BBB Adventures + Hard Cheese Roasted Potatoes

So i made it to Marktkauf - a bigger and more pricier supermarket than we'd normally go to. And seeing that i was on a mission to show my independence, i went there on my own by bicycle. Prior to leaving though, i checked google map to see if there was a shorter route that went through the forest and that used side streets with barely any traffic.


I waited for the rain to stop. Then armed myself with my trusty knapsack i got for free from the pet store and made sure i had several cloth bags in tow.

I also did my part for Mother Nature and made my way to the recycling bins just down the road. There you can recycle clear/green glass and old paper.

It's common practise in Germany to recycle.

In fact, i don't think i would be wrong if i said, it's frowned upon if you don't separate your trash. And by that i mean separating the tin cans, recyclable plastic and styrofoam from the paper and putting them in the designated bins/bags.

Having lived here for nearly three years, it's already become a habit.

So on to my supermarket adventure...

There's a small patch of trees that lie between the housing area and the small bridge that i had to cross to get to the next block.


And this was the spot that i nearly had a head-on collision with two oncoming cyclists with extremely bright lights on my way back. Like a moth to a flame with bad night vision, i was confused.

I should have known better not to go down there when the sun had gone down.

I was carrying way too much causing my weight to be unbalanced. And it didn't help that the leaves on the ground created an uneven surface to ride on.

I apologised to the cyclists as they passed me since it was technically my fault as i was riding on the wrong side of the unmarked "path". I don't think they were very happy since they didn't say anything back to me.

All i can say to that was good thing it was dark.

This is what i had to carry...

And yes, they were very heavy and full to the brim.

I managed to squeeze the CO2 bottle, 2kg worth of potatoes and god knows what else i bought into my knapsack but there was still heaps left i couldn't fit.

Oops.

And so i decided to buy a discounted Shopper Bag from Tchibo for 9 Euros.

[source]

It ended up being a great buy!

Not only is it super spacious and light, it even has a detachable bag inside. Yay for 2-in-1's! And considering how much crap i always bring with me on trips, i'd say it's great for traveling too.


And amongst the various other items i bought and not because we really needed it, i ended up buying a Himalayan Salt grinder [which so happens to be endorsed by Jamie Oliver]. Surprisingly, it ended up being slightly cheaper than the other brands.

What possesses anyone to buy Himalayan salt, you ask?

Well some time ago we were looking at buying a Himalayan Salt lamp.

Heat from the bulb [in the lamps] or flames [in the candle holders] causes salt to emit negative ions. These negative ions bond with pollutants in the air [positive ions] and neutralizes them. [source]

Being indecisive as to which one we actually wanted, we told the woman we'd come back later. She then gave us a free sample pack of Himalayan cooking salt. And so we've been using it for special occasions since the sample pack was really small.

Himalayan crystal salt is far superior to traditional iodized salt which is extremely toxic. Himalayan salt is millions of years old. It is a pure form of salt, untouched by many of the toxins and pollutants that pervade other forms of ocean salt. This crystal form of salt has also been maturing over the past 250 million years... [source]

The taste is slightly more intense and they argue that because of its intense flavor, they use less salt than they would when seasoning with table salt. [source]

But what i really needed from the supermarket was garlic salt.

Yes, i know i got a bit distracted but never mind.

Reason being was i was browsing through Meg Kat's blog yesterday and found Parmesan Roasted Potato Wedges [click to view recipe].


The recipe called for red potatoes but they didn't have any at the supermarket i was at, so i went with normal potatoes. I ended up using hard cheese instead of Parmesan because the price difference was immense. And seeing that i also bought a new garlic pepper grinder, i added some of that to the mix too.


It was definitely a nice change from the usual mashed potatoes with Dijon mustard or boiled potatoes smothered in butter and parsley i often would make to accompany our meals.

I sort of over baked them because i was waiting for J to come home from work and ended up leaving them inside the oven to cool. Nonetheless, they were crunchy and full of flavor. That said, i reckon using real Parmesan would have them tasting so much better.

Thanks Meg, i'll definitely be making them again!