In case you haven’t come across a German fan cheering lately, this (“Berlin, Berlin…”) was probably one of the most used phrases Saturday night. Germany was the first team to enter the quarter finals (Germany versus Argentina, next Friday in Berlin) and people have been partying all night long!

Who would have thought? Two weeks ago even the biggest optimists didn’t expect the German soccer team to play such successful AND attractive soccer. Actually the Argentinean press made a comment about it – much more than a comment – rather a compliment, welcoming Germany to the game of soccer. I don’t think we’ve been playing that lousy for the last years, but what we get to see in this World Cup is a different league – no pun intended.

The many people who believed that the World Cup may have a positive effect on our economy all seem to have been right on. Living in Munich (and probably anywhere in Germany at this point) feels a whole lot different these days, a noticeable change in atmosphere would be the understatement of the year. Locals as well as people from all over the world, soccer fans or not, carry an extra big smile on their faces throughout the day – which may be a totally normal thing in other spots of the world, but not necessarily in Bavaria. The typical experience would definitely include grumpy waitresses or police officers, unfriendly shop assistants and bus drivers. We just live with it, trying not to complain too much about it and keep our own vim and vigor. Having the World Cup in one’s country is always an exciting event, but we are all pretty blown away by its positive impact on our daily life. And I’m not only talking about the countless evenings spent together with friends watching the games (all of them in fact, not only the Germans’) and preparing lots of finger food.

Soccer is everywhere right now. There is no restaurant, pub or cafe that is not equipped with a large screen TV (or two or three) for its guests, the bakery around the corner sells not only “Arena bread” but also green cakes and football-shaped muffins… You can order special World Cup menus and there is not a single shop that hasn’t changed its decoration in favor of a soccer theme. You don’t just meet with your friends for a nice evening, you gather to watch the games and party afterwards. The weather god clearly means well (I think he’s getting carried away a bit) and obviously wants to make up for the half-hearted Spring deal. We’ve been having sunshine day in day out since the World Cup started over two weeks ago.

Last Friday was play time, I had a day off and was on my way to the Asian grocery store at Rosenheimer Strasse around the corner when I ran into the Swedish soccer team at the Hilton Hotel. The huge police presence wasn’t half as amazing as some of the hard core and very pretty fans. This way for more soccer impressions…

Even though we wouldn’t begrudge any other well playing team to take home the Cup, there is a striking reason why Germany has to win: Jürgen Klinsmann, the German team coach. He’s one of the few team coaches who will not hold back his enthusiasm, but show it in a very extrovert way (especially after his team made a goal): Jumping for joy, bouncing up and down like a rubber ball, shouting and cheering like a little boy, he got this whole nation brimming with excitement!

Meanwhile, until the next game is on, we’ll be preparing more finger food such as these tasty Spring pockets – essentially they’re spring rolls, simply in a different shape – & crispy sesame chips.

Unfreeze (if needed) spring roll wrappers and cover with a wet kitchen towel.

Cook noodles briefly in boiling water (per instructions). Cut, mince and chop ingredients. A quick word on ingredients: Usually I forget to buy the one or other ingredient, which really doesn’t matter that much. Almost all of them are exchangeable and we discover new combinations every time (also try with shrimp, fresh coriander)…

In a wok or pan, heat 2 tbsp of sunflower oil. Add the ground beef/pork and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, add the ground chilies, stir. Then add the carrots, sprouts, noodles and finally the green onions. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but still a bit crunchy. Season with sweet and regular soy sauce, add a bit of fish sauce (careful, this one is salty!) and oyster sauce. Stir. Remove from heat. Drain excess moisture from pan.

Feel free to experiment with different formats and shapes or just go with the standard roll. To make one side stick to another when folding, use the egg white as “glue” – this should help to keep its shape and prevents it from falling apart during the frying process.

Heat more sunflower/sesame oil in a wok (medium to high). Place a maximum of 3 or 4 pockets at a time in the hot oil. Deep-fry until crisp and golden. Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet chili or plum sauce. Cold on the next day, they’re just as delicious. Rolls may even be prepared ahead of time and frozen, then fried when needed.

The sesame nibbles are a quick, yet nice add-on to the pockets. A bit of egg white helps the sesame to stick to the cut wonton wrapper (=spring roll wrapper) while frying for about a minute. While you sprinkle the white and black sesame seeds you may want to add a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt for an extra kick. The dip we served with it was a mix of crème fraiche and sweet chili sauce as well as a mix of crème fraiche and plum sauce – definitely a quick win, now on to the next matches…

The heat has gotten to us. After its long anticipated arrival, we already wish for a bit less. Ironic? Anyway, it made us stay clear of the kitchen for the most part this weekend. Did it keep us from finding good things on the net? No way.

Currently discussed:

Irrespective of being a meat-eater or not, Barbara makes a good point: Why Do People Only Love Cute Animals?

Food politics comprehensively edited to advise the everyday food shopper: An interview with “What we eat” author and nutritionist Marion Nestle.

