Bonn's Away!

OK, up and running! Well sort of. As you can see from the photo below, my space and supplies are heavily limited in this hotel. I had a minor panic attack upon arriving, but over the past three weeks we've been here I've managed to come to terms with it. I think by the end of summer I will have become a master of one pot meals; not something I had ever planned to aspire to. But Simone and Jimmy's posts certainly challenge me to try and make lemonade out of these lemons!

Don't get too jealous of these digs you all.



In the meantime, we're making to due with what Bonn has to offer:















It's a carb-lovers paradise over here - which means I should have some killer potato recipes coming for you!

british buns

The transcontinental railroad of my culinary linearity was derailed yesterday.

Translation for those who don't speak bostonian: I fell headlong int0 the salt mines of baking.

I've often wondered what makes an english muffin an english muffin, besides the english that is. But I was definitely surprised to find that there is no baking involved. It's all in the skillet/frying pan.

That's right, crow is a delicacy, but then so is durian...

I told S that we would never buy muffins again, and I intend to collect on the profits from that statement. It turns out they are pretty simple to make. A lot of waiting for the dough to rise - perfect to make when golf is on. After making them once, I will pretend like I'm an expert. Here's my advice: Make sure you knead the dough for at lease three minutes!



Yea, you like the looks of those buns? They taste pretty good too. S wanted me to expound on how healthy they are - they're healthy, not healthful. Yea... you see those flax seeds? (top right photo if you weren't good at finding Waldo). They also have a bit of whole wheat flour. But at the end of they day I like them because they are a great vehicle for Sarahbeth's spreadable fruit - I'm partial to Billy's Blues (mixed berry for those of you too busy to hyperlink) but we only had the orange-apricot marmalade left.

Multigrain English Muffins: Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe

1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees)
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons flaxseed
1/2 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil cooking spray
coarse cornmeal

- Makes about 12 (Martha Gets 15 - but she's been doing this for a while)

Alright, ready?...

1. Combine warm water, agave nectar, yeast, and butter in a bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes, it should get foamy. It will also start to smell like yeast, or maybe a hefeweizen.

Zwei. Combine flours, oats, wheat germ, salt, and flaxseed in a big bowl. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk. Mix with your hands until the flour is just incorporated. Put dough on a floured surface, and knead until smooth, at least 3 minutes... yep, there it was.

Tres. Spray a large mixing bowl with the cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. I'm partial to putting it in the microwave (don't turn it on though).

IV. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead for about 1 1/2 minutes, and roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Roll and cut scraps and repeat.

5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and dust with cornmeal. Place rounds on sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rise in a warm, draft-free spot until puffy, about 20 minutes (Warning: the longer you leave them the more they look like hamburger buns).

6. Heat a skillet over medium - low heat. Working with two or three at a time, place rounds in skillet about one and a half inches apart. Cook until golden brown and dry, about 7 minutes per side. Let cool and split with a fork (this is what gives the muffins the nooks and crannies).

7. Pop em in the toaster, and use as a vehicle for whatever you choose!

Prego! - stay tuned for soft pretzels.

Wie gehts?

So, the first of the transcontinental hello's.

I had my first (of what are sure to be many) strange experience in not being able to call Lindsay the night she left. I arrived home to find that my second wrapping paper shipment had been delivered - sometime in the midst of the deluge of wednesday/thursday. The packaging tube was nearly soaked through when one of my neighbors rescued it and brought it inside. Thankfully, there was only minimal damage to the paper itself, and only on the edges of the ends. Once it's wrapping up packages I don't think any damage will be detectable at all. As always, the paper is lovely. This shipment is spring-hued, and makes me want to think of things to wrap and give away.

On Saturday night Mike and I made a valiant effort at making pot stickers for the daring cook's challenge. The results were tasty if not picture-perfect, and we were pleasantly surprised. We filled them with pork, shrimp, and thinly sliced sugar snap peas and cabbage, reminiscent of our winning Hor's Derby entry last summer. The dipping sauce, of course, was what really made these delicious. We learned a few tricks along the way, and know now that the next time we make them the dough should be rolled out a little thinner. As for the process, whew! Imagine making ravioli one by one. Thankfully pot stickers are not eaten in the same quantity or at the same speed that raviols are downed in our family. We had a great time making them, though it would have been even more fun had Lindsay and Jason been working on their own version as well! In time they'll be able to get into their own kitchen, and we'll have photos for comparison. I can't wait! Maybe then Lindsay will be inspired to try to make these dumplings, which require no special equipment, just plenty of patience, or even the broth-filled version she's told us about. Lindsay, when you get time, I'd love to hear more about spargelzeit - leave it to the German's to have a word wholly devoted to asparagus season.

Our finished products - steamed and pan-fried.

Recipe, adapted from Jen of http://userealbutter.com/

filling

1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined, thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup finely grated carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated cabbage (3 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar snap peas (2 ounces), thinly sliced

2 tbsp (16g) corn starch
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

dough (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (113g) warm water

flour for worksurface

dipping sauce

2 parts soy sauce

1 part red wine vinegar

a few drops of sesame oil

chili garlic paste

minced ginger

minced garlic

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

2. Make the dough: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

3. Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes.

4. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces.

5. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. While holding one circle in your hand, pleat one side of the circle three to four times, so that it forms a cone-like shape. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of the cone and fold the other side of the cone to meet the pleated edge. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.