Bike the Rhine

German's are mad for their bike paths. Some sources estimate that there are over 5,000 miles of dedicated bicycle lanes. As a biker, I think that number seems low. Everywhere we go there are paths filled with bicyclers. I can get pretty much wherever I want on my bike — without being among the cars or on the side walk.

One of the best places to ride in the area is along the Rhine. With paved paths on both sides of the river, this is a beautiful, relatively easy terrain. Major cities, such as Bonn and Cologne, have bridges to make it easy to get from one side to the other. In other area the best way to cross is on a ferry. The ferry from Königswinter to Bad Godesburg, for example is fast, leaves frequently, and cost less then 2 Euros for one person and their bike.

Although tour books say that the most beautiful part of the Rhine is found between Koblantz and Mainz, the stretch around Bonn it's too bad...especially on a bike.

Cornbread: Left-Overs? Left-Lovers

Last week, after finding cornmeal at the BioMarkt in Bonn, I happily came home and whipped up a batch of skillet cornbread. I selected a simple recipe and left out the flourishes. No chipotle, no creamed corn, no roasted red peppers, no cheese. I wanted a classic version that was not too sweet and not too dry.

That night we ate the cornbread with barbequed tempeh and coleslaw. After dinner I placed the leftovers in the freezer, hoping to postpone it from drying out as much as possible. Still, I knew that leftover cornbread is not that exciting on its own.

What makes it exciting? Transforming the leftovers it into savory cornbread pudding. Based on recipes for cornbread dressing, this dish uses milk instead of stock and has more eggs, which created a custard. To the custard I added the cornbread and sautéed veggies, and then baked it until golden. The crisp top gave way to a wonderfully creamy and flavorful interior.

Eat Cake

Last week I was overcome with the desire to make a cake. Or maybe I was overcome with the desire to eat cake. I'm not exactly sure which came first, but before I knew it I had pulled a recipe and was on my bike to pick up the missing ingredient.

A few days before I used the last vanilla that came with me from the states. The Germans like their cakes, so I assumed this would be an easy-to-find item. In the grocery store I searched high and low. Finally, I found what I was looking for. To my surprise vanilla is sold in a single serving envelope here instead of in a bottle.

Back at home, ready to bake, the rational part of my brain caught hold of me for just a moment. Were Kevin and I really going to eat an entire cake?

Since starting this blog I've become a more dedicated reader of other food blogs. Many – such aaplemint — feature amazing looking desserts day after day. Click on the author's bio and you'll dicover the writer to be lovely and thin. The question is: do these women actually eat what they make?

My solution was to cut the recipe in half. Two mini cakes seemed far less decedent. I was making a Mexican chocolate cake from epicurious.com. Instead of using a bundt pan or cupcake tins as suggested in the head notes I used four three-inch spring form pans. I needed icing and not a glaze as suggested, so the cakes were coated with ganache made from dark chocolate and coconut milk.

Wurst of the Week - 4/28

The menu called this dish “humungous sausages.” I think they lived up to its promise.

Beer School, Session 1

Here’s what we’ve been drinking:

• Erdinger Dunkel Weissbrau from Bayern in Germany. This is Kevin’s favorite so far. It’s a dark wheat beer.
• Krombacher Weizen from Kreuzal in Germany. Also a wheat beer, it’s light and refreshing. We’ll definitely get this one again.
• Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weissbier from Munich (a.k.a. München), Germany. There are so many reasons why I love this beer: a. the novelty of a dark Hefe-Weissen, which I’ve never seen in the U.S.; b. the jolly Franciscan monk on the label; or c. that it just tastes great.
• Franziskaners Hefe-Weissbier from Munich. Hefe-Weissen, which translates in English to yeast wheat, is not filtered before bottling. This process makes the beer is opaque because the yeast continues to act after bottling. This one is really good, but I prefer the dark.
• Lion Kölsch from Cologne (a.k.a Köln), Germany. In our region Kölsch is King. Brewed locally, it’s a clear yellow beer that is less bitter then Pils. Lion is popular but in my opinion not the top of its class.
• Konig Ludwig Dunkel from the Castle Brewery in Kaltenberg (Schlossbrauerei). I really wanted to like this beer since I find the store of Mad King Ludwig fascinating, but it was too malty. Kevin thought it tasted like chocolate. Normally I’d think that was a good think, but I this case it was overpowering.
• Kulmbacher Mönchshof Schwarzbier from Kulmbach in Bavaria, Germany. Schwarzbier, or black-beer, is yet another type of dark beer. This one is not too heavy or overly bitter. What I really liked about this one is that the top popped like a bottle of Champagne.
  

