Compared to the picky eater I once was

Compared to the picky eater I once was, I’ve made major improvements. Nowadays I consider very few things inedible or not worth trying (tripe might be among the few that still give me the hibby jibbies). But I am fighting on all fronts, working hard on myself to overcome culinary childhood indispositions like raisins, capers or mussels - with growing success. Isn’t it a huge gain to constantly be able to discover new food favorites? And once the hey-this-is-not-so-bad enlightenment kicks in, I tend to indulge in newly found faves as often as possible…

Just thinking about these makes me salivate, even though I already had dinner. Here we go, in no particular order:
Grillot noisettes
When shopping for our daily breakfast at the beach in Nice, we discovered these by accident: just around the corner of the famous Cours Saleya market, “Le Poulette” offers a vast selection of poultry, among other French delicacies. Grillot noisettes are more or less small salami sausages with whole walnuts inside. They instantly made it on our breakfast list for the remaining days. They pair nicely with St. Marcellin. We brought a good dozen with us back to Germany and still, we fought over every tiny slice.
Peschiole al tartufo
Our friend Sherry introduced us to these and the setting couldn’t have been more perfect: a balcony overlooking the harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Bob her husband preparing Absinth and small nibbles to wet our appetite. These tiny unripe peaches are preserved with vinegar (and spices) and keep a crunchy consistency with an edible seed. On first sight you could easily mistake them for olives. Very addictive, we almost forgot to drink the Absinth. Almost.
Pizza al taglio
While my grandpa loves to tease me “little gourmand”, when in Rome, I get the feeling I could live on the simplest pizza alone. Almost every hole-in-the-wall-sized-pizza shop sells great pizza. Pizza bianca and pizza with mozzarella, squash blossoms and anchovies are always my first choice. If you’re not in the mood for experiments though, try Roscioli or Forno.
Guanciale
I blame my dear friend Hande for fostering this addiction, whenever she got the chance she ordered guanciale (Italian bacon, unsmoked, made from pig cheeks) for me at her favorite butcher Annibale, who was so kind to show us how he cut up a whole lamb. But back to the guanciale: the one we brought from Rome two weeks ago is diminishing fast, it works wonders in pasta dishes and stews. And it outstripped pancetta in our kitchen.
Murtabak
When a friend who had moved to Singapore suggested Zam Zam for a very basic, nevertheless tasty and authentic breakfast, we happily surrendered. Since I generally like the idea of starting the day with a spicy dish, chicken murtabak (think roti prata with chicken, served with a spicy curry dip) immediately became a breakfast favorite. Of course we went back to Zam Zam, but for comparative reasons I had some at every market or hawker center we visited. And am still not fed up. Ah, I could have some right now.
Sweet red beet souffle
Red beets have silently conquered our palates. Roasted with vegetables, served in salads paired with goat cheese, they are as tasty as nutritious. But as a dessert? You bet! We enjoyed the most extravagant dessert at Aquarello, an intensely colored pink red beet souffle (paired with sour cream ice cream). It’s hard to describe, but it worked surprisingly well. Let’s-lick-the-plates-kinda-well. Craving it ever since.
Oliver’s steaks
Last, but not least, Oliver’s steaks. We ate an enormous filet steak once a week for almost two months until we had both aspects worked out, a good source for the beef and its perfect preparation. The result has the nicest shades of brown and pink, a spicy coarse pepper crust and melts in your mouth. Code word: reverse searing.
Which food items have impressed your palate most through the last year? Any new food addictions you’d like to confess?

Over the past years it has become a tradition

Over the past years it has become a tradition to welcome our friends from San Francisco with a very informal get-together, a so called Brotzeit. The term is used quite loosely and open to all kinds of interpretations. Putting aside regional differences it’s essentially a cold snack, coming with all kinds of bread, sausages, pickles, radishes, cheeses and what not. And of course, sufficient supply of Bavarian beer!

This time we had to make an exception to the rule and include something freshly baked. Not by coincidence we had skipped our weekly pizza-night routine for almost four weeks in a row now – all because of this Flammkuchen I originally whipped out for my friend Ulrike. It was such a surprise hit! Compared to our pizza process which kicks off at least 24 hours in advance before we can indulge in our first piece, this here can be prepared in 2 hours, no-fuss. No mandatory pre-planning, and – very important during hot summer months – no cold rise is required that occupies precious space on our fridge shelves.
Of course the Flammkuchen didn’t disappoint this time – we had already nibbled away on the typical Brotzeit items (including my favorite, Griebenschmalz), but still everybody had seconds or thirds. A small remaining piece was devoured at breakfast and even then the Flammkuchen could easily hold a candle to our homemade pizza! A new favorite when hosting guests.

