tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55954505483752435182024-03-05T17:05:17.343-08:00La Dolce Vita in Deutschlandrosasdolcevitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03300024912915669250noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595450548375243518.post-52124104035802160222015-02-03T01:08:00.002-08:002015-04-26T23:32:37.967-07:00Szegediner GulaschSzegediner Gulasch is German comfort food all the way. I love making this on a cold winter's day. It just warms the heart and belly. I had never heard of it until my husband asked me to make it for him when we first got married. His aunt used to make this for him when he was growing up in Eastern Germany.<br />
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There are several speculations as to where this dish originated from. Some say that it was created in Hungary, named after a famous writer, <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zsef_Sz%C3%A9kely" target="_blank">József Székely</a> - and not after the Hungarian city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szeged" target="_blank">Szeged</a> - but according to <a href="https://keinundaber.ch/de/autoren-regal/petra-foede/" target="_blank">Petra Foede</a>, it is most likely from Vienna, Austria. I also came across an <a href="http://www.urlaub-ungarn.at/kulinarik/ungarische-rezepte/klassische-ungarische-gerichte/szegediner-gulasch.html" target="_blank">article</a> that states this was an accidental discovery by Hungarian poet, <i>Lazlo</i> <i>Szekely</i>, in 1846. He met with his friend, <a href="http://sandor%20petofi/" target="_blank">Sandor Petofi</a>, at a local pub or restaurant, where they were low on food. There was some leftover sauerkraut stew, along with some pork goulash, and according to several confirmed sources, Lazlo Szekely had asked the waiter to combine the two dishes and to reheat on the stove. And of course, a classic was born. Regardless, where this dish was invented, it's popularity grew rapidly throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe. Germans had difficulty pronouncing the Hungarian name of this dish, and affectionately referred to it as <i>Szegediner Golusch</i>.<br />
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There are many versions of this classic dish, but the one I make is close to the original. It is a simple stew of pork and sauerkraut, it's easy to prepare, and it doesn't taste too spicy. I always use pork around the neck and shoulder area, which produces the most tender and flakiest meat; and I always use a mild sauerkraut, so it doesn't taste sour. If it is sour, then I rinse it under cold water or soak it for an hour or two before adding it to the stew. After all the ingredients have been added, then I transfer the pot to a smaller burner and simmer on the lowest flame possible for 50 minutes. Unlike most recipes, I let it then sit for half an hour after cooking is done, to let the meat rest. I slightly reheat it before serving.<br />
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Some tips to keep in mind when making this recipe (or other stews):<br />
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<ul>
<li>Taste the sauerkraut before using. If it tastes really sour, then rinse under cold water or soak for an hour or two before using.</li>
<li>The meat should be cut into 3-4 cm (about 1.5 to 2 inch) pieces, or you can have your butcher cut them up into stew-size pieces.</li>
<li>Always dry the meat before searing, so they brown better. Never crowd the pan, either. Otherwise, they will steam instead of fry. (<i>A few nice tips I learned from Julia Child</i>.) </li>
<li>Always simmer on lowest heat possible. I always transfer the pot to the smallest burner on the stove.</li>
<li>You can simmer the stew a bit longer (1.5 to 2 hours), if you wish.</li>
<li>This dish tastes even better the next day, so plan a day ahead before making it.</li>
</ul>
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The first time my MIL tried my Szegediner Gulasch, she closed her eyes and savoured the first bite. I knew instantly that my version was a keeper. :-)<br />
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My entire family loves this stew and it is really comforting on a cold winter's day. I hope you give this a try and let it become a family favourite, as well!<br />
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<span style="color: #a2b384;"><b>SZEGEDINER GULASCH </b></span>(<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/ladolcevitaindeustchland/home?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1" target="_blank">Printable Recipe</a>)<br />
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Prep Time: 15-20 minutes<br />
Cooking Time: 50-90 minutes<br />
Resting Time: 30 minutes<br />
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INGREDIENTS
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<ul>
<li>750 to 1000 g Schweinenacken, cut into 2-3 cm pieces</li>
<li>250 g (1 1/2 cups) finely diced onion</li>
<li>1 glove of garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press</li>
<li>200 to 250 g (3/4 cup) diced Speck or bacon</li>
<li>500 g (1 lb) mild sauerkraut</li>
