Berlin Cooking Class!

Last Christmas, Mike gave me a Turkish cooking class as his gift to me.  We found one in Istanbul that was taught in English, relatively cheap and sounded like the perfect fit for me.  He booked it for mid-April when we knew we'd be in Istanbul.  Everyone was happy.  Then, the week before we left for Istanbul, I got evacuated.   No Turkish cooking class for me.

I knew when we ended up in Germany that I wanted to find a German cooking class as a substitute, but with the craziness of the move and the business of the fall, it got put on the back burner.  I figured it would be something for the spring when I needed to take my mind off of baby waiting.  Mike was one step ahead of me though and booked a class for me for the week after the Ficks left!! Happy anniversary surprise to me!

The day after the Ficks left, I woke up bright and early and met my instructor Kit, as well as two men from New York City at a local market to begin the class.  Kit had prepared the menu and shopping list and all we had to do was walk around the market with her while she showed us how to pick out good produce and meat.

Once back at her house, the cooking began!  Our menu consisted of a salad with apples and nuts (my favorite kind of salad), a vegetable/root soup (so delicious!), German meatballs and chocolate cake for dessert. All of it was so simple to make and came from local ingredients, which made it feel so healthy and tasted so fresh.

 

















Once we finished cooking, we set the table and sat down to eat.  The two men were visiting Berlin for the first time, so between Kit and myself (mainly Kit), we gave them lots of suggestions of what to do and see around the city, while eating the delicious food.  I always think of German food as meat and potatoes, but I think that's a huge stereotype that isn't true.  Meat and potatoes is more of a Bavarian (southern) type of meal.  Northern Germany, including Berlin, isn't as big on the heavy dishes and instead tends to lean towards fish and vegetables.  This meal was filling, but I didn't walk away so full that I was uncomfortable, like I sometimes do with the heavier meals.


If you are ever in Berlin and find that you have an extra day, I definitely recommend Schoene Heimat cooking class.  Kit is a wonderful instructor and such a pleasure to spend the day with.