wifi, which is very hard to get. The "Iron Curtain" may be gone but some things are still way behind what we expect in the western world. If we are successful this story should be up on Friday. If not I can not promise when. We are today setting sail to Bucharest and then straight to Egypt. Apologies if we are off line for a while.

[nebris]

Aggstein Castle is a ruined castle on the right bank of the Danube in Wachau, Austria. It was built in a strategic position on a rocky crag in the 12th century, but little of the original structure remains. In 1429, it was razed and rebuilt by Jörg Scheck von Wald, and the three-storey women's tower, the palace and the Gothic chapel date back to this period, as does the famous rose garden. Anna Freiin von Polheim und Parz carried out renovations in the early 17th century, but after her death, the building deteriorated and stones and timber were removed for use in the construction of a nearby Servite convent.

[steliosagapitos]

     Belvedere Palace

   The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre. It houses the Belvedere museum. The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates. The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy.

The Belvedere was built during a period of extensive construction in Vienna, which at the time was both the imperial capital and home to the ruling Habsburg dynasty. This period of prosperity followed on from the commander-in-chief Prince Eugene of Savoy's successful conclusion of a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire.

On 30 November 1697, one year after commencing with the construction of the Stadtpalais, Prince Eugene purchased a sizable plot of land south of the Rennweg, the main road to Hungary. Plans for the Belvedere garden complex were drawn up immediately. The prince chose Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as the chief architect for this project rather than Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the creator of his Stadtpalais. Hildebrandt (1668–1745), whom the general had met whilst engaged in a military campaign in Piedmont, had already built Ráckeve Palace for him in 1702 on Csepel, an island in the Danube south of Budapest. He later went on to build numerous other edifices in his service. The architect had studied civil engineering in Rome under Carlo Fontana and had gone into imperial service in 1695–96 in order to learn how to build fortifications. From 1696 onwards, records show that he was employed as a court architect in Vienna. As well as the Belvedere, Hildebrandt’s most outstanding achievements include the Schloss Hof Palace, which was also commissioned by Prince Eugene, the Schwarzenberg Palace (formerly known as the Mansfeld–Fondi Palace), the Kinsky Palace, as well as the entire Göttweig Monastery estate in the Wachau Valley.

   At the time that the prince was planning to buy the land on the outskirts of Vienna for his Belvedere project, the area was completely undeveloped – an ideal place to construct a landscaped garden and summer palace. However, a month before the prince made his acquisition, the imperial Grand Marshal Count Heinrich Franz Mansfeld, Prince of Fondi, purchased the neighboring plot and commissioned Hildebrandt to build a garden palace on the land. To buy the plot, Prince Eugene was forced to take out a large loan secured against his Stadtpalais, which was still in the process of being built. He bought additional neighboring areas of land in 1708, 1716, and again in 1717–18 to allow him to expand the garden in stages.

Records indicate that the construction of the Lower Belvedere had started by 1712, as Prince Eugene submitted the request for a building inspection on 5 July 1713. Work proceeded swiftly, and Marcantonio Chiarini from Bologna started painting the quadratura in the central hall in 1715. The ambassador from the Spanish Flanders visited the Lower Belvedere, as well as the Stadtpalais, in April 1716. Extensive work was carried out on the grounds at the same time as construction went ahead on the Lustschloss, as the Lower Belvedere was described on an early cityscape. Dominique Girard changed the plans for the garden significantly between January and May 1717, so that it could be completed by the following summer. Girard, who was employed as fontainier du roi, or the king’s water engineer, in Versailles from 1707–15, had started working as a garden inspector for the Bavarian elector Maximilian Emanuel from 1715 onwards. It was on the latter’s recommendation that he entered Prince Eugene’s employ. The statuary for the balustrade is the best known work of Giovanni Stanetti.

   The construction of the Upper Belvedere began as early as 1717, as testified by two letters that Prince Eugene sent from Belgrade to his servant Benedetti in summer 1718, describing the progress of work on the palace. Construction was so far advanced by 2 October 1719 that the prince was able to receive the Turkish ambassador Ibrahim Pasha there. The decoration of the interior started as early as 1718. In 1719 he commissioned the Italian painter Francesco Solimena to execute both the altarpiece for the Palace Chapel and the ceiling fresco in the Golden Room. In the same year Gaetano Fanti was commissioned to execute the illusionistic quadratura painting in the Marble Hall. In 1720 Carlo Carlone was entrusted with the task of painting the ceiling fresco in the Marble Hall, which he executed from 1721–23.

The building was completed in 1723. The Sala Terrena, however, was at risk of collapsing due to structural problems, and in the winter of 1732–33 Hildebrandt was forced to install a vaulted ceiling supported by four Atlas pillars, giving the room its current appearance. Salomon Kleiner, an engineer from the Mainz elector's court, produced a ten-part publication between 1731 and 1740 containing a total of ninety plates, entitled Wunder würdiges Kriegs- und Siegs-Lager deß Unvergleichlichen Heldens Unserer Zeiten Eugenii Francisci Hertzogen zu Savoyen und Piemont ("Wondrous war and victory encampment of the supreme hero of our age Eugene Francis Duke of Savoy and Piedmont"), which documented in precise detail the state of the Belvedere complex.

