Socialist Wine Drinking in Berlin

Strangely, Berlin still operates of the honor system, which is apparent when riding the Bahn (no turnstyles) or at the popular wine bars called Weineri (no prices). I found out about this place when I emailed a friend of the tour manager to see if she was around to hang out with me while I was in a new city on my own. Marisa is an American artist living and working in Berlin, who is actually from Los Angeles. I met her first at St. Oberholz cafe in Mitte and then we went out later that night to Weineri in Prenzlauer Berg. There are three locations, but the one we went to, I think, was on Griebenowstrasse 5; (49-30) 4069-0951.

When you arrive, you pay 2 euro for a glass and then self serve wine, as much as you want. At the end of the night, you pay whatever you feel you should pay for what you consumed. (I think we gave 10 euro or something.) They have a surprisingly not terrible selection of wines, with a strong focus on German wines. The place was so packed, for obvious reasons, and was set up like a cozy european apartment, with rooms and nooks filled with young starving artists and backpackers. The large main room had a buffet in the back, where you could get a meal of plain spaghetti and bread included in your donation. For some unbeknownst reason, the chef brought out slices of the most delicious apple cake to only us. I love Berlin!

Rose Bakery Granola

In Paris I fell in love with the famed Anglo-French Rose Bakery in the Marais. There are now two locations, the other is near Gare du Nord. This organic bakery was started by an Englishwoman, Rose Carrarini, whose philosophy is that life is improved by great food and great food can be achieved by everyone. Simplicity, freshness and the ability to choose the right things to cook are key. I freaked when I learned that Phaidon put out a book with 100 of Rose's recipes called "Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery." So far I have tried a few and they all turned out perfectly: granola, carrot cake, carrot and seed salad and the savory broccoli cake. Here is the recipe for the best granola I have ever eaten. Ever.

Rose Bakery Honey Granola

5 1/3 cups (400 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup (120 grams) whole raw almonds
2/3 cup (100 grams) raw sunflower seeds
3/4 cup (100 grams) raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup (50 grams) sesame seeds
1 tablespoon (10 grams) wheat germ
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower oil
1 cup (250 ml) honey
1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
a few drops of pure vanilla extract
1 handful of dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, dates, figs, and/or raisins) (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F /165 degrees C / Gas Mark 3.

In a large bowl combine the oats, almonds, seeds, wheat germ.

In a small saucepan, add the sunflower oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt to 1/2 cup of water.

Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly, then pour over the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix well, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the liquid. If there is excess liquid, then add more oats. The mixture should be sticky.

Spread evenly onto a baking tray and bake for about 1 hour.

Reduce the temperature to 275 F / 140 C / Gas Mark 1 and continue baking until the granola is golden - about an hour.

Switch off the oven and leave to dry out for another hour or even overnight.

Once the granola has completely cooled, is chiseled off the baking tray, and is ready to eat, you can add the dried or fresh fruit and serve with plain yogurt, milk or soy milk.

Store in an airtight container and it will keep for several weeks, although you will most likely devour it in a matter of days.