by AnnElise | Nov 14, 2013 | America, cooking, recipes
Among all pumpkin-like vegetables, the acorn squash tops my list of favorites. I tasted it the first time during a Thanksgiving celebration in my first year as an exchange student. It was love at first bite.
Acorn squash is a delightful harvest dessert for the senses
Acorn squash is the easiest thing on earth. One squash is enough for two people and might as well satisfy four.
Wash the squash, cut in half, remove the seeds with a spoon. Then set the halves inside up into a baking tray. Put about 2 Tbsp butter in each squash, sprinkle each half with cinnamon and sugar, put it in the oven and forget about it. Bake squash for 60 minutes at 375 F.
When the cinnamon aroma delightfully fills the air with culinary expectations, I automatically drop into a good mood. After the squash has cooled a bit, serve it in dessert bowls. The squash should feel creamy to the spoon and taste buds.
What a wonderful treasure of nature!
by AnnElise | Nov 8, 2013 | cooking, recipes
If plucking a chicken hasn’t made you feel like a pioneer (woman), this butternut squash chili recipe certainly will. Simple ingredients, but not “fast and easy.” Don’t try this when in a hurry. Be prepared for a two-day process.
I discovered, this gourd was more nut than butter
Last October butternut squash recipes popped from every newspaper. Was tradition calling, was it the season? Or did people have nothing better to do? Anyway, I was thrilled by the possibilities. The food pictures looked great.
My chili recipe seemed easy, with very few and widely known ingredients. However, I had never dealt with butternut. I needed 3 cups of cubes. Soon I discovered that this squash was more “nut” than “butter.”
Baking butternut wedges
PEELING: Slice off both ends of gourd, stand squash upright, and halve it through the middle. Remove seeds. Little did I know, here comes the peeling part.
MY MISTAKE: I had already cut the squash into ca. 1-inch-thick wedges. And neither knives nor peelers would safely chisel off the wooden, gourdy peel.
MY FIX: I baked the squash wedges pasted with olive oil for 30 minutes at 370 F. After wedges had cooled off, I made incisions down to the rind and shaved out the pieces, like on a honey dew melon.
Cut out wedges
Butternut 3 Pepper Chili Recipe
- —-PREP WORK—–
- 3 cups butternut cubes (roasted)
- 2 poblano peppers (to be roasted with squash)
- 2 other sweet peppers, diced (bell, etc.)
- —-FOR THE MASALA/BASE
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeño, diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp salt & pepper each
- 2 cloves garlic
- —-STEW PART——
- 1 cup beans (kidney, pinto), presoaked
Here is the stew
DAY BEFORE: Buy/prepare your butternut cubes, roast them with the poblano peppers, keep all in the fridge. Soak the beans, 2 inches under water.
MAKING THE CHILI:
- Roast onions & jalapeños in a large pot (low/medium heat, 10 min).
- Add dry spices & garlic, keep on stirring, until its nicely fried together (5 min).
- Add beans & sweet pepper, stirring until well combined (5 min).
- Add water to cover all, bring to a boil, then simmer until beans until cooked (60-90 min). Add more water as needed.
- Finally, add in squash cubes & poblano, heat everything well through (10 min).
- (OPTIONAL: Add more seasonings to liking: allspice, red chili, salt, fresh pepper, sweet cream, a dash of sugar.)
MY REVIEW: Butternut is an interesting experiment. After you learn to cut the cubes, you can make stews for 16 persons (double the recipe) from one butternut squash. I liked the chili, but in the end this is clearly a “bean lovers soup.” Not my typical recipe, but a seasonal splurge.
As always, the simplest things are the best, such as the olive-roasted butternut au naturel. Just with a little lime on it and eat it just so—if you like squash.
