Food – Page 3 – European Traveler

Chicago “Staycation” Offers Family-Friendly Fun

Stories and photos by Alison Ramsey

The kids’ favorite part of a weekend in Chicago? “The hotel! The hotel’s fitness center!” Weekending in downtown Chicago with small children sounds overwhelming, but a kids’ suite hotel stay and a family-friendly itinerary ensure a safe, fun, and memorable vacation. Swissôtel Chicago’s kids’ suites are like a sky-high family apartment, with a cozy master bedroom and bathroom, spacious common area and bathroom, and a separate but adjoining bedroom and bathroom for the littles. Plenty of full-wall windows provide a panorama of the Windy City, with views of Buckingham Fountain, the Chicago River, Pritzker Pavilion, Maggie Daley Park, and Navy Pier.

The suite’s shared rooms and kids’ wing are equipped with age-appropriate toys, games, and art supplies to engage and entertain without even needing to turn on the TV. The teepee tent provides a snug hideaway and place to house stuffed animals along for the trip. A giggle-filled game of Twister, marker doodling on fresh paper, birds’-eye boat-watching, and exercising in the huge, clean, and upscale Penthouse Fitness Center—you can enjoy the city without ever leaving Swissôtel!

Eventually you’ll need to eat, though, and if room service isn’t your preference, you have plenty of dining options near the hotel. Eggy’s diner at the Chicago-Benton Place location is a 5-minute walk from Swissôtel across a beautifully landscaped park and serves home-cooked breakfast and lunch, coffee and tea, and bar drinks. Milkshakes, fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, chocolate-chip pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy, crepes, skillets, sandwiches, and soups are among the delicious options for feeding a range of tastes. Crayons and a coloring sheet of cute food characters make waiting time seem fast.

Chicago’s one-of-a-kind spy-themed dining experience at the SafeHouse is a 15-minute walk from Swissôtel down the Magnificent Mile to River North. The Red Door at 60 E. Ontario is the entry point to spy headquarters, where you start in a non-descript office and either whisper the correct password to Moneypenny, the front office “secretary,” or engage in an amusing test to gain clearance. Upon entering the underground restaurant and Interpol Bar, you can make your way through dimly lit rooms to explore spy memorabilia, discover secret rooms, complete a checklist of secret agent duties, climb through a sewer pipe labeled “DANGER,” and email goofy selfies from the photo booth.

Silly surprises like one-way mirrors and alarms await in the bathrooms, and kids and adults alike can play with futuristic tech gadgets and create their own agent names. In-character waitstaff check with “Command” regarding food allergy inquiries and provide junior agents with top-secret disguises (sticky-backed fuzzy mustaches) upon request. Reasonably priced fare includes A License to Kill Mac & Cheese, “007” Layer Salad, Mission Impossible burgers, Camp Stanley Nachos, and Russian Finger Potatoes. Junior Spies can request meals like Goldfingers chicken nuggets, Carmen Cortez mac & cheese, or an Uncle Machete chopped taco salad. Make your escape by dialing a secret code in the hidden phone booth, dodge the maze of red lasers in the dark hallway, slap your agent nametag on the wall, and make your discreet exit back onto the city street.

To head from dinner toward an evening at Skydeck Chicago in the Willis Tower, ride the scenic water taxi from the north side of the river at Michigan Avenue to the Ogilvie/Union Station stop, followed by a short walk, or call for a 13-minute Lyft drive. The winding, museum-tour walk to get to the elevator bank displays an artful collection of exhibitions, facts and figures about Chicago, and fantastic photo opportunities—an El simulation with vibrating seats and city scenes sliding by the window; a giant, plastic Chicago-style hot dog and deep-dish pizza to rest on; jazz, Oprah, The Second City, Wrigley Field, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and iconic city scene backdrops to pose in front of. A speedy ride in the elevator (1,600 feet per minute) shoots you up to the skyscraper’s viewing level.