Best of the bunch: Erdinger Dunkel Weissbrau, Krombacher Weizen, and Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weissbier.

Beer School, Course Outline

Because we live in Germany Kevin and I need to become better educated about beer, schnell!* For months entering the beer store created panic: with so many choices how do we even know where to begin?

Initially our plan was to mix up cases with one or two bottles of lots of different brands. This has lead to some great evenings, but has done nothing to improve our knowledge, or – for that matter – even helped us remember what we liked.

Our revised plan is to keep drinking lots of different beers, but also to blog about them. Starting today, Saturday’s posts will be “Beer School.” Here I will catalog different beer that we’ve tried and tracked our favorites. For the mid-term and final project, I’ll set up a poll where readers can vote to help us narrow down the best beer ever.

Please post comments with new beers to try. With over 1,300 breweries in Germany alone, your suggestions for our next shopping trip will make the process a lot easier.

* Schnell is "fast" in German.

A Lot o' Gelato

What was the most popular place in Bad Godesberg yesterday afternoon? Eiscafé Capri.*

Everyone was either sitting outside the café or walking through town licking a cone. Though the German word Eis translates to "ice cream" in English, I think they really serve gelato.

What's the difference? Less air is incorporated into gelato’s base, making it dense and creamy. The best gelato is made in small batches, which enables the producers to use fresh, high-quality ingredients. And gelato is made with milk instead of cream.

Devotees claim that since gelato has a lower fat content, it leaves your palate cleaner and your taste buds are therefore more sensitive to detecting flavor. I can't attest to the science behind this claim, but I can said that gelato often has brighter, more intense flavors then ice cream.

* Eiscafé Capri, Theaterplatz 2, 53177 Bonn. Open daily from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, March through October. Phone: 0228-353681 Fax.: 0228-353847.

Beer Garden Salad

Knock on wood: I think the weather has finally turned the corner and it is 100 percent spring, spring, spring. The world is green, accented by splashes of pink, purple, yellow, and red as little thank-you gifts for wait out the long, gray winter. And, perhaps most exciting, the beer gardens are in full swing.

Yesterday I decided to enjoy the warmth and sunshine with lunch on the Rhine. With its half-timer building, buxom blond waitresses, and gingham tablecloths, the restaurant that I chose did a fine job living up to my vision of a stereotypical German beer garden. Though I've seen people sitting outside from time to time throughout the winter, yesterday was the first day that a crowd was gathered.

Though the food wasn't particularly impressive – I had a salad with feta and green olives – it didn't really matter. It was just so nice to be outside, watching the boats and savoring the thought of many more days like this one.

Craving Home

Here's a note on traveling to another country verses living abroad: When I travel I want to soak up as much of the local experience as possible. I shun anything that seems too "American" or is readily available in the U.S. But while living away, I sometimes need to be reminded of home. These cravings often manifest themselves as wanting a specific food.

Last weekend Kevin satisfied his taste for home with a cheeseburger at Green Hill, a local Irish pub that could be transplanted to New York without changing a thing. For me, I wanted a bowl of spicy chili with cornbread. The problem was, I haven't seen cornmeal in a German supermarket. So, my hankering when unsatisfied. (Though I did make a mean pot of turkey chili.)

Then, while walking to my German class I discovered a Bio Markt, an all-organic health food store, right in the center of Bonn. I could have sworn I heard angels playing their harps as I walked in. Not only did I find cornmeal — they had three different brands to choose from!

With only five minutes to spare before class, I did a quick walk through. As a resident, this is my new favorite place. They stock the mother-load of products missing from my roster of dishes since moving. In addition to cornmeal I found temphe, seitan, nori, sushi rice, and quinoa. I can't wait to go back when I have more time to see what other hidden treasures are sitting on their shelves.

Trip Planning Online

I have been in Europe for more then half a year. During this time I've done a fair amount of traveling, with trips to England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and Portugal in addition to road-trips throughout Germany. The problem is, the more places I go, the more I want to see. When I'm not on the road, I am researching future trips.

Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite online trip planning tools.

