Five Things: Money, Banks, Israel, Power, Christmas

So while lots of people enjoyed Thanksgiving and had lots of turkey, others concentrated on Black Week and spent lots of money. But here in Northern Germany, something else important happened. We had the first night with frost.

And this means: it’s time for Grünkohl! Green cabbage. Also known as kale. The superfood! Don’t you like how efficient the German language is? We don’t need a new word, we just use what we know. It’s cabbage and it is green.

Here in Northern Germany we affectionately call kale “The palm tree of the North” and according to the wisdom of the elders, kale needs at least one night of frost before the harvest to develop all the superfood features and the taste. And of course during every harvest a young girl will be crowned as Grünkohl K?nigin (kale queen) - yes, it is serious business here in the rough North.

So here’s my quick recipe, which is based off some Northern German regional kale variants. You need a few tablespoons of schmaltz in a huge pot and then you cook a large onion until it is translucent. Now you throw in the kale (without the big stems, obviously), after a few minutes of cooking you add some vegetable browth or water, but not too much, just so that the kale isn’t dry. Of course the kale will shrink in size and you need something to put into the huge pot, so that it doesn’t look ridiculous. That’s why you put a few slices of Kassler (cured and slightly smoked slice of pork) on it and also throw in some Kohlwurst onto the kale. Yes, we have a sausage that goes well with cabbage, hence it’s called a cabbage sausage. We’re so efficient. It’s a smoked pork sausage, but in other regions other sausages are used, like Pinkel, which contains oats, or Bregenwurst, which used to have brain inside, in the good old days before all this food regulation stuff… Anyhow, back to the recipe. You can also use a variation of sausages, whatever you like. While this is in the pot and all the fat from the sausages and the meat does its work, we cook a pot of really small potatoes, thumb-sized, in Germany they are called Drillinge (Triplets), for whatever reason. And after peeling them while still kind of hot, you toss them in a frying pan with a bit of oil and then you add lots of sugar to caramelize and add a nice sweet layer around the potatoes. Now quickly back to the kale: if there’s too much fluid, add some rolled oats, but just a bit, to soak up the fluid. This is optional, but I like it. This is one of those dishes that taste better cooked a bit slower and longer. Also, I don’t think it’s doable without animal fat. It’s ideal for rainy cold days a bit above freezing point, which we call November and December here. After this meal you need an Aquavit or any other caraway seed Schnaps, which you take directly from the freezer and serve in iced glasses. Also you need to take a long walk or lie down directly.

No, I don’t eat this every day, but every year I’m so looking forward to the start of the Grünkohl season. Also I really like ice-cold Aquavit.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also did some reading this week. Check out Five Things!

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What If Money Expired?

No, not what you think, it’s not about money being gone because you spent it. Let’s think about the value attached to money.

(CLICK HERE)

In 1970s Ireland, Pubs Briefly Replaced Banks — and It Worked

So, it is possible to do personal finances without a bank. And you get beer with it. Amazing.

(CLICK HERE)

Why Israel Slept

This is a good account about why October 7 could happen and what it means for Israel. “It is too early to tell whether Israel will be able to once again turn suffering and loss into peace and progress. But even in this grim new reality, there is some cause for hope.”

(CLICK HERE)

The Next Power Plant Is on the Roof and in the Basement

“That combination of utopian hopes and dystopian fears may boil the climate crisis down to its essentials—and the sum of those hopes and fears may look very much like a battery in the basement and a panel on the roof, magically connected to thousands of others.”

(LINK)

Is Christmas Season Starting Earlier? A Statistical Analysis

Two weeks ago, when my youngest daughter was with me in the car, she requested that I put on Last Christmas so that she could get the lyrics right by the time the Christmas time starts in Germany. We’ve had christmas candy and cookies in the stores for a few weeks now, which is way too early, every year. Next Sunday is the first Advent and that’s when the countdown really starts, I guess.

(CLICK HERE)

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That’s it. Have an amazing Sunday! And remember: first Grünkohl, then Schnaps!

— Nico