munchies [ˈmʌntʃɪz]
While I find the idea that there are a couple of things I did not know nor suspect about the “Law” extremely fascinating, the term munchies will henceforth refer to “2. (Cookery) snacks or food collectively” on this website.
The other day I was feeling peckish. Like I usually do when I get that feeling, I opened the fridge to see what I could see. What I saw where a whole lot of things not fit to fight my peckishness, eggs, no milk, sparkling wine, butter, tomatoes (next to the fridge <– valuable piece of information… no?) and a toastable pita pocket. So I made a scrambled-eggs-stuffed-pita pocket. End of story, hope you liked it.
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Actually, wait – there’s more!
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You may have noticed that I specifically indicated the lack of milk in the above list of things that I could see. That’s because, usually, I like to scramble my eggs with a pinch of salt, a nice helping of freshly crushed black peppper, and a splash of milk before I fry them in a speck of butter. But not that day, oh no. That day, I fried in that usual speck of butter some eggs I had scrambled with the very usual pinch of salt, good helping of pepper, a couple of diced tomatoes and – sparkling wine which was actually left over from when I needed a cup or so for a risotto which was originally supposed to be prepared with a cup or so of white wine which I didn’t have and therefore substituted the sparkling stuff. Was also tasty.
But the EGGS! Oh. my. sweet – no – savoury. breakfast!
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Those eggs tasted just the tiniest, but nicely noticeable, bit of the sparkling wine, they were fluffy and silky, the tomatoes were floating in their luxuriously warm embrace just right… I was in heaven.
You know when you go to a fancy restaurant for a brunch of scrambled eggs, melon wrapped in prosciutto (which you leave for your meat-eating company to eat), cute little rolls, the most excuisite little jars of exotic jams, and everything accompanied by a glass of champagne? These scrambled eggs were all of that, folded into one – and stuffed into a toasted pita pocket. Glorious.
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End of story.
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No, really.
So I have this pie dish. I ordered it online after a month-long obsession with owning a pie dish (I blame that on having previously vacationed in the US) and a few futile searches for one in local (in)convenience stores.
You see, Germany has never really gotten the hang of pies. We make cakes and tortes, we build cars and highraise buildings, we don’t bake pies. So yeah, I got it online, eventually. It’s deep dish, light green on the outside, cream colored on the inside, and has this lovely rippled border (yes, I could just take a picture and show it to you, like I did with the hasselback potatoes, but seriously: where’s the fun in that?).
So it’s just delicious in itself. My mouth waters whenever I look at it. Or think of it, for that matter. Right now, for example, I’m practically drooling all over my keyboard, which is mildly upsetting because it’s not even actually mine.
On my last trip to the US I bought another pie dish, a glass one from the big W Mart. I haven’t even used it yet, because the other one’s just so much more… flashy.
Anywho, this pie dish I have, the lovely green frilly one, needs to be used from time to time to justify my going on the internet and using highly dangerous methods of payment (yes, I mean credit card). So I make pies. The other weekend I made a yummy if not completely set strawberry pie. And yesterday I whipped up this baby:
Look, it’s a spinach pie.
I made it because I happened upon low-fat puff pastry at the store, because I had cheese and yogurt and eggs in the fridge, because I had some creamed spinach in the freezer, and because I could. Because I have this pie dish, you know. By the by: You can see some of the cream colored wavy edges that make me salivate so much in the picture. Do you see them? Are you all drooly and googly-eyed yet? I know I am!
Anywho, now you know why I call this the “Because Pie”. I make it because. Because of all the wonderful things I find at the store, because of all the wonderful things I have at home, because Hubby was staying over, and because I can.
I also make this pie because it is just so versatile. I used yogurt, eggs, corn, kidney beans, cheese and creamed spinach as a filling to pour into the puff pastry lining, and mozzarella slices to top everything off. (Also, as I would like you to ignore in the photo because (there it goes again!) they don’t look very becoming, I have used some leftover puff pastry strips to “decorate” the top of the pie. Please don’t notice the pasty looking little bow in the middle.) I have also prepared this pie (not in this pie dish, though, but in a springform that has by now paid its debt to nature) with yogurt, eggs, corn, cheese, and tomato slices on top. Also very, very yummy. I can also imagine this pie without any corn or spinach at all and some broccoli instead. Or caramelized onions and leeks. Heck, even strawberries. Although I’d suggest going easy on the cheese when using strawberries. Also, the seasoning should probably differ. But seriously, you could make a sweet version of this pie any day. Or substitute the yogurt with cream cheese, which would basically make a cheesecake… oh, well.