• I love the travel section of the New York Times. Here I find interesting article about place to visit and things to see that are not often written up in travel guides. I especially love the "36 Hours in..." pieces.
• Flying around Europe can be relatively inexpensive since there are a number of discount airlines. Go to each airline's individual Web site to get the best rates. In Germany, the discount carriers include German Wings, Ryanair, Tui Fly, Air Berlin, and Easy Jet. For other European desitnations, check out Euroflights.info.
• MapQuest offers maps and route-planning serives throughout Europe. Even if I don't plan to drive from one city to the next, I like to find out exactly how far apart things are.
• Before making hotel reservations (no matter where I find them) I check Trip Advisor to see what kind of comments other travelers have given them
  

And even though this isn't an online tip, I thought I'd include it because the deal sounds awesome. In yesterday's Times there was an article about making the most of your dollars while traveling in Europe. Worldhotels is offering a deal where American travelers can pay in dollars instead of Euros. In order to get this deal, you must call (800) 223-5652 from within the U.S.

Hope you find these sites useful. If you have any trick of your own, please let me know.

Wurst of the Week - 4/21

In NYC there are “dirty water dogs;” in Germany there are "Straßenbrats." Well, this isn’t technically a German term, but I think it should be. "Straße" is “street” in English, and Bratwurst are frying sausages commonly sold at stands like this one.

A Marathon Post

To all my New England readers: Happy Patriot's Day!

To anyone who doesn't know what that is: In Massachusetts and Maine, Patriot's Day is a public holiday commemorating the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which was the first battle in the American Revolution. To celebrate this holiday many schools and offices are closed, re-enactments of the battle are preformed, and the Boston Marathon is run!

In honor of this auspicious day in running,* today's post is about marathons. I've been lucky enough to watch two marathons in the past 10 days: the London Marathon was run on Sunday, April 13 and yesterday was the Bonn Marathon. Whenever I watch people running a marathon, I am surprised by my own swell of emotions.

Watching reminds me that – for every person on the course – this is the day that they have been training for, planning about, and anticipating. In the end they will be physically exaused, but energized by accomplishing an impressive feat. Whether they are elite athletes or runners in the five-plus-hour category, the level of commitment and dedication that it takes to complete the race is amazing. (When it comes to slower runners, remember that they will spend hours on their feet, doing the same thing over and over again without a break. I can’t think of anything else that people do repetitively for so long.)

*For the competitive, but nonprofessional distance runner, the Boston Marathon is the most prestigious race. Runners must meet qualifying-time standards in order to get into the race. To give you an idea of what kind of time you need, think about this: At 33 I ran my personal best marathon in 4 hours, 39 minutes. To get into Boston with this time, I'd have to be between 65 and 69 years old!

Eggplant: The Great Salting Debate

Many eggplant recipes recommend that the vegetable — well, it's actually a fruit — is salted before cooking. The process involves slicing or cubing the eggplant, placing it into a colander, and leaving it for 30 minutes or so*. Before cooking, rinse off the excess salt and pat the pieces dry. The eggplant will be thoroughly seasoned, and you don’t need to add anymore salt.

Okay, I may have over stated the title of this post. It may not be a "great debate," but there certainly are varied schools of thought about the value of salting eggplant before cooking it. Salt draws out the excess moisture. The major claims by both sides are:

• The pro-salters say, salting removes bitterness from the eggplant and changes the texture, making it more dense and chewy
• The non-salters say, eggplant is just fine the way it is
  

Where do I stand? Eggplant is not too bitter when it is not salted, but I prefer the texture when it is. Also, I think salted eggplant is easier to cook. Non-salted eggplant tends to burn on the outside before the interior is cooked enough.

Last night I roasted eggplant slices along with some zucchini, red pepper, and onions. We ate it with fresh whole-wheat sourdough and an arugala salad with lemon and shaved Parmesan. It was delicious and a reminder that meat-free meals can be perfectly satisfying.

* I’ve been known to leave my eggplant “salting” for up to 24 hours. I haven’t ever read a recipe the recommends salting for this long, but it was absolutely fine.

Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, Red Pepper, and Onion

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds, salted, and dried (see above for salting procedure)
2 zucchinis, sliced on the bias
1 red pepper, sliced into 1-inch strips
1 red onion, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss eggplant with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss other vegetables with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Please in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast for 20 minutes, flip vegetables, and roast for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown. Arrange veggies on a place, sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Spaghetti Combonara

I love spaghetti carbonara. With a sauce of bacon, eggs, and cheese over spaghetti its the best breakfast has to offer, without actually eating breakfast for dinner. The problem with spaghetti carbonara is that it tends to be a bit heavy.

