an american expat in deutschland http://www.amiexpat.com life, the universe, and Germany Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:45:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 49.065768611.888580amiexpat/xeSGhttp://feedburner.google.com Down for the count http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/11/06/down-for-the-count/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/11/06/down-for-the-count/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:45:38 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2117 That’s what I’ve been for the past week. The worst cold ever became bronchitis, and now that I’m on antibiotics, I think there was just a touch of sinus infection in there too. I finish antibiotics tomorrow evening and will hopefully make a speedy full recovery back to health, because this is now [...] That’s what I’ve been for the past week. The worst cold ever became bronchitis, and now that I’m on antibiotics, I think there was just a touch of sinus infection in there too. I finish antibiotics tomorrow evening and will hopefully make a speedy full recovery back to health, because this is now three weeks of feeling pretty rotten and let me tell you, it sucks. So, I have not, nor will I any time this weekend, be up to baking Zweibelkuchen (onion cake). I’m going to have to push the Real German Cuisine Challenge back a week (at least, hopefully not more!).

Plus, a couple of people have asked my opinion about the swine flu vaccine… I plan to write something eventually, but short answer: vaccines are good, get them.  My doctor has me on a list to call for when it becomes available (and when I am healthy enough to get it).  The last thing I want is a bout of swine flu after this!

Stay healthy folks!

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/11/06/down-for-the-count/feed/ 5 Real German Cuisine Challenge: Märkischer Rindfleischtopf (Mark Brandenburg Beef Stew) http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/11/02/real-german-cuisine-challenge-markischer-rindfleischtopf-mark-brandenburg-beef-stew/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/11/02/real-german-cuisine-challenge-markischer-rindfleischtopf-mark-brandenburg-beef-stew/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:53:27 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2114 This week’s recipe challenge was Märkischer Rindfleischtopf (Mark Brandenburg Beef Stew).  The Mark Brandenburg is the area including and surrounding the city of Berlin.  I wasn’t too impressed with the local cuisine when we lived in Berlin and in Potsdam, but the recipes from this book for that region have been pretty good. This is the first week where [...] This week’s recipe challenge was Märkischer Rindfleischtopf (Mark Brandenburg Beef Stew).  The Mark Brandenburg is the area including and surrounding the city of Berlin.  I wasn’t too impressed with the local cuisine when we lived in Berlin and in Potsdam, but the recipes from this book for that region have been pretty good.

This is the first week where I actually had very little to do with the challenge.  We bought the meat last Saturday to make the next day, and I ended up coming down with a really bad cold.  Since we bought beef filet to use, and didn’t want it to go to waste, Rainer did most of the work and I read instructions to him from the kitchen table, where I was also frequently resting my head.

We didn’t have Teltower Rübchen (turnips).  I planted some seeds back in August, but the plants are only about 3 inches high.  I read that Bavarian Rübchen are almost identical, so I had hoped to find some of those to use, but there weren’t any in the local markets.  We decided to use Kohlrabi and carrots as a substitute.

I ended up eating very little.  I had a small scoop of vegetables and one slice of filet, but Rainer loved this dish.  He proclaimed it one of his favorites so far and said he was really surprised that the filet went so well in it.  He hadn’t had high expectations, but in the end, he says, “It was beef filet and a lot of butter.  Look at the picture, it’s butter, butter, butter, butter.  How can you go wrong with that?”

Märkischer Rindfleischtopf (Mark Brandenburg Beef Stew)

Other participants:

Upcoming challenges!

Write up

  • November 9 - Zwiebelmarktkuchen (Weimar Onion Festival Cake)
  • November 16 - Muschelsalat (Mussel salad)
  • Sächsischer Weihnachtsstollen (Saxon Christmas Stollen) - To be made the week of Thanksgiving and publish either right before or after Christmas (Dec 21 or 28).  Let me know if you have a preference.

Feel free to join in anytime. Want more Real German Cuisine? Check out the full recipe list organized by German state.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/11/02/real-german-cuisine-challenge-markischer-rindfleischtopf-mark-brandenburg-beef-stew/feed/ 3 Real German Cuisine Challenge: Miesmuscheln in Weisswein (Mussels in white wine) http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/31/real-german-cuisine-challenge-miesmuscheln-in-weisswein-mussels-in-white-wine/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/31/real-german-cuisine-challenge-miesmuscheln-in-weisswein-mussels-in-white-wine/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:28:36 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2111 Sorry about the delay in posting this week.  I got hit with a horrible cold.  I’m not completely well yet, but hopefully there are only a few more days of cold to deal with. This week’s recipe was Miesmuscheln in Weisswein (Mussels in white wine).  We enjoy mussels, but have never made them ourselves.  I got a friend [...] Sorry about the delay in posting this week.  I got hit with a horrible cold.  I’m not completely well yet, but hopefully there are only a few more days of cold to deal with.

