After walking through the gorge of the Mendlingtal I ordered at the Hammerherrenhaus a “Beuschel” for lunch. This is a traditional meal especially in Vienna, but one gets it in other parts of Austria too. Generally it includes the lungs and the heart of a calf served with a bread dumpling. There are variations with other plucks too.
A compilation of starters which are common in the Austrian region Mostviertel (from left to right): Räucherforelle (smoked trout), Sulz (cured meat in gelatine), Schafkäse (sheep milk cheese), Grammelschmalz (lard with greaves) and Karreespeck (back fat).
While writing this post I am nibbling at a slice of bread which I actually made by myself! At a farm at the Kalchkendl Alm, an alp named Kalchkendl located in Rauris Valley, I had the chance to bake bread the first time. I took this lesson at a class named Schule am Berg, guided by Roswitha Huber.
Today I took my first lesson in cooking. For that purpose four journalists/bloggers and me visited the restaurant Kitchen 12 in Graz. This restaurant owned by Ferdinand Hladik offers not only warm meals and good wines but also cooking lessons for groups up to 30 persons.
At the Kaiser-Josef-Markt – the oldest farmer market of Graz – I saw this offer for McIntosh apples. Well, the spelling on this label is wrong but the story of these apples is interesting. I was told the famous computer model Apple Macintosh is named after this apple but for legal reasons they had to add an ‘a’ in the Mc.
On a tour through Graz guided by the Graz Guides I had this selection of Styrian delicacies at the restaurant Eckstein. By the way did you know that Graz is also known as Austria’s Capital of Culinary Delights?
One reason to visit the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein was the ‘Pfandlwoche’. In this period the restaurant offered especially dishes served in pans (‘Pfandl’). I had a pan with mushrooms and dumplings. The owner of the restaurant told me the mushrooms were collected in the woods around the hotel.
At the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein I tried nettle soup as starter. It was a great alternative to all these noodle soups you generally get in rural areas. The owner of the hotel told me that she collects the stinning nettle herself at certain places around the hotel.
‘Big’ surprise at a Heuriger in Burgenland: At the Schnitzelheuriger Posch I got this huge portion of Tafelspitz. If you would like to learn more about this traditional Austrian dish have a look here: Article on Wikipedia.
One of my most favourite dishes in Styria: An egg dish with Styrian pumpkin seed oil. What dishes with Styrian pumpkin seed oil have you already tried?
Me and the ‘Ölkuh’. By pounding a wedge into this traditional tool the pumpkin seeds stored in the two plates of bright wood get pressed and delicious pumpkin seed oil drops into the bowl below.
On my tour through Styria I came across a tool named ‘Ölkuh’ (literally translated: Oil cow). This is a traditional tool to produce pumpkin seed oil in my home region Styria. Have a look how to use such a ‘Ölkuh’.