      Jean Luca von Hildebrandt

  Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (14 November 1668 – 16 November 1745) was an Austrian baroque architect and military engineer who designed stately buildings and churches and whose work had a profound influence on the architecture of the Habsburg Empire in the eighteenth century. After studying in Rome under Carlo Fontana, he constructed fortresses for Prince Eugene of Savoy during his Italian campaigns, becoming his favorite architect. In 1700 he became court engineer in Vienna, and in 1711 was named head of the court department of building. He became court architect in 1723. His designs for palaces, estates, gardens, churches, chapels, and villas were widely imitated, and his architectural principles spread throughout central and southeast Europe. Among his more important works are Palais Schwarzenberg, St. Peter's Church, and Belvedere in Vienna, Savoy Castle in Ráckeve, Schönborn Palace in Göllersdorf, and Schloss Hof.

   Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt was born on 14 November 1668 in Genoa (Italy).

Hildebrandt was the son of an Italian mother and a German father. Hildebrandt studied under C. Fontana in Rome, and he studied civil and military engineering under Prince Eugene of Savoy also in Rome, and military engineering in Piedmont. Hildebrandt became the favorite architect of Prince Eugène.

In 1696, Hildebrandt established himself thereafter in the Austrian capital, Vienna, where he worked for such noble families as the Dauns, Harrachs, Schönborns, and Starhembergs, and also Prince Eugene himself.

    In 1700, Hildebrandt became Hofburg court engineer, in 1711, head of the Court dept. of building, and in 1723, Hildebrandt became Hofburg Court architect. At the Hofburg, however, Hildebrandt could not assert himself against the rivalry of the two Fischer von Erlachs (father Johann Bernhard and son Joseph Emanuel) and worked mainly for aristocrats. Unlike the monumental works of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Hildebrandt's works seem more committed at a personal level and include more decorative elements. This helped his popularity spread to the middle class. Hildebrandt united Italian and French elements and shaped the development of the baroque style in south Germany and Austria.

Hildebrandt was also involved in many great projects which were developed by other architects (e.g. Würzburg, Göttweig Abbey, Pommersfelden, Palais Schwarzenberg).

From 1713 to 1716, he was employed by the wealthy and powerful Kinsky family of Austria, building their residence, the Palais Kinsky, in Vienna. From 1723 on, he was inspector-general of the imperial buildings. His two best known works, the Upper Belvedere (1721–1722) and the Lower Belvedere (1714–1716), were both commissioned by Prince Eugene of Savoy.

Hildebrandt also worked in Bavaria on the Pommersfelden castle known as Schloss Weißenstein.

Hildebrandt built numerous city palaces in Vienna (e.g. Daun-Kinsky, 1716), his religious buildings are also of great importance (St. Peter's Church and Maria Treu Piaristenchurch in Vienna, Teutonic Church in Linz, or Dominican Church in Gabel, Czech Republic).

Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt died on 16 November 1745 in Vienna.

   Even though known as the foil to Fischer von Erlach, Jean Luca von Hildebrant (1668-1745) was treat as a well and prestige architect. His career started a year later than Erlach's which is how Hildebrant was able to make his own idiom. Hildebrant could be described as genial, wordly, temperamental figure. Despite his training as a military engineer, he was a designer and a decorator. Many asked for his assistance on designs for already plans or existing buildings. He as also known for the ribbon-work ornament to Austria. The Schönborns, the Harrache, and Prince Eugene were a few who consulted Hildebrant for his opinion in the decor for their country and suburban houses.

Upper Belvedere, viewed as the center piece of a building composition suitable for a hero, began construction in the 18th century. The palace was a summer residence for the general Prince Eugene of Savoy. The palace is known to hold very valuable collectibles for example pieces of Franz Anton Maulbertsch, who was a Austrian painter. The building is well-known as one of the most impressive monuments of Baroque architecture. The Palace has different rooms which were decorated using Baroque and Rococo techniques.

[itravelonmystomach]

While walking to our hotel in Vienna on a bright July afternoon, my husband Mark and I turned a corner and found ourselves in Mariahilferstr, a pedestrian shopping street. On the corner is a souvenir shop called Bruder Kohn. My shopping antenna went up hoping they might sell Austrian snowglobes that I collect. We had just completed a four hour city bike tour, and Mark, bordering on hangry, was ‘unhappy’ when I wanted to go in. ‘Let’s get back to the hotel and clean up” he moaned. “I need to get something to eat too.”

But, oh no– I was on a snowglobe replacement mission. I collect high end ones. Yes, they exist. And the Viennese are very good at this thing. We had visited Vienna for New Years 17 years before and I had bought several snowglobes – one with a kugelhopf cake floating in the snow and another with a pile of chocolate glazed donuts.   The kugelhopf globe had broken and I was determined to find a replacement.

Bruder Kohn is a small, polished wood paneled delight of Austrian made products. An old fashioned bell on the heavy wooden door jingled as we entered the shop and before me I beheld four shelves of snowglobes. A veritable blizzard.

Marilyn Kohn, the owner, stood behind the counter. A woman in her seventies with dark hair and welcoming eyes, she is still minding the family store.   Mark stood to the side exchanging pleasantries with her while I, mouth open and pulse racing, was drawn to the shelves.   Showing what I thought was great restraint I chose 4 globes; a large kugelhopf, a small kugelhopf , a large donut and a snowman.

