A Multicultural Experience

One of the things that I have enjoyed most about my time in Germany is that I have gotten to know people from all over the world. This was an unexpected surprise for me, since before coming I assumed that Germany was not a very diverse country. Through Kevin's job, my language classes, and volunteering we have met people from Africa, all over Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

And of course, because I love to eat, having a group of friends from all corners of the earth means that dinner invitations are a delicious way to try authentic international cuisines. Last night we were invited to a birthday dinner for an Indian friend from South Africa.

The menu included two types of curry: one with chicken and peas and one with lamb and potatoes. Tanya starts with her own, homemade curry paste, which includes spices mixed by her mother and specially delivered to Germany. Both were spicy, but not overwhelming. (Though they did tell us that they tamed the dishes a bit for our more-sensitive pallets.) Accompanying the curries were basmati rice and three chutneys. The lime and mango chutney added a lot of flavor as well as some more heat.

For dessert we had bread pudding with coconut and apricot jam. The sweet creamy pudding was a perfect counter balance for the spicy entrees.

The whole meal left me wishing I could pack up my international friends and bring them with me back to Raleigh.

Terra Vino: The Best Restaurant in Bad Godesberg

As I start wrapping up my life here in Germany, I was thinking about what restaurants I want to eat at one last time. While I've had a number of good meals while living here, there really is only one place that I feel like I need to visit for certain before I leave: Terra Vino in Bad Godesberg.

Hidden behind a strip of nondescript stores off Koblenzer Strasse in the center of the village, Terra Vino is hard to find. The address, Hubertinumshof 11, is located in a courtyard that looks more like a parking lot. I lived in Bad Godesberg for months before I even knew the place existed. A neighbor recommended the place, claiming that it was "some of the best Italian food he's ever eaten." It took me a few trips to the town center before I successfully found the restaurant he described.

Boy, am I glad I finally found it. Once getting past the unassuming facade and the even more unassuming front entrance you are transported into a charming dinning space. It is best to reserve a table ahead of time, to make sure you can sit at one of the long tables with benches it the back. The walls are lined with dark wood shelves that hold hundreds of bottles of wine. Classified by type and then region Kevin and I usually order one of the Chianti Classicos.

With no written menus, the wait staff explains the day's specials. The selections change regularly, but usually includes a salad, antipasti, brusetta, few pasta dishes, a fish, and a meat dish. The salads are fresh and perfectly dressed, the antipasti platter contains a nice sampling of cured meats and cheeses, but the brusetta is hands down my favorite. With lightly tasted bread, a generous topping of tomatoes and onions, and a fruity olive oil, it is hard to believe that such a simple combination can be so good.

For an entree, I almost always get pasta. I have never been disappointed. All are made from scratch daily, and most often simply dressed. The light and flavorful gnocchi, for example, comes dressed in either pesto or tomato sauce with a hefty sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. There is also usually a stuffed or baked pasta offered. Here, again, the straightforward simple executions are delivered to perfection.

Kevin's favorite item is the baked fish. Always a medium-sized whole fish, such as a dorade, a few lemon slices and green onions are tucked inside the fish that is then wrapped in foil and cooked. The result is a moist, flavorful meal where the taste of the fish is allowed to shine.

We've never ordered dessert, which includes a selection of traditional Italian specialties. For us, lingering over a cappuccino is the perfect way to end the meal.

Terra Vino
Hubertinumshof 11
53175 Bonn - Bad Godesberg

• Phone: 02 28 / 3 29 78 58
• E-mail: terraone@t-online.de
• Open: Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays
• Lunch 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.; dinner 6:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.
  

Spud Love

According to an April 2008 article in The American Journal of Potato Research, German per capita potato consumption is seven on one-third bushels. There are between 54 and 60 pounds of potatoes in a bushel. That means the average German eats between 396 and 440 pounds of potatoes annually, or 1.14 pounds of potatoes a day.
That's an awful lot of spuds. But, in my experience it doesn't sound too far off. When I've talked to Germans about their shopping habits, I'm told that they buy potatoes at a rate of 5 to 10 kilos (or 10 to 20 pounds) at a time. Every time I've been invited to eat in the home of a German, potatoes were served. I even know of an all potato restaurant in Königswinter. (They serve the absolute best fries!)

You'd think it would be boring to eat so many potatoes, but there are countless ways to cook them around here. You can get them mashed, roasted, boiled, or fried; in salads, with or without mayo; transformed into dumplings, pancakes, or noodles; and baked and stuffed, or au gratin.

