Past weekend I was amazed by a lovely farmer's market in the city of Karlsruhe (seat of the Federal Constitutional Court as well as the Federal Court of Justice; the cityscape is said to resemble, even to have inspired that one of Washington D.C.). It is surrounded by a region appreciable warmer than Northern Germany. The range of regional produce on sale at this market at the onset of fall was just enviable. Giant artichokes, wild herbs, exotic mushrooms, freshly picked figues - most of these I could never have on hand at home.
The city is close to the beautiful Palatinate wine region (Alsace and the Black Forest aren't far away either) where at this time of the year they offer their regional delicacy in every winery or restaurant - Federweißer and German onion pie. I cannot think of a better way to start with fall ;)
Wochenmarkt Gutenbergplatz, Karlsruhe. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7:30 am.
Eateries with a beautiful view:
Altstadtkeller, Kunigundenstr. 2, Neustadt an der Weinstraße.
Burgschänke Rittersberg, Am Hambacher Schloss 19, Neustadt an der Weinstraße.
A little flashback: I have given up getting handmade Asian noodles any time soon but in Germany's only Japantown at least I had this very delectable bowl of noodle soup. The noodles weren't made from scratch but the soup contained a deep broth made of fresh produce. Very likely there are other decent Japanese eateries around so waiting longer than half an hour in the line wouldn't be worth it. A little waiting definitely is.
A stone throw away there is a great Korean, Japanese grocery store with a big selection of import noodles and reasonably priced dinnerware.
Naniwa Noodles & Soups, Oststr. 55, Düsseldorf. Closed on Tuesdays.
Dae Yang, Immermannstr. 21, Düsseldorf.
After a serene weekend in and around Düsseldorf where I visited some fresh and old local art sites the new presention of a private collection held by Arthur de Ganay made up a suitable end.
Düsseldorf is the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia and along with the city of Weimar and Leipzig, home of the most prominent art school in Germany. The list of landscape painters that belong to the Düsseldorf school of painting (comparable to the Hudson River School and the Barbizon School) is endless. The list of artists from all parts of the country who have passed the art academy in the 20th century makes up a who is who of almost every influential German artist of modern times. And last but not least the academy has been the site of the photography school of Bernd and Hilla Becher, that has been introduced in U.S. through the genius Ileana Sonnabend, whose gallery is still recognized as one of the most remarkable ones in New York.
The current presention of the collection features a dozen of exemplary works of Becher students (Elger Esser, Candida Höfer, Thomas Ruff, Thomas Struth) along with works of Hiroshi Sugimoto and Arwed Messmer in an intimate, truely "Berlin-style" location - an old factory site where you get the feeling of overviewing the cityscape and where the television tower is mirrored in the picture frames... The pictures are mostly large format and colorful; partly landscape and partly architecture. They convey absolute, almost surreal silence and invite the viewer to contemplate long about time and past, spaces and dimensions. After all, the viewer might be puzzled about the people and human stories that have been omitted. An exquisite personal collection that you can feel is sorted with affinity and endurance.
Sammlung Arthur de Ganay, Köpenicker Str. 10 A, Kreuzberg. Guided tour every first Saturday after registration.
Btw another highly recommendable art collection in a spectacular private home:
Sammlung Hoffmann, Sophienstr. 21, Mitte. Guided tour every saturday after registration.
I love reading about other people's splendid farmers' markets. Probably because I am not so happy with mine: the Kollwitzmarket has had its days. While real farmers' markets open in the dawn, this one is built up at 10 am. There are two serious vendors for vegetables and fruits next to one decent stall for cheese and one for fresh pasta. The rest are imho bits and bobs with no special links to Berlin or Brandenburg. As to the clientele you spot more buggies, tourists and dandering folks (commonly ridiculed as the Bionade-Biedermeier fraction) than serious buyers. I am usually done with my round in fifteen minutes and directly head to the stores to procure what was not available at the market. And gee, is that frustrating.
I know that I am not at all in a position to whine. I have read about supermarket shortages in American cities, especially in NYC and learned that food supply in big cities is not a matter of course. Let alone local produce supply.
And I read the fabulous blog of Bridget's who bakes and cooks the most fabulous things in the deserts of New Mexico. Or of Jen's, who lives in the mountains of Colorado. They have to find their ways, too.
But I also watched Catherine visiting her farmer's market in LA and was staggered. I mean, how hard is it to make good food when you can get everything fresh and local?
Last weekend I visited another market that marvels me again and again. Vevey is a small town at Lake Geneva with view of the spectacular Valais Alps and the Mont Blanc massif. Twice a week this charming farmers' market takes place at the town's center.
Two reasons why my Swiss food experiences belong to the best ones:
The great quality of local produce and the lack of affordable gastronomy.
As to the latter: nowhere in whole of Switzerland you can order and scarf down a menu for ten bucks and I believe that is why all my Swiss friends are dedicated home cooks, bakers and creative picnicers :)
As to the former: I can tell from a Korean cooking experience in the Swiss mountains that gathering exotic produce is very difficult there. But in return, the range of regional specialities and organic produce of excellent quality is abundant. You never hear of mass production and overproduction. Instead, most of what is produced there seems to be consumed within the country. (That's why it is so hard get a bottle of wine from the lovely Lavaux region in foreign stores btw.)
My host told me that recently the Swiss take regional produce even more serious so that in the two big supermarket chains (Migros and Coop) you can get produce from within the community (!) border.
I returned with a handful of chocolate candies, some cheese (Gruyère, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Sbrienz), herbs and spices in the luggage and wished to have less choices but more locally linked produces at home.
Without context let me throw in some of my revolutionary finds in the www :)
1. Rare touching historical photographs of Koreans. Rare because they belong to the Cornell University Library. Touching because these people before the industrialization era (for Koreans that was only 100 years ago) look so innocent, vulnerable and still jauntily.
You can find personal captures here together with more sources. (Btw altough its name indicates a different cuisine missboulette is one of the finest Korean food and culture readings out there, check it out!).
2. Any idea, where and how I can get to see the episodes of Kimchi chronicles? I am desperate to see Hugh Jackman's kitchen and watch him cooking Kimchi. I really am.
3. I have a dream dish that after a lazy summer at the cooking front, I will make true. Promise.
4. Ms Maangchi, the Youtube cooking star with a big sense of humour, will be on a global tour beginning this fall. If you want to learn Korean cooking from her in person, sign up now. She is from Busan, where my family comes from as well and maybe that's why I totally agree with her recipes.
