A glass of pickled cucumber: they have many
names. One of the ingredients in a “Mac” – you know those delicious buns filled
with flat pressed meat patties, sold in MacDonalds: the king of junk and fast
food. Have you ever looked behind the scenes, especially in summer when the
weather tends to be warm and inviting for various flying objects? No? Then I
would not if I was you. You will find a pool of vinegar with these delicious
green cucumbers swimming in it, if you can see behind the cloud of flies that
it attracts. Still want to order a Big Mac? Of course, what the eye does not see
is not a problem.
The pickled cucumbers shown on the picture are something very special. They are the pickled cucumbers from the area of the Spree woods in the Eastern part of Germany and in the old DDR days of Germany, they were still a well known product of the area. The Spree woods is a region with many rivers and an ideal place for the growing and production of these pickled cucumbers. When I was a working lady, exporting goods all over the world, I had contacts in this part of Germany. After the reunion of East and West Germany one of my contacts always brought me a glass from the area.
But now back to the junky bit. Does a golden oldie like me really eat all this junk stuff? Not really, but if I was starving and my only rescue would be in the Macdonalds, KFC washed down with a cup of Starbucks, then I would eat it/drink it because I would have no choice. My problem is that I like to know what is actually contained in the food I eat, and for this reason I am mainly a do-it-yourself cook.
I have never eaten a chicken nugget, I like my chicken with legs and wings and seeing all the bits and pieces of the body. I could make a chicken nugget myself. Some time ago I watched a video about how these chicken nuggets are made. If this is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth then I am glad I have never subjected my digestive organs to this food wonder. Do they use the breast of chicken? Of course not, far too expensive. Perhaps the meat from the limbs – forget it. We are left with the body so we are nearly there. Now imagine a skeleton, just the bare bones. Luckily chicken bones are on the softer side, so easily mashed in a suitable chopping machine. You are left with a sort of pink sloshy substance. Just add some flavour and a few artificial ingredients to stabilise the whole thing. Form the remaining mass into nugget shapes, coat it with bread crumbs (although I am not really sure if it is actually bread) and you have your nugget. Just cook it and eat it, yummy.
I like cooking. I sometimes lull myself to sleep thinking about what I will be cooking the next day for lunch. The problem might be that Mr. Swiss and I have differing ideas about what we like. I like to do something different now and again, this might or might not work. I am still not sure about this week. We both decided to have a rice day, we both like rice. I might do an asparagus risotto, rice with tomato and courgette, or even a colonial rice, you know with curry powder, fruit and some chopped chicken for good measure: all smothered in whipped cream.
I decided to do something completely different, inspired by an episode of the TV programme “Master Chef”. The main ingredient was chick pea, I like chick peas: a remainder from my Indian cooking days (I lived almost two years with an Indian/Swiss family). Chick peas need a spicy background and the cook on TV was sprinkling the chilli powder all over it very generously, so I though what he does I can as well. I have a special mixture in the garam masala style (every Indian housewife has her own spice mixture) and so I decided this would be it. I also mixed some spring oinions and chopped tomato and eventually dinner was served. Mr. Swiss found it quite spicy, quite hot, but after the first try he decided his taste buds had been fired up to such an extent that he no longer noticed that the food was on the spicy hot side. I quite like it like that, so there you see the difference. Even after 46 years of marriage, you still have different tastes in food. He did mention not to cook that dish again.
The Easter holidays begin tomorrow and so the fridge and kitchen cupboards and brim full of food. Careful planning was necessary but after a conference, Mr. Swiss and I decided what would be on the menu. Nothing hot and spicy, just plain cooking, however I am cooking lamb racks on Sunday and I was wondering if just a little chilli – no let’s keep it plain and simple, although I do like my lamb with a good soaking of garlic. I find if everyone eats garlic, it is not such a problem, we all smell the same.
The pickled cucumbers shown on the picture are something very special. They are the pickled cucumbers from the area of the Spree woods in the Eastern part of Germany and in the old DDR days of Germany, they were still a well known product of the area. The Spree woods is a region with many rivers and an ideal place for the growing and production of these pickled cucumbers. When I was a working lady, exporting goods all over the world, I had contacts in this part of Germany. After the reunion of East and West Germany one of my contacts always brought me a glass from the area.
But now back to the junky bit. Does a golden oldie like me really eat all this junk stuff? Not really, but if I was starving and my only rescue would be in the Macdonalds, KFC washed down with a cup of Starbucks, then I would eat it/drink it because I would have no choice. My problem is that I like to know what is actually contained in the food I eat, and for this reason I am mainly a do-it-yourself cook.
I have never eaten a chicken nugget, I like my chicken with legs and wings and seeing all the bits and pieces of the body. I could make a chicken nugget myself. Some time ago I watched a video about how these chicken nuggets are made. If this is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth then I am glad I have never subjected my digestive organs to this food wonder. Do they use the breast of chicken? Of course not, far too expensive. Perhaps the meat from the limbs – forget it. We are left with the body so we are nearly there. Now imagine a skeleton, just the bare bones. Luckily chicken bones are on the softer side, so easily mashed in a suitable chopping machine. You are left with a sort of pink sloshy substance. Just add some flavour and a few artificial ingredients to stabilise the whole thing. Form the remaining mass into nugget shapes, coat it with bread crumbs (although I am not really sure if it is actually bread) and you have your nugget. Just cook it and eat it, yummy.
I like cooking. I sometimes lull myself to sleep thinking about what I will be cooking the next day for lunch. The problem might be that Mr. Swiss and I have differing ideas about what we like. I like to do something different now and again, this might or might not work. I am still not sure about this week. We both decided to have a rice day, we both like rice. I might do an asparagus risotto, rice with tomato and courgette, or even a colonial rice, you know with curry powder, fruit and some chopped chicken for good measure: all smothered in whipped cream.
I decided to do something completely different, inspired by an episode of the TV programme “Master Chef”. The main ingredient was chick pea, I like chick peas: a remainder from my Indian cooking days (I lived almost two years with an Indian/Swiss family). Chick peas need a spicy background and the cook on TV was sprinkling the chilli powder all over it very generously, so I though what he does I can as well. I have a special mixture in the garam masala style (every Indian housewife has her own spice mixture) and so I decided this would be it. I also mixed some spring oinions and chopped tomato and eventually dinner was served. Mr. Swiss found it quite spicy, quite hot, but after the first try he decided his taste buds had been fired up to such an extent that he no longer noticed that the food was on the spicy hot side. I quite like it like that, so there you see the difference. Even after 46 years of marriage, you still have different tastes in food. He did mention not to cook that dish again.
The Easter holidays begin tomorrow and so the fridge and kitchen cupboards and brim full of food. Careful planning was necessary but after a conference, Mr. Swiss and I decided what would be on the menu. Nothing hot and spicy, just plain cooking, however I am cooking lamb racks on Sunday and I was wondering if just a little chilli – no let’s keep it plain and simple, although I do like my lamb with a good soaking of garlic. I find if everyone eats garlic, it is not such a problem, we all smell the same.
I do really like pickled cucumber, particularly out of jars like that. I don't like them sliced on a McD hamburger though. Whoever thought that the flavours would be a good match were dead wrong, in my opinion. From that you can gather that I have no objection to "junk food' as it is called. Sometimes I like to have a quick meal and I find them convenient. Sometimes I like to have something ethnic, and there are good Chinese and Indian take-outs in the local town. While home-cooked food is good, after a stressful day at work, I really don't want to be bothered with all the preparation. I can cook and quite well, but just don't have the desire to do it. Can cook, won't cook. More often than not I will have a 'microwave' meal.
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