I love dal! And there is a generous amount of cumin in it which is my favourite spice at the moment 
I used red lentils.
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As I’d subtly hinted at in earlier posts 
, our trip to Berlin was not exactly The Smoothest in recent memory. It started off with a 2-hour delay on the runway in EWR due to shit weather (after a 4 hour drive) that had us miss our connection in CPH to Berlin. The only way we could get to Berlin the same day was thru London (!). When we finally got there and passed through customs I was suddenly and very painfully aware that I’d usually call or text my mom that we landed safely… which is now no longer possible. So, I wasn’t in best form when we retrieved our luggage only to discover my suitcase wasn’t there. Yeah, NGL I cried.
My PIC’s suitcase, checked in at the same airport at the same time with the very same destination somehow made it, yet mine had not. It boggled the mind, and I was kind of done with the day.
As I’m standing in line waiting to talk to someone at the Magic Baggage Retrieval counter, quietly crying & looking around…… whattt do I see but a bag that looks strikingly like mine (nothing fancy – a big black hard shell with wheels) sitting on the Cologne/Bonn belt all by itself? It turns out to be mine. WTAF? 
We finally made it safe & sound to the pad by 8:30pm, a mere 12 hours later than expected. Hot water seems spotty, which we found out after grabbing a traditional Flammkuchen for my PIC
and a cream of asparagus soup with grilled shrimp for me
— tis the season, after all 
at a restaurant across the street from us. A few beers, and we already felt much better.
In the big scheme of things, this was just a bumpier start to our surely wonderful summer, and at least we’re in it together. Many good meals and days to come, no doubt.
A few pics of the very Berlin entrance of our apartment building 
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That looks really flipping good.
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Quickie after a brewery meetup with friends – mushroom-Swiss veggie burger on ww bun, sauteed kale, leftover brocco-cauli soup. Wow, Bragg’s aminos (on the kale) are considerably saltier than Chinese soy sauce. I need water.
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Gray day.
Some downpours.
Required a comfy meal.
Two Frankenchicken BISO chicken breasts that were fridge-air-dried all day. A mixture of a Tbsp of roasted garlic paste, 1-1/2 Tbsp of dried (fresh) lemon zest, s/p, 1/2 Tbsp of Penzeys Turkish oregano, and a couple of blups of olive oil were tucked under the skin, amd they were roasted at 425° for 25 minutes, and finished at 375°. A lot will be used for lunch sandwiches this week at work.
Roasted baby potatoes, and sautéed sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, and onions with marjoram and some s/p.
The last glass of the Russian River Valley River Roads chardonnay was enjoyed.
And pics of the boyz resting after a tussle in the hallway this morning.
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Welcome to Berlin! I’ll bet you’ll get a good night’s sleep tonight although you may be asleep already 
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Baked Fish in Tahini Sauce, although I used the recipe mostly as a loose outline. Whole wheat cous cous with peas as the base underneath.
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So how many hours was your travel time from start to finish?
Beautiful food, beautiful boyz!
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Taco salad. Little gem and red cabbage, chopped abondigas, tomatoes, charred corn, avocado, green onion, extra sharp cheddar, serrano chile, NYT Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing. Tortilla chips and a Margarita.
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Inspired by @Saregama once again, turkey Adana sheet pan kebabs with sumac onions, noodley rice, and baby broccoli roasted in the kebab juices (not shown). Also not shown: barbunya pilaki - Turkish cranberry beans in olive oil and tomato sauce.
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Lamb Shank with Beans and Celeriac - originally planned that everybody would get one lamb shank each but we only got very large ones so that we decided to use only two of them and dice them when done which doesn’t look as good as planned but the flavors were spot on. Lamb shanks are braised in the oven with carrots, celeriac, onions, tomato paste, allspice and juniper berries, bay leaves, red wine, madeira and lamb broth. Once done you filter the liquid and cook it done a bit and thicken with some starch. In parallel, you cook navy beans, celeriac, white onions, fresno chili, red bell peppers and bay leaves in some vegetable broth. Small amount is puréed to give the right overall consistency.
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TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS.
Sorry, 28 hours
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Thank you 
A good night’s sleep makes everything better 
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Crikey! Ya could have flown to Australia mate 
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Okay, reset done! Today, minus 6 hours?, is a new day. Enjoy your visit🌞
We’ve already moved on. It was a minor inconvenience that certainly won’t stop us one bit from enjoying the privilege of being able to travel & spend 2 months in our favorite city 
I’m excited to find out WWBFD tonight 
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Glad you made it safely to Berlin eventually @linguafood ! Your apartment entrance looks very dramatic and arty. I’ve never been to Berlin but would love to visit. Waiting for the fluent-in-German kiddie half-Swiss nieces to grow up a bit so they can act as interpreters!
Wishing you a lovely summer in Berlin.
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