Four Fall Favorites

Yes, I love alliterations - and delicious food (have I mentioned that before?) which is why this is another post on my favorite recipes. These are the results of some fall weekend cooking.
[for further instructions, just click on the pictures]

Citrusy Millet Salad 

with Kalamata Olives, Fennel and Hokkaido Pumpkin

(vegan)

Pumpkin-Fennel-Quiche 

 with Grapes

Potato-sauerkraut-soup

(vegan)

Vegetable Stir-Fry with Buckwheat-sweet potato-noodles Asian Style

(vegan, gluten-free)

Imaginations turning into images

I always imagined how it would be to walk down the streets of Vienna.

As a kid, I almost started to believe that I have been there. It felt like it. I was a gobbler of Christine Nöstlinger's children's books which are all set in the city at the Danube.

It would take almost twenty more years until I actually strolled down those streets, taking snapshots, imaginations turning into images.

I always imagined Vienna to be wonderful. Five reasons to prove this assumption:

1. art nouveau

The best way to start your walk through Vienna is to go on a guided tour which brings you to all the beautiful art nouveau architectural highlights. The Secession  Building is probably the most famous and most impressive monument of this time. The Secession movement included painters, architects, and sculptors (Malerei - Architektur - Plastik) and their first president was Gustav Klimt. In the basement of this architectural treasure built by Joseph Maria Olbrich (who also designed many houses in my hometown for the Darmstadt Artists' Colony) they keep Klimt's famous "Beethoven Frieze".

2."Die Burg"

Please note the passing tram in the back - as Viennese as possible.

As a theater-nerd I always dreamt of going to see a play in the Burg Theater. As it is said to be one of the most important German language theaters in the world expectations where high. They were fulfilled. Best theater experience ever. (We went to see "Twelfth Night").

3. Habsburg Exorbitance

There are no words to describe this. Sissi and Franzerl had a nice home. I personally believe that there is no better time to visit Schloss Schönbrunn than in the fall. 

4. Austrian Deliciousness

This is what happens if you let a hungry vegetarian chose from 100000000 options.

There are many delicious things to taste in Austria. Mozartkugeln, Kaiserschmarrn, Topfenknödel - and a lot of dishes which aren't too tempting for a vegetarian like me (Wiener Schnitzel!). It was coincidence that we found the best vegetarian/vegan restaurant I've ever been to: Yamm. 

It is a buffet restaurant which had everything I ever wanted to eat ;) It it was delicious. They also had soy "Melange". In Vienna you don't drink coffee you have to chose from a million different options with beautiful names such as Wiener Melage, Einspänner or Kleiner Brauner. Unfortunaltelly, "Café Central" the coffee house I always dreamt of visiting, was too crowded.

5. From Above 

There is no better way to see a city than from above. In Vienna there is a way to do this which is much more fun than climbing the stairs of a church spire or taking an elevator up a large skyscraper: The Prater Turm. It's the world highest flying swing. The seats are lifted 117 meters above the ground. You shouldn't be afraid of heights. I thought I wasn't, but felt kind of dizzy up there. A great experience anyway.

Der Geschmack der Provence

„Vous êtes en Provence!“ steht auf dem blumenverzierten Tablett, sanft singt von irgendwoher die Chanson-Sängerin Zaz „Comme ci, comme ça“, es duftet nach frischen Macarons, hinter einer Scheibe stapeln sich Schinken, Salami und allerlei Sorten Käse, in den Regalen warten feine Öle, Salze und Kräuterkompositionen darauf, verschenkt, verarbeitet und verspeist zu werden. 

Der Geschmack von Urlaub. Doch nicht in der Provence, sondern im Schatten des Doms inmitten der Mainzer Altstadt versorgt Christine Pfeffer ihre Kunden mit allerlei Köstlichkeiten aus Südfrankreich – aber auch mit Spezialitäten aus der Toskana, Spanien und einigen wenigen regionalen Produkten. 