Macht des Guten (in German), a witty write up on bio food and motivations for buying it: mostly for ones health, often because it tastes better and sometimes to save the world, all in an effort to maintain LOHAS – lifestyle of health and sustainability.

High up on the wish list:

With outside temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F+) for almost a week now, consequently our ice cream consumption has gone through the roof. Why not make it yourself? It’s shiny, it’s expensive and I WANT TO MUST HAVE IT: A very elegant looking ice cream maker, something to scoop and funky anodized bowls, everything with the ONE purpose, to finally serve all these fancy creations in. And besides, our old one really has gotten a bit long in the tooth.

Oh, and in case store-bought pints are the ice cream of choice, empty them with style.

Around the corner:

The FIFA Worldcup is all over Germany and the atmosphere here in Munich is fantastic! Go Ghana. Well, and Go Germany of course ;)

Good news for food magazine junkies like myself: Thanks to good friends like Stephanie and Hande or my better half (aka the business traveler) I’m always well stocked with international food magazines. Although I was pretty happy to discover that Sussmann’s INTERNATIONALE PRESSE (at the Munich main station, track 24) finally offers a broader selection of English/anglophone magazines like Olive, BBC’s Good Food, Gourmet Traveller, Food + Travel, the French ELLE à table and a variety of Italian/Spanish ones, too. Only downer: An obscene markup, prices are almost double the original prices.

Over the last years one of the most wanted travel souvenirs from the US have been Microplane graters. Once you worked with them, you know why they’re so popular, they’re super sharp, handy and very durable. So in case we do need a replacement or addition we now know where to look for in Munich. Or we’d place an order here!

A little blog talk:

My weekly excursion through food blog land made my mouth water when I spotted a chocolate drowned panna cotta * A pure and simple combo made me crave asparagus again * Plums made it on my shopping list * By the way, Sam, can we – PLEASE – swap pantries?

Too hot?

Here is a cool tip for a hot day: granita, easy to make and so refreshing. No detailed instructions and ingredients are given, since the method is straightforward: mix your favourite fruit puree with sugar and – depending on the choice of fruits – water or lemon juice until smooth, then freeze in a flat container. Stir occasionally with a fork.

Granita is actually not so different from sorbet. It’s mainly the freezing method & the amount of sugar you use in proportion to the liquid – and of course the texture of the ice crystals.

How much fruit puree, water (if any!) and sugar is dependent both on how sweet your fruit already is and what texture you are going for in the finished product. The possibilities are endless, you could even replace the fruit/water with any other flavoured liquid. There is little that can go wrong, just give it try! Below our weekend version with both water melon (could have used a bit more sugar) and charantais melon. The only caveat: beware of brain freeze…

A lot of my friends are seriously into running, as a matter of fact some go for the long distance/marathon, something I’d never even dare to consider. One cause for doing so -a notion they all share- is that it clears your head and allows new ideas to enter and inspire the mind. That’s the theory. It actually doesn’t happen to me, ever. Mostly, my mind revolves around the same two questions, how far I’ve already gotten and how long will it take me to get back home. But I do enjoy the beauty of the southern part of the Englischer Garten, all with the invaluable support of my GET IT OVER WITH-play list and my iPod. But no exciting ideas have popped in so far. Until last week.

We approached a shadowy corner near the Friedensengel (Angel of Peace monument) that was covered over and over with wood garlic. It clearly had exceeded its best before date already, which however didn’t keep it from spreading its distinctive, quite obnoxious smell. Which on a brighter note triggered good thoughts about natures gifts and the turning of seasons. Before I start to sound cheesy, the next thing that crossed my mind were elderflowers, typically blooming in late Spring early Summer (around May/June). With the horrible Spring weather we have had, it couldn’t be too late to rush out for a quick harvest, could it? Although biology had always been one of my favorite subjects (way) back in school, I was never really good in identifying trees or bushes from a distance. Close by and bringing my nose into play now that’s a different story and thinking of elderflower, its dead give away is its deliciously heady perfume. When I passed by bushes with white blossoms I had a vague guess what it might be. The unique scent gave it away – hooray, it’s elderflower time!

As if the rich, fragrant scent made me high, I picked up speed, because I couldn’t wait to get back home and grab a basket before somebody else might discover my sensational find. Did I say sensational? On our way back it dawned on me that elderflowers are simply EVERYWHERE! Once on my radar, I not only realized bushes and trees are growing wild all over the park and gardens, but even in our own backyard, providing endless possibilities for a bountiful harvest. Shame on me for being so ignorant and not seeing the obvious…

Since I haven’t worked with elderflowers before, I consulted smart books, the web and finally packed up. Equipped with a knife and a basket, taking to heart what I just had read: Don’t pick elderflowers near a road (obviously), carefully look for plant lice or similar creatures before picking them and only harvest the “ripe” blossoms (the blooming ones, not yet withered) including the stalks (makes it easier to handle). Carry them home gently, so as not to lose the tasty pollen.

