Monthly Archives: December 2014

Between the years: A Danish and German winter wonderland

Posted in Photography by

Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and some great days off to enjoy with your family and loved ones. If you’re anything like me, you have practically been eating non-stop these past couple of days, and are now feeling like you need a break from food in general! But I’m still at my parents’ house in Germany, and my mom will not stop serving me delicious stuff to eat, so my resistance is futile. I guess I’ll just have to eat extra healthy come the new year (what an original New Year’s resolution!).

I’ll be posting in more detail about the fun Danish Christmas I’ve had once I get back home. But I we were so lucky to have snow both in Denmark and here in Germany (well, re-define lucky when your 8am flight gets delayed because the aircraft needs de-icing), I wanted to share some nice snowy pictures with you!

In Denmark, it snowed in the night from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, so we woke up to everything covered in a thin white blanket. I love the smell of snow and the freshness it brings to the air, so I went out in the garden to take some pictures.

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Down here in Germany, we arrived early on the 26th and there was no snow at all, but again, we woke up to a world in white on the 27th. I had received an amazing new prime lens for my camera, so my dad and I went for a hike through the forest to take some pictures. Aren’t the woods in the snow just so magical?

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Have you had snow for Christmas?

Merry Christmas 2014!

Posted in Christmas, Typical Danish by

The day is finally here: it’s Christmas again! We have waited for weeks and weeks, brought ourselves in the mood with candles, cookies, Tivoli trips and hot alcoholic beverages. We have planned, conspired, ordered online, and shopped ’til we dropped, and we finally managed to get all the presents. Except that one thing we forgot, damn, we had been thinking about that all fall - meh, they’re getting that other thing now, so it’s okay. We wrapped, bound bows, wrote nametags, fought with stubborn wrapping paper, and finally managed to make those funky frills with the ribbon. In short: we are prepared!

As for me, you would be hard pressed to find a cuter little Christmas tree than the one we picked out this year! We always go for the small ones, because we don’t have the room for a large one, but we still want our own tree. There was hardly any room for ornaments, but we put up some of my favorites: the birds, and of course, my little “garder”!

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Seriously, though, aren’t these the most adorable little dudes?!

For the rest of the decoration, I usually like to keep it simple. Two years ago, somehow this horrible little piece of kitsch got into our possession (okay, okay, we may have bought it, shame!) - it is a little city, covered in snow, and two batteries power some colorful lights that are meant to be festive, but really are just plain disco. So this year, I have sneakily omitted this particular item of decoration, and it has gone unnoticed thus far - success! I’m keeping it very simple and stick mostly to silver and white. Oh, and anything with antlers, of course.

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This past Sunday, the 4th of advent, we had a family thing, where we - very much Danish - made our own “konfekt”. Konfekt are Christmas sweets, which can often contain marzipan, truffles, nougat, and of course massive amounts of chocolate. I had never tried to make them before, so I tried not to get in the way too much, but I am very proud to say that I did help decorate those pretty dark-and-white-chocolate ones in the last picture!

Later today, we’re heading out to my boyfriend’s family for the traditional Danish Christmas Eve, including flæskesteg, risalamande, and dancing around the Christmas tree. And if we wake up from the certain food coma on time, we’ll be attending “julefrokost” on Christmas Day, where we’ll be treated to the classic Danish cold lunch buffet - and tons of snaps, of course! And then, on the 26th, we’re heading on down to Germany to start all over!

I hope you have wonderful Christmas days with your family and friends, and share lots of great food, laughter, and memories! And I hope many of you actually get a white Christmas - aren’t those the best?!

PS: You can head on over to my Instagram to see more pictures of all the deliciousness that’s awaiting me.

The taste of Danish Christmas

Posted in Denmark, Typical Danish by

Christmas is kind of a big deal in Denmark. In absence of Thanksgiving, there’s only one holiday, Mortens aften (St. Martin’s Day) on the 10th of November, between Halloween and Christmas. That effectively means that Christmas season begins in November, at the latest when the gates of Tivoli open again after Halloween. Christmas is season of hygge, making these long, dark, cold days ever so much more bearable and – dare I say it – actually enjoyable, not least because of a bunch of tasty seasonal delicacies.