The highest observation deck in the U.S., the Skydeck Ledge juts out over four feet from the 103^rd floor—a breathtaking 1,353 feet above the Chicago River and Wacker Drive. View the city below with confidence, knowing that the Ledge can withstand four tons of pressure, hold 10,000 lbs, and is seamlessly constructed using three layers of half-inch thick laminated glass. Groups of guests are given a timed five minutes to step into one of the Ledge booths and take in the view, jump, do handstands, yoga poses—however they want to spend their time in the sky. Some feedback from kids who were initially wary of traveling up so high included, “We’re in the air, we’re super-secure, and we’re looking down 100 stories. It was a cool experience!” and “Well, that was awesome, and I totally don’t regret going on it!” A 1.5-mile Lyft ride or walk brings you back to Swissôtel.

From Swissôtel to the massive Chicago Park District play area, Maggie Daley Park, is a 7-minute walk. The largest free activity is the Play Garden, a series of interconnected, imaginative play spaces integrating landscaping with the sculptures and structures. The Sea area features a large-scale ship and lighthouse tower with ladders, slides, talking tubes, and lookout scopes. The Watering Hole’s animal-themed splash pad includes a shady area with a bench for parents. A Harbor boat play zone, Enchanted Forest sensory exploration pathway, and Wave Lawn of rolling topography and sloped hills offer varied equipment and opportunities to engage all senses and stimulate imagination. Slide Crater’s giant suspension bridge slung between two towers is thrilling to run across while trying to keep your footing. Experience slides of all sizes and formations in this area (although the metal variety can be HOT in the summer sun!). Talk through tubes with others around the structure, rotate knobs to spin giant wheels, and be the lookout at the viewing scopes.

Other free areas include the tennis courts, picnic groves, Cancer Survivors’ Garden, and skating ribbon (rollerblades and Micro scooters are available to rent if you don’t bring your own equipment). For a fee and no reservations needed, visitors of any age can scale the Climbing Wall (shoes, helmet, and harness rental is offered), and kids aged 4-8 can even take a 15-minute climbing lesson with an instructor to assist them. Mini golf and a bungee jump are available for a fee. Conveniently located by the skating ribbon, the Rink Café food truck sells hot dogs, burgers, giant pretzels, ice cream, and other refreshments to enjoy under shady umbrellas.

For an energetic, colorful, laughter-filled theater experience, bring the kids to the Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theatre in the Lakeview neighborhood. While you wait for the show to begin, a scrolling marquee featuring jokes and ridiculous facts sets the tone for the event, warms up the crowd, and encourages audience participation. Through a series of comedic, surprising, awkward, and artful vignettes and instrumental songs involving PVC pipes, paints, lights, water, glow sticks, cereal, remastered instruments, and drums, the talented Blue Man Group cast opens an otherworldly dimension of sensory entertainment that enthralls and mesmerizes. Audience members in the front few rows don rain ponchos as protection from the show’s shower of water droplets, food, and paint. Several individuals were also singled out to participate in the show—on stage or from their seats—in “we’re laughing with you, not at you” situations. There is truly no comparison for this unique performance, and remembering those expressive, endearing blue faces will keep you smiling long after the lights go up.

Back at Swissôtel, the family can order refreshing drinks or nightcaps from the lobby bar and bring them upstairs to the suite, relaxing together in the living area to wind down for the night. A leisurely round of Pictionary or Connect Four or a warm shower under the rainfall showerhead brings an end to the eventful excursion in the city. Watch out the windows as Chicago dims its lights and rests up for a new day ahead.

Menorcan Lobster Stew: A Seaside Specialty

By Alison Ramsey

There is a first time for everything. First time visiting Menorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain; first time eating traditional lobster stew; first time holding a live lobster! The first two “firsts” were by choice, and the third was a complete surprise, as waiter Carlos at Es Cranc in Fornells Harbor gestured for me to hold out my hand and suddenly I was gripping a ridged pair of long antennae in my fist, with a huge lobster hanging at the bottom of them.

