tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87268767212661396482012-02-16T12:20:46.151+01:00Trial & Error and Learning Along the Waytaste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.comBlogger1261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-48043863040909675412010-08-24T18:20:00.007+02:002010-08-24T18:55:32.027+02:00

There has been a long absence in my blogging. This may have been noticed by the astute, interested reader. This may have fallen by the wayside of readers who have found other blogs in the meantime. The absence, however, can easily be explained. I can have 2 of the following 3 things in my time: a stimulating job, fun food adventures or regular blog entries. Because blog entries require input,

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-49843255229823187822010-07-23T12:38:00.001+02:002010-07-23T12:38:00.985+02:00

One of the benefits of being in a vacation home as opposed to a hotel is the fact that there is a kitchen and you can cook the foods found at the local market. The down side of cooking in the kitchen of a vacation home is that the spice rack is often bare. My task was to make dinner for 6 people in a vacation home, a stone's throw away from a local farm, with only dried cilantro and a bag of rice

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-86713163262095860252010-07-13T09:57:00.000+02:002010-07-13T15:55:55.014+02:00

"Ooh, let's order 100 wings, all medium hot; that's only very hot, not very very hot!" screams out one of the 8 little league boys at a neighbouring table. We're at Duff's in Buffalo, who may not have the claim of being the home of the original Buffalo wings, that claim goes to the Anchor Bar, but was the recent host of president Obama.Of course you can make wings at home and you certainly don't

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-52075197229790791772010-06-25T11:52:00.004+02:002010-06-25T12:08:08.390+02:00

It's the World Cup of Football right now, and I can't stop watching matches. Last night , I cheered as Japan made it on to the next qualifying round. In a few hours, I'll put aside my things and watch Portugal vs. Brazil and North Korea vs. Cote D'Ivoire on split screens. But all this football is making me hungry.If you're from North America, you likely think of the game with quarterbacks and

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-69211122055514187712010-06-21T21:57:00.000+02:002010-06-21T21:57:00.094+02:00

Not so long ago, a coworker announced that he was finally going to go for his dream trip to Japan. Happy that he was embarking on his adventure of a lifetime, I told him to try some Wasabi Kit Kats. At this point, all I really knew about the Japanese food that isn't really imported is: 1) you can buy nearly everything in a vending machine and 2) they really like their Kit Kats in Japan. Little

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-1057455287540561982010-06-21T10:00:00.000+02:002010-06-21T10:02:48.216+02:00

Although I like to cook exotic things, I stay away from fish. There are two simple reasons for this: 1) I believe in sustainable fishing and try my best to support it, at the cost of popular, flavourful fish, and 2) I'm sort of allergic.After having seen fish in the seas, I was frightfully aware of the fact that they are not as numerous as in Jaques Cousteau films. I believe in sustainable

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-4957945713789119972010-06-14T21:08:00.003+02:002010-06-14T21:21:17.057+02:00

Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.An ideal challenge for someone who loves pate. Unfortunately, the free-range chicken

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-66843140425593421582010-06-10T14:58:00.008+02:002010-06-10T19:23:57.322+02:00

One thing I really wanted to do in Paris was sit & have some oysters with my Workaholic. I had our getaway planned and oysters were scheduled for the first night. I booked a table at Le Bar a Huitres near the Bastille. We got out at the exact opposite metro exit, walked around the Bastille and found men shucking oysters on the street. That's how I knew that we were in the right spot.We ordered a

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-12560557264111790842010-06-03T12:11:00.008+02:002010-06-10T15:25:18.630+02:00

L'Argume is a little out of the way but it offers food that encourages you to make the journey. I called the day before our arrival, shortly after our plans had been ironed out, in the naive hope that maybe there might possibly be a table for 2 free on a Saturday night. A table on a Saturday in a restaurant that seats 30 and serves 5 course meals for under €50/person. An amusing thought. Well,

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-3244475320344999732010-06-02T14:06:00.009+02:002010-06-10T15:25:30.556+02:00

What makes a good sandwich? I believe it to be a combination of personal attachments, the contents, and the environment. Personal attachments might be an odd criterion for some people, but think of the popularity of peanut butter & jam; for most people it is a memory that brings us back to a certain time. My personal attachments to falafel sandwiches go back decades as my sister would sometimes

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-69548351932753352762010-05-14T09:42:00.008+02:002010-05-14T11:06:16.131+02:00

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.When I read about the enchiladas I had to make this month, I got unnaturally excited. I haven't had

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-29885998756167265642010-04-07T19:00:00.010+02:002010-04-07T20:17:55.708+02:00

Aside from monthly bills and the odd newsletter to my local wine store, I love love love getting things in the mail. Postcards, letters, packages, things I've ordered online - it's always a surprise when I come home after a day at work. I've come to value the merits of certain couriers over others. Hermes allows me to send anything back, DHL is the standard of the German Post and DPD - well, it's

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-19181884124320733982010-04-06T18:21:00.007+02:002010-04-06T19:14:27.640+02:00

After years of trying to explain to Germans that there is life beyond muffins and its name be cupcakes, McDonald's has introduced cupcakes to its McCafé lineup. There are 4 flavours, all named after New York City areas - Chelsea Chocolate, SoHo Vanilla, Central Park Strawberry and East Village Cappuccino. I was slightly intrigued by this addition to the McCafé menu when I read heard about it last

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-46558623358347180222010-04-05T12:28:00.008+02:002010-04-06T14:41:17.160+02:00