Last night I attempted to lighten up the dish a bit. I don't use cream in my carbonara and only had one egg. Also, instead of using bacon I used Black Forest Ham.*

After adding spinach and topping it with fresh tomatoes and pine nuts, which could stand up on its own as a self-respecting pasta dish, I came up with the name “combonara.” The resulting dish was lighter then normal carbonara, yet still hearty and satisfying.

* Traditional German Black Forest ham more closely resembled prosciutto then what is passed of as Black Forest Ham in the US. Check out recipetips.com to see pictures of American vs. German Black Forest ham.

Spaghetti Carbonara With Spinach and Tomato

1/2 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices Black Forest Ham,* cut into 1/2 in squares
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cup cooking liquid from pasta
1 egg
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 small tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Salt and pepper

Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil add pasta and cook. Remove pasta from boiling water when it is still a little less done then you like it. The pasta will finish cooking in the pan with the sauce.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent. Season with pepper, but not salt. You'll get enough salt from the ham, cheese, and pasta liquid. Add ham and cook until crisp. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until the liquid has almost fully evaporated. Deglaze the pan with half a cup of cooking liquid from the pasta. Then add another half cup of cooking liquid. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.

Before draining the pasta, set aside 1/4 cup of cooking liquid, which will be used to temper the egg. Add drained pasta to the pan with the sauce. When the cooking liquid has cooled slightly, add the egg and mix. Pour the egg/water mixture over the pasta and toss, allowing the egg to cook without forming curds. Turn off the heat and add butter, spinach, and cheese. Toss pasta, allowing the spinach to wilt.

Place in pasta bowls, sprinkle some Parmesan and fresh pepper, and garnish with tomatoes and pine nuts.

* Black Forest Ham can be replaced with bacon, prosuitto, or – for a vegitarian version – tempeh bacon.

Shopping-Day Curry

Growing up, my mother used to make a dish known in our family as shopping-day soup. Contrary to what the name implies, it wasn't a soup made with all of the newly purchased vegetables. Instead, to make room for the new supplies, shopping-day soup was how she used up all of the veggies left at the bottom of the crisper.

Since Wednesday is the day that I pick up my weekly Gemüse Tüte, Wednesday has also become my de facto shopping day. And since my fridge is smaller then the average American dishwasher, I have to empty out the micro-crisper in order to make room for the fresh produce. Yesterday, that meant that dinner had to include a head of broccoli, a green pepper, half a package of mushrooms, two carrots, a couple stalks of celery, a handful of spinach, and an inch-long piece of ginger.

I started out making a veggie stir fry, adding half an onion and two cloves of minced garlic to the mix. The stir-fry turned into a vegetable curry when, to spice things up, I added a couple of teaspoons of Thai red curry paste and coconut milk. I used rest of the can of coconut milk to make coconut rice, to which I added a handful of chopped almonds. The meal was topped by crispy fried basil-tofu. And it was good enough that, when Kevin said a co-worker was going to drop him off, I was happy to invite him to join us for dinner.

Speed Demons

Germans pride themselves on being one of the world's most environmentally conscious countries. They recycle everything, compost, and hang clothes to dry to conserving water and energy. Wind turbines dot the landscape. You'll see them along the autobahn.... Well, that is if you're not traveling at break-neck speeds.

Despite finds that prove that driving slower emits less greenhouse gas, most Germans balked at the idea of imposing speed limits. Driving is to the German people what the second amendment is for many Americans: controversial, dangerous, and inalienable. Though more then half of the autobahn is governed by speed restrictions, you know when you're in a limitless zone.

This morning I had to drive to Frankfurt, which is about 180 kilometers from Bonn. I consider myself a conservative driver, but in the speed-limit free zones, I averaged about 150 K or 93.2 miles per hour. I think this is pretty fast, but other drivers regularly smoked me.

When driving on the autobahn the left lane has two purposes. Its official use is for cars to enter it briefly to pass another car. The unofficial use is home to high-performance vehicles. If you see a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes approaching in your rearview mirror, get out of the way. They will pass you, normally traveling at least 200 K (125 miles) per hour. If they flash their lights, it means you should have been out of their way 10 seconds ago.

