I’m not sure whether Pickled Gherkins with Mustard Seeds are something special from Germany and our neighboring countries or not. Probably not quite… but I also don’t think you can find them everywhere in the world. Many people will probably never have heard of them ;P We love these pickled gherkins a lot here – the perfect snack or side for a classic »German Abendbrot«. I guess that makes me very German ;P
If you have a garden at home, you will certainly have planted cucumbers – at least once. Right?! Cucumbers are really uncomplicated plants that don’t require a lot of attention. We have often grown them in large flower pots and been successful every time. So much success that we have even been able to make Homemade Pickled Gherkins several times already. What could be better than being able to use your own vegetables for something like that ;)
Summer is the time for BBQ and salads. When the sun is shining outside and the temperatures are not dropping below 30°C, a light salad is pretty much the only option. Salad is perfect on a hot day. This delicious Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad may not be the »lightest« candidate in the world of salads, but we haven’t reached 30°C in our apartment under the roof yet… we can still manage a few carbs I guess ;P
We love Asian cuisine. Thailand, Vietnam, China, or Japan – all countries have so many different and delicious dishes. Actually, so many delicious dishes it’s sometimes hard to make a choice ;) We love recipes that use a lot of veggies, but the ones with meat are also pretty popular here. This one here – Spicy Meatballs with Rice & Cucumber Salad – is a good example. Rice, meat, and veggies are a great combination! If you like it spicy this might be the perfect dish for you. But even people that prefer it milder can prepare this meal – you can adjust the level of spiciness easily here. We want everyone to be happy here ;)
Cucumbers are generally considered healthy – low in calories, and many vitamins and minerals. If you like, you can simply nibble on a cucumber or prepare a salad with it. In Germany, however, cucumber salad is often »murdered« with heavy cream, which quickly cancels out the healthy aspects of cucumbers ;P I prefer the Asian version – a delicious (Spicy) Smashed Cucumber Salad – without cream, fewer calories and super delicious ;)
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