In case you’re interested, here’s a list of ingredients and directions for this particular Because Pie:
1 package of (low-fat) puff pastry
1 cup of yogurt (I used low-fat as well)
1 cup of shredded cheese (I bought it shredded, because I’m lazy, but I’m sure this could be much more gourmet if you shredded a good cheese yourself)
1 small can of corn, drained (adds a lovely crunch)
1 can of kidney beans, drained and washed (adds protein and color)
3-4 large eggs (they add stability)
1 box of frozen (creamed) spinach (yes, frozen. Because (!) I’m lazy. My suggestion is: thaw/cook it according to instructions on the package before chucking it into the pie filling)
spices (I used cajun seasoning salt, pepper, nutmeg, nutmeg, garlic, and nutmeg)
1 ball of mozzarella, sliced (adds garnish and yum)
preheat your oven (or your neighbor’s, if they’re fine with that sort of thing) to the temperature indicated on the puff pastry package. (Peel peas permanently, preferably peering at people passing.) Line the loveliest pie dish you have with the puff pastry. Next, whisk the eggs and mix in all the remaining ingredients, except the mozzarella. Please do not go easy on the nutmeg! Potatoes and spinach need nutmeg. Period. Pour the filling into the prepared puff pastry pie pan (peruse the peeled peas if you please), and place the dish in the oven for about an hour. Take it out, place the mozzarella slices on top and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Note that ovens are nasty little things that sometimes vary the temperature to burn our food. Just make sure to check from time to time if the filling is still jiggly. Once it stops jiggling it should be just about done. To keep it from getting too dark on top you can simply cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Hasselback Potatoes are one of those dishes I’ve been meaning to try out for a while now, but never got around to it because it always seemed easier to just boil and mash the potatoes I had. And I adore mashed potaoes. They’re my favorite food at the moment. Especially with some roast garlic and cream cheese in them. And nutmeg. I love nutmeg. It’s important.
Anywho, I finally made Hasselback Potatoes last week, and since they were a success and are bound to be made again by me, I thought I’d share. Because sharing is nice. And being nice is important. Like nutmeg.
In case you are wondering: Hasselback Potatoes are basically baked potatoes with a posh twist. Kind of like a hybrid between baked potatoes and potato gratin (minus the cream. So, actually, not at all like potato gratin. Except the’re posh and sliced). I don’t know what “hasselback” means, but I suppose it’s a Swedish word since Hasselback Potatoes, to the best of my knowledge, are a Swedish dish. If I had to guess what the literal translation of hasselback potato is I’d say it means something along the lines of “potatoes, baked with a lot of hassle – but totally worth it”. The hassle is rather limited, anyway. You just have to slice the potatoes carefully, making sure that you don’t slice them all the way so the potatoes stay in one piece – but sliced.
You know what, I always thought I had a way with language, but now I find I can’t actually describe how Hasselback Potatoes are sliced. You’ll just have to deduct from the pictures, I’m afraid. Meanwhile, I’ll give you a new translation for hasselback potato: Baked potato cut in a way that is a real hassle to describe.
The following is probably not the very original recipe for hasselback potatoes. I found some basic recipes online and decided I would make them with everything I think is important in potato dishes. That is garlic and nutmeg. Also, I like chives and parmesan, so I chucked those right in as well. And here we go.
7 medium sized potatoes (I didn’t use the waxy kind, although many would recommend it) – not pictured – too obvious
4,5 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt (I used Cajun seasoning, which is very salty)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp chopped chives (I used dried, but fresh might also work) – not pictured because the decision to use them was made tardily
½ cup grated parmesan – well, at least I managed to get that cup in the picture
Garlic cloves to taste – i.e. as many as you’ve got
4 tsp butter
Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F.
