Hibernation

Taking a break for a bit. Back some time in Jan.

One Two Three Four (courses)

Wein Cantina.
Nice place. We were there last night (group of colleagues and I) to celebrate with a team dinner. Some of the nicest food I have had in a while and some great company. Isn't it nice when you can honestly say that you like your co-workers? And that many, in fact, are your friends in "real life?". I, for one, say that is a sign of a successful workplace/job.

Anyway, so were were spoiled a bit last night with 3 official courses and to start also an amuse bouche. You see here: 1) the amuse bouche - a vitello tonato with a sprig of Japanese shiso leaf, 2) a really divine salmon tartar with some sort of lemon butter dressing....3) duck breast on barley with thyme jus, and 4) a molten chocolate cake with a maracuja (passion fruit) sorbet. I think my favorite was the first course - the salmon tartar. I was tempted to ask for the recipe...maybe I can "taste it out...." somehow....I have some ideas.

L&I

Big bummer tonight. Supposed to have a dinner here tonight which was canceled last minute (was supposed to be a nice celebration with clients) because too many couldn't make it. I've heard about this place again and again. They serve a 4-course menu every night, which is a surprise. You sit down, tell them if there is anything you don't eat, and then get served. The chef is Austrian, and has a reputation for cooking with only seasonal ingredients. He even shops (at least it is said) at the Viktualienmarkt around the corner from the restaurant.




I hear we'll make it up next month sometime, so certainly hoping that is true. I first heard about the place some years back, from the woman who cut my hair (at that time). Her boyfriend was the chef. :-)

Groupilarious

Some months back I signed up for the daily email from Groupon - both in Munich and in the bay area - just to see what kinds of deals would come through. FYI: Groupon is the company with a pretty cool new(er) business model. It's a "group buying" concept - the idea is that a business can offer a deal to a large group of people just because it is a large group of people buying it - the company is profiting because so many people are buying. When the minimum number of people sign up for the offer, the deal is "on" and everyone who participates get the thing/service (e.g., 50% discount on a meal in a restaurant). I have yet to actually take part in a Groupon deal. But I like the idea and even though most of the daily email has ended up in my email trash can without a second glance, occasionally I click and consider.

Long story short, I was getting sick of the emails. Got around 3 or 4 per day and I never purchased, so I thought...ok, let's give it a rest and unsubscribe.

But these guys are really THE MASTERS.
Look what happens when you click "unsubscribe."


Ok, no big deal. I am unsubscribing. Little guilt. Oh, but look, I can "PUNISH DEREK." Jeez. Obviously a joke. But let's click to see what happens.

Ah. Derek gets a talking to and some hot coffee poured on him. Not nice.

I quickly signed up for the newsletter/daily deal again. :-)))) (So I could write the blog....I unsubscribed a second time. Ooops.)

That time of year...

At 4 pm on a Friday a month before Christmas....and it's getting dark already outside. Motivation to work slowly dissipates. Here in Munich, we've been blanketed in snow already - pretty early in the year for us. But I hear most of Europe is getting slammed with snow. Just down the road from our building there is a little Christmas market...that sells nice hot Glüwein...that was too tempting for all of us an hour ago. So we packed ourselves into our jackets and hats and mufflers and gloves and took a time out drinking a mug of the steaming wine....and now back to work. For...an hour max...

I love eBay

I've just become an eBay seller. (Don't ask why, just accept this).

Had a lot of fun this morning putting together a bunch of offers. Everything costs 1 euro.

Check 'em out:


1) Wine Bottle.
Empty wine bottle.
Original wine was very nice.
From Peter Lehmann - an Austrailian Vintner. It was a 2008 Shiraz. Lovely label design and bottle cap particularly nice touch - a screw on top, black club symbol on a red background.

Description on the back is "This wine honours the unique role of "The Weighbridge" as the meeting place for vignerons at Peter Lehmann Wines Limited. The 2008 Weighbridge Shiraz is made from quality south Australian vineyards with the resultant wine rich and flavoursome but smooth and satisfying to drink.

