December is not complete without the celebration of Sinterklaas, the much-discussed tradition on the 5th in the Netherlands and Belgium. No matter where we live, we celebrate this feast for children like we always do: with special presents and funny poems, hot chocolate, home made pea soup, and mandarins for dessert. Here in Berlin, we […] Read more…
Megan Gordon shares her Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
It’s a fact! We have our first American cookbook author on our site: Megan Gordon. Our new Kitchen Table Friend is also food blogger and the owner of the popular Seattle-based granola brand Marge Granola. She shares with us one of the beautiful recipes from her latest cookbook. We are honored and happy to have […] Read more…
Roasted Mini Squash with Gruyère & Sage
I think fall is my favorite season here in DC. The sunlight that filters through the colored leaves of the trees…I could just stare at it for hours. And it’s pumpkin time! I love the wide range of pumpkin varieties offered at my farmers’ markets and my grocery store. We don’t have such a large […] Read more…
Königsberger Klopse
“Don’t listen to him please, there should not be any anchovies in it.” “With cream? How dare you even suggest!” Nothing beats conversations about food: that’s why we love to share food with our friends at our kitchen tables. While starting dinner with some Berlin friends, Read more…
Soljanka
Soljanka, an old-fashioned Eastern European soup is almost as famous as Borscht, the Russian beet soup. It’s a hearty, sweet, spicy, and sour soup with red pepper, tomato, and chopped Sauerkraut. Back in the days of the DDR you could find this soup on every East Berlin menu, and it never really disappeared. There are […] Read more…
Jambalaya
It was a beautiful and warm fall night, so we decided to cook outside: Jambalaya. I think of Jambalaya as the Louisiana version of paella. Okay, the rice and spices are different, but I prepare both dishes more or less in the same way. I usually add chicken, chorizo and shrimp, but sometimes I replace […] Read more…
Día de los Muertos: Three Mexican Salsas
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), wish we had this tradition in my country! I think it’s fascinating and beautiful. Is there a better way to remember and honor your deceased loved ones than by celebrating, drinking, eating, and telling stories? And how special it is that families congregate in graveyards at night, Read more…
Bircher Müsli
Each day starts with a proper breakfast at the kitchen table. Coffee, tea, fresh orange juice, imported Donald Duck comics, and online newspapers, it’s all there. One of us prefers to have simple toasted bread with cheese, another likes to eat home made granola. My son and I like a good Bircher Müsli every now […] Read more…
Pumpkin Bread
My two daughters are too old for trick-or-treating, but they’ll surely love a nice treat while watching a scary movie. I make this Pumpkin Bread every year for Halloween, it has become kind of a tradition in our house. I think it’s one of my favorite classic American sweet treats. I’m not really a dessert […] Read more…
How to Dry Your Garden Herbs?
Now’s the time to dry your garden herbs and stock up for winter! The herbs in my garden in DC still look pretty good, so I try to pick as many branches as possible before the first night frost arrives. Thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, lemon verbena (for tea!), tarragon, and rosemary can all be easily […] Read more…