Old Place, New – carb-loaded! – Soul Food |
Isn't it a shrieking irony? Just as I'd never thought that I'd also dedicate a collection of Yums to "treating / curing" chronic underweight I'd reached because I'd taken Low Carb, Intermittent Fasting & Weight Training too seriously, => "MEHR HUNGER!" I'd NEVER in my life have thought that I'd EVER be UNDERnourished – or better UNDER-carbed – because of the three... and that this made me actually sick, too. My metabolism's in sleep mode: – my digestion inert, – my muscles weak (and deteriorating) & my body too fat (despite sports & "healthy" diet!), – my nails and hair brittle, – my skin fatty, dry & pimply (at the same time!) – I'm sleepy a great portion of the day – I'm anxious ... Once more it was a book that awakened me: Abnehmen mit Kohlenhydraten (Losing Weight with Carbs) (only in German till now.) Nutritionist Daniela Kielkowski who's not solely treated thousands of people, monitoring / adjusting them by measuring metabolic performance by – spirometry (met performance at rest) and – using a finely tuned body analysis scale has helped these people losing their overweight and associated illnesses by feeding them carbs. I'm only doing it since April 11 , reading the book along, and I'm already: – more awake during the day – more active during the day – more motivated (decluttering again) – not hangry anymore – not snacking anymore. – having daily digestion (when it was only every 2-3 days!) – better skin, hair & nails, plus – smaller injuries (cut myself while cooking) healing quicker. Oh, and the anxiety is GONE! All that with only 2 - 3 x Carbs / day! HOW? I'll share my new nutrition – NOT diet, which is the root of all that Sick Evil! – and knowledge along the way and add according recipes below. And, yes, I'm also aware I (not only) culinarily traveled to NYC last year in "NEW YORK – HUNGRY" already, inspired greatly by my Novel Series and other stories set there (and in Munich). But honestly? I wanna stay a little longer in NYC – especially Staten Island, my favorite borough. The stock cover, by the way, shows the Verrazano Narrows Bridge on the Staten Island end, coming from Brooklyn. Beyond it (leftwards)? The open Atlantic. It's no coincidence that my novels' MMC, Vince, was born and raised, and still lives, there... as I felt at home there like nowhere else before, not even in Nova Scotia! Also this year will be the MOST demanding, arduous, stressful & tiring till now, as I want to have dig myself out of my traumatizing past and lost dreams and move beyond them – I think everyone who ever decluttered a house worth of stuff knows what especially emotional work it is to let go of even one piece sometimes. And for that endeavor, I need Soul Food – burger, pizza, risotto, fries, cake, cookies, ice cream – but the most healthy I can manage. I don't want to heal my mind to wake up in a sick body one day because of too much sh– I ate. Also, since the whole world lives in New York City, it's not gonna get culinarily boring in the least. Maybe even native New Yorkers on this site stumble upon this (and "NEW YORK – HUNGRY" ) and think, "Dang! Why didn't I have that idea!" or "A *peeping* pity we don't have have here." The latter would be the biggest compliment to the cook / baker, indeed! I already found some recipes which are a) NY-classics – I'll start this collection with one! – and b) unusual variations of the familiar. There'll be: – more vegs – and also some which I haven't tried before, – experiments like... handmade müsli bars & ice cream – "meal prep". My MCs, half-Italian police detective Vince and Italian food lover Laura are all into it, especially he with his erratic shift work. Also Laurie will do some familiar Italian dishes differently, and have to convince Vince to overcome his traditional food biases. Also their friends'/family's various cuisines will have their place again as well to complete the overall experience. In this sense: Guten Hunger! Enjoy! Buon Appetito! Buen provecho! Afiyet olsun! Smacznego! Gudden Appetit! |
38. Snickerdoodle Loaf (pre-Christmas carbs) November 25, 2024 at 9:14am
Well, dear Americans , and whom else it may concern,
I don't know about you , but I guess there isn't a more quintessential Christmas cookie than the snickerdoodle . It's:
– buttery (like Butterspekulatius )
– cinnamon-y ( the "Christmas spice" in Germany )
– sugary (but not too much )
– vanillary (when you're generous and want 'em to taste even better )
You know me by now.