<li>3 tbsp sweet or hungarian paprika</li>
<li>700 ml (3 cups) hot chicken broth</li>
<li>200 g (3/4 cup) sour cream or creme fraiche</li>
<li>1 tsp ground cumin</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>4 tbsp fat, separated (EVOO, Butterschmalz, or neutral oil)</li>
<li>1 kg (2lb) starchy potatoes</li>
</ul>
INSTRUCTIONS<br />
<ol>
<li>Before starting, taste the sauerkraut. If it's too sour, then rinse it under cold water or you can soak it in water for an hour or two. Make sure meat is dried (it will brown much better).</li>
<li>Heat 1 tbsp fat in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Lightly brown speck or bacon for 2-3 minutes and remove from pot. Next, turn up heat to hight and brown the meat pieces in batches, about 2-3 minutes per side. If necessary, add another tablespoon of fat as needed, so the meat doesn't stick to the bottom of the dutch oven.</li>
<li>Turn heat down to medium and cook onions and garlic till soft and translucent, occasionally stirring so that it doesn't burn.</li>
<li>Return meat and bacon to pan; add sauerkraut and sweet paprika and thoroughly stir to combine. Add the hot chicken broth and cover dutch oven with lid. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to the lowest setting, and gently simmer gulasch for 50 minutes (you can cook this up to 90 minutes, if you wish). Turn off heat and let rest for 30 minutes (the meat will become more tender). If required, reheat gulasch before serving.</li>
<li>This goes well with boiled, salted potatoes.</li>
</ol>
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MAKES 6-8 SERVINGS</div>
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Original recipe found on <a href="http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/38551012919251/Szegediner-Gulasch.html" target="_blank">www.chefkoch.de</a><br />
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rosasdolcevitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03300024912915669250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595450548375243518.post-76571906675927674492014-11-28T09:13:00.002-08:002014-11-28T09:14:37.289-08:00Mom Had SurgeryWell, mom had her surgery on Sunday night. She's recovering in the intensive care unit and it looks like she'll be there for a while. The doctors said that it might be a couple of months.<br />
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My mind is swimming. I don't know what to think of first. My patience runs out at times and I become restless. I try to keep myself busy by either talking to the nurses, reading magazines, or watching television in the ICU waiting room. Sometimes I go online to check facebook and emails.<br />
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Last Wednesday, I got a call from my brother that mom was in the hospital, but it was not something to be alarmed about yet. By Friday, they had found out that she had a brain tumour and needed to be operated on immediately. As soon as I hung up the phone, I booked my flight to Canada. My husband made arrangements to stay with the kids for the next two weeks.<br />
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I flew out Saturday morning from Hamburg, caught a connecting flight in Paris, and arrived in Toronto by late afternoon. I took the Robert Q to Windsor in the evening and was at my parents' house by midnight. I only slept a few hours that night. I woke up at early to get ready, so I can see my mom at the hospital for eight o'clock. My brother and his fiancee were picking me up.<br />
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I was lucky that the surgery was postponed. I got to spend the day with her. She was talkative and joked around, but the closer it got to the surgery, the more worried she became. Mom has always been a brave and strong woman, but this time I could see fear in her eyes. I wasn't sure what to say or do to distract her. I would tell her stories about the kids and that seemed to work for a short bit.<br />
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Around four o'clock, mom was brought down to the second flour for surgery. We waited an hour and a half before they took her in, and then directed us to the waiting room. The surgery was scheduled for two hours but it took longer than expected. By nine o'clock, my dad and I had become restless and were worried about mom. I had to get up and walk around. I found a cooking magazine to distract me the last hour.<br />
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The doctor finally came out at 10:30 pm. The surgery went well and mom was doing fine. The doctor was optomistic that mom was going to make a good recovery. The tumour that he had removed was not as aggressive as he thought it was. It could very well be benign. It was going to be sent away to have analyzed.<br />
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Well, the hardest part was over. She will be okay. It will be a long road to recovery, but she is still alive. We made it through the first time around, we will definitely make it through this time. It's all in the power of believing along with the power of prayer.<br />
