The other day my German professor, Herr Green, asked us what we would like to do if we travelled to Germany. My answer, without the slightest hint of a joke, was "Ich mochte essen" (I would like to eat) -- Where would you want to go? "der Backerei" (the bakery--I couldn't have married into a more approriate name than "Mrs Baker")For some reason this was an odd answer. Then again most of the students had been to der Vaterland and had cities, sites, and people they'd like to visit, but still I am perplexed at why they would think "eating" was a strange answer for what one would want to do in Germany. HELLO PEOPLE--you're in GER-MA-NY!--the alps will still be there, but a that roastbeef sandwich with provolone, sauerkraut, adn horseradish sauce served hot on fresh rye bread isn't going to stay hot forever. Germany is known for its bread, cheese, chocolate, and pastries, America isn't and so I want to see what I've been missing out on.
Disclaimer: this is not a pregnancy post--I just love good food. Anybody who has eaten at my mother's house can understand why. Ever since I was a teenager, my tastes have been more inclined to the european. Sometime during highschool a marvelous place called "the fresh market" opened up--a grocery store featuring imports, organic, or quality American brands--my mother and I were soon making regular pilgramages. I would often get a a french bagette and some rich, sharp chedder cheese for lunch and of course we had to buy the bavarian pretzel sticks with some truly divine European butter. Oh it was all so good. I hope one day I can go to anywhere in europe and gorge on the real deal. For now I do my best to bring a slice of foreign living into our "Little House in the Tundra" by keeping the international section of allrecipes.com on my favorites list and making homemade french bread as much as possible. (This month has been hectic so we've been forced to buy store bread --neither Mr Baker, nor I like this very much, fresh homemade bread being both our preference. (I will tell you, when you learn how to properly make wheat bread --not over kneading it, or adding too much flour, and sweetening it with honey rather than sugar--it DOES taste better than white bread.
Perhaps I'm the only one in the class from the South, or perhaps they are all gentiles, and unGermanized of heart, but for some strange reason they would rather go "site-seeing"--yeah I'll do that too, but it will be with a pastry in one hand and a sparkling lemonade in the other, (and a lot of chocolate in my bag)
ps Dear Mom, I have tried to make spaetzle several times but I can't get it right, it turns out rather soggy and in pellets rather than in noodles. Do you know why or could you ask Oma.
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