Gløgg

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The season’s favourite drink, this deliciousness will warm even the coldest heart. A sort of mulled wine seasoned with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom, gløgg exists in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. In Denmark, gløgg is usually served with raisings, chopped almonds, and orange slices. You can make gløgg from scratch (examples here and here), buy it by the bottle (Irma’s house brand is quite nice), or get different types of gløgg mix to prepare with red wine. There are also white wine varieties.

Æbleskiver

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Æbleskiver, in a literal translation, means “apple slices”. This is odd, since they are completely spherical and do not contain apples! I’ve seen them described as the “Danish donut” or “Danish pancakes”, but none of those explanations really seem to hit the spot. They are, simply put, small, sweet balls of deliciousness, waiting to be dipped into strawberry jam and powdered sugar (which is the traditional way to eat them). I’ve never tried to make them, since you need a special pan and the flipping process seems quite challenging! But you can get them frozen, so you simply need to bake them in the oven for a couple of minutes. Addictive!

Flæskesteg

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The classic. A Christmas Eve dinner without it is pretty much unthinkable in Denmark. Flæskesteg is pork roast, with a thick layer of crispy crackling that everybody likes to fight for (except me – not a fan!). It’s usually served with red cabbage (“rødkål”), brown sauce and caramelized potatoes, another Christmas favourite.
Another variant is the flæskestegsandwich, usually served in a big whole-wheat bun with red cabbage, pickles and a mustard sauce. You can get a recipe from Danish chef Claus Meyer here or get your sandwich at Bøfgrillen in the Tivoli gardens.

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Duck

Besides flæskesteg, many Danish families also serve duck on Christmas Eve (some do both - see picture above with two massive flæskesteg and a chopped-up duck in the background!). Usually, the duck is filled with dried plums and apples. Yum!

Ris à la mande

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Important note regarding rice pudding in Denmark: there is “risengrød”, the sort of standard rice pudding. This can be eaten all year round, and is served sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. And then there’s “ris à la mande” (sometimes spelled “risalamande”), which is that same rice pudding, but refined with whipped cream and chopped almonds, and served with cherry sauce. [Side note: don’t make the mistake of suggesting to serve cherry sauce with standard “risengrød”. My boyfriend shot me a stare that said “what is wrong with you?!” when I did, stupid little me.] Ris à la mande is always served from a big bowl, and there’s one whole almond hidden in it. Whoever finds it gets a little present (“mandelgave”, like I did last year). I’m also over the moon by this recipe for a ris à la mande cake!

Klejner

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Very popular all around Scandinavia, these little pieces of fried dough are commonly seen in Denmark around Christmas. They are similar to donuts in their style and taste, and are usually served with powdered sugar.

Julebryg

It’s no secret that Danes love beer. The Vikings from the land of Tuborg and Carlsberg are also really fond of their seasonal brews, like for Easter. But there’s a whole cult surrounding Tuborg’s Christmas beer (“julebryg”). It’s only on sale for about six weeks a year, and its release is celebrated on “J day”, the first Friday in November. Tuborg’s Christmas brew is by far the most popular, with its characteristic blue-and-white labels, but other brands have followed suit and today, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of julebrygs. Since I’m not a great beer fan, I cannot really recommend which one is best – so you’ll have to try them all and decide for yourself!

What’s your favorite Christmas food, either Danish or from your home country?

A taste of home at Deutsch’s Julemarked

Posted in Christmas, Copenhagen by

I am a sucker for Christmas markets! I don’t necessarily love the crowds, but I do love mulled wine, hot chocolate with rum or Bailey’s, sausages, the lights and music, and all the lovely little booths selling gifts, woodwork, glassware, warm socks and sheep furs and all the other stuff. I love the candlelight, the smell of Christmas spices and the carousels for children. In Germany, there are a couple of stands you will almost certainly find on every German “Weihnachtsmarkt”: mulled wine and other hot drinks, sausages, beeswax candles, chocolate-covered fruits, colorful glassware like candle holders and bowls, and woodwork from the Black Forest. Normally, I don’t get to see German Christmas markets as much since I moved here, and I kind of miss them. But this weekend, I found out about the International Christmas market at Højbro Plads, smack in the city center just across the street from Christiansborg.