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rosasdolcevitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03300024912915669250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595450548375243518.post-51577023384977829812014-11-19T20:00:00.000-08:002014-11-21T07:55:08.616-08:00Mom's in the HospitalI met up with a friend late this afternoon and we brought our kids out for <i>Laternelauf</i>. We also fed the ducks at the lake. When I got home, I noticed that my brother had called four times. He only calls when something is wrong. I hadn't taken off my coat when I reached for the phone to call him back.<br />
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The conversation started normal. He asked how the kids were doing and gave me an update on how he and his fiancée were doing. The worried feeling temporarily disappeared, but then he said that Mom had been in the hospital since Monday. She had a seizure at the doctor's office and was then brought to the hospital. The doctors had found a small spot in her brain. The tumour may have returned. As I write this, she is undergoing an MRI. My brother told me not to worry about.<br />
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Easier said than done. Things have been a little tough around here and now this. </div>
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I had visited my family back in June. Mom looked good, but you could tell that the harsh winter (Polar Vortex) had robbed her of her soul. When I was there, she was cheerful - the way I have always known her - but had become the most complicated woman I have ever met. She looked a lot older, too.</div>
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Update: Well, I just got off the phone with my brother. The MRI that was scheduled today was cancelled due to another emergency. </div>
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Shit. Another day of waiting for answers. Another day that my mom is only allowed to eat Jello (not that she minds). I miss her. A lot.</div>
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rosasdolcevitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03300024912915669250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595450548375243518.post-73325438275598293702014-10-22T00:52:00.000-07:002015-02-04T08:58:09.370-08:00Introductory Icing Course at TolleTorten.com in Berlin<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJh14AW0PbpXJEM73gkwlijORI2jCpaf23faKuLrio4-c_737c1LHJK0YZPoKrAmiS_tX9V_tTCM5qy86Nm8hn4Ojhn0vgrSCezGorvlftxTWPrP4p0IzL1JAlpgz6FKZ38xED9IPdDtw0/s1600/frosch-kusst-tortchen+750px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJh14AW0PbpXJEM73gkwlijORI2jCpaf23faKuLrio4-c_737c1LHJK0YZPoKrAmiS_tX9V_tTCM5qy86Nm8hn4Ojhn0vgrSCezGorvlftxTWPrP4p0IzL1JAlpgz6FKZ38xED9IPdDtw0/s1600/frosch-kusst-tortchen+750px.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://bettyssugardreams-blog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Betty's Sugar Dreams Blog</a></td></tr>
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Last week, I had the honour and pleasure of meeting Betty Schliephake-Burchardt from <a href="http://sugardreams.de/" target="_blank">Betty's Sugar Dreams</a>. Standing at 6'3 (1.92 m), she is the Julia Child of cake decorating in Germany. Warm, kind and genuine. Anyone who meets her will instantly fall in love with her down-to-earth personality.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">That's her on the right and the lady on the left is Marion Michel from </span><a href="http://tolletorten.com/" style="text-align: justify;">TolleTorten.com</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. They teamed up in 2013 to form </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Cake School International GmbH</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> where they offer cake decorating courses from some of the best cake decorators around the world. Classes are available in Cologne (Headquarters), Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.</span><br />
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I had registered myself for an introductory icing course in Berlin. I drove up the night before and stayed in one of the worst hotels that I have ever stayed in (but the service was friendly). The next morning, I got ready, picked up some breakfast and headed out to look for the school. Trying to find a parking spot wasn't easy. I ended parking about 700 m away, but didn't mind walking the distance - I was good on time.<br />
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As I approached the school, I saw Betty standing at the entrance of the school with a few colleagues. My heart skipped a beat. I never thought that I would ever see - let alone meet - her in person. It turned out (to my delight) that she was teaching the class that I was in.<br />
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Things started a bit slow for me that morning (I wasn't fully awake yet). As the It took me a while to get into the rythum of things. We learned some basics, such as, how to fill a piping bag, how to pipe simple lines, shells and swirls, how to write on a cake, and how to make simple sugar flowers.<br />
