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Change of Plans

3/27/2014

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Here I am, sitting in the middle seat of an airplane for almost 11 hours, flying to see my 91-year-old mother in Germany. Originally, I was going to Paris with my husband for a week. We had rented an apartment, and we were going to have fun in this beautiful city that we both love. Paris is our personal Disneyland. We go for the food, the arts, the parks—and the city. Instead of strolling through the Tuileries gardens and recovering from jet lag by soaking in the sun on a bench, I am taking a solo trip to Germany to care for my mother, who fell and is in the hospital. My heart did not allow me to do otherwise. Both my husband and I are very sad and disappointed. Could I really admire my favorite paintings and sculptures while my mom was being restrained? I could not.  Could I savor the culinary delights that Paris offers while my mom was confused and needed help? I could not.
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When I moved to the United States many years ago, I had no idea of the complications that would arise years later. I love my new home and country. It has brought me many joys and a wonderful life. I am grateful and thankful for that. 
Thankfully, I have a brother who made sure my mother in Germany was well taken care of. I help and visit as much as I can. At this point in life, my mother needs more help and support. Until now, she has survived with the help of many people she lived with on the farm where she was born—both fortunate and lucky. But now it is getting complicated. 
This year, spring has come early to northern Germany. Looking out of my mother’s hospital room, I see a huge tree covered with pink blossoms. White asparagus is being harvested and sold, which is usually a May event. When I was here last year, it snowed the entire month of April. While in Germany, I ate in the cafeteria at the clinic and rehab center where my mom was. I was thankful for the often decent food. I was also lucky enough to have a Tegut grocery store  (similar to Whole Foods) on the way to the hospital. My girlfriend, Monika, not only provided me with support and help in the German medical world (which is excellent, by the way) but also cooked some delicious meals for me. Bless her kind and gentle heart, a true friend.
There were no gourmet meals, but I managed to find some great cheese, bread, and baked goods (of course). Those little bakeries in Germany are my favorite. Here are some of my favorites:
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Gooseberry Meringue Cake
This is a crunchy pastry filled with cooked tart gooseberries and topped with a meringue that was crusty on top but soft in the middle. This piece of cake is not sweet. But it hits the spot on a busy afternoon with a cup of black tea.
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Zuckerkuchen
This is a simple but oh-so-yummy yeast cake covered with butter, sugar, and almonds. It is best eaten fresh out of the oven, and it has to be done the right way—fluffy, not gooey.
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Nußtorte
I always have several of these from my favorite baker, Ralph, in Northeim. It is a light pastry filled with hazelnut cream, covered with a sugary glaze, and topped with a hazelnut.
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Nußkuchen



​This is a crunchy, gooey nut bar made German-style. It is buttery filled with a jam-like layer between the nuts and the almonds—a true culinary delight.
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The last meal I prepared for my mom was white asparagus, which is in season right now and being sold at the local farmer’s market. My mom loves her asparagus with boiled potatoes, melted butter or hollandaise sauce, and ham. The local butcher shop had some great ham and packaged hollandaise sauce that was excellent. She enjoyed her meal.
Should you be so lucky and find fresh white asparagus, make sure you peel it correctly. Some people peel the asparagus twice just to make sure the woody outside is gone. So don’t skimp on peeling away the outside. There are asparagus peelers in Germany that work beautifully. I did not peel away enough this time and is was annoying when I ate the asparagus. My blog has a recipe for white asparagus soup. 
While in Germany, I had a beautiful salad with an oil and vinegar vinaigrette, asparagus, strawberries, and goat cheese.
After six weeks in Germany and a glorious trip to Marrakech, I’m back home in Santa Cruz. It feels good, and I’m getting used to my normal life and enjoying it.
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My mother and my niece's hands were photographed by Anna Claement Fotografie in Göttingen, Germany.
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Lemon and Buttermilk Sorbet

3/19/2014

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A sorbet that tastes like rich ice-cream with a refreshing flavor​
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This is the easiest ice cream you will ever make. And the best you will ever taste. It has been one of my old standbys for years. However, you do need an ice cream maker. This recipe takes minutes to assemble, a few hours in the fridge for the flavors to develop, and then it is ready to go into the ice cream maker. What comes out is a rich and creamy sorbet. The buttermilk gives it a refreshing flavor and taste, yet you won’t know it’s buttermilk. Granted, ice cream made with cream has a richer flavor, but I prefer the lighter version. I often serve this with fruit sauce, fresh fruit or with cake. It is especially refreshing after a heavy meal. ​
Print Recipe
Ingredients: 

It makes about a quart of sorbet

2 cups sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice 
2 TBS grated lemon zest 
4 cups buttermil
Directions:

Grind sugar and lemon zest for a minute in a food processor. Or you can skip this step and just add the lemon zest to the sugar. Stir the sugar mixture with the lemon juice. Add the buttermilk and stir until the sugar dissolves. Chill covered about four hours in the fridge. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to instructions. Transfer to container with lid and freeze.