So we decided to swing by after work and see what it’s all about - and I have to say, I love it! It’s not very big, and there’s certainly some of the relatively useless stuff (plastic gifts and kitschy things), but there is also a massive charcoal grill full of real, German sausages! The “international” part is mainly provided by some French and Italian cheeses, a crêpes stand, and a Spanish churros cart. After chowing down a bratwurst and a currywurst, needless to say, I had the best time. Here are some impressions from the market.

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Beef me up, Scotty: Five great burger places in Copenhagen

Posted in Copenhagen by

I love burgers! Do you, too? If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’m on a constant exploring mission to find delicious burgers all around Copenhagen, and I have a couple more on my “to try” list. But for now, here are five of my favorite burger places! What are yours? Which ones did I miss or should I try next? Share in the comments below!

Halifax

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What can I say, Halifax is my favorite burger place in Copenhagen. The variety they offer simply can’t be beat - build your own burger with a bun (classic or whole grain), patty (classic beef, chicken or a vegetarian option of either chickpea or green pea patties), style, sides and sauces. The possibilities are endless! My personal favorite is the Mexican style burger with guacamole and a spicy salsa, for which I like to choose the green pea patty. Another great combination is the Tokyo burger, topped with an Asian coleslaw and a spicy miso sauce - I recommend the chicken for this. Their homemade remoulade sauce is absolutely fantastic!

Four locations in the city (Trianglen Østerbro, Nørreport, Forum Frederiksberg, and city center) - burgers DKK 120-140 (incl. sides and dips) - takeaway and delivery - halifax.dk

Vesterbro’s Originale Burgerrestaurant

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Located in an old sauna, this place on funky Istedgade is definitely worth a visit. Great burgers, I recommend the classic “Den Originale” with cheddar and bacon. Major plus in my book: they have curly fries! I don’t know why, but they just taste so much better than their boring, straight cousins. They also make their own ketchup, which is absolutely fantastic.

Istedgade 34-36, Vesterbro - burgers DKK 85-89, side orders DKK 15-35 - vb-burgers.dk

Haché Gourmet Burgers

With two restaurants in Copenhagen, Haché have definitely made a name for themselves and their tasty burgers. Their Nørreport restaurant has a sort of industrial, low-key charme, but the friendly staff makes up for what some might perceive as a lack of coziness. Their burgers are prime, with limousine beef patties and great homemade sauces. The barbecue burger is highly recommended. They are also famous for their deep-fried Mars bars, but I have to say, I’m not a fan. They have special lunch offers, too. (see my full review here)

Two locations (Nørreport, Valby) - burgers DKK 100, side orders DKK 35 - takeaway and delivery - hache.dk

Cocks & Cows

The - admittedly unusual - name of the two restaurants stands for cocktails and burgers, which is what they are known for. I’ve only been in the one on Gammel Strand, which I absolutely loved. I really liked the atmosphere - you’re seated either in American-style booths along the wall, or at one of the long massive wooden tables with benches. Their cocktails are delicious and quite strong, and the burgers are oh-so-nom! I highly recommend their Sweet American bread, which comes branded with their logo and adds a really nice flavor. They are really milking their name theme, from the cocktail names to the signs on the bathroom doors that say “cocks” and “cows”. I recommend that you book a table in advance.

Two locations (Gammel Strand, Rådhuspladsen) - burgers DKK 89-129, sides DKK 29, sauces DKK 12 - takeout and delivery - cocksandcows.dk

XO Burgers and Steaks

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We tried this place out on a weeknight, as it’s conveniently located right across the street from Palads movie theater, where we had tickets for later that night. Online portals such as Yelp have some mixed reviews, but I think the place actually offers a very good burger experience! Their interior is very nice, American style with cozy leather booths and a nice color scheme. The staff was very friendly, and our food was served very quickly (but we ate early so it wasn’t very busy). I tried the English style burger with HP sauce and sunny side up egg, and it was very good. Very nice meat, cooked to perfection. Worth mentioning are the potato wedges - real, big, oven baked wedges, from real potato, nicely seasoned and going great with their chili mayo. Yum!

Axeltorv 3 (across the street from Palads) - DKK burgers 99-159, sides DKK 30, sauces DKK 10 - xoburgersandsteaks.dk