THE NEXT STEP: Maybe I would use canned beans to speed up the process for this stew. OR: Make a creamed soup. OR: Use butternut in a bean salad.
by AnnElise | Oct 14, 2013 | cooking, India, nutrition, recipes
Poha is the name for flattened rice, or rice flakes. A poha (vegan) stir-fry makes for a tasty and nourishing breakfast. Have a couple of boiled potatoes and fresh cilantro ready. I liked this flavor mix at first bite. Maybe you will too.
A wok-ful of poha makes for a nutritious family breakfast
- – – – – PREROAST
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ cup of raw peanuts
- – – – – MASALA
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 green hot chili, diced
- 1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tsp amchoor (tangy mango powder)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- – – – – FINISH
- 2 medium boiled potatoes, diced
- 2 cups of poha, washed
Crasins add tangy sweet flavor bubbles
Optional:
1 handful craisins or cranberries
Garnish with:
green cilantro and a drizzle of lime
Indian housewives, hope you don’t mind, since I am a little lazy, I make Poha all in one large wok.
- First, heat up the frying oil and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, reduce the heat to medium light. Then throw in the peanuts and roast them toasty (5 min).
- Add diced onion and pepper to the wok and stir-fry the masala until onions seem glazed. Now add the turmeric, amchoor, salt, and sugar while constantly stirring.
- Throw in the diced (boiled) potatoes and stir regularly.
- In a colander, wash the poha flakes, let them drip off, and stir the poha into the spicy masala. Shuffle poha well with masala and heat it all the way through. Add craisins, if you like.
Finally, drizzle juice of ½ lime over the dish and garnish with sprinkles of cilantro.
Poha breakfast makes for a good start in the morning. It’s not heavy on the stomach but provides a lot of energy. No objections from vegans either.
by AnnElise | Jul 12, 2013 | environment, Germany, nature, travel & tourism
A natural crocodile in an Alpine pond
I love the rainy days, but I would be singing night and day if I were to eulogize this heavenly moisture in Germany. Rain had come down too much on the land of BMW and Nivea cream.
Perhaps Germany’s May and June 2013 had altogether five clearly sunny days. And some of these presented a tropical steam kitchen with 35 degrees Celsius (100 F) and almost 100 percent humidity.
Beach baskets at Travemünde
On one of those rare brilliant days, we sat dazed and mesmerized at a Travemünde beach café. It was too hot to move about. Even the famous beach baskets hunkered down, mouth wide open, gasping for air.
Ya-ha, that was a pretty exceptional day. Otherwise, the heavens poured down water as if pushing us to rebuild Noah’s Arc. On TV, we watched people being washed out of their homes along the Danube River. Many residents tried to sandbag their storefronts in Passau, but to no avail. Scores of farm animals drowned. More dikes could have broken, but people labored ceaselessly to contain the damage.
Rickmers historic ship
Damage it was, however. Gasoline tanks broke, stank up the properties; furniture and merchandise spoiled; water poured from electric outlets. Everything needed to be fixed real bad or be torn down. Ms. Merkel promised emergency help, about $2000 per victim immediately. That aid was for people with nothing else but their clothes on their backs. Damages amounted to hundreds of millions Euros. Diehards along these smitten areas declared they would not only survive the flooding but also recover.
Such courage was admirable. To me, this exceptional flood seemed like New Orleans all over again. However, the Germans were better organized and much less destitute. It might seem, at times, that the clean sweep of New Orleans was intentional.
Really funny, right? The New Orleans disaster “Katrina” was talked about, predicted, so to say, but still nobody was prepared for it. Why is that? Skip, skip, skip across the pond to the rest of the story . . .
Natural reflections
If we can think it, if we can say it, these things will happen. So we must do something about it, right? We know that earthquakes will come in California. But not in our time, we hope. We know that glacial surfaces are melting. But they are so far away. We know that we will run out of mineral oils. But gasoline is still affordable. And on it goes. We like to take a “calculated” risk. Calculate all you will. Some people thought they were smart enough to follow the receding waters into the ocean before the tsunami. Imagine the rest.