As a diver, I love to see fish underwater. As a gourmand, I love to see fish on ice or a plate. It's not that hard to reconcile the 2 desires if you're responsible about it. Overfishing is an environmental and economic issue - if there are no fish, the environment suffers, as do the fishermen. Also, we suffer as we are no longer able to eat the fish we want. I've noticed that divers love to eat

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-47146885664880242782010-04-04T13:14:00.008+02:002010-04-05T12:57:25.049+02:00

I had this stomach virus-thing recently. Neither I nor you, dear reader, want me to go into detail. All I will state is that my diet was limited. As I was unable to eat sweets and eat fruit, all I wanted was sweets and fruits.It's Easter today. I want chocolate & cake & everything that's bad for me. This morning, I made something that satisfied the elements of my desires, yet still adhered to the

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-87841761842511207162010-03-27T17:56:00.011+01:002010-03-31T16:07:41.640+02:00

Last weekend, the workaholic & I hopped a train & went to Berlin. The hotel we were staying at was not far from the zoo, and not far from the Kaufhaus des Westens - KaDeWe. This is one of the remaining department stores where you can really get anything your heart desires. We walked in next the the Tiffany's counter, which is a self-enclosed store, just like Omega & Mont Blanc. We didn't stop to

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-27888032468026778072010-03-25T14:03:00.005+01:002010-03-25T15:01:56.150+01:00

I spent last weekend in Berlin. Friday night, I packed a bag, set my alarm clock and got on the 6am train. Just in time for lunch in Berlin. After dropping off my bag, I set out to the Kaufhaus des Westens, also known as KaDeWe, also known as the best food floor in the world. Yes, it outdoes Harrod's. I'll post on that later. What I'm posting about today is the Veuve Clicquot stand.There are

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-22052868951080434882010-03-16T13:37:00.005+01:002010-03-16T15:56:17.539+01:00

Years ago, I went to San Fransisco with my sister. I'm sure the photos are in a box somewhere and if I were to look at them, I'd see us in the Japanese Tea House, us at the pier, us in a cable car and then buying shoes. I can remember all of these things. I also remember the avocado sandwich. Some sandwich bar in a surfer town north of San Fransisco had avocado sandwiches on their chalk-board

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-72653599116195608042010-03-14T20:09:00.004+01:002010-03-14T21:48:07.971+01:00

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.It's been a busy month. I haven't posted, I've been at work instead. I'd rather be posting

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-43606621582467107312010-02-23T16:34:00.007+01:002010-02-24T14:05:26.412+01:00

I've been bad at blogging recently. I've been bad at just about everything recently. Work has been very busy, which is normally a good thing, but it leaves me very little free time. I'm uninspired to really cook anything extrodinary, and I'm even less inspired to blog about it.Sadly, my blogoversary came & went & all I could do was tweet about it. I didn't even use the full 140 characters Twitter

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-64646905222684077582010-02-17T13:29:00.004+01:002010-02-17T13:43:27.996+01:00

Like any job, mine has it's pros & cons. One of the advantages is that my boss sometimes allows me to work from home. I like to use days like that to make myself a light lunch, knowing that it's better than what my coworkers are eating in the cafeteria. Recently, I was working from home and made a roasted beet, avocado salad with horseradish dressing. I got the recipe from Serious Eats and made a

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-71740484282340939052010-02-15T12:23:00.004+01:002010-02-15T12:26:52.186+01:00

Outside CoaIt's been quite a week with Carnival, Chinese New Year's and Valentine's Day all within a few weeks. We went out for a Carnival party but were stuck for ideas on how to combine Valentine's with Chinese New Year. We decided on having an indoor picnic with Chinese food. There was only one fault with my plan. Chinese food is really hard to find in Germany. It's normally too formal

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-37699975509892238022010-02-14T13:13:00.006+01:002010-02-14T13:35:21.137+01:00

The 2010 February Daring COOKs challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.A few weeks ago, the fondest memories of last January came back: Mezze in Kuwait. For whatever reason, last year I found myself in the middle of the desert with a scarf in my hair, looking

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-4238230045470612532010-02-04T14:52:00.004+01:002010-02-05T14:13:45.114+01:00

It's true, I'm a sucker for ground turkey. I'm not really sure why, perhaps because it's relatively rare compared to ubiquitous German pork. It's slightly healthier, it tastes simmilar to pork, but really, I think I just like turkey. And ground turkey is easier to prepare than roasting a whole bird.Normally, I favour turkey burgers with grilled figs but the local green grocer didn't have figs. I

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-84992774367207906672010-02-03T18:13:00.006+01:002010-02-03T18:32:11.228+01:00

Kohlrabi gets its name from the German language. Roughly translated as "cabbage turnip", a descriptor which sums up the taste and shape of the vegetable. If a turnip were to sprout cabbage greens, kohlrabi would be the result.The vegetable is very popular in Germany. One of my friends claimed it was the only vegetable he would eat as a child. In the cold days of winter, kohlrabi is one of the

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-20703786625474716792010-01-25T14:25:00.004+01:002010-01-25T15:28:47.844+01:00

Mornings are not my friend. Only through routine do I manage to make it to work. Sometimes routine fails but normally, it works out fine. Part of my auto-pilot program is the breakfast bagel that I never manage to eat at home. I wrap it in foil, run for the train & let my bagel sit in the office for a few hours until I remember that it's there. The last few days, I've been sleeping in and running

