As it turned out, my family and friends are very supportive when it comes to my food obsessions. I figure they either understand, know that they sooner or later will profit from it or just gave up hoping for some change.
A few days before Christmas my mother called and told me they were about to go to a store that sold KitchenAids and get one for me and if I had any specific wishes for it. I trust my mother enough to make her own decisions so after I mentioned that I kind of like the pink one and Peter’s reaction from the couch was a loud „No!“ I told her just to buy what she thought was best.
When I unpacked my presents on Christmas Eve, I found myself with a beautiful shiny white KitchenAid (matching my white Le Creuset pot and iPod) and a Le Creuset Tarte Tatin dish Peter got me. He tried to trick me leading me around the cook book shop in Cologne and having me point at cook books I liked and then later supposedly heading of the book shop alone. Instead he went to the kitchen supplies store. But I could guess what he got me by the shape of the box – way to big for a cook book. Or at least the ones I pointed at.
I also got a package from Caitlin in Chicago filled with helpful kitchen tools and ingredients. American baking soda and baking powder, vanilla extract, potholders and… (imagine a drumroll here, please) measuring cups! This was especially great because the day before I got the package I was talking to a co-worker about maybe finally buying me some measuring cups. It was like telepathy or something. Only across the ocean and back in time. So even more fabulous!
My aunt’s present was an invitation to a supposedly great restaurant in Cologne we had talked about before. The name is La Cena and it’s a small place in the so-called Südstadt, close to where she lives and the special thing about it is that they have no menu at all. There’s one seven-course tasting menu every evening and you simply just eat what they bring you. I have only heard and read about it. One evening Peter and I wanted to try it out but they were booked out for the evening, so we’ll wait until my aunt takes us, possibly in late February, no date set yet. I’m already excited and will write about the experience once we’ve been there.
PS: The camera isn’t back yet. We’ll probably get it back in one or two weeks, but I don’t know for sure.