I was browsing the co... [Read more] 37. Nonno Aurelio's Castagnaccio (Hearty Fall carbs) November 23, 2024 at 5:33pm
When I stumbled over this recipe, I was immediately intrigued, because I like fall-y fruit and veg... and never used chestnut flour before.
As it's a rather plain & simple recipe, and Roman cuisine is lastly very simple – I should've remembered this – I thought I have it added to my novel family Romano's (fictional) restaurant menu.
Granted, the castagnaccio is not a Roman speciality but originally comes from Tuscany . But Italians aren't ... [Read more] 36. Red Cabbage Salad (fruit & veg carbs) November 5, 2024 at 4:28pm
This could very well be fall–wintery little brother.
Granted, it's a tat milder than above-mentioned, BUT a) only IMHO, and b) that doesn't make it less yummy.
And when it's too laff (bland) for you , you can still spice it up with spices of your choice.
If you enjoy it as a main course or a side for Thanksgiving or Christmas Feast, it's full of healthy ingredients, and sating quickly.
I can really imagine Laura making it as as... [Read more] 35. Pizza "Il Vecchietto" October 22, 2024 at 9:49am
I don't know if you've got it in the US – although the founders say they got inspired by a restaurant in New York – but in Europe we have a pizzeria chain called L'Osteria . Believe it or not, I doesn't taste like "chain food". (And I think I ate – and cooked – enough Italian by now to taste the difference. )
Anyway, the founders of L'Osteria , Friedemann Findeis and Klaus Rader, recently had a cookbook called Grande Amore – Die ... [Read more] 34. Pear-Streusel-Muffins (fruity carbs) September 24, 2024 at 4:49pm
This is one of these recipes that "came to me" when I needed it, in this case in the foodie magazine (Essen & Trinken, Eat & Drink) I brought home from my last groceries.
It came in handy because my friend Lil gifted me a basket of pears from her garden for my birthday 2.5 weeks ago, some of which were pretty ripe already. Also my friend Ingeborg's birthday is today , so... even handier, eh?
Why dontcha just eat 'em? I hear you ask.
Well pears are... [Read more] 33. Aggie's Wedding Pasta (apple-beet-y carbs) September 25, 2024 at 5:05pm
When I stumbled over this recipe in one of my (German + apple-themed ) cookbooks, I immediately had this scene before my Inner Eye:
Vince Romano , my novel/story series' MMC has arrived to surprise FMC Laura with... nah, HUGE spoiler!
BUT: the following day is Laura's bestie Agnieszka = Aggie's wedding day, when she marries her boyfriend, Marek at Munich town hall (in Germany/Europe the civil – as opposed to the church – wedding is the "v... [Read more] 32. Lemony Carbs! (Scones + "spiced" Cookies) September 13, 2024 at 6:23pm
I fear I'm doing with scones at the moment what I've done with muffins for some time. But they're so easy to make and even healthy... when you use healthy ingredients. They're my preferred breakfast at the moment... and afternoon snack. They're so versatile.
Ye know, when i made these, I had an a$$-ful of lemons (because I had to take whole net instead of one as singles were out), and it was like 90°F until recently. So if I didn't want the ... [Read more] 31. Muffins "Spazzare" (hi-everything) September 11, 2024 at 2:07pm
"Spazzare" is Italian and translates to "sweeping (up)".
And exactly that is what I did the day before I left for a business trip in the end of August. And these yums (probably helped along by a recipe in a German foodie mag ) came out.
They are not only perfect as victuals, or portable lunch, or party food, but also to use up all the sad remnants drifting along not only in the fridge. One "sweep" through your culinary stocks, and you must not... [Read more] 30. Fally Cinnamon Rolls (quietscheyellow carbs) September 10, 2024 at 1:59pm
Americans, and everyone else it concerns: PUMPKIN-season's off!
In the German supermarket of my trust Halloween and Christmas yums stand side by side in prominent position... just behind the fruit & veg section showing off like 6 variations of pumpkin to choose from.
Granted I've tried out those before ( ), but they were a little... small-time ; although quite pretty and yummy indeed.
