Munich: A beautiful city where you can eat well, relax and enjoy more for less - compared to much of western Europe - when it comes to food and accommodations. Cost? About 1/2 to 3/4 of what we normally pay to eat "weeknight well" in San Francisco.
My strategy? Either one of two ways:
(1) Eat a big breakfast, a huge salad for lunch and dinner at a good restaurant, (split huge portions).
(2) Eat a big breakfast, split a big meaty entree for lunch and have a light dinner.
Since your schedule can likely change around lunchtime, you can adjust to meet either strategy.
* Healthy Choices*
(A) The food is of such overall astounding quality and looks so appetizing you leave very satisfied at the end of a meal.
(B) No need to ask for organic or pasture-raised dairy or meat - they grow/raise food the right way (unless you're going to American fast food chains).
(C) Eat real food in quantities that satisfy you. For instance, meat and dairy products here are full-fat, the way nature intended, so you can eat less and feel really satisfied.
* Second - The Economical Part*
(A) Because food is of such excellent quality and portions are huge, eat only two meals per day and split the hugely portioned meat or whole fish entrees at better quality restaurants.
(B) Stay at a hotel that serves a full breakfast and save a lot by not having to eat three full meals a day. H'Otello is phenomenal serving a choice of scrambled or hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, bacon, brats, cheeses, four different kinds of meusli, homemade tart yogurt with fresh berries, cottage cheese, croissants as light as air, perfect pretzels and breads as rich, dense and flavorful as you can get, tea with fresh Acacia honey, coffee or cappuccino made to order...whew...hope I didn't leave anything out!
(C) Eat a light lunch and a hearty dinner or a hearty lunch in the late afternoon and skip dinner altogether. At a biergarten or cafe you can ask for a plate of steamed veggies and cheese or a king-size salad with veggies and cheese.
(D) Bring fresh fruit like apricots and apples back to your room for mid-afternoon jet-lag hunger pangs to hang on until dinner.
(E) Dare I say it, but the municipal water is great. Pure enough to go directly into tropical fish tanks, you can save more money.
Favorite restaurants: Spatenhaus - O Eins - fabulous Austrian main courses - Weinerschnitzel, Zander (local lake fish) and unforgettable desserts - Kaiserschmarrn, Salzburger Nockerln.
When I was coming to Germany I thought I wouldn't see a vegetable for miles. Pork, pork and more pork. Imagine my surprise when I had one of the best and freshest salads of my life in Munich.
I was always taught that anything made in small batches always tasted better; in Europe growing food this way is the norm. On the plane ride into Munich, I noticed lots of small farms very close to the city limits. I was told that in Europe there simply isn't space for factory agriculture.
Whether you GIY (grow it yourself) or have access to a CSA or farmers' market, make a great big salad with the freshest greens you can get topped with the best-quality (cold pressed is best) extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. The difference in taste is amazing and it will help satisfy you whether you want it before a meal, as a meal or as a healthy "snack" before a party.
One thing I noticed about being in Germany today is that EVERYONE rides a bike. Streets are overflowing with bikes chained to poles and stands. Whether rich/poor, young/old, big/small - it's a very convenient way to get around cities like Munich. It's also a great way to work off those big German dinners. Surprisingly though, hardly anybody wears a helmet. Why might this be?
1) Sidewalk and street lanes provide ample space on high traffic roads. No need to share lanes with cars, bicyclists have their own lane most times and it is totally separate from car traffic. (Brilliant design, those Germans!)
2) Getting and keeping your car or motorcycle license is much more difficult than in the states. First, it costs thousands of Euros. Second, the exam is substantially more difficult. Third, it may take a year to get a drivers' license (after the age of 18). Last but not least, I was told that you can lose your car driver's license permanently (or perhaps something close to it) if you are driving a car or bicycle drunk.
Although I have seen enough bike accidents to keep me from feeling comfortable enough to ride my bike on the streets of NYC or San Francisco - even with full protective gear - I will probably try it when I get back. I'm thinking to start off with the less-busy streets or those with clearly designated lanes for bikes during lower traffic hours.
What do you think? Do you bike around town and would like to share your tips? What has your experience been riding bikes in other countries? I love hearing safety pointers as well as funny stories. Thanks!
Europeans have a different sense of humor. And if Top Chef came to Europe, would this be the picture of getting kicked off the show? (See pic at www.SandraKeros.com/blog.)
I almost bought this gadget for a good laugh; but then again, I wouldn't want to scare dinner guests.
Sometimes a meal gone wrong - even just burning rice - can make you feel like you're "skewered", like in this photo.
Despite the shows filled with über-elite "cheffy chef" talent, don't let cooking intimidate you. All of us have burned rice and overcooked veggies, meat and fish. This is how we learn. Have fun. Plan it out. Invite your friends over. Listen to great music. That way, no matter what happens to your dish, you won't end up feeling like this poor fellow in the photo.
