Chef Wise

When you think of Christmas Markets, one country always comes to mind: Germany.  Wonderfully festive, German Christmas Markets are authentic with atmospheric squares decorated with fairy lights and pretty stalls selling hand-made gifts, crafts and toys, Christmas decorations plus spiced mulled wine and speciality foods. As Germany's largest privately owned hotel operator, MARITIM Hotels is well placed to highlight the country's top five Christmas Markets for 2014. 1. Dresden – best for history and heritage The oldest Christmas Market in Germany, dating back to 1434.  Known as Striezelmarkt, this Christmas Market is renowned for its festive charm, with stalls filled with traditional hand-made crafts and culinary delights, including sweet delicacy Dresden Christstollen.  A winter wonderland, the focal point of the Dresden Christmas Market is the world's tallest Christmas pyramid (with a height of 14m) and the world's biggest nut cracker, while the high...

Alta Badia's gourmet initiative 'A Taste For Skiing' is back for the 2014-15 season…with a twist. This winter the resort has partnered with Le Soste; the association that groups together the creme de la creme of Italian Michelin starred chefs working in Italy and abroad. Together they aim to create a foodie journey that will explore the ancient traditions of Italian cuisine from across the country. Participating Michelin Star chefs from Alta Badia, Verona, Milan, Modena, Lombardy, Siciliy and other Italian towns and regions will create their menus based on their individual regional backgrounds. Food will become a medium for storytelling with the dishes and associated wines reflecting the traditions of the regions they represent and the chef's own story. Each chef's creation will be allocated to a mountain hut, where it will feature on the menu for the duration of the winter season. The dish will be paired with two wines; one from the chef's home regi...