I know it’s been quite a while, but I wanted to update you all on some news: my Personal Chef and Diet Consultation services are back! That’s right – If you live anywhere in the Kaiserslautern/Trier area of Germany, I am once again open for business. Please see the “Services” tab above for everything I am offering at the moment. And, as always, if you have any questions or need something tailored to suit your personal needs, never hesitate to ask. Adaptation is kinda my thing…

Hope to see you in the kitchen sometime very soon…

However, after 3 weeks here, grocery shopping trips are still a still a major part of my day. The standard European fridge isn’t much bigger than the fridge I had in my dorm room in college, so daily trips to the market are a necessity. Everyday, I spend about an hour exploring the market, learning new German words by reading food labels, figuring out what to make for dinner and discovering new items. While there is a pretty large assortment of familiar foods, a few of the things I haven’t been able to find that I am already beginning to miss from home are:

Black Beans
Coconut Water
Kale, chard, fresh spinach or any other dark greens besides cabbage
Serrano peppers
Turkey ANYTHING

But, although I am lacking in these items I have discovered some really great new ones. Namely, senf. It’s like a mixture between horseradish and mustard. I put it on just about everything. It makes me and My Soldier very, very happy.

Also, Knoblauch mayo. It’s super thick, creamy garlic mayo in a tube, and it takes sandwiches to a whole new level.

The sheep and goat milk Greek yogurt that we’ve discovered here is ridiculous. When they say strained, they mean strained. The stuff was as think as oatmeal left out on the counter all day. I added some amaranth musli and bananas to it for breakfast the other morning and almost had to add some goat milk to stir it up.

And that reminds me – I was so happy to see an assortment of grains being eaten here that you only really see in natural food stores in the states. Spelt, barley and amaranth are all staple grains in Germany. I’m not a huge fan of grains, as you know, but here they seem like a much more natural part of the diet. Especially now that we are heading into the colder season, veggies are a bit sparse. My typical nearly Paleo diet isn’t really an option here if I expect to have any sort of diversity in my diet. Unless I wanted to eat sausage, cabbage, daikon, and celery root everyday, I had to adapt my diet to fit what is available to me. I guess that’s just part of stepping out of my comfort zone and embracing the new culture I’ve become a part of.

In preparation for the big move away from my home of 17 years, I knew I needed to hit my favorite restaurants one last time. Over the years this list has changed and morphed with my changing tastes and the influx of great new restaurants. I had to forgo some of my favorite higher priced restaurants simply because weddings, moves to a new continent and completely furnishing new homes can really make a dent in the ol’ bank account. If I had had unlimited funds to work with and I little more time, I definitely would have hit the following restaurants, as well:

1. Fonda San Miguel: Known as one of the best interior Mexican restaurants in the country, Fonda San Miguel also makes my favorite dessert of all time – Crepas de Cajeta (Crepes with Goat Milk Caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream).

2. Wink: Wink serves some of the highest quality food in town, sourcing most if it’s ingredients from local farms, ranches, and fisheries. Their wine list is always incredible, and the ambiance is cozy and romantic.

3. Justine’s: While it is extremely affordable and hands down the best French restaurant in town, I decided to skip Justine’s simply because I will have very easy access to France for the next 3 years. If you go to Justine’s, try the escargot. It is perfection.

4. Musashino: My favorite authentic, super fresh sushi in Austin. I skipped this simply because I could only squeeze in one sushi joint, and I would never forgive myself if I left Austin without eating at Uchiko (info below).

5.Enoteca Vespaio: I just adore this cozy little Italian bistro. The menu is simple yet delicious. I can’t believe I am saying this, but don’t miss the Patate Fritte – they are the best fried potatoes I have ever eaten! And, the extensive and super affordable pastry menu allows me to have lots of little bites of lots of different desserts for not a lot of money. A great place for a relaxing nosh with the ladies when you want Capuccinos and biscotti.

6. Guero’s Taco Bar: Located on the trendy South Congress strip, Guero’s has been a stand by of mine for quite some time. The tacos are amazing, the margaritas are yummy, and the atmosphere is always fun. Wait times can be pretty dang long, so get your name on the list and cruise around the shops
or have some chips and salsa while you wait. Although I never tried it, I hear the Al Pastor is awesome.

That said, here are the places that I did make time to visit:

1. Lambert’s: My newly-crowned favorite place in Austin! The “Fancy Barbecue” menu is incredible with items ranging from Achiote Seared Chickpeas and Goat Cheese (one of the best vegetarian entrees I’ve had the pleasure to eat) to Housemade Charcuterie to, my favorite, the Country Style Pork Ribs. Sunday brunch is an absolute knockout and well worth the $28 price tag. Many of their ingredients are from local farms and their meats are humanely-raised. If you can only eat in one place in Austin, Lambert’s is the place to hit.

