Lemming Like

Everything pictured is not in the recipe.

Rarely do I like to do all the things that the cool kids are doing—instead I strike out on my own. I’ve even extended that to include my blog—its been eons since I last participated in a e-group thing like National Blog Everyday Even If You Have Nothing To Say Month (NBEEIYHNTSM), Photo Friday (I used to do this), or invitations to participate in something from a blogging friend (If you don’t do this and name ten other people to participate within 10 minutes than a plague will scar your family from now until eternity).

Amazingly, I am going to participate in something this weekend—although I believe I am technically going to be a week late.

AmiExpat has been posting authentic German recipes from an authentic German cookbook with English translations as an ongoing challenge. Whilst I love food and have thought some of the challenges have looked really good, the fact remains there are two obstacles to my participation. First, I am not a lemming, and secondly, I am but one person and the recipes often look like they could feed an army.

The challenge this week is “Erdbeer Bowle”, which loosely translated for Americans would be Adult Strawberry Punch.

I looked at the recipe and discovered that I already had two of the three critical ingredients in stock: 1 bottle of Riesling (I assume Mosel, but I’m not a wine expert, merely a whine expert) and 1 bottle of sparkling wine—in my case authentic Champaign from France.

The last critical ingredient seemed simple enough: a kilo (2.2 American pounds) of strawberries, which I picked up today, even though the Eurovision finals are not until tomorrow. At the market, I had a choice of four stands selling half kilo tubs of German strawberries for 3.50€ each, or I could have purchased Spanish strawberries from one stand for 1.50€ each or 2.50€ for two. Despite a boozy destination for the fruit, I took to heart Heidelbergerin’s experience:

I went to buy the strawberries that morning and it was the first day I saw German strawberries at Rewe. They were sitting alongside Spanish strawberries. I couldn’t decide which to get. The Spanish ones looked more ripe and were cheaper, but German strawberries have been sooooo good to me in the past, plus it’s nice to buy local. So I ended up getting a half kilo of each. Oh German strawberries, why did I ever doubt you?

Ingredients in hand, I am waiting until tomorrow afternoon to start cooking—or is that assembling? There’s no real cooking involved, merely cleaning, cutting, and combining.

The recipe states that it’s meant for four, but I’m thinking that because there are two bottles of alcoholic liquid involved, that it will be sufficient for the five to seven guests I am expecting tomorrow night—some of whom are not really into alcohol in any form.

I’m excited to be part of the cool kid’s club, even if it’s only for a week, although I see that according to the preview for next week, AmiExpat’s going to be baking cake. That I might be talked into doing.

Full details about how the Erdbeer Bowle goes sometime on Sunday…