Through the rose tinted glasses of my childhood, Christmas in Germany seemed like the best thing on earth. A place where the cobblestones and medieval towns of fairy tales met with a month of pure festivity as snowy nights filled with rich hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, and as many candied nuts as we could eat.

I find myself back in Germany at the start of the holiday season, and I can say with full confidence that my attraction to this country’s celebration was more than childhood memories romanticized. Christmas in Germany is something special. Take for instance yesterday, December 6th, the special holiday of Nikolaus Tag. Children all over Germany clean their shoes the night before, putting them outside the door (as I did growing up). The next morning, the shoes are filled to the brim with chocolates, oranges, and little trinkets—special Christmas treats to start the holidays. The advent calendar here is treated with reverence, from the candle-decked holiday wreath inside churches to the candy-filled paper version sold at every grocery store. And from the first weekend in December, the Christmas markets light up city’s both small and large; more then 50 markets have taken over Berlin’s squares and boulevards, not as a tourist attraction but something thoroughly and completely enjoyed by the locals. Giant trees, nativities, pyramids, and nutcrackers can be found everywhere.

Walk through the carnival-like Alexanderplatz market during a weekday and you’ll see business men enjoying champignon for lunch while Berlin’s mothers entertain their children on mini ferris wheels and roller coasters. At the more beautiful but just as crowded Gendarmenmarkt, cloaked entry guards help lend a historical flair, while artisans offer handmade goods. Nearby our new home in the Prenz Lauerberg neighborhood, the Kulturbrauerei market is a very locals affair. It’s small size is outweighed by authentic flavor, with a Scandanavian/Saint Lucia theme offering food and drink from Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

With endless options for food—pommes, bratwurst, fluffy latkes with lox, stewed green kale with ham, fluffy pizza with bacon and cream sauce, plus the sweet crêpes, waffles, candied nuts, and roasted chestnuts—we could go to a market every night and never get tired. And no matter how cold it gets, there is always a glass of warm gluhwein or hot chocolate to drink. Germany is beautiful in the summer and fall, but I am so lucky to have come now, my favorite time of all.

*Some exciting holiday news to share, I’ve been nominated for FriendsEAT.com’s 2012 Best Food Blogger in the Recipe category. Please vote for my page by clicking the “love” button here http://friendseat.com/lavitacucinare*

I’ve only been in Berlin for two weeks and we’ve already managed to do so much! In between sorting out the logistics of moving to a new country—including a rather exciting trip to the local government office for our Anmeldung oder Wohnung (or resident’s cards) and a rather not so exciting, lengthy trip to the customs post office to pick up the eight-50 pound boxes we shipped from the US—we’ve also made time for Christmas markets, shopping trips, and plenty of delicious German food. We’ve already had some wonderful guests and an American Thanksgiving with my sister and friends during their visit to Berlin last week. A German bank account, cell phones, language classes, and our visas are all also in the works. Whoo-hoo!

But in between all that, I’ve had a few moments of panic. It was wonderful celebrating the holiday last week with good friends, but I felt slightly guilty when I didn’t check everything off my to-do list. Although I planned to arrive in Berlin and first spend time in language school, I’ve wondered if instead I should be working to establish myself as a writer here. But these moments of hesitation pass, as I remember that the time has been short, and the longer we are here, the more comfortable we’ll become.

Just as acidity is important in balancing flavor, a little piece of mind can go a long way in balancing the moments when life has been turned upside down. I am trying to keep that idea of balance in mind, especially when I want everything to fall in place so quickly. Balance of my proposed goals and what is actually achievable in a day’s time. Balance between the things we need to do to get settled here and the things we want to do. Balance between my expectations and realities. It’s incredibly exciting to have found ourselves newly minted expats but without a healthy dose of balance, it doesn’t feel quite real.

Lemon juice is my go to seasoning element to add balance—a bright little kick of acid can really help even out a rich dish—and just imaging bright yellow lemons puts a smile on my face. There’s something about citrus—soothing under your eyes, fresh in your water, clean as a fragrance—that offers a balancing thought as well as balance in cuisine. And it isn’t just a subconscious effect; on top of its culinary prowess, lemon juice offers a number of health benefits and actually helps balance our body’s natural pH.  As we head into my third weekend in Berlin with plenty of plans, I’m thinking all about the balance in my life and how to keep my mental scale healthy and happy. A tall glass of cold water, with a nice slice of lemon is the way I think I’ll start.

When I was a kid, my mother always told me it would be difficult to find someone who could give me the kind of exciting, world wind lifestyle my father had provided for us. Because of his job in the Army we lived in Germany for nine years, and my parents made good use of the locale, taking us on trips all over Europe—from skiing in the Swiss Alps to hiking up Mount Vesuvius in Italy to watching Shakespeare on London’s stage.

