Category Archives: Nose

Perfumes, wines, flowers, … all things olfactory!

Of Hedgehogs and Cucumbers

Another year gone by, somewhat low-carb on the sensual side this 2021, much like it’s predecessor, and similarily oblomovian. Landwehrkanal froze and was ice-skated upon, later inflatable boats were rowed on the same canal. Sahara sand flew over Berlin, breads were baked, drinks were mixed, books were read, movies were watched, technology failed. Cats came, cats died. Goodbye FLockerl, you were found dead on the cemetery that was your second home by an old lady – what an iconic way to go. You will be dearly remembered …

Flockerl you were a drooly cat. After you ate dry food – half was gone and half was wet. But you were a worthy successor to Ziggy, with whom you’re now cruising through the cemeteries of cat heaven.

Goodbye Flockerl !

Hedgy & Company are very much alive to the contrary .. growing fatter and bolder, and still preferring cat food over slugs! When there is enough food for everyone, there is peace. But cat food makes you very thristy, so quickly a drink of puro agave! 😉

Sharing is caring. When there is food for everyone, there is peace.

Eine sommerliche remote work + vacation Combo in Hoheneich (und Wien) brachte etwas Abwechslung, das gelegentliche Glaserl “Joiseph”, der Platane beim Wachsen zusehen, Holz einschlichten für den Winter und fast jeden Tag schwimmen im Teich! Du was ham si’ die Zwergerl g’freut jeden Tag beim Pumpen mit dem neuen Brunnen!

‘kochte Haaße. Aufschneid’n. Schoaf. Brot (Scheibn). Gurkerl. Zwa Pfefferoni, schoaf. Budweisa. Da muss bei einen einfachen Menschen einfach Freude aufkommen.

Im Garten in Berlin gab’s heuer frische Gurken, stachelig und schneckensicher wuchsen sie prächtig im und aus dem Hochbeet heraus und kletterten an allem was sich links und rechts zum Klettern anbot. Nächstes Jahr bekommt ihr eine Rankhilfe meine grünen Freunde!

Sorte: Dicke Bertha.

A sunny Friday off during late summer led Björn and me on a bike tour through Berlin in search of brutalist and modernist architecture (yes, we had two dedicated maps ;-)) and there was lots of coarse concrete to touch!

The Shell building (top) was one of our favourites, but among the most brutal ones are mainly churches.

Um brutalistische Betonbauten auszubalancieren hilft: der Britzer Garten! Im September gibt es dort ganz grandiose Dahlienbeete zu bestaunen, und auch die eine oder andere fluffy flower from outer space:

Dahlia, dahlia … and a VERY fluffy sunflower mutant!

A week on Elba in October gave some time to explore the Tao of Physics (highly recommended – probably the best read of 2021), sample local wines (Aleatico!) and enjoy views from various high spots.

Unicorn enjoyed the view from the citadel!

2021 also saw the 20 years anniversary of my master thesis, part of which was completed in Stockholm in 2001. Frequent visits to Stockholm have taken place since then, the latest one last November/December which is a very un-touristy season and very nice just because of that already.

Stockholm then and now. Top: view from Gamla Stan towards Stadshuset in April 2001, bottom: view from Nationalmuseet towards Gamla Stan, November 2021.

The Buddha is rotated, and many things are askew as we try to embrace the paradoxical nature of the universe and are waiting for the pandemic and capitalism to end (neither of which will of course), so we are only left with practicing our minimal-vogue moves.

This would be how the pros are doing it:

With this, I send you into 2022, practice your floor work and your duck-walk, and may the force be with you, as always!

Veronica, Hanami & Co

Jetzt ist er da.

Little forrest of moss, lilac, wisteria, peione, almond, Fukubana cherry, maple, magnolia, lily of the valley, akleia, chess flower, anemone with its friends gingko and the japanese larch.

“Nose” category for double smell: wisteria and lilac, “Ears” for all the birdies and “Hands” for all the planting and soil digging action!

Slime against time

2020 – ask any gardener – has been the year of the killer slugs! As if global warming didn’t exist, they used the slightly increased humidity with respect to the past years to explode in numbers. And attack. Everything. From dahlias, to veggies. Simply collecting and, ahem, recycling them each day soon turned out to be a task worthy of Sisyphos. The race “slime against time” thus commenced and by the time the ultimate weapon of slug-destruction (German: Schneckenkorn) was brought forth, the battle was almost lost. The surviving plants did what they could, but green tomatoes were the result and theme of the season. Fortunately the kitchen does not despair in view of them:

Trio vom grünen Paradiesapferl: pickles, Scharf und frittierte in Einkorn-Pannade.

P.S.: Hedgy, the local hedgehog, although being a fearless hog, has by the way proven utterly useless in the fight against slugs, otherwise said to be a hog’s primary meal. This however might have to do with the fact that … it’s a spoiled hog who has grown used to feasting on dry cat food (flavours chicken, tuna, turkey, …) rather than the destroyers of garden flora! So remember: who puts out cat food should at the same time get some Schneckenkorn.

This hog is fearless. Cats have to wait their turn at the bowl! The job of the hog (eating slugs) thus has to be outsourced to iron-phosphor compounds (cat- and hog-save of course).

Vorsicht, scharf !

And if the spice mélange is right, it’ll make you dance:

Auf der langen und tränenreichen Reise, die die Suche nicht nur nach dem Holy Grail sondern insbesondere nach der optimalen Schärfe darstellt, kam mir Ayan‘s Rezept für rotes “Schug” (das “s” und das “ch” werden getrennt ausgesprochen) gerade recht! Ich habe ihre Rezeptur von 500g auf 250g Chilis/Jalapeños (in diesem Fall Pfefferonis) reduziert, bei gleicher Menge (2 Bund) Koriander, jedoch, gegeben die Ausbeute von eineinhalb Gläschen hätte man das halbe Kilo ruhig verarbeiten können! Beim Öffnen des Deckels meines Mixers musste ich jedenfalls husten, was ein gutes Zeichen ist 🙂

Even the japanese boys on the wallpaper can sense the power of the “schug”! Hai!

Hemingway

Die kühleren Temperaturen sind zurück, die Zahlen steigen … Zeit für den Bücherherbst und den passenden Quarantini, part II!

I’m not sure if I want to recommend the half-litre take away version during a London cab ride, but I definitely do ask you to use aged r(h)um … it simply is more better, especially for autumn – think: color of fading japanese maple leaves!

The Colebrooke Row 69 recipe is a shining light in times of darkness. And I’d like to quote the grand master here, although only half-way in context: “Drink three to five of these slowly.” À la votre!

It doesn’t matter if you drink it in Havana, London or Tokyo, but I recommend aged rhum.