Postcards posted in reverse-chronological order.
August 25, 2009
August 21, 2009
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August 20, 2009
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August 19, 2009
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August 12, 2009
August 11, 2009
August 9, 2009
Postcard replacement--no reflections, just describing food
Döner Kebab
One of the world’s largest Turkish populations outside of Istanbul lies in Berlin. It shows in the price and quality of the city’s Döner Kebabs.
Those of you who never heard of these delectable food items are probably scratching your heads at the moment. Allow me to explain.
Meat. Lots of it. A mountain of lamb or beef piled high, skewered, and shaped into a giant cone with various spices. This cone rotates in front of a heating lamp/grill such that the outer meat layers retain a cooked crispiness. The vendor skillfully slices thin strips with a sharpened knife, the meat falling like winter snow onto the metal table. This by itself makes the mouth water; it turns the ordinary human into one of Pavlov’s dogs.
A pannini heated to perfection on a grill. Garlic sauce spread on the inside. The strips of meat packed between the bread like a Japanese subway train. The quantity of meat compares to the amount of corned beef in Reuben sandwich bought in a Jewish deli. Onions, red cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes added on top.
2.20€.
Hungry? So am I. I’ve already eaten these for 4 meals in the week I’ve been in Berlin. I’m going to miss these treats when I return to the states. Just talking about my love for food. No further reflections here…
August 8, 2009
Postcard replacement--no reflections, just describing food
Rote Grütze mit Vanillesauce
Tart and sweet. Need I say more? Read-on.
Rote Grütze: a mélange of berries suspended in a thick, viscous syrup. The various berries mixed together create a tingling sensation atop the tongue while leaving seeds stuck between the teeth. Strawberries? Raspberries? Blueberries? This mixture looks a dark, opaque red in color. Although I can’t discern the individual components, I can say that it tastes quite tart if ingested alone.
Enter vanillasauce. Creamy and sweet; like melted ice cream except less viscous and more yellow.
Neither the Rote Grütze nor vanillasauce are special on their own. However, mix them together and you get a product whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Emergent complexity—a dance of taste molecules creating a beautiful fugue on my tongue. The vanillasauce cuts down the berries’ tartness just enough while adding a hint of vanilla flavoring. Although the two begin as separate layers, a little action with the spoon created a reddish-pink dessert that took every bit of willpower not to wolf down. Needless to say, I went back for seconds.
August 7, 2009
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August 5, 2009
August 4, 2009
August 3, 2009
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