MEME - The Cook Next Door!
June 12th, 2005

EDIT: If you’d like to directly jump to the map click right here.

I have been thinking about this for quite a while now, the idea is almost as old (or young) as my blog. But especially in the beginning of my blogging existence and being the new kid on the block, it didn’t feel right at the time to start a meme like this ;) But with a few months on my back, my confidence is growing, ha!

Because I see cooking primarily in the context of people connecting with each other and having been inspired by Anthony’s cookbook meme not so long ago, I thought it would be a nice idea to share some tidbits about one’s cooking related history. Even though some blogs and sites have an about/profile page – this is where I typically stop first -, more often than not, they don’t portrait the bloggers personality very well! So who is it, that spends so much time on both cooking and blogging, sharing their experiences with everyone else?

MEME - The Cook Next Door!

Some of these questions may have been answered already by posts that are now buried in the depths of an 12 or so month old archive…and not easily accessible for curious souls like me :) If all the above doesn’t work for you, then it is a least another good excuse to do what all foodbloggers enjoy so much, write about food and cooking…

The concept follows the established standards; with this post, the first three invitations will go out to three blogging cooks/bakers (via email), who will post their answers and then in turn forward the invitation to another three (food) blogs they know and would like to include in this meme (more info on memes can be found here>>).

Please let me know once your post is online and I’ll include it in a summary, which will be a continuous process. Send your permalinks to meme(at)deliciousdays(dot)com or simply add a comment. You can directly access this post via the available button at the top of the right column of delicious:days.

This meme is not a self-activating meme (it’ll be great to see how it developes); so in the first round, I’d like to pass the stick on to Sam (Becks & Posh), Chefdoc (A Perfect Pear) and Zarah Maria (Food & Thoughts).

EDIT: Because of the ever growing, multi-cultural food blogging space, I thought it would make a nice contribution to also include the non-english speaking blog scene. Bending the “rules” a tiny bit, I extended invitations to Sigrid (il cavoletto di bruxelles) who will translate and forward to three Italian blogs/cooks, Petra (Chili und Ciabatta) for the German food bloggers, Clea (Clea Cuisine) for the French version and Sao Mai (Cocinalia) for the Spanish one.

EDIT2: Any takers/translators for missing languages etc.? Just send me an email ;)

Long story short, here are the questions and my responses…meme away… N.

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?

Without hesitation, it would be the Advocaat Choc-Chip Cake (very little amount of alcohol, no worries ;), which I baked at the age of 10. No kitchen scales, all ingredients were measured by eye – thinking about it, I can hardly imagine it ever tasted good…(always got yelled at for making the kitchen a mess…)

Who had the most influence on your cooking?

That’d be granny, she was definitely a passionate cook. Her brother owned a little bakery in the countryside where she helped out on a regular basis. She was such a sweetheart, that even when I had asked her on a Sunday night at 10pm (way past my curfew!), she would bake a full cake for me. I would barely manage to eat a piece and fall asleep right after. And not to forget the mini dumplings she made for me, whereas all the grown-ups had their real ones. While my mom perceived cooking more like a duty, my grandma simply loved it. She always had answers to my many “why’s” and when she prepared my favorite dishes (wild mushroom soup, plum dumplings, roast pork, …) I became her assistant.

Do you have an old photo as “evidence” of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?

See picture above. I had to decide between pictures of myself and ones showing my mom slurping her soup from the plate…guess who won? This also proves where I got may eating habits from ;) By the way, I find those old black and white pictures much more charming, even a simple picnic (my grandma and her kids) in the field looks quite elaborate…

Mageiricophobia – do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?

Whenever I try to convince myself to buy a whole fresh fish and prepare it from scratch, I hesitate, and finally give in at the fishmonger and order filets – I wonder if I ever will overcome my deep rooted fears and just do it?

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?

Good appliance: A chili mill (WMF) for dried chilis. No crying anymore.
Bad appliance: KitchenAid Grater Add-On, it basically gets never used, not very practical at all.
(For a meme specifically on kitchen appliances, please visit Sam at Becks & Posh!)

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like – and probably no one else!

I could write a book about it, including banana (lengthwise cut) with crème fraîche and lemon juice and dressed salad on a pizza, which I only dare to eat at home.

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?

What I always have in stock is parmesan. Most of the year I’m craving for fresh strawberries (ones that actually taste like strawberries) with whipped cream. And I do need a hot curry once a week (at a minimum!) – or I might get grumpy!

Any question you missed in this meme, that you would have loved to answer? Well then, feel free to add one!

Three quickies:

Your favorite ice-cream…

Cookies and Cream, Basil Sorbet

You will probably never eat…

Oysters (edit: forgot snails!)

Your own signature dish…

Classic lasagna

Other cooks from next door:

The brave, not yet tagged cooks ;-)

Transatlantic Food Connection Part II
June 11th, 2005

The week literally flew by, leaving everyone with a big smile on their faces produced by joyful days spent together. So here is the follow-up post, which at the same time concludes our culinary spree throughout Munich. By now David and Stephanie have safely returned to CO, and it’s back to daily business.

Landersdorfer & Innerhofer
Not beholden to any specific cuisine, sometimes with an Italian emphasis but generally open to a broader spectrum of influences – always imaginative, Landersdorfer & Innerhofer surprises with a every course. I’ve read descriptions such as fusion and cross-over-cuisine, but this sounds almost too bearish for this elegant cuisine.

Landersdorfer & Innerhofer

>>more images (popup)

There is no food menu – for the curious soul they’ll certainly reveal each course beforehand, but it’s much more exciting to be amazed anew each time. In case you’re wondering: what if I don’t like xyz, no worries, they will ask you upfront for ingredients you would like to avoid and work their way around it.

