Creamy Potato Salad

On May 30, 2018May 30, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

One of the things that you can find in many different countries throughout the world is potato salad. There can be a lot of variations, each with its own flavor profile, but we have been making this recipe for years. It is creamy, refreshing, and can be paired with just about any entrée. It is also perfect for summer picnics or any large gathering. We happened to serve it with some halibut that we’d dusted with Old Bay Seasoning and then breaded, but it could have just as easily been served with hot dogs, hamburgers, or anything else. The key to a good potato salad is to not over cook the potatoes, but to get them just to the point that a knife slides easily through them and then immediately cooling them off so that the cooking process stops. If you over cook the potatoes, they will become too soft to mix with the sauce. This is one of our favorite side dishes, so we hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients

4 Medium Potatoes – cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Brown Mustard
1/2 Stalk of Celery – finely chopped
2 tbsp Onion – finely chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs – chopped
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
2 to 3 tbsp Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes into cold, salted, water and heat to a boil. Boil at a slow-rolling boil for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife easily penetrates the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the hot pan to help get any excess water off of the potatoes, then put the potatoes into a bowl and chill them in the refrigerator until cold. If you are in a time crunch, you can put them in the freezer until they are chilled (not frozen). In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustards, celery, onion, celery salt, milk, salt and pepper, stirring until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the egg to the potatoes and gently toss with the mayonnaise mixture until all of the potatoes are fully coated.

Sauerkraut and Potato Salad in Frankfurt, Germany

Eating in Egypt

On May 23, 2018May 23, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt, Recipes2 Comments

We wish that we could talk about all of the unique foods that we discovered while we were in Egypt, but the reality is that we didn’t get too many opportunities. Our first four days were spent on a cruise ship going down the Nile river and all of our meals were provided for us. The food was extremely good, but except for one dinner that focused on Egyptian food, it was pretty generic. We did go out to a couple of local restaurants while we were in Cairo, but we actually found the choices to be somewhat limiting. Our hotel had several restaurants, so we did try a variety of foods at the end of the day after our tours completed, but they were somewhat international in nature. We always try to eat local food whenever possible, so we took advantage of the few opportunities that we had.

We were there just a couple of days before the start of Ramadan, which was fortunate since all of the local restaurants basically close while everyone fasts. One of the things that ate that we really enjoyed was mixed grill, which included beef, chicken, and vegetables. We also enjoyed the wonderful breads along with sesame dips and baba ghanoush, which is made with eggplant and tahini. In general, we didn’t find the food to be as exotic as some of the other places that we have visited. If we had to describe Egyptian food in general it would be that it is mostly based on breads and vegetables.

Baba Ghanoush and Yogurt Dip with Marinated Vegetables

Although alcohol is not consumed by a majority of people in Egypt, they did have local red and white wine that was actually quite good. We also found a nice lager that was brewed in Egypt that was very refreshing, especially when returning from our tours in the heat of the desert. Of course we also had hibiscus juice and tea as well, which was refreshing as well. There are plenty of coffee houses with really strong, espresso style coffee, and plenty of people smoking shisha (hookah) pipes. One thing that was hard to get used to was the public acceptance of smoking in restaurants. Not only will you find an ashtray on your table, you will likely be surrounded by people smoking cigarettes wherever you go to eat, including the international hotel restaurants.

Freßgass in Frankfurt

On May 2, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany3 Comments

We were fortunate when we were in Frankfurt to live just a couple of blocks from Freßgass (Fressgass), which is a pedestrian street with shops and restaurants. Freßgass literally means grazing street and we probably ate at one of the restaurants almost every day. There are also a lot of high end shops on the street as well as some typical malls with department stores. With so many places to eat and shop, it is obviously quite popular and can be very busy at times.

Regardless of the time of year, Freßgass is a great place to take a leisurely walk, window shop, and just generally people watch. All of the restaurants have outdoor seating with umbrellas or tents over top of them as well as heating lamps for the cold winter days. One of the things that we love about Europe is the willingness of people to sit outside regardless of the weather, even sitting outside on a cold and rainy day because of the heat lamps. You can find every type of food from traditional, upscale, carry-out, to street carts with bratwurst and pretzels.

If you are interested in high-end clothing stores from top designers, then you can find anything that you are looking for. We didn’t do any shopping in those types of stores, but did take advantage of the department stores as well as electronic stores while we were there. Also, twice a week, there are outdoor markets with flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as novelty items. It is also only a couple of blocks from Old Town, so if you have had your fill of modern shops, the historic area is just minutes away. It is also the place to be during the many festivals as well as during the Christmas season to find the largest markets. In other words, you can pretty much find anything you want in this area that is in the heart of downtown Frankfurt.