2. Eastside Showroom: The food is sourced from local farms and is pretty tasty. But, what really shines here are the cocktails and the eclectic, pre-war Eastern European atmosphere. The vibe reminds me of what a Vaudevillian bar in Prague circa 1930 must have felt like. Definitely a nice addition to the East Side.

3. Thai Fresh: Chef Jam Sanitchat grew up in Thailand, and makes some of the best Thai food
in town. Part restaurant, part cooking school, and part grocery store, I always feel cozy when I warm my tummy with some Pad See Ew and Jam’s awesome Tom Kha. The service is incredible, the food locally sourced, and the ice cream (both dairy and vegan) is to die for. Don’t miss out on the Vegan Coconut Corn Ice Cream. It sounds weird, I know. But, it’s fabulous.

4. Cipollina: Located in Clarksville, my favorite Austin neighborhood, Cipollina is the bistro you wish was always just around the corner. With excellent prices and a creative seasonal menu (Kale Pizza with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese, Balsamic Reduction, and Preserved Lemon, anyone?), this is a definite weekly standby.

5. Taco Deli: The Bison Picadillo tacos make me swoon. Just be sure to get there sometime between 11am to 3pm. Before that is only breakfast tacos, but they offer spinach as a filling and that makes me happy.

6. Uchiko: The second establishment from Iron Chef contender, Chef Tyson Cole, this, in my opinion, is even better than the first. The interior design is stellar, and the service and food are out of this world. I recommend the Hotate sushi (raw Diver Scallop, aioli, and avocado); It just melts in your mouth. Even the vegetarian options are outstanding! This restaurant is definitely one of the true gems of the city.

My new town, Birkenfeld in Rheinland-Pfalz (pop. 7,000), is considerably smaller than Austin (pop. 800,000), but I am hoping to find a few new gems in the area. If not, Paris is just a hop, skip and a jump away, and I hear they have some pretty good food there…

I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you all know about some upcoming changes to my life, and inevitably, to the blog.

Recently, just in time for my 10 year high school reunion, I reconnected with my high school sweetheart after losing contact for nearly 8 years. It basically took no time at all for us to realize that that old spark was still there. So, in just a matter of months, I will be marrying a soldier and moving my entire life to Germany – yes, even the kitties!

So, what does this mean for the blog, you ask?

We will be stationed ‘Near the French Border, but Still the Middle of Nowhere’, Germany for about 3 years, and in that time, I plan to write about my experiences, my travels, the local cuisine, and how to maintain a friendly kitchen, even while abroad. My career as a private chef will be on hold for a while, but never fear. I will be working to finish my degree in nutrition, so when I come back to the ol’ career, I will be better than ever!

Also, I’m planning to do my best to find some staging gigs in local restaurants to keep my cookin’ chops up to speed. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll even find a part time gig working on a farm or two in the area. With this incredible adventure before me, I will still have lots of recipes to share, so I definitely won’t neglect that piece of the blog-y puzzle.

In the meantime, I’ll be doing a little tidying up around the site, posting a few things here and there, and getting The Friendly Kitchen all ready for it’s big move across the ocean – oh yeah, and I’ll be planning a wedding. Sheesh.

Here’s to New Beginnings!

But, good things have come around the bend, as well. I’ve got a new project in the works that I am so, so, so excited about! You can get a sneak peak for now, but expect a full-blown coming out party very soon…

And, I am back in the kitchen – more jazzed than ever to be bringing my focus to the folks in our community and around the globe who need help on their path to healing.

Expect big things in the very near future.

So, lets follow each other!

You can find me here!

“Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food – but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.”

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding (I’d try to stomach a bite, but I don’t know that I could do it…)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (Hey, I spent a lot of time in Chicago as a kid…)
16. Epoisses (I don’t care if it is made with cow’s milk. Rolling this cheese around in my mouth makes me feel like God himself is dancing on my tongue.)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (You eat a lot of things in culinary school that you never thought you would…)
24. Rice and beans (Hello, I live in Texas!)
25. Brawn, or head cheese (Eww! No, thanks…)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (Oh, the burning!)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (Haven’t tried that exact combo, but next time I’m cast in a Scorsese film, I’ll definitely give it a whirl.)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (Anyone ever enrolled in University can bold this one…)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (Just so you know, Chocolate-Covered Ants taste like Nestle’s Crunch)
43. Phaal (I could totally eat a whole bowl!)
44. Goat’s milk (Only almost everyday…)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (We finally gave the rest of that bottle to someone who actually likes whisky.)
46. Fugu (I kind of enjoy living.)
47. Chicken tikka masala (One of our all-time favs)
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone (I hear it’s delicious…)
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (We all do things we later regret, right?)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads (Again, I blame culinary school…)
63. Kaolin (No, but I have ingested Bentonite and that’s a type of clay, too.)
64. Currywurst (I’ll try a bite just about anything once.)
65. Durian (Frozen durian makes a delicious ice cream.)
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis (Not a big fan of eating innards…)
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette (See No. 68)
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (One of Luke and my first dates was at an Absinthe and Gypsy-themed Party. That was a fun night…)
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (Unless we are talking Armageddon, it’s not going in my mouth.)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (This is what I want for my birthday, please.)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate (I’ve eaten some pretty amazing chocolates, but I don’t know if they were Criollo or not. Either way, YES, I will eat it!)
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox (What good Jewish girl hasn’t?)
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