Mark took out his credit card to pay.   She looked at it and said.   “Ohhhh, Lampl”   “that’s Austrian!”

“My grandfather was from Vienna and left before WWI – he went to the University of Vienna. He lived here when Lampl was a common Jewish name.”

“I’m Jewish too” she said.

“Really?” my husband said, “Were you born here?”

“No. My mother was a nurse in London before World War II. I was born there and we came back after the war. This shop has been in my family for several generations, but, was confiscated by the Nazis. We were one of the few who received reparations – believe it or not Germany was better about reparations than Austria.”

We were alone with her in the shop and continued talking for another twenty minutes.   Mark forgot he was hungry and that I was obsessively buying snowglobes. She went on to tell us that most of her family was killed in the concentration camps during WWII.   But, an uncle, Walter Kohn, escaped Austria on the last Kindertransport, the humanitarian program that brought thousands of Jewish children to Great Britain from Nazi Germany and Austria. Eventually he made his way to the United States by way of London and Canada. In 1998 he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The reality of what was lost was not lost on us.   I asked her why her parents brought her back to Vienna after such horror. “They wanted to come home – to them Vienna was still home. There is still a Jewish community here.”

“As a surprise to my husband, I was hoping to find a Lampl or perhaps someone connected – I searched the Jewish Gen website to see if I could connect Mark with family even if it was just a former address.   But, I couldn’t find anything.   So here I am replacing something small that was lost,” I told Marilyn. Instead we had found this shop and made this connection.

“Why all the globes with pastries?” she asked.

“Oh, I love to bake and I love miniatures – a perfect combination for me.”

Ahhh she said. While you’re in Vienna you must try this dessert– it is a summer specialty made when apricots are in season so you are in luck. She wrote the name on a sticky note and handed it to me. Marillenknodel .

I put the sticky note in my purse as we got up to leave. She walked us to the door and we shook hands and touched each other’s arms. Just as we opened the door a small group walked in.

We spent the next day – a damp and rainy one – with Viennese friends, Gunter and Elsa, who took us to the Wachau Valley vineyards for a heurige tour, tasting and dinner. A heurige is a family owned vineyard, wine garden and restaurant.   Despite the uncooperative weather, we had a wonderful time at the corny tour and the tasting at the end was divine. From there we went to dinner.   We stepped down to the charming, cavelike restaurant with stone walls and on this soggy evening there was a fire burning and the tables were candlelit. Crazy charming.

Over a glass of Gruner Veltliner we caught up on our children, summer plans and work.   We enjoyed a delicious farm to table (where else would it come from and go to?) meal of weiner schnitzel, fresh salad and grainy bread.

Elsa asked if we would like something sweet to end the meal. She and I like to cook so she told me there was an apricot dessert she would love me to try. I dug in my purse and took out the Marillenknodel sticky note. Is this it? I asked. “Yes” she said surprised. “I thought I would be introducing you to something that you had not heard of.” Sigrid asked the waitress if the dessert was being served. The waitress shook her head no and explained why in German to Elsa. Elsa told me that the young women apologized but the apricot delivery had just arrived and they wouldn’t be serving it till tomorrow.   A disappointment. The waitress cleared our plates and went back in the kitchen.   A few moments later she reappeared and said she had spoken to the chef and that if we wouldn’t mind waiting he would make it for us. Not at all.

We told our friends about meeting Marilyn and how deeply it had affected us. There are no accidents I said. I had been searching for something of Mark’s heritage and found Marilyn while trolling for snowglobes.

We began talking about World War II and Gunter told us about his father.   His father had died several years before and never spoke about the war until before his death.     He haltingly spoke of his 16 year old father who was given the choice to join the army or be shot. He joined, and, at 17, he became a POW held by the Americans in France. When the Americans got word that the war was ended they released him. “Go home”, they said when they saw his papers and that he was a 17 year old boy.   His father told him that if he knew what he would see and be involved with he would have asked the Austrian officers to shoot him in the head. But, he was 16 and wanted to live. Gunter’s voice cracked.

“We all want the same, don’t you think?” I said. “For our children to be safe. Well, not all of us.”

The Marillenknodel, a dumpling redolent of apricot and sprinkled with powdered sugar arrived and we enjoyed the warm and sweet delicacy. Memory, sweet and salty, was the main ingredient.

  MARILLENKNODEL

10.5 ounces of low fat farmers cheese

1 scant cup of all purpose flour

½ stick (2 oz.) of unsalted butter at room temperature

½ tsp. vanilla sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp salt

10 apricots

10 cubes of sugar

garnish:

¾ cup of breadcrumbs approx.

1 stick of unsalted butter

confectioners sugar

Beat softened butter with vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt until creamed. Mix in the egg, farmers cheese and flour until it forms a dough.

Place dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and put in a cool place for approximately 30 minutes.

Remove pits from apricots and place a sugar cube in the center of each one.

Flour a work surface and shape the dough into a roll approx. 2 ½ inches thick.

Cut into slices and gently press them flat between your hands. Place an apricot in the dough and shape the dough around it. Seal well. With floured hands form them into dumplings and place on a floured board.

6.  In a large pot boil slightly salted water and then lower the heat. Place the dumplings    into the water and simmer for 10-12 minutes stirring carefully so that they don’t stick together.