Let’s not be a doomsday prophet or a conspiracy theorist. In my own lifetime, I have observed Germany’s climate change, especially because I live so far away from it. In the last 20 years, I have hardly experienced one of those warm-crisp “Russian summer” days I used to know in my childhood.
Compared to that, everything seems moist and clammy to me, even the laundry never dries up completely. I see a lot of moss growing. And sometimes the exertion from mountain hiking feels like being “water-boarded” by the secret service. The air is heavy with water, so it’s hard for the lungs to separate the oxygen out of it.
I still love the greenery and rainy landscape. But increasingly I am experiencing more aquarium-like days than I am able to remember. So the climate might have changed already. What now?
Look at the pictures from the Tegernsee Mountains. Some impressions reminded me of the rainforest in Ecuador. Naturally, in northern Germany because of the Elbe, Alster and Baltic Sea, there was a lot of water anyway. And another load fell from the sky.
Water critters
Tadpoles
More reflections
by AnnElise | May 6, 2013 | cooking, India, life, recipes, social interest
Teatime in India has its special ceremonies. Spiced tea, “chai,” is boiled, not brewed. Every family infuses its favorite aromas and has a protocol for making it.
My favorite cup of chai with milk cake
Chai has sometimes brought me back from the dead. No matter how tired I was from jetlag, this hot cup of brew revitalized me every time.
Chai time on the Indian continent is a time for bonding and celebration. Three Cups of Tea is the title of a book by Greg Mortenson about building schools in rural Afghanistan. Tea, in the predominantly illiterate society, had contractual power.
In the British movie comedy, East Is East, with Om Puri as strict Pakistani patriarch, tea plays an important role during marriage negotiations and fish & chip store breaks. The head of the family likes to show moderation by asking for “half a cup.”
My favorite spices in the chai
An Indian joke goes that if the lady of the house offers you “another cup of tea”, it is time to leave the party. However, hospitality usually overrules the ticking of the clock. So you might as well accept.
If somebody in India offers to make tea for you, their special kind, they want to spend time with you. Their cup of tea shows that they love you very much. So just sit back and enjoy.
For the longest time, I did not make chai. Why not? Simple. I wanted people to shower affection on me by making me a cup of love. But I also feared I’d make mistakes. Now since I learnt how, let me share some love with you.
Chai’s aromatic spices: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, anis, peppercorn, star anise—and perhaps a mystery pinch of something else. Let’s make two mugs of chai. Here is how we proceed:
- Measure 2 cups of water and set it to boil in saucepan. (It helps if the saucepan has beakers for pouring. Use a pan that is at least twice the quantity of tea.)
- Add 2 crushed cardamom seeds, 1 inch cinnamon, one slice ginger, 1 clove, 5 anise seeds, maybe a pinch of black pepper—as the water heats up.
- Add 2 tsp Taj Mahal tea leaves and 2 tsp sugar. Let this come to a boil.
- Finally, add ¾ cup of milk and bring the chai twice to a boil again. WATCH IT! The milk might make the chai spill out. Lift the saucepan from the heating element before this happens, or lightly blow the foam down.
First the spices
then the tea leaves
then the milk
Now the tea is ready to pour into cups. Use a sieve to keep out the sediment. It is best to use a sauce pan with a beaker to avoid a mess.
Serve the tea with cookies, burfi, or chickpea snacks. Ready for a (re)treat? Take a chai time break! It is invigorating. Enjoy your tea time!
by AnnElise | Apr 2, 2013 | cooking, India, nutrition, recipes
We bake tandoori chicken when we expect a lot of guests. This recipe has never failed us and saved us much time, trouble and money. Remember: marinate the meat a day before. This recipe is for 5 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on.
Tandoori chicken is a party favorite and crowd pleaser. It is easy to make and tastes delicious. Here it is pictured with idlis and parathas.
For the marinade:
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 inch grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp + red chili
- 3 tsp Rajah tandoori spice mix
- garam masala (optional)
- juice of ½ lime or lemon
- 3 tsp salt
Prepare chicken pieces by trimming off excess fat pockets. In a large bowl, stir all the ingredients together for the yogurt marinade. The marinade will turn an orange color.
