the iPad debate will never end...

I am still sitting on the fence on the iPad decision, but enjoying using the work iPad for the time being. This new app might convince me to go out and buy one. But let's see. Will take it home tonight and curl up in bed with it rather than a book....
Actually considered going out during lunch and just buying one. But...I didn't.

Pumpkin Season

We're fast approaching the day of the Pumpkin (well, a bit over a month to go), and I wonder again if I should have a Halloween party or rather let Mallorie host it again this year. (Americans have this duty, you know, when they live abroad....). This year, (as opposed to last year...) I don't have such a brilliant costume idea, I mean, not yet, anyway. Although i think last year's iphone costume is *still* sitting around our offices. I need to really throw it away. Or at least upgrade it to an iphone 4.

Meanwhile, the pumpkin recipes are starting to come out in scores and pumpkin recipe lunches are starting to appear in the office as well.

In honor of Oktoberfest, (yeah, we still have over a week to go of the craziness here in Munich....), I think Munich should be importing pumpkin beer (here's a Portland brewery that seems to craft a fine one...), if not brewing it locally. Maybe I can find a beer brewing kit online and get a batch out in time for Halloween. This little hokaido has been sitting on my dining room table for awhile, waiting to be transformed...

Königssee

Königssee can be translated as "King's Lake" and perhaps it is an apt name. Looking at it elicits feelings of grandeur - the steep walls of the mountains around it and the known depth of the lake (around 200 meters) combined with the frequent trumpet playing from the boats that traverse its surface and echo in the morning mist underscore the majesty.

We went hiking here on Sunday. Beautiful fall weather, paired with a first hour and a half of pleasant forest incline made the initial part of the day really nice. But...I have to admit, I haven't done this kind of hike in a really long time. So, by the end of the day, (7.5 hours of fairly steep inclines or slippery forest trails) I was more on the "let's get this day over with," side than euphoric. Achy and sunburned, I was soooooo happy to take off the hiking boots at the end of the day and have a glass of wine with some toast and cheese before hitting the bed.

Hoping for a few more fall days like that, though - with a little more of a majestic experience.

Bedbugs

With all the sleeping in hotels I have been doing lately (averaging about 2 nights a week, which is still tolerable), my attention was naturally caught when I started reading articles about how bedbugs seem to have had a renaissance of sorts. One of the hotels I have spent some time in in London...while convenient because of its location and ammenities...has a particular smell about it. As I described to a colleague (who agreed with me, as he was stuck in the same hotel), "like unwashed old men." That particular mix of sweat, old fashioned cologne, and maybe a hint of shoe polish all mixed together. Not really a pleasant odor to have in your nostrils as you try to get to sleep.

And a week ago, I came home from a few nights abroad with a strange spot on my stomach. Like a spider bite, but less vicious. Who knows what it was, but then a few days later, I read the article on the resurgence of bed bugs and got suspicious. Spent some time with wikipedia's article (photo of bedbug from there) on said creature and was relieved to learn that though they might take a bite or two out of you, bedbugs are seen to be as relatively harmless.

And because I am *not sure* that I was actually bitten by a bed bug, I won't publish the name of the hotel.

Saw this article today in the NYTIMES and had to laugh. Apparently for pest control and related companies, the search term "bedbug" has become quite expensive because of the sudden popularity of the search term.

Quite astounding sometimes - the swift effect the real world can have on interactive/digital advertising budgets.

Patience is a Virtue (Beef Yakni Pulao/Beef Biryani)

...and I have little patience. So this particular recipe was really really tough for me.

I have tried to make Biryani before with only moderate success (rice was mushy). I ran across a really fabulous blog yesterday, though, and was inspired to try again.

The trick, I have now learned, is merely...do not open the pot, no matter what. So, you make the broth first - cubes of beef simmered with coriander and cardamom, cinnamon and garlic, onions, ginger, etc., for an hour. (Meanwhile, soak your rice - I used brown because I had no Basmati, but next time will do it with Basmati - but brown worked and was wonderful). Saute a chopped onion in a pan for 15 minutes until the onion caramelizes. Add your beef cubes from the broth (throw away the onion and ginger) and add a little butter if necessary. Let the beef brown a bit. Then, put in the rice and broth and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot with a tea towel and then the lid. And turn your timer on for 20 min. Wait. Do not open the pot. When the timer goes off, set it for another 20 minutes and turn off the heat. Wait. Do not open the pot. Do not be tempted to look or to stir or all the steam will be gone and you will have raw rice at the end.

Then, moment of truth. Timer goes off. Say a little prayer. (Too late anyway, but a little praying never hurt anyone.) Open the pot. And there you go - perfectly cooked rice - aromatic and tender. Only real changes I would make to it is to make it with meat on the bone or at least a couple bones thrown in - because I think the broth would have been even better. Serve it up with raita and a little lime pickle.

The Last Supper in Deutschland

Here's one of the latest billboard ads circulating through Munich. It's an ad for a TV show (Deutschland's Meisterkoch - Germany's Master Chef) that has apparently just launched. (The sentence on it can be translated: "What makes this jury blessed?") First reaction: intrigue - what is this new cooking show? Is it any good? Second reaction: annoyance - because there was no QR code on the ad - you know - one of these:



in which to quickly find out what it was all about. Instead, I would be forced to type in the URL to see. Imagine...life before internet.

Anyway, as it turns out, I didn't even bother to look it up until a day later - when I was home sick in bed yesterday (not so nice to spend the weekend in bed :-((( ), and had plenty of time.

As it turns out, I probably shouldn't even write a blog about it. But it's terrible. It is a combination of reality tv, big brother, iron chef, and god knows what else. I watched a few clips - like the 5 minute clip of the auditions of 1500 cooks trying out for one of the 12 spots on the show, and grimaced as celebrity chefs stood there and insulted the guys trying out. It wasn't funny. It was mean-spirited, cliche, and frankly gave me no appetite to watch more. I did, however, watch 1 or 2 more clips and it was enough to know that there is no way I will ever watch an entire episode.

And I don't really get the reference to the Last Supper in the ad. Sat.1 - you're trying too hard and failing miserably.