March 18, 2010
Introduction
Austria may not be the most well-known wine producing nation. However, this beautiful and charming country boasts many fine wines including some of the best botrytis sweet wines and Ice wines in the world.
During the twentieth century Austrian wine became a high-volume, industrialized business, with much of it being sold in bulk to Germany. In [...]
March 15, 2010
Easter in Vienna is a very special time. Each year colorful and vibrant Easter markets are set-up throughout the city. These markets offer a variety of handcrafted Easter eggs, flowers and wreaths, local arts and crafts, and speciality foods.
The following is an overview of some of the most popular Easter markets in Vienna.
Easter Market Schönbrunn Palace
When: March 20 to April 05
Where: [...]
March 12, 2010
For all the fans of great beer!
The largest gastronomic event in the Czech Republic is happening from May 14 – 30th in Prague.
The 17 day event features an extensive offering of the best products from Czech brewerers including over 50 brands of different beers, food, live music, and much more.
Visitors will be greeted and served [...]
March 10, 2010
Ham is a common dish served for Easter throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
This particular recipe makes a very flavourful and robust ham.
Ingredients
6 – 8 lbs fully cooked spiral-cut ham
2 cup (500 ml) water, plus 2 tbsp
1 cup (250 ml) pineapple juice
1/4 cup (55 grams) packed brown sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 [...]
March 9, 2010
Easter is a special time in Russia, with many delicious foods prepared for the joyous occasion.
Celebrations are generally later than in the West. This happens because Easter dates are determined by different calendars. The Russian-Orthodox church uses the old Julian calendar, whereas the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches follow the Gregorian calendar.
Here are just a few of [...]
March 5, 2010
What is Pysanky?
Pysanky (pysanky-plural, pysanka-singular) are Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word comes from the verb pysaty, “to write”, as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax.
The art form of producing elaborately-decorated eggs is also common through Central and Eastern Europe.
Pysanky are traditionally made during the last week of Lent, [...]
March 2, 2010
Zsuzsa Szikra is well-known in Europe for her poetic abstract paintings and portraits.
Born in Hungary and schooled at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest, she studied under Jeno Barcsay who is the influential practitioner of Hungarian Constructivism and created the famous “Anatomy for Artists“. Barcsay strongly influenced the work of his pupil, Zsuzsa Szikra.
Szikra’s work has been [...]
March 1, 2010
Chestnut puree also known as gesztenyepüré is very popular throughout Hungary. It is most often made into a sweet dessert with whipped cream, rum, and cherries. A real culinary delight!
You may choose to use your own chesnut puree mixture or you can purchase it canned from most grocery stores or farmer’s markets.
Ingredients
2 cups (400 grams) fresh chestnut puree or from a can/jar
3 – 4 [...]
February 22, 2010
The 2010 annual Budapest Spring Festival will be happening from March 19th – April 5th.
The festival offers over 200 cultural events which includes operas, exhibitions, theatre performances, ballets, and classical and compentary concerts.
First held in 1981, the Budapest Spring Festival is the largest annual cultural event in Hungary.
For full details of the programme, visit the Budapest Festival Centre’s website.
Budapest [...]