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-69057832304953416722010-01-15T17:37:00.004+01:002010-01-15T18:35:10.614+01:00

In 1963, John F Kennedy stood in front of the Berlin wall & supposedly proclaimed that he is a jelly-filled donut. The problem with this theory is that the citizens of Berlin do not call jelly-filled donuts Berliners. They call them "Pfannkuchen", which translates as pancake everywhere else in the country.I don't understand why these delicate baked goods are called "Pfannkuchen" in Berlin,

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-42853870552485754382010-01-14T11:45:00.007+01:002010-01-14T22:36:04.209+01:00

"The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day."Words that should inspire me. Instead, they filled me with one of the most regretful sentiments, nostalgia.Last year, the Workaholic and I found ourselves in the night market of Kuala Lumpur. It was an adventure that was

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-64260670039141104402010-01-13T13:54:00.004+01:002010-01-13T14:03:24.436+01:00

I only needed green onions, nothing else. But I saw the okra in my local green grocer & I couldn't leave it behind. Just a handful, I thought to myself. When I got home, I realized that my hands had suffered from some mutating growth dysfunction in the store because they had apparently grown. Thankfully, they've since returned to normal.One of my first posts was about okra, and then I said that

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-63647695237922554802010-01-06T16:53:00.010+01:002010-01-06T17:12:48.263+01:00

I wanted to ring in 2010 quietly. My original plans fell through & then I thought, my ideal would be to stay at home with take-out Chinese food. This is what I would have done if I was at home in Canada, where there is good Chinese take-out that is open on New Year's Eve. In Germany, however, there's little Chinese take-out, and I think the only thing open on NYE is the local Donair shop. While I

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-11544524035279874332009-12-26T20:07:00.003+01:002009-12-28T10:25:34.949+01:00

There are certain things that belong to every family's holiday traditions. My mother's inexplicable purchasing of eggnog belongs to this category. While I didn't really mind it, I was never really a fan of the stuff. Nonetheless, I would get a glass handed to me at random intervals. A few years back, I hosted a holiday party, and a friend who had access to eggnog brought over a carton. The other

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-57162054635530065862009-12-23T18:40:00.004+01:002009-12-23T18:58:03.669+01:00

A few weeks ago, I visited my first cooking class and promised to try out a recipe and blog about it. Because Santa is just a few hours away, I have to make good on my promises now. Otherwise, I'm afraid of getting a shot glass like I did last year. Granted, I did get some liquor to put into the shot glass, but still.The first time I had Poulet Basquaise was in Nice. My wonderful host made it

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-57346021573470809732009-12-21T15:32:00.005+01:002009-12-21T17:04:39.538+01:00

This is not a vegetarian soup. The reason is pretty easy: I needed a thickener for the soup but was out of cream. I remember going to dinner a while back & one companion ordering warm blood sausage and liverwurst. At the time, I didn't find the combination of sausage & warm very appealing. I still don't, to be honest, but it reminded me that blood sausage falls apart when warm. I thought it

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-59442963445224609932009-12-17T19:55:00.007+01:002009-12-17T21:27:19.352+01:00

From a theological standpoint, Hanukkah is not a significant holiday. From a cultural standpoint, Hanukkah is great! The date varies but it usually takes place some time in December, that is, some time when we could all use as many lights and social gatherings as we can get, and Hanukkah offers 8 days of festivities. 8 days is enough for me to catch up. The first day of Hanukkah was last Friday.

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-54187560511288330302009-12-16T14:17:00.008+01:002009-12-16T15:47:35.721+01:00

I was at the Christmas market earlier this week, which is always good fun. Hot mulled wine (Glühwein) a warm bratwurst, potato pancakes with applesauce and browsing by the stands selling handmade wares. Local pottery, handmade leather goods, scarves and candles and crystal fill the old town for 4 weeks. I'm not there for the presents, I'm there to socialize with people and drink some Glühwein to

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-78855866513716898282009-12-14T08:55:00.008+01:002009-12-14T18:02:40.577+01:00

I've been ridiculously busy in the last little while. When the Workaholic gives me a hard time for not synching my calendar, I simply reply, "I haven't even had time to blog!" He then understands the gravity of the situation. If it weren't for the Daring Kitchen Challenge (and my constant threat of being kicked out for non-participation) I wouldn't even be blogging today. The challenge didn't

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-34099266846723682912009-12-03T19:59:00.003+01:002009-12-03T20:30:33.040+01:00

Since my last post, I've come down with a cold. This cold lasted 3 weeks. Regular over-the-counter drugs aren't working (granted, I only really gave children's cough syrup a fair chance). I decided it was time for the home remedies of chili, garlic, ginger and chicken noodle soup. Chili frees up the sinuses, garlic is supposed to ward off the common cold, ginger provides energy and chicken noodle

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-43624190522340164162009-11-23T18:37:00.006+01:002009-11-23T20:30:09.104+01:00

Yesterday, I attended my first cooking class. It wasn't so much a cooking class as a cooking club. 14 people met in the local community college to cook 6 dishes from various regions of France. On the menu:Onion Soup - ParisEndive Salad - Picardy (North East)Quiche Lorraine - Lorraine (Mid-East)Basque Chicken - Basque country (South West)Gratin Dauphinoise - Dauphiné (South East)Norman Apple Tart

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-38487561066583880512009-11-20T08:18:00.007+01:002009-11-20T18:06:12.054+01:00

