On the schedule: Raymond Wolff

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I first met Raymond Wolff when I was asked to participate in the Mobile Academy's Black Market for Useful Knowledge and Non-Knowledge back in 2007. I was asked to be the "expert" on American Cuisine at the event, making me feel quite like a big fish in a little pond- there weren't (and still aren't) a whole lot of American cooks in town.

We, the experts, were lined up on one side of very long tables set in Hebbel Theater's HAU II main room. They were dimly lit by candle light and the seekers of knowledge would visit us for an exact time of 30 minutes- asking us various things about our area of expertise. FAQ "What is American cuisine?" I spent the evenings defending against stereotypes of hamburgers and hotdogs.

In came Raymond. He was recommended by a colleague of his who I spoke with the night before. I thought she most likely was won over by my offerings of atypical American style snacks. Maybe Ray was just hungry? Well, it turned into a fascinating 30 minute conversation and Raymond Wolff seemed to be more of an expert than I.

Since then, I have had the pleasure to get to know Ray as a friend. He has been a supporter of Fortuna's Feast before it was even conceived. He lives down the street so has become a regular character in the establishment. On any given Friday Night Little Dish or the occasional Sunday Brunch- you may find Ray having an American style meal of some sort and telling a gripping, real life story to anyone lucky enough to be sharing his table.

During Feast's 48 Hours Neukölln: Shellac, Photos and Food, Raymond will grace us all with his collection of 78's and most definitely stories only a historian can tell.

Rixdorf/Neukölln on 78rpm Recordings - Raymond Wolff
Sat 15:00 — 21:00

48 Hours Neukölln: Shellac, Photos and Food

Fortuna’s Feast will be participating in this years 48 Stunden Neukölln in the most unique ways! This time, the edible creations, though present, will take a back seat to the cultural events. We want to engage a few of your other senses .

Highlights include:

Featuring composers from Neukölln/Rixdorf and/or songs having anything to do with this area, Mr. Wolff will play his rare collection of 78 shellac records spanning the entire spectrum of the 78rpm-making era (1900 to 1960). Between sets he’ll share his knowledge with a bit of story telling.(Feast’s main parlor, Saturday 3-9pm)

Berlin based photographer from the UK, Joe Dilworth will present his recent work, Empty Spaces. Dilworth breaths new life into decaying structures through the eye of his camera. (Feast’s cellar gallery Friday-Sunday)

MotorFM’s, Elizabeth Rushe, host of Off the Record will provide the soundtrack for the evening after parties and Nat Fowler (Oxes on Boxes) does his thing too. (Feast’s cellar gallery Friday thru Sunday)



SCHEDULE:

Friday, June 25th

Feast’s Parlor
6:30pm-11pm

FOOD: Open Dish featuring Italian peasant style street food. Dine in or take away as you wander the streets of Neukölln just as you would Rome.

Cellar Gallery
6pm-11pm

Empty Spaces
Berlin based photographer from the UK, Joe Dilworth will present his recent work. Dilworth breaths new life into decaying structures through the eye of his camera.

Cellar Gallery
9pm – open end

After Party
To start, MotorFM’s, Elizabeth Rushe, host of Off the Record will provide the party’s soundtrack and Nat (Oxes on Boxes) will follow up with his thing.


Saturday, June 26th

Feast’s Parlor
1pm – 10pm

FOOD: Lazy Cafe featuring tasty summer salads, soups and sandwiches. Cupcake menu by Projekt Puder Zucker. Dine in or take away.

3pm – 9pm
Music Historian Raymond Wolff
Featuring composers from Neukölln/Rixdorf and/or songs having anything to do with this area, Mr. Wolff will play his rare collection of 78 shellac records spanning the entire spectrum of the 78rpm-making era (1900 to 1960). Between sets he’ll share his knowledge with a bit of story telling.

Cellar Gallery
1pm-10pm

Empty Spaces – Joe Dilworth
(refer to Friday schedule)

Cellar Gallery
10pm – open end

After Party
MotorFM’s, Elizabeth Rushe

Sunday, June 27th
Feast’s Parlor
12noon – 7pm

FOOD: Weser Street Coney Island
Ray plays American oldies and Suzy serves up pancakes, coney dogs and sliders. What are those? Come and see.

Cellar Gallery
12noon-7pm

Empty Spaces – Joe Dilworth
(refer to Friday schedule)

Cellar Gallery
7pm – open end

Closing Party
Nat (Oxe’s on Boxes) plays Slo-Mo-Mo-town and we’re not talking about Stevie Wonder.

Welcome to hard labor, Orlando.

The timing couldn't be more perfect! Orlando comes on the scene at the very moment I decide to undergo an expansion in my catering business: home baked goods as the norm.

I bought myself quite a large free standing freezer and readied it to be packed full with all sorts of muffins, cakes and cookies for easy access. When catering for smaller functions, it isn't always possible or smart business to bake one batch of brownies to serve as the dessert after a lunch break, as well as it is not cost effective to order one dozen from my local baker. Solution: freezing a ton before hand.

I thought involving Orlando would be a great way to break the ice, get her in the kitchen, show her what goes where and see her in action. Poor thing, I almost killed her. It was her first exposure to "quantity". Oh sure, the quality was there too but if I was going to plug that energy sucking machine into the wall, it was going to have to be worth it. I'd be damned if we didn't have enough baked goods to feed an army of photographers, their assistants and those hungry hair and make-up types. So we toiled about 8 hours away.




