A walk with one of my “walking bubbles” at Herzberge Landscape Protection Area and the adjoining Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde.
The route on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/333541892.
On Alexanderplatz, on the way to the tram:
On the way back, on what seemed like a refurbished, antique tram:
Berlinische Galerie, conveniently located basically in my backyard, has kindly organised three audiowalks in the neighbourhood.
Not really mentioned in the audio, the newly refurbished Bessel Park is a neighbour of some of the buildings mentioned. Here are some photos, also of other, newer buildings surrounding it:
My route on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/346683061 (I got cold and cheated a bit at the end).
Some text will follow later.
My route on Komoot: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/08/29/mehringplatz-in-progress/
The walk starts on Mehringplatz which I have already photographed extensively in this post, and which is still being renovated.
Next stop also mentioned in this post I have also documented here:
I therefore went straight to the third stop in the audiowalk:
Not mentioned on the walk:
Also not mentioned in the Audio:
With the new U-Bahn station finished, we can again see all of Unter den Linden, all the way from Brandenburger Tor to Alexanderplatz:
Definitely not mentioned in the Audio: one of the many demos that usually take place in Berlin, especially on Sundays – this one for a car-free Berlin :-):
And finally, I just liked this:
Approx. 500 g fish filets, from salmon or a firm white fish, or a mixture, in 1,5 cm dice.
A bag of frozen shrimp, thawed and drained
2 medium red onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large or two small chard, trimmed and sliced
1 packet of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Some chopped chili, to taste
2 Indian bay leaves, and a bit of salt and pepper
1 cauliflower
300 g chickpea (gram) flour
2 tblsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
About 1 dl milk, any kind of milk, I used oat milk, but I actually think water would work just as well
3 tblsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor, mix cauliflower, gram flour, ground coriander, liquid, olive oil and salt and pepper to a thick, fairly smooth paste, with just a bit of structure from the cauliflower.
Place the fish in one layer in a fairly deep baking plate. The one on the photo is 26x26x7 cm.
Then distribute the shrimp on top and sprinkle with a bit of salt and a healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper.
Sizzle, but do not brown, the bay leaves, onions and garlic, in olive oil or ghee, and add the chard, until it starts to wilt. Mix in the spinach. Season with a bit of salt and a lot of pepper.
Spread this mixture evenly over the fish/shrimp, and finally “seal” with the cauliflower/gram flour mash.
Bake at 180 C fan for about 40 minutes.
I have been here quite a few times over the years. It has changed a lot, and is still changing.
The route on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/328345222.
Halbinsel Stralau: http://stralauer-halbinsel.de/
Across the street from S-Bahnhof Treptower Park:
To garnish:
Combine flour, butter and salt to a homogeneous mass and incorporate milk and water little by little.
Form a ball, wrap in clingfilm and let rest in refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
Mix crème fraiche, leek, herbs, garlic, ginger and chili (if using), salt and pepper.
Press the dough into a baking tin lined with baking paper.
Distribute the leek mixture on top and then place the potatoes evenly.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 180 C for 35 to 40 minutes.
Distribute the garnishing.
I have been lied to more times in the five years I have lived in Germany than in the 63 previous years living in Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Denmark (again) put together.
I have conveniently forgotten most of them because they were less important in the grand scheme of things. The worst one, and the one I will never forget or forgive is the one told to me in the Eigentümerversammlung where we were told about the renovation project – Viktoriahöfe – next door and promised that our balconies would not be affected.
We were also told that that part of the scaffolding would be there for about eight months, i.e. till March-April 2020 (!).
It has been nothing but a nightmare ever since. More information here: https://www.hellemoller.eu/category/neighbours-from-hell/.
And now they are letting several pairs of rats with wings (pigeons) nest on the shelf just above my balcony and I think also on the one above that.
I have had psittacosis twice before, with no after-effects, and I am not keen on tempting fate once more, which means that my balcony is off-limits for me from now on.
I thought the previous summer 2019, and spring and summer 2020 (the year where I had to spend most of my time at home (!!)) were ruined because at least 50% of the daylight was stolen by the monster scaffolding and I had to look at all that ugliness. But I could at least spend time on the balcony and grow a few herbs etc. there, although I did not feel like inviting friends around, even during the times where it was allowed.
