Advent in Germany is the time for cookies. They are baked a week before Christmas Eve, so that they have time to rest, and then they are used to fill the bags of mummers who go from house to house singing Christmas carols. There are a lot of cookie varieties, but one of the most popular is "Linz Eyes" (not to be confused with "Linz Fingers", which are not baked goods at all, but sausages). An even number of circles are cut out of shortcrust pastry, one or three round holes are made in half of them and sent to the oven, then the whole circles are covered with icing made from currant jam and the cookies are fastened together. The slits with jam are the same "eyes" or "windows", as they are also called. And also "kisses", "mischievous ones" or "Johannes cookies". According to legend, In the 17th century, during the Thirty Years' War, the baker Johannes von Redsburg was the first to bake such cookies and distribute them free of charge on the streets of Linz to delight the townspeople on Christmas Eve.

In the old days, this traditional Hungarian dish was prepared from adult chickens so that the broth would be richer and more filling. Nowadays, both beef and lamb are used as a base. Two ingredients remain unchanged: sour cream and, of course, paprika.

The name comes from the Spanish word burro, meaning "donkey." There is a legend that the dish was named after the Mexican Juan Mendoza, who was nicknamed Donkey. Mendoza sold food on the border of Mexico and Texas, saved on dishes and sold meat and vegetables not in a ceramic pot, but in a tortilla. Burrito is made from a wheat tortilla, in which they wrap, for example, minced meat, beans, cheese, tomatoes, rice, avocado, sour cream or chili-based salsa.

The recipe uses as many lemons as possible for the pesto, but you can vary the amount to your taste - one lemon will be enough for some people. You can also grate the zest into the pesto.

Chowder, a rich creamy stew that is especially popular in New England and on the Atlantic coast of Canada. We made it from the most common set of seafood that is sold in any supermarket.