Post-Graduation Explorations

Last Saturday we drove to Bernauer for some 'richtiges Einkaufen' (proper shopping) at the E-Center (Can you guess what the E stands for?). Our main goal was groceries and SIM cards, which we completed with ease.  However, with several hours of shopping, 2 hours walking the dog, and nothing but a traditional Deutschefruehstuck (German Breakfast, which consists of rolls, butter, cheese, jam, and coffee), poor Lex and I were exceptionally hungry by 6:00pm, when we got back to Werneuchen.

Though I am fairly certain these recipes are, in fact, truly delicious, I cannot be sure how tainted my perception was by my hunger that night. :o)
Guten Appetite!


Salatesosse (Salad dressing)
2-3 spoonfuls of fragrant Olive Oil
2-3 spoonfuls of lightly reduce Balsamic Vinegar (this vinegar should be distilled from grape, apple, and pear juice, or similar fruits)
1 spoonful of Clover Honey
Salt, Pepper, Tuscan spice blend, and Middle Eastern spice blend

Whisk all of these ingredients together in a salad bowl. Toss with salad greens to coat.



Kaese-Kartoffeln (Cheese Potatoes)
1 kg small/baby golden potatos, boiled
100-150g shredded Swiss cheese
Salt, pepper, olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F (C).
Quarter the potatos and place in a heavy casserol dish. Drizzel olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to coat.
Sprinkle the Swiss cheese evenly over the potatos.
Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges have started to turn brown.

Here is the recipe the incredible master cook Maggi used for my birthday dessert during the In-Country Orientation Camp. No, there are no measurements, as Maggi, like all true Greek women, cooks by taste only.

Ingredients:
Baking apples of choice (think one apple per person)
Honey
Whole Cloves
Tahini
Butter
Almond slivers

Preheat the oven to 350F (C).

Wash and core the apples, taking care to keep the bottom of the apple intact. Butter the outside of each apple lightly then stud each apple with a few whole cloves.

Fill each apple with some tahini and honey, topping with the almond slivers.

Bake until a fork or sharp knife inserts easily into the side of the apple.

Serve warm as is, or with unsweetened cream (cinnamon or vanilla ice cream would be delicious, too!). Or, cool and serve cold. (They are great for breakfast, too!)

Even though we tried to miss our flight by getting lost on the M25, we managed to return the car, check our bags, get through security, and sprint to the Easyjet terminal (on the far side of the airport, of course) just before they began loading passengers; thank goodness the flight before us arrived late.  The flight was uneventful, much welcomed after a rather stressful day, and we actually arrived 10 minutes early despite our late departure.  We were met at the Berlin-Schoenfeld Flughafen by two ICJA-volunteers, who accompanied us to the In-Country Orientation Camp in Prenzlauerberg (northern district/neighborhood of Berlin), where we were to spend the next 8 days.

I enjoyed spending some time with the other volunteers and the ICJA employees responsible for us while we are in Germany, but I confess I was a bit bored, too.  In a nutshell, the orientation camp was an introductory German course (which I didn't need, as I've been tested and certified at C1 level already), and a Study Abroad/Exchange program orientation. For those who have never participated in such an orientation before, it consists of rules and regulations, program specifics, and visa procedures. If I hadn't already been through two of these as an exchange student and helped organize several as a Study Abroad Advisor, I would have been much more enganged in the camp.

I did end up spending my birthday at the camp, and our wonderful master cook, Maggi, baked me some incredibly delicious stuffed apples as a birthday 'cake' and everyone sang to me in their native tongue. I'll be sure to post the recipe later, as this is definitely something I would reccommend that everyone enjoy at least once in their lives!