Every year on the third Thursday of November, people gather to drink the first wine of the season. This year, I joined a few friends, stood outside in the cold and drank Beaujolais out of tiny glasses.Beaujolais Nouveau is not for everyone. Some people say it's fantastic and goes well with turkey. (This works well if celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA, as you have 1 week to get the stuff.) Some

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-79999667928073559192009-11-15T12:00:00.013+01:002009-11-16T15:26:22.746+01:00

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge is from Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge. The sushi challenge this month was harder than I thought. It involved letting other people into my kitchen. Allow me to explain.A few weeks ago, I was having coffee with a friend. I then said that I had to go home but on my way, I had to stop by the Asian

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-21013978110148642822009-11-10T09:29:00.003+01:002009-11-10T09:40:03.454+01:00

The local supermarket had turkey steaks on sale. They were ridiculously thick, like 1 1/2 - 2 " (4-5 cm). I originally wanted to slice them into little strips for stir-frys or for chili, or something that doesn't involve eating a huge slice of turkey. But when I asked the work-a-holic how he wanted his turkey & he said "stuffed", I figured, why not.Step 1: prepare Chestnut Stuffing, reduced by 1/

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-59646574788128660692009-11-01T14:43:00.006+01:002009-11-01T17:09:06.110+01:00

Last night was Halloween, and I took some short cuts so I could wait for the Great Pumpkin.They say there's a way for lazy people to make ravioli: use wonton wrappers instead of making your own pasta. I think that this is some sort of punishment for being lazy because wonton wrappers are for making wontons. Maybe other Asian dumplings. Not ravioli. Every time I have tried using this little short

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-34497122925256970202009-10-29T17:31:00.006+01:002009-10-29T17:57:33.670+01:00

When you tell a child that they can't have something, they inevitably want it even more. Years ago, as my mom tried the cabbage soup diet, I was told that I was not allowed to have any. Since then, I have loved cabbage. My cabbage of choice is savoy - there must be something about those wrinkles that I love. Today, I made my own cabbage soup, with savoy cabbage and potatoes.Creamy Savoy Cabbage

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-19388136557374459202009-10-19T11:27:00.005+02:002009-10-19T11:50:14.803+02:00

Living so far away from home, I sometimes forget and idealize certain things. Recently, I found some plantains in the store & excitedly called my mom to ask what I should do with them. "Why on earth did you buy plantains?" was the reply. Apparently my mom was not the link to plantain pleasure. I think it was a friend's mom or grandmother. Someone from either western Africa or India. Maybe even

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-79932733509853773862009-10-18T10:56:00.004+02:002009-10-18T11:54:39.044+02:00

The local Brunch place has an amazing buffet - including Tete De Moine cheese. Because I had recently posted about this cheese variety, I thought it proper to post a photo of what this cheese looks like before it is shaved into little florets.Because I am not an expert, my floret is a little thick. Still - it was some pretty good cheese.

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-77476007606219923762009-10-14T07:34:00.010+02:002009-11-25T16:12:05.044+01:00

This month, the Daring Kitchen finally paid off for me. After the dishes I didn't have time for & the dishes that I thought were dumb, I finally hit the jackpot with the dish-that-I-never-thought-I-could-make-at-home. The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. The dish of the

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-64521700792718611442009-10-06T14:11:00.005+02:002009-10-06T22:51:58.575+02:00

Last night, while waiting for the last bit of liquid to cook off of my wild rice, I was informed that Condé Nast will be closing Gourmet magazine. An interesting solution to a financial problem. Of course, on a superficial level, ceasing to publish a magazine that has a high budget and a low readership seems like a sensible move. However, Gourmet has a circulation of 980,000. Granted that this

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-18129785616538886872009-10-03T11:45:00.004+02:002009-10-03T13:23:56.403+02:00

In the last few years, dairy farmers in Germany have been complaining about the low price of milk. When milk costs €0.29 / L, it is very hard to make a profit, or even make ends meet (note: discount bottled water costs €0.35). A consumer who is aware of this problem can respond in a variety of ways. You can ignore the problem & continue to hope that your daily staple will not cost you more. You

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-112055399080098572009-09-30T15:37:00.006+02:002009-10-01T17:01:32.836+02:00

As a fan of any food that requires its own accessory to serve it properly, I must report on Tete de Moine - the cheese that literaly translates to "Monk's Head". It is a Swiss cheese that is purchased in cylindrical blocks that apparently remind the more creative cheese conniseurs of the shaved head of a monk. Or maybe it's the way that the cheese is shaved off of the block, reminding the less

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-59933903010923548282009-09-27T17:10:00.004+02:002009-09-27T17:31:57.528+02:00

This vegan thing is getting out of hand. Even when I'm making lunch for just myself with an assortment of easy forms of nourishment such as pate and cheese and baguette at hand, I opt for cold soba noodles with kale and tofu. I said No to Manchego. I said No to Gouda with cumin. I said No to Terrine de Campagne. I think I'm coming down with something, and I seriously hope it's not a case of

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-63484796615331319842009-09-24T13:40:00.003+02:002009-09-24T15:15:32.493+02:00

Last month, I was in Arlington, Virginia to meet a friend for brunch. Good brunch makes me happy, seeing a friend who I haven't seen in years makes me happier. I was lucky enough to be able to combine the 2.We went to a nearby restaurant, Harry's Tap Room. My friend has a deep interest in food and she is very concentrated on the aspects of sustainability, local produce, subsidies and the economy