Mehr als 600 verschiedene Leckereien hat sie auf die weißen Regale, die Kühltheken und Körbe verteilt. Die Weite lilafarbener Lavendelfelder eröffnet sich in Form einer Wandtapete. Wer den Geschmack des aromatischen Strauchs liebt, für den gibt es beispielsweise eine Lavendel-Schokolade. Bei den süßen Täfelchen gibt es auch – wie sollte es anders sein – eine Sorte mit Pfeffer, die natürlich im „Le Poive“ nicht fehlen darf. Der Name verweist zugleich auf Geschäftsinhaberin Christine Pfeffer und ihr Angebot: Gepfeffert ist auch so manche Pastavariation oder Wurst, von den Preisen kann man dies allerdings nicht behaupten. Ab drei Euro  gibt es köstliche Kleinigkeiten im Glas: kühne Marmeladenkompositionen, süßen Senf mit Ingwer und Zitrone, Mandel- oder Pistaziencreme. Vieles davon darf auch probiert werden. 

„Ich wollte schon immer meinen eigenen Feinkostladen haben“, sagt Christine Pfeffer während sie Nudeln, Cranberry-Limonade und die Risotto-Mischung in einem Präsentkorb arrangiert. Bei ihrer Ausbildung zur Hotelfachfrau hat sie auch das Handwerkszeug erlernt, das sie für die Buchhaltung braucht. Doch am liebsten ist der 27-Jährigen der direkte Kontakt mit ihren Kunden. Ob sie französische Hochzeitsdragees habe, fragt da die Dame, die es gerade noch kurz vor Ladenschluss ins „Le Poivre“ geschafft hat. Selbstverständlich. „Viele Kunden haben in letzter Zeit nach Crème de Cassis gefragt“, erzählt Christine Pfeffer. So viele, dass sie den Johannisbeer-Likör nun ins Sortiment aufgenommen hat.

Alle zwei bis drei Monate reist Christine Pfeffer zum Einkaufen  nach Frankreich. Die weiß-gerahmten Bilder an der Wand zeigen sie beim Ortstermin: In einer Käserei und beim Nougatverkosten. „Der Nougat ist das beliebteste Produkt“, erzählt die Geschäftsinhaberin. Mit einem großen Messer rückt sie dem Nougatlaib zu Leibe. Besonders begehrt: die Sorte mit Pistazienmark.

Ihr eigenes Lieblingsprodukt ist momentan ein anderes: „Daheim benutze ich ganz viel das Fleur de Sel mit gegrillten Kräutern“, doch ihr Favorit wechsele eigentlich ständig. Kein Wunder bei der Auswahl.

„Le Poivre“  Feinkost

Johannisstraße 12

55116 Mainz
www.le-poivre-feinkost.de

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Die Kurzversion dieses Artikels und weitere Tipps rund ums Studentenleben in Mainz, Wiesbaden, Bingen und Worms gibt es auch in der neuen Campus-Leben-App der Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main bei Google Play oder Itunes zum Download.

O'macht is!

I've already admitted that I have never been to the Oktoberfest.

One of the many reasons for this peculiar fact is that the folk festival which is supposed to be "the world's largest fair" has nothing to offer in terms of culinary temptations to a vegetarian like me.

However, I stumbled across a recipe with has nothing to do with Haxn and Hendl and is nevertheless Oktoberfest-themed. This year's Wiesn is almost over. So it's high time to share this recipe with you.

Breznsalat

• two soft pretzels (Brezn in Bavarian)
• 100 grams of baby spinach
• garden radishes 
• cherry tomatoes
• one cucumber
• one yellow bell pepper
• some butter
• olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• salt & pepper
• one teaspoon honey 
• one tablespoon Bavarian sweet mustard

Cut pretzels into thin slices and roast them in melted butter until crunchy. Cut veggies into slices as well, add the baby spinach. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and honey for the dressing - pour it over your salad then sprinkle the Brezn-slices over it. O'macht is!

There is no place like Norman's Place

His eyes are tied to the piece of paper. He stands as closely to the music stand as possible. His fingertip is running over the lines of words. He quickly gathers the lyrics. His hips are circling, his knees are bending with the beat. While the crowd is sipping Venezuelan Polar beer from the bottle, he looks up from his song book and pretends to know every word by heart. Nobody cares that the performanence has a karaokesque character. 

