lundi 18 avril 2011

Und der Tag ist ein Tag den du magst

Bild 114

* The title could be translated as "a day that you like" but of course it sounds nicer in German.

The day after tomorrow, just three little words but with so much meaning. On Thursday I'll be flying back to Derbyshire to rediscover those familiar places in bloom. As always Berlin manages to be at its most beautiful for my departure and I've been waking up each morning and gazing at the first rays of sun catching the tops of the roofs opposite. The last week was such a whirlwind of activity and I wish I had more time to write more about all that I've done. There was a lunch at the Sarah Wiener restaurant next to the Hamburger Bahnhof where I was served a huge bowl of creamy risotto with wild garlic I couldn't finish and in front of my table, people came to stare at the window displaying the cakes and their eyes lit up. There were two Jacques Demy films at the Arsenal cinema, Potiche with Catherine Deneuve and a German one about the Jewish cemetery in Weißensee which prompted me to make another trip out there on a rather grey morning. Last Sunday while taking the train to Schlachtensee, a lake in the West, we caught sight of a craft fair in Zehlendorf and decided to get out and visit it. Stands with handmade jewellery, blankets, exotic hats and best of all, chocolate with chilli or tonka beans and another selling the most delicious range of mustard, chutney, syrup and so much more. I couldn't resist the bottle of ginger syrup after hearing of how it could be used not only to make tea but also on Streuselkuchen or whipped cream and the young woman selling it won me over immediately after explaining how she would never use margerine instead of butter for baking. After that we caught the last rays of sunshine by the lakeshore, watching the rowing boats go by and stopping for a drink at the (always busy) Fischerhütte. I'll hopefully be back over the weekend to share some recipes with you but in the meantime, have a lovely Easter dear readers.

Bild 015

At the Sarah Wiener restaurant at the Hamburger Bahnhof

Bild 010

My photos of the risotto didn't come out well but I was so hungry that I devoured this delicious wholemeal ciabatta roll with olive oil that the waiter set down in front of me in record time.

Bild 026

The Richard Long exhibition in the hall of the Hamburger Bahnhof

Bild 032

Bild 045

Bild 050

Some of Anselm Kiefer's work

Bild 051

Bild 059

Warhol's Mao

Bild 060

Bild 067

Sleeping video

Bild 077

Joseph Beuys' felt

Bild 005

On the way to the Jewish cemetery

Bild 002

Bild 006

Bild 022

Bild 025

Bild 028

Bild 041

Bild 045

Bild 047

Bild 067

Bild 076

Bild 083

Bild 094

Bild 096

Bild 098

Bild 099

Bild 131

At the market on Mexicoplatz in Zehlendorf

Bild 133

Exquisite chocolate

Bild 137

The lovely stand with Miriam Eva Kebe products, including ginger syrup

Bild 138

...and all kinds of salt

Bild 144

Magnolia in bloom

Bild 180

On Schlachtensee

Bild 186

Bild 197

Bild 203

In the Biergarten of the Fischerhütte

Bild 204

Bild 206

Bild 207

Some already had their first picnic of the season

Bild 211

Bild 216

Bild 233

Bild 234

Rowing boats for rental

To finish, a recipe for buckwheat pancakes I've been dying to try for ages. There's so much chocolate at Easter that I had a longing for something not so sweet before the celebrations begin so I hope you won't mind it's without sugar but in my opinion, the deep flavours of the berries, the tangy sharpness of the apples and wholesomeness of the galette make up for it.

Bild 090

Buckwheat pancakes with berries and apples


180g buckwheat flour
300ml milk
1 egg
a pinch of salt
a little freshly grated nutmeg
a splash of olive oil

For the filling

3 apples, coxes or russets are perfect
200g berries, raspberries, blueberries, red or blackcurrants, strawberries or blackberries or a mix of different kinds
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardammon seeds
2 slices of fresh ginger
50ml water

1. Mix the flour, egg, salt, nutmeg and half of the milk together in a bowl until you have a smooth batter. then beat in the remaining milk and the splash of olive oil. Leave to thicken for 30 minutes.
2. To prepare the filling, peel and chop the apples and place them in a small pan with the berries and all other ingredients and leave to simmer for around 20 minutes.
3. Make the pancakes by first coating a small frying pan lightly with neutral oil like sunflower then heat until sizzling hot and pour in 1-2 tbsp of the batter. Cook for a couple of minutes until golden then flip it over. Serve with the warm fruit.



20 commentaires:

  1. I always love your atmospheric clicks. So petic!

    Have agreat time in Derbyshire! I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures of that wonderful place. :´$

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    RépondreSupprimer
  2. Happy Easter dear Emily and bon voyage, look forward to hearing about your trip on your return x

    RépondreSupprimer
  3. Beautiful photos. Happy Easter.