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The off-centered dummy cake pictured below is the final product that I took home. A little girlie and a little Italian-inspired. :-)</div>
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Mine was the simplest one in the class. The other cakes were so wonderfully detailed compared to mine (photo below), but I had concentrated more on technique rather than design. While everyone cleaned up their stations, I continued working on my cake (<i>throughout the day, I was always pretty much the last one completing a task ... haha</i>). Just as I completed it, Betty asked me to bring it to the front for a photo. She had reserved a spot for me in the center of the front row. I thought it was sweet. :-)</div>
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Piping lines and swags seemed fairly easy but I struggled a bit with shells and swirls, so I took pictures to record my progress. Below are some photos that I had taken with my cell phone. </div>
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On a side note, I had taken my Nikon DSL camera with me the night before, but the battery died after I made a few short videos of myself practising my German (<i>It's not as bad as I thought</i>). Needless to say, I used up the rest of the memory on the stick and the battery ended up dying. </div>
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I also forgot to bring the battery charger. <i>Naja</i>.</div>
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At least, my cell phone was fully charged. Here are the grainy photos I took:</div>
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When I started piping the shells, I wasn't giving enough pressure to make a full shell. Betty came by, grabbed my hand and said, "<i>Drücken, drücken, drücken.</i>" Before I knew it, I had created four beautiful shells, which are located at the end of the top right-hand corner of the picture above. The ones I created afterwards turned out a lot better but I still need to practise a bit more on consistency. </div>
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I really enjoyed these piping techniques. They these were the prettiest things we made that day. First, we learned cable piping. I was curious to see how it would close, so I made it into a circle (top-right-hand corner). I thought that this would be great for decorating cupcakes.</div>
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However, I had some trouble creating the over and under swirls. Again, I wasn't initially giving enough pressure to make a full swirl. Doing the over swirl became easier as I created them, but I struggled with the under swirl. Looking at the photo above, they didn't turn out as bad as I thought. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsr10kdHiYxNRjfnlWTDpiBMm4i-kavhBPM6OSV4867Lmb0OsCHxavD7i9wqRK6AwP1WAUkG9hxdGhrfwedAqGpEA-aXHS5b1OjDiARbT0jdAbbwUEkpKXBoOpHMWWGIYl9e0YfydFZNfR/s1600/2014-10-15+13.09.11+750px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsr10kdHiYxNRjfnlWTDpiBMm4i-kavhBPM6OSV4867Lmb0OsCHxavD7i9wqRK6AwP1WAUkG9hxdGhrfwedAqGpEA-aXHS5b1OjDiARbT0jdAbbwUEkpKXBoOpHMWWGIYl9e0YfydFZNfR/s1600/2014-10-15+13.09.11+750px.jpg" /></a></div>
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Writing was a lot easier than I had expected. I found that for a beginner, it was better to use a tip with a larger hole, rather than a tiny one. You really need a steady, consistent hand to pipe the very thin letters. We first traced 'Royal Icing' on our practise boards, then we wrote our names, and then we had the freedom to write whatever we wanted. I wrote an uneven 'Happy Birthday' (no photo) but my all-time favourite was when I piped 'Amore'. I loved it so much that I had left it on my board for the rest of the class. I also got some compliments from some of the other girls. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiQk-gJ0kUtqqPwhT2iKjImGShzZ1pxmvk_sw4NpI1cm-PQovfkFuZbMg4673We4nXjdtOJ5vpPkzhWtp54wkKfcyl_5FjPYbUlSuoXn9G382eTvr6hFc84saJfwELyY7ymqAEMGm7HZO/s1600/2014-10-15+14.29.02+750px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiQk-gJ0kUtqqPwhT2iKjImGShzZ1pxmvk_sw4NpI1cm-PQovfkFuZbMg4673We4nXjdtOJ5vpPkzhWtp54wkKfcyl_5FjPYbUlSuoXn9G382eTvr6hFc84saJfwELyY7ymqAEMGm7HZO/s1600/2014-10-15+14.29.02+750px.jpg" /></a></div>
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The cake above was inspired by the one Betty demonstrated in class (see her photo below). It's not something I would have created myself, but I wanted to try something different. When Betty piped the squiggly lines on her sample cake, I wasn't too crazy about them, but when I tried it myself, it was actually fun to do and it didn't look that bad either. The zigzags on the border of the cake were fairly simple to do, but I was inconsistent at piping them. I was supposed to count the zigzags but by this time of the day - mid afternoon - I was getting tired because I hadn't slept well the night before (<i>the hotel was that bad</i>). </div>
