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Cherry Tarts & Butter Love

4/10/2011

8 Comments

 
The first morning after we arrived, we ventured out into the German unknown and tried to buy ourselves some groceries.  Some items inevitably were easier to identify than others.  Bananas looked the same, so we picked up some of those. Grapes too.  (That's a lie, the grapes are smaller and sweeter.)  Off to the dairy aisle.  Oh my God, they love their dairy.  Yogurts, quark, creme fraiche, cream cheese, all sorts of other cheese, but no cream for my coffee.  Shit, I'm lying again.  There is cream, it's whipping cream.  Like we're supposed to be smart enough to know that if you want less than 35% milk fat we should just mix in some milk.  I'm not smart enough, so I buy evaporated milk, which is the norm.  Tangent.  Right, cherry tarts.


Off to the butter.  So pretty, so many to choose from.  "What the fuck is PIG BUTTER????"  Gag.  "Oh, it's lard. Okay then."  I understand lard.  Use it to fry your chicken or make your pie crusts extra tender.  Right?  Wrong!!  
I decided today that I would do Babica proud and make the cherry tarts that sustained me through my childhood.  So I went to buy that lard to make my pastry.  Pastry terrifies me, by the way, so please be proud of me for even attempting to do this.  So I bring the lard to "our" cashier, the one who speaks English, and she says "This is not butter."  I explain that I know that it's lard and I'm going to make tart crusts with it.  The customer behind me says, "No you only use this to fry stuff with."  I say that at home you can use lard also for pastry.  Because I am like some kind of cultural ambassador from Canada.  That's when the cashier, our cashier, stands up, goes to the dairy aisle and grabs me some butter.  "Maybe they do that in other countries, but we don't do that here."   


Here's a picture of my finished cherry tart.  With butter pastry crust.  Cause that's how we roll here.
Post-Script* 
On the phone with Babcia the other night she told me that it would make her very happy if I lost some (or 20) pounds by the time she sees me at Christmas.  At this rate, I don't think it's going to happen.
Picture
8 Comments
mom
4/10/2011 01:28:30 am

They look just like babsia's!!! I wonder if I'd hate them as much as I did hers! lol

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Katie
5/10/2011 12:10:51 am

Did The Babcia really say that?? I totally thought Germans would be all about the lard, how wrong was I? I'm feeling a tad racist right now. I've never fried anything in lard, that's disgusting. But i am extremely proud of you for making pastry, I still won't do it. Peter loves his mother's pies so I'll just let that be and stick with cakes and cookies.

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judith christensen link
5/10/2011 12:38:03 am

This is wonderful Tara...what a great way for us all to be part of your German experience. We just had Jan's folks here from Denmark and their recipes are a lot like the German's Did you hear that Denmark has just placed a "fat tax" on anything with high quantities of fat...so what was a 25% tax on all food has now increased to 30%. They all plan to shop in Germany or Sweden where food is much cheaper to begin with and you can still get the goody food..lol...keep writing. i love reading and seeing pictures! Judy

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Paula Rennie
5/10/2011 07:21:05 am

those look amazing! I used to make pastry with lard, following my mother's tried and true recipe, but lately it's been butter (and by lately, I mean the two times in the past three years I've made lemon tart).

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Tasha
5/10/2011 07:43:02 am

Don't we all love our dairy but they do sound very "Oh dear let us take you into our kitchen's and show you how us Germens do things here!" Your a wize in the kitchen! I'm sure the butter worked out just fine, because those tarts look soooooooooo freaken yummy. God I wish it was easier to send things through mail because I wanna eat one! Happy to hear there is a cashier that speaks english sounds like it helped in the butter or lard department. I'm sure Basbia would be proud. It's nice you have brought your Canada custums to Germany but have put there twist on things.lol. Don't fret my dear (I got that from you Tara. happy face).. Makes me kinda sound grown up since I'm still such a kid at heart. Anyways, Enjoying the new shops, foods and desserts is how it should be !! With out any worry of weight give it time all the walking you's will be doing with show in time. Your a beautiful woman with looks to die for and style so pretty. Love your curves and in no time you will see a difference. Don't go all skinny bitch on us and give up the butter or the lard. Cheers to the day we get to tear up the kitchen and bake together just you and I oh and some wine! xoxoxo

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tasha
5/10/2011 09:07:30 am

***canadian custums *** my goodness I can't believe I forgot the i and n . shame on me ... (speeling fix to whats written above..oopps. hehe.

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tasha
5/10/2011 09:09:26 am

hahahahaha spelling...... Just one of those days ! love ya's xoxox

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Monica
6/10/2011 06:59:00 am

Totally reminds me of our Mud St days an I'm sure taste just as good. Is it early to put in a request for these during your Christmas visit? Lol. Miss u all bunches xoxo

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    There is no how-to for making jams and jellies on this site.  Maybe there will be one day.  For now, The Canning Table is a big wooden metaphor for preserving memories while my family and I explore expat life.

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