This week’s recipe was Miesmuscheln in Weisswein (Mussels in white wine).  We enjoy mussels, but have never made them ourselves.  I got a friend to take me to Metro, one of the few places in Regensburg where you can buy mussels, although they are also available at the fish stand in the brand new Markthalle on Dachauplatz.

We washed them and tore away the fibers.  We were a little confused when it came to sorting.  Rainer thought the open ones were bad, I thought the open ones were still alive, since after a few minutes, some of the closed ones we sorted out were open.  I used a lifeline to call a friend and she said to just cook them all and sort out the unopened ones afterwards.

The sauce is easy to make and delicious.  Apart from obtaining and scrubbing the mussels, this is a really easy dish.

I bought Schwarzbrot (rye bread) to serve with the mussels, but I wasn’t a fan of this.  Rainer said I neglected to get Kölsch (small beers from Cologne) and everyone knows mussels go with Schwarzbrot AND Kölsch.  Well, apparently not everyone.  I threw some frozen fries in the oven and we ate the mussels with those.  It was a nice meal and I’d do it again.

Miesmuscheln in Weisswein (Mussels in white wine)

Other participants:

Upcoming challenges!

Feel free to join in anytime. Want more Real German Cuisine? Check out the full recipe list organized by German state.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/31/real-german-cuisine-challenge-miesmuscheln-in-weisswein-mussels-in-white-wine/feed/ 2 Back in the world of the living http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/29/back-in-the-world-of-the-living/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/29/back-in-the-world-of-the-living/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:34:51 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2109 I’m slowly on the mend after spending the last four days for the most part in a horizontal orientation.  I’m pretty sure it wasn’t swine flu, since I didn’t get a fever, but this has definitely been the worst cold I’ve had in my life (it’s severity was compounded by other factors, like having a [...] I’m slowly on the mend after spending the last four days for the most part in a horizontal orientation.  I’m pretty sure it wasn’t swine flu, since I didn’t get a fever, but this has definitely been the worst cold I’ve had in my life (it’s severity was compounded by other factors, like having a toddler to care for, for one — it also coincided with one of my worst migraines in years the other night, so that was fun).  Anyways, I’m going to get back to blogging life, but probably not until the weekend.  In case you are really dying to know how the last cooking challenge turned out, check out Stephanie’s version over on A Greenville Life.  Mine was pretty similar.

If you’re lacking in reading material, I’d like to suggest you head over to Dave’s Photo & Travelblogue.  He’s a fellow American expat, based in Munich, who I’ve known for a year or so.  Coincidentally, we both are from Virginia and are both APO brothers.  He’s about to publish his first book, so congrats on that, Dave!

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/29/back-in-the-world-of-the-living/feed/ 2 Real German Cuisine Challenge: Kaninchen mit Pilzen (Rabbit with mushrooms) http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/19/real-german-cuisine-challenge-kaninchen-mit-pilzen-rabbit-with-mushrooms/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/19/real-german-cuisine-challenge-kaninchen-mit-pilzen-rabbit-with-mushrooms/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:06:57 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2104 This week’s recipe was Kaninchen mit Pilzen, or rabbit with mushrooms.  It comes from the section for the state of Nordrhein-Westfallen.  This state is home to the cities of Düsseldorf, Köln (Cologne) and Bonn. This is the first of several rabbit recipes in this cookbook.  Germans are very fond of eating rabbit, and while I’m sure it’s [...] This week’s recipe was Kaninchen mit Pilzen, or rabbit with mushrooms.  It comes from the section for the state of Nordrhein-Westfallen.  This state is home to the cities of Düsseldorf, Köln (Cologne) and Bonn.

This is the first of several rabbit recipes in this cookbook.  Germans are very fond of eating rabbit, and while I’m sure it’s delicious, I really can’t even fathom eating a rabbit because of these guys:

Franklin and Grumpy

That’s Grumpy on the right and Franklin P. Bunny on the left and they were our beloved house pets (we sadly had to give them up for adoption because Rainer developed serious allergies and couldn’t breath around them anymore).

I substituted chicken for the rabbit, I used two frozen pre-cut up chickens, and left out the breast pieces, since I figured the breast meat is probably nothing like rabbit at all.

I ran into a snafu, I bought mushrooms to use in the recipe, but when I pulled out the package the next day, they had spots of mold.  I had invited a friend over, so I called and asked her to stop at the local market on the way up.  She did, but they were out of fresh mushrooms.  She grabbed a bag of frozen mushrooms, and they actually, surprisingly, worked pretty well in the dish.

