The life of an air hostess does not just encompass long hours on board an airplane, answering to the beck and call of guests and colleagues alike, fighting jetlag, but also enjoying the pleasures of a few days off in places such as Buenos Aires, the city of “Fair Winds”, with its wonderful porteños.

Argentina – Land of vast farmland expanses, Guachos in stetsons, Tango cafés, colonial churches and cemeteries, prime Argentinian beef and last but not least, the heartbeat of the land: Malbec!

And to think I had the great pleasure of sampling not just one, but several of these in just 1 day!

When one is in such a spectacular city and with not much time to lose, one has to ignore the fatigue of a 14 hour flight and just get in there! So after a quick shower and change of clothes, I set off, camera in hand and my Argentinian pesos hidden well away, on to my first stop: Our Lady of Pilar Church (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) and the incredibly beautiful La Recoleta Cemetery (Cementerio de la Recoleta). Being accustomed to morbid graveyards with sunken in graves, many well-hidden beneath weeds or barely legible and fading tombstones, I instantly fell in love with this incredibly peaceful and breath-taking place. As far as the eye could see, one was surrounded by magnificent crypts, tombs mausoleums and sanctums for the dearly beloved who had passed on. Not once did I feel any morbidity or sadness in this place, as the beauty of it and the manner in which the dearly departed were revered by the loved ones left behind, filled one with a sense of peace and serenity. White and black marble tombs, some gold-embossed or simply with beautiful loving inscriptions and statues, were a stark contrast against the azure Argentinian sky. The burial place of many a famous Argentinian president, sculptor, poet, architect, general and even the dearly-loved and revered, Eva “Evita” Perón, for whom many an Argentinian still sheds a tear or two, despite her words “Don´t cry for me Argentina!”

After having filled myself with a sense of peace and tranquility in the white-washed Our Lady of Pilar Church next door to La Recoleta Cemetery, I made my way along by rickety bus to where the heartbeat of Buenos Aires throbs: Caminito in the originally Italian suburb of La Boca. Famous for its vividly painted houses, tango cafés, Asados (Argentinian barbeques) and not to forget La Bombonera, the home of Boca Juniors, one of the world´s  best-known football clubs! The brightly coloured streets alive with people from every corner of the globe, musicians, artists and artesanas, the magical vibe of Tango was in the air and no better atmosphere than to be seated at an outdoor Asado, surrounded by music and the mouth-watering smells of tender juicy meat searing on a coal parrilla!

The sizzling of a thick and juicy sirloin steak, grilled to absolute perfection right in front of me, was a serenade to my ears and perfectly rounded off by a glass of magnificent Saint Felicien 2009 Malbec from Bodega Catena Zapata. The deep ruby red colour, although not as deep a red as the typical Malbec, was brought to life by the rays of the deeply setting sun and truly came alive on my palette. When closing my eyes, I could almost see the plump ripe mulberries, red cherries and Vanilla sticks in my glass, could practically taste the tangy black liquorice and the smokiness of woodland fires …        Full-bodied and lingering on the palette, with well-balanced tannins, this wine was a perfectly priced prelude to an incredible day full of Argentinian Joie de vivre!

Frischer Fisch auf jeden Tisch! Heute auf der Speisekarte: „Pochierter Steinbutt in Milchsud mit brauner Senfbutter“ Der Steinbutt gilt als der edelste Plattfisch. Schon Römer und Griechen schätzten sein festes weißes Fleisch, seinen feinen Geschmack und die lange Haltbarkeit. Zuhause ist der Steinbutt an den küstennahen Gebieten des Nordatlantiks von Norwegen bis hinunter nach Portugal. Aber auch in der Ostsee, im Mittelmeer und im Schwarzen Meer ist er anzutreffen. Seinen Namen erhielt er wegen der großen Knochenhöcker, die wie kleine Steinchen auf der dunklen Haut liegen. Wie man den „Fasan der Meere“ schmackhaft zubereitet, wird Euch nun unser Radiokoch Volkhard Nebrich aus der Kochwerkstatt erzählen.

Weinempfehlung:  Weingut Wenzel Furmint 2008, Rust am See

To most of us, when one mentions a cheese and wine tasting, it immediately conjures up images of full-bodied and well-matured red wines… Whoever would have thought that fruity and zesty white wines do indeed compliment some cheeses much better than the clichéd red wines!

I most certainly did not until having the great pleasure of doing a Cheese and Wine Seminar with a great cheese specialist, Mr. Klaus Marczoch, at the German Lufthansa Airline´s Training Centre!

Being of Dutch, German, Scottish and English heritage, of course I am well-acquainted with cheeses such as Cheddar, Gouda, Colchester and Stilton and of course I know what cheese is made of, but never did I know that there are 8 different cheese families and that even the most potent of smelling cheeses, could harmonize so beautifully on the palate, just as much as I did not realize that tannins in red wines inhibit the full flavour of many cheeses (even though by the smell of some, one would hope to inhibit anything and everything to do with the cheese!)

White wine 1: Prinz von Hessen Riesling Kabinett 2010

A very fruit bouquet with definitive tropical fruits such as granadilla, papaya, mango and pineapple. Rather high in acidity but well-balanced and a zesty hint of minerality. A light freshness that is very palatable.

Roves des Garrigues, an unpasteurized semi-soft goat´s milk cheese with a natural rind. A wonderfully mild and creamy cheese with the definite flavours of thyme, lavender and other wild herbs, is a great combination with this light and zesty wine.

White wine 2: Krug´scher Hof Keltic Terre Pinot Blanc Spätlese Trocken 2010 (dry late harvest)

A citrus bouquet of freshly grated lemon zest and yellow grapefruit. A long-lasting bouquet, typically that of a Late Harvest and with the typical gold colouring. Well-balanced residual sugar.

Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, a pyramidal goat´s milk soft cheese. A wonderfully creamy and peppery cheese with a very mild goat milk taste. This cheese was wonderfully complimented by the citrus notes of this wine.

Greyerzer, an unpasteurized Swiss cow´s milk cheese. A stunning hard cheese with the typical sweetness of unpasteurized milk and the high fat content makes it almost “melt” in the mouth. This wine, along with fig marmalade, is a definite compliment to this exquisite cheese.

White wine 3: Weingut Bischell Huxelrebe & Ortega Beerenauslese 2008 (special late harvest)

A deeply golden honey-coloured wine and a fitting bouquet of raw unfiltered honey. The wonderful sweetness is perfectly balanced by the complex acidity.

Bleu de Causses, a French blue-vein cheese made from cow´s milk and a milder form of the famous Roquefort cheese. This cheese was perfectly matched with this spectacular dessert wine as the wine´s well-balanced sweetness and acidity “smoothened” the “rough edges” typical of a blue-veined cheese and makes it most delectable to almost each and every palate.

Red wine 1: Stift Kloster Neuburg St. Laurent 2008

A deep ruby red colour. A bouquet of red pepper and oriental spices. A full-bodied wine, warm on the palate and with a lingering taste of dark fruits and mulberries.

Munster-géromé, a French soft cheese made from unpasteurized cow´s milk. This very strong and penetrating taste of this cheese is perfectly balanced by the dark fruits and tannins apparent in this wine. The otherwise lingering taste of this cheese no longer becomes apparent as the warm lingering taste of mulberries makes it most palatable to even those of “weaker” cheese disposition!

Red wine 2: Chateau Dassault Saint-Emillion Grand Cru Classé 2005

An opulent bouquet of ripe fruits and spiced cookies. A deep dark garnet-red colouring. Well-balanced wine with lingering tannins.

Camembert de Normandy, a soft, creamy, unpasteurized and surface-ripened French cow’s milk cheese. The typical and characteristic flavour of ammonia and salt, is well-balanced by the tannins of this wine. The spiciness of the wine blends well with the salty creaminess of this cheese.

All is all, this seminar was a great success in my opinion, as I tasted cheeses that I would just by smell, never dream of tasting and I would always have served red wines and Port wine with any cheeses I ever hoped to serve.

These cheeses and many more varieties, as well as many fitting fine wines, can be found at the “Käseladen” at Leipzigerstrasse 34 in 60487 Frankfurt am Main. Mr. Marczoch, as mentioned before, is an absolute expert in cheeses and can offer great culinary cheese experiences as well as deeper insight into what many just take as being “Cheese”!

Der Geisburger Marsch ist ein traditionelles schwäbisches Eintopfgericht und passt perfekt in die winterliche Zeit. Das komplette Rezept findet Ihr auf der Seite der Kochwerkstatt. Viel Spaß beim zuschauen und nachkochen!

Mmh…. Lecker!

Heute ein Rezept passend zur Pfifferlingszeit. Zum ersten Mal gegessen habe ich dieses wunderbare Gericht, vor ca. 12 Jahren in Berlin und seitdem gehört es zu meinen absoluten Favoriten.
Ofen auf 140-150 Grad (Umluft) vorheizen. Pfifferlinge sorgfältig putzen (nicht waschen), Schalotten und Knoblauch fein hacken.
Rinderfilet waschen und mit Küchenpapier trocken tupfen. Kräftig pfeffern. Pfanne erhitzen, Butterschmalz hinein. Rinderfilet bei starker Hitze von allen Seiten kurz anbraten, dann reichlich salzen. Fleisch hinausnehmen und in den Ofen damit. Das Fleisch wird etwa 12 Minuten brauchen, um medium durchgebraten zu sein. Kommt halt auf die Dicke des Filetstückes an.

Nun die Pilze in die gleiche Pfanne geben und drei, vier Minuten kräftig anbraten. Dann die Pilze aus der Pfanne nehmen. Schalotten und Knoblauch hinein und mit Butter bei mittlerer Hitze glasig anschwitzen. Mit Rinderbrühe ablöschen. Etwa um ein Drittel reduzieren lassen. Sahne dazugeben und alles reduzieren lassen, bis die Sauce andickt. Salzen, pfeffern und die Pfifferlinge dazugeben. Gehackte Petersilie unterheben.

Parallel dazu: Wasser zum Kochen bringen, salzen, Tagliatelle bissfest garen. Wenn fertig, abschütten und bei mittlerer Hitze in einer Pfanne mit Butter schwenken. Den Rest der gehackten Petersilie hinzugeben.

Fleisch aus dem Ofen nehmen und ein paar Minuten ruhen lassen, damit nicht so viel Saft austritt. Tagliatelle in der Mitte des Tellers anrichten, den Pfifferlingsrahm über die Nudeln geben, das Fleisch in dünne Scheiben oder Streifen schneiden, und auf den Nudeln anrichten. Mit den Rosinen, etwas Petersilie oder Basilikum garnieren. Fertig!
Guten Appetit wünscht Generation Wein, und empfiehlt einen jungen Roten oder einen Barrique Chardonnay, um dieses Gericht zu begleiten.

Zutaten: (4 Personen)

1 Stück Rinderfilet (etwa 500 g)
500 g Pfifferlinge
250 ml Rinderbrühe
400 ml Sahne
20 g Butterschmalz
2 Schalotten
1 Knoblauchzehe
1 Bund Blattpetersilie
20 g Butter
500 g Tagliatelle
100 g Rosinen