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-52043330301683118392009-09-20T18:44:00.006+02:002009-09-21T20:06:03.162+02:00

I went to the Indian place around the corner this weekend for the masala dosa. Every Saturday, they have dosas, ildy, vada, and sambar. In short, they have a South Indian breakfast.Dosas are like large crisp crepes, made out of lentils. This one was filled with spicy potatoes & had chopped red chili rubbed on the inside. A vada is a fried lentil mixture. Normally, I like the ones shaped like

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-49145259048796455762009-09-17T17:27:00.011+02:002009-11-25T16:17:53.641+01:00

After having only recently joined The Daring Kitchen, I think it's time for me to quit. The rules are simple: you make a prescribed dish once a month, following the recipe given. This should have been my indicator that this club is not for me. Instead, I was intrigued by the idea of belonging to a group of cooks around the world, united by one taste for one month.I couldn't participate in August

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-83616660321451209292009-09-14T13:31:00.006+02:002009-09-14T16:39:40.716+02:00

After a mamoth shopping trip, I came home to a bizarre sensation of being famished & feeling that I need to use my fresh goodies right away. A few months ago, I got myself a copy of Gourmet magazine in the Toronto airport & carefully examined every page during the 8 hour flight back to Germany. While I wasn't taken by many of the recipes, the corn and tomato scramble somehow stuck in my mind. I

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-10724543280254324632009-09-14T10:25:00.006+02:002009-09-14T13:02:43.751+02:00

Somehow, I bought too many groceries this weekend. It happens from time to time. Normally, I have no idea when I'm going to cook and eat all of this stuff. This time, I was at a loss as to where to put it all. Most of the stuff was frozen but an unpleasant by-product of work stress last week was the purchase of an obscence amount of ice cream, which resulted in a lack of freezer space. There were

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-11798224565231716512009-09-11T12:38:00.008+02:002009-09-11T15:14:30.776+02:00

When I was home last month, I had the chance to stop by the apple farm. I had this crazy idea that they might sell non-pasturized apple cider there, and I somehow craved the tangy bite that disappears with high temperatures. Of course, this is evidence that I've been away from home too long. You can't sell non-pasteurized anything anymore it seems. But they still had some fine apples.The apple

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-43782322634730386042009-09-07T22:21:00.004+02:002009-09-21T20:06:31.491+02:00

The not-so-secret life of the workaholic is: he works. We had agreed to go grocery shopping today to buy meat and fish but something came up. I made it to the market on my own this Saturday, and while I am mobile on my own, shopping's way more fun with him. So I'm at home with frozen shrimp and ground beef and a whole lot of fresh veggies. I made a vegan dinner for the second night running, and

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-58711384421005122872009-09-02T21:47:00.006+02:002009-09-02T22:10:11.595+02:00

The worst part of dating has to be the moment when you realize that your new beau is not as perfect as you thought he was. He is, in fact, human. He has wonderful characteristics, certainly, but he also has flaws. For a lover of eggplant, it is hard to believe - to honestly internalize - that my partner won't touch the stuff.This is the premise of a long, long quest to have Workaholic enjoy an

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-87561574616436699592009-08-31T12:25:00.008+02:002009-09-01T15:33:01.948+02:00

Saturday evening, I had a few people over for some snacks and, yes, I confess, to clear out the liquor cabinet. Discovering the opulence of 19th century country clubs, we finished off the bottle of Pimms that mysteriously appeared eons ago.Instead of my regular opulent buffets, I made minimal snacks. I thought my crowning achievement of the evening was the tzatziki. Made from regular yogurt,

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-25285614647224282172009-08-28T10:36:00.009+02:002009-09-01T07:55:21.097+02:00

Last Saturday, I happened to be passing by the Qube hotel, which opened 5 weeks ago in Heidelberg. Someone I know who works there said they were trying to create a restaurant that is not a "hotel" restaurant. That is, they are trying to create a restaurant where locals would eat. I qualify as a local, and I would eat there.When we walked in, we were invited to have a tour of the hotel. On the

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-34291222428072661722009-08-27T21:39:00.005+02:002009-08-27T21:54:27.394+02:00

Being experimentative is good. Trying new things is good. Gathering ideas from other sources is good. Tonight, I have come to the conclusion that following recipes written by people who must produce new recipes every week might not be so good.As an avid reader of The New York Times food section, I have appreciated Mark Bittman's writing style, as well as his ideas. They have inspired me to

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-65173236714861474092009-08-24T16:22:00.001+02:002009-08-24T16:22:52.826+02:00

Here in Germany, there is a decided lack of seafood. From an ecological standpoint, this is great - the over fishing of species is not promoted and the consumption of local fish is in the foreground. In theory, a great idea. In practice, I miss shrimp, lobster, oysters and crab. During the recent trip to North America, I made a stop in Fairfax Virginia to visit Captain Pell. His crab shack has

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-16511292365349749542009-08-23T19:16:00.005+02:002009-08-23T21:42:46.711+02:00

I'm not too sure if this is a jam or a chutney. I'm not a big fan of sweets anymore, the result of being a teenage sugar-junkie, but I am a sucker for the subtle fructoses of summer. Tomatoes are a prime example - they are sweet enough to be treated as fruit, but they hold their own at a salad bar. For me, the perfect sweetness.I've been toying with the idea of a tomato chutney/jam for a few days

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-75768228149932517472009-08-19T12:25:00.009+02:002009-08-19T14:24:39.448+02:00

I just got back from a trip home. I didn't just visit my home, I also visited the home of Buffalo wings - Buffalo, NY. There's more to Buffalo than just wings, though.While planning, I was informed that I had to go to Ted's, which has been charbroiling hot dogs for over 70 years. We went for lunch & I was surprised at the amount of people who lined up against the wall to place their order at the

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-78656877410982698262009-08-08T02:40:00.005+02:002009-08-08T03:13:50.399+02:00

A while back, I had to visit the family. It wasn't a happy circumstance, but sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Afterwards, it's much better. Because it's family, and in spite of everything, you have been spoiled. If only because you spoiled yourself.I spoiled myself. The last time I was home, I saw a bottle of Canadian Club whiskey at the duty free store in Pearson airport.