    RépondreSupprimer
  4. You must be so happy that you're going home for Easter. Have a great time Emily and Happy Easter!
    Magda

    RépondreSupprimer
  5. What a lovely post. Each word filled to the brim with a feeling of...I want to say contentment. And this series of photos are some of your best yet. I'm starting my day happy. Thank you for that.

    RépondreSupprimer
  6. Do have a great holiday... where ever you go it is always beautiful through your eyes... even the cemetery looks like spring! I love the flowers and leaves with the stone... the contrast is exquisite.

    RépondreSupprimer
  7. You captured Spring beautifully. Thank you for sharing.

    velva

    RépondreSupprimer
  8. I love the picnic photo, you really caught the spirit of Berlin in just one shot (hipsters enjoying the nature after a party night). The girl's attitude is very graceful, her hair like a modern Botticelli.
    La margarine, berk, je confirme, c'est affreux!
    Dear Emily Vanessa, I wish you a wonderful Easter from Cameroon. It feels very far from Berlin here.
    Much love,
    Manon

    RépondreSupprimer
  9. @Rosa - Thanks a lot, I'm looking forward to taking photos of the English countryside.
    @Sasa - Hey there, have a wonderful Easter too. I imagine Voralberg must look lovely in the spring. Hope the Easter bunny's generous this year ^^.
    @P.K - Have a lovely Easter too!
    @Magda - Yes it's a great feeling and there's a lightness in my step knowing that there's just one more day to go. Can't wait! Have a great Easter.
    @Tracy - Oh wow, that's so nice to hear and you've really made my day. When I went to the cemtery, the sky was totally grey and I felt a bit frustrated but am pleased with the way the shots came out.Thank YOU so much for reading.
    @Deana - I know how much you like visiting cemeteries too and sure you'd like the Jewish one, so melancholy but beautiful.
    @Velva - Spring is one my favourite seasons along with autumn and right now, everything looks simply magical so it's fun taking photos.
    @Manon - I know, I wasn't aware of the girl's flowing hair until afterwards because I only had a second to take that photo. Love the Botticelli connection too and the fact that you don't like margerine ;-) Hope you have a lovely Easter in Cameroon and that I'll see you soon. Bises.

    RépondreSupprimer
  10. Emily Vanessa, such a full and beautiful life. I really like your beer image. A cool glass of beer with a friend on a sunny afternoon is such a nice way to spend time.

    RépondreSupprimer
  11. Berries and apples, excellent combo! Really like your pictures... it makes me think I should go to the museum more often (and I think that very often... more often than I actually go!)

    RépondreSupprimer
  12. Your photos remind me of my own travels there long ago. Thank you for the little memory detour... and you are right, how lovely the title of your posts reads in German. It is such a great and expressive language (not that I speak it).

    RépondreSupprimer
  13. Your photos are so lovely. I like the boats lined up at the dock. Two weeks! We will be in Berlin in two weeks! Looking forward to seeing your city.

    RépondreSupprimer
  14. @Denise - I know, I'm so lucky to live in a great place and be able to do so much. Beer is a nice tradition in Germany with so many lovely Beer gardens which should all be open by now.
    @Pia - Yep, those fruits always go really well together. I like museums but I can understand why you don't so much because sometimes they can seem a bit dry and stuffy and 1-2 hours is my maximum concentration capacity. There are some cool ones in Paris though, like the Musée Rodin or Delacroix which I really love because it's more intimate and not too big.
    @Gracia - Quite a few people (including myself in the past) think that German is an ugly, harsh language but it can also sound poetic so I'm glad you also appreciate that.
    @AM - Thanks so much. You're arriving just when I return then. Right now we have a warm, golden April and I hope May will be more of the same. In my opinion, there's no better city right now.

    RépondreSupprimer
  15. Great pictures!!! as always!
    Happy Easter and see you when you're back!
    Kat

    RépondreSupprimer
  16. I could actually read the Hebrew on the gravestones, and the sparkle on the water is just mesmerising.

    Happy easter to you too!

    RépondreSupprimer
  17. Love that you caught those lovely flowers and then included the stone flowers right alongside!

    Most pastry chefs wouldn't consider using anything but real butter!

    Spring is such a time of renewal for everything. Hope you have a lovely trip....

    RépondreSupprimer
  18. Emily, reminds me a lot of the outskirts of San Francisco--just like most of the places you go to. I just get that feeling of...ugh...I can't explain it! It's more of like a mixture of serenity and urban. Haha, so hard to explain. Anyways, I'd love to grab one of those chocolates! I've been craving for some really good and imported chocolate right now! Of course, I also want to row that boat and have a picnic! I actually already got a new picnic basket, now I just need to go there!

    RépondreSupprimer
  19. I have been meaning to try that restaurant for ages. It's just at the end of my street. No excuse really!

    RépondreSupprimer