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I forgot to take some pictures, but you can see some pink flowers that I piped, in the top-left-corner of my photo above. You can see them better in the happy birthday cake that I brought home. I used a <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=418-16" target="_blank">Wilton Star Tip 16</a> to pipe the flowers and dotted some of the centers with candy pearls. I didn't like it as much, so I piped the rest of the centers with white icing instead. I was pleased with how they turned out, but Betty came along and said that I needed to practise a bit more (hehe). :-)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjBy7bWdEdRfnBlSfS4plmsRuOmBtYaLeRfSbW4LdJDSr2bKbZPRMEEsDFVfgsFBIEqpGgvg7Aun1nSSvFtTvn_el4gZtIulmxzEMz3UNwHTso456x3O9aGvrGaP5gDcBI2CwcaCzup2F/s1600/Betty's%2BCake%2B750px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjBy7bWdEdRfnBlSfS4plmsRuOmBtYaLeRfSbW4LdJDSr2bKbZPRMEEsDFVfgsFBIEqpGgvg7Aun1nSSvFtTvn_el4gZtIulmxzEMz3UNwHTso456x3O9aGvrGaP5gDcBI2CwcaCzup2F/s1600/Betty's%2BCake%2B750px.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo taken by Betty Schliephake-Burchardt (found on <a href="http://igbox.co/bettysugardreams/" target="_blank">igbox.co</a>)</i></td></tr>
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At the end of the class, everyone placed their cakes on the table at the front of the class for a picture. As I was cleaning up my station, I noticed everyone standing around the table taking pictures. Something prompted me to pull out my cell phone and snap the photo below. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfCv3oYYLcoRj0WYtozjzoJxcoKiBGr1bkvuIb0ZM10DrKr5R013AqjIO7bFFwQZ3Rn6LqHAVldaDUNTdm04luyaGTH-Ox7Vp5_10jsvmRheIuAZ7dP6vYFVguoBjx4eTfElUEPJd5ntr/s1600/2014-10-15+15.44.52+750px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfCv3oYYLcoRj0WYtozjzoJxcoKiBGr1bkvuIb0ZM10DrKr5R013AqjIO7bFFwQZ3Rn6LqHAVldaDUNTdm04luyaGTH-Ox7Vp5_10jsvmRheIuAZ7dP6vYFVguoBjx4eTfElUEPJd5ntr/s1600/2014-10-15+15.44.52+750px.jpg" /></a></div>
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The photo below is the one Betty had taken of the class, while we were working on our cakes. I'm at the back, hiding behind the girl with the red apron. The girl standing to my right was Sigrid Rosin, affectionately known by her colleagues as Siggi. She spent most of the day colouring and kneading fondant for another class (kuddos to her). </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuA01ZKSTTetxsVD2U951DAa4VGWtkhcWnRm0Ky7bd_GkTustTanI4HQY5e_HBrw0q1GICpIpcxWahJKGp5pnq7OGfevfQwKwdxypSXpApKo4t7Is0TmtKJNXd9F89ePtPWDVCDneaM6U/s1600/Icing+Course+750px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuA01ZKSTTetxsVD2U951DAa4VGWtkhcWnRm0Ky7bd_GkTustTanI4HQY5e_HBrw0q1GICpIpcxWahJKGp5pnq7OGfevfQwKwdxypSXpApKo4t7Is0TmtKJNXd9F89ePtPWDVCDneaM6U/s1600/Icing+Course+750px.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo taken by Betty Schliephake-Burchardt (found on <a href="http://igbox.co/bettysugardreams/" target="_blank">igbox.co</a>)</i></td></tr>
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All in all, it was a great crowd to be around with and Betty did a wonderful job teaching the icing course. If you're interested in cake decorating, then I highly recommend taking the courses at <a href="http://tollentorten.com/">TollenTorten.com</a>. I'm definitely looking forward to the next class that I take. If you would like to, then you can read more about Betty <a href="http://www.kabeleins.de/tv/torten-tuner-backen-das/die-torten-tuner-im-portraet/bettina-betty-schliephake-burchardt" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.cakeschool.de/dozenten/betty/" target="_blank">here</a> (both links are in German). She is also the author of a <a href="http://www.amazon.de/Bettys-Sugar-Dreams-Tortendekoration-Fortgeschrittene/dp/3981329201/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415783868&sr=1-1&keywords=Betty%27s+Sugar+Dreams" target="_blank">best selling cake decorating book on amazon</a>. </div>
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On a final note, what had inspired me to register for this class was <a href="http://ceridz.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ceri Griffiths</a>, who is an amazing and talented British cake artist. I first discovered his work earlier this year on <a href="http://craftsy.com/">Craftsy.com</a>, when I came across his online class, <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/contemporary-english-over-piping/350?rceId=1415781776928~uz75838b" target="_blank">Contemporary English Over-Piping</a>. I was taken aback by the stunning beauty, elegance and simplicity of the cake, that I immediately registered and purchased the class on Craftsy.<br />
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I was <i>überglücklich </i>when I found out that he was coming to Berlin to teach a Royal Icing class. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend because my oldest son had his <i>Einschulung</i> on the same day that the class was being held on. I didn't want to miss my son's first day of school. However, I found out later that the class was cancelled because there weren't enough participants. <i>Schade</i>. I will keep an eye out for Ceri, when he's back in Germany.</div>
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This was a great experience for me and I'm looking forward to learning more. :-)
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