Tea for Two

After a long day of shopping, what better way can a girl fortify herself then with a spot of tea? And when in London, that means more then just a cup of Earl Gray.

Offered at most of the city's nice hotels, some restaurants, and teahouses, Afternoon Tea is a veritable institution in London. Served between three and five, the meal consists of a variety of small finger sandwiches, scones, and sweet pastries or petit fours.

The tradition of having Afternoon Tea dates to the 1800s, and its invention is credited to the Duchess of Bedford. Because her lunch was served around noon and dinner around 8:00 PM, the Duchess found herself hungry in the afternoons. What started as some bread and butter with a cup of tea, soon turned into a social event. Though often used interchangeably, Afternoon Tea differs from High Tea. High Tea is served later in the day, is akin to supper, and typically includes meat or fish.

Learn from my mistake: If you know in advance that you want to have Afternoon Tea, make a reservation. If you didn't make a reservation though, you may not be at a total loss. We went to The Lanesborough Hotel to have tea but the restaurant, The Conservatory,* was fully booked. The staff, however, was very accommodating and served us Afternoon Tea in the hotel's library.

With its dark wood paneling, fireplace, and plush sofas I can't imagine that the restaurant could have been any better. The sandwiches – salmon on mini brioche, cucumber, egg, tuna, and coronation chicken salad** – were perfect and delicious. So were the scones, which were served with clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd.

* The Conservatory, The Lanesborough Hotel, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA. For reservations call, (44)(20) 7259 5599.
** Coronation chicken salad — a curried chicken salad with almonds and raisins — was created in honor the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II.

Marketing Strategy

With over 40 open air markets, London is a great city for anyone who loves to wander, brows, and shop. From organic produce to designs by emerging artists, high-end antiques, and bric-a-brac, all sorts of treasures are just waiting to be found.

Among the city's – and the world's – most famous markets, Portobello Market rambles along the two miles of Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It began as a fruit and vegetable market in the early 1900s. Then, antique dealers and sellers of all things vintage started setting up businesses in the 1960s. Shops are opened six day a week, but the real action is on Saturday mornings when vendors also open stalls on the streets.

Visited by locals and tourists alike, the market is big, crowded, and packed to the gills will all sorts of goodies. To navigate more then one block in a morning, we needed to focus our adventure this Saturday. Our criteria: vintage items (excluding clothing) that were small enough to pack in a suitcase.

Skipping furniture, fixtures, and frocks, we still only managed too make it half way though the market before our stamina and budgets gave out. Prized loot: antique wall paper samples, a silver plated toast caddy, sailor trading cards, and a glass eyeball that we nicknamed "The London Eye."

Wurst of the Week - 4/14

"Toads in a Hole" is a traditional English sausage dish. Here wursts are severed with Yorkshire pudding and potato-parsnip mash.

Answering London's Call

Friday's post, with bullets about why I looked forward to being in an English speaking country, neglected one hugely important point: In England I was able to chat with everyone.

Granted, I was traveling with an outgoing friend, whose energetic spirit encouraged friendly banter. But I think that even her personality was not soley responsible for the wonderfully warm and welcoming spirit of (almost*) ever Londoner we met.

Bar tenders were happy to give samples and recommendations. Venders at Portobello Market offered the providence of their wares, explain markings and techniques, and in one case regaled us with stories about famous clients. When we weren't able to get a table at one restaurant, the hostess looked up the address and information about other places that we should try. At the Lanesborough Hotel, they weren't able to seat us in the dinning room for high tea, but served us in their lovely library instead.

But perhaps the best example of the friendly experience we had was, after being allowed to use the restroom in a restaurant were we didn't eat or order a drink, a waitress came out on the street with us to give directions to the nearest tube stop.

* There was one horrible woman at dinner on Friday night who didn't have one nice thing to say about Germany, and an apparently crazy lady yelled at us for walking to slowly.

London Calling

Today I'm headed to London for the weekend. This will be the first time since October that I'll be in an English speaking country. I am looking forward to:

• Navigating the transportation system without making up crazy pneumatic devises to remember the stop
• Not feeling guilty about using English while ordering a meal or checking in to a hotel
• Ease dropping
• Reading the menu
• Not having to hand the taxi driver a card with the destination's address
• Movies and plays are an optional activity
• Newspapers everywhere

Hey Turkey

Here's something that surprised me about Germans: They eat a lot of turkey.

