Pretty little things

Dear S.,

my life here is pretty slow. Sometimes I am enjoying it, sometimes everything about it annoys me. It is sometimes pretty hard to live between the ubiquitous Spießigkeit/smugness (new word) and the sweet feeling of being at home in all the small things.

Austrian people love to eat sweet. And they love to cook with curd cheese/ Topfen/ kwark.

Today I tried a family recipe for the first time, and I can only recommend it: "Apfelschlangen"

Dough:

250g butter

250g curd cheese

250g flour

that's it. knead the ingredients until they are thorougly mingled. Now let the dough rest at least an hour in the fridge. This is very important, as the dough needs to be as cool as possible to work.

Filling:

Peel and thinly slice sourish apples (you'll need about 750g/1000g or so). Add some sugar and cinnamon.

Then divide the dough into two piece and thinly roll each of them out on a bed of flour. Place half of the apples in the middle third of the dough; fold the left and right side over to cover the apples. Press together the ends of the Schlange/snake (it's supposed to be quite long and thin :). Repeat all for the second part of the dough- Into the oven (175 °C) for half an hour...

and then enjoy.

This fast and easy variation on the austian classic "Apfelstrudel" is love-ly when it's still warm but also delicious when cold.

A few days ago, may grandma gace me some of her treasures, just look:

A beautiful pill box, an old ring, white gloves with pearl-buttons.

I love all these little things that carry so many stories within them.

- Yesterday I booked tickets back to Antwerp.. It is such a good feeling to know they're in my pocket! And I will probably even see you then. great!

That's all for now, my dear!

M.