I got the idea for this variation when there was (among other things)... [Read more] 29. Nonna Stella's Rohnen-Risotto (shrieking pink carbs) August 24, 2024 at 2:15pm
Yeah, I know you might get bored by now that I sometimes return to the food I love , but when I cooked that one I needed soul food... and that I cooked.
Also you Americans love food in shrieking colors, so shut up.
By the way, the shrieking color here comes from – unfortunately only the juice, but that in organic quality – red beets , one of my fave vegs.
They are also the Rohnen in the title. This is the variation of the original German expression (= ... [Read more] 28. Buttermilk-Lime-Muffins (not-so-sweet-carbs) August 11, 2024 at 6:30pm
This is another leftover -recipe. I didn't know what to do with the remaining buttermilk from . I don't like its taste, but can acknowledge when it's needed in a recipe.
So I browsed my cook/bake books, and found this one.
I can imagine that it might appeal not only to New Yorkers . It's the mentioned muffins in , too.
They're carb-y , but not too sweet because of the lime juice + zest... and well, the buttermilk. Here it... [Read more] 27. "Italian" Chicken-Lemon Curry July 27, 2024 at 7:24am
What!? I hear you exclaim. What the heck is Italian about Curry ?
Honestly?
I actually wanted to do a Curry since felt eons as I've tiptoed around Asian foods, trying them out at restaurants and such, but never actually wanting to cook Asian myself.
The bloody MILLION of ingredients required for authentic kitchen – what I'm aiming for – honestly turned me off . And you only use most of them once for a few "splashes" of this and a ... [Read more] 26. "Birthday Surprise" (2 cookies, 3 variations) July 25, 2024 at 2:05pm
Okay, dudes, those were rather a "rash action" as I realized on the morning of July 17 , that "tomorrow" it's my friend Heinz's birthday... and I had to send a birthday present to my cousin Joey who lives in Berlin (and turned 31 on the 23rd), too.
I nearly choked on my morning coffee.
Thank God , it was grocery day, and I wanted to go shopping in the afternoon. Therefore it couldn't things that are too complicated to do.
... [Read more] 25. Shona's Apple Honey Scones (healthy breakfast carbs) July 25, 2024 at 8:45am
Imagine being a Scottish Mum among Italians .
You wanna give your kids an understanding of Scottish Cuisine. Scones are a staple, just as , tatties (potatoes)... (no, I won't add that one. )
Stupid enough if made traditionally , scones (and porridge) taste... plain – to put it nicely – as they're just the "carrier medium" for (clotted) cream and jam.
It's even more stupid when your five kids all take after their Italian fathe... [Read more] 24. Mince Waffles (can't eat carbs ALL the time;)) July 21, 2024 at 2:16pm
Admit it, peeps!
You thought I were done after , , or .
You thought one can't do something whackier than put chocolate chips and two types of potato chip into one cookie, pancetta into chocolate cookies, or bratwurst into baklava?
Well, it's ME, so think again.
So here a foreshadowing question: what is the craziest stuff you ever put in a waffle iron? Yep, we're talking Whacky Waffles !
I suspect it wasn't anything like what'll ... [Read more] 23. Adult Popsicles (NOT what YOU think!) August 13, 2024 at 12:02pm
What's neater than a nice, cold popsicle when it's hot, humid, and you think you'll melt any moment soon.
Okay, this not only an experiment if I can do popsicles – I obviously can – but also if I can bring across a meteorological condition only natives know and which I've – probably smart – always avoided by choosing to come in fall .
Yup, we're talking about summer in New York City... and I've heard / read ghastly rumors a... [Read more] 22. Priya's Chicken Tandoori Burger July 7, 2024 at 5:37pm
For the first book in what turned from the crooked journey of two mental people back to life into a full-blown Family Saga and Epic Love cross-borders and across an Ocean, I cooked up a Burger restaurant I wish existed (exists!) in Munich (For my perpetually geography-challenged WDC-peeps: that's in Germany . )
Like my FMC, Laura , I've lived & studied there for nearly a decade (and regularly go back visiting family there)... and I would've joined waiting ... [Read more] 21. Hattie's BAK- & Laura's BRAT-lava (sausaged carbs!) July 1, 2024 at 5:15pm
This is a new twist, not only on a beloved, "old" dessert but also on this cookbook.
