Bâlehoo

Just when you thought fondue couldn’t get any better - now you can get it to go!

I was innocently wandering the the stalls of the Basel Herbstmesse (Autum Fair) in a post-raclette coma when I spied some suspicious activity. Person after person was carefully balancing what looked like a baguette filled with yellow goo. Could it be? No. I shook my head at the thought and walked home. But like any cheese addict, I sensed a good fix.

Fast forward to today. Unable to resist any longer, I elbowed through the crowd to stand in the long line in front of a simple wooden booth. The cryptic sign said simply “Dr.  Chaesbaenger.” Indeed. Five minutes and 8 CHF later, I was holding my own precious portable fondue - melted cheese ladled smack dab in the middle of a bun. Based on the signage, I suspect the name of this magical creation is “Chaesbaenger” but I cannot say for sure. By the time I reached the counter I had whipped myself into a state of “antis-cheese-pation” so great that I simply pointed and squeeked out “einmal, bitte.” 

Whatever its name, this port-a-fondue is quite simply the most perfect carni food ever. Each garlicy, gooey and tasty bite takes your taste buds on a journey straight into the bottom of a Swiss fondue pot.  Although the first few mouthfuls can be a bit dicey, what with all that overflowing melted gold, overall it is surprisingly easy to eat neatly and is a fantastically satisfying and toasty treat on a chilly Swiss afternoon.

The smell of roasting chestnuts is the smell of Europe in autumn. Basel is no exception and you don’t have to go very far to find them.  Take a stroll down the Freiestrasse or along the Rhine on any given Saturday and you’ll see multiple food carts with the words Heisse Maroni. But your nose will find them first: that nutty, smokey, burning leaf aroma is reminiscent of Provence and just as irresistible. I am not alone in this sentiment: almost every cart has a line.

I have noticed one cart in particular, located just off of the Marktplatz on Freie Strasse, that is always jammed. Whether it is the prime location or superior product that drives sales, I cannot say. However, I have never been able to resist the siren song of popularity, so I patiently wait on line, nose twitching at every paper cone full of toasty nuts that wafts by.

Finally, it is my turn. For 3.50 CHF I get 100 grams  - about 8 - of the deep brown beauties and I am only two steps from the cart when I eagerly crack open a charred shell and pull out the plump morsel inside.

Delicious.  Tender, sweet and meaty, the chestnuts also have just the right amount of smokey firewood flavoring.

Roasted chestnuts are perfect beer kibble and I witnessed one couple take their precious sack of gems and pull up a chair at the nearest cafe. They ordered two beers and promptly dove into their chestnuts like a pair of binge-eating squirrels.  I nibbled at my own chestnut treasures as I watched them, enjoying the show and each sweet, nutty bite.

There’s more good news! Chestnuts are healthy! Find out everything you’d ever want to know about these low-fat, low calorie, vitamin C-rich munchies here.

It is Halloween in Basel and I think I can safely say that I am the only person who scored a complete box of Halloween Pumpkin Peeps. My dad and his wife sent over the balls of sugary orange goodness a week or two ago and after immediately ripping it open for a quick glucose rush, the package has sat out “ripening” to the perfect peep-y crunch.

I have to admit, I usually don’t eat Peeps. They are a family tradition and arrive on various holidays throughout the year (most notably Easter of course). I normally prefer them as decorations rather than edible delights (plus I can source them to a certain 6 year old that eats all things sweet). That said, when you’re sitting in a land-locked nation with nary a candy corn* in sight on the eve of the US’s most fabulous celebration of sugar, a little orange peep sure hits the spot.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, a little orange-haired “bat monster” is going to be out scaring up candy in PDX tonight and I’d give just about anything to be there… with my “peeps.”

*Actually you can order candy corn, peeps and other American-style candies and food items here in Switzerland from Taste of America.

Since I arrived in Basel last month, I have been somewhat “kitchen impaired.” First there were the several weeks at local hotels. And now, my pre-furnished (and perennially smokey) apartment only has a kitchenette  - and an UN-furnished one at that. Add to the that the busy work schedule, and as you might expect cooking has not been high on my list.

Enter the true wonder of Switzerland: bündnerfleisch.

This traditionally air-dried meat, which is often brined in white wine and herbs, is the Swiss equivalent to Beef Jerky. Yum! Low in calories and high in meaty flavor, the bündnerfleisch is also texturally superior, with little to none of the floppy fat that can ruin a girl’s prosciutto experience (not to mention her cardiovascular system).

Like many an Alpine farmer, the “bünd”, as I affectionately call it, has been a mainstay of my diet for the past six weeks.

You can find bündnerfleisch at loads of restaurants around Basel (it is staple apero fare) and it is also available in any supermarket. Each maker has their own special beefy brew, so make sure to try a few different kinds. My favorite brand, available at Globus on Marktplatz, is Val Grischa (available pre-packaged or sliced to order at the meat counter). It’s deep, almost liver-colored* meat is packed with flavor and its dry, jerky-like texture means you can grab and go without fear of mess or muss. (You can even munch on these little meat rectangles of joy bedside while watching the latest episode of Glee on iTunes. Just for example.)

So, to sum up.  Bündnerfleisch: it’s portable protein-packed meaty goodness. Swiss style. Eat some today! I know I will.

*My new camera flash blew out the color on this shot, so don’t be afraid when you see bündnerfleisch’s true deep dark glory.