7.  Garnish: Melt the butter in a sauté pan. Add the breadcrumbs and cinnamon and toast till golden brown.

Remove the cooked dumplings carefully and roll in the garnish. Dust with confectioners sugar. This will remind you of a snowy snowglobe!

TIP: Cook a single ‘tester’ dumpling before filling with apricot to ensure that your dough is working. If necessary, add a little more flour to dough.

                                        Vienna While walking to our hotel in Vienna on a bright July afternoon, my husband Mark and I turned a corner and found ourselves in Mariahilferstr, a pedestrian shopping street.

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Garden in the Wachau, c. 1939. Hugo Charlemont (Austrian, 1850–1939)

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News & interesting tips on POS Hardware & Point of Sale.

After near-complete obscurity, the oldest wines in documented history are making a comeback. Called amber wines in the country of Georgia, where they originated eight thousand years ago, orange wines, as they are often called today, are moving into some of Texas’s hottest new restaurants and wine bars. A handful of Texan wineries are even making them now. 

At Bar & Garden Dallas, managing partner Julie Buckner Lane says she has seen a “steady influx of interest” in orange wine, particularly after it was featured in season two of Netflix’s Dead to Me, a dark comedy centered on two women who tank up on wine. A neighbor comes over with a bottle, and Jen, the tragicomedy’s irascible main character, responds: “What the f— is orange wine?”

To answer a question commonly asked at Bar & Garden, orange wine isn’t made from oranges. It’s simply white wine made in the manner of red wine—meaning the grapes are fermented with the skins on. They are sometimes orangish in hue, but they can also resemble a pale white wine, a rosé, or a scotch whiskey. They can be cloudy or clear; bone dry, sour, or floral. A few sparkle like a pét-nat. The term most commonly used to describe them, though, is versatile. In recent years, some of Texas’s more avant-garde restaurants and bars have started including them on wine lists. 

Bujar Yuri Tukuli, the lead sommelier at Monarch, a new, ultra-swanky Italian restaurant in downtown Dallas, touts orange wines as having the “perfect profile if you’re tired of [drinking] red and white.” They can complement the flavors of most any type of cuisine, and he considers them to be the best wine pairing for Texas barbecue. Fuller orange wines with tannins, which add astringency and bitterness, contrast well with smoky meats and don’t overpower the main show with the jammy fruit of a red. The most important thing when enjoying these wines, Tukuli says, is to serve them slightly chilled—at 55 to 57 degrees, to be exact.

Tukuli has tasted over 1,500 orange wines in the past two years, including in Georgia, the birthplace of minimal-intervention winemaking, with around 100,000 wineries still existing today. Since 2015, consulting agency Marq Wine Group has collaborated with Georgian winemakers to help them expand their reach into U.S. markets. Managing partner Julie Peterson says distribution of Georgian wines has sustainably grown year after year as more Americans seek them out. 

The reality, however, is that orange wines can take time to get used to—an acquired taste, perhaps. Wine writer Richard Betts wrote “Why Tecate Is Greater Than Orange Wine” for Forbes in 2013, in which he blasts the wines for resembling kombucha (it’s true). He walked away from his time in Friuli, Italy, where the style was revived in the ’90s, “feeling as though we could make those exact same orange wines in Texas. . . . Terroir be damned.” (I’ll go ahead and assume Betts hadn’t visited any Texas wineries when he wrote that dismissive line.) Another wine blogger, Ron Washam, calls orange wine the Kardashians of wine. “Please, just quietly die,” he writes.

But orange wines are not dying. Today in Texas, Vincent Henderson of Austin-based Henderson Selections supplies around forty orange wines to restaurants and bars throughout the state, which is about 3 percent of his total portfolio. He says he “does and doesn’t like them,” in part because they are hard to categorize— “they’re all from different places and taste radically different,” he says. 

After pouring me a taste of a skin-fermented grüner veltliner from Wachau, Austria, he asks what I think. “I could drink a glass, but not a bottle,” I answer. “You’ve got the title of your article right there,” he jokes.

Henderson says orange wines have been trending for some time in Austin, and they’re even catching on in Marfa. He has no qualms about being quoted as saying that “Dallas is still buying boring, brand-name wine,” but Houston is “out-punching their weight” in selling orange wines.

The traction in Houston may be due to restaurants like Nancy’s Hustle, which landed on Esquire’s and Thrillist’s lists of best new restaurants in 2018. Nancy’s Hustle co-owner Sean Jensen has had at least three skin-contact wines on the menu since the restaurant’s inception in late 2017, and currently, there are two by-the-glass options along with nine bottles. Jensen includes these wines because “they are delicious and incredibly versatile for pairing with our menu.”

In Fredericksburg, Otto’s German Bistro and La Bergerie wine bar have also sold orange wines since opening in 2013 and 2017, respectively. Paula Rester Salinas, beverage director for Side Street Hospitality, which owns the two establishments, says it’s always acceptable to pour a taste when introducing orange wines, and they’re easiest to sell and explain when they have their own category on menus.

