Blogging by Mail - Gifts from Germany!

I decided to participate in September's Blogging by Mail; it turns out it's a little hard to show your country's/state's cuisine.  Especially when I think of "American" food, I think of things like cornbread and peanut butter and jelly, so that's what I sent - good ones, though, don't worry.  I also sent some buckeyes (real and candy) and other good bits to Singapore.

The blogger who sent my package was Ulrike from Kiel, Germany, who is a food chemist?!  Kiel appears to be a lovely maritime city which stretches into the sea - kind of like a small, sunny Seattle.  It kind of makes Columbus, Ohio look like the flat, cloudy bit of landlocked city which it is.  Ah, well, it makes driving easy.  And it makes every other place look so nice in comparison.

First up, marzipan; a nice, nutty, chocolate covered marzipan which is not too sweet.  Lubecker, which is a city about an hour from Kiel, is "very famous for its excellent marzipan industry," according to Ulrike:

Next, home made Plum and Red Currant Jam, such a lovely presentation!  The recipe can be found here:

Even more homemade goodness - Balsamico Shallots!  I have just the dinner in mind for these; I'll tell you about it later.  You can find the recipe here.  I found it interesting in Ulrike's post that she noted how shallots are rather expensive in the US and are used widely in German cooking.  It is true Americans do not use nearly as many shallots as we should; they should really go in whenever an onion is used, at least.  They make a great addition to salad dressings, as well; they have a sweeter, more complex flavor than most onions and are nice raw.  The can be expensive when purchased in pre-packaged bags, so buy them in bulk.  I like to buy them at the farmer's market by the pound:

Napkins, which represent "the German navy's famous sailing ship, the 'Gorch Fock,' which sails all over the world as an ambassador in white.'" Every year, in the last week of June, there is the biggest sailing event in the world, "The Kiel Week."  My father, a sailor, would find that very interesting.

Kiel Kaffee comes next, free trade coffee from Kiel.  I love coffee, and I plan on drinking this coffee within the next 15 minutes or so, when it is finished brewing:

Lastly, Kieler Sprotten, which are small smoked fish.  When reading the portrait of Kiel, I learned that the children of Kiel are sometimes affectionately called "Kiel Sprats" after these little fishes.  When Husband saw the can he exclaimed "Kieler Sprotten!" rather excitedly and informed me they are, after all, famous.  For some reason, maybe because Ulrike said these are frequently eaten on hearty rye bread, I am going to save these for a really cold day.  I can't explain it.  I'm really excited though, as I love all manner of canned fish, smoked or otherwise:

What an excitement this was!  It is very interesting to get a peek at someone else's culture through one of the universal languages, food.  And I sincerely thank Ulrike because I know shipping to the States was probably tres cher.  I hope my own package clears customs in Singapore . . . I guess we'll find out.