Cookin' Ain't Easy!!

Everytime I live in Germany, I always find myself cooking and sizzling the day away. It isn't that I don't know how to cook, but sometimes I forget. For a long time I've wondered what it is that awakens my culinary senses. Could it be the fresh produce, that chokingly polluted air or something else that makes me want to whip up Waldpilz Geschnetzeltes and Kartoffel Salat?When I lived here about 7 years ago, admittedly, I was not a very good cook. I played around with things in the kitchen and usually regretted the mess I made. However, I learned quickly that McDonald's is a poor substitute for nourishment and walking three miles to get it wasn't any fun either. So, I taught myself to cook through trial and error. I remembered some of the tricks I learned from the Food Network and cautiously followed recipes I found online. It worked-- most of the time. Emeril's recipes are still too complicated to follow and I prefer the practicality of Alton Brown or Sara Moulton to any of the gonzo exotica dishes of Iron Chef.

So, what is it that makes me want to cook in Deutschland and not at home? Familiarity and friendships, plain and simple. At home I usually know exactly what is good to eat and I trust my "instincts" cultivated by my experiences in the United States. I know the 'cultural model' of dining out in the States like the back of my hand. Chain restaurants provide consistency, but with moderate quality and taste. Specialty restaurants that are family owned can be surprisingly delicious like Ruan Thai back home. There is nothing quite like their Pad Kee Mao or Green Curry with tofu. All their food seems to have a sweet taste of heaven that can't be imitated. I know everyone by name and a few are good friends. That type of relationship doesn't happen overnight or within a year of living in a foreign country. Dining out is a social occasion, where you sit back and enjoy another person's company. On the contrary, cooking at home for one is solitary and often reflective. It takes time to settle and find one's roots. Unfortunately, I've never had the time to find my roots here. Maybe when I move here with my husband at the end of the year, we'll grow strong roots together and I'll stop cooking (at least fo awhile) and get out and taste the world.