Ah, the finer things in life. Or maybe not. So here’s my rant. A local grocery store is having a special on all things American starting next week.

Sadly, one look at the specials listed on their advertisement the impression is clear: American cuisine equals junk food.

Germany’s image of a typical American’s diet is a hard but overstretched reality: Millions of Americans starting their days off with either donuts, muffins, bagels or pancakes and sometime within the week hot dogs, hamburger buns, popcorn shrimp and platefuls of barbecue spare-ribs will be consumed.

But the hunger doesn’t stop there. We’ll gorge on american pizza and sandwich pickles, guzzle down blueberry and cranberry juice, and we aren’t ashamed to dip our grubby index fingers into an open jar of peanut butter and once our digits are clean we’ll lean back and smack our lips together in sugary nirvana.

But of course, you couldn’t let us forget the American all-time diabetic favorites: jelly beans, marshmallows and brownies.

It really is all too much. Behind every unhealthy and poor, nutritionally valued food substance you smugly decorate it with the American flag as if to say, “This wasn’t our idea.” I’m half embarrassed. Sugary items, refined grains, starchy and sodium polluted snacks: Is this what America really has to offer to the world? Or is this what you really sarcastically think America has to offer?

Okay, so maybe it’s true we eat individually almost 300 tortillas and 23 pounds of pizza per year*. We know these junk foods, those you want to sell so badly here, are bad for us, for you, for everyone. But this food is in the US, we developed it and now it’s an addictions we have to deal with. So I’m baffled. Why, Germany, with the negative stigma these food carry, why would you feed this food to yourselves?

Okay. I’ll give you some credit. I myself am having a hard time thinking up of typical or commonly known American foods that would be consider mildly healthy. How ’bout them tortillas? Or pecans and cashews? It’s not on your list, but how about soybeans?

Yet, I forgive Aldi. Germany may have a weakness for life’s seductions. Who can fault them or us? And anyone who believes scones are American is clearly confused.

My first 3-course meal dinner party was a success. I’m so proud that there were no major disasters. Thanks to Alex for attending the drinks and entertainment. Oh and a big thank you to Veronika for helping me with squeezing and cutting the fresh pasta into the boiling water. Mandy, Fabian and Muffin-dog were the first to arrive. I immediately gave Muffin a chew bone to welcome her to the party. I think she remembered being at my place of a week. (Awww moment)

We started the apéritif with a home version of Kir Royal, a mixture of sparkling wine and splash of cassis or for those with the darker love, a traditional Bordeaux, not too heavy but unfortunately with a bit more sulfur than usual. Max arrived then followed by Tavia and Karl. I started the appetizers hoping Veronika would arrive as they were being served but that didn’t happen until we decided that I should fire up the pan for the main course.

Appetizers consisted of crab-stuffed mushrooms and crab rangoon (very simple mixture of cream cheese, surimi, soy sauce, & worcestershire sauce in a folded wonton or gyoza wrappers fried until crispy). Tavia isn’t a fan of seafood so she got pork fried wonton. The main course was a pork filet mignon with a red wine balsamic sauce, fresh ricotta-bergkäse gnocchi, and spinach-rosenkohl stuffed tomatoes over a dapple of topinambur puree. The evening ended with a three layered dark-white chocolate terrine with a raspberry sauce and a sweet Riesling. [recipes to follow]

When I asked everyone how they liked their meat cooked, I got answers that ranged from bloody to well-done. Uh-Oh. After the thumb test, the evening arrived at the moment-of-truth as I sliced into pork. Ah. Success. Those who wanted well-done got end pieces and the rest got two slices of a nice rosy color. *Pride*

Everyone ate everything, including the remaining pork. I worry that I didn’t make enough and I kick myself for not taking a picture. The balsamic sauce went over very well and the plates were cleaned with the bread that Alex picked up at the last minute from Aldi (I always forget the bread). Fabian finally asked where I got the pork filet mignon and I admitted that it also came from Aldi. I’m not being cheap, they really do have good pork filets. Tavia thought my gnocchi looked like cauliflower, which to my amusement, they kind-of did.

