would you like a spot of tea?

Afternoon tea has pretty much become mandatory for Shahida and I when I'm in Edinburgh. We love to scope out new places and rate all parts of the experience. And yes, there are many things to consider when rating an afternoon tea experience, but here are a few of the important ones:

1. Atmosphere
where are you dinning? In a fancy hotel restaurant, in a cozy coffe shop, or in the museum of modern art cafe? There are many different places to enjoy your afternoon tea, so make sure you find the one that is right for you! 

2. Presentation
As any competition show on Food Network will remind you: presentation is key. How does your display of tea and treats look? Appetizing? Any extra touches? Anything as awesome as these tea cozies? 

3. The food
oh yes, afternoon tea is not just a nice tea and crumpets shared with the queen while doting on her yorkies. It involves an array of sweet and savory treats alike to be enjoyed over the course of the tea. Standards include egg sandwiches and scones, among many others.

4. The Tea
Last but definitely not least - the tea - the namesake of the whole event plays a largely important role. In my day-to-day tea endeavors I don't venture far from my standard Earl Grey. When it comes to afternoon tea, though, there is no way to not try some of the exciting new flavors they've got out there! So no matter what you may stick to regularly, when it's time for afternoon tea, don't be afraid to get a little adventurous!

So needless to say, afternoon tea was the first thing Shahida and I did when I arrived this summer. And I'd have to say, it was one of our best overall experiences to date! 

alimento (yes, I do speak Italian) (not really)

I don't know what you think of first when you think of Italy... but I'm not gonna lie, my first thoughts are "WINE AND PASTA!" (and yes, I do think it in all caps). But unfortunately, Rome being a pretty very touristy city, food/wine prices can get unreasonably high. Luckily, after a good tip from our Hostel lady on the first day, Matthew and I found the secret gem of Rome. 

In this little are of the city (just across the river) food and wine is a plenty, and all for completely reasonable prices! I don't think we ever spent more than 10€ on our dinner and drinks for any one meal! 

Oh, and a tip... if you order a tomato salad, that is exactly what you'll get. 

Of course, on the nights we didn't feel like making the trek out there, we paid a visit to the grocery story across the street. 

What's on the Menu Monday: Schäuferla

(Ok, so maybe I'm starting a new weekly series for Monday... or maybe not. I haven't really thought it out that much, I just really enjoy alliteration :D)

As you'll remember, I was recently in Franken visiting Gemma, which meant an afternoon well-spent in the Kellerwald. Basically as soon as we decided we were going to the Kellerwald (you know, about 5 seconds after we scheduled the visit), I knew exactly what I was going to eat there. 

Schäuferla is one of Franken's most loved dishes. It's pretty much a giant chunk of meat. Well, technically it's a pig shoulder - but I feel as though "giant chunk of meat" better captures the pure intensity of this meal. See what I mean?


I don't really know the secrets behind cooking it, but there are a few very important key factors that make Schäuferla so amazingly delicious. First, the meat is unbelievably tender. I'm not even sure why they give you a knife - if you just poke it the right way, the meat slides right off the bone. Next, there is the crispy fat bit at the top. Ok, don't run away screaming - it's good, I swear! Trust me, I'm the first person to throw away more than I eat just to avoid accidentally getting any fatty bits. But on a Schäuferla it's not the usual nasty, slimy fat invading your meal. It's just a neatly isolated, delightfully crispy rectangle of fat sat clearly on the top of the chunk of meat. A lot of people actually consider this to be the best part of the entire meal. 

Along with your chunk of meat, you also get a Kloß (potato dumpling) and some Sauerkraut. A perfect combination. But be warned, as you can tell by the pictures, this is an ungodly amount of food. One of Gemma's teachers always told her that being able to eat an entire Schäuferla was sign that you were really Fränkisch. Now, I can't lie - may have skipped breakfast that morning to save room for this delicious treat, but I'd say I passed the test!

IHOP's got nothing on Belgium

Of course when you go to Belgium, you can't forget to try a real Belgian waffle. Waffle-eating opportunities present themselves all over the city. You could get one at an ice cream shop, they had little walk up windows that served waffles, but my absolute favorite were the little waffle vans. 

I mean, first of all - genius! Waffles to go on the go! Need I say more? Also, isn't the little van pretty much the most adorable thing you've ever seen? 

When Patrick and I made stop for a waffle, we went with the walk up window option. They had so many different toppings to pick from, and I really enjoyed how they displayed it for people to pick their preferred topping. 

