Busy at the bakery

You know what I miss most when I am not in Germany these days? Backer Becker. A local bakery. With so many different kinds of bread and pastries that you don't know what to choose.

It's one of these things I did not expect. Germans are bratwurst lovers. And being a foreigner, you just do not expect much more on the table than sausages and sauerkraut.

But the German bakery counts up to 300 different kinds of bread. And 1200 different pastries. Or at least, that's what the Ministry of German Agriculture wants you to believe. Just as Backer Becker.

They claim it's the enormous variety of wheats and grains that makes every German baking bread. And pastries. Or eating bread. And pastries.

Gives me a feeling I should stay at home and make cake. To try it for myself. But seen that cooking is not really my kind of thing - I don't even know where the oven is - I started at Backer Becker.

I try them out now. 300 kinds of bread and 1200 kinds of pastries. I am at 3. For the bread. And 7. For the pastries. They were so good, I kept on trying them.

Still a long time to go for me in Germany...

The German Italians - Part II

Is it not absolutely remarckable that in a country of bratwurst and beer kitchen design became big?

You really start wondering how Martin Bulthaup came up with the idea to develop fashionable and trendy kitchen design.

He put a bratwurst in a small sandwich with sauerkraut-on-the-go. And decided it tasted better when made in a design kitchen.

Could be. I can also not cook. And I like design kitchens. Still. I can not imagine that's the reason why Germans are almost Italian if it comes to kitchen design.

No. I believe more in the following scenario... You want to get that bratwurst ready. But there is no frying pan close to the fire. Cut the sandwich. But your knife is not around. Open your sauerkraut-on-the-go package. No scissors. So the Germans started to structure their kitchen. Cause they like structure. A lot. And before you know the Italians call it fashionable. Trendy. To have your kitchen structured.

No. You do not have to be a good cook to be a specialist in kitchen design.

Alice

PS for the Italians: Click for some German kitchen design on http://www.bulthaup.com/ and http://www.siematic.com/

German Breakfast for 2

German Breakfast for 2.

11 AM this morning, Hann. Münden, Hessen

And you thought English breakfast is heavy? Eat this!

Sauerkraut-to-go

I am not a good cook. And I am even convinced most of you reading this blog already understood so.

But when I cook, I do my best. There is a -limited- number of recipes in my head. And ... well, that can be eaten.

Off course, I need the right ingredients. The ingredients I am used to. Cause every time the package looks different, I am not so sure anymore if it is the right stuff. And if dinner will be eatable.

And that's where the problem lies. Moving to Germany, no supermarket looks like home. They sell sauerkraut in ready-to-go packages (aiaiaiai). They have a whole rack of ketchup for bratwurst. And only two different kinds of mayonaise.

Two. The supermarket at home counts -at least- fifty different kinds of mayonaise.

Dear own German, you cook. I moved.