10. The city hall glockenspiel rings and dances at Noon.
9. Emmentaler is ridiculously more delicious here.
8. Dogs roam inside department stores (owners attached).
7. Coke bottles in cafes are barely bigger than your hand.
6. Even shopping bags are designed to close naturally.
5. Noted absence of peopled zoned out on iPods, iPhone and Blackberries (note to self…).
4. Two old men arguing in German is somehow funny.
3. As soon as we got out of customs we saw/heard Starbucks and smelled freshly baked pretzels.
2. Meatloaf looks like bologna.
1. Beer is just as refreshing as water; easy to drink, not too filling.
Yep, for the first time in 11 years my husband and I are going on a two-week vacation! First, heading to Munich to celebrate his father's and father's twin sister's 83rd birthday. Then off to Austria to visit a friend and explore the lakes.
Whenever I can I'll share pictures of German culture and food: tall beers at famous biergartens, fresh picks from local farmers' markets, amazing meals with gigundo cuts of meat as well as the inside scoop into what foods 80-something family members ate as a kid and eat now to keep healthy and strong.
And who knows, we may go fishing where my husband used to fish as a kid, Freising.
Have a favorite place in Munich that I should know about? Please comment on my blog at www.SandraKeros.com/blog and let me know!
Our friend Dave who is out of work, facing possible foreclosure, too disabled to mow the lawn and with a family to support converted his front yard to growing food in discarded half wine barrels from local wineries. He said, "If I'm going to grow anything I might as well be able to eat it." Luckily, our friend was in the construction trade for many years and his wife grew up on a farm, so making it happen logistically was not such a big deal.
However, making it happen in your home may feel like a big deal, which is why I have listed some resources and suggested solutions to common beginner jitters. Once you get started, you'll have more than enough to eat in a matter of weeks.
*Don't have time?* Go to the farmers market or buy from your local CSA. *Don't know how?* Ask someone who does, go to your local nursery, go online and buy the Western Garden Book.
*Don't have space?* Start small with an herb plant hooked up to a timed emitter. Or try indoor hydroponics. *Don't have much money, time, space or know how?* Talk with your
neighbors about growing and sharing food, even if you're only half
serious, have no idea how to do it; or just want to see the response. You may come up with some fun and enterprising solutions with people you grow to like.
Whether you do it yourself or with your neighbors it's fun to create community in a way that everyone can
relate to: food. Just as a test, reach out to your neighbors with the suggestion of planting food together. You could experience a funny story, begin a hobby or job you really enjoy or a meet a friend you can really count on.
**Facebook Friends** Please note that this article and any
corresponding recipes originate from my website blog at
www.SandraKeros.com.
First, question the source. Is this happening on small, traditionally run farms, the kind you see at the farmers markets? Not one case has been reported there. But harmful bugs do appear often on factory farms and in foods produced in mass facilities. Why?
Nature is not a monoculture nor is it antiseptic, just ask any farmer. Growing up in science class we learned that everything in nature has a place and purpose. Bats eat mosquitoes. Cats eat mice. Cows eat grass. See the Meatrix, Fresh or Food Inc. for more details on agribusiness food conditions, spoken by the farmers themselves.
What to do? Either get to know your sources better or grow it yourself. Farmers at the local farmers market are there for you to ask questions.
Consider that the money we spend on impulse junk food & beverage is better spent on the juicy flavor, heavenly scent and nutritional goodness of naturally grown fresh food. It takes time to integrate healthier foods into our lives but it is well worth the trial and error to figure out what is right for us.
*** Read tomorrow’s blog for a story of how one man who was out of work, too disabled to mow the lawn and had a family to support started growing his own food. You’ll also get resources and ideas for how you can DIY.
***
**Facebook Friends** Please note that this article and any corresponding recipes originate from my website blog at www.SandraKeros.com.
So often I hear from clients and friends who are parents that their kids eat better than they do. (We both chuckle!) From fussy eating habits to how to naturally heal a child's painful ear infection, a trusted go-to reference at home is essential.
Many times when I pick herbs from my garden or bring them back from the store I chop them up and combine to create a heavenly scent to enhance chicken, fish, meat and vegetables. Here are the herbs I grow during the warmer months:
- parsley
- sage
- thyme (lemon)
- oregano (Greek)
- marjoram (sweeter than oregano)
- mint (grown separately, as it can take over a container)
- basil (Italian)
- dill
- cilantro
- tarragon
- rosemary (grown as hedge/bush)
- lavender (grown as hedge/bush)
When it comes to to choosing herbs to enhance your meals, try using your nose instead of a chart; you almost can't go wrong. It's the best way to get a feel for which herb will add the best flavor for a particular dish.
When I was coming to Germany I thought I wouldn't see a vegetable for miles. Pork, pork and more pork. Imagine my surprise when I had one of the best and freshest salads of my life in 
One thing I noticed about being in Germany today is that EVERYONE rides a bike. Streets are overflowing with bikes chained to poles and stands. Whether rich/poor, young/old, big/small - it's a very convenient way to get around cities like Munich. It's also a great way to work off those big German dinners. Surprisingly though, hardly anybody wears a helmet. Why might this be? 
Europeans have a different sense of humor. And if Top Chef came to Europe, would this be the picture of getting kicked off the show? (See pic at www.SandraKeros.com/blog.)
10. The city hall glockenspiel rings and dances at Noon.
Amazingly, many of the most common pantry staple herbs come from the same family: 
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