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-16111371723333482812009-08-01T16:10:00.004+02:002009-08-01T17:43:51.829+02:00

I thought I was going to use my bananas for some smoothies. I guess I was right, but this was more of an emergency situation: I've been noticing fruit flies & I want to eliminate any potential habitat. I have this theory that fruit flies bite. They're so little that no one would really notice. They don't have vampire fangs or anything.Every now & then, I buy fruit. I don't really know why. It's

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-29900841731282221792009-07-31T12:12:00.015+02:002009-08-01T17:43:21.708+02:00

A while back, I had the pleasure of spending a day in Strasbourg looking for food. While I find that my local vegetables from my farm guy are better, it's just fun to shop in France. Of course, Germany isn't cut off from the rest of the world and you can get things here, but the variety in France makes things fun. Like chickens with heads & feathers. Fun. A mountain full of avocodoes. Fun. Wine

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-64233918086389967202009-07-25T17:43:00.009+02:002009-08-28T17:15:11.843+02:00

Recently, I posted about a misunderstanding that I had with my vegetable guy. I can't afford to get into arguments with my vegetable guy. Here's why:Fresh corn, peas, zucchini, FRESH FIGS, potatoes, a gagillion tomatoes, lettuce, potted mint, and cauliflower. All from the local farm. The eggs and the blueberries are from other local farms but sold in the farm shop.Normally, I go to their stall

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-65440418572047343842009-07-22T21:49:00.009+02:002009-08-19T22:15:56.068+02:00

Avocados are more difficult to find here that in North America, and they are often unripe in the store. They need to wait on the counter until that perfect moment arises - but sometimes, I'm too late. That was the case with this green trooper.I realized that it's finally time to send off the avocado on my counter, but I wanted to do it right. I think I bought this avocado to take with me to work

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-10506071013727954692009-07-21T21:44:00.008+02:002009-07-23T11:04:02.627+02:00

It's one of the rare breaks in this year's rainy season. Instead of going outside & enjoying my fabulous balcony (it has live plants on it!), I spend my evenings in the kitchen with low maintenance food. Take the humble tomato, for example. It is capable of so much - everything from the ketchup to pizza, to sauce, to a salad caprese, to gazpacho, to being stuffed; it can be a star yet it is not

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-72929311859503407622009-07-21T18:30:00.005+02:002009-07-21T21:29:18.217+02:00

Sometimes, I know what things are called in German but am oblivious to their English names. Until recently, this was the case with Mu-Err mushrooms. As I saw a package of them in the store, I was surprised to learn the English name: Black Fungus. When choosing an English name, they should have had a marketer involved. Or maybe they should have paid the translator enough money to care. I didn't

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-68087792515437385042009-07-17T21:35:00.007+02:002009-07-19T09:39:44.653+02:00

It's July. This means burger season. If I have to go out in the rain to grill my burgers, so be it. It's summer.There's a little supermarket not too far from my home. They don't have everything there, but they do have great veggies & the beef is freshly ground. I go in, with the plan of making korean-style beef burgers, I come out & feel as though I will be swept away with the flood rains pouring

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-69977327992511562852009-07-17T19:23:00.006+02:002009-07-17T20:46:57.416+02:00

As you may have gathered by now, we are in the middle of an unseasonably wet summer in Germany. It's not raining again, it is raining still. Sometimes I don't understand our perceptions of food and weather. In cold weather, we eat warm soup. Yet in South East Asia, the temperatures are hardly polar, yet they still eat soup. Maybe it's just because soup is good. I like soup a lot & I often lament

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-43363113149529383652009-07-15T17:41:00.007+02:002009-07-15T21:02:56.496+02:00

The markets are the only indicator of summer that I have around here. It's rainy, it's cold & I am not planning any beach vacations *sigh*. I don't deserve any pity though, because I'm still able to get all the fresh goodies that my farmer's market has to offer. This weekend, I went out & got some freakish pepper tomatoes and a round zucchini. They say that the pepper tomato is like a bell pepper

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-9002979159130732392009-07-12T13:28:00.009+02:002009-07-14T09:43:13.787+02:00

In a few hours, an old friend from university will be coming over for coffee. In Germany, Sunday coffee is a sort of institution. It's not just coffee, it's also cake & all other goodies that fill you up with sugars & flours & make you not want dinner. Well, forget that - it's an old friend, not someone I have to impress. It's about seeing her again, not about the food. Well - not as much about

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-76336474353271753012009-07-11T18:55:00.009+02:002009-07-11T20:28:04.087+02:00

