Perhaps on this ZEIT REISEN trip, or – more likely visiting the same places by myself.
Possibly: Modern architecture in Rotterdam
A walk in Tiergarten and testing of new 70-300mm 17 April
Basel June 2024
Random photos from14 and 15 April
An early Sunday morning walk at Landwehrkanal and and photos from Monday morning when I was early for a breakfast appointment near the central station.
And another thing that (I hope) is peculiar to Berlin
While I am in the process of getting things off my chest: Here, rules are not rules. Everything is debatable. At least in flat-owners meetings (Eigentümerversammlungen).
The first time I came across this phenomenon was when the people who ran the café in the ground floor of my building asked for permission to install a cash withdrawal machine in the café. For some strange reason still incomprehensible to me, that had to be approved in the annual meeting of owners.
In what I have since come to see as a pattern, of course the answer was no, because the people who asked for this permission were not ethnic Germans. My first real encounter with racism in this country, described in more detail in this post.
In any case, the way these things go is: Year one: a proposal is made and discussed in the annual meeting. Year two: the issue is put to the vote. Year three: the issue is implemented. That is how long things take.
On to the next issue: BBQ-ing, or grilling, on the balconies. The first spring and summer I lived here I could not believe that that was really happening, and to what extent. Of course that only got worse during Covid, the level of home outdoor cooking increased, as did everybody else’s need for spending time on their balconies. For a couple of hours each day, we have to keep doors and windows closed to avoid that stink, which I have always hated, entering our flats and hanging in clothes and furniture.
When I asked our Hausverwaltung (“admin”) – years ago – whether that is really allowed, the answer was vague and wishy-washy – that as long as nobody complains, then yes. Pathetic. And since I am also an immigrant, I knew what the reply would be if I took it up in the owners meeting, so I did not bother.
In the meantime, after last year’s owners meeting, I decided that the atmosphere and tone there is so confrontational, hostile and toxic that I am not going to attend any further meetings. There is especially one person there who for some reason seems to have a lot of power, and each time I dare to open my mouth, immediately contradicts me, like a metaphorical slap in the face, before I even manage to finish one sentence. Being treated like that is a complete waste of time.
Now to the current issue. I have to have a window replaced, and it turns out that that requires a plate on the outside of the building to be removed in order to install the window, and then put back again. An incredibly stupid way of building buldings. Anyway, there is a rule, or so I thought, that basically, indoor repairs are paid by the owner, and anything facade related is paid by admin. So when I asked them who were to pay the cost of renting one of those ladders needed for this operation (between 2000 and 3000 euro) I was told to pay, and then take up the issue of a refund in the next owners meeting.
Will I bother, forget last year’s promise to myself, and give them the pleasure of interrupting me and refusing before I have even had a chance to make my case? Don’t be ridiculous. Not worth ruining an evening for.
Berlin is proud of its wildlife. Or is it?
There is an amazing wildlife in and around Berlin, from inner city to outskirts, and I have always thought it was a source of pride and joy to Berlin and berliners.
But perhaps that is just hypocrisy.
About a month ago, I discovered an injured female tufted duck on Landwehrkanal. There is a small mound of earth by the bank just across from Vivantes and the van Loon restaurant ship where a couple of swans, and now also this injured duck, congregate.
As can be seen in the photo, the duck has a badly broken wing.
Because of a concrete wall, the location is not immediately accessible, at least not to me, and I am quite sure that even if someone did manage to climb down, the duck would flee into the water. A net and perhaps a small boat would be needed.
As can be seen in the photo, the duck has a badly broken wing. She normally sits very still but sometimes goes to the edge of the water to drink, and when she is startled, she also goes in and manages to swim for a short while before coming back on dry land.
The first time I saw her, there were people there who said it had been reported to the relevant authorities. I have since been back about once a week, including yesterday morning, and she is still there, getting smaller and smaller and sitting more and more still. Dying a slow and, I imagine, agonising death.
On several occasions, I have reported it to two organisations pretending to concern themselves with wildlife rescue, and their standard reply is – we know – many people are reporting on this – we have been there several times and could not find the duck. We will try again tomorrow. And then nothing happens.
So much for Berlin’s love of its wildlife.
Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu
IN PROGRESS
This restaurant-quality north Indian vegan Palak Paneer recipe is creamy and perfectly spiced. Cubes of tofu “paneer” swim in a delicious spinach sauce that’s perfect to scoop up with naan or roti.
Prep Time15minutes mins
Cook Time25minutes mins
Total Time40minutes mins
Course: Curry
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 119kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 397 g extra firm tofu (press out the water, then cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 20 g cashews (use pumpkin seeds if nut-free)
- 454 g frozen spinach (substitute with two large bunches of fresh spinach*)
- 15 ml avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 4 cloves
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 2 g cumin seeds
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 34 g ginger-garlic paste
- 3 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
- 1 g turmeric
- 2 g cayenne (adjust up or down based on your taste)
- 5 g ground coriander
- 2 g ground cumin
- 5 g garam masala
- 4 g kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Optional, but I strongly recommend it.