The way that it's consumed is different from in the U.S. It's not often sold whole, and I've only seen sliced turkey once. (Ham and salami are staples of sandwiches here.) But every day there are a variety of cuts available in any grocery store.

Turkey fillets. Turkey medallions. Turkey stakes. Ground turkey. Turkey roasts. Turkey loins. Even turkey schnitzel! I've tried them all.

I really like the turkey roasts, whole breast weighing between one-and-a-half to two pounds. I serve turkey for dinner one night, and then make sandwiches the next day or two. My only complaint was that the turkey is sold without its skin. When roasted, the meat dries out and the edges get tough.

I've been experimenting with ways to combat the problem. Until yesterday the best solution was to sear the turkey before putting in the oven. Last night I tried something else – I wrapped the roast with a layer of thinly sliced prosciutto. I cover the roast with foil and cooked part way, then removed the foil. The result was a wonderful, crispy outer layer and moist meat inside. As an added bonus, the prosciutto added great flavor.

Note: Want to read more about turkey? See My First Thanksgiving.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Turkey Breast With Fennel and Red Pepper

1 1/2 to 2 pound turkey breast
5 slices prosciutto
1 bulb fennel
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut fennel into large chunks. Cut red pepper into 2 inch strips. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on the bottom of a parchment-lined baking pan.

Place turkey breast on top of the vegetables. Add salt and pepper. * Wrap the top of the turkey with a single layer of prosciutto, slightly overlapping each piece.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes. Remove foil, baste turkey with remaining olive oil, and return to the oven uncovered. Continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. The internal temperature should rise to 180 degrees.

* Since the prosciutto is salty, add less salt then you normally would to a roast.

Endive Made Sunday Dinner

On a trip to France in 2000 I ate endive wrapped in ham and baked with cream. It was delicious. I've thought about that dish often but, for some unknown reason, never tried to recreate it. Never, that it, until this week.

I've always shopped pretty much daily, deciding what I'm in the mood to cook then picking up what I need. In New York it was easy – vegetables were literally downstairs, the health-food store within site, and a traditional grocery store two blocks away. I passed Trader Joes and Whole Foods on my way home from work. In Raleigh I was farther from the shops, but relished hopping into my Mini Cooper and zipping around the city.

During the week in Germany I can continue daily shopping, but the weekends are different. On Sundays, everything is closed. That means that on Friday or Saturday I need to make sure I have something in the house for Sunday's dinner. Sometimes I plan a menu plan but more often I gather up what ever looks good and wait and see what strikes my fancy.

This Sunday, my fancy struck when I realized that I had four heads of endive and four slices of ham. I'd never have a better excuse to try to pull together the endive au gratin. And though it was a little different then what I remember — I used skim milk instead of cream and added Greyer to the béchamel — but it was still delicious.

Endive and Ham au Gratin

2 cups chicken stock
4 large heads of endive
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cup milk*
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
4 slices of ham
1 cup garlic crouton
Salt and pepper

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.

Poach the endive in chicken stock to remove some of the bitterness for 15 minutes.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Incorporate the flour into melted butter. Cook until the butter-flour combination for about a minute. Wisk in milk, then add cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce become think, about 3 minutes.

Wrap each head of endive in ham and place with the seam side down in a baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over top; cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Allow the endive to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Garlic Breadcrumbs

3 slices of sandwich bread
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Cut the crust off the bread. Create bread crumbs by grating the bread on the fine side of a box grater. Finely mince garlic. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs and toast until light brown.

At Wengé, Sous Vide To Go

While wondering through Luxembourg this weekend it seemed as though every other person was carrying a distinctive yellow-green and brown shopping bag. These people didn't fit into any mold – they were male and female, old and young. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of place could attract such a diversified crowd.

Then, turning the corner onto Rue Philippe II, I saw the corresponding yellow-green and brown sign. Turns out the shop – Le Comptoir du Wengé – is an outpost of Wengé Restaurant.* Inside the display counter was filled with pastries, multi-colored cookies, quiches, and savory tarts. But what really drew my attention were the vacuum-packed entrées.

Using a method known as sous vide, which literally translates from French to "under pressure," these entrées are vacuumed sealed in plastic. The bags are then cooked in water baths for a long time at low, but very precise, temperatures. Bacuse it is cryovacked, none of the juices evaporate during cooking. The resulting dish is very moist and flavorful.