Once you've made your selections the waffles are made fresh in front of you and served hot and delicious! 

Patrick went with the trusty topping of Nutella, while I was feeling a little more simple with just brown sugar sprinkled (or, you know, caked) on top! 

And I can tell you for sure, Belgian waffles are every bit as good as their reputation implies. 

Mussels in Brussels

Did you know that Brussels had a reputation for mussels? 

I definitely did not. In fact, for the first week of Patrick's and Karrie's visit when they would go on about "mussels in Brussels" I assumed it was just because it rhymed, and who doesn't like things that rhyme?! 


Eventually I figured out the rhyme was a reality, and I was so excited to be partaking in such a cleverly named, culturally enriching meal as we took our seats at a restaurant called Chez Leon on our first night in Brussels. 



Did you also know that it is scientifically proven that meals taste exponentially better when they have catchy titles. And our Mussels in Brussels did not disappoint! 

It was my first time ever eating mussels, and I have to admit, they were delightful! Though now I'm just nervous that if I ever eat mussels again, I will only be let down. I mean, how could mussels in Dortmund or mussels in Atlanta or mussels in Нижнева́ртовск be anywhere near as good as Mussels in Brussels?

  
They can't, that's how. 

Schnitzel, pt. 2

One day before all my guests arrived, I was flipping through an off-beat guide book of Cologne in the book store when I saw a recommendation for Bei Oma Kleinmann (that means "at Grandma Kleinmann's"). It was a restaurant known for it's amazing schnitzel and had very high reviews. 

It's a bit outside the city center, but when Patrick, Karrie and I went to Cologne we had just the perfect opportunity to head out there. 

When we arrived, we realized immediately that we should have made a reservation. This little restaurant was packed full with people and just enough room for giant schnitzels to be marched back and forth from the kitchen. 

But Oma Kleinmann did not leave us hanging! Everybody was super friendly and after 15 minutes and one beer at the bar, we had a place to sit. Now it was down to business. And I mean business. Take a look at that menu. Did you even know so many types of Schnitzel existed?!

Then the magic happened. The schnitzels arrived. No, not schnitzels... Monster plates of death, with fries underneath.

Remember that giant list of schnitzels? Well, the base schnitzels is always the same (see monster plates of death above), the difference came in the sauce. I loved that everybody got their own gravy boat of sauce. I feel like it really enhanced my schnitzel eating experience. 

I did the best I could, but in the end the schnitzel defeated me.

I told you there were fries under there.

Don't worry Oma Kleinmann, I will be back for round two! 

Schnitzel, pt. 1

When my mom and grandma were visiting, I wanted them to get their fill of traditional German food as well as the local specialties. So we hit all the standards:

we had currywurst

we had bratwurst

we had some amazing ice cream

we had some waffles on a stick

we had a big German breakfast

but, most importantly, we had schnitzel! 

I think we had schnitzel about 3 times during their week here - they were in love! We tried Jägerschnitzel, Bauernschnitzel, Zigeunerschnitzel and Schnitzel wiener Art.* And, according to my mother:

"What could be better than a frickin' Schnitzel?!"

*Fun fact: a schnitzel is only a "wiener Schnitzel" if it's made with veal.

Schnitzel prepared the same  way, but with any other meat is merely a 

"Schnitzel wiener Art" which basically means "Schnitzel of the wiener variety"

The three Bs

When visiting Germany, there are three things you definitely have to enjoy: Beer, bratwurst, and bakeries. 
  
While my mom and Grandma were here last week, we made sure to get our fill of all three! 
  
Beer is kind of an obvious choice while visiting Germany. But hey, stereotypes and cliches become stereotypes and cliches for a reason, right?

We tried Kölsch while in Cologne and some Altbier while in Düsseldorf. Beer became a staple of all our restaurant experiences. 

Bratwurst was the one of the top priority items on Pam's list of things to relive from her German glory days. And I'd have to say, seeing her face light up like a kid's on Christmas when she got that bratwurst in a brötchen topped with mustard, was definitely worth it (especially to witness the ensuing victory dance). 

 I also made them expand their wurst repertoire and try currywurst! I'd say it was a success.

Finally there were all the bakeries. Trust me when I say we couldn't make a day without our trips to the bakery. I know bakery isn't really up there on the list of German stereotypes with beer and bratwurst. But for anyone who's spent any length of time in this country will tell you that there is nothing anywhere that compares to a German bakery. 

