Abendbrot für Gäste

Another Try?

Not posted in 3 years - oh my. Not even sure if all my all content is still properly linked.

OK, so will give this another try. Content will include (but not be limited to)

• recipes - my own, friends, stolen
• restaurants - if particularly good or bad
• books - using librarything
• music - as seen on last.fm
• movies
• events - if I ever go

Buchbesprechung: Saša Stanišić - Wie der Soldat das Grammofon reparierte

Mag ja sein, dass das als erfrischender Erzählstil gilt; mir war das zuviel Geschwafel, zuviel Anekdotenhaftes, das sich nach 50% des Buches immer noch nicht zu einer Geschichte verdichtet. Zurück auf den Stapel

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Book Review: Alan Moore - Lost Girls

Currently Reading

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Book Review: Richard Powers - The Echo Makers

Finished on 17 January 2007

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Buchbesprechung: Thorsten Becker - Fritz

Beendet am 8. Januar 2007

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Buchbesprechung: Wolf Haas - Das Wetter vor 15 Jahren

Beendet am 30.12.2006

Formal origineller und inhaltlich ansprechender Roman. Erzählt wird die Geschichte des 30-jährigen Bergbauingenieurs Vittorio Kowalski, dessen Spezialwissen über das Wetter in einem kleinen österreichischen Dorf in den letzten 15 Jahren ihn erst zu "Wetten , dass...?" und dann wieder in eben dieses Dorf und zu seiner Jugendliebe bringt.

Zu lesen bekommen wir aber nicht diesen Roman, sondern ein Interview, das dessen Autor Wolf Haas mit eine "Literaturbeilage" führt. Wir erfahren darin über die Entstehungsgeschichte des Romans, die 'tatsächlichen' Begebenheiten um Vittorio, sein soziales Umfeld, die Motivation des Autors, die Reaktion der Kritik. So umschrieben erschließt sich der Plot des Romans, aber auch verwendete Stilmittel wie Variationen im Erzähltempo oder Verwendung von Metaphern, graduell dem Leser.

Sehr vergnüglicher Lesegenuss (hier bietet mir die Rechtschreibprüfung jetzt "Käsegenuss" als Alternative an). Allerdings ist es auch ein klein wenig frech, statt eine gelungene Passage zu schreiben, lediglich eine fiktive Kritikerin eine virtuelle Passage als gelungen bezeichnen zu lassen.

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Theatre Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Seen on 26 December 2006 at the Novello Theatre in London

Performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company

• Director: MARIANNE ELLIOTT
  
• TAMSIN GREIG - Beatrice
• JOSEPH MILLSON - Benedick
• MORVEN CHRISTIE - Hero
• ADAM RAYNER - Claudio
• PATRICK ROBINSON - Don Pedro
• ...

I was never sure about this play. The fast paced beginning, the engaging and interesting characters, the witty dialogue between Benedick and Beatrice - and then the disappointing, lame ending. Almost as if Shakespeare suddenly realised that he had only a few days left before the opening night and still needed to wrap everything up. And make sure to re-use the expensive tomb prop he bought for Romeo and Juliet. I had seen the play a couple of times before - and never found any reason to change this assessment

This time was different...

To be continued

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Book Review: Neil Gaiman - Anansi boys : a novel

I think I have mentioned it in my review for Neil Gaiman's "Fragile Things": His novels never really excited me. Nice, funny, well crafted - but not at all engaging. In fact, I found this one disappointing enough to put it back on the pile after just 4 chapters.

If you want to read Neil Gaiman I would much rather recommend "Fragile Things" or the "Sandman" comics

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Potato Salad - Holiday Version

When we were young, Christmas Eve was the big day (it's a German thing). The tree went up the night before, all the Christmas decoration, Mary, Josef and Baby Jesus were on display in the living room - which was off limits until late afternoon when it was time for presents.
As this was quite a bit of work to squeeze into one day, dinner on Christmas Eve was always quick and simple: Potato Salad and Sausages. Became something of a tradition.

So in order to honour the tradition, an extremly rich, festive version of Potato Salad.

You will need

• Mayonnaise
  I prefer to use home made mayonnaise, and for this occasion it can be a little richer than usual. So take
  • 2 raw egg yolks
  • 2 hard boiled egg yolks (leave these out if it gets too rich for you)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • juice of half a lemon
  • salt, white pepper
  • 250ml good neutral oil. Do not use olive oil, it is usually too strong for mayonnaise and it does not emulsify as easily as other oils do. (if I want the olive oil taste for Mediterranean dishes I use 2/3 neutral oil and 1/3 olive oil) On this occasion I used 225ml plain grape seed oil and 25ml cold pressed grape seed oil
  Put the 4 (really, four) yolks into a bowl, add the mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and start whisking. (I use a standard whisk and just give it a good work-out. I think I had a higher success rate that way. If you want to use an electric mixer, fine.) Start dripping in the oil and keep whisking. Keep dripping in the oil until you get an emulsion; after that, you can be a little (but really just a little) more generous with the dahses of oil you add. Keep whisking and adding oil until you used all 250ml.
  
• Yoghurt
  We always have a little argument about the use of yoghurt in mayonnaise. I think it is not necessary, my girlfriend thinks you ought to use 250ml. So we compromise and use 250ml.
  
• herbs - lots of
  Today I used flat leave parsley, chives, dill, tarragon, some small baby gherkins (diced), 1 teaspoon of capers, the whites of the two hard boiled eggs. Whatever you like - the only thing: you really need plenty.
  
• salad potatoes - as much as you want to eat. The sauce is enough for about 1.5 kg

1. chop all the herbs &c.
2. boil the potatoes for about 11 min.
3. while the potatoes are boiling, prepare the mayonnaise
4. mix the mayonnaise, yoghurt and herbs
5. drain and peel the potatoes, leave to cool for a bit and slice
6. mix everything together and leave to stand for about 45min or longer

As I said, served with Bockwurst (or any other sausage you like). These days I have a beer with that.