Rajah Tandoori Masala
Mix up the chicken well with the marinade so that everything gets covered. Let the chicken rest in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Stir chicken pieces at least once.
Line two baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil. Distribute the chicken pieces evenly over the baking sheets and bake on the middle/upper rack at 350 F for 60–75 minutes. Cooked on a grill, this chicken will taste even heartier. (Tandoori ovens are a little hard to come by.)
Serve the tandoori chicken with Basmati rice and yogurt rheita salad. Bon appetite!
by AnnElise | Mar 27, 2013 | Germany, lifestyle, nutrition
Shocking. Are we getting this fat? Recently, I saw a 2-hour documentary on TLC on the “downsizing” of a 600-pound woman. Since the Biggest Loser series, the fat problem has become worthy of a State of the Union address.
In the US, “Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years,” the CDC reports. More than 1/3 of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Even worse, 25.8 million people, or 8.3% of the US population, have diabetes. Centers for Disease Control on obesity or diabetes.
Who is to blame for this health crisis? There are gyms around every corner. Why don’t people use them? OK, the pop tarts, the sugary sodas, the greasy fast food, the slow metabolism, the stress, the sedentary lifestyle, the industrial conspiracy, or perhaps the “government”?
Bauernkalender girl for August 2012
Maybe I don’t understand the weight problems because I was raised in a different millennium on a different planet called a “Bavarian farm.” (Deutscher Bauernkalender image on right) We ate plenty, and a lot of fatty foods too. Nobody expanded to the size of a biggest loser. Perhaps it was because we had a few strong, habit-forming German sayings (mind control) to keep us “normal,” functioning, and healthy.
What I am telling you here is not a diet. Eat anything you want, as long as you stick to these rules like German girls do. You’ll never get fat, I promise. Here is how it goes:
Wer nicht kommt zur rechten Zeit, muss haben was übrig bleibt.
Who does not show up on time, must make do with what is left.
Easy enough. Meals are strictly scheduled at certain times. If you missed your opportunity, you will be lucky if something is still left for you. Maybe there isn’t, so you wait for the next meal to come around. “Gegessen wird bei den Mahlzeiten” (Eating is only for meal times), my mom would say if she caught us snooping around the cabinets for cookies. LESSON 1: Stick to a firm and manageable meal schedule.
Wer nichts arbeitet, soll auch nichts essen.
Who does not work, should not eat.
Oh yeah, zuerst die Arbeit, dann das Vergnügen, have you walked around the block today? Did you get your chores done? Walked stairs? Hit the gym? Spent your calories and energy? Fulfilled your duties? If not, better forget about eating altogether. LESSON 2: Earn your food intake or work the calories off right away.
Es wird gegessen, was auf den Tisch kommt.
What is put on the table will be eaten.
Es gibt keine “Extrawurst,” no special requests. In all fairness, a housewife had to get through her daily chores and manage the available supplies. Pickiness was clearly frowned upon. This is quite a democratic rule, because if you wait another day your preferable dishes might come around again. You don’t like today’s cabbage? No worry. Tomorrow it will be pancakes. LESSON 3: Don’t be picky because the less desirable foods may be healthy for you.
Hunger ist der beste Koch.
Hunger is the perfect cook.
How true! Maybe we should wait to get hungry. When you are really hungry, a broader spectrum of foods will taste delicious to you. If you don’t like beets at first, wait another couple of hours. Maybe even celery will taste good to you after a while. LESSON 4: Eat only when you are really hungry and even plain foods will taste better.
Wenn es am besten schmeckt, muss man aufhören.
When the pleasure is at its peak, you must stop eating.
Bummer, right? Well, that is some German stoicism that I unfortunately can’t spare you. If you follow this rule, you will never overeat. The problem still is to know when to stop eating. For example, does this delicious roast taste best NOW or will it taste even better in 5 minutes? LESSON 5: Know your stomach’s limits by listening to your body’s signals.
