UnRecipe: The Tao of Spaetzle

Spaetzle. What a ridiculously fun word to say out loud: schPAT-zel. And it kind of looks like how it sounds, those marvelous little asymmetrical nuggets of handmade pasta goodness, all messily piled on a plate, usually coated in a butter sauce. They're delicious and perfect with a wintery dish like stew or a big hunk o' meat. Spaetzle is the realm of European grandmas who would make it from scratch for Sunday dinners and countless YouTube videos that show how effortless the process seems, at least until you make it for the first time. Spaetzle isn't difficult, but it requires a bit of finesse, and I'm the first one to say I don't have it, but on my list of to-do's in life, it's my goal to get some of that finesse and truly learn the Tao of Spaetzle.

Spaetzle attempt, Numero Uno - not bad, but could always be better - Photo by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Wine and Dine on the River Rhine

"So, what did you guys do on your trip to Germany?" My gut (har-har) response is, "We drank a lot of local wine and ate a lot of local food." You really do explore a region through its meals, because for places that are centuries-old like Germany, a lot of its living history is in its traditional cuisine. We weren't necessarily having nothing but bratwurst and sauerkraut for the duration of our visit, but we did try to eat and drink things that were directly related to the places we were at. If I were to sum up our visit through Germany, cruising along the Rhine, what we had on the plate and in our glass certainly added additional flavor to all the incredible sights we were treated to.

View from atop Heidelberg Castle - a true feast - Photo by Wasabi Prime