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the farmer's market. The market is full on Saturdays, but on Wednesdays, it's a little smaller, a little less busy and a lot easier to graze at. I went to my regular stand and bought berries for jam, and then I saw the tomatoes. Oh the tomatoes! I bought a few different varieties with different things in mind. OK, I bought a few different varieties

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-88118678227603066662009-07-08T09:56:00.009+02:002009-07-08T10:15:02.665+02:00

It feels as though I am constantly cleaning out my fridge. I don't buy food with a plan to cook it, I buy food because it looks good & then I have to find some sort of use for it while it still looks good. The zucchini in the fridge was like that. I made zucchini chips a while back, and while I need to refine this technique, I didn't feel like deep frying. In some sort of an effort to make a

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-67430694643309454972009-07-07T19:57:00.007+02:002009-07-07T20:06:05.248+02:00

Every time I eat ribs, I feel like Fred Flinstone. I'm not too sure what it is, maybe it's the primal act of gnawing at bones, maybe it's the eating with hands, maybe it's because I like mine a little charred, or maybe it's just because I watched too much TV as a kid.I recently got called out of town on short notice. This meant that the colossal amount of meat in my fridge had to be frozen. I had

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-75851129188871087232009-07-06T19:46:00.010+02:002009-07-06T21:28:44.602+02:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the family. It wasn't under the best of circumstances, but it made me realize how long it's been since I've seen my extended family and how far away I am from everything I grew up with. There wasn't the same food that normally waits for me, but I was only home for a few days. As luck would have it, on the flight back to Germany, I met a woman who

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-508930029108136542009-07-05T13:49:00.007+02:002009-07-05T16:15:46.107+02:00

It's 27° in my apartment, and while I know that this is not much for most people, it is enough to make anyone in Germany melt. We're just not used to functioning in this weather. Many Germans will go off to warm sunny vacation spots & love it, but to work in this heat? Forget it.The weather doesn't normally stay this hot for long, so it hardly seems like a worthwhile investment to get air

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-15064947468077983952009-07-04T14:22:00.015+02:002009-07-04T20:05:13.571+02:00

It was Canada Day, it is Independance Day. What better way to combine these 2 national holidays than by paying a visit to the country that provided both Quebequois & the Statue of Liberty? OK - I wasn't thinking of any of that when I planned the trip, I just took the day off & I wanted some good food.Alsace, like the rest of France, is full of good food. Also, I can get there on my commuter

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-33816137111736587562009-06-28T21:00:00.007+02:002009-06-28T21:30:22.661+02:00

I keep on buying things that look good without any sort of plan. The strawberries that looked amazing on Tuesday didn't look quite as good today. The were still good, but they weren't "dip in sugar & eat 'em raw" good. I was thinking of doing something like a turn-over but that requires too much work. It requires cutting & folding & parchment paper. I spent the day doing chores, I'm not making an

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-54361079990265648332009-06-28T15:37:00.005+02:002009-06-28T16:05:01.977+02:00

Normally, on the weekends, I revel in my fritattas. I wasn't a fan of eggs until I discovered the fritatta (read about it here). Just last week, I bought the cookbook I've been wanting to buy since it came out, the 75th anniversary edition of The Joy of Cooking. For me, there's something nostalgic about North American food, and furthermore, there's something nostalgic about old recipes. My mom

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-350767343601387612009-06-27T15:49:00.004+02:002009-06-27T16:05:47.055+02:00

It's summer. Because I say so. No, it's rainy and ridiculously humid today, so I imagine it must be Monsoon season in Germany. It happens. There are hot humid days when everyone and everything is sticky, and then it rains and stays gray for a while. It's a summer thing.I was just at the market and I saw beets. Normally, I think of beets in winter but to be honest, what really grows in winter?

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-47241702700097432912009-06-25T13:17:00.009+02:002009-06-25T18:16:04.942+02:00

Today, June 25th, is a significant day in Germany. It's the day I finally have to give up asparagus for the next 10 months. Fine. I'll deal. I have peas.I've been a fan of fresh peas since I was a child, and since I was a child, I've always looked forward to the onset of fresh peas. Because I either get my peas from the farm or my mom's garden, I hardly ever get the chance to cook the peas. I

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-80456814395779331622009-06-24T14:24:00.010+02:002009-10-06T17:39:12.283+02:00

I must confess that while I find a man who can cook attractive (and I have been wooed by mediocre dishes simply because they were prepared by men), I find a man who knows how to wash stockings more attractive.I heard the term Gastrosexual a few weeks ago while watching Franco-German cultural news. I thought it was somewhat insulting, targeting the young males as predators who cook in order to

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-62756195828447864982009-06-16T14:08:00.004+02:002009-06-16T15:14:58.747+02:00

I need space in my freezer. I bought a whole bunch of meat by accident, and I need to move things out of the freezer that don't need to be there. Cool packs? Gone. Ice cream maker? Get you out of the freezer & make some ice cream.I love ice cream but I'm trying to be good. My waistline never really recovered from my trip to Kuwait this year so I'm not too keen on eating custard with whipped cream

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-48851458924020049022009-06-12T11:15:00.011+02:002009-06-12T16:24:03.944+02:00

In other parts of the world, it is the beginning of summer. In Germany, it is not. This week, my colleague told me with an earnest face that she honestly believed it would snow (and "why on earth are you wearing that summer dress?"). Maybe I'm in denial, maybe it's because I grill year round, but the last couple of weeks, I've been doing burgers.Sometime a while back, I found good avocadoes & had