Salinas says sometimes there are issues with availability complicated by worldwide shipping issues, so they look to domestic producers instead, like Southold Farm + Cellar, a winery that moved from the North Fork of Long Island to Gillespie County, Texas, in 2017 and has been using 100 percent Texas grapes ever since. Southold’s co-owner, Regan Meador, says skin-contact whites are some of their most popular wines, and in recent years, Southold has at least doubled their production. They are presently sold out of all but one. 

Meador doesn’t ever expect orange wines to become as mainstream as pinot grigio, and he kind of hopes they don’t—“I am not really a fan of any wine on that larger level of production. Essentially those things are made so people don’t have to think about what they’re drinking. Skin-contact whites force people to do the opposite—they’re much more cerebral,” he says.

Large producers are moving into the Texas market now. Gérard Bertrand, one of the biggest biodynamic wineries in the world, with more than three hundred wines in 171 countries, is in the process of launching the Orange Gold, a blend of seven grapes, mainly from the Mediterranean, fermented with skins on. It will be in Central Market and select H-E-B locations by this summer, says a company spokesperson. The winemaker’s notes describe the wine as having “an explosion of white-flower notes, candied fruits, and white pepper” on the nose, with a long finish that leaves a “delicate, bitter tip to stimulate the taste buds.” As Orange Gold hits grocery shelves across the state, Texans will soon be able to discover the taste explosion for themselves.

Waco-based wine distributor David Mayfield sees the growth of orange wines as “consumer-driven.” When he launched his business in 2012 and started importing orange wines, a lot of restaurant and bar owners echoed a common refrain: “It’s interesting, but I don’t think my customers will like it.” Now, he says the same wines that once sat on the shelf for being too expensive at $28 a bottle are selling out at $38 and up. “They sell basically on arrival,” he says.

Before dropping that much cash, folks new to orange wine might try the Lunaria Ramoro Pinot Grigio, available at most Central Markets for $16. It’s an Italian, skin-fermented pinot grigio, and tastes much like a rosé, with a note at the end that’s almost guaranteed to leave you saying aloud, “Hmm, interesting.” In establishments around the state that have started backing orange wine, look for the Nine Oaks Rkatsiteli. It’s a classic amber wine produced in Khaketi, Georgia’s biggest wine region, and it’s made with traditional methods using the country’s most popular white grape, the rkatsiteli. 

As a Dallas-based wine-chugger who first discovered orange wine four years ago while visiting D.C., it does sometimes feel like I’m in a city with a lot of “boring, brand-name wine.” But the times, they are a-changin’. Texas has the terroir (critics be damned), the consumer-driven interest, and the restaurant wine lists to give oenophiles something to try when they’re tired of red and white and need something to go with the barbecue.

This article was first published here.

I trust you found the above useful and/or of interest. You can find similar content on our blog here: www.easttxpointofsale.com Please let me have your feedback in the comments section below. Let us know what topics we should write about for you in future.

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Grafenegg, Austria: Castle & Live performance Working day Excursion From Vienna

Grafenegg. For a clean air of sophistication during a day trip from Vienna, head for Schloss Grafenegg. As a child I could not get ample of the castle’s magical Xmas marketplaces. Later on on, my daughter and I appreciated Grafenegg’s spectacular condition rooms and a garden picnic in two of its deck chairs, on our way to Wachau Valley. And most recently, I took a buddy for a classical summer season concert for the duration of Grafenegg’s once-a-year Summer months Competition. Uncover out what you could see and do there.

Viewing Schloss Grafenegg

At barely an hour’s generate from Vienna, the castle and compounds dating from the 15th century prolong in one particular of Austria’s loveliest wine locations: the Kamptal. Outfitted with turrets, towers and a moat, Grafenegg can make a correct fairy tale castle. Even much more so when you place the founding Bräuner family’s Medieval-design and style coat of arms, and the stone-carved animals and figures leaping out of the North side’s façade.

The moment you enter by way of the gate, the main tower, a splendid open staircase, a wood gallery and neat rows of painted home windows produce an immaculate historic courtyard. Offered how devastated Grafenegg was following Environment War II and the Russian occupation the Metternich-Sandor family, who currently owns Grafenegg, did a perfect renovation career.

As a make a difference of reality, the motive Grafenegg appears to be like a little bit English is the Tudor Gothic type that Britain admirer and owner Duke Bräuner was so fond of when he experienced it constructed in the mid 19th century.

Inside of, the pretty tale carries on with a proper knights’ corridor, a chapel, a library and quite a few lovely rooms. Most striking are the fantastically carved picket ‘hammer beam’ ceilings. Like with the outer façade, sharpen your eye for the lots of figurines you will discover in the ceiling corners of some rooms. On a person of the ceilings you will discover extra than 100 coats of arms of Duchess Bräuner.

One more spectacular element are the primary tiled stoves from the 19th century that have been warming most of the rooms for the duration of the Kamptal’s icy winters. As you enter the knights’ hall, observe out for the partitions coated in gold-pressed leather-based that miraculously survived and now regained their previous glory. In the library you will come across a couple open up antique textbooks that includes awesome paintings and drawings.

Grafenegg’s Gardens

About the castle you can promenade throughout a intimate park covering the measurement of 45 soccer fields. Substantially like in suitable English-design and style castle grounds, informal teams of tree giants alternate with wild flower beds though pathways meander throughout lawns and forestry regions. Just in just one space in the back again an alley of lime trees reminds of the garden’s previous baroque landscape.