I served the chicken with 7-grain wild rice.  The dish was totally delicious.  The chicken was melt in your mouth tender and the sauce was full of flavor.  Rainer says this is one of his favorites so far.  It has a toddler and child stamp of approval as well.  If you want to know how the recipe went with rabbit, check out some of the other participants.

Other participants:

Upcoming challenges!

Feel free to join in anytime. Want more Real German Cuisine? Check out the full recipe list organized by German state.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/19/real-german-cuisine-challenge-kaninchen-mit-pilzen-rabbit-with-mushrooms/feed/ 9 Weekly Winners – After the rain – 18 Oct 2009 http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/18/weekly-winners-after-the-rain-18-oct-2009/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/18/weekly-winners-after-the-rain-18-oct-2009/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:20:37 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2087 11-17 October 2009 The weather has been pretty rotten this week.  Cold and rainy with a dash of snow even!  Here are some pictures from a few minutes of sun we got after a rainy day. And finally, my little guy cooked his first meal this week. He made us scrambled eggs! To see more of my photos, visit [...]

11-17 October 2009

The weather has been pretty rotten this week.  Cold and rainy with a dash of snow even!  Here are some pictures from a few minutes of sun we got after a rainy day.

After the rain

After the rain

Spiderweb

After the rain

After the rain

After the rain

Oliver making scrambled eggs

And finally, my little guy cooked his first meal this week. He made us scrambled eggs!

To see more of my photos, visit my FlickR page

For more Weekly Winners visit SarcasticMom.com.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/18/weekly-winners-after-the-rain-18-oct-2009/feed/ 5 Amazon’s Kindle Goes International http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/13/amazons-kindle-goes-international/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/13/amazons-kindle-goes-international/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:16:06 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2078 Amazon.com has just released the Kindle US and International Wireless Reading Device.  The cost is $279. Books, and US and International magazine and newspaper purchases will be made through Amazon.com in US dollars. It has free wireless service, no need to locate Wi-Fi hotspots, and coverage in Germany and the rest of Europe is pretty excellent. [...]

Amazon.com has just released the Kindle US and International Wireless Reading Device.  The cost is $279. Books, and US and International magazine and newspaper purchases will be made through Amazon.com in US dollars.

It has free wireless service, no need to locate Wi-Fi hotspots, and coverage in Germany and the rest of Europe is pretty excellent. Blogs and the experimental web browser are currently only available in the US.

Remember, if you have it shipped outside the US, you’ll be responsible for customs and import duties. Amazon.com includes a deposit for those fees in its price at checkout. This is only an estimate though and you may be responsible for addition fees upon delivery.

Still sounds like a great deal to me if you read a lot of English books and are running low on shelf space in your home.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/13/amazons-kindle-goes-international/feed/ 14 Real German Cuisine Challenge: Dampfnudeln mit Weinschaum (Yeast dumplings with wine sauce) http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/12/real-german-cuisine-challenge-dampfnudeln-mit-weinschaum-yeast-dumplings-with-wine-sauce/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/12/real-german-cuisine-challenge-dampfnudeln-mit-weinschaum-yeast-dumplings-with-wine-sauce/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:49 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2075 This week’s recipe challenge was Dampfnudeln mit Weinschaum or sweet yeast dumplings with wine sauce.  There are only two words to describe this recipe: FREAKING DELICIOUS! Somehow, I’d managed to live over 7 years in Germany without ever having Dampfnudeln.  Regensburg just happens to have a restaurant, Dampfnudel Uli, that top German chef Alfons Schuhbeck says makes the best Dampfnudeln.  Even [...] This week’s recipe challenge was Dampfnudeln mit Weinschaum or sweet yeast dumplings with wine sauce.  There are only two words to describe this recipe: FREAKING DELICIOUS!

Somehow, I’d managed to live over 7 years in Germany without ever having Dampfnudeln.  Regensburg just happens to have a restaurant, Dampfnudel Uli, that top German chef Alfons Schuhbeck says makes the best Dampfnudeln.  Even Ronald Reagan enjoyed their Dampfnudeln.  A couple weeks ago, I decided, as research, that I needed to try these dumplings.

The dumplings at Dampfnudel Uli are quite spongy and square shaped (so different from this recipe).  They are served with a delicious vanilla cream sauce.  I was an instant convert.  I couldn’t wait to try this recipe out.

It’s a lot of kneading, but if you’ve got a breadmaker or mixer that can do the kneading for you, this recipe is very, very easy. I made it for a friend, An, a Dampfnudeln fan, who said these were the best Dampfnudeln she has ever had.  The Dampfnudeln from this recipe are heavier than those from Dampfnudel Uli.  They have more of a doughy consistency.  The small amount of butter in the cooking water makes the outer crust of the Dampfnudeln SO tasty.  The wine sauce was delicious, although very strong alcohol-wise, and it paired well with the dumplings.  I also bought some Dr Oetker Bourbon Vanille Sauce at the grocery store to serve with the Dampfnudeln for the kids.  This combo was delicious as well.  If I was pressed for time, making the Dampfnudeln with some store-bought vanilla sauce is still impressive and very tasty.