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-75176056735177847052009-06-10T19:47:00.018+02:002009-07-01T13:14:49.144+02:00

Last weekend was the first fireworks of the season in Heidelberg. Every year, they "light" the castle 3 times symbolizing the 3 times the French tried to burn it down. I've been out in the crowds to watch the fireworks a few times - a highly social event for people who live here; an excuse to meet friends, go outside & enjoy the weather.This year, I thought it would be great to have people over,

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-22702658178897071102009-06-10T11:25:00.006+02:002009-06-10T19:06:40.494+02:00

I received this award from Cathy at Accountants can cook? a while back but I haven't gotten around to posting it for 1 simple reason: it involves me to do stuff. With this kind of attitude, if I were an actress, I'd never get an Oscar in my hands because it would involve me to pick a dress, go to the hairdresser, get my makeup done, find shoes & jewerly - even typing this hypothetical list tires

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-65134600682501664682009-06-09T14:10:00.006+02:002009-06-09T14:59:15.719+02:00

A few weeks ago, I went out to dinner at the Print Media Lounge in Heidelberg & had asparagus. I know, I've been into asparagus a lot recently, and my eagerness is starting to wane - a good thing, I suppose, as there are only 19 more days of fresh local asparagus for this year. Am I counting? Maybe....What really amazed me about the asparagus at PML was the fantastic flavours in a simple

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-47814655693450059842009-06-08T13:42:00.003+02:002009-06-08T13:43:33.288+02:00

After my trip to Amsterdam, I was seriously let down. The classes weren't what I was expecting, the ladies of the Red Light District looked just like Go-Go girls & the food kinda sucked. Sure there was Indonesian food around, and I will report on that later, I promise. But what I really wanted from the Netherlands was horse.When I was in university, one of my good friends was of Dutch parentage

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-53441799793287224772009-06-05T18:30:00.005+02:002009-06-05T19:18:41.983+02:00

I have a project deadline coming up, normally it shouldn't be anything major, normally it should be routine. What makes every project individual is the unanticipated problems. This time, the unanticipated problems are killing me. Oh well, it's a job, it pays the bills & it enables me to eat good food.I wasn't able to cook good food because I knew that I would have to work, so I paid someone to

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-90808921975024770262009-06-01T12:50:00.009+02:002009-06-01T17:39:21.773+02:00

Ah, the joy of working in Germany! Today is a holiday (Pentecost) and I have the day off of work. Even though I have to vacuum the apartment, do laundry, repot some herbs & build Ikea furniture, it's still a day off of work. Although I might log in later & do work, nullifying the concept of "holiday" as such, but we'll see...For lunch, I'm getting rid of some leftovers. Last night, I tried to

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-65220681696041368522009-05-29T13:55:00.006+02:002009-05-29T15:07:14.063+02:00

I'm working. I really am. I have that deadline to complete &, oh, what's that? Did it just get closer? *sigh*I'm working from home today, which is actually something I really like to do. I can log in while in my underwear, I can do everything I need to do, plus I can run errunds during my lunch break. It's not bad. The other advantage is: no cafeteria food! I managed to squeeze in a quick tuna

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-21926632196270055632009-05-29T07:51:00.010+02:002009-05-29T14:40:27.812+02:00

I went out to dinner last night at the Print Media Lounge in Heidelberg & had some seriously good asparagus. Until June 24, the feast of St. John the Baptist, aspargus can and will be harvested in Germany. After this time, the plants rest before the next year when asparagus season (Spargelzeit) starts all over again.Tonight, it was local asparagus, the kind that Obama was served at the last NATO

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-52242744213633436202009-05-28T11:24:00.011+02:002009-05-28T19:20:01.416+02:00

Yesterday was kind of a sucky day. I'm not really sure what it was, but I was on the verge of tears all afternoon. I did what any rational human being with a deadline in 10 days for a project that's not going well would do: I went home early. I used the time well: I went to buy groceries. Balancing everything in my arms, I checked the mail. What's this?It's from Spain. Why, it's my ham, of course

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-76180281989575844462009-05-26T08:58:00.005+02:002009-05-26T13:01:32.343+02:00

I have a slew of meetings scheduled for today. I also have a hangover. Thankfully, I picked up a chunk of watermelon from the Turkish supermarket on the way home last night (perhaps my hangover was premeditated). The plan was to have watermelon juice.The first time I had watermelon juice, I stole it from a friend in Kuala Lumpur. This friend had been living for a while in Kuala Lumpur and knew

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-61045608066942598132009-05-25T20:15:00.013+02:002009-05-27T19:31:30.272+02:00

While on a whirlwind shopping tour in Strasbourg this weekend, I managed to swing by the supermarket, and in the 40 minutes before they closed, I got wine, cheese, meat, fish & some veggies. The freezer will be full.I've eaten baby goat, I've eaten snails, I've had oysters, cockles, lamb, quail, pheasant, ostrich; I'm not afraid of eating animals. Normally the rule is: if I'm not allergic, I'll

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726876721266139648.post-11793388962258988412009-05-21T20:22:00.003+02:002009-05-22T19:41:11.474+02:00

I just got back from Amsterdam (more on that later), today is a holiday, and I think I need to clean my fridge. Sometime last week, before I left, I had the clever idea of soaking black beans. I think I wanted to cook them that night, or maybe even the next day. In spite of the fact that I have been trained to listen & speak in different languages simultaneously, I am not capable of cooking 1

taste travellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15602770847040045585noreply@blogger.com6