Photo from Raza Traders
Desperado Onion Soup
4-6 T. butter
2.5 lbs yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/4 t. black pepper
2 t. fresh thyme, chopped
5 c. beef broth
2-4 oz gruyere, finely shredded
1-2 handfuls croutons (optional)Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large soup pot. Add onions and stir to coat evenly with butter. Cook over medium-low heat until brown, tender, and caramelized, about 40-50 minutes. Stir in black pepper and thyme. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top and add croutons (if using). Enjoy!
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Long time no see! The recent Modern Beet silence has been due to the fact that I made an international move and have been adjusting to life in Germany. What a change it has been!
All in all, it’s been a fairly smooth process, minus a case of home sickness here and there over the past 6 weeks. There was one major hiccup with our arrival here though — the kitchen in our apartment was not installed before we got here!
Renting an apartment in Germany is quite different than renting an apartment in Anytown, USA. For instance, in German apartments, there are no closets — instead one keeps one’s clothes in a ‘kleidershrank’ (basically an armoire). Also, overhead lights are not included with an apartment; had it not been for our quick thinking colleague who picked us up from the airport (and brought some lights with him) we would have been in total darkness the first night we were here .
The biggest difference though in renting an apartment in Germany versus in the USA is that in Germany, apartments don’t come with kitchens! It is customary to bring your own kitchen (sink, oven, cabinets, refrigerator, etc) with you and install them yourself! For me and Steven, this was a foreign concept indeed… Luckily, we were aware of this when looking for an apartment last fall, and made it clear that we would need to have a kitchen supplied by the landlord. They obliged, but seemed to forget our arrival date! We had to go the first couple weeks without a kitchen!
I made this onion soup on the second or third day we were here when we had no kitchen, only a hot plate and one pot — hence ‘Desperado’…. But I suppose this goes to show that one can make an incredibly delicious from-scratch meal even with minimal ingredients and equipment.
The plan is to spend the next year here, then head back to San Francisco. I imagine my cooking efforts are going to fall off a bit while I am over here for a few reasons — I want to spend a lot of time traveling, I want to spend time learning German, I want to spend time on musical endeavors (did you know in my ‘previous’ life I spent a year traveling around the world making field recordings and composing music? — but I am also quite sure my love of cooking will never fade!
Still Hungry? Try one of these:
February 20th, 2009at 11:29 am(#)
so happy to see your post. you are resourceful! have you read “alone in the kitchen with an eggplant”? it’s a fabulous book of short stories, some authors tell of adventures in tiny apartments with hot plates.
February 21st, 2009at 12:19 pm(#)
Oh how wonderful to see you back! I was beginning to think you’d given it up. Your soup sounds just wonderful.
I hope you are having a marvelous time in Germany.
February 21st, 2009at 1:15 pm(#)
welcome back dear! good to hear that you had a nice warm soup in the first few days..
keep us updated with whatever you eat!
February 24th, 2009at 12:19 pm(#)
denise – thanks for the recommendation! I just ordered a copy
Erin – Thanks! I was sort of thinking I’d given it up to, but I am happy to be back at it
Hiroko – thanks! how’s life in sunny CA?
March 3rd, 2009at 1:17 pm(#)
I just stumbled on your blog through a blogher link.
Love it!
Enjoy Germany, I lived in Stuttgart, Mannheim, Spangdahlem (near the Luxembourg border) and a few other places courtesy of the US military. I made lots of wonderful friends and really grew to appreciate the local culture.
Almost every town has a Wed and Saturday market where you can get lovely fresh foods. Enjoy!
March 4th, 2009at 10:17 pm(#)
Kim — thanks for commenting! I would love to hear if you have any recommendations of must-visit places in Germany. Or additionally, any must-try german foods!
March 5th, 2009at 9:27 am(#)
Oh my! We moved to NC from Stuttgart about 9 years ago. So, most of what I know is somewhat dated.
Keep your eyes open for festivals. Every town has an onion, or potato, or leek, or wine, or beet, or something festival. That’s were you seem to find the most fun food. Most of what I enjoyed is so cliched that I hesitate to mention it: Bratwurst, schnitzel, spaetzle, beer, frites. I remember the food being so much fresher than we get here. In addition to the sophisticated kuche, you can get more pedestrian desserts that are fun. Spaghetti ice was my favorite! Try it, you’ll be surprised at how enjoyable it is.
Check out a few Volksmarches. Esentially, it’s an organized walk in the countryside with prizes and beer at the end (and along the way).
It isn’t clear to me which part of Germany you’re in. Things are pretty regional there, so what is fantastic in Munich would be terrible (or unavailable) in Hannover.
March 14th, 2009at 4:24 am(#)
Kim – Thanks for your suggestions! I am particularly intrigued by the Volksmarches — sound fun! Hannover is in north central Germany (Niedersachsen), about 1-2 hours south of Hamburg. It’s prime spargel (white asparagus) growing country, and apparently when it’s in season there are meter high piles at all the fruit and vegetable stands — I am looking forward to it!