Midnight Fish Dinner

There's something about running around Berlin that consistently brings us home in the wee hours, often without having had time to stop for a wurst. (Furchtbar!) On this particular day, Suha and I spent the day apart jumping from one Berlinale film to the next and landed home past midnight starving.

But we had a fridge full of farmers' market food.

So, we made a quickie fish dinner.

The problem for me buying fish in Germany, is that I recognize none of the names, so I can't tell you what it is. It was darker in color than cod or tilapia and the vendor described it as having a stronger, more fishy flavor, so I was expecting something like mackerel. Surprisingly, we found it light and delicious and perfect with lemon and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Here's how we did it:

Step 1.

Olive oil in the pan on high. Seared fish on both sides for 1 minute, then lowered heat and cooked for 2 minutes more per side.

Step 2.

Made a bed of arugula and red cabbage.

Drizzled it with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

Step 3.

Served the fish on top with a squeeze of lemon and a few sprinkles of sea salt.

We added boiled potatoes on the side (there were more than a dozen varieties to choose from at the market!). They tasted like butter. I wish I knew what they were!

Feld Salad with Kippers and Mushrooms

I have no idea what kind of fishies these are, but they looked so good at the farmers' market, I had to buy some.

Served up on a bed of feld salad (also called mache or lamb's lettuce) and sliced mushrooms.

Drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Steamed Eggs on Bed of Rotkraut, Kohlrabi, and Radish Greens

I'm a big fan of steamed eggs on beds of greens. This week, my traveling partner Suha and I could not resist the huge head of Rotkraut (red cabbage) at the farmer's market. Rotkraut was a perennial favorite growing up, although I haven't made it in ages.

Now that I'm in Germany, I had to eat it for breakfast.

Ingredients:

olive oil

red cabbage

kohlrabi leaves

radish leaves

pomegranate juice

apple sauce

sea salt

eggs

radishes

Step 1.

Heat some olive oil in the pan. Sauté chopped red cabbage for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add chopped kohlrabi and radish greens, and sauté for a few minutes more.

Stir in a dash of sea salt, a splash of pomegranate juice, and a dollop of apple sauce into the mix.

Step 2.

Crack two eggs on top and cover until the whites turn white.

Step 3.

Serve up with sliced radishes on the side.

I didn't expect the cabbage to leak blue through the egg whites, but it made for a very colorful morning bite.

The Best Wurst

Very few things in life are better than a good sausage. And very few sausages in life are better than a German sausage.

Sorry, New York.

This is standard fare at the farmers' market. But the real reason why I came to Berlin was for this grilled bratwurst.

Even the Brötchen (bread rolls) are like nothing we can get in the States. So fresh. So crispy good.

The best part: this cost 1.50€, or about $2.04. (Maybe it's a good thing the dogs aren't this good in New York.)

Berlin Greenmarket!

I woke up this morning in Berlin. (Somehow it just wasn't cold enough for me in Brooklyn. Go figure.) As fortune would have it, a farmers' market was in full swing right outside my window in the Friedrichshain district of the city.

I couldn't have planned a more perfect start to the day.

I fully expected prices for fresh vegetables and fruit to be painfully high, but I had no problem packing it in and keeping within my $50 weekly budget ... even translated into Euros.

I couldn't get over how beautiful the greens were in the 25° F weather.

But the locals were talking about how much nicer it's been than in previous days.

And things I never see at the New York markets--at such delicious prices!

If only I could bring this home to Brooklyn. Instead, I'll eat my way through the city while I'm here.

Oatmeal Cranberry Nut Love Cookies

The persuasive heart.

Ingredients:

3 cups oatmeal

1 cup flour (I used 3/4 white + 1/4 buckwheat)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup cranberries

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or yogurt chips

Step 1.

Mix together oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt.

Step 2.

Cream butter and sugar.

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Step 3.

Blend wet and dry ingredients thoroughly, then add in chopped nuts, cranberries, and chips.

Step 4.

Spoon cookies onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° F for 10-12 minutes.

I used a heart-shaped cake tin to make a large heart cookie. Or, you can press and form cookie dough into a heart shape about 1/4-inch thick.

Step 5.

Cool on rack.

I'd tell you that even one bite is engaging in risky behavior, but it's already too late for that.

A 2010 Kitchen of Love Valentine submission.

These hearts are filled with cranberries, an aphrodisiac loaded with vitamins C and A that stimulate and benefit sexual health. Eat that!

Cilantro Sesame Noodles with Snow Peas and Shrimp

A good noodle is one that satisfies hot and cold, dressed up or down, and embraces meat, fish, fowl, or greens. This dish scores on all fronts. Bonus: it all comes together in the time it takes to boil water and cook linguini.

The simple premise:

Noodles + dressing + greens + protein = dinner

I've made this dish with chicken, tofu, sausage, or simply vegetables.

Ingredients:

chives

cilantro

jalapeños

tahini

brown rice vinegar

sesame oil

honey

tamari

linguine

snow peas

shrimp

Step 1.

Boil water for linguini noodles. Meanwhile,

Step 2.

To make sauce, mix equal parts tahini (or peanut butter), brown rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Add tamari and honey to taste.

Step 3.

Rinse chives and cilantro.

Chop herbs and jalapeños finely.

Step 4.

Blanche snow peas.

Step 5.

Cook shrimp in hot skillet with sesame oil for 2-3 minutes.

Step 6.

Toss everything together. Serve on a bed of bok choy leaves.

Delicious hot for dinner tonight.

And chilled for lunch tomorrow.

Duck and Chevre Stuffed Figs and Dates

Every once in a while I come across a gourmet ingredient at an incredible price, and I need to pounce. This week, it was duck bacon. Same price as pork, way tastier than turkey. Why say no? And so the stuffed fig was born.

Ingredients

dried black Mission figs

pitted dates

goat cheese

rosemary

duck bacon

olive oil

Step 1.

Remove the stems from the figs. Slice figs and dates in half.

Insert a wedge of goat cheese in the centers of the dates and figs.

Sprinkle tops with rosemary.

Press a sliver of duck bacon on top.

Step 2.

Arrange in baking dish lightly greased with olive oil. Bake at 450° F for about 10 minutes.

Whet your taste buds with this before dinner. Be warned, however, with this on your tongue, you may not make it to the next course.