The wine had a hefty 14.5% alcohol, which means that when I drank it (cause it's GONE NOW...You're only buying the BOTTLE), that I was probably already a bit tipsy after one glass.


2) Used headphone case.
I don't remember when I bought the headphones...maybe a couple years back. The headphones themselves are missing, I must admit. I think I lost them somewhere.
But...the case was so cool that I kept it to use with other headphones. It's nice and small and compact and only a slight pain in the ass to use (you kind of have to jam the headphone wires into the thing which takes a while.)

Please note, that the items in the background of the picture (gorgeous 27" Apple computer and magic mouse) are not included in this offer.

Color: off-white (dirty)


3) Partially grown avocado plant.
I started growing this avocado pit about 2 months ago, I think. I eat avocados on toast with a sprinkle of salt for breakfast quite often, so I tend to have a lot of avocado pits lying around. One morning, I was feeling sort of enterprising, so I stuck a couple of sticks in one of the pits and hung it over a glass of water. Two months later, the pit has rewarded me me with one measly root. (But I think there are more coming.) I guess I need to talk to it/sing to it more so it'll grow quicker. But now it's your turn. I hear that it takes about 7 years until you get usable fruit and I am not actually sure if avocados can be successfully grown in Germany, but I really wish you the best of luck.


4) Broken Iron.
I really need to get rid of this thing. It's been sitting around the apartment forever. I think the iron itself actually works, but the cord is shooting off sparks every time you plug it in and I was afraid of being electrocuted when I used it. I bought a new one meanwhile (this time a Braun although I like Philips advertisements more these days). Haven't wanted to throw the broken one away because I would feel bad - it wouldn't be very green and environmental of me. But I have been too lazy to take it to the recycling center. Maybe you want to do it for me. Actually, I am asking you to do so. Please buy it, pick it up and recycle it for me. Thanks.

P.S. That's Sam, one of my cats, next to the iron. No, you can't have him.


5) Used Toothbrush.
This is a used toothbrush. I think if you put the toothbrush in really really hot ...well...boiling water...for about 5 minutes any germs on it will be killed immediately. Alternatively, you could throw it in the dishwasher when you next do your dishes and that'll get rid of any nasty microbes for sure. The bristles are more or less intact. I think it's a "medium" hardness.

The tiles in the background are from the market in Istanbul - which we picked up in April of this year. Aren't they beautiful? They are *not* included in this sale. I am only selling the toothbrush.


6) Coffee Grounds.
I am selling the used coffee grounds in the picture. (I didn't have a choice on the item condition in this listing, so I had to lie...not good, I know.)

I grind coffee beans every morning because I think it tastes better than the pre-ground stuff. I hate the sound the coffee grinding makes in the morning but you simply can't get around this problem if you want freshly ground beans.

I use espresso beans because I like a really deep dark strong and bitter coffee - it helps wake me up. Most people like something a little milder. So I was thinking that if you use these ground beans a second time you could get a more normal cup of coffee out of them. Therefore I am selling these grounds from my coffee this morning. I will be happy to dry them out a bit and put them in a plastic baggy for you.

You don't have to use the grounds for coffee either. My mom told me that coffee grounds can simply be put in the compost bin to be used as fertilizer in the future. So you could use them for that.

The coffee machine and grinder are not included in this offer.


7) Goblin Gold.
I actually only have found one of these, so I can't offer you a sack full of them. But I am pretty sure that this one specimen is extremely valuable. It has a secret word printed on it: "Obi" - which I think is goblin code for "worth a hell of a lot of money."

I've actually been using this coin occasionally instead of a one euro coin to unlock a shopping cart when I go shopping. It's just the right size and really convenient when I don't have a euro on me.

I am willing to sell it now because I think it is bringing me bad luck. But it'll probably bring you good luck.


