Food, food, food... Everything is food!

Don't worry, there is a good reason why I haven't given many details about my dining experiences here.  Ok, so it isn't a good reason, but it is a little embarrassing.  Unfortunately, until recently the only German food I have had was cooked by myself in the apartment.  

When I arrived in the Frankfurt airport (on September 30), I had enough food to last me for my first day or two, if I rationed appropriately.  That included: a bag of beef jerky, a small Ziploc of almonds, five protein bars, an apple, and a smashed ham and gouda sandwich (lovingly prepared by my mother :).  The $70 I had in my wallet was exchanged for roughly 44 EU at the airport.  Always trying to make my money go further than it should, I wanted to avoid pulling any money from my US account until I had opened my German bank account (to avoid costly exchange and withdrawal fees).  

Well, I finished off the bag of almonds wading through customs, the apple disappeared while I was at the Frankfurt train station, and the ham and gouda (having survived a 7,000 mile journey) came to an untimely end on the express train and didn't live to see the streets of Freiburg.  That left me with the protein bars and the beef jerk, and it wasn't even noon in Germany.   By the time evening rolled around I was pretty desperate for something warm and yummy.  

It seems oddly appropriate that my first dining experience in Germany should be at a Chinese Take-Away and it is slightly comforting to know that no matter where you are in the world, Chinese Fast-Food is nearby.  The only difference being that I couldn't really read the menu here.  Thankfully, Kung Pao Chicken seems to be a universal translation; and it was delicious.

So, what was my next dining experience?  I must confess that my next meal was at an Italian restaurant.  And following that?? Well, there was the fish and chips I had at the Bahn (train) Station.   So it turns out the first German food I had was cooked by yours truly. 

 Bratwurst und Spätzel is about as German as it comes.  While the presentation was crude, I think I did pretty well with the preparation.  Of course it is easy when the spätzel comes pre-cooked...    of course since then, I have had plenty of German food.  On ever corner in the city lies a Bakery, with enticing and delicious selections.  One of my new personal favorites is the pretzel with cheese.  Oh., and I MUST tell you of the Flammkucken.  Apparently it is a speciality of the region.  If I had to make an analogy, a Flammkucken would be a "German pizza".  It has a very thin (almost crêpe-like) crust with a sour cream sauce.  My first Flammkuchen was with tomatoes and mozzarella, which I highly recommend.  I'm certainly enjoying exploring some of the flavors of Germany and each time I go to the grocery I try to pick something new.  For now, I will try to avoid McDonalds and Burger King.