Eigener Herd ist Goldes wert. and Ein gutes Mahl lohnt Müh und Qual.
Your own hearth is golden. and A good meal is worth its effort and labor.
If you want to have a really good meal, you must cook it yourself. Your “own hearth” gives you control over the budget and quality of ingredients. You can cook flavors exactly to your liking and you save a lot of money by not eating out. “Effort and labor” are an acceptable price for a delectable result. LESSON 6: Cook your own meals to save money and increase appreciation and enjoyment of eating.
Aufgewärmt schmeckt es noch besser.
Reheated food even tastes better.
Germans have an intricate leftover culture. It is not considered stinginess to come up with creative variations for pasta dishes and make the most of each mealtime endeavor. Reheated goulash does indeed taste better, although this saying might not be totally true for all recipes. LESSON 7: Waste nothing and get creative with leftover recipes.
Essen und Trinken hält Leib und Seele zusammen.
Eating and drinking keeps body and soul together.
Sound body, sound mind. If you don’t add food to your body, your soul will soon leave its residence. That’s how food is the glue to keep body and soul together. Eating and drinking is a philosophical and spiritual experience. If you have a pleasurable eating experience, your soul will rejoice because your taste buds are a gate to the world of senses. LESSON 8: Cherish every bite that is given to you for pleasure and nourishment.
Liebe geht durch den Magen.
Love goes through the stomach.
Food can be an aphrodisiac. The enjoyment of a tasty meal unlocks the readiness for other sensual adventures. Good food puts you in the mood. A delicious meal may “bait” a mate or create unexpected bonds. Two people who love the same kinds of flavors are several steps closer to a match. LESSON 9: When you love somebody, cook your (or his or her) favorite meal for them.
Das Auge isst mit.
The eye also participates in eating.
Das Essen soll zuerst das Auge erfreuen und dann den Magen. Goethe
The food should first enchant the eye and then the stomach. Goethe
Eating is a holistic experience. That’s why we garnish the cutlets or decorate the cake. Pretty accents on dishes, the lemon wedge, the parsley sprig, or the delightful table setting make a meal an experience. Artful garnish shows love, appreciation and care for the sustenance and gifts of nature. Can you cut a radish like a rose or a ladybug? LESSON 10: Increase your appreciation of food by making it an artistic endeavor.
Was der Bauer nicht kennt, frisst er nicht.
What the farmer does not know, he does not eat.
Don’t misunderstand this one. Farmers are not ignorant. To the contrary, they want to know what they are getting on their plate. Many Germans are highly aware about quality foods and nutrients. They make a conscious decision of what goes into their mouths and bodies. Know your food, read your labels. Are the vegetables natural, organic, or highly engineered? LESSON 11: Hone your food consumer awareness on every shopping trip.
Wer die Bohne nicht ehrt, ist das Schnitzel nicht wert.
Who does not respect the bean does not deserve a cutlet.
I admit it, I made this up from Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist den Taler nicht wert (Who does not honor the penny is not worth a dime). But this is an important reminder for all of us to eat the vegetables too, not only the meat. If you follow that rule, you will be able to balance your nutrition. LESSON 12: Eat a little bit of everything because even the commonest staples have important nutrients to provide.
Zum Frühstück essen wie ein Kaiser, zu Mittag wie ein König, zu Abend wie ein Bettelmann.
Eat breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, dinner like a beggar.
This makes it clear: load up energy before you go to task for the day and maintain your momentum with a reasonable meal at midday. However, don’t starve yourself throughout the day and stuff yourself at night. Don’t go to bed with a heavy stomach. Most of us rush out hungry in the morning like madwomen (wrong). LESSON 13: Follow the “German food pyramid” and eat the majority of food early in the day, less at night.
Essen ist ein Bedürfnis, Genießen eine Kunst.
Eating is a necessity, enjoyment (of food) is an art.
