It is December and Christmas is all around. No sight of snow, temperatures above zero Celsius, constantly. Two weeks ago the Bern Christmas Market emerged overnight after the yearly Onion Market Day. The rare smell of the spruce catches my nose every time I pass and gives me the shivers. (That´s home.) Glühwein or mulled wine stands are full of people. The cafés in the streets are also brewing the season´s top drink, the spicy aroma following me in the archways. I like that most of the Glühwein is sold in recyclable porcelain cups.
 |
| Glühwein - red or white, Punsch... |
The stands at the farmers´market have made space for Christmas decorations.
 |
| Christmas tree in Bern on Parliament Square |
 |
| Farmers´market in December |
 |
| Christmas on the market |
The Christmas Market is full of stuff offered for presents. My favourite stand is one that sells all sorts of musical instruments, pipes, flutes, didgeridoos, castagnettes, drums and a whole lot more, the names of which I don’t even know but all make very good sounds. You can feel it, you can feel the rhythm…
 |
| Didgeridoo plus the classes to learn to play it |
 |
| Want to make some music, pick an instrument |
 |
| Fantastic rhythm instruments |
The second favourite is a games stand with board games, some of which I used to play and still do whenever the occasion presents itself.
 |
| "Mensch ärgere Dich nicht" board game, very competitive |
 |
| More intellectual games |
And a very interesting display with voodoo dolls. What fantastic artistic little creatures.
 |
| Voodoo dolls, great faces |
 |
| Christmas Market |
A sweet treat today: Persimmon kaki and apple dessert
Ingredients:
1 persimmon kaki, cut into cubes
2-3 apples, peeled, hearts out and chopped
250g ricotta cheese
250g curd (Magerquark)
10 tablespoons sugar
Juice of one lime, the green one
1 tablespoon gelatine “powder”
0.75 dl milk
Put the apple and persimmon pieces into a pot together with the lime juice and bring to boil. Add half of the sugar. If you have sour apples you may need more sugar. Add sugar to your taste. Cook until the fruit is soft, about 10-15 minutes.
In a bowl mix the ricotta and the curd and add the remaining sugar, again add more to your taste if needed. Purée the soft fruits with a mixer and let cool.
Mix the gelatine with the milk and let it soak for 15 min. Then heat and melt the gelatine by putting the bowl into a pan with some hot water. No need to boil the water in the pan, heating it just enough to melt the gelatine is fine.
 |
| Persimmon kaki - apple & ricotta dessert |
Mix the melted gelatine milk with the ricotta.
Fill serving bowls or glasses with the ricotta first and then add the fruit purée on top. Leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
TIP: you can also use the special sugar for making jams, the fruit purée would harden a bit more.