One thing, it did take a little longer on the stove to sizzle (the sign the Dampfnudeln are done) than the recipe stated.

I highly recommend this recipe.  Try it, try it, try it!!!

Dampfnudeln mit Weinschaum (Yeast dumplings with wine foam)

Other participants:

Upcoming challenges!

  • October 19 - Kaninchen mit Pilzen (Rabbit with mushrooms) - I will be substituting chicken here since we had rabbits as house pets and can’t imagine eating one.  I believe there are at least two rabbit versions that will be posted though.

I will get to work on translating and planning more upcoming challenges ASAP.

Feel free to join in anytime. Want more Real German Cuisine? Check out the full recipe list organized by German state.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/12/real-german-cuisine-challenge-dampfnudeln-mit-weinschaum-yeast-dumplings-with-wine-sauce/feed/ 4 Weekly Winners – Ladybugs and Charlie – 11 Oct 2009 http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/11/weekly-winners-ladybugs-and-charlie-11-oct-2009/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/11/weekly-winners-ladybugs-and-charlie-11-oct-2009/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:46:50 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2071 October 4-10, 2009 This week, our home was inundated by hundreds of ladybugs.  They were all over the southern exterior of our house, and I had to take at least a dozen from inside our place and release them back into the garden. Charlie hanging out with us at the playground Rapeseed field Oliver taking Charlie for a walk, or maybe it [...]

October 4-10, 2009

This week, our home was inundated by hundreds of ladybugs.  They were all over the southern exterior of our house, and I had to take at least a dozen from inside our place and release them back into the garden.

IMG_8584_edited-1.jpg

Ladybugs

Charlie

Charlie hanging out with us at the playground

Rapeseed field

Rapeseed field

Charlie and Oliver

Oliver taking Charlie for a walk, or maybe it was the other way around!

To see more of my photos, visit my FlickR page

For more Weekly Winners visit SarcasticMom.com.

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]]> http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/11/weekly-winners-ladybugs-and-charlie-11-oct-2009/feed/ 3 President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize? http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/09/president-obama-wins-the-nobel-peace-prize/ http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/10/09/president-obama-wins-the-nobel-peace-prize/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:10:35 +0000 Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=2063 As I listened to the news on the way in to town this morning, I heard President Obama’s name mentioned as a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, and my immediate reaction was: yeah right.  I thought, he hasn’t done anything yet, maybe in eight years, if he accomplishes many of the goals he set [...] As I listened to the news on the way in to town this morning, I heard President Obama’s name mentioned as a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, and my immediate reaction was: yeah right.  I thought, he hasn’t done anything yet, maybe in eight years, if he accomplishes many of the goals he set out on the campaign trail, he’ll be worthy of consideration for the prize, but not yet, not by a long shot.

I spent the day in town, away from televisions and radios.  Not even giving the prize a second thought.  When I picked up Rainer from work, he asked, “Did you hear about Obama?  He got the Nobel Peace prize.”

My initial reaction was shock. I couldn’t believe it.  “Seriously? But what has he done?”

Rainer and I discussed it the whole way home.  Why would the Nobel Committee award Obama with the Peace Prize?

Among Facebook friends, some think the Nobel Committee has lost all credibility, some think the Committee is drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, some say this proves the prize is worthless.  Maybe, but I don’t think so.

In my opinion, it’s for what he CAN do.  What he has the potential to do.

He has it in his power to make huge strides towards world peace.  He has already changed the tenor of diplomacy in the world, just by saying the United States is willing to listen and to compromise with friends and foes alike.  He shocked many by announcing his intentions towards nuclear disarmament.

Rainer likens it to West German Chancellor Willy Brandt winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.  He tells me that prior to the win, a lot of Germans were very critical and suspicious of Brandt’s Ostpolitik, of trying to change the Eastern bloc and USSR not through isolation, but through engagement.  The win of the Peace Prize gained his policies much support among the German people and were probably a large stepping stone towards the fall of the Soviet Union and the opening of the East.

Perhaps President Obama is not the most deserving nominee, but he is the ONE person in the world right now with the most potential for changing the world for the better.  And I think the Nobel Committee wants to see him follow through on that potential.

Maybe this early award of a Peace Prize will cause the loss of the Committee’s credibility, or maybe it will be seen someday as the point where the world began to change for the better.  Personally, I’m hoping for the latter. But only time will tell.

What do you think?  What was your initial reaction?  Has it changed at all?

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