8) Used Tea Candle.
This is a standard tea candle. It's about 50% used, which means that it'll probably burn for about 45 minutes more. Normally, for one euro you could probably buy about 10 of these, so I don't think this is a very good deal. I wouldn't recommend you buy it. But if you really really want to buy something from me and the other 9 items I have on offer don't suit your taste, then this item is probably good for you.


9) I will let you hold the PEZ.
My mother gave me this PEZ lamb a couple years back and I haven't known what to do with it. So it has been in the cupboard with the cat food for all this time. It's still in its original packaging and there is even a price-tag on the back which shows me she bought it for $1.49. I hear these things are collector's items, so it is probably better if I don't sell it. But I will let you hold it for about an hour and examine it as long as you don't take it out of its original packaging. If you want, I will let you remove the price sticker, since I don't think that is part of the value of the item. Just in case you're curious, the Nutrition Facts on the back say that one serving is 35 calories. However, Pez appear to be fat free.

The PEZ have been placed next to the Buddha as an offering. So just keep in mind that if you come to hold the PEZ for an hour, you might upset the Buddha. That would not be a good thing. And the Buddha is not for sale - just an fyi.

Camouflage Carrots

Check it out. These guys are RED! Red on the outside, orange on the inside. And sweeter than "normal" carrots. You would think that they had been soaked in wine or genetically engineered, but in fact, they are neither.

My quick research on carrots produced this info:
Red carrots are tinted by lycopene, (another form of carotene) a pigment also found in tomatoes and watermelon; lycopene is associated with the reduced risk of macular degeneration, serum lipid oxidation, helps prevent heart disease and a wide variety of cancers including prostate cancer. Originally from India and China.

Orange carrots....on the other hand...: contain beta carotene, with some alpha-carotene, both of which are orange pigments. High in Vitamin A essential for well-being, healthy eyes. These carrots originate from Europe and the Middle East.

I had no idea. I've heard about/maybe even seen red/white/purple carrots before (and purple potatoes are even more brilliant...) but never eaten them. Bought three of them to try out. Ate one when I got home and last night I peeled and chopped up the other two. Tossed the beauties into a salad:

2 red carrots, washed, peeled, sliced into thin coins.
Handful cilantro, chopped
Handful parsley, chopped
handful arugala, chopped
5 or 6 dried dates, chopped
2 Tablespoons pistachios - toasted in a pan until lightly brown, chopped

Dressing:
Tablespoon or so of olive oil
1-2 teaspoons orange marmalade
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 half lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the dressing ingredients together and then toss with the rest. Check salt and pepper after done tossing.

I roasted a couple halibut fillets with some lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper, lay them on top of the salad...and that was dinner.

The early bird...I mean cat...

Wah! Quinoa

I am not sure if I have ever eaten this stuff before...maybe once or twice sometime in the past. And maybe it is just a trend right now, but it seems like every morning or evening when I am scrolling through food images on the various blogs I visit, that I see yet *another* recipe with quinoa.

In particular I wanted to test out one of the breakfast recipes. Apparently, quinoa is a very viable replacement for oatmeal....in fact much healthier because of its really high protein content.
Saw a bunch of recipes...here, here, and here, for example.
Ended up doing a variation on the first - I didn't have pomegranate in my fridge, but I did have persimmon - which worked just as well.

Admittedly, it's not as fast as toast and avocado, my usual standby, but it was yummy.

Miracles Do Happen

Fake Out

Flattery, nah, bribery, gets you everywhere

Horsetrader

I decided to take a new mode of transportation to work today. ;-) I traded my bike for a horse. And...here's my new horse. Check him out. (Yes, it's a him.) I am hoping that no one will steal him while he is tied up outside. Shall we name him? Suggestions?

We iz makin' compromizez, right Sammy?

Ungrateful Cat #2

Ungrateful Cat

Get in it and use it and it will start to smell like you!!! So much for rejected presents!!! That is the "Deluxe cat bed" grumble grumble grumble...