But the singer is nevertheless a pro: His microphone echoes every word he sings and says. On purpose. His anouncements are full of joy and laughter: "Hahahaha", it blasts, "Are you still enjoying the songs??" He waits for the applause. The reaction is somehow hesistant. But he doesn't give up: "Oh yeah, that's why we're here... we are not here for ourselves", he says winking through his gold-rimmed glasses which have time traveled from the 80s. He has styled his hair in a special way: It looks like a hybrid between an American quiff and an unicorn's horn. He requests requests and people request. "Solo tu, nada más", he is singing and his band is joining in, the beautiful female singer is elegantly moving in her tight denim pants and ther extra-tight strapless top, dancing on her high heels, the keyboarder in the back starts the artificial trumpets to make the song sound as Latin American as possible. He hollers trying to imitare some Mexican cheering sounds. 

There is no sign but everybody knows "Serka Norman". In Papiamentu, the creole language of Curaçao, it means something like "Norman's place". "There is no place like Norman's place", the singer announces over and over again through his echoing microphone closing with his diabolic laughter. The snack bar is situated right next to fishing docks and does not only attract traveling fishermen, but also locals and tourists alike. The bookshelf in the back tells a strange story of everybody who has ever been here and left his or her finished books at Norman's place.

Tonight is a Friday night. The "EQ Entertainment Band" is playing. "Een beetje verliefd" whispers the beautiful female singer in her microphone and the group of middleaged Dutch guys join in and sing along. Their skin is seriously sunburned, but they don't care. They have their song and a bottle of gin. People start to dance salsa on the street. On another table, an old Curaçaoean guy is eating the delicious krioyo-style food Norman prepares in his tiny kitchen from a plastic box. It seems like he originally ordered it to take away, but then spontaneously decided to stay. Whitney Houston is sitting at the table next to him. It must have taken some time to first straighten and then tease her hair, to pick this long, green dress from her wardrobe, to combine it with the perfectly matching rhinestone earrings and the wedges in the exact same color. 

While chewing their fish bites, rice and beans, they are rocking to and fro to the rhythm. "Hahaha!", the singer is laughing again enjoying himself. But he is grateful and thanks the audience after every song in every language he knows: Papiamentu, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, German, English. Then he detects some Italian tourists and starts to chitchat with them in their mother tongue summing up the afore said words with his happy "hahahaha".

The echoing sound of his microphone really works when he starts to sing another requested song: "Marvin, Marvin, Marvin... he was a friend of mine". Some people start to form a background choir. This time, the singer is staring on his cell phone for the lyrics. He doesn't look up until he has finished the song proudly concluding with a punctuating "hahahaha".

There is no place like Norman's place.

The Reluctant Breakfaster

I hate breakfast. It is just not my time of the day. However, I need something in my stomach before I go to work. So, it has to be extremely yummy in order to convince me that it is worth while eating it. Those are my favorite - all vegan - recipes to get me going. [For further instructions, just click on the pictures]

Oatmeal

Banana Pancakes

Mango-Vanilla-Smoothie

Heiß Geliebtes

„Eigentlich wollte ich noch zwei,  drei Jahre warten“, sagt Dominic  Müller und grinst. Doch dann war die Gelegenheit günstig. Nur wenige Schritte vom Markt entfernt  – , wo sich Liebhaber von Cappuccino und Co. an Markttagen um den milchkaffeebaunen Oldtimer Citroën-Transporter scharen  –  hat er sein kleines Geschäft eröffnet. Seit sieben Jahren gehört das Kaffeemobil zum Mainzer Markt. Seit einem Dreivierteljahr  gibt es nun auch einen festen Anlaufpunkt der „Moguntia Kaffeerösterei“ in Mainz. Von Montag bis Samstag wird hier Kaffee ausgeschenkt und eingepackt.

„Viele kommen direkt auf dem Weg zur Arbeit“, erzählt Dominic Müller, der die Türen seines Lädchens in der Fischtorstraße täglich schon um 8 Uhr öffnet. Erst vor anderthalb Jahren hat der gelernte Hotelfachmann die Führung übernommen. Gemeinsam mit seiner Mutter Brigitte Müller-Dildei und acht weiteren Mitarbeitern kümmert er sich ums Geschäft. Geröstet wird im „Hauptquartier“ in Bodenheim. Dort wandern Bohnen aus aller Welt in die Trommel. Galapagos, Hawaii Kona oder Jamaica Blue Mountain – bei „Moguntia“ gibt es auch wahre Raritäten. 30 Sorten insgesamt. Ob in der 250-, 500- oder 1000-Gramm-Packung oder auch als Pads: Für jede Maschine und jeden Geschmack ist etwas dabei. Auf kleinen Kreidetäfelchen an der Wand stehen Preise und Aroma-Attribute – für 2,50 Euro die Tasse können diese auch bei einer Verkostung selbst erschmeckt werden. Ein Tässchen vom „Kaffee des Monats“ kostet 1,80 Euro.