Start with the dough: Add both flours and salt to a large bowl, mix briefly and make a well in the center. Dissolve the fresh yeast in lukewarm water, pour into the well and add the olive oil.
Knead well, either by hand or with a machine. I only use my Kitchen Aid for this job and it takes roughly 3 to 5 minutes (medium speed). The dough should come together nicely and clean the sides of the bowl all by itself. If it is too sticky, you can add more bread flour by the tablespoon. Shape into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for about 45 minutes at a warm and sheltered place. After the dough has risen, punch it down, divide it into 2 equally sized portions, shape them into neat balls and let them rise again under a kitchen towel for 20 to 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 250°C (~480°F) or as hot as your oven permits and place a baking tray on the bottom level, so it gets preheated, too.

Prepare the topping by mixing the Crème fraîche and heavy cream with spices (salt, pepper and nutmeg) to taste, cutting the red onions into thin semi-rings and finely chopping the chives.

Line an extra baking tray with parchment paper. Flatten one dough ball with your hands and either roll it out thinly (similar to pizza dough) with a rolling pin or by stretching and pulling the dough with the back of your hands (be careful, since this dough contains rye flour, it is not as easy to handle as regular pizza dough!). Apply a nice deal of the Crème fraîche mix on top and decorate with some Pancetta and a generous amount of sliced onions on top. Transfer to or slide onto the preheated tray and bake for about 15 minutes or until it has gained a nice golden-brown color. I usually discard the parchment paper after 10 minutes of baking (just pull it out very fast), to ensure the bottom develops a nice crust.

Take out and sprinkle with fresh chives and enjoy hot, lukewarm or even cold, the next day.

Strawberries have always been my favorite fruit

Strawberries have always been my favorite fruit. Usually with nothing more than a little sugar – just enough to get the juices flowing – and probably a tad too much freshly whipped cream on top, this is what I consider bliss. Well, considered bliss. This year, strawberries don’t really tickle my taste buds. At all. Oh, and adding insult to injury: it seems as if sweet cherries have quickly filled the vacancy!

The drama started last week, when I bought my first cherries this season. They sat on our counter, right next to a basket of wonderfully fragrant strawberries and a direct comparison was inevitable. While I usually can hardly constrain myself and am all over my strawberries, leaving the cherries to Oliver, I changed my mind after berry number three or four. Not sure if they spray them with Strawberry No.5, but their actual taste rarely cashes the check the promising scent writes out. But those plump cherries for sure did! I felt transported back to the orchard of my grandparents, where the best cherries grew on a tree right next to their doorstep. They were just as incredible sweet and juicy and played in a hole different league of fruits.

That’s when I decided to rediscover cherries and in turn skip the one or the other basket of strawberries. Since then I a) nibbled on them while working, b) had them with a bit of sugar and whipped cream (just like my strawberries), c) made jam & chutney and finally d) discovered a Pavlova combo with caramelized cherries I seriously fell in love with – and I hope you will, too!
Don’t get me wrong, these cherries taste super on their own, but if you are on a serious cherry spree and keep looking for creative ways to cook or bake with them, roasting and caramelizing them in the oven is the way to go – and marinating them beforehand in a little Amaretto liqueur won’t hurt either…

Start with the meringues: I use my KitchenAid for this, but a handheld mixer works fine, too. Place the egg whites in the bowl, add the pinch of salt and whisk until it starts to form peaks. Now slowly add the sugar, then the lemon juice and beat until the egg whites become really stiff and glossy (this may take a few minutes). Lastly add the cinnamon powder and beat on low level just until well incorporated. (the meringues on my pictures have a hint of pink color, because I added some cherry juice – anyway, since it didn’t do anything remarkable – neither taste-wise nor visually - I won’t go overboard in recommending it)
Preheat the oven to 100°C (~210°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill the egg whites in a piping bag with larger star or rosette shaped nozzle and pipe small circles with a rim onto the paper (about 9 cm/3,5 in in diameter). I piped four of these little baskets and used the remaining egg whites for some small meringue bites.
Back in the oven (middle level) for 2 hours, then turn it off and let the meringues dry completely until the oven has turned cold again. They can now be removed easily from the parchment paper and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. They keep well in an airtight container and can be prepared days in advance.(If you prefer the inside of the meringue rather chewy, you have to reduce the baking time.)