Guten Appetit!
recipe from Bon Appetit
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Avocados stuffed with shrimp

3/10/2014

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Always a crowd pleaser ​
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These days, you rarely find my kitchen without avocados. The creamy texture and delicious taste make them irresistible and so healthy. I eat them whenever I can—on sandwiches, in salads, by themselves, as a snack, or in guacamole (which my husband makes). When I want to show off a little bit, I make stuffed avocados. I usually stuff my avocados with bay shrimp, some celery, small tomatoes, and fresh herbs with a light dressing. It's delicious, easy to make, and people always like it. It makes a nice lunch or appetizer. So, if you want a tasty dish with great presentation, check out this recipe. Feel free to substitute different ingredients or leave out the things you don't like. I have added chopped apple pieces instead of tomatoes and used Greek yogurt instead of crême fraiche. Deb, who has a beautiful blog called "eastofedencooking", helped me take pictures for this recipe.
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​I use the avocado shells to serve the salad. You can also put the mixture on a bed of lettuce.
Print Recipe

recipe for stuffed avacadoes


​This recipe will make 6 appetizers . You can turn this recipe into a  salad by serving the stuffing on top of a bed of greens. 
​
Ingredients

3 ripe avocados (save the avocado shells) 
1 pound or less bay shrimp
2 pieces of celery, finely chopped 
a handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half 
2 TBS chopped parsley

Dressing:

2 TBS crême fraiche or sour cream
2 TBS mayonnaise 
2 TBS finely chopped chives 
¼ cup lemon juice 
salt and pepper to taste 
coarse sea salt
Directions:

Whip together the sour cream and mayonnaise, and add lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the avocados in half. Slice the avocado crosswise and lengthwise, scooping the pieces out with a spoon. Add avocado to the bowl with celery, tomatoes, and shrimp. Mix with dressing. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkling with coarse sea salt. Keep covered in the refrigerator. Shortly before serving, fill the avocado shells with the avocado flesh and serve.

Bon Appetit!
Recipe by © sunnycovechef.
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Lemon Tea Bread

3/3/2014

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Take a break in the afternoon, have a piece of this tasty cake with a cup of tea. ​
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This time of year, my lemon trees are producing gorgeous fruit. I flavor my water with them, I give them to friends, and I use them in as many recipes as I can. This recipe comes from my friend, Linda, who is an excellent cook. She helped me find my passion for cooking. However, I changed the recipe somewhat. This simple bread is compact and infused with lemon juice, is easy to make and tastes great by itself. But it also makes a stunning dessert when served with ice cream and fruit sauce or compote.
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In Germany, this kind of cake is called Topfkuchen, meaning a cake in a pot. It is a dry rectangular cake (mimicking bread), not fancy but meant to be dipped in coffee or tea. There are different variations.
Print Recipe
Ingredients:

½ cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBS grated lemon zest
3 eggs at room temperature
1 ¼ cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk


Glaze:

¼ cup confectioners sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Combine lemon juice and sugar in a small pot and simmer gently for about five minutes until a light syrup forms.

Translated into German:


113g Butter
170g Zucker
1 Eßlöffel geriebene Zitronenschale
3 Eier
140g Mehl
1 Teelöffel Backpulver 
60 ml Milch


Zuckerguss
60g Puderzucker
Saft einer Zitrone

Zitronensaft und Puderzucker vermischen und in einen kleinen Topf für 5 Minuten auf kleiner Hitze kochen (brodeln) bis es ein leichter Syrup wird.
Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate the peel of one lemon. In a food processor, grind the sugar and lemon zest for one minute. Grinding the zest and the sugar gives it a uniform lemony flavor. (But to save time, you can just add the zest to the batter later.) In an upright mixer, cream the butter and sugar for several minutes until fluffy. Add one egg at a time until well mixed. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Alternately, add the four and milk to the batter, mixing until combined. Put into a greased 9” x 5” loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. The loaf is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and prick the cake with a needle or chop stick all over the top. Pour the hot glaze over it. Cool the cake and remove from the pan.



Den Ofen auf 177 ˚Celsius vorheizen. 
Die geriebene Zitronenschale und Zucker für eine Minute in der Küchenmaschine pulverisieren. Butter und Zucker mit einem Mixer creaming schlagen bis sich die Menge verdoppelt hat. Die Eier nacheinander zugeben und weiter schaumig rühren. Mehl, Backpulver und Salz sieben und kurz mit der Milch in den Teig unterrühren.
Den Teig in eine gut gebutterte Topfkuchenform geben und 50-60 Minuten im vorgeheizten Ofen backen. Der Kuchen ist gar, wenn ein Zahnstocher sauber aus dem Kuchen kommt.
Den Kuchen aus den Ofen nehmen und mit einer Stricknadel Löcher in den Kuchen stechen. Die warme Glasur darüber geben. Den Kuchen abkühlen und aus der Form nehmen.

Guten Appetit! 
Recipe by Linda Ristow
Adapted by © sunnycovechef.com
​
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    WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEF

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time.

    ​
    If you  have tried any of my recipes, snap a photo and tag me @sunnycovechef I'd love to see your creations!​


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