Really, the castle gardens not only score thanks to their personal magnificence but to some fascinating aspect structures and sculptures.  As if counting down the previous hundreds of years, a crumbling backyard building traces up with a freshly renovated theater pavilion, a completely preserved farmyard including a attractive wine shop, a 21st-century auditorium and a significant historic creating now housing gourmet cafe Toni Mörwald.

Grafenegg Competition

In between mid June and mid September each individual year, dozens of renowned musicians and conductors from throughout Europe generate to Grafenegg to delight an auditorium of connoisseurs and music fans. Mainly because of Grafenegg’s higher status as a classical concert venue you will face grand symphony orchestras these as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra as well as major ensembles of musicians, singers and soloists accomplishing classical new music, jazz, pop or even Latin new music.

On a heat August night I went to delight in baroque French new music with my community college close friend and France aficionado Barbara. As regular, the summer time live performance began with a prelude. In our scenario, a outstanding saxophone ensemble dressed up Haendel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Bach’s Italian Live performance and parts by Schostakovitch and Astor Piazzolla in soft velvet and impressive tones.

While some visitors used the time involving the prelude and night concert for evening meal at the gourmand restaurant subsequent doorway we stayed for a lecture about New music in Versailles.

By that time, the skies experienced cleared from the gentle rain. Even so, the night concert took location in the auditorium as a substitute of the open air Cloud Tower (aka Wolkenturm). Immediately after we had swallowed our disappointment together with sandwiches and champagne in the gardens we headed for dry seats within. In truth, it took the musicians only five minutes to place our anticipations back again into perspective – open up air would have been great but what mattered at the conclusion of the working day was the tunes.

I’m not confident about the orchestra or songs you would get a likelihood to pay attention to but ‘our’ Cappella Gabetta, fired up by a Paganini-style violinist and a breath taking trumpeter, dwarfed lots of of my previous classical music ordeals: when extraordinary musical skills meet up with with enthusiasm and precision you just cannot enable feeling completely awed.

As I’m finishing this submit, I have by now planned my return to Grafenegg next yr. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it to a person of Grafenegg’s summer evening galas in mid June and mid August, with fireworks and all.

Functional Facts

Handle: A-3485 Grafenegg 10, Austria

How to Get There: Both just take the train from Vienna to Wagram-Grafenegg and then a area taxi for the previous 2 km. Or get a non-public motor vehicle transfer – for illustration for a working day excursion including Wachau Valley, wine tastings and Melk Abbey (email me on barbara.cacao(at)vienna-unwrapped.com if you will need assistance).

Classical Songs Programme and Tickets: take a look at internet site

check out a lot more about nearby Wachau Valley

come across out about other Day Trips from Vienna

go back to Vienna Unwrapped homepage

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/34hfpBF via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

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Grafenegg, Austria: Castle & Live performance Working day Excursion From Vienna

Grafenegg, Austria: Castle & Live performance Working day Excursion From Vienna

Grafenegg. For a clean air of sophistication during a day trip from Vienna, head for Schloss Grafenegg. As a child I could not get ample of the castle’s magical Xmas marketplaces. Later on on, my daughter and I appreciated Grafenegg’s spectacular condition rooms and a garden picnic in two of its deck chairs, on our way to Wachau Valley. And most recently, I took a buddy for a classical summer…

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Métier (Washington, DC)

Metier Restaurant 1015 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001 202.737.7500 www.metierdc.com Wed 08/08/2018, 07:30p-10:35p

Given how much I enjoyed Kinship, I think it was pretty much a given that I'd eventually try Métier. Named after the French word for trade or occupation, the restaurant opened in April 2016 and is again the work of Chef Eric Ziebold and partner Célia Lauren. However, compared to Kinship, it's a tasting menu-only sort of place, one serving Ziebold's vision for elevated, contemporary American cuisine. Métier was awarded a Michelin star in October 2017 (which it has retained), and perhaps more importantly, was deemed the best restaurant in the DC area by Washingtonian at the start of this year.

Métier is located underground, underneath Kinship, and is accessed via a private elevator. Upon stepping out of said elevator, you're invited to relax in the salon, where you can partake in an hors d'oeuvre and apéritif.

Tonight's welcome cocktail was an anise hyssop-melon spritz, a lively, invigorating concoction showcasing a deft balance between fruitiness and herbaceousness.

To munch on, we received a dish of egg white bavarois with marinated caviar and Yukon Gold chips, which was pretty amazing. The custard melded the perfect creaminess of egg with a touch of sweetness, while the onion and caviar adding wonderfully contrasting hits of zestiness and salt. Think of this as the best sour cream and onion potato chips you've ever had.

La Ultima [$17.00] | Mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, Green Chartreuse, Lemon Given that we were in here for about 20 minutes, I went ahead and ordered a cocktail from the upstairs bar. The drink smelled strongly smoky from the mezcal, with a distinct vegetal character and traces of citrus. Taste-wise, I got more smoke up front, leading to a marked savoriness and an interesting herbal-astringent element that I couldn't quite put my finger on--it was almost like a "hot" radish, if that makes sense.

After some time, we were called into the main dining room. Penned by Darryl Carter (who also did Kinship), the space is a blend of the modern and the antique, and seats about three dozen. Note the 14-seater private dining room in the back.

