European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Germans eat Hearty and heavily during the holidays sets Dot Calmy a Trio of Christmas Market shoppers in Frankfurt chases away the Winter Chili with warm glasses of glue Well. By de Reavis staff writer my Friend Hans Joachim Calls Christmas the season when his fellow germans stuff themselves with animal cadavers. But Hans Joachim is a vegetarian and i Don t dare ask him what he eats Over the holidays. During the Holiday season he usually flees the country like thousands of other germans headed for the warmer climates of Florida or somewhere in the South seas. He claims its not just the Quot animal cadavers Quot but what he Calls Quot the whole shebang Quot of German piety and the Strain of spending the Day with the family that causes him to leave until january there s no strict code for Holiday food in Germany although some constants have evolved such As a special dish on Christmas eve a festive meal on the 25th and a Good Luck meal on Jan. 1. The German Christmas season officially opens on the beginning of Advent four weeks before dec. 25, when the Aroma of grilled sausage hot chestnuts and mulled wine called go Uhlein and the sound of carols begin filling the air around the Christmas markets in the old sections of Many towns. The dec. 24 ritual begins with the family decorating the tree gathering around dad or mom playing some Bach on the recorder or singing silent night and then opening their gifts. A Quick Survey of friends around the country showed a variety of simple dishes for Christmas eve a usually some kind of sausage hot or in the form of cold cuts Beer or wine. Most germans agree that regional differences in food have disappeared since the end of the War when the population was shuffled like a deck of cards. So the Christmas Day meal across the country is usually roasted Goose or Duck or boiled Carp. The Goose is served with red cabbage potato dumplings and salad and washed Down with a tart White wine or a dry red. The real difference in preparing the Goose is in the filling. Every family seems to have its own recipe the ingredients of which Range from bread to minced meat plenty of spices chunks of fruit and chestnuts. Carp Blue a boiled with Leeks onion and other spices and served up with boiled potatoes a is eaten predominantly in Northern Germany but not exclusively my Bremen informant claims. An alsatian version that has spilled Over into Southern Germany a Friend in Freiburg in Breis Gau says is Carp Cut into strips resembling schnitzel breaded and deep Fried and served with Fried potatoes and homemade Mayonnaise. Quot be sure to have plenty of riesling or Edel Zwikker White wines to Cut through that heavy meal or you won t sleep for Days Quot says Roland Jenne in Freiburg. On Christmas eve. Jenne says they eat rolled Ham and potato salad or a chunk of roast pork called Schaufler or Quot Little shovel Quot because of the shape of the Flat Bone under that particular Cut. On new year s Day in the Freiburg Region of Southern Baden Wurttemberge locals eat a lentil soup believing it will bring Good Luck during the coming year. Many germans Are turning to Turkey american style says Frauke Meier a Book editor in Munich. Quot Goose and Carp Are just too heavy a meal for a growing number of germans while Turkey is just right Quot Meier claims. Another Freiburger says his family tradition called for a Large pork roast in Christmas Day. Carp was eaten on new years Day. An old Hessen Rule is to eat genuine Frankfurter sausage they come in pairs and potato salad on Christmas eve Goose or Carp on the 25th, and pickled pork chop Rippchen and sauerkraut on new years Day for Good Luck. Throughout the country you la find germans eating their homemade butter cookies the famous Christmas cake called stollen plenty of Marzipan in the shape of potatoes and pigs Gingerbread Pfeffer Nuss cookies Lebkuchen and curiously shaped but tasty tree cake Bau Kuchen. Late in the afternoon on Christmas Day the German forests and Parks Are full of families taking Long walks to Settle their holidays meal. It usually does no to work because they make sure they Are Home in time for Coffee and cake. Carp in Beer Karpfen in Bier serves 61 Carp approximately 4 pounds3 Tablespoons White wine vinegar2 chopped carrots 1 chopped Leek 1 chopped onion 1 Bay Leaf 1 Clove Salt and Black Pepper 1v4 cups cubed gingerbread4 cups Beer or ale juice and Rind of 1 Lemon clean Carp and leave it to soak for 1 hour in cold water and the vinegar. Put the chopped vegetables Bay Leaf Clove Salt and Pepper into a pan Large enough to hold the Carp. Add 2vs cups of water. Simmer this Stock Christmas is a Sweet season for the Spanish a by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau some whirl Down the Lino dentists surely reap the rewards of Christmas in Spain for that is the season Lor the Sweet of tooth Quot at christinas it s a to edition to serve sweets of nougat and Marzipan Quot said Emilio Pacios a spaniard and the Community relations adviser for the air Force s 600th air base group at Torrejon adjust outside Madrid. Quot Itie simplest nougat is made from Honey and almonds but nougat can to prepared in thousands of ways. Alicante Down in the South of Spain produces the Best nougat. The nougat is sold in Brick shapes Quot Pacios Sard and it goes on Sale in the markets in late november. Quot the Best Marzipan comes from the City of Toledo about 60 Miles West of Madrid. The Marzipan made of ground almonds sugar and egg Whites is sold in All kinds of shapes everything