This is the first entry co-written for a contest I enter, namely the Food/Cooking prompt for .
As you can read it in the story, , this dish has haunted me and clogged my brain since I watched the mentioned, fateful episode of the TV-adaptation (by German TV-station Pro7) of the podcast Bratwurst & Baklava by German / Turkish comedians, Bastian Bielendor... [Read more] 20. Scottish Skunk, er, Cullen SKINK (fishy carbs) June 23, 2024 at 6:59am
When I browsed my cooking+ library (a 6 ft. 7 bookshelf ; yeah, I know I've got a problem! ), I stopped at this one, out of Scottish Chef's Gary MacLean: Scottish Kitchen .
And as the name may indicate to you, it originated from a small fishing town called Cullen in the Northeast of Scotland.
Like the Scottish Cuisine , it's simple – they're using what's growing and swimming around them up there – but leaves you with a warm, filled stoma... [Read more] 19. Flamm-Brezn (yummy, super-quick carbs) June 16, 2024 at 11:57am
New York City is not only a melting pot of cultures but also of food : Cronut, Cragel, Brookie, Italian Risotto and Chinese mushrooms, to name just a few I tried over there.
This dish, which I found in German-Italian cook Stefano Zarrella's "Unbelievably Quick" (ly made; only in German), fits just perfectly as it unites a German Pastry Staple, (Lye) Pretzel (= Brezn), and a French / Alsace Staple, Tarte flambée (= Flamm kuchen).
Most people... [Read more] 18. Laura's Pumpkin-Parmesan Dumplings (Yummy Carb-Bombs) June 9, 2024 at 1:26pm
Guess what?
Nonna Stella immediately stopped nagging that "traditional" South Tirolean dumplings aren't made like this upon tasting these... and she got that dreamy expression of sheer culinary bliss on her face, too. Not to mention her favorite nipotino , Vince when Laura surprises them both with these somewhere down my novel series or a short.
And when it's Nonna -approved, you can trust me blindly on these.
Real life's not ... [Read more] 17. Cinnamon Rolls June 7, 2024 at 2:09pm
Honestly, Dudes: everyone loves these... and me, too. No further explanation needed, right?
The first time, I really (= out of movies/TV) came into contact with these, was in a café on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Cape Breton National Park near Chéticamp, Nova Scotia. The display was empty except for two reasonably -sized – means a European can eat them without exploding from their sheer size – cinnamon rolls.
Fearing diabetic shock – you North American... [Read more] 16. Lasagna Brokkoli e Salsiccia e Zuppa Spazzare. May 29, 2024 at 9:26am
Oh, her again with her bloody Italian! I hear you groan and see you roll your eyes. But... Hell Yes!
And it's all really simple .
1.. Zuppa = Soup But the former sounds yummier .
3. Spazzare = swept up
The latter because that's literally what I did: snatched + prepped everything in the fridge / storage that needed to get used up .
Guess what?
Except for the brokkoli, I had everything at home!
I've found this recipe earl... [Read more] 15. The "Great Gretzky" a.k.a. Nürnberger Poutine November 19, 2024 at 8:36am
Okay, I admit this one wasn't planned.
I actually ate it this Tuesday evening (5/14) after arriving in Nürnberg for business, at a local burger restaurant called BurgerHeart.
It's from a selection of Canadian Fries, 5 variations of loaded fries in the tradition of the beloved Canadian "junk" food, .
The options were Fryan => Adams, Reynolds, Gosling, Gretzky and – very funny! – Scherbatsky (HIMYM, anyone?).
Okay, "Wayn... [Read more] 14. Hatice's Lahmaçun (well-carbed + fibered) May 17, 2024 at 6:17am
Guys, let's return to my heroine of many of my shorts / novel series Laura Zimmermann , or better, her Turkish bestie, Hatice Güngörmüs , short, Hattie , or even shorter, Hats , because she has a penchant for hats.
She already contributed
– &
–
to my international cookery.
The Döner, by the way, is even one of Germans' fave "junk" food (that word doesn't do it justice, though ), a culinary staple German cuisine can'... [Read more] |