Finally, the ultimate advice in eating leads to enjoyment. Train your taste buds, savor delightful foods, learn to discriminate the gazillion flavors of cheese, chocolate and wine. Maybe you even want to know how the cheese was made, what herbs the cows ate, or come up with adjectives or similes to describe flavor experiences. Become your own gourmet and guide to frugal splendor. Grow your own vegetables for better satisfaction. LESSON 14: Become a gourmet and let your artistic imagination enjoy your food many times over in your mind and heart.
That is how German girls never get fat. Just try it!
Mahl-Zeit!
by AnnElise | Feb 21, 2013 | America, lifestyle, products
Wenn sonst nichts hilft, dann her mit Arm & Hammer. Das ist „baking soda,“ auf gut Deutsch, Backnatron. Man nennt es auch „sodium bicarbonate“ oder „doppelt kohlensaures Natrium“. Ohne das geht gar nichts bei uns in Amerika.
Dieses Arm & Hammer ist ein wahres Wundermittel, wie ich nach mehr als 20 Jahren in Amerika feststellte. Eigentlich gewundert hatte ich mich schon lange. Speziell darüber warum so ein großes Aufhebens über baking soda gemacht wird.
Jeder kennt das runde rote Logo, darauf der starke Schmiedgott-Arm mit dem Vorschlaghammer im festen Griff. Noch älter als die Coca Cola-Marke existiert es schon seit 1860 herum—eine unendlich lange Zeit im schnelllebigen Amerika.
Der Hammerarm blinkt im Supermarkt von den unterschiedlichsten Produkten herunter. Im texanischen Studentenheim standen immer ein paar geöffnete Pakete in der Speisekammer. Ich fragte mich, warum?
Ich „entdeckte“ Arm & Hammer eines Tages mit Paukenschlag. In einem Gartencafe in Seattle stach mit eine Wespe in den Zeh. Das war nicht angenehm. Wie ich so auf einem Fuß schmerzerfüllt durch den Garten hüpfte, rief eine Begleiterin rasch nach der Bedienung: „Baking soda and vinegar, please!“ Die Kellnerin verstand sogleich.
Also löffelte meine Freundin vom Müttertreff das weiße Pulver auf die geschwollene Stelle und träufelte Essig drauf. Es schäumte! Welche Wohltat, das war so schön kühl! Doch, wirklich, der Schmerz war auf die Hälfte reduziert. Kohlensaures Natron war entzündungshemmend noch dazu.
Was man mit baking soda nicht so alles machen kann! Mit demselben Essig-Backnatron-Rezept entfernst du auch Kalkablagerungen vom alten Duschkopf. Oder du baust mit deinen Kindern einen schäumenden Vulkan für die Schulausstellung.
Arm & Hammer ist auch ein Deodorant. Deshalb kann man es sich unter die Achseln schmieren oder eine offene Packung in den Kühlschrank stellen, damit der Blumenkohl von letzter Woche nicht gar so stinkt. Oder du streust es ausgiebig ins Katzenklo, dann brauchst du weniger oft ausmisten.
Anscheinend ist Arm & Hammer etwas unbekömmlich für Insekten. Erst gut zehn Jahre nach dem Studium wurde mir klar, dass im Studentenheim niemand die Absicht zum Backen hatte. Nein, das Arm & Hammer diente als biologische Küchenschabenfalle. Hat es geholfen? Nicht ganz. Küchenschaben gibt es in Texas noch immer genug.
Arm & Hammer macht alles weißer. Also schüttest du eine halbe Tasse in die Waschmaschine, weil es gleichzeitig desinfiziert. Logischerweise macht man es in die Zahnpasta rein, weil dann das Lächeln noch strahlender wird.
Wenn du mal Rotwein auf den Teppich geschüttet hast, streu das Arm & Hammer drauf, dann wird’s sauber. Du kannst auch Silber damit putzen, denke ich.