I was a little disappointed that my mushrooms were too cold; I didn’t leave them in the oven long enough and my terrine was grainy in one layer, but those are just minor complaints. I also should of had a white wine or more sekt for those who can’t stomach red wine. (Yet some think it is a crime to drink white wine with a red sauce.)

We were definitely at our limit with 8 people for dinner. We only have 8 forks in this household, thus the appetizers were finger food. I hope the mix of people worked out alright. With three girls from the U.S., there were times of English speaking but mostly German. (Good job, girls)

Ashame I was there for only parts of the conversations but that’s part of the fun of hosting a dinner party. I can’t wait to do the next one, I’m thinking fish..

Recipe links:

• crab-stuffed mushrooms
• Red Wine Reduction: Pork Filet Mignon
• ricotta-bergkäse gnocchi [recipe to follow]
• spinach-rosenkohl stuffed tomatoes [recipe to follow]
• quadruple chocolate terrine & raspberry balsamico drizzle [recipe to follow]

Dr. K says things are looking spectacular with my knee. I’m equally as pleased. Honestly, it feels more stable than before the accident. I’m allowed lots of walking, kicking in the pool, lots of stationary cycling and strength training. I just need to gain full motion again and I’ll be a happy camper. No skiing this season.

So I have an interview tomorrow. It’s more of a mock because I doubt they can offer me a job. I’m just grateful that I’ll get some experience under my already choking belt.

Three kilos of Kalbsknochen (bones, baby) arrive tomorrow from the Metzgerei. I hope it doesn’t break the bank. I’m making a Fond for our dinner party two Fridays from now. The menu is still up in the air. I’ve hit a culinary wall tonight. I experimented with roasted Pastinaken and didn’t like the results at all, it was far to sweet for my liking. Pastinaken is parsnips. All I knew of parsnips was that they were mentioned in Jim Henson’s Tale of the Bunny Picnic. I think the Grams wanted a jar of pickled parsnips! Hmm. I think tomorrow I’ll try a purée instead.

Snow on the ground in the middle of November. This is a sign to beef up or get beat by the winter blues this season. I am determined more than ever not to let this winter business get the best of me. It already took one ACL.

Eventually I’ll start a gym membership with my rehab center and on weekends visit the heated swimming pools in the area. So far my winter conditioning is in the form of shop hopping. It is very easy to exhaust the variety from our down-the-block Tenglemann and Aldi. All the random finds within the last 2 years in Munich have made us one of those couples who just aren’t satisfied with one place to shop.

To find that one place that carries the things we want, need and like still wouldn’t be a dream for us. Of course there’s the V-markt or Walmart superstores withing driving distance. But those places aren’t very attractive when you need a map to find the one item you were looking for and the prices are just as pocket burning as the smaller stores.

So I run around - in the rain, wind, hail, sleet, snow - for things like bread. Turkish bread (pide) was bought on the Turkenstraße until the corner market on our street started selling baked goods. Occasionally, we like Kastenbrot (box bread, loaf bread) to make toast. But it is never to be found with any regularity in any of the neighborhood bakeries. I have to make a special trip to Sendlingstraße. Croissants are the best at the Post-Bakery a few blocks down, which is convenient because this bread is a must for Alex for our weekend breakfasts.

Then there is the vegetable saga. I’m always disappointed in the veggies at Tenglemann. There are always flies hovering over the produce. Instead I walk 10 minutes in the other direction to a corner shop delicatessen, where they sell bio-products or Class I produce: never over-ripe, but ready to be eaten within the next few days. Every other week we’ll order bio-fruits and veggies from the Öko-kiste. But only if I plan to cook a lot that week. A whole head of cauliflower is just over the top for the two of us.

I’ve yet to divulge my full trust with a Metzgerei (butcher). More like I have to gain trust from them. It is hard to shake the feeling as if I’m getting the second-grade cut because I said Grüß Gott with too much foreigner flair. It’s probably one of those things where you have to establish a rapport. Yet so often, I just want to pick up the non-discriminant pre-packaged dealio and move on. I suppose if I want to get serious about making my own stock, it’s time to start sucking up.