Luckily, I’ve found a partner whose appetite for travel is as insatiable as my own. TH and I just keep taking off, and in the last four years we’ve adventured through Europe, Canada, Morocco, and Hawaii, and explored the new city’s we moved to, including Chicago and New York. And the journey is just beginning. Our next chapter has us fulfilling a dream of living in Europe; we’ve landed in Berlin! I can’t believe it’s been 12 years since I left Germany (after my sophomore year of high school), and coming back really feels like I’m coming full circle. I can’t wait to eat my belly full of German bakeries, beer, and bratwurst. I spent my first few hours here just wandering around Berlin, snapping a few photos, taking in all the sights and smells, and literally pinching myself.

Of course this means a lot of new changes are in store as well. We’ve come to another new city, with a whole new landscape of museums, restaurants, bars, and culture to discover. It also means learning a new language and finding a new path for success in the next chapter of our lives. But I couldn’t be more excited! Have a tip about Berlin? Send it my way! And expect to hear a lot more about Germany in the very near future!

Growing up, we had a closet full of special decorations that came out for each holiday. It wasn’t Easter until the yellow egg-shaped bowl was filled with sticks and topped with ornaments; Christmas meant a German-style nativity pyramid and my mother’s vintage angel collection. This time of year we opened a box marked “Autumn Splendor.”  A combination of indoor autumnal décor and a striking outdoor display of gourds and flowers, autumn splendor decorating started in last days of September and carried through Thanksgiving, when we would begin to plan for Christmas. Although we occasionally purchased new ornaments and trim each year, the bulk of these festive ornaments were pulled from storage boxes each year, carefully stowed away until it was their time to shine again. I can still remember opening the boxes and pulling out the items with my family, each one like a little present from our past—a set of tricolored Indian corn, a hand-stitched turkey sampler, a stuffed scarecrow. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, but having the same items every year helped make each new home feel like home.

I’m spending the week with my mother at her house in Virginia’s Shenandoah Mountains, surrounded by the lush countryside, and it feels like autumn splendor is all around me (even though New York City is battling snow already!). And while some of the same decorations I grew up with are here, some have migrated to my own holiday box, and some to my sister’s, as we begin to create our own homes. As the weather turns even chillier, and we all start to think about the holidays (and what we’ll be cooking), I’m taking a minute to remember how much I loved those moments when I was a kid, and to appreciate the beauty of the changing season around me.

I managed to escape the trials of Hurricane Sandy this week, safe on the other side of the country on a work trip in San Francisco. Now that I’m back on the east coast, I’m lucky to have wonderful friends that haven taken me in during my last few days as a New York city girl. (More on that to come!) It’s hard to believe that in such a short time so much damage could happen to a city that is in essence the nation’s business, culture, and news capitol.

In my last year of living in New York, I have been exposed to so much, meet so many incredible people, and of course, eaten some fabulous meals. But more than anything, the city itself has been a wealth of inspiration. I ran home as often as possible this year, jetting from the StarChefs.com Union Square office through the East Village, across the Williamsburg bridge to our Williamsburg apartments, and during these runs I really got a good look at New York. Running through the crowded streets you hear, smell, see so much: run-down cafés that reek of fried food; the sounds of street performers; cigarettes and alcohol; sweat; cheap pizza; the buzz of motorcycles, buses, bicyclists, and cab drivers all trying to make the light. It’s also a city full of tradition: a reuben from Katz’s; the solid archway of Washington Square Park; a burger from Shake Shack; the charming neighborhoods tucked behind busy avenues; the weekly farmers markets; the list goes on and on. No matter where I go, I’ll bring the experiences I’ve had in New York—from shopping at the Union Square Green Market to our meat CSA to a somewhat better internal navigation system—with me into my next chapter of life.

This weekend, as I continue to read about the hurricane’s havoc, and to think about and wish the best for the city’s inhabitants who were hit much harder by this situation, I will continue to be inspired by the fortitude New York City has always shown. If you haven’t already and would like to help out in some way, I encourage you to donate to charities like the American Red Cross.

It’s that time of year, when the markets are bright with orange gourds. And while some suggest we’re all a little pumpkin crazed by the time November comes around, I think squash is really where it’s at. The creamy, slightly sweet vegetable can be cooked in so many different ways—roasted, steamed, pan-fried, boiled, and purèed. From spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and acorn squash chips to brown sugar-roasted delicata, there are a slew of interesting types to choose from. (And they all have seeds that toast up wonderfully, adding texture to your meal). Here are four varieties I recently picked up at the market and am greedily eating my way through this week.

Kabocha
The generic word for squash in Japanese, Kabocha usually refers to a thick-skinned variety that’s incredibly sweet, nutty, and similar in texture to sweet potatoes or chestnuts. Also known as the Japanese pumpkin, it has knobby-textured, bright orange or deep green skin. It’s often used for tempera preparations and in Asian soups, but the versatile vegetable can also be steamed or roasted as a side dish.

Butternut
This bell-shaped squash is the most multipurpose of the bunch; it’s a standard for purèes and soups. Peel off it’s thick beige skin with a sharp peeler or pairing knife, and inside you’ll find bright orange flesh, the deeper the color, the sweeter the taste. Its thick orange, fleshy pulp is similar to pumpkin, and is most often roasted or steamed and mashed into a purèe.