Kein Mensch backt mit Arm & Hammer, aber der vielseitige Nutzen ist unübersehbar. Es wir schon in die Müllsäcke eingeschweißt zur Geruchsvermeidung. Und auch die härtesten Kichererbsen werden damit schneller weich gekocht.
Nicht zuletzt ist es für Gesichtsmasken und Peels der wahre Hammer. Also weg mit der Mandelkleie, her mit dem Backpulver! Und immer schön geschrubbt.
Arm&Hammer
by AnnElise | Feb 7, 2013 | cooking, lifestyle, nutrition, recipes
One omelet has never gone wrong. I make it with green onions and cilantro, throw in a handful of shredded cheese and garnish it with avocado and tomatoes.
This omelet has an all-round good flavor
- 6-8 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 Tbs butter
- 1 cup cheese
- 5 sprigs cilantro, chopped
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- avocado for garnish
Sprinkle onions and cilantro on omelet
Whisk up 6 to 8 eggs with 3/4 cup of milk and pour the mixture into a large, hot, buttered, nonstick frying pan. Let this set for ca. 5 minutes.
Chop 3 stalks of green onions and a few sprigs of cilantro. Sprinkle these over the omelet. Season with pepper and salt, and sprinkle a half cup of shredded cheese over the omelet.
Let the raw egg flow under to the bottom of pan
With a rubberized spatula carefully carve sectional cuts into the omelet to let the remaining raw egg mass flow under the cooked portions.
After another 5 minutes or so, check what the bottom looks like. When the surface is not runny any more, cut the omelet into 4 portions and turn these over.
Brown the omelet from both sides.
Brown the omelet nice and toasty from both sides. Try to get a good golden-brown color. Inside the omelet should be soft and fluffy.
Divide the omelet into 4 portions, add more salt or seasoning and garnish with avocado and tomato pieces.
Bon appetit!
by AnnElise | Aug 3, 2012 | America, Arizona, travel & tourism
Ich war einmal in Sedona. Wahrscheinlich schon zum fünfzehnten mal. Überwältigt von der Märchenlandschaft hatte ich die Vortexes nie so richtig registriert. Oder absichtlich ignoriert? Aber hinter jeder Kurve in Sedona lauern allerdings Hellseher oder Schamanen mit ihren Kristallkugeln und die weisen jeden Touristen auf Kraftorte hin, ob es ihn interessiert oder nicht. Jedenfalls sind sich die Aura-Fotografen und andere Seelenheiler einig, dass diese markante rote Felsenlandschaft in Arizona — mit Namen wie Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Thunder Mountain, Elephant Rock, Snoopy, Elders Rock, Kissing Rock, Chimney Rock — gespickt sei mit mysteriösen Energiewirbeln. Viele New Age Pilger trapsen deswegen durch die roten Sandsteingebilde oder waten im idyllischen Oak Creek herum.
Vortex, muss man sich vorstellen, das ist so ein Wirbel, wie wenn man in der Badewanne das Wasser herauslässt. Aber nur ist in dieser Art von Vortex natürlich kein Wasser drin, nur reine Energie. Die zum Teil sogar messbar sei. Wenn sich also die Wacholderbäumchen um die eigene Achse drehen, könnte man einer Vortex auf der Spur sein. So stand es jedenfalls in dem Informationsblättchen der Time Share-Agentur.
Ich wusste ja gar nicht, dass ich wohl schon zum siebten Mal bei der berühmtesten Vortex weilte. Die liegt am Oak Creek genau am meist fotografierten Spot, weil da im Hintergrund der mächtige Cathedral Rock thront. Hingezogen fühlte ich mich dazu schon immer. An diesem einmaligen Plätzchen hat man nichts als schöne Natur und den beruhigenden Lauf des Wassers um sich. Abschalten. Zeit vergessen. Ins Wasser tauchen. Aber hat die Vortex nun meine Ansicht von diesem erholsamen Ort geändert? Was ist, wenn ich dort beim nächsten Mal irgendwie verstrudelt werde? Ich glaube es kaum.
