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Jan 09
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Looks like you have about 2½ months left to eat more … Though some of you have made New Year’s resolutions to eat less—or healthier, seems old habits linger—a good three months after holiday excesses. Seems Americans are buying about 450 extra calories post-holidays on a per-serving basis. And this supposedly lasts until March. So as you hunker down for the winter, do as hibernating bears do—live off of your body fat—not those extra calories. http://ift.tt/1wkf21g

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Nov 20
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Stops 11-14 – Berlin: A Study of Contrasts Final stops for this educational mission are within the unified city of Berlin. “Berlin ist sexy”, we were told. That’s because Berlin is non-stop with an array of sights, sounds, tastes, art, architecture, history and people for all persuasions. It’s done quite a job as a city in transition, with markers and monuments of time passed adjacent to futuristic, mind-boggling architecture and cutting-edge cityscapes. Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers am Gendarmenmarkt is the largest chocolate store in the world with a chocolate shop, café and restaurant. It is also right across the street from my hotel. Galleries Lafayette is kiddy corner, so I’m hopelessly bombarded by sweets, wursts and beer of all kinds. Just a short walk from my hotel is Restaurant VAU, situated in Berlin’s Gedarmenmarkt, a square that houses the site of the Konzerthaus (concert hall) and the French and German Cathedrals in Berlin’s thriving Miite district. VAU is distinguished by a Michelin star and offers a combination of classic French cuisine combined with regional products. I chose sparingly; still the meal was elegantly abundant from the artful amuse bouche to the salmon entrée and dessert tastings. Wines were masterfully paired and service was deliciously paced. Another night, I was lucky to be under the Brandenberg Gate where just days away the 25th celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall was to be celebrated. Security was already high. Check out the remnants of years passed and what adorns Berlin today. Sorry to see my journey throughout Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany come to closure, but happy to see that progress abounds. I am certain that my love of hearty foods and beverages with bold, deep and rich flavors is melded to these countries and their people. I already sense an urgency to return in the making.

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Nov 18
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Stops 8 through 10 – Coffee at the Embassy, Twisted Snacks and Dinners on the Vltava Lucky us. The US Ambassador to the Czech Republic was in town and invited us to coffee and cookies at his manse. The stars were in perfect alignment for this invitation. Didn’t hurt that he was a Chicago boy. We discussed his Czech roots, Chicago politics and Prague history and beauty. Then snacks along the way: grilled and sugared doughnuts that tore into paper-thin spiral morsels and potato helixes on a stick (pretty nifty elongated potato chips). Managed to squeeze in lunch at the foot of the Charles Bridge. Check out this grilled fish salad (light by Czech standards) consumed with spiced wine–under heat lamps and blankets! After considerable walking off meals and exploring hidden lanes, we caught the current production at the Black Light Theater (černé divadlo), a specialty of Prague. Later we settled on the Bellevue restaurant for a late dinner. The Bellevue Restaurant is set in a chateau-like building in the Old Town overlooking the Vltava River, with views of the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. The food, ambiance and service were exquisite. From a foamy, perfectly seared fish appetizer to a playful do-it-yourself gelato and sorbet dessert, the plating begged one to indulge in every course. The following night we dined at the Kampa Park Restaurant that occupies a magnificent location on Kampa Island where the Vltava River flows under the Charles Bridge. Notice the stunning appetizer and heavenly soufflé with fresh and cooked vegetables. Every dish was equally a masterpiece. Sad to leave beautiful (and delicious!) Prague for another long ride–this time to Berlin. But worth it. Do see…

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Nov 17
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Stops 6 and 7 – Westward to Prague–where politics, culture, economics and FOOD cluster Prague is 6 hours from Krakow as the bird flies, but it felt like 10+ by bus. Plenty of rest stops for strong coffee and local fare broke the fairly monotonous visages. Prague’s got a lot to boast about: it’s one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and the historic capital of Bohemia (note crystal and glass). The imposing Prague Castle looms over the Vltava River with its statuesque Charles Bridge and gothic-style Old Town bridge tower. And the Old Town Square (virtually untouched since the 10th century) contains a staggering array of dancers, musicians, protesters and vendors of all kinds. Come early. Much like Poland does homage to Frédéric François Chopin, Prague revels over its native son Franz Kafka. Get ready to be Metamorphosis-ized. And then there’s Czech food and drink… Czech cuisine is a combination of German and Hungarian, with goulashes, schnitzels, soups and strudels. Similar to Poland, pork, dumplings and cabbage work their way on to many menus. Pork comes in many permutations: baked, breaded, fried and smoked, to name a few. Dumplings look, feel and taste remarkably like their Polish relatives. Czech cabbage is commonly cooked and sweetly sauced as a side. Speaking of sauces, they’re often creamy, heavy or both (still, a nice foil for robust meats). It’s pretty difficult to resist Czech breads. They tend to be hearty to handle the sauces with blends of seeds, such as Dýňový (pumpkin bread with pumpkin seeds), Slunečnicový (made from sunflower seeds) and Hostivařský (topped with caraway seeds). Local honey was a treat each morning, paired with breakfast breads and fruit. This succulent nectar was from the rooftop apiary. But the real treat was breakfast with the Ambassador. Hold on…

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