Above we see the evening's menu, comprising seven courses at $200 a head, inclusive of service but not tax or beverages. And speaking of libations, I opted for the wine pairing ($145), though of course there's a pretty extensive bottle list if you'd prefer, with prices ranging from "reasonable" to "used car." The menu notes were a nice touch I have to say. Click for larger versions.

1: Iced L'Abeille Garden Ratatouille Leo Steen, Jurassic Park, Chenin Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, CA, 2012 Given the hot weather we were having, it felt appropriate to begin with such a bright, refreshing course. An unconventional ratatouille of sorts, the vibrancy of the veggies was on display--unmitigated, yet bound together by the potency of olive oil. The paired Chenin Blanc fit the bill nicely too, smelling fruity and earthy while the palate went in a sweet 'n' savory direction, with a steely minerality and agreeable acidity.

The dish was accompanied by lángos, a type of Hungarian fried bread. Airy and light, it had a sweet-salty thing going and actually reminded me of Chinese you tiao.

2: L'Abeille Garden La Ratte Potato Fondant | Sautéed Chive Blossom, Lobster Coral Emulsion and Australian Black Truffle Château Latour-Martillac Blanc, Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2005 Next was as decadent of a preparation of potato as I'd ever seen. The Rattes themselves were pleasantly firm to the bite, and showed off a restrained richness that matched up beautifully with the luxuriousness and brine of that lobster sauce, all while the truffles imparted a further muskiness to it all. The dish stood up well to the paired wine. A Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend, it displayed a sweet, oxidative nose and a palate rich and rife with nutty, buttery, oaky, vegetal nuances. Interestingly, it actually became much more fruit-forward when taken with the food.

For course #2, bread duties were handled by airy, chewy, subtly tart slices of pane francese, which I eagerly used to sop up the remaining liquid on the plate above.

3: Madras Curry Poached Atlantic Halibut | Coconut Creamed Corn with Compressed Mango and Cilantro Alzinger, Loibenberg, Riesling Smaragd, Wachau, Austria, 2016 Halibut arrived flawlessly cooked--it was about as perfect as it gets. The fish possessed just the right amount of curry spice, which was smoothed out by the sweetness of corn and coconut while the cilantro offered up a citrusy accent. Along with the halibut came an Austrian Riesling, one brimming with rich fruit and stone on the nose. Its taste was super fresh, vibrant, with more fruit and minerals alongside a pleasing tartness and acidity--it did a great job linking up with the sweetness in the dish.

4: Sautéed Moulard Duck Foie Gras | Duck Confit-Stuffed Savoy Cabbage and Peach BBQ Sauce Domaine Raspail-Ay, Gigondas, Rhône Valley, France, 2015 I was a bit scared of this next course. First off, I'm very wary of sweet foie gras preparations, and this had peach. Secondly, there's duck confit, and that just sounds like heavy on heavy. Fortunately, the dish actually worked, very well in fact. The foie itself was spot on in its sear, and had all the classic flavors you'd expect, while the cabbage worked beautifully for contrast. The surprise here was the confit, which ate as you'd expect, but somehow managed to not be overwhelming; I could say the same about the peach. Obviously, we had to have a wine that could stand up to the heft of the course, and the GSM blend made sense with its generous helping of (tannic) red fruit, pepper, and spice.

5: Martin Farms Minute Steak | Grilled Onions, Morel Mushrooms, Okra Croutons with Garden Herb Vinaigrette and Roquefort Dressing Château Latour-Martillac, Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2009 I rarely see minute steak on menus these days, which I suppose makes sense given that it's typically not the sexiest cut out there. Ziebold's version, however, was a winner no doubt. It was tender, sure, but also one of the most flavorful steaks I've had in a while, and I absolutely loved the zippiness and acidity from that herb vinaigrette, while the onions and 'shrooms imparted further complexity to the dish. The meat called for a powerful red wine, and the matched Bordeaux met the mark. Comprised mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, it was pretty prototypical of the region with its soft, velvety palate of robust berry fruit commingled with some almost meaty notes and a touch of heat.

The steak came with a serving of the Chef's famous Parker House rolls, which were oh-so buttery and airy and salty and just as good as I remember from the CityZen days. And yes, I made sure to mop up the remaining liquid above with 'em.

6: Key Lime Meringue | Crème Fraîche Cake, Granny Smith Apple, Cucumber and Shiso-Lime Granité Château Rieussec, Sauternes, France, 1988 With the savories done with, it was time for Pastry Chef Anne Specker (a CityZen alum) to shine. Our first dessert really did recall the essence of a classic key lime, playing the tartness of citrus against the sweetness of meringue while the granita added a bracing, herbaceous component. Going along with the course was a Sauternes with some nice age on it. It was just what I wanted, displaying loads of honeyed, stone fruit-esque sweetness balanced out by a fresh acidity and a touch of nuttiness.

7: Nut 'n' Honey | Ochoa Farms Tomato Confit, Peanut Butter Cream, Honeycomb and Yellow Tomato Sorbet Kelt, Tour du Monde, VSOP, Grande Champagne, Cognac, France The humble tomato was the hero in our final (proper) course, its slightly savory disposition making itself known for sure against a backdrop of peanut--very neat. To drink, we moved away from wine and into cognac, specifically an ocean-matured example filled with warmth, sweetness, and spice, along with notes of wood and mature grapes.