Bei der Felsenkapelle (Chapel in the Rocks) dachte ich schon, dass sich mein Innerstes bewegt hatte. Kunststück! Geblendet vom gleißenden Wild West-Licht lief ich gleich dem mexikanischen Erzengel Miguel in die Arme. Die ewig hochstrebenden Wände auf beiden Seiten des engen Raumes zwangen den Blick nach vorne in die majestätische Felslandschaft. Die eigenen Energiewellen—da habe ich so etwas wie Radar eingebaut—reflektierten von den Betonwänden beiderseits zurück. Da dachte ich schon, dass energiemäßig etwas bei mir abläuft. So sagte mir der Kloß im Hals, der mich beinahe zu Tränen rührte. Bis mir der Kerl vom Filmmuseum eröffnete, dass das gar keine Vortex war. Wahrscheinlich bin ich nur extrem katholisch.
Jetzt aber erst recht! Die Vortex beim Sedona Flughafen-Mesa ist als die stärkste bekannt. Nichts wie hin. Zum Parken gibt es da wenig Gelegenheit, aber bei Gelegenheit findet man eine Lücke. Also, in Strandpantoffeln sollte man diese Vortex lieber nicht suchen gehen, weil es dort felsig-glatt ganz steil hoch geht. Aber nur kurz. Und dann hat man den allerherrlichsten Ausblick der Welt vor sich, rundum herum. Nichts als Märchenberge und Feentäler. Und dieser erfrischende Wind. Reinstes Nirvana schnuppern. Hätte ich nur Mann und Kinder zu Hause gelassen. Nee, das ist mir zu gefährlich, jammerte mein Teenie. Schnellstens nach oben, folgerte ihre kleine Schwester, die Bergziege. Hey, weg da vom Abgrund, rief mein furchtsamer Mann. Susie wollte unbedingt in die Vortex, aber da ging es hundert Meter geradewegs in die Tiefe.
Wie sollte man da die Vortex spüren? Nach den ersten paar Minuten der Aufregung setzten wir drei uns vorsichtig an den Rand der Klippe. Es war genau mein Geburtstag. Na also. Man hätte keine traumhaftere Landschaft malen können. Der Hummer-Fahrer von der Geländetour hatte uns von Thundermountain erzählt. Fünfhundert Blitze schlagen da pro Jahr ein. Walt Disney hatte diesen, zur Abwechslung mal weiß-grauen Sandstein-Berg, zur Vorlage für eine Achterbahn in Disneyland genommen. Been there, done that. Schauen, nur schauen. Davon konnte ich nicht genug kriegen. Rote Felsen, blauer Himmel, weiße Wolken, ozeanisch-grünes Gehölz. Dazu der frische Wind. Wenn das nicht erhebend war! An so einem einmaligen Platz lasse ich mich gern von einem Gefühl der Großartigkeit überschwemmen. Obwohl, das eigentliche Zentrum der Vortex lag etwas links von uns noch dreißig Meter tiefer.
Aber das war mir zu weit. Gut, dass ich schon fest auf dem Hintern saß. Denn in meinen Waden, die dem Abgrund am nächsten waren, stieg ein kribbelndes Gefühl hoch. Ungefähr so, als ich gerade nicht mehr verhindern konnte, dass Susi sich mit dem Tomatenmesser vor meinen entsetzten Augen in den Finger schnitt. Und in meinem Magen setzte eine Leichtigkeit ein, wie ich sie im Teenager-Alter als Flausen empfand, so in der Kirche mit all dem Weihrauch kurz vor dem Umkippen, aber bei weitem nicht so stark, nur so ähnlich. Im Kopf allerdings ging es mir ein bisschen wie Thundermountain-Achterbahn in Disneyland. Vielleicht war ich nur nicht schwindelfrei? Oder war es doch die Vortex. In diesem Falle hätte ich gute Aussichten auf einen Energienachschub. Das könnte nicht schaden.
