I present to you Älplermagronen also referred to as „Alpine Macaroni’
One of the many highlights of every trip or encounter is the local food-tasting and recipe sharing. Especially when you can try something completely new and unknown in your region or country. Since nourishment plays a substantial part in our lives, I would like to share my particularly interesting culinary finding.
I have first been introduced to this goodie in Iceland while having an international dinner with the volunteers. It caught my eye as have never seen a blend of potatoes and pasta together. After giving it a try it absolutely won my heart.
The meal consists of pasta, mixed with potatoes, onion, cheese and apple sauce topping. Across the internet you will notice many variations of the recipe and I encourage you to have a bash. This delicious thing was introduced to me by my lovely Swiss friend Noëmie (Thank you!). As I have been told by Noëmie, the alpine delight is being served in the alpine ski resorts. It surely makes for a perfect nutriment before hitting the slopes.
The recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 400g of boiled potatoes (their texture should be rather firm)
- 150 g diced bacon
- 0,5 l vegetable stock
- ¼ l half cream
- 250 g of pasta (for example penne)
- 60 g grated Gruyère
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- Apple mousse (optional)
Preparation
Slice the onions into rings, slice the garlic and dice potatoes. After that roast the bacon, onions and garlic on a frying pan until it becomes golden brown. Remove the ingredients and set them aside. Put the stock and cream into the pot and boil it, then add the potatoes and pasta, cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until the pasta becomes al dente and the liquid gets absorbed. Add the cheese and season.
Last of all distribute the bacon-onion mixture on the top. If you wish, you can serve it with an apple mousse.
En Guete! Enjoy your meal!
As the saying goes, one cannot live by bread alone, as the dish is closely related to winter sports, which are almost a religion to the Swiss, you should definitely take a look at some ski resorts around Switzerland. Even though Switzerland is pricey, you should treat yourself to these jaw-dropping alpine vistas and have a spin to their ski trail. In a country where skiing is so popular, I would not expect anything but top-notch facilities and service.
To make your choice a lot easier I have selected 3 of the most busy and top-rated skiing spots around Switzerland with the
HI Switzerland hostels right there.
1.
St. Moritz is one of the choices renowned for the picturesque location. The hostel invites with its modern interior décor interlacing with the warm homey feel. Perfect location at any season, a walking distance from skiing, hiking or cycling trails. If that does not sort your holidays, I don’t know what will.
2.
Zermatt is a place to be for shoestring travelers as well as audiences looking to recuperate from the everyday life buzz. The hostel ranges from budget dorm rooms for those who wish to socialize and private rooms for those after more intimacy. One of the many highlights of the hostel is the exquisite location overlooking the famed “Matterhorn” peak. Important note: Zermatt is a pedestrian-only area.
3.
Saas-Fee, also known as „The Pearl of the Alps” prides itself with the glacier which you can admire at the Glacier trail or at „Swiss Glacier World” amusement park. The hostel is well equipped and will suit the most demanding tourists, which appears to be confirmed by the high customer review rate of 97%. Just to list a few of the amenieties, there is a: sauna, hot tub, gym or onsite restaurant to grab a bite in-between your relaxing activites. Anyone who feels it's exactly what they need should try Saas Fee Youth Hostel.
