special feature "Tennis & Culinary Delights in Carinthia," we're the kitchen doors of the -star Thermenhotel Karawankenhof in Warmbad Villach. At this thermal hotel, you can not only enjoy the benefits of the KärntenTherme spa, but also, and perhaps most importantly, the hotel's highly praised cuisine. Both are essential elements of a perfect tennis holiday. The kitchen team at the Thermenhotel Karawankenhof will tell us how the hotel interprets and implements the principles of Slow Food and Alpine-Adriatic cuisine . And we even have a recipe for a typical Karawankenhof dish for you: braised lamb shoulder with spring onions and roasted potatoes . Enjoy your meal and have fun cooking it yourself!

Kitchen door opens in the Karawankenhof tennis hotel in Warmbad Villach

We asked the kitchen team at the Karawankenhof a few questions about Slow Food and Alpine-Adriatic cuisine. Read on to find out how the hotel puts these two concepts into practice every day.

 Carinthian Slow Food – that stands for fantastic regional and high-quality products that you use in your hotel. Where do you source your products (meat, fish, cheese, etc.) and do you have a particular favorite?

In the future, we consciously want to dedicate ourselves even more intensively to regional cuisine and include traditional Carinthian dishes, from Sunday roast to Topfenreinkerln (a type of curd cheese dumpling), in our menu. We place great importance on the cultivation of vegetables, the raising of livestock, the preparation of basic ingredients, and so on.
We source our products exclusively from regional suppliers. Meat from Ilgenfritz: Under the brand name "Kärntner Markenschwein" (Carinthian Brand Pork), products from Carinthian farmers are inspected and processed. Vegetables from Robitsch: Here, regionality is a top priority when purchasing. For example, Krainer potatoes from Puch, leafy greens, and herbs from Carinthian farmers... Dairy products from "Kärntner Milch" (Carinthian Milk): A huge selection of products made with the world's best raw milk.
I find my favorite products at the Villach weekly market: Special delicacies such as Carinthian raw sausages, bacon, goat cheese, fresh herbs, and much more complement our offerings there.

 Carinthia is known for its so-called Alpe-Adria cuisine: how would you define this style of cooking? What makes this cuisine particularly delicious?

This cuisine incorporates ingredients from three countries: Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. It can best be described as fresh, seasonal, yet also down-to-earth.

 What is your personal favorite Carinthian dish that you serve at the hotel?

Cheese noodles, of course.

 What should a TennisTraveller absolutely eat when visiting Carinthia?

A slice of Warmbader Haustorte from the award-winning Cafe Konditorei, located in the sister hotel Hotel Warmbaderhof *****.

The recipe from the Karawankenhof tennis and spa hotel: Braised lamb shoulder, spring onions and roasted potatoes

preparation

• Rub the lamb shoulder vigorously with the spices and place it on top of the diced root vegetables in the oven at 160°.
• Once the vegetables are well roasted, add tomato paste and deglaze with red wine.
• Gradually add the stock.
• After about 70 minutes, add the peeled potatoes and leeks and fry for another 30 minutes.
• The starch in the potato also gives the sauce a slight binding effect.

Bon appetit!

Looking for more tennis holiday inspiration in Carinthia?

You can find lots of information about tennis hotels in Carinthia at www.kaernten.at/tennis . Specific booking offers can be found at: www.kaernten.at/tennis/urlaubsangebote. 
Or, of course, directly here on TennisTraveller on our Carinthia inspiration page – everything at a glance: Carinthian tennis hotels, camp offers, and interesting blog posts.

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