Acorn
Because of its smaller size, this heart or “acorn” shaped squash is often halved and stuffed, making the perfect meal for two. It’s most commonly found in the green variety, but you can also find orange and white versions. This squash keeps for a long time, so you can buy ahead and keep a back stock in the pantry.

Delicata
I don’t have a favorite squash, but this variety is certainly my go-to choice lately. The long tubular yellow and green stripped squash has tons of flavor. And it’s easy to cook—a thiner skinned variety, the sweet orange flesh roasts quickly and the skin is edible and crisps up quite deliciously. It’s perfect roasted in salads or sautéed into a winter stir-fry.

Inspiration abounds in San Francisco, with it’s beautiful landscapes and bounty of incredible produce. I fell in love with the city on my first visit in 2006 and I’ve traipsed up and down its hills as often as I can since. (The photo above was snapped during a 2009 trip with my Lubitel camera.) One of the things I miss the most about living in California is the farmers markets, and San Francisco has one of my favorites, at downtown’s Ferry Building. I’ll share a beautiful plum tart on Monday with some of my recent SF spoils.

I was lucky enough to find even more inspiration in my travels to this city last week, as I tasted with some of San Francisco’s true culinary talent. From my first bite of escargot caviar (yep, earthy snail eggs!) to the divine culinary artistry of Dominique Crenn, it was a trip I’ll never forget. Whether it’s an incredible meal, the city’s booming coffee culture, one of the many picturesque museums (I managed a visit to the Legion of Honor this time around), or the hillside cityscapes, I can’t get enough of this west coast city. Luckily, my job is sending me back next week!

My parents instilled the travel bug in me at a pretty young age—when I was a baby my mother took me on a trip to visit my aunt in Hawaii and we lived on U.S. Army bases in Germany for nine years throughout my childhood. Before I had graduated high school, I’d been swimming in Italy, skiing in France, and, of course, eating all over Europe.

As an adult that love of traveling has stuck, and I’m lucky to have a partner who likes to explore as much as I do. This year TH and I have ventured to the exotic lands of Morocco, the comforts of my mother’s Virginia home, the tropical suns of Hawaii, and the next door getaway that is Long Island wine country. And there are many more trips in store.

Traveling is a great way to get inspired—the sites, smells, tastes, colors, and people in a new city can all offer exciting, creative ideas. On a quick trip to Kentucky this weekend, I realized you don’t have to cross the globe to get that “explorer’s feel.” At the last minute TH couldn’t make the trip, and (after our friends beautiful wedding) I wandered around the city, actually my home town of sorts. I was born in Louisville and it was fun to explore a city I feel attached to but hardly know. And like any good trip, I was inspired! (As you can see in the photos above.) From the city’s charming Southern style to the variety of hometown bourbons, I have a feeling plenty of Kentucky influences will be creeping into my recipes, and writing, in the near future.

And while I have hardly begun to scratch the surface of what New York has to offer, I can’t wait to keep traveling. Luckily, I’m headed to San Francisco in October, where I’m certain to continue to be inspired.

While I loved traipsing through New York City during the hottest of hot summer days, sipping on Watermelon Punch and eating ice cream, I’ve been smiling all week, now that it finally looks like fall has come around. The sun is still shining, but there is a cool breeze in the air, a slight crispness that turns chilly in the evenings. Summer may be the time for backyard barbecues and lazy beach days, but autumn is just as exciting. I can’t wait to get cozy with a Hot Toddy and some warm apple crisp.

And when the weather gets cooler, an apple orchard visit is a must. We recently took a trip to Virginia to visit my mom, and spent one morning picking apples. She lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, an area that has been focused on apple growing since Thomas Jefferson first planted his orchards at nearby Monticello.

Today the area is still lined with orchards (Virginia is the sixth largest apple producing state), and crowds often gather on sunny fall days to fill their bags and picnic in the scenic hills. And nothing beats a warm, cinnamon-dusted apple doughnut after a few hours of apple picking. The restaurants around my mom’s house specialize in them, but I’ll share a recipe on Monday for a home version, just the thing to use your fall apples with!

After a nice Labor Day weekend break, it’s back to business as usual around here—and tons of cooking in the kitchen! As we head into September, and warm summer weather comes to an end, we’re welcomed with the last big push of produce and fruit. In a few months the farmers markets will go back to bare stalls of cheese, bread, and greens, so stock up now! And while nothing beats the fresh taste of a deliciously ripe tomato, the best way to make the flavors last is by preserving them through canning, pickling, roasting, and dehydrating.

Whether its a quick pickle (I’ll share my new favorite yellow squash recipe on Monday) or a canning adventure, preserving is a labor of love that really pays off. This weekend I have a few projects on the list, making use of my wonderful CSA produce. And after a friend recently shared her tomato sauce making experience, I can’t help but look at my pretty market tomatoes differently. Perhaps they’ll get a dip into the pickling liquid this weekend as well!