Heligoland “Knieper“ [Crab claw] @home

For many years I pestered my love, the captain, to travel to Heligoland [island in the North Sea] and eat „Knieper“. As a child of Cuxhaven I had so fantastic memories of that. Unfortunately we never managed to go there during the scanty holiday periods with all the other dates. What did I see yesterday on our weekly market at the market stall of our fish seller (you know, the one with the pulpo WhatsApp)? Knieper – incredible! Purchased, brought home and into the pot.

The Christmas Stollen Project

Christmas Stollen never played a role in my childhood. We rather preferred Hamburg brown cookies or spekulatius for our Christmas baking. Anyway, without Christmas Stollen Christmas in some places of Germany is not even imaginable…That’s the reason, why I found it always exciting. A heavy yeast dough with candied fruit, raisins and a dash of good rum. The Stollen must traverse several weeks (minimum two weeks) before you eat it – if you do manage to defend it against the family. Attention: This weekend is your last chance to bake a Stollen, which can be served “well matured” at Christmas on your coffee table. Otherwise, you must wait another year…

Thai Chicken with Coriander and Thai Basil

This dish is prepared in no time, but you need a meat grinder to freshly mince the chicken breast fillet. My good old Kitchen Aid always serves me well. The Thai Chicken dish is a delicious, light meal seasoned in a well-balanced way.

All cookies already eaten up? Bull’s-eye poppy seed biscuits

This year’s first advent coffee party and all cookies already eaten up? Now rescue is at hand: Bull’s-eye poppy seed biscuits are good looking and can be filled with various red jellies – just what you find in your store: currant or grape jelly for example. My personal favourite is elderberry jelly to fill them.

Piedmontese chocolate pudding with vanilla quince

A beautiful and strong coffee, anyone? Then, after a substantial meal, this specialty from the Piedmont is the right! In Piedmont, this pudding is called also Bonèt, because its form probably reminds something to a hat or a chef’s hat. Another story around the Bonèt comes from the Langhe. It states that one puts so to speak “a hat” – a crown – on dinner with this dessert. Anyhow, it tastes excellently and even better when prepared the day before. Incredibly handy when you expect guests.

PS: The Vanilla Quinces are a perfect match!

Show-Cooking – and I did not shed any tears

„In the show kitchen of Frankfurt book fair it smelled like garlic and vanilla at the same time. It was mouthwatering for the people sitting in front of the cooking area.“ These are the opening words of an article of the December issue of health food magazine „Schrot & Korn“ about my performance in the Gourmet Gallery at Frankfurt book fair. The issue will be published on November 28th, it is available gratis in all German organic markets. And I did not shed any tears at all.

Finally it’s pre-Christmas season again: Vanilla Crescents

A German classic among the Christmas cookies. Vanilla crescents is a must on every plate of Christmas goodies. The crescents taste even better with homemade vanilla sugar. And it’s easy!

Vanilla Quince

Quinces are childhood memory for me. Grew up on the North Sea every summer we visited our grandparents in the Odenwald, a German low mountain range. In their (kitchen) garden they grew a quince tree in addition to many other fruit trees. Plums, apples, pears, we also had in our garden at home, but I had never seen quinces in North Germany. I thought they were unique in my grandparents‘ garden. Grandma Anna’s quince jelly was my favourite!

When my fish seller sends a whatsapp… we’ll eat octopus

In Spain, Italy and Portugal we love to eat octopus salad as starter or octopus Galician style – the latter we often had in Barcelona’s taverns in the Barrio Gotico and liked it most in the Bar Celta Pulperia. A simple and authentic dish – wonderful! But how to cook it?