Thoroughly wash the potatoes. You can peel them if you feel like it. I didn’t, since I like peel and don’t like peeling. Next, place them one by one in a wooden spoon so you can more comfortably cut them into slices without breaking on through to the other side. You know? Oh well, see above…
Now prepare the rub for the potatoes. Just place the remaining ingredients, bar the garlic slices and the butter, in a bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. I guess you could also prepare the rub without the parmesan and just sprinkle that on separately. Whatever floats your boat and makes your hasselback taters crispy. Rub the potatoes with the mix (I started out applying the mix with a brush, but it was too much hassle, so I ended up just using my hands) and place them in a large ovensafe dish or on a baking sheet, whole side down, cut side up (duh!). Try to get some of the rub in between the slices, too. I didn’t (too much hassle, you see), and my hasselbacks were a little boring on the inside. Now for the garlic. You’ll want to slice the cloves very thinly because you’re going to slip them in between some (or all, depending on how badass you are, really) of the potato slices. And finally, sprinkle the taters with small flakes of butter and place them in the oven. I had some garlic cloves left, so I just peeled them and chucked them into the dish with my potatoes. I love roast garlic. And it’s no hassle to make at all.
The potatoes should take about an hour to bake in the oven. You want them to be tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. And you want them to be YUM. Which they are.
Toodles!
The title of this post may be an exaggeration, but that’s actually what this way of preparing a mango always reminds me of. 
Anyway, it’s as easy as mango pie: Just cut the mango in three pieces lengthwise, the middle piece being the core with some pulp. You’ll want to cut very close to the core. Don’t worry if you hit it with the knife, you can always wiggle your way around it and still get two very nice outer pieces.
Next, cut a grid into the pulp of the outer pieces, being careful not to pierce the peel. Like so:
Now hold the piece in both hands, thumbs on the tips, pushing the middle outward with your index fingers. And there’s the Sydney Opera House:
You can simply pick off the cute little mango cubes with your fingers if you don’t mind the juicy mess, or cut them off the peel with a knife to toss them into an exotic fruit salad.
On Sunday, I stumbled upon the recipe for these yummy-lookin’ cookies which go by the delightful name of “Fluffernutter”, and they had me at “three ingredients”. 
I hadn’t consciously heard of the famous Fluffernutter Sandwich that seems to be relatively popular in the US until I went to buy the ingredients for these cookies and read about the sandwich on the jar of marshmallow fluff. Now that I’ve tasted the cookies, I’m beginning to understand the sandwich’s popularity and I shall embark on a journey to bring this sticky delight to the breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables of Germany.
Now, about the cookies: They don’t exactly look like the ones in the original recipe. They look more like actual cookies, the way I personally understand cookies. Flat. Unlike actual cookies, they’re gooey, not crunchy. But very much like actual cookies, they’re positively delightful! A little crispy on top, you can see and taste the marshmallow streaks, they are peanutbuttery, but not too peanutbuttery, and the batter was a real darl to work with!
There has been a bit of a debate going on over at the picky palate. Several of her readers have tried the recipe, and some have “failed”, much the way I have. Everyone’s been trying to find out what’s to blame for that, but so far there’s no verdict that I know of.
Anyway, here’s what you’ll wanna do (and yes, you’ll want to!):
Go on a three-day shopping trip to assemble a variety of many exotic and hard to find ingredients:
Preheat the oven (180°C/350°F).
Mix 1 cup peanutbutter and one egg well. I used a spoon but will ask Picky Palate if she used a whisk or electric mixer. Maybe that’s what’s to “blame” for my cookies looking like actual cookies – not enough air in the batter to hold it up.
Next, mix in 1 cup of marshmallow fluff (or creme) with a spoon, until barely combined. If you do this in an orange bowl, your batter will look like this:
The marshmallow streaks in my batter are much thinner than the ones in the original recipe, so maybe I over-mixed and that’s all there is to the flat cookies?!
Using a teaspoon (or cookie scoop), heap the batter on a cookie sheet, lined with some sort of baking mat, parchment paper or the likes. I used a blue baking mat on a black cookie sheet. Dark cookie sheets seem to be at least partly to blame for the cookies becoming flat, so maybe you might want to try a lighter cookie sheet. Or not, if you like your cookies flat, like me. This amount of batter got me 15 little cookie batter heaps.
Next, you’ll want to put the tray in the oven…
… and 12-15 (or, in my case, 14) minutes later, your cookies will look like this:
And if you’re anything like me, you won’t have believed in all the talk about flattening cookies in the comment section over at picky palate, and your cookies will look like this:
And they will taste like