Summer has come; is almost gone…
Pilzpfanne – literally ‘Pan of Mushroom‘ – is a dish of fresh mushrooms pan-fried simply with butter and herbs. It’s a lovely dish that celebrates the sunshiny days of summer, with the hearty tastes of fresh excitement bursting with every bite of the fungi. This dish is frequently sold at Wochenmärkte (weekly markets) in many parts of Germany – a local specialty and must-try for anyone visiting these markets.
The ready-mix is courtesy of ‘Maggi Fix und Frisch‘, a brand that is widely popular in Europe, especially the German-speaking regions, given that Julius Maggi – the man who developed the legendary all-in-one mix and sauces – came from Switzerland and opened his company in Germany (Singen). This mix was flown to me all the way from Germany, hence the need to put the powdered mix to its most well-deserved use in the most authentically German manner I could. With whatever is available.
I only recently realised that there’s a recipe imprinted on my can of Quaker Oats. This recipe is ‘specially created by Temasek Polytechnic’, perhaps a kind of assignment given to the hospitality students to test out their level of creativity. I think it is an excellent avenue for students to see their efforts bear fruit in the authentic food and beverage industry too.
This book marks the end of my literary journey through the harsh terrains of North Korea. The next time I touch on anything dictatorial (or communistic, for a better choice of words), it’s got to be more visual than this – and more physical; I still hope for a day when I could finally travel to this supposedly ‘pariah’ nation, to witness all that is (left) of this autocratic regime.
This book was a gift from a friend… well, sort of. Just by looking at the cover, one would not be too wrong about it being a very traditionally English and European-based cookbook. And it is, indeed, given the wide range of strange looking tools (or what they identify as kitchen utensils) used in their kitchens. My assumption is: one has got to have a copiously-spaced kitchen to be able to own and keep all of these utensils at home!