At this point, I was provided a shot glass of milk granita and instructed to construct my own milk shake, choosing from flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry-verbena. I think it's obvious from the color which option I picked. In hindsight, I should've gone with Neapolitan.

Next came some wonderfully crisp, buttery, freshly baked malted vanilla shortbread cookies.

Rum Old Fashioned [$17.00] | Santa Teresa 1796, Bitters, Simple Syrup, Lemon Zest I requested a digestif and was brought this rum-based cocktail. It had a nose of warming spice and caramel mixed with citrus. The taste was sweet and fruity and chocolatey from the rum, with a smidge of bitterness and a long-lasting finish filled with brown sugar.

Guests were provided a vial of Old Bay olive oil to take home. And fortunately, I had no issues taking this in my carry-on luggage.

Tonight's meal effectively confirmed Ziebold's position as one of the top toques in DC. His food isn't necessarily flashy, but it is pretty much flawless (as was the service). There's a familiarity to the dishes, yet I still find myself pleasantly surprised at every turn. I get a restrained playfulness in the cooking, as well as a sort of quiet confidence that must, I imagine, stem from years and years in the biz. I think it's safe to say that Métier's got to be one of the premier dining experiences in DC.

Source: http://www.kevineats.com/2018/08/metier-washington-dc.html

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RACCOONS AND LOUISIANA POLITICS!

February 28th, 2019

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

RACCOONS AND LOUISIANA POLITICS!

       U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy has stirred up a hornet’s nest back in the Bayou State over his Facebook comments of eating a Louisiana delicacy.  The Senator had this to say: “Found this raccoon in my backyard.  We ate him for breakfast.” He even included a photo of the raccoon.  And his Facebook friends went nuts with comments.  Who on earth would even consider eating a raccoon?

       Actually, racoons and a host of other wild game are a culinary staple where I come from.  And I often received a litany of choice critters. As a sole attorney practitioner in Ferriday, I took about any case that walked in the door. Often, my clients were slow paying, or could not pay anything at all.  Hunting has always been quite prevalent in northeast Louisiana, and clients would drop off an array of creatures from the wild.  I was never short of deer meat, ducks, wild geese, doves, squirrels, frogs, catfish, and yes, racoons.  The assortment of outdoor delicacies seemed endless. And luckily, we had a large freezer in which to pack my culinary acquisitions.

       Our home back then was a mile off the highway with access by a dirt road that turned to mud in the winter.  Often it was hard to get out of the house, even with my winch-loaded truck. So on rainy weekends, we experimented with creating a variety of recipes using our varied meat collection.  A backyard garden added to the flavors, and weekend cookery became a de rigueur ritual. Out of all this gastronomic adventure came my cookbook, Jim Brown’s World-Famous Squirrel Stew and other Country Recipes, available at www.TheLisburnPress.com.

In the rural parishes, you learn to be creative and cook about anything. I gave a speech in Jeanerette one day, and as I headed back home to Ferriday, I stopped at a small country general store for something cold to drink.  An older Cajun was on the front poach stirring a large kettle.  “Wachau cooking?” I asked.  

“Oh, I’m cookin’ up a gumbo,” he replied.  

“What kind of gumbo is it?” I pursued.  

“I’m cookin’ an owl gumbo.”

Hummm. So, I went on.  “What’s an owl gumbo taste like?”  

He smiled and said, “About like a hawk gumbo.”

       Former Governor Jimmie Davis spent a lot of time at his farm in northeast Louisiana, traveling back and forth to the state capitol. Ferriday was about half way on his route, and he made it a habit to stop by my law office for a coffee break.  I was a wet-behind-the-ears, twenty-six-year-old attorney, and often the only one in the office.  So Jimmie Davis would sit a while to rest, talk at length about his life, and give me an early preview of what I would eventually learn about Louisiana politics.

       He would often ask me to notarize some document, which I was glad to do. “So what do I owe you, Brother Brown?” he would say.  I always settled for a few verses of “Sunshine.”  He frequently inquired if I could find him a raccoon. Up in redneck country, we just call it a “coon.” His favorite meal was coon stew.  Knowing a request would often come with his visit, I asked some local hunters I represented to drop off a raccoon. I would keep a raccoon or two in the office freezer at the ready for the governor’s stopover.

       When I was elected secretary of state some years later, I wrote the cookbook mentioned earlier, and the Governor graciously gave me one of his favorite coon recipes to include in my gourmet collection of sumptuous dishes. Here’s good news for you: that same recipe applies to possum.  Now I know you’re glad to hear that. So here is Governor Davis’s favorite dish:

Skin and clean coon.  Remove musks that are located under each foreleg, and four in the neck.  Rub coon with red pepper, sprinkle with salt, add one onion, sliced, and five pods of garlic, minced.  Parboil until tender.  Place coon in baking dish with three tablespoons of melted oleo and the broth in which the coon was boiled. Place quartered potatoes around the coon and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown.

       There you go.  You can’t beat that for taste, can you?  So all you Facebook berators, quite complaining. Let your taste buds explore a bit. You just might get hooked on racoons and other such Bayou State delicacies.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.