*A lively, rambunctious lobster indicates that it is fresh.*

This particular lobster did not end up in our soup bowls at lunch, but a similar one did, and it was key to the flavor of this traditional Menorcan dish. Invented by fishermen and later tweaked by chefs across the island, caldereta is the most renowned dish of Menorca’s seafood cuisine and can be made with lobster, eels, and varieties of fish. Surprisingly, the lobster that visitors relish in Menorca was once considered by islanders to be food for the poor due to its overabundance. Now it is a highly coveted gastronomical treat that restaurateurs take pride in preparing, especially during peak tourist season.

The tanks at Es Cranc can hold 3,600 lobsters—all from Menorca only. Elevated trays hold the lobsters that arrive that day, whereas lobsters from previous catches crawl along the bottoms of the tanks.

Caldereta de langosta (spiny lobster stew) is a simple recipe traditionally made by braising the locally caught spiny lobster over high heat with a savory sauce containing peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. Typically served with homemade bread, you can soak the sauce into the slices, or you can simply spoon it up. The lobster stew served at Es Cranc contains several large, meaty portions of tender lobster in a hot, flavorful broth. Dainty eaters, don’t despair—Es Cranc provides bibs, lobster picks, and small bowls of cleansing water for messy hands.

The word “caldereta” refers to the earthenware cauldron in which the stew is prepared.

Whether it’s your first trip to Menorca or you’re a repeat visitor, plan for a meal at Es Cranc. You, too, might get to hold a wiggling crustacean!

A digestif of chilled “herbes” (herbal liqueur) brought the meal to a close. This sweet liqueur can be made with a variety of plants, the most popular being chamomile, as it is found in abundance across the island.

Gin Xoriguer is the most popular Menorcan gin, made from grapes and juniper berries. The distillery has used traditional methods to make this drink for almost a century, and the creator’s family windmill featured on the unique bottle has become a recognizable symbol of the island. Mixed with lemonade, this gin makes a delightfully refreshing drink called a pomada.

Lobster Stew Recipe

A traditional recipe for lobster stew, as printed in Menorcan Cuisine Yesterday and Today: Undiscovered Recipes.

Ingredients
2 kg lobster
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 green pepper
250 g tomatoes
1 bunch of parsley
7 tbsp. of olive oil
1.5 litres of water
slices of bread for soup or toasted bread
salt

Preparation
Cut the live lobsters into two on a wooden chopping board, separating the head from the tails; reserve the juices in a separate bowl. Split open the body and remove the black intestines using your hands or one of its feelers or antennae. Remove the legs and other feelers. For female lobsters, place the eggs in the bowl, and do the same with the stomachs and livers. Finally, cut the heads in half down the middle, and cut the bodies into slices, making sure to save all the juices.

Finely chop the onion, garlic and green pepper. Place the oil in an earthenware pot and gently fry the vegetables over a low heat. When the onion is translucent, add the very finely diced tomatoes (or they can be grated or blended). Cook over a very low heat for around 10 minutes.

Place the lobsters in the pot and leave to cook a little. Then add the juices, water and chopped parsley, season with salt and cook over a high heat for 15 minutes. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and cook for a further half an hour.

Meanwhile, grind the lobster eggs, stomachs and livers in a pestle and mortar with a little garlic and parsley, adding the rest of the liquids and a little water to moisten the mixture. When there are just a few minutes’ cooking time left, add the mixture to the pot.

Turn the stove off and leave the stew to rest for at least two hours. In fact, it will be much tastier if made the day before eating. To serve, pour the broth with the lobster pieces into soup bowls, with slices of toast.

Snack Responsibly With Roll’eat

By Alison Ramsey

How many plastic sandwich and snack bags do you use in a week? If you pack a lunch and snacks for work or school, probably too many to count! You can help reduce pollution and protect our planet by switching to reusable food wrappers by Roll’eat. These sandwich and snack bags come in a wide variety of fun colors and prints – from animals to fruits to bold solids and flashy patterns, you can pack some personality into your purse or lunch bag!

