ONGOING
2024
March:
February:
Earlier (started in 2021 (I think)). Latest update (the diptych and triptych with older photographs) 4 February 2024
Photography – series: Off-the-ground garbage disposal, Berlin style
All posts by Helle Møller
Photowalk in Gropiusstadt with InterNations 18 February 2024
(Photos from a walk there two years ago here).
Walkabout before meeting the others, a.o. in the bird sanctuary – saw many birds but only managed one half-way decent photo.
Walter Gropius School:
Dreeinigkeitskirche (and immediate surroundings):
Gropiushaus:
The German bureaucracy is getting worse, not better
Final edit 27 February: “Happy ending” 🙂 – I found an HNO doctor who unlike the first one I went to is competent and friendly, and unlike the second one I went to has friendly receptionists who do not lie about what my insurance company wants and does not want. Ear infection, or whatever it was, is now gone. Dr. S. Schölzel, Bergmannstraße 5. Highly recommended.
We now have to bring our “Anmeldebestätigung” along when seeing a new doctor for the first time. Despite having lived here eight years and seen many doctors and one hospital, I have never been asked for that one before.
After having been treated for an ear infection unsuccessfully by one ear doctor and three different kinds of eardrops for a couple of months, I wanted to get a second opinion from another ear doctor and made an appointment with Herr Dr. med. Christian Scheiber in Leipziger Straße.
Having arrived there and filled in the usual two-three pages of blabla (that German IT angst again) and presented my passport and insurance card, I was asked to produce my “Anmeldebestätigung” and if I did not have it with me – go back home to fetch it. At some point, they even claimed that my insurance company demands it. (?????). That is a blatant lie. I am privately insured with JSIS – the sickness insurance for current and former European Union employees and have been since 1976. I think I would have known by now if that were the case. I even offered to pay the bill in cash then and there if necessary – but no, not good enough.
Due to gail-force wind gusts (accompanied by rain), I had already been almost blown off the pavement three times on the way there, so I was not about to make an extra return walk under those conditions. And – in a country whose motto seems to be “why make things easy if you can make them complicated?” – how could I be certain that when I got back there they would not lie about something else. Once a liar, alway a liar. I therefore left, telling them I would not be back and that they should just send me the invoice.
I am sure my “alleged” address is good enough for billing me, even if not good enough for treating my ear infection.
Vegan shiitake pasta – can easily be made both non-vegan and gluten-free
Shiitake Mushroom Pasta (Vegan, No Cashews or Coconut!)
Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
IN PROGRESS
- 226 g dry pasta of choice
- 300 ml water
- 35 g raw sunflower seeds – see Notes
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled – mince 4 cloves and leave one whole
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or corn starch
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 284 g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce – or tamari
- 120 ml dry white wine – a crisp and tart variety like Sauvignon Blanc
- black pepper, to taste
- squeeze of lemon juice
Cook Mode
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions, then drain.
- In a high-speed blender combine the water, sunflower seeds, 1 whole clove of garlic, and salt. Blend on high until completely smooth. Add the starch, and blend for another 30 to 45 seconds. Set aside.
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil, and swirl the pan to coat. Cook the shallots and shiitake mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and soy sauce, and cook for a few more minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and no longer sizzling. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for several minutes or until the wine has reduced by about half.
- Pour the blended sunflower cream sauce into the pan, and season with black pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened and creamy. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, stir well, and taste for seasoning. Add more lemon, salt, and pepper as desired. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water.
- Toss the cooked pasta in the shiitake cream sauce and serve hot.
Notes
Blender: If not using a high-speed blender, you may want to soak the seeds in hot water for 1-2 hours before blending. You can also use a nut milk bag to strain the sauce before adding to the pan.
Subs and Variations
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and certified GF tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Sunflower seeds: If you’re fine with nuts, feel free to use ⅓ cup cashews instead of the seeds, and omit the starch.
- With greens: Add your favorite greens while sauteing the mushrooms – try spinach, kale, or small broccoli florets.
- Make it an entree: For extra protein and to make the dish more filling, add cooked white beans or lentils, seitan, or baked tofu.
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Hamburg February 2024
Arrived in relatively heavy rain so spent the afternoon in Deichtorhallen. One exhibition of works by Claudia Andujar, and one absolutely magnificent exhibition called Dix and the Present. I was thrilled to see an Anselm Kiefer there. Always awesome.
Cindy Sherman’s Anti-Fashion had also reached Hamburg on what seems to be a European Tour, but I had already seen that in Stuttgart. (Not a fan of Cindy Sherman but I have to admit that she is a great make-up and costume artist).
10 February walkabout in misty weather, starting with a definite maritime flair, and ending in a park with a skating rink.
11 February AM NABU Birdwatching walk: Gefiederte Wintergäste und Durchzügler am Öjendorfer See.
Still misty, and the walk did not really seem to be going anywhere, so I did my own thing for a while before returning. Quite a nice area. Saw many birds but did not really manage any good photos. Just one of Mr Bigfoot here:
11 February PM wine fair “Weinfrühling Hamburg” in Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Supposedly. But I stayed for less than a minute. They had let in far too many people, and people were still arriving. Impossible to move, impossible to hear anything (I was supposed to meet up with a handful of people from InterNations Hamburg), and impossible to breathe – no air, and a temperature of about 30 C. A complete nightmare.
