urban odds & ends

After craving for something chocolaty without having a chocolat bar at hand respectively the will to go out and buying something, I found a very easy to prepare and delicious recipe for chocolat pudding. Hmmmm.

Easy Peasy Chocolat Pudding serves 2 

40g Cornstarch
3 Tbsp Unsweetened cocoa
4 Tbsp Sugar
0.5L Whole milk
Optional: chocolat sprinkles, whippes cream... what you prefer!


Mix the cornstarch and the cocoa with about 200mL of the milk and stir until dissolved. Heat the remaining milk with sugar until it boils. Now add the cornstarch mixture wisking continuously for about a minute. You will notice that the mass thickens after a few seconds. Pour the pudding in, with cold water rinsed, bowls and let cool at least for 2 hours.

I had some oranges at hand, so I flavoured the boiling milk with orange zest and topped the finished pudding with slices of orange. But there are no bounds and you can play around whatever you like: chocolat sprinkles, whipped cream, fruits (hmmm... when starts strawberry season? ;) )...

The photo above is from Katie Solokers lovely blog ColorMeKate, a freelance photographer and street artist living in Brooklyn. Love the colors. :)

There's nothing nicer to take a sunday afternoon walk under a bright blue sky and a landscape topped with freshly fallen snow.



White Bean Chilli
adapted from from The Pioneer Woman Cooks



2 Chicken thights
1 Medium onion, diced
2 Gloves garlic, finely minced
1 Can green chilies, chopped
2 Red chilis, finely minced
250g Dried white beans, rinsed
1 Litre Chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Cup whole milk
1 tbsp cornflour
Cheddar chease, grated
Cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper to tase
Optional: Sour Cream
Optional: Corn Torillas


In a medium pot cover the chicken with cold water and cook for 20-30 minutes, put it on a plate and let cool a little. Then remove the meat from the bones with your fingers and set aside. In another pot add a little olive oil and cook the onions, red chilis and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped green chilies and the white beans, add the chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper and cumin and cook with the lid on for about 2 hours or until the beans are done. After 1 hour it's time to add the chicken.
When the beans are done, mix milk with the cornflour and pour into the chili for thickening the sauce. After 10 minutes season to taste and add the cayenne pepper,paprika, cilantro and cheddar cheese while stirring until melted. I served it with warm tortillas. Enjoy!

A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

After some stressful weeks we went to Australia in mid-december and finally came back friday evening. It was really an amazing time, most of it spent with our dear friends Jens & Aga, we made some new friendships, too. I'm missing Australia already:  relaxed people and atmosphere, beaches and open
supermarkets on sundays ;). But after weeks spent in midsummer it is nice returning to our snowy home as well. I'm looking forward to show you my "australian adventures" as soon as possible - unitl then a koala bear has to be enough ;)

This is a perfect sunday dinner dish and really easy. But it's not recommendable preparing the dish with hunger, the divine smell coming out of the oven will drive you insane ;)

Lemony Roasted Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes
adapted from Jamie Oliver - Jamie's Dinners p. 32

1 chicken, preferable free-range
1kg potatoes, peeled and cut in mouthsized pieces
1 large lemon
5 gloves of garlic, unpeeled
a handful of fresh thyme
a handful of fresh rosemary
4 rashers of smoked bacon
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 190°C. Bring a large pot of water with a good amount of salt to boil and throw in potatoes, lemon and the garlic gloves. After about 12 minutes drain it and allow to steam dry for about 2 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking take the chicken out of the fridge and rub it (yeah!) with salt, pepper and oil. Then take the lemon out of the colander and stab it a few times all over with a sharp knife. Push it with the garlic and thyme in the cavity. Honestly, this step grossed me a little bit out and it costed me quite an effort but it wasn't that bad. I think the chicken won't charge that I  invaded its private sphere ;)
Now... put the chicken on a roasting tray and cook it in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove it and put the chicken on a plate and toss the potatoes in the chicken fat. Make a whole in the middle and put the chicken in. Lay the rashers over the chicken breast and cook it for another 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

For serving it is nice to crumble the bacon over the potatoes and smear the garlic, which you can squeeze out of his skin and mash up, over the chicken.

We returned from Hannover where we visited good friends yesterday. It's a pity that we forgot our camera, the lovely fall colors paired with the industrial looking multicultural quarter of Hannover Linden were stunning with its own charm. Located in western Hannover near by the river Leine, between little foreign greengrocers and plenty of kiosks you can find lovely cafés and shops. Sadly I found this helpful page Linden entdecken only now - but I'm looking forward to future visits.

To give a little selection of my impressions I picked some images at flickr:

This is soo delicious! Even more delicious with a nice bottle of beer and it's a very good way to use the chilli-pepper chutney I made recently.

Welsh rarebit (2 hungry persons)
adapted from Jamie Oliver - Jamie At Home p. 322

4 x 2 cm thick slices good bread (sourdough)
2 large egg yolks
150g crème fraîche
100g freshly grated Cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp. chilli-pepper chutney
Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven on high heat (250°C) and toast your slices of bread on both sides. Whisk the egg yolks with the crème fraîche, stirr in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Von Cooking

Spread a big tablespoon of the chilli-pepper chutney on each slice, followed by a quarter of the rarebit mixture.

Von Cooking

By spreading it to the edge of the bread you'll avoid a burned crust. Grill it in the oven until melted and bubbling.

Von Cooking

With a knife, criss-cross the topping and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce just for the right kick.

Von Cooking

Since friday we are visiting Stephans family, this week is going to be pretty eventful. Stephans uncle, who is only 4 years older than him, is getting married tomorrow and friday is the churchly wedding. Yesterday was the wedding-eve party - I have to admitt that my liver has to work on full speed this week - the family is able to hold one's drink ;)

I spend my time with doing nothing besides relaxing. Reading, fighting the cold weather in the bath tube and watching tv. Occasionally we are lifting our bottoms to go shopping (I was in need of a lipstick fitting to my gown: Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon - it looks amazing!).

Now I have to draw my attention back to the Champions Legague game FC Bayern München vs. Girondins Bordeaux. Equalizer and red card for Bayern - hilarious ;)

Bye Bye!