The wine list contains a fine selection from virtually any continent. Our choice of wines this night turned out to be an excellent match for both the starters as well as for the main dish. To go with the first courses, we decided for a German Riesling (Spätlese), to be followed by an Austrian Pinot Noir, which worked very well with the veal.

Course I
Glass-noodle salad with avocado tartar and sesame vinaigrette

Course II
Finely sliced ox with spring vegetables (fiddleheads – more info on them can be found here)

Course III
Salmon filet with mixed asparagus salad, asparagus panna cotta and fenel

Course IV
Basil sorbet on olive oil and sour cream

Course V
Veal with herb gnocchi and wild mushroom sauce

Course VI
Exotic sorbet with raspberries, poached white peach and coconut-passion-fruit-mousse-cake

The food was terrific, each course in direct competition with the other. After having finished dessert, we tried to pick the dish-of-the-night winner, but really couldn’t. Perhaps the asparagus panna cotta? Or, the exquisite and extremely smooth basil sorbet? Hm, the coconut-passion-fruit-mousse-cake… I surrender, we don’t have a contest, everything was part of a bigger picture and -although individually star-performers- contributed to a wonderful culinary experience.

The service has been very attentive and friendly – they refilled your glass with perfect timing, never intrusive – and were happy to explain the one or other dish. Also, the overall timing of the 6 course dinner was spot-on. Neither did we have to wait too long for the next course to arrive, nor did we feel pushed. The atmosphere is laid-back, yet elegant, and you’ll generally find a broad variety of guests. The owners have run this place for over five years very successfully, although it seems, it’s still a well kept secret – in fact, I don’t know too many people who actually have heard of it.

I simply can’t recommend this restaurant enough.
(Landersdorfer & Innerhofer, Hackenstrasse 6-8, 80331 München)

Negroni
Until recently Negroni was located off of Innere Wiener Strasse (Haidhausen), now they have grown bigger and better and, in the process, changed locations to Sedanstr. 9 (again Haidhausen). There are many rave reviews about this place, but probably only few people know that Mauro, who runs this bar now for about 7 years with his partner Michele, has been awarded with 2nd place in a world wide bartending competition. Actually, if you take a closer look at the top shelf behind the bar, you can’t help but notice the trophies which are testament to their phenomenal cocktail mixing skills.

Negroni

The interior is tastefully decorated (rather puristic), kept in dark wood with white walls which looks both stylish and elegant. There is room for roughly 80-90 people and it fills up quickly, especially on busy weekends. If you get there timely, you might snatch a seat at the bar, watching Mauro or Michele create a Russian Satellite, Stinger or White Russian. By the way, I usually resort to either one (or all?) of these three and I highly recommend them – hm, not to say that any of the other 130 or so cocktails aren’t as good, I’m just a creature of habit.

What I found interesting (rather exciting) on a different occasion was when Mauro asked me what I’d had for dinner, ignoring my attempt to place an order ;) I told him what I just had and he ad-hoc produced a drink that was just right-on.

So whenever you’re headed out in search for a classic cocktail bar this is the place to go! O.

Transatlantic Food Connection Part I
June 5th, 2005

Counting down the days for the past weeks, David and Stephanie -dear friends from Colorado- have finally arrived with their friend and colleague Tyler. A little flashback for context is probably needed, so how did it all start, what is the connection? Coffee. I got to know David & Stephanie almost two years ago at an Italian deli store, where the two joined the table I was standing at, sipping away at a latte macchiato. Both had just arrived from the US and it was Stephanie’s first day in Munich. Over coffee we talked about all sorts of things, leaving me with a bad conscience, knowing the two were still jet lagged and I was chewing their ear off… ;) This coffee event developed into many joint culinary highlights, frequent themed dinner nights and a lively exchange of recipes, cookbooks and simply wonderful times spent together. Due to business reasons the two moved back to Colorado at the end of last year.

Owning a little space in their hearts, Munich had them back for a short while – combining business and leisure, we had plenty of time to revisit some of the places and restaurants they became fond of. So here is our culinary trail, part I:

Wirtshaus in der Au
A traditional Bavarian restaurant, serving outstandingly tasty Bavarian dishes. There is a high chance that with your first visit, you’ll come back on a regular basis – whenever your heart craves for savory Schweinsbraten or duck with dumplings, which would be one of our recommendations. And a “Knödlgröschdl mit Bratenresten” (mix of sauteed dumplings with leftovers from Schweinebraten, which is not always on the menu, but if you ask the waiters to in turn kindly ask the cook, if there is a tiny chance to probably get some *blink* *blink*… you might be lucky). Not to forget a yummy Königsschmarrn for dessert, a modified Kaiserschmarrn (cut-up and sugared pancake with raisins) if you will, served in an iron skillet with caramelized almonds and “Weichseln” (sour cherries).

Wirtshaus in der Au

Continue reading…

White Mousse Au Chocolat - as simple as it gets
June 3rd, 2005

I haven’t had white mousse au chocolat for a while. Actually for way too long. Perhaps I’m the only person who prefers white over brown mousse au chocolate, at least no one I know sees it my way. It has probably to do with nostalgic feelings. The first time I tried white mousse au chocolat, it was part of an dessert composition, one, that truly deserved its classification. Growing up on the countryside of Bavaria meant growing up with a plethora of different cakes as dessert (Schwarzwälder Kirsch, apple tarts, and – in lack of a proper translation – Buchteln, Kirchweihkuchen, Kücheln). Way back, if you had visited a restaurant with your parents, you could choose from the usual suspects, namely vanilla ice cream with hot raspberries or mixed ice cream – that was pretty much it. Until we spent an evening at a cozy little Spanish place called “Casa Andalusia”.

PassionFruit

Continue reading…

«
»