12 February Hagenbeck Tierpark and that abominable sculpture still outside.
A big zoo with NOTHING to eat or drink, not even a coffee slot machine.
Caspar David Friedrich at Hamburger Kunsthalle, pre-booked ticket for Tuesday, 13 February 10.00-13.00 hrs. Possibly with a small group of people from InterNations Hamburg. It gets good reviews, for example this one.
Unfortunately, here too, ticket sales count more than comfort, and it was much too crowded and the rooms were small. I felt like a sardine in a tin, and almost panicked. Also, a true superspreader of course. I had to elbow my way out and only saw a few paintings in passing, and only because I am taller than a lot of other people. I did wonder whether I was still suffering from post-Corona “stay-away-from-me” syndrome, but I have since read many newspaper articles criticising the Kunsthalle for letting in far too many people at a time, and that many, like me, gave up seeing the exhibition properly.
I hope the organisers of the CDF exhibition in Berlin later this year have learnt from this and do not make the same mistakes.
The day was saved by meeting up for lunch with an ex-colleague from the European Parliament in Luxembourg where we both worked in the late 1970s. Very enjoyable.
After lunch, it was drizzling occasionally but I did go for a quick, last walkabout:
Photography – series: Smoke
Last updated 14 February 2024
Photography: Personal favourites 2024 January
Vegan Lentil Sweet Potato Tagine
IN PROGRESS
This vegan lentil sweet potato tagine evokes the voluptuous flavors of Morocco, with a tantalizing interplay of sweet, spicy, salty, tangy and savory. Serve it over a bed of couscous or quinoa for a cozy, nutrient-rich meal!
Prep Time15minutes mins
Cook Time25minutes mins
Total Time40minutes mins
Course: Main Course/Stew
Cuisine: African, North African
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 143kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large saute pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried brown lentils (or one 14-oz can of brown lentils)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium red onions (thinly sliced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 medium tomatoes (diced)
- 1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- If using dried lentils, place lentils in a saucepan, cover with two inches of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and let the lentils cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Strain the lentils before using, but reserve the cooking water.
- Place the onions and garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan or Dutch oven. Add a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Saute over medium heat until onions soften, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the spices to the pot: ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, ground cardamom and ground allspice. Mix and saute for another minute or until the spices are very aromatic.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Add the sweet potatoes and drained, cooked or canned lentils to the pot along with 1 ½ cups of the lentil cooking liquid or vegetable broth or water.
- Mix and bring the tagine to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot, turn heat down, and let the tagine simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Sprinkle parsley over the tagine. Serve hot or warm.
Hibernation, and VHS’s latest insanity
One of the advantages of staying indoors for three or four days is that you are spared the stupidity you without fail encounter every time you stick your head out of your own home.
But you are not safe from it. Quite apart from, against your better judgement, watching the news on Danish TV these last few weeks, here is my example from today, of the German IT angst/incompetence/paranoia/resistance:
Volkshochschule Berlin (VHS), which already has the most moronic system for searching, signing up and paying for courses (something they say takes years to change whereas anyone with the right IT knowledge say it would take them less than an hour), for some strange reason insists on calling me Heike although that is, for obvious reasons, not the name I have signed up with, and is, for even more obvious reasons, also not the name on the bank details I had to send them.
Weirdly enough, I only had to send the bank details once, although VHS is very proud of being divided into about twelve offices – one for each of the Berlin districts, and whether they ever speak to each other, or are connected in any way, depends on their mood and how the wind blows.
In addition to crossing out Heike and writing Helle very clearly on the attendance lists which I assume are sooner or later returned to admin, I have also several times e-mailed them and drawn their attention to the fact that they – on their own initiative – invented a new name for me.
I finally received a reply. Guess what: I have to not only send in an application for a name change (can you believe this – I repeat: THEY invented that other name for me – no I?). But wait for it: I have to send an application for a name change to each of the districts in which I am signed up for courses.
I wish I had not e-mailed them. Before, it was not even all that important to me. Now, with that reply, I am really p….. off.
It is not immediately obvious from the above tsunami, but words actually fail me.
Someone ought to introduce IT and computers to them – properly, and real software to replace the kind of Mickey Mouse software they seem to be using currently.
I am more inclined to stop going to any of the courses I am now signed up for, and make sure I never see or hear or read anything about that brain-dead institution, or is it those brain-dead institutions? ever again.
And people wonder why I hate people.
Added 25 January:
A person wearing a Wattenfall coat turned up at our respective doorsteps and rang our doorbells and knocked on our doors insistently. I finally opened thinking it must be an emergency, but he just introduced himself as coming from Vattenfall and only wanted to know who is my electricity supplier. Which is in fact Vattenfall. Which seemed to come as a surprise to him.
??????????????????????????????? Does Vattenfall also not have real computers? And if they do, are they using the same Mickey Mouse software that they seem to use at Volkshochschule?