The plethora of uses is overwhelming: wine, cordials and sorbets to mention a few, it’s fragrant flavor can also be used to enhance the flavor of jams, pickles, chutneys and vinegars. At the same time elderflower (or common elder) is an effective remedy for various ailments and this natural approach to health is becoming more and more popular.

Fried Elderflower (Hollerküchln)

It’s becoming a common theme, but what can I do, the source of my recipe plans is again deeply rooted in my family. Something that has been lingering around the edges of my brain for quite a while are Hollerküchln, a delicious, traditional Bavarian recipe from my grandma’s inexhaustible repertoire – one of the many I haven’t tried myself yet.

Furnished with her original recipe, and with Oliver’s bewildered and scrutinizing look in mind, I prepared a batter very similar to what is being used for Apfelküchln (fried apple rings). My own spin on the recipe is using Karamalz (my personal weakness, a sweet alcohol-free dark malt beer) instead of regular dark beer.

The Hollerküchln turned out incredibly yummy, “yummy enough” that I had troubles keeping up with Oliver’s gusto. Golden brown and crunchy they are best eaten right out of the pan, generously dusted with cinnamon sugar. Or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Your call. Will someone notice that the elderflower tree in our backyard is seriously thinned out now…?

Start with preparing the elderflowers: Gently dip the flower heads in a bowl of cold water to remove any loosely-attached dirt and/or anything with feet. Allow to dry on paper towels for a few minutes, otherwise the batter won’t stick well to the blossoms.

Note: Some recipes advise to not wash them (saves more of the delicate pollen), but even after chilling the blossoms in the fridge for 15 minutes (the cold supposedly helps to get little insects to abandon their hideaway) I still spotted the one or the other tiny critter – so I washed them, very carefully though.

The batter: Beat the egg whites until stiff, set aside. In a separate bowl, blend together the egg yolks, flour, dark beer and a pinch of salt. Whisk until well combined, then carefully fold in the egg whites.

Dip the flowers up-side down in the batter and immediately pan fry in clarified butter over medium to high heat. For more crunchiness, just lightly dip the blossoms. A few might even end up fried without any batter at all. For a softer, chewier result dip them more generously.

When lightly browned on the bottom, remove from the pan and snip off the thick stalks. Now flip them and fry the other side until golden, drip off excessive fat on a paper towel and serve hot with cinnamon sugar. If you can’t be bothered to trim the stalks, just fry a little longer on the first side. It actually can be fun to eat them this way, simply nibble the crunchy blossoms from the stalks (which should not be consumed).

Resume: There is probably no such a thing as healthy fried food and even the elderflowers’ qualities won’t fully make up for it, but having it once in a while won’t hurt either, RIGHT? These Hollerküchln have to be one of the best ways to indulge yourself in fried food with the added benefit of having a fabulous elder aroma throughout the apartment …This will be a regular snack over the next weeks, it’s a must try!

Elderflower Syrup

Sodas based on elderflowers have been popular all along. Whether diluted with pure water, bubbling with soda water or sparkling mineral water, elderflower infused syrup makes deliciously refreshing drinks. It adds a nice twist to Prosecco and Champagne, perfect for an elaborate aperitif. I can even imagine it with the one or other dessert, did someone say panna cotta… sorbet…?

Back in the days when I was a kid experimenting with all kinds of mixtures and probably semi toxic concoctions, I remember my mum telling me to not use our regular water bottles as containers, simply to prevent someone from mistakenly drinking from it. Hm, ‘must have forgotten her word of advice for a moment, but was suddenly reminded of it, when I heard Oliver making funny noises in the kitchen. Guess I shouldn’t have used one of our regular water bottles for the leftover syrup *snicker*. What really cracked me up though was the sight of him leaning over the kitchen sink slurping water in record time trying to dilute the syrup in his tummy…

Clean the elderflowers (see recipe above), then remove the little blossoms from their stems.

In a very large pot bring the water to a boil and add the sugar. Stir well until the sugar has completely dissolved, then remove from heat.

Mix citric acid with a few tablespoons of water in a separate pot over medium heat until dissolved and add it to the syrup, stir well. Let the mixture cool down a bit, then add the elderflower blossoms.

Cover and leave to infuse for a minimum of 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Strain through a muslin lined sieve, then fill in clean bottles.

The recipe worked like a charm and the cordial is so much better than anything I have bought so far, mixed with sparkling mineral water it could probably even compete with the new hip, organic lemonade Bionade, but at much lower costs! The only negative side effect: The kitchen was turned into an indescribable sticky mess! Oh well.

With this being my first attempt at making homemade cordial, I have not yet gained much experience with the various methods of preserving. The German Chefkoch forums have already been a good source of information in the past and have also proved to be a good starting point for this topic. Apparently, the added citric acid already serves as a preservative, hence the syrup should stay good way past summer, but I doubt that: We already used up almost one liter over the last week… And today I received the first replenishment order from friends.

EDIT: More on edible flowers and recipes can be found in Barbara’s “The Spice is Right III – The Perfumed Garden“.