Winter begins with Pomegranates

It seems somehow appropriate to eat pomegranates today. I woke up and really thought to myself - why get up? It's gray. Cold. Raining. The end of October in Germany. Slumping my way through the apartment this morning, not even 5 cups of coffee was going to make me into a gym enthusiast. But eventually I made it. Small victories. I knew that I would return home a few hours later to shower and then work in preparation for the big meeting on Friday. One thing made me a little happy: my pomegranate.

Coming home from the blasted gym yesterday on my bike, I passed one of my favorite fruit stands. At almost any time of the year, this Turkish guy sells me some seasonal goodie that makes me happy. Honey-flavored figs, sweet Italian tomatoes, and yesterday - a pomegranate - filled with hundreds of ruby fruits. I had no idea what I would do with it, but it was really irresistible. He had a little mountain of them in his stand and they reminded me of Istanbul. He'd cut a few of them open really beautifully so that the seeds shone like facets of a huge gem just as the merchants had in Istanbul. All that was missing was the Turkish sign: "Nar." I remember the fresh squeezed pomegranate juice still...

So I bought one of these red globes and brought it home and knew there was enough in the fridge and freezer to make something good out of it. A quick peek revealed - yup - some frozen lamb. And lamb would be easy to pair with pomegranate.

When I got home, I had narrowed recipes down in my head to three. A perfect trio. Marinated lamb kebabs, Israeli couscous with pinenuts, and a pomegranate, mandarin orange, and fennel salsa to top it off. What was particularly nice was that all three recipes were fast and easy so I would be able to work as well. I marinated the lamb before jumping in the shower (pomegranate juice, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, toasted cumin, ground ginger, salt and pepper) and then slept for an hour. After the nap, and after working, the couscous and salsa also came together quickly.

It's winter, and the curse of Persephone approaches menancingly...but at least there are pomegranates.

Numbing Goodness (Dan Dan Mian)

A couple weeks back I saw a recipe (keep in mind, this happens almost daily when you scroll through the RSS feed of Foodgawker (user-submitted photos of dishes - very visual...until you click further to find out the details) for a Szechuan Chinese noodle dish. I kept the recipe on my desktop for a couple weeks because I had wanted to make it sooner rather than later...but then it got buried under other documents and finally filed away a few days back with a sigh. I would try it another time.

Another time turned up a lot sooner than anticipated. Last night, while eating dinner with Urmi at an Asian restaurant near work, she asked at the end of the meal, "Do you know a restaurant with good Szechuan dishes somewhere in Munich? And I had to admit, I didn't. But I promised to ask my friend Christian, who along with his wife Anna, is the authority on all things Chinese in this city.

I asked - "why Szechuan?" and she said it was simply her favorite kind of Chinese food. Ok. I've always been intrigued by Szechuan Chinese. In general I like spicy, and Szechuan fits the bill. But in particular, I have always been intrigued by Szechuan peppers. More on them in a bit. So Urmi was the catalyst behind tonight's dinner. I had most of the ingredients, and finally enough of a push to dig that recipe out of the folder again.

What makes Szechuan cooking unique? Wikipedia tells us...

Szechuan cuisine, Szechwan cuisine, or Sichuan cuisine (Chinese: 四川菜; pinyin: Sichuancai or Chinese: 川菜; pinyin: chuancai) is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern China famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of the Sichuan peppercorn (花椒). Peanuts, sesame paste and ginger are also prominent ingredients in Szechuan cooking.

And that recipe I had downloaded a few weeks back could be neatly categorized as classical Szechaun: Dan Dan Mian - otherwise knows as "street peddler's noodles." Put the word "street peddler" in front of almost any dish and my ears will start to glow in anticipation of finding out ancient secrets of the kitchen/simple and delicious food....Dan Dan Mien fits nicely into that category of simple and delicious. Noodles, with a few spoonfuls of spicy meat, some flash-scalded greens, all swimming in a peanuty broth, topped with scatterings of coriander and scallions, and a couple shakes of chili and sesame oil. Truly yum.