Last week, a colleague of mine told me that he's been getting his potatoes direct from the source. A farmer he knows delivers potatoes – along with a few other farm fresh staples – once a week. Excited by the thought of fresh organic potatoes combine with being able to directly support a local farmer meant that I didn't hesitate to get in on the action. Last Friday I picked up my two-kilo order. (I know, I know, I'm still not a German. Four pounds is nothing!)

These potatoes were delicious – earthy and fresh. But, what excited me the most about the potatoes I purchased was that I got not one, but two heart shaped spuds. If that doesn't show that they were grown with love, I don't know what would!

My Mediterranean Diet

Interested in finding out more about the food in Greece? Check out my post about the great Greek eats on The Apron Caper.

My New Favorite German Things

While learning how to make Bavarian potato salad, I discovered some new German food items. I think the following, which I've never come across in the U.S., are going to be among the things that I long for when my time in Deutschland is over:

• Kressi Herbed Vinegar. White wine vinegar spiced with herbs and garden cress. It is made in Switzerland available mainly in the south of Germany, Switzerland, and (I'm guessing here) Austria. Bonners can purchase it at the Metro supermarket, a club store in Sankt Augustin. It has a mild taste and is excellent in vinaigrettes.
• Maggi Wurze. Also known as Maggi Seasoning Sauce, this dark sauce, upon first taste, is very similar to soy sauce. Made of water, salt, and wheat gluten, it doesn't actually containing soy and is a little less salty.
  

Schnitzel Lessons

On Saturday night Kevin and I received lessons on how to make authentic schnitzel and Bavarian potato salad. To read about our adventures in the kitchen and get the recipe, visit The Apron Caper.

Mo Mexican

I'm mistaken. Apparently there are a number of Mexican restaurants in Cologne.

I'll have to give them a shot, but I'm still not totally convinced that I'll get what I'm looking for based on the following clues:

• Havanna (Neusser Straße 17) — Isn't "Havana" actually the capital of Cuba? Why is it (with two "n"s) being used as the name of a Mexican restaurant?
• Peppermint (Hohenstaufenring 23) — Despite reviews that it's "the best Mexican food in Cologne" I'm suspicious of a Mexican restaurant in Germany with an English name. (Peppermint in Spanish in "menta.")
• Si Claro (Friesenplatz 9) — After my experience at the beer festival on Sunday, I'm staying away from tuna at Mexican restaurants. The shear quantity of tuna on the menu here is reason enough to be suspicious. (What it warm Mexican tuna dip anyway?)
  

There’s also Janita's Cantina (1 Hans-Böckler-Platz), which seems like it might be fine. The reviews suggest that this is an authentic option, and the name fits my vision of what a Mexican restaurant should call itself.

Though I’ll try Taco Loco first, a chain of four Mexican restaurants in Cologne. Why? A life-long Cologner recommended it and the tacos seem to be the right price. (I’m suspicious of a place that charges 10 Euros for a taco. That seems way out of whack.)

I'll update you when we've made the trip to Cologne for a tasting.

Belgium Eats

We ate like kings in Antwerp.

On Friday night Kevin and I had dinner at one of the many cafes near the cathedral. I can't remember the name of the place, but the wood-burning stove drew me in. I anticipated that the food would not be great, thinking that it was more the location that got the crowds. I'm happy to report that I was wrong.

We shared an order of mussels. On all the menus in Antwerp they were offered three ways — natural, with white wine, and with garlic. We went for the garlic and were not disappointed. The mussels were plump and briny — honestly some of the best I've ever eaten. We also split an order of spare ribs, which I was surprised to find on many menus in the city. The spare ribs were also excellent with a slightly spicy, slightly sweet glaze that really hit the spot.

On Saturday night we ate at Het Vermoeide Model Restaurant. A bar and staircase so steep it closely resembled a ladder occupied the first floor. The dining space is on the second floor, with tables in every nook and cranny. In the center of the room, which opened to the floor below, a grand piano was suspended along with a piano player who provided the soft background music.

We started with a plate of house-cured Norwegian salmon. It was lightly spiced with dill and chives and exceedingly tender. Next was a steak with Roquefort sauce and pork braised in a calvados-spiked sauce. Both meals were very good and (disappointingly) left us too full to try the desserts, which included something that looked like and old-fashioned ice cream Sunday and pound cake served with fruit and cream.

Sunday morning Kevin and I enjoyed something that we haven't had since leaving the states last year — a proper brunch. At Chez Fred in the shopping district along Kloosterstraat, we were delighted to have omelets and quiche. The prefect brunch experience was accented by great music, good coffee, and really nice dark brown bread that is served whimsically in a brown paper bag.

I knew we were on to a great food scene, but received confirmation of this fact while sitting a brunch. The very stylish and hip gay couple that sat at the table next to us on Saturday night arrived at Chez Fred for brunch just as we were paying our bill.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.