Bowle ― WTF IS IT??!

*drooooools, no?! Well, I guess you'd have to be a hardcore raspberry fan like me to truly appreciate a drink like this. WTF is Bowle, you ask? There are many different varieties, but usually, it's a fruity drink mixed with alcohol (e.g. white wine) and appropriately served chilled. Erfrischend to say the least!



Last weekend, I went on a little day trip to Hannover and visited their yearly summer festival, the Maschseefest. There were a zillion food & drink options to choose from but this particular stand impressed me the most. Their drinks were presented in such a mouth-watering way, it was impossible to walk past without being lured by the deep reds, earthy greens, lush purples, creamy acquas... gahhh! I should host a pool party asap just to have a reason to make a big bowl of this stuff. #spikedpunch

Maultaschen ― WTF IS IT??!

It looks like ravioli, it tasted like ravioli, but o'er here, they don't call it ravioli! The Germans call 'em Maultaschen, which translates to mouth and bags, lol. Though they're larger than traditional ravioli, they have the same sort of fillings. I ordered this dish at a restaurant called Stevertal. The menu described it as follows: Hausgemachte Maultaschen mit Lachs gefüllt in Basilikum-Sauce und Salatteller which basically means they were filled with salmon in a basil sauce and served with a salad. The entire meal was exquisite, but why was half a tomato chosen to be used as a dead-centre garnish?! *Smh

Sprungfeder ― WTF IS IT??!

Sprungfeder means "coil spring" in English, hence the crazy shape of these unbelievably edible things. The Xmas Market has officially started in BS, folks! I took a lovely stroll through it today, and boy was it packed! They have all the same food stands and vendors as last year, but this year'll be different for me! I'm gonna try all the foodstuffs I never had the chance to try (e.g. Braunkohl, Mumme-Schokolade Getränke, Sprungfeder, Schneeballen, etc). You'll find out what the other things are real soon. I myself have yet to discover WTF a Sprungfeder tastes like, but don't they look like deep-fried Slinkies?

Macaroni Omelette Recipe

I'm warning you now — this recipe is WACK. I can't say the omelette was delicious, but I've decided to share it with you because I believe there's hope for it yet! The idea stemmed from the fact that there was leftover cooked whole wheat macaroni in the fridge that I didn't want to go to waste. Go figure!

Instructions

Whisk 3 eggs, a splash of milk and 1/2 cup grated emmentaler in a bowl. Dice up 1 garlic clove and fry it for a few minutes in a heated pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add about 1 1/2 cups macaroni to the garlic, and immediately afterward, pour the egg mixture evenly into the pan. Season the omelette with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg and put a lid on top of the pan. The omelette should be ready in about 7 minutes. What's important is to keep the heat on low to medium (to avoid burning the bottom).

In all honestly, the texture of the macaroni inside the omelette isn't as horrible as it seems. And I, for one, seriously believe this recipe has the potential for greatness. I bet adding diced red peppers and chunks of chorizo to the recipe would elevate it heaps! Or perhaps some sautéed mushrooms, spinach and feta instead of emmentaler? After eating this slice of cinnamon-y cake at a resto somewhere in small-town Croatia, my outlook towards pasta as an ingredient completely changed. Be open-minded!

Seelachsbrötchen ― WTF IS IT??!

...a bread roll filled with 3-5 pieces of chopped raw onions and salted (redder than red) pollack fish. Beware: This thing really is %&$#ing SALTY! So if you're not prepared with water or some kind of beverage to chase it down, don't even attempt to eat it. I recently saw and tried this badboy for the first time at the Hamburg Fish Market. For €2,50 a pop, I shoulda opted for the Matjes Brötchen instead :/

Himbeertasche ― WTF IS IT??!

First and foremost, I dedicate this post to Beth. She had spoken highly about the Himbeertasche (Raspberrypocket) from Peter Priemer, and I finally had the chance to try it just a few days ago. Best recommendation ever! Unlike many other German baked goods, the Himbeertasche isn't overly sweet. What an awesome combo of tart raspberriness and mild, sorta crumbly-textured quark. What is quark, you ask? It's similar in texture to ricotta and translates to "curd" in English. P.S. Pretty lacy pastry!

[Part 1] WTF is a Christmas Market?

Way back in 2008, somewhere in Costa Rica, a fellow Austrian travelmate asked my sister and I, "Do you have Christmas markets in Canada?" In unison, we replied, "Hells nah! We wish!" This moment thus planted a seed within me. This seed represented my endless desire to experience a true, authentic Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market). Having never been to anything close to a Weihnachtsmarkt ever before (they cease to exist in Canada), I was fascinated at what one might entail.

And now... merely days from now... I'll finally get the opportunity to attend my first one, right here in Braunschweig! I took these photos just yesterday (23 Nov 2011), hours before the Braunschweiger Weihnactsmarkt officially opened up to the public. Everyone was scurrying about, tying up loose ends and such. I'm told 2 things are a definite must: 1. Attend the Weihnachtsmarkt at night (the vibe's just better with all the colourful lights lit up) 2. Get tipz off of Glühwein (hot, mulled wine). Part 2 innajiff!

WTF is in an Aussie Burger?!

left: Saveur's Aussie Burger | right: Shelley's Aussie Burger

The first time I prepared Aussie burgers, I was making dinner for my couchsurf hosts back in Darwin. The burgers were tres, tres easy to prepare, and since they turned out to be such a hit, I've been itching to make them again. Buy some meat patties, grill em up, and slap em into burger buns with any variation of the following ingredients below. Feel free to add or subtract ingredients (I opted for bacon-less Aussie burgers), or jazz em up (edam, provolone or extra vintage cheddar cheese, anyone?), or perhaps try em with veggie "meat" patties? Just go crazy wit it! I never thought I'd like beetroot and pineapple rings in a burger until I made these babies for myself. Now I'm officially hooked!

tomato
lettuce
onion (grilled/sautéed)
cheese
beetroot (canned slices)
fried egg
pineapple ring
bacon
tomato sauce (aka ketchup)

Basil Seed Drink ― WTF IS IT??!

"Living plant organisms that are mouldy and hairy," I think not! They're just dried basil seeds that happen to look like creepy tadpoles when hydrated with water. At the Sydney Road Street Party in Melbs a couple weeks ago, Zig & I tried the drink for the first time. Though Zig was disgusted, I actually found the drink not too terribly bad... but I still prefer bubble-tea.