Unter den mit Bohnen gefüllten Apothekergläsern zum Probieren geht es rund: Dort dreht sich der Frappé in der „Slush Maschine“.  Für drei Euro gibt es das Halbgefrorene frischgezapft im Plastikbecher. „Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich die richtige Mischung hatte“, erzählt Müller von seinem neuesten Experiment, das offensichtlich geglückt ist: „Gerade bei den Cappuccino- und Latte Macchiato-Trinkern kommt das super an.“ Für das eisige Getränk verwendet er den gleichen Espresso wie für die heiß geliebten Klassiker: den „Fortissimo“. „Das ist eine typisch italienische Röstung.“ Besonders gut aber laufe momentan der „Belcanto“ – Bio und Fairtrade, das sei den Kunden immer wichtiger: „Und er hat eine tolle schokoladige Note!“

Es muss nicht teuer sein, guten Kaffee daheim selbst zuzubereiten, findet Müller. „Momentan geht der Trend sowieso wieder weg vom Vollautomaten.“ Eine kleine Herdkanne oder Stempelkanne sei vollkommen ausreichend. Noch schöner als selbst Kaffee zu kochen, ist es Kaffee gekocht zu bekommen. Und das machen Müller und sein Team mit Leidenschaft.  An jeweils drei Stehtischen drinnen und draußen können zum Kaffee noch kleine frische Tartes aus der Vitrine verspeist werden. Zum Mitnehmen oder Verschenken gibt es auch Gebäck und Schokolade.

„Das war einfach eine super Gelegenheit“, sagt Müller, der durch Zufall erfuhr, dass eine Ladenfläche in der Fischtorstraße frei wird. „Ich finde, das ist die ideale Lage, direkt neben dem Fisch Jackob“. Nach der Scholle in der Mittagspause holen sich viele dann den „Nachtisch“ mit Schaumkrone bei ihm. Und das Beste: „Wenn mir im mobilen Markstand die Milch ausgeht, dann kann ich ganz schnell rüberflitzen“, sagt Müller lachend.

Kaffeeladen der Moguntia Kaffeerösterei

Fischtorstraße 7

55116 Mainz 

Öffnungszeiten:

Di-Fr:   8.00 Uhr-18.00 Uhr

Sa:      8.00 Uhr-16.00 Uhr

www.caffee-moguntia.de

Iconic Canvases

Sydney is a vivid city anyway. But when it is winter in Australia and it gets dark early at night, the city takes on a whole new countenance and awakens anew. The iconic architecture is immersed into light - colorful and intense, shifting, changing shapes every second, vibrant, pulsating to the bass of the music which accompanies the visual effects. Telling hidden stories which every viewer decodes in his or her very own way. Sydney's landmarks transform into spectacular canvases. The Opera House, one of the most photographed buildings of the world, turns into a tableau. The famous sails change their appearance every second:  I took hundreds of different pictures in only a couple of minutes.

Different artists get the opportunity to virtually paint their very own pictures on this special canvas during the Vivid Sydney Festival. This annual outdoor cultural event features artists from all over the world. Not only the Opera House is used as an artistic playground, amongs the other venues are, for example, the Harbour Bridge and Sydney's Customs House. Light installations, projections and performances are everywhere.  For three weeks - between May and June -,  the metropolis is tinted in magical colors.

 

French artist Danny Rose, created an interative installation called "Move Your Building". The Customs House started to actually dance: People just had to choose a song from a playlist, decide which graphic theme they preferred, and then had to start dancing as wildly and extravagant as possible - the more they moved, the more the building's 3D mapped projections changed rhythmically.

