Behemoth

So a little research shows that, not only does mtv.de show "Pimp my Ride", but also Pimp my Fahrrad I wonder how "pimping" translates culturally in a country where prostitution is legal... Andrew -- breasts grow on trees? ?? edit: I would also proudly add that the Hamburg bike shop in that clip is one I passed every day on the way to the bus stop in A's old neighborhood.

I wonder if they are showing "pimp my ride" there. I imagine so, otherwise the context makes absolutely no sense.

That is freakin' hilarious. Why do the Germans get to see it first??

Chicken salad doesn't seem all that unnatural...(?)

Thanks Susan. I bet those nasturtiums taste great with the carpaccio. Until our farmer's market starts up again, I will have to make do with watercress. As for the ciabatta, I use Peter Reinhardt's method from Bread Baker's Apprentice. I would very enthusiastically recommend that book to anyone even remotely interested in bread baking. I went from "I just want a good pizza crust recipe" to obsessive weekly baker as a result of that book. (I would be an at-least-twice-weekly baker if it weren't for my schedule. )

Yesterday we started with bruschetta, to finish the last of the ciabatta, then had a whole red snapper baked over sliced onions and thyme branches, along with new potatoes, garlic, and tomato. Nice and easy one-pan meal, healthy too. Cheap and cheerful (don't remember brand?) pinot gris with. Today I baked two more loaves of ciabatta, and for dinner we pretended it was spring with fresh papardelle, (fresh!) lima beans, prosciutto, mint and cream. Also bought a bunch of tulips, damnit. Cheap and cheerful Smoking Loon Viognier. Great colombian 70% chocolate after both meals, along with espresso.

Algerian version of what? ← "arabic" bread.

Which I love, by the way. (At least, the Moroccan version which is the only kind I've had -- hopefully without going too far off topic, is the Algerian stuff similar?)

Yeah yeah yeah. Y'all eat that weird frenchified stuff.

Absolutely. In fact, in Lebanon you can usually buy man'oush from bakeries that make arabic bread, since it is the same dough.

Neat. I've only ever had the deep fried version. Which I must admit I rather like.

I bet it would be great with prosecco.

I was about to make fun of you for that, Elie Nido. You can also find these in Mexican and Indian groceries. Just bought the book last week. So far I have only made the mousse (no brainer, but awesome.) Lots of easy recipes to try first, but I really want to work towards that spectacular puff pastry once my semester is over. Last year I would never have believed I could get into baking. Next thing you know I'm baking all our bread and now this. Gotta love eGullet.

Friday I put together a jar of preserved lemons, baked two loaves of Ciabatta, and had a friend over for Korean BBQ (Bulgogi w/ perilla leaves, various banchan) and chapchae. Then we had Pierre Herme's chocolate mousse for dessert, followed much later by strawberries with black pepper & balsamic vinegar as a snack with our movie. (Das wunder von Bern, very cute movie about the 1954 german world cup win.) Saturday I made Diana Kennedy's enchiladas verdes in the style of veracruz (corn tortillas in tomatillo & sour cream sauce, stuffed with guacamole & topped with queso fresco, yum). Puttered around the house, graded exams, fretted about work. I feel like I did something else culinary but maybe not (?) We finally saw sideways so of course we cracked open a bottle of wine (Villa Antinori chianti Classico) and I guess we just ate a lot of ciabatta. Today I folded about 50 chinese potstickers (ground pork from the freezer, leftover garlic chives from Friday, dried mushrooms & ginger). froze dumplings. Prepared shrimp & fried tofu for tomorrow (pad thai) and defrosted bolognese sauce with penne that we had tonight. More grading. The weird thing is, in terms of countries of origin these are fairly diverse dishes, but they are all so much part of my "regular" reportoire at this point (you've already seen the photos) that I feel like I barely did any cooking this weekend. I really need to start branching out a little more, but what?? Edited to add: Andrew, I get a disturbing mental image of your lamb surrendering her virginity to a chain-smoking french mutton. Looks great, though. You could say she had a full life.

O'Hare international terminal is a joke. You stand in line forever, get screamed at all the way through security, and once you're through there is absolutely NOTHING. There is a stand that sells candy bars, and a closet-sized joke of a duty free. That's it. Horrible. I don't understand why they put the restaurants outside the gate there (not that there was anything to be that excited about, but we were really starving at that point, and pissed.) Since 9-11 everyone is stuck inside for at least two hours, and presumably if they can afford international travel they may be willing to spring for a halfway decent meal while they are stuck there. At least in Philly you can walk between terminals once you are through the gates, and the food court/mall is right in the middle. Much more humane.

I like them in a pasta sauce with prosciutto, shallots and cream. They are also good sauteed with indian spices.

tea. toast. cough drops. ugh.

You're moving to Rome? I'd start fasting & saving up cash for cheap within-Europe weekend flights.

I have really gotten into making couscous again. My husband claims to hate all savory foods involving fruit or honey but I took a chance and he thought it was the best thing since Nutella. (I posted a pic of one such effort in the dinner thread last friday:) I remembered loving couscous in Morocco as a kid (once I got over the weirdness of the cuisine from my until-then-Lebanese perspecitve), but then really not understanding what there was to like about it when I had it again in "Moroccan" restaurants in the US as an adult -- and then (thanks to Paula Wolfert's book) discovering that the steaming is what makes the difference. (not having to suffer through a bellydancing routine also probably helped...) I use a colander lined with cheesecloth, inserted over a large pot, with a large kitchen towel wrapped around the base to keep in the steam. Works very well. That is one radiant chicken, by the way, chefzadi.

I love Beluga, what it lacks in pop it makes up for in flavor. but I wouldn't consider the other stuff "cheap". I buy these nasty stewing hens from my farmer lady, free range but cheap. These things must be old laying hens, what little meat they have is so stringy as to be practically inedible. But damn if it doesn't make the most fantastic broth. (I have yet to try a coq au vin with one of these, but given the quality of the meat I've been a little hesitant to risk the time and other ingredients.) In general my tastes are pretty simple though. Sauteed mustard greens with flatbread over foie gras any day of the week.

Braised short ribs with polenta: Ciabatta: Anyone have a good pasta recipe for the leftover braised meat?

Wow, I knew the border was close but I didn't realize it was that close. I need to look at a road map. In two hours I can be in Chicago or St. Louis, but I can't say my town is very Munich-like, by any stretch of the imagination. Something to look forward to

Awesome. Thank you!

Edited: Whoops, read too fast. Here's the part that still makes sense: I really miss Metropolitain bread. We have a decent baker where I live now, but nowhere near the variety. Most of all, I really really really miss the grape, rosemary and goat cheese focaccia on Saturdays. I am planning to try replicating it, since it doesn't look like I'll be moving back to philly anytime soon. Any chance you could tell me if the grapes go on before or after the second proofing?

Two euro per kilo! I kind of hate you right now. Beautiful thread though. Albiston...any idea how far of a drive is it to the Italian border from Munich? (then again, maybe Hapag-Lloyd has some cheap offers. Must investigate...)