Where in the World is Meilo #2

Here is the second installment of Where in the World is Meilo? Can you guess what city Meilo is in AND his exact location?

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Look Mom, (Almost) No Hands

Anyone who has spent time with me in the kitchen knows that I hate to bake, which is mostly due to the fact that I am not very good at it. I happened to mention this to Stefan's aunt, Camilla, who is a fantastic cook and baker. My Christmas gift from her and her husband, Uli, came in three packages--a handwritten cookbook, a springform pan and a metric measuring pitcher. Also included was a gift certificate for baking lessons. I had my first lesson last week and thought I'd share the results. Camilla kept telling me that baking is science and to just stick to the recipe, but I'm not sure I am ready to fly solo and have things turn out as deliciously as they did with her doing most of the heavy lifting. I will just need to keep practicing while I am here. Whether things come out light and airy, or leaden, I am sure there is an essay in it. So, for those of you who have enjoyed/endured my many years of apple crunch (and only apple crunch) as a desert, I can happily report that new options on the horizon. Bon Appetit!

Yum, marble cake with chocolate glaze.

But my favorite is apple torte à la française.
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Of Pretzels and Pigs

One of the many fun elements of being in Germany for the holidays has been experiencing the different traditions. New Years is much as you would expect--fireworks, champagne and kisses at midnight. But whereas Americans have a diapered baby in a top hat as the personification of the start of the new year, Germans celebrate with pretzels and pigs. No one we asked seemed to know how the pretzels fit in, but everyone had childhood memories of receiving them on January 1. As for the pigs, there is a German expression: Du has Schwein gehabt, which directly translates as You had a pig, but really means You are lucky.

Wir wuenschen dass ihr Schwein habt in dem nuenen Jahr. Wishing everyone luck in 2011.

Marzipan piggy and pretzel, with a dime for scale.