On a recent work trip full of long tours, the hotel’s abundant continental breakfasts were too tempting to ignore. Many colleagues sustained themselves throughout the long days by wrapping mixed nuts or an extra pastry into a tissue-thin napkin in the morning and stuffing it into a pocket or bag. As you know, this rudimentary wrapping often results in a crushed croissant or a pocket of loose, linty legumes. Roll’eat Snack’n’Go and Boc’n’Roll reusable bags are the perfect solution to this problem, protecting your snacks from spilling or squashing, and they provide zero waste!

The eco-friendly Snack’n’Go is a 7”x7” soft pouch with a durable upper closure and a leak- and stain-resistant inner layer that ensures your snacks remain fresh. The double-layered fabric can be wiped on the outside and inside with a damp cloth or washed in the washing machine, and the bags can fold down to a small size for easy packability. They are lead-free, BPA-free, and hassle-free for life on the go. There is even a Snack’n’Go Duo that features 2 pockets, so you can slip a saucy sub sandwich into one and some crunchy munchies into another, keeping your food items separated.

Roll’eat bags also give you the option to pack healthy food from home instead of relying on junk food from vending machines or supporting the production of pre-packaged, high-calorie snacks. You can snack on fresh, natural foods that support better health, while using a snack holder made of materials that don’t cause harm to your health or to nature.

The Boc’n’Roll sandwich holder opens flat to turn into an ~18”x13” placemat, protecting your food from dirty surfaces, and it can fold compactly, depending on the food you’re enclosing. I am one who loves wrapping gifts, and each use of the Boc’n’Roll is like preparing a colorful present to open later! You place your sandwich in the center and fold up each side over it until easily securing it with a button or strip of fabric fastener, depending on the model. The fabric is beautiful and tough, but please don’t use sharp utensils around it or try to cut a sandwich in half on top, to avoid puncturing it.

The Bio line by Roll’eat is 100% biodegradable and sustainable. The fabric of these is an organic cotton canvas in solid colors, with a natural wooden button enclosure. These compostable materials are manufactured using fewer fossil sources and will eventually decompose faster while using less energy than other materials – another chance to be kind to Mother Earth and reduce negative effects.

Reduce harmful waste, promote environmental awareness, choose a responsible lifestyle, pack healthy foods – Roll’eat bags help you do all of that while adding style to your snack life! Please visit RolleatUSA.com to shop the collection and learn more about the Roll’eat mission and impact.

“Think eco, be smart!”

Climb Aboard Rail Europe’s Holiday Express to Germany’s Christmas Markets

This holiday season, Rail Europe presents the “German Christmas Markets,” a seven day itinerary to five enchanting Christmas markets throughout Germany.

These unique and unforgettable markets invite travelers to experience the sights, smells and traditions of European Christmas festivities. Visitors can dive into a winter wonderland of regional traditions, handcrafts and culinary specialties such as Christmas Stollen (German Christmas cake), Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Gluehwein (hot spiced wine). They can stroll through festively-decorated streets lit by thousands of twinkling lights and explore historic town centers as Christmas carols echo through the streets.

Travelers can begin their journey in Dresden, home to one of the most well-known Christmas Markets in the world. Best known for its long royal and political history, Dresden has emerged as the cultural and educational center of Germany.

Then, travel by train to Weimar, a city known for its rich history and architecture and home to scholars such as Goethe, Schiller and Herder. During the month of December, the city’s Gothic town hall on the market square is transformed into a life-sized Advent Calendar, where three children open a new window each day as Father Christmas greets them with a small gift. From Weimar, travelers will be whisked away to the medieval streets of Erfurt, where Christmas carols ring out and the air is filled with the aroma of gingerbread.

Next stop–Eisenach–where travelers fall head over heels for the romantic market nestled within Wartburg Castle’s walls. One of the best kept medieval castles in Germany, the Wartburg boasts a medieval marketplace with Christmas concerts and artists, craftsmen and knights, and colorful booths decked with boughs of holly.