- Salt to taste
For optional tadka finish
- 15 ml avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger (julienned)
Instructions
- If you’d like to bake or air-fry the tofu cubes before adding them to the recipe, do so in advance.
- Make cashew cream by blending the cashews with 3 tablespoons water until very smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and, when they start to color, add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to darken and become aromatic, add the onions and the garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Saute for a few minutes until the onions start to turn golden-brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes. Add the turmeric, cayenne, cumin and coriander powders and mix well. Cover and let the tomatoes cook until they are very soft and pulpy.
- Add the kasoori methi, if using, and mix well. Add the spinach puree, mix, and let the sauce come to a boil. Lower the heat and continue cooking the spinach for 10 minutes. Add some vegetable stock or water if it looks too thick, but don’t add too much liquid at this point– you want the spinach to cook thoroughly and lose any raw flavor.
- Add the garam masala, then stir in the tofu cubes. Let the sauce simmer a couple of minutes. Add the cashew cream, add salt, stir in, and turn off heat.
Make optional tadka
- In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the julienned or grated ginger and saute for a minute, stirring constantly. Carefully pour over the cooked palak paneer. Serve.
Notes
Tierpark Berlin 9 April
My favourite zoo :-). I went to check out the new “Indonesian enclosure” (which looks nice but I only saw one of the alledgedly at least four different species living there), the amur tiger twins born a couple of weeks ago, and the newborn binturong twins (none of which I saw.
Two types of glutenfree, vegan bread with lots of grain, nuts and seeds
NOTE: One of them is definitely vegan, and the other one can be made vegan by using vegan yoghurt.
Bread number 1 (on the right):
4,5 dl cold water
20 g yeast
20 g yellow flea seed shells (Flohsamen)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp molasses (can be left out – I forgot once and nothing happened)
2 tsp cider vinegar
80 g whole buckwheat (note to self: next time, try soaked whole rye instead)
50 g sesame seeds
50 g pumpkin seeds
60 g linseeds
150 g sweet potato
150 g whole-grain rice flour
70 g buckwheat flour
70 g quinoa or teff flour
Dissolve the yeast in the water and add the flea seed shells. Mix well and let sit for about five minutes.
In the meantime, mix all ingredients except rice flour, buckwheat flour and quinoa flour well, and add to the mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Mix the three flours well and add to the dough. Mix thoroughly and at length – up to five minutes.
Let sit for five minutes, then mix thoroughly again, and let sit for another five to ten minutes before adding it to a well-oiled or baking-paper lined form. Add seeds on top, and let sit for 1,5-2 hours.
Place in a 230 C oven and immediately reduce to 200 C. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes to 1,5 hours. Let cool completely before cutting into the bread. Keep refrigerated. Freezes well.
Bread number 2:
20 g yeast
4 dl cold water
20 g yellow flea seed shells
1 heaped tblsp melasse (can be left out – I forgot once and nothing happened)
3,5 dl vegan quark or yoghurt or skyr
150 g whole buckwheat
75 g pumpkin seeds
125 g chia seeds
300 g glutenfree oats
20 g salt
100 g hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and add yellow flea seed shells. Let sit for a moment till it thickens.
Add melasse and vegan yoghurt or whatever you are using. Mix well.
Add all other ingredients except the hazelnuts, and mix well for several minutes.
Add the hazelnuts and mix well.
Press the dough into a well-oiled or baking-paper lined form and smooth out the surface.
Let sit for an hour at room temperature.
Place in a 230 C oven and immediately reduce to 200. Bake for about an hour and ten minutes.
Let cool completely. Keep refrigerated. Freezes well.
Opportunities to play bridge in Berlin in the foreseeable future
Last updated: 7 April 2024 AM.
(For newcomers to the subject: please refer to the previous posts in this category for (almost) anything else you need to know).
One more Friday to play privately before the course starts:
Friday 12 April – We now have eight people wanting to play at my place: C, D, R, T, Q, K&M, and myself.
Friday 19 April – the following VHS course starts and runs till 14 June (with the exception of 10 May). It is available for registration : “Englisch B1 plus – Learn to play Bridge in English”. Course number Pa4101F.
And although it is (very) early days yet to be thinking about the summer period, I just want to mention that after the course finishes on 14 June, I will already have most of my planned travel for this year done, so during the second half of June, all of July, the first three weeks of August, and most of September, I will most likely be in Berlin, and we can play at my place if there is interest. More about that towards the end of the course.
In that regard, just to pick up on some comments made the other evening, everybody is welcome to suggest other evenings, rather than Fridays, when they might find it more convenient to play over the summer. So speak up, now or later, and we’ll see if we can find some common ground.