It was my first trip to LA and I wanted to really soak it all in. Of course, my main objective was to eat amazing food – on a budget. I stuffed my face with wonderful, vegan cuisine at Real Food Daily in Santa Monica. I cheated and ate a crepe at La Creperie in Manhattan Beach. I had my morning soy lattes and Acai bowl at The Cow’s End in Venice, ate deliciously savory Indian food at Woodland’s Pure Vegetarian South Indian Cuisine in Chatsworth, and made my first ever trip to Trader Joe’s. When it was all said and done, I put about 700 miles on a rental car and it was worth every penny of those $4.49 gallons.

Honestly, Los Angeles went above and beyond all of my expectations. The people were amazing and super helpful; The service was some of the best I’ve ever had. The weather was, of course, perfect. I was prepared to suffer through ridiculous amounts of traffic, but compared to the traffic here in Austin, it really wasn’t that bad. And, needless to say, the endless sprawl of fantastic restaurants and breezy beaches made Rachel a very happy girl.

But, alas, the trip had to end. I came back super refreshed and ready to grab life by the horns. And, because of this trip, I realized that I am definitely in the right career. I can’t tell you how much I missed my job and missed cooking! A bit odd to miss your job when you are on vacation, huh? I haven’t gone a week without cooking in at least 5 years, and I hope it doesn’t happen again for at least another 5 years. My soul hurts when I don’t have my Global or an All-Clad in my hands. But, never fear, I am more than making up for lost time, and I will be posting lots of new recipes very soon!

Working around raw foodists and people living such healthy lifestyles was so inspiring. And, the food allowed me to be super creative. Making gourmet raw foods is still such a fledgling art form, so there weren’t any strict rules that I had to follow; I could make up whatever I wanted. Plus, as if the creative aspect wasn’t enough, I felt great eating it! I discovered a recipe for collard wraps in one of my very favorite raw un-cookbooks, and I think I’ve made them about a bajillion times. This recipe is a slight twist of that recipe. These wraps are incredibly filling, but still light enough so that you feel super energized after eating them. The huge, beautiful leaves of the collard greens make such a great “tortilla” – they provide tons of protein, calcium, and trace minerals and don’t fill you full of calories and carbs like real tortillas do. I’m a huge fan.

RAW THAI COLLARD GREEN WRAPS
makes 12 wraps
adapted from “Raw Food, Real World” by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis

Nama shoyu is the only raw version of soy sauce. However, it contains wheat. If you can’t eat wheat, then substitute with wheat-free tamari, which, unfortunately, is not actually raw. Also, please note that peanut butter is not technically raw, either. But, it sure is delicious…

1 pkg. shredded cole slaw mix
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups sunflower sprouts
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro
6 very large organic collard green leaves
1 cup nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew, or sun butter)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, or more as needed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. wheat-free tamari or nama shoyu
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Serrano chili, or to taste, seeded if desired
1 Tbs. sesame oil

1. In a large bowl, combine the cole slaw mix, mango, cashews, red bell pepper, and cilantro. Set aside.

2. In a blender, combine the nut butter, orange juice, maple syrup, lemon juice, tamari, ginger, Serrano chili, and the sesame oil. Blend until smooth, adding orange juice or water as necessary to get a thick cake batter consistency.

3. Pour the sauce over the veggies and mix well with your hands.

4. Cut the center rib out of each leaf, dividing the leaf in half. Set 1 half leaf on the counter, underside facing up and cut side facing you. Spoon a few Tablespoons of the salad mixture on the center of the leaf, leaving the bottom 1 1/2 inches clear at the bottom. Top the salad with a small amount of sunflower sprouts. Fold the bottom of the leaf up, keep it tight and then, roll the leaf horizontally around the filling to make a nice little wrap. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Set wrap seam side down on a platter and repeat with the remaining 11 wraps.