Last year, when I didn't even know yet that I would get the opportunity to visit Australia so soon, I watched an arts program on TV which included a contribution about some German visual artists who made Sydney Opera House fall into pieces. I was so intrigued by the view of those crumbling sails that I did never forget those pictures. I did my bit that Sydney's Opera House ranks amongs the most photographed buildings in the world, but I am glad that I could get so many different impressions from this famous facade.

Snapshots Creating Flashbacks

It's a triangle: photographer - model - viewer. Jim Rakete wants eye-contact.

Between 2009 and 2011, Jim Rakete shot portraits for the German Movie Museum (Deutsches Filmmuseum) in Frankfurt. Legends, talents, and creators of German cinema - and they all have one thing in common: They brought along one prop. An object which possesses a special meaning or which holds a memory for them. Christoph Waltz wore the watch from "Inglourious Basterds".

Actor Moritz Bleibtreu is holding the weapon in his hand which used to be his while playing Abdul in "Knocking on Heaven's Door" (1997). He is Abdul. Strong, proud and stupid. The relaxed pose awakens memories and you're in the middle of the movie again.

Those pictures are intimate. But even though I have only watched a very small part of all those films the portraits are reminiscent of, it is like I am entering a dialog with those people and the artist.

Jim Rakete is one of Germany's most renowed photographers who started working for newspapers and agencies at age 17 and made a name for himself when he took pictures of Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Mick Jagger. In the 80s he worked as a music manager for German bands such as Spliff, Die Ärzte or Nena.

The original intention for this exhibition was to create a Hall of Fame. Rakete ended up taking 100 portraits. Jürgen Vogel, Nora Tschirner, Caroline Link, Wim Wenders... even though I only met one of those 100 in real life for an interview, they all felt close. Due to the central role of the objects, the props they are holding, Rakete decided - against his habit -  to take all pictures in color. Still, there is very little color in the pictures. They are earthy, sometimes graphite colored, however, there is a certain warmth.

One of my favorites - besides Moritz Bleibtreu and his gun - is Ulrich Turkur with the coat from "John Rabe". He seems to be imperturbable,  one with his prop, and doesn't even care that a dog is licking his ear. It is like Rakete has pushed the pause button.

Der Stand der Dinge - The State of Play - is the exhibition's title which is now shown in various museums throughout Germany: Snapshots creating flashbacks.

A Moss Covered Fairytale

It is a sleeping beauty. It is, indeed, a fairytale setting. But this moss covered scenery has its own fable to tell:

Once upon a time there was an adventurous Spaniard who came to Australia to commence a new life. He found this incredible place with this stunning waterfall and decided: "¡Quiero quedarme aquí!"
This was the place to make his dream come true.

He built a park. And because he was not so much of a humble man, he named it after himself: Paronella Park. José Paronella was a man who thought big. He built a castle for his fiancée Matilda.

It took him years. Inspired by childhood memories of Catalonian castles, he also included refreshment rooms, a ballroom, a tennis court. José planted more than 7000 trees, he excavated a tunnel through a hill. Upon returning to Spain he had to discover that Matilda had married another man. But he needed a princess to be the king of his castle. So he married Margarita, Martilda's younger sister.

He walked her through his self-planted Kauri Avenue or sat with her at the riverside watching crocodiles swim by. Or he took her to the top of  the 47-step staircase to let her watch down on their kingdom.

The picnic area would later be opened to the public and soon turn into a popular weekend getaway.  People would be entertained by live bands in the ball room while a massive ball of mirrors spun from the ceiling. Those were roaring times Down Under, in a land far, far away.
 
Almost one hundred years later: The park is weathered and conserved at the same time, as if the moss layer will protect Josés dream from crumbling. It is weather-beaten: several floods, a cyclone and a fire have severely damaged the buildings. However, it just seems like they are sleeping.

When night falls, Paronella Park wakes again. Then you hear the leathery sound of the enormous bats* passing through the gloomy sky and in the beam of your flashlight the spiders look even huger and more frightening than in daylight.

The moss vanishes in the obscurity of the night. Do you hear the piano playing in the ball room, people dancing and laughing?**

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* This magical scenery was also the place where a pack of flying foxes I recently wrote about chose to dwell.

** Listen to the sounds of Paronella Park

More info about Paronella Park can be found here.
Their night tour is highly recommendable. There is also a camping ground (which is included in the admission fee) where you can stay for the night.