The Cooks Hangout

I know. It’s been a while. But there are two major projects that keep me busy around the clock right now. Not that I’m complaining, far from it! And yet my days only have those ridiculous few 24 hours, no matter how hard I keep trying to squeeze in some extra minutes. What projects, you might ask? I’ll give you the scoop in a bit.

Some recipes need a second chance. Sometimes, all it takes is a different list of ingredients or change of environment. Both can act as a breath of fresh air to a food experience you hastily labeled unspectacular – or simply dull. Popovers are my prime example here, I had some rather unsatisfying samples more than ten years ago on a road-trip through Georgia and have done my best to not give them the time of day ever since. Until our recent stay in Carmel-by-the-sea, where we had booked a room at the Cypress Inn, co-owned by Hollywood icon Doris Day. (confession: I love Doris Day movies. Always have, always will!)

It’s not like we had much of a choice – no blue or red pill- , but after our recent trip to  sunny California, including some road-trip side-adventure, getting settled again in Munich turned out to be a real challenge.

Almost two years ago, when I joined Sebastian and the rest of the Küchengötter team for a cooking course at Heimspiel, I didn’t have a clue that one of the recipes on the menu would become an absolute favorite of mine. Sebastian had been in charge for dessert and we prepared Salzburger Nockerl (very typical sweet souffle the city of Salzburg, Austria, is famous for).

Do you also have a nagging to-do list in the back of your head? Filled with little projects that you want to approach at some point, but chances are slim you’ll ever get to tackle them? I do. I have. Back in 2008 Melissa had planted a seed in my brain when she composed the spice rack of her dreams and ever since I had found way too many excuses to dodge the effort. The fine art of procrastination. But now I can finally tick this one off!

If you follow German food blogs, chances are you have come across a dessert called Arance. Robert originally dug out this fruit dessert from one of Marcella Hazan’s books and while it is the incarnation of the word simple, it never ceases to amaze people. Many food bloggers have joined the praise since his original post and I – too – have added this recipe to my list of quick and proven dessert fixes. That was back in 2007.

What?! You’ve never heard of Thylehogichi? Well, neither have I. But THYme LEmon HOney GInger CHIli tea sounded a little stiff and boring, hence the new word creation by simply using the ingredient’s first letters (the kind of creativity, that arises from somebody who has caught a major cold, *cough*).

I know that most of you come here for the recipes and rest assured, I have something sweet up my sleeve (and perhaps a little intimidating on first sight) – just not today. Today is about a topic that is close to my heart and – as all your copious comments on an earlier post on delicious:days have shown – close to yours, too: how to organize recipes. Having used an imperfect, sometimes chaotic mix of online bookmarking tools, a couple of folders for rip-outs and handwritten Moleskine recipe books, I was never really satisfied with the situation.

Grrrrmpf. Finally the list I have been looking forward to the most. And despite the fact that there is little, if any, more appealing to me than celebrating my recollection of great meals during the last 12 months, making the final choice has been much harder than anticipated. Let alone my growling stomach. We’ve had our fair share of travel last year, discovered lovely new places, found hospitality that made us feel very welcome and genuinely embraced, enjoyed lively company and – obviously – ate our heart out.

Compared to the picky eater I once was, I’ve made major improvements. Nowadays I consider very few things inedible or not worth trying (tripe might be among the few that still give me the hibby jibbies). But I am fighting on all fronts, working hard on myself to overcome culinary childhood indispositions like raisins, capers or mussels - with growing success. Isn’t it a huge gain to constantly be able to discover new food favorites? And once the hey-this-is-not-so-bad enlightenment kicks in, I tend to indulge in newly found faves as often as possible…