On to the cherries: Preheat the oven to 200°C (~390°F). Wash, pad dry and pit cherries, then cut in half and add to a bowl, together with the amaretto and the brown sugar. Mix well, let marinate for a couple of minutes, then spread onto a baking sheet and place in the oven (top level) and turn on the grill. Roast the cherries until soft and well caramelized for 5 to 10 minutes (turn them once), then remove from the oven. They can be served hot, warm or even cold (I prefer them still slightly warm).
Lastly the whipped cream: Add heavy cream and creme fraiche (adds a nice tanginess) to a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form.
Finally assemble everything on a plate: Put a little bit of whipped cream in the center of the plate before placing the meringue basket – this ensures it won’t slip right off the plate when serving it (been there…). Now generously fill the basket with whipped cream and top it off with the roasted cherries and some chopped pistachios. Mhhhhhhhh, enjoy!

National Geographic reports from the United States

National Geographic reports from the United States each year 17 to 25 April in the United States the annual "National Park Week", then, by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for the management of 392 attractions will be open to the public free of charge . In fact, if you pay more attention, Americans can find many free and open all year round National Park: U.S. 246 never charge or other commemorative park venues, including monuments, historic sites, battlefields and other sites.


Free tickets may Piñas National Monument in California attractions such little impact on revenue, where the fee is only $ 5 per vehicle, but this policy may have a family to Grand Canyon National Park of American households will little affect, after all, where the entry fees for each vehicle $ 25. In the 58 name of national park attractions (not monuments, historic sites and other U.S. national park system are the property), there are four in remote areas inaccessible by road in Alaska, such as the door to the Arctic National Park, this park throughout the year on open to the public free of charge, but in 2008 only 11,397 people tourist accommodation, make it at least in the national park annual visitors to the United States ranked fifth in the list.


Tens of millions of visitors year after year to spend time on the U.S. national parks and monuments, and very few tourists in remote Alaska. Katmai National Monument was originally built in 1918, saved 40 square miles of 诺瓦拉普塔 volcanic ash melt flow. In 1980 it was upgraded to national park, at least in the 2008 U.S. national park visitors ranked fourth, when tourists visit this park is only 7970 people. Katmai National Park is always free.


Alaska Lake Clark National Park has beautiful water features and spectacular volcanic landscapes, tourist accommodation in 2008 to 6802 people, American tourists in the year in at least the third largest national park. Because it is remote and inaccessible areas, many of Alaska's national parks are free of charge throughout the year. Some of the more popular state parks in the use of the controversial U.S. "Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act" (Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act) with the relevant provisions, fee to tourists, the bill take effect in December 2004. However, the U.S. National Park fees must have a certain degree of development, but also to meet other conditions. Admission is free to raise some of the attractions of the service rather than improve the attractions of income. Some parks charge from 1908.


American Samoa National Park tourist accommodation in 2008 as 3683 in the annual list of American tourists in national parks for at least the second highest. Here, experience the rain forests, volcanic peaks and reefs year-round free of charge, of course, that you can afford the tolls across the Pacific. National Park of American Samoa from Australia from the United States than it is near. For some reason, the United States Grand Canyon National Park, tickets $ 25, but some places are free: As the highly popular (more than 4 million annual tourist accommodation), the need for ranger salaries, infrastructure and equipment maintenance funding accordingly. Small historic sites in remote areas or park may be only a few staff, very low maintenance costs.


Kobuk Valley National Park is located in northern Alaska, the United States National Park in one of the most remote locations, but also at least one visitor. The sand dunes located 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle (about 64 kilometers) at the annual caribou migration of large numbers here, park the temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), few visitors. Although the annual free, but only in 2008 Waterfall 1565 people. For nearly 9,000 years, the local indigenous people will Kobuk Valley National Park as a hunting ground. July each year, Grand Canyon National Park two hours more than the number of visitors received Kobuk Valley National Park Waterfall year.