The trip concludes in Frankfurt, a buzzing financial metropolis housing one of the oldest and most elaborate markets in Germany, attracting more than three million international visitors each year. Over 200 stalls offer arts and crafts, festive cuisine and a varied program of Advent concerts and trumpets playing from the balcony of St. Nicholas’ Church.

It’s an unforgettable experience–Christmas, Germany and trains!

Rail Europe offers hotels and train travel in their German Christmas Market package. For more information, go to www.raileurope.com.

Chocolate Museum Is Sweet

By Marilyn Heimburger
Photos by Don and Marilyn Heimburger

As spring approaches, thoughts of chocolate come to mind, just because we’re always looking for an excuse to eat chocolate! As the saying goes, “Chocolate–it’s not just for breakfast anymore!”

After a recent trip to Cologne, Germany, and after visiting the Cathedral and Roman ruins, I added a trip to the Chocolate Museum to my itinerary. You’ll learn all there is to know about this treat and have the opportunity to taste and see why the ancients called chocolate the “food of the gods.”

Opened on Halloween Day in 1993, the museum was the idea of Dr. Hans Imhoff, an entrepreneur who was the head of the Stollwerck Chocolate Company of Cologne. The three-story museum is located on the banks of the Rhine, within sight of the Cologne Cathedral.

Designed to look like a ship in the harbor, its modern glass and metal architecture surrounds the historic central customs office, which was built in the 1890’s. The museum welcomes an average of 1,700 visitors a day and about 650,000 per year.

3,000-YEAR-OLD HISTORY

Visitors can see chocolate being made at the museum.

As you walk through the three-story museum, you’ll see exhibits covering the 3,000-year history of chocolate. Growing and harvesting raw cocoa is shown with photographs, harvesting tools and a full size log boat from Ghana. Next is a 100-square-meter tropical greenhouse containing real cocoa plants and more than 60 other rainforest species. You’ll learn that the flowers of the cocoa plant grow directly on the trunk of the tree, so that pollinating insects can find them more easily in the thick jungle!

Chocolate’s popularity began as a luxury drink. An extensive exhibit brings you through the pre-Columbian Olmec, Aztec and Mayan culture, where cocoa was the drink of the gods, and was sometimes used as currency, or “brown gold.”

Next you’ll see the beautiful porcelain and silver cups and pitchers that were crafted to serve this luxury item in 17th and 18th century Europe. The chocolate culture of the 19th and 20th centuries is depicted in a full-sized shop, with chocolate tins and boxes on display, as if you had stepped back in time.

Beautifully preserved chocolate vending machines and advertising posters give insight into the popularity of chocolate. A film room continuously shows old television ads for chocolate. Chocolate packaging from apparently any brand of chocolate that ever existed is on display. Even American brands of chocolate are represented, although Astrid Hage, press representative of the museum, admitted that it was difficult to find someone willing to eat the American-made chocolate in order to empty the packaging. She explained that the Europeans follow a different standard in their chocolate production, and that their formula produces a superior taste.

DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

You’ll have the chance to decide that for yourself in another part of the museum, where, thanks to the Lindt and Spruengli Company, a two-floor exhibit demonstrates the production of chocolate today. From the processing, roasting, grinding of the bean to the pouring of hollow molded chocolate figures and a truffle production line, this small-scale system makes about 400 kg of chocolate every day for visitors to see, smell and finally, to taste.

A nearly 10-foot tall chocolate fountain stands on the production floor, and a museum staff member stands ready to offer a waffle cookie dipped in the warm melted chocolate that pours from the spouts.

THERE’S MORE, TOO

Do you want more of the “food of the gods?” A gift shop offering chocolate, souvenirs and gifts is ready to serve you. The museum also has a restaurant with a view of the Rhine.

Admission fees are 6.50 EUR for adults. Children under six or visiting on their birthdays are free. All exhibit texts are in both German and English.

The museum is closed on Mondays. Check their web page for information on hours, tours and special events: www.schokoladenmuseum.de