Breuningerland & Epicurean Delights

Last Saturday we "discovered" a Mall called Breuningerland in Sindelfingen which is only about a 6 Euro cab ride from our house via "Weasel Mobile", our favorite cab company. This mall has three levels and 110 stores that sell plenty of high end fashion items, shoes, and toys. Matt found a cigar shop and we had a delicious slice of pizza at one of the many restaurants. We also had to try Gelato which seems to be very popular here. This place had so many coffee, cake, and ice cream shops, it was unlike any mall I have ever been to, there was even a piano player on the second level playing classical music. There is also a McDonalds with a drive-thru next door and there are NO drive-thrus here!! The only down side is that they are closed on Sundays, like almost everything in Germany :( Needless to say, I finally found an umbrella...and it hasn't rained since; Das ist Leben!

I've tried a couple of new recipes this week, one worked out, and the other one did not.  

Zucchini e Pomodori Gratinati 
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 zucchini, sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 4 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper



Mandy's Gratinati

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Move oven rack into the top third of the oven.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and spread the zucchini slices into the skillet in a single layer. If they don't fit, cook them in batches. Sprinkle pieces of garlic over the zucchini, and cook until the zucchini are golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Arrange the slices of zucchini in an 9x12-inch glass baking dish, alternating with slices of mozzarella cheese and tomato, so that the slices overlap each other in a neat row pattern. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and basil over the dish, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and brown and the dish is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Cook's Note:
Try putting the freshly sliced zucchini in a colander in layers, salting each layer as you go. Then place a suitably sized plate (or equivalent) on the top and weigh it down. After 30 or so minutes, a surprising amount of water will have been drawn out. You can then dry the slices thoroughly with a clean cloth, or paper kitchen towel (careful not to leave paper behind!) and then they're ready for cooking.

I was unable to follow the "Cook's Notes" and did not have any basil so this is why my batch turned out sort of bland...I may try it again when all of our household good arrive and I have my cooking supplies. 

When the moon hits your eye, like a big Pizza Pie, that's Amore!
The next recipe I tried was a huge hit, and I made it up! I bought a bunch of pizza toppings, sauce, and whole wheat pitas and Matt and I made our own pies.

Matt's Pie

Mandy's Pie (hidden salami!)