However, now that they have let the netting collapse around the scaffolding, allowing pigeons to nest virtually on my balcony, but out of reach for me to remove them, I have to stay indoors altogether and also give up growing herbs etc. there.
EDIT 4 March – this one paragraph added: Despite my tendency to catch psittacosis easily, and the fact that pigeons also constantly try to nest on my own balcony (which I am able to control – sort of), and my resulting lack of sympathy for them, I still think this constitutes cruelty to animals, and despite several messages to Cresco Capital Group, they are seemingly refusing to respond let alone do anything about it: https://www.facebook.com/1073953174/videos/10221891189003568/.
So I have to stay off the streets as much as possible to avoid one virus – and off my balcony to avoid another one, in this case purely because Cresco Capital Group can’t be bothered to finish their work on one wall and remove that part of the scaffolding. This particular part of the scaffolding was added much later than the rest of the scaffolding and could therefore be removed again much earlier. If they wanted to. But the magic word, as ever, is DENKMALSCHUTZ, which means they can behave whichever way they like and I just have to be honoured and eternally grateful to be such a close – literally – neighbour to a building which – and this is the big irony – if they ever finish it in – what five? eight? years (this IS Berlin after all) – will still be one of the ugliest buildings in the world.
Schön & Sever, Cresco Capital Group, Victoriahöfe, GBP Architekten
Dry-roast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds till you can smell them, let cool, add the flaxseeds, salt and 1 dl cold water, and let soak at room temperature for about ten hours.
Grate the pumpkin. Mix with the flour, the soaked seeds and the salt.
Dissolve the yeast in 3 dl cold water and add to the dough. Knead well for ten minutes, add water if needed. Coat a bowl with oil and leave the dough to raise to double its size at room temperature, two to three hours.
Dust a space on the table top with flour and turn out the dough. Knead, flatten and fold, and knead for a while, divide into two portions and let rest for ten minutes.
Mix the coating seeds. Coat two baking tins approx 9,5×25 cm with oil. Wet the surface of the dough slightly and roll the breads in the coating seeds and place in the tins.
Cover and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes while heating the oven to 250 C.
Bake for ten minutes, reduce heat to 210 C and bake for another 35 minutes.
Remove from tins and let cool on a grid.
NOTE: The gnudi need to rest at least four hours, preferably longer, such as overnight or from morning till evening.
OPTIONAL: It would not be among my favourites if I did not, instead of the nutmeg, add a tsp garam masala to the ricotta mixture. Also, by mistake I had only bought 200 g ricotta, so I make up for the volume with additional grated parmesan and pecorino. And finally, I added a bit of my favourite chili paste to the sauce.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Strip the chard leaves from the stalks and wash thoroughly. Wilt the chard leaves in boiling water for 1-2 minutes then refresh in cold water. Trim the ends of the stalks and cook separately but in the same water for 2-3 minutes retaining a slight bite, then refresh in cold water.
Strain the leaves and give them a really good squeeze to remove all the water from them. Finely chop the leaves and cut the stalks into 5cm batons. Keep the stalks covered and refridgerated while the gnudi rest.
Beat the ricotta until smooth, coarsely chop the chard leaves and fold into the ricotta mixture. Add the beaten eggs, parmesan, pecorino, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and pepper then fold in the flour. Shape into 30g balls and place on a tray dusted with the semolina.
Roll the balls around in the semolina ensuring each ball is evenly coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight or from morning till evening, before cooking.
Clean the girolles thoroughly with a dry brush.
Bring another pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the gnudi and simmer gently until they float to the surface. This should take 3-4 minutes.
While the gnudi cook, heat up the olive oil in a wide pan. Fry the girolles and chard stalks for a few minutes over a high heat until nicely coloured. You want roughly an equal amount of girolles and stalks, so you may not need to use all the chard stalks
Turn down the heat, add the butter and a splash of the gnudi cooking water. Stir until the butter has emulsified and begins to thicken, then add a dash of lemon juice and a crack of black pepper.
Carefully remove the gnudi from the water using a slotted spoon, drain well and add to the sauce. Gently swirl the pan to combine everything and allow the sauce to thicken, coating the gnudi nicely. Add a splash more of the cooking water if it becomes too thick, or an extra knob of butter if a bit thin. Serve and finish with freshly grated Parmesan.