from Little pigs and snakes to figurines Quot Pacios said. In Spain Christmas in t the secular Blowout that it is in the United states according to Pacios. Quot there is no big Deal about the Exchange of gifts Only Young children get a few toys on Christmas eve. The actual gift giving is done on the feast of the three Kings Epiphany on Jan 6,&Quot pacts said. Christmas eve is far More important than Christmas Day in Spain. Quot the whole family gathers together on Christmas eve. Thai s when the nativity scene is put up. In tie old Days we did t have Christmas Trees in Spain. Christmas Trees have Only really become popular in the last 15 or 20 years. These Days the nativity scene is in one Corner of the room and the Christmas tree is in another. The tree does no to get put up until Christmas eve and that s when the nativity scene goes  Pacios said. Quot the child Jesus is placed in the Manger by the Little children the children sing carols receive a few toys and then go to bed Quot Pacios said. The tradition in Spain is for the adults to go to Midnight mass together and then to return to the family Home for a big feast accompanied by wines and Champagne. Quot roast Lamb rather than Turkey is the red snapper is a Good substitute for Bream in Quot be Sugo Al Homo Quot a Spanish Christmas favorite. Favorite Holiday fare the Lamb is served rather simply with potatoes and carrots. The real treat precedes the Lamb and that is a feast of Mounds of shellfish plus fish such As Hake and sea Bream Quot Pacios said with obvious relish. Christmas Day itself generally rates no special food preparations. Quot people usually eat leftovers from Christmas eve. No one wants to do much cooking after being up celebrating until around 4 in the morning Quot Pacios said. Spanish streets and stores Are usually decked out for the Holiday season by dec. 1 and because the season lasts through Epiphany the festive look lingers Unm around Jan. 10. Santa Claus is a relative Juan me of Quot lately to Spain and remains a rather r sife r Sas fit Marzipan creations in All shapes Are familiar sights in shop windows. Christmas character. Quot the big department stores tried to push Santa a few years ago but it was not a big Success Quot said Pacios adding Quot whenever you see Santa now it is always with some sort of commercial  baked Bream be Sugo Al porno Bream is a Freshwater fish similar to a Sunfish and about 8 inches Long. The following is a favorite Way to Cook Bream m spam. Other fish can be used one or two Large ones or several Small individual fish such As Bass or red or Gray Mullet or american red snapper or a Section of a fish such As a tailpiece. This recipe serves 4 to 6. 4 pounds of fish see above 1 i Teaspoons Salt 1 Lemon Cut into 6 wedges a cups soft bread crumbs pulverized 1 Teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 Tablespoon finely chopped Parsley 2 Tablespoons paprika 3 medium sized boiling potatoes peeled and slice freshly ground Black Pepper 1 cup water Viz cup Olive Oil preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry fish Sprinkle with 1 Teaspoon of Salt. Make three slashes at right angles to the Bone and slip a slice of Lemon into each. In a Small bowl Combine bread crumbs garlic Parsley and paprika. Spread parboiled potato slices evenly on greased baking dish and Sprinkle with remaining Salt and a few grinding of Pepper. Place fish on top. Pour water Down the Side of the baking dish and pour the Olive Oil Over the fish. Sprinkle them evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Baked in the Middle of the oven for 30 minutes or until the fish feels firm when pressed lightly and the potatoes beneath them Are done serve at once a from food of the world cooking of Spain and Portugal Apa boy in Hamburg takes a big bite out of a Quot Lebkuchen Quot Angel. Covered for 1 hour soak the Gingerbread in 1 cup of ale. Put the Carp into the Stock with the Lemon juice and remaining Beer or ale. Cook Over Low heat for 20 minutes or until the Carp is tender. Lift out the fish and keep it warm. Strain the liquid add the Gingerbread and boil this mixture rapidly until it is reduced by half. Strain the sauce Over the Carp and Garnish with Lemon  from readers digest creative cooking in Italy Christmas is time for family and feasting by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau Thyrl is a saying in Italy that you May upend easter with whomever you please but Christmas must be spent with the family. The season leading up to Christmas is especially Busy and enormous importance is Given to festival dishes. In Naples tie big Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas eve. Quot this meal Tor religious traditions is meatless but certainly far from frugal. It is elaborate Quot says Terry Lanna an intercultural relations specialist with the Navy s f army services Center in Naples neapolitan Gorge on seafood often Salt cod or eel and seafood pasta. Big headed eels Are specially fattened in holding tanks for Christmas dinners when they will be deep feed a while still alive so great is the demand for live eels on Christmas that prices quadruple in Naples during the Holiday season. Spaghetti with Clam sauce a Spaghetti Alia to Joie is a traditional dish in Many parts of Italy Ham too is popular and is often served in a paste crust with candied fruits in a Mustard syrup mus urdu the f Rutta in ancient times the gods of nature were appeased in con Tishu 1<1 of piiiji1 if Page 14 a the stars and stripes monday december 21, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 15