For the Love of Food

I figured since it's Thanksgiving week, it's a good week to talk about food! It's been an interesting experience cooking in Germany. I've been cooking dinner once a week for about a month. And while I've cooked pretty simple things so far, I've had to change a lot of the way that they are cooked since it's pretty impossible to find some ingredients. Everything has for the most part turned out just as good, though. So far, I've made enchiladas with spanish rice, barbecue chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and green beans, chili with cornbread, hamburgers with french fries, beef stew, snickerdoodles, rice krispie treats, banana bread... and some other things. The cornbread had to be made with polenta instead of corn meal, and it was actually my favorite cornbread I've ever made. It was a pretty fine-grain polenta, and I soaked it in the milk for about 30 minutes before using it, so that helped. They don't have canned/jarred enchilada sauce (that I could find), so I made it from scratch. Which was super easy and yummy. The ingredients for beef stew also changed, but it tasted almost the exact same. All in all, it's kind of fun to have to change around the recipes a bit. Sometimes you find something works better than you've grown up with, and it makes it a little bit of a challenge.


I've been trying to think of other things I can cook that are kind of "american". Although, Americans don't really have their own food, I don't think. We just have americanized versions of other cultures' food. So I've been thinking maybe chicken and dumplings, a breakfast dinner with biscuits and gravy/eggs/bacon, dirty rice... and I would LOVE some other suggestions if you want to comment below!!! :)

Chili & Cornbread

This weekend, I am attempting to make Thanksgiving dinner. I've never done a Turkey before, so that will be a first. But I've made sure to get lots of advice, so I'm going to be optimistic. I just keep thinking of that turkey on Christmas Vacation. And then that makes me think of the squirrel running across the table and all the other things that happen, and I'm pretty sure that's all going to happen to me. Someone's going to bring me a cat in a box. Although if someone says the Pledge of Allegiance at the table, I guess that'd have to be me, since I'm sure they don't teach that in German schools. Anyways, so here is what I'm planning on cooking... I'm trying to keep it simple because it's just me (although I'm sure they will help) and the ovens here are small...Turkey (of course), macaroni & cheese, green bean Casserole, mashed potatoes (wanted to make sweet potato soufflé, but don't have enough oven-time), corn, gravy, Derby Pie, and I'm going to TRY to find canned pumpkin so that I can make pumpkin pie. I don't have much faith in that, though. And I would LOVE some stuffing, but I'll just have to wait until next year. Anyone else have any suggestions???? I know there is a ton more that I could make and that I will miss, but that's okay. Having mac and cheese and derby pie will be good enough for me!


SO, I hope that everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day! I will miss all of my family and friends that are home for the break!