Though expensive – each entrée runs between €12 and €20 – I had to try them. As side from wanting to know what half of Luxembourg was having for dinner, I was very curious about the cooking method. In 2005 the New York Times Magazine ran a story about sous vide cooking in New York. A few weeks later, the NYC Health Department banned the technique because the food's internal temperatures never reached Health Department standards. Today, because of the time and expense required to create the requisite food-safety plan, few New York restaurants have resumed using the technique.

The take-out bags that I selected were braised pork medallions and chicken with wine sauce and morels. At home I reheated the bags, as instructed, for 12 minutes in boiling water. I served them with rice and a salad. They were delicous – just as flavorful and moist as promised. Instead of tasting like a take-out meal, it was as though dinner came directly from the restaurant's kitchen.

* Wengé, 15 Rue Louvigny , L-1946 Luxembourg

**Le Comptoir du Wengé, 4-6, rue Philippe II, L-2340 Luxembourg

De-Luxembourg

We spent Saturday afternoon in Luxembourg City. Often described as a storybook city, I'd call the capital of this pint-sized country more of a story-booklet town. But, as promised, it serves up plenty of atmosphere and style.

Two-hours west of Bonn (via the autobahn), Luxembourg is nestled between Germany, France, and Belgium. Smaller then Rhode Island, the country occupies just under 1,000 square miles and is only 51 miles high and 35 miles wide. There are less then 500,000 Luxembourgish citizens.

Despite its diminutive size the country has repositioned itself in recent years among Europe's power elite. It was one of the major instigators to the formation of the European Union, but its financial power lies in the tax advantages it offers residents of other European nations. Driving into the city center you'll notice that the road is lined with major international banks.

With the highest average annual income in Western Europe, the capital city is home to well-healed residents. High-end retailers, jewelry stores, and fashionably boutiques fill the pedestrian-only Old Town shopping district. The city also boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita then any other city in the world.

In addition to great window-shopping along charming streets, there are plenty of tourist attractions. The city is home to a number of museums but we opted to visit the Bock Casemates. Dating back to the 900s, these are a serious of tunnels and caves carved into the ramparts. The best part of the city though was the views. The Grund, the area in the valley has gardens and paths that will take your breath away.

Wurst of the Week - 4/7

This truly is the worst of the wurst. These pre-packaged BiFi snacks are available at every German rest stop.

Rhubarb Joins Spring's Produce

Even though the dark skies and cool temperatures haven't been Spring-like these days, the produce available in the Northern Rhine Valley seems to indicate the arrival of a new season. In the last weeks I've seen fava beans, white asparagus, ramps, and – yesterday's find – rhubarb.

I saw the rhubarb at a little vegetable stand near our house that (I'm ashamed to admit) I haven't checked out before. It's on a side road that we take driving back from the main thoroughfare between Bad Godesburg and Bonn, but it isn't on my usual walking or biking routes. Yesterday I set out on a special mission to see what they had to offer.

I was terrible excited by what I found – local rhubarb. Reputed to have been brought to Europe from China by Marco Polo,* rhubarb is a tart vegetable with poisonous leaves. It can grown indoors, producing the first harvest as early as January, but field-grown produce is only available in late March through early May.

Along with the rhubarb, the farm stand had tiny and sweet strawberries grown in nearby Holland. The combination left me no choice – a cobbler was in my future.

* Source: The Rhubarb Compendium

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler

Filling*
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb
2 quarts strawberries
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Crumble Topping
2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cold water

To make the filling chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces. Core and slice strawberries in half (cut larger berries into thirds). Mix fruit, flour, and sugar together and place into baking dish. Dot the top of the filling with butter.

Assemble the crumble topping by mixing together oats, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Cut butter into pieces and incorporate into the oat mixture with your fingers, as you would while making a piecrust. Add in water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. Evenly place the topping over the fruit. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 until the juice from the fruit is bubbling around the edges of the crumble. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Allow the crumble to cool before serving.

* I used a deep baking disk. For 2 or 3 inch baking dishes, use 1 pound of rhubarb and 1 and 1/2 quarts of strawberries.

Must-Make Dish: Coconut Rice

After making my April Fool earlier this week I had half a can of coconut milk in the fridge that needed to be used. Inspiration hit: I'd steam the rice with coconut milk.