We never came home without our daily picks from the bakery. By the end, our collection was a little out of control, but it was all just so delicious! 

(please note, this picture was taken after we were done chowing down)

So if you ever make it out to Germany, with seals of approval from my mom and grandma, don't forget to try the essential three Bs: Beer, Bratwurst, and Bakeries. 

would you like a waffle on a stick?

If your answer is yes, then you are in luck. Just head to the main train station in Dortmund and look for for the Waffel am Stiel (literally means "waffle on a stick") stand right past track 7.

Here, for a mere 60 cents, you can get a deliciously warm waffle with powder sugar on a stick. They're available with a chocolate shell as well, but for some reason that doesn't seem as delicious, so I've never tried it. They're also the perfect size so you feel like you've got enough to enjoy, but not so much that you feel like you shouldn't eat again for a week or anything. It's basically pure happiness to go. 

I mean really, for only 60 cents, how can you say no? I'm not going to lie, they've become a pretty standard part of my trips to the main train station. 

frOOt lOOps

Before we get started here, can I just say that I never realized Fruit Loops is actually spelled "Froot Loops." As a current teacher of the English language, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the mass-spreading of bad spelling (of course, let's not bring all my spelling errors into this argument). 

When I was in high school I basically lived off cereal. Just ask my parents - who often reminded me that I could not eat cereal for 3 meals a day. However, somewhere between UGA dining halls and grocery shopping in foreign countries, I stopped the addiction. But last week, while buying food, I felt inspired to go back to my old ways and picked up a box of Fruit Loops. 

I didn't even make it all the way home before noticing the first difference from American cereal. The cereal over here is multilingual. Every word on the box could be found in German, French, Finnish and Swedish. 

Even the game on the back (my favorite part of cereal as a child) came with instructions in all 4 languages. Seriously, if I had grown up with multilingual cereal, I would have abandoned the cereal box games for learning how to say useful phrases like "made with natural coloring and flavors" in as many languages as possible. 

The second difference I noticed immediately as I poured the cereal. Instead of the neon array colors in American Fruit Loops, German Fruit Loops consist of only 3 very "natural" looking colors. It gave me the impression of a sort of organic, hippy version of Fruit Loops (wow, I feel like an angry, old woman calling something "hippy"). 

The final difference was in the taste. As the coloring may have lead you to believe - the German Fruit Loops also had a much more natural taste. All in all, they were good, but I have to say, it kind of made me miss my 90% sugar, potentially toxic American Fruit Loops. 

Do you like pirate jokes and pancakes? Then you'll love this post!

What is a pirate's favorite letter?

RRRRRRRRRRR

What is a pirate's favorite fast food?

ARRRRRRRby's

How long is a pirate's plank?

one yARRRRRRRd

What is a pirate's favorite Ke$ha song?

we RRRRRRRRR who we RRRRRRRR

Where does a pirate go for pancakes?

Bremen, of course.

Well, I guess they're not pancakes in the American sense of the word - but it's really the best translation for the wonder that is the German Pfannkuchen. And in Bremen, not only do they have delicious Pfannkuchen, they have delicious Pfannkuchen on a pirate ship! 

Now, how the German Pfannkuchen differs from the American pancake is quite simple, but elegant (read: delicious). Where the pancake is often considered better with increasing fluffiness, the Pfannkuchen is thinner, and in my opinion looks a bit like pita bread from a distance. But upon closer inspection, it still maintains the light consistency of the pancake. The pancake is most often accompanied by any combination of butter, syrup, fresh fruit, or whipped cream. The Pfannkuchen can be topped with anything from the standard sweets to more savory delights. During our visit to the Pfannkuchen pirate ship, we opted for a happy medium - and quite fantastic choice it was. Let me just say, if ever confronted with the dilemma of what to top your Pfannkuchen with, I would highly recommend bacon, feta and honey. AH-mazing


Of course, the magicness of the Pfannkuchen pirate ship didn't stop with the food. After returning from the pirate bathroom (no really, the sink was a barrel!), I saw a pirate hat, eye patch, flag and battle ax thing. So what did I do? Put it all on and unabashedly posed for pictures in the middle of the pirate ship.  

No, you don't need to tell me how cool I am, I know....

Many people might find such an attraction a little kitschy, but I give it two pirate thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone headed to Bremen! Plus their Pfannkuchen really are delicious.