A couple years ago, when coming back to Munich from Singapore, I smuggled brought back Szechuan peppercorns with me. I had actually never cooked with them, but I was convinced that there was no way I was going to find them in Munich (not true - they are here), I knew they were not available in the US (From 1968 to 2005, the United States Food and Drug Administration banned the importation of Sichuan peppercorns because they were found to be capable of carrying citrus canker) and I wanted to bring any obscure spices with me because I didn't know when I would be back in Asia.

Now you need to know that Szechuan peppercorns are kinda cool. Also from Wikipedia:

Sichuan pepper (or Szechuan pepper) is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers.

Sichuan pepper has a unique aroma and flavor that is not hot or pungent like black or white pepper, or chili peppers. Instead, it has slight lemony overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth (caused by its 3% of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool) that sets the stage for hot spices... "they produce a strange tingling, buzzing, numbing sensation that is something like the effect of carbonated drinks or of a mild electrical current (touching the terminals of a nine-volt battery to the tongue).

It looks like this:


How could you not want to try to cook with it?

Ironically, I still hadn't until tonight.

For Dan Dan Mian, you toast the peppercorns in a pan until they begin to brown and become aromatic. And they were VERY aromatic - somewhere between spicy and pungent. But not like chilies, which will make your eyes burn if you are not careful. Generally when I start toasting chilies, the cats go running out of the kitchen. Was not a problem this evening.

There are a ton of different recipes out there, and who knows what the really AUTHENTIC version is, but I had the feeling that I was at least close. The last time I ate Dan Dan Mian was actually not so long ago - when I was in London in August. I had been out with a friend from Singapore, Nichole, who lives there now with her husband and daughters. We met up and caught up, ducking into a Chinese noodle restaurant after a glass of wine at a pub near my hotel. Admittedly, my first attempt tonight was not as good as that restaurant's, but the rich flavors and tingling, numbing peppercorns on the tip of my tongue tell me it's worth trying again....

Here's the recipe I used. (I had to adapt a bit, as I did not have black vinegar (used rice wine vinegar) and also did not have Chinese sesame paste and had to make due with middle-eastern tahini. And went with spinach rather than pea shoots)





P.S. I *did not* make my own noodles, I bought fresh Chinese noodles at the Asian grocer near work - JUST FINE.

Whole Lotta Squash

Pumpkin pie bake-off?

Need to save money...

...am growing own avocados from now on.
Any idea how many years I have to go until I get some fruit? :-PPP

Auer Dult

Headed here for a few hours today.

Looking forward.



Trust me, you do not need to understand what the German speaker is saying. Just look at the nice video.

My interpretation to come later.
_________________________________
About 10 hours later now.
Ok, so all-in-all....a bit disappointing. It was sort of like a Christmas market 6 weeks before it should happen. Worth walking around for an hour or so...but not so much more. Granted, had I been in the market because I needed a lot of kitchen goods, it probably would have been more exciting.

Still, I did manage to pick up a couple totally random things that I have wanted/needed and which are not easy to find. Things like...an egg "pricker" - one of those little devices that you prick an egg with before you boil it so it won't explode. And a vacuum cleaner head that my cleaning lady has been asking for - especially good at picking up cat hair. And a couple super thin leather strings for some beads that have been sitting in my closet unused because I couldn't find anything thin enough to string through them. And a loaf of bread. Which I could have gotten anywhere, but hey, it looked like a really nice loaf of bread.

Meanwhile, the stroll through the market still interesting - there was an antique section, a kitchen section, the requisite gluewein and bratwurst, etc. food section, the kids ride area (no luck getting them to let me on a pony...), the works. Anyone want a hand-painted personalized ceramic beer glass, please let me know. The market is open for a week.

Finished off the day nicely, though - mid-day reading, haircut in the afternoon, and Vietnamese dinner out with the Schmidkonz clan (new place, very yum). My bachelorette weekend so far.