Oh my god! Where has this dish been all my life? So easy! So good! It took plain old white rice and brought it to a whole new level. Rich and flavorful, the rice also had a really nice mouth feel and texture.

I served it under a tofu-ramp stir-fry, but found myself having a second helping of rice – sans veggies! Sure using coconut milk upped the fat content, but I wasn't terrible concerned since the rest of the meal had no saturated fat and was low in calories.

I predict that coconut rice becomes a staple in my repertoire. It will be delicious with spicy shrimp, and I have visions of a coconut-rice dessert. (Think sweetened coconut sticky rice with grated dark chocolate and strawberries or mango. Yum!)

Coconut Rice

2/3 cup water
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the rice by placing olive oil in a small pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add rice and salt. Stir over a high heat until the rice is fragrant, but before it becomes brown. Remove from heat.

Mix the coconut milk and boiling water together. Add to rice. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is full absorbed, 15 to 17 minutes.* Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to use. Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

* Try not to remove the lid while the rice is steaming.

Ampted About Ramps

Yesterday I went to the Bioladen (a.k.a. health food store) to pick up my weekly Gemüse Tüte (a.k.a. bag of local, organic produce). I went with every intention of canceling my bag for good.

I signed up for this service because I was interested in learning more about local produce and finding out what unique vegetables are grown in Germany. Instead, for the last couple of weeks I received nothing exciting, only non-blog worthy broccoli, leeks, and carrots grown in Italy and Spain.

While standing on line to cancel next week's vegetables I rummaged through the bag to see what was there. "Are those ramps?" I wondered. The mere through was enough to make me sign up for one more week.

Once home I had to look up the word Bärlauch, which was included on the list of contents to make sure I was right. Unlike ramps that I've purchased at the Greenmarket on New York, the ones in the bag only had the leaves; the bulbs were removed. But, sure enough I'd received a bag of wild garlic.

Also know as wild leeks, ramps are a member of the onion and garlic family. They are indigenous to North America, and commonly found in Appalachia. One of the first spring vegetables to appear in markets, ramps can replace garlic in most any recipes. Last night I threw the leaves into a stir-fry with tofu, broccoli, leeks, and carrots served over coconut rice.

Mincing Your Words

Why is it that cooking terms, when used outside of a culinary context, often have negative connotations?

Fried: Burned-out
Boiled: Greatly excited
Toasted: Doomed
Roasted: Ridicule
Simmer: Anger resulting in quiet state
Steamed: Fume
Stewed: State of anxiety
Poached: To take unfairly or illegally
Baked: Intoxicated
Whipped: Defeated, exhausted, tired
Grate: Irritating
Beat: Strike violently and repeatedly
Grilled: Question relentlessly
Blanch: To turn pale in fear
Cooked: To falsify to make a more favorable impression

Note: I used Dictionary.com to help with the definitions.

Wurst of the Week - 4/1

Ah the sweet life . . . That's right, at one shop in Cochem you can purchase marzipan-shaped wursts.

An April Fool

Halloween doesn't have to be the only day of the year for tricks as well as treats. Compensate for an terrible practical joke your planning – or let your loved ones know that they are forgiven – by serving a round of April Fools for dessert tonight. (See my orange coconut fool recipe.)

In the culinary sense, a fool is a dessert made by folding cooked or pureed fruit into sweetened whipped cream. An English dish that originated in the 16oos, the word's etymology comes from the French verb fouler, which means, “to mash.” Traditionally made with gooseberries, you can use any fresh fruit.

Orange Coconut Fool

2 oranges
1 can of coconut milk
1 tablespoons sugar
A pinch of salt
Chopped, toasted almonds

Cut two rounds from the orange. Supreme the rest of the orange.*

Chill the can of coconut milk to allow the cream to rise and become firm. Open and remove cream, reserving liquid for another use. In a large bowl add coconut cream, sugar, and salt. Beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. (Note: This will take slightly longer then when making whipped cream.)

To assemble to fools, place some orange sections at the bottom of a glass. Then add a layer of whipped coconut cream, then chopped walnuts. Repeat until the glasses are filled.

* To supreme an orange you cut off the bottom, creating a flat surface for it to sit on; and cut off the top to revealing the flesh. Next, remove the rind and pith by slicing around the flesh. Then, holding the orange over a bowl to capture all the juice, cut away each section of the flesh.