It was also about experimenting... what freezes well and what doesn't. We decided on carrot cake, lemon bars, mixed berry cheesecake bars, two types of scones and brownies. We managed to do everything except the brownies. I challenged Orlando to a "Brownie-Off" ( I'm sure to get my booty kicked) and this needs time and maybe a judge or two.








We had fun. Since we both are into taking photos of food and the entire process, we were jumping between stirring the mix and aiming the camera. It was a dizzying combination that had us doing lots of laughing.

More or less, I had Orlando over for a play date. (and the freezer project is on it's way...)

Her name is Orlando.

I have to introduce you to someone... her name is Orlando. She is 16 years old and is very interested in baking, to put it mildly. She came to me by way of her Mother, a contact I had made quite a few years back- the accomplished Sophie Lovell.

Out of the blue one day I received an email from Sophie telling me that her daughter would like to get some experience in the cooking/catering department and would like to spend the summer helping out around Feast. I did what anyone would do and immediately checked out this youngsters Facebook page. I was sold.

16 years old? It was hard to believe. The photos she had taken of her creations were better than most I've seen... and the creations! Let's not overlook those: sweetly decorated tiny cookies, creamy, billowy, playful cakes, cupcakes of perfection! This and more is on her group page, Projekt Puderzucker. One can see the girl is obsessed with baking, photography, cookbooks.. and friends. There are little clues everywhere that Orlando shows love for those she loves with her baking.

Around this time I got a request for a "special cake" by a client, one that looks a lot like the cake in the main photo of this blog. I don't need to tell you again of my frail baking abilities so I of course needed a professional. Or not? Orlando... could she?

Well, as you can see here, Orlando rose to the occasion- above and beyond, in my opinion. I'd like to mention that this is the first cake the girl had ever done in this fashion. And it was tasty too. I am again reminded that a good challenge helps us breakdown our own barriers, giving way to wondrous possibilities.

Orlando, a baking prodigy? The proof is in the pudding, cake, cookie....

You say holiday, I say vacation.

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I was raised calling it vacation. We would pack up our station wagon with the faux wood panel siding and vacate to somewhere that took days to get to. All six of us piled in and we had our unofficial assigned places. Mine was in the very back with the flip-up, booth style seats that faced each other. A bonus was the electric rear window that lowered for some fresh exhaust as we motored along. Thanks to all the summer football camps that my Dad worked at across the country, we managed to visit quite a few States, even if a lot of it was seen from the inside of the wagon.

These days, don't ask me how, I've begun to call it holiday. That's what all the Brits and Euros call it and it just rubbed off I guess. Madonna called it a holiday way back when and she is American and also from Michigan so I have to wonder how it happened to her? I still make myself say vacation from time to time: never forget where you came from.

The point is, I got out of Berlin for one whole week and it was lovely. I went to my little, cheap, on the beach, pre-season Ibiza hideaway. I brought my own coffee because theirs isn't so good and I basically did nothing all week except bed to beach to bed again. A much needed respite away from event planning and cooking.

If I lived in Arizona I'd definitely get pulled over for proof of citizenship because I am now nice and brown. I guess I would be pulled over pre- tan as well, for that matter. I digress... anyway, I spent many hours in the sun catching up on some reading. There was the terrible book I bought at Tegel before boarding, the entire April issue of Vanity Fair, two of my favorite food mags and one of those miniature versions of Elle for good measure.

It's those two food magazines that I want to tell you about. They get delivered to me (a huge treat in itself) and when I'm busy they often are neglected, sometimes only a quick leaf through. BUT when I'm on... vacation... they are savored front to back.

La Cucina Italiana, a subscription that my Mom gives me yearly, keeps me connected to the real stuff. These recipes are authentic. The features about Italy are informative and capture that Italian magic. I believe the magazine got a makeover a couple of years ago and is really beautifully laid out with nice photography and without any pretension. I get a lot of inspiration from this magazine and so should you.

The other is Cook's Illustrated. I have to admit, I was slow on the uptake with this magazine, the majority of it is in black and white, for god's sake. Finally, by unseen forces that are working for the greatest good, I was given a subscription from a close friend's Mother. As a self taught cook, I cannot tell you how helpful it is. Everything You Wanted to Know About Cooking but Were Afraid to Ask... a better title in my opinion. In this May & June edition alone you get the low down on the three types of Miso, a trick for perfectly charred, seared tuna steaks,three ways to skin a clove of garlic, the recipe for the ultimate chocolate cupcake (and believe me, they wouldn't throw that term around loosely), the perfect boiled egg, how to "map" your broiler, a vinegar fly trap and a delicious sounding empanada recipe that is explained in so much detail, even an Arizona State Trooper couldn't get it wrong. (couldn't resist)



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Me and my Mother,1971. Somewhere on the way to California.
Photo: Alberto Fracassa

Hey! A recipe!

My first recipe for the blog... a magnanimous moment. You will find a few here and there but I am holding firm on this not becoming one of "those" recipe blogs. I hereby promise to only post the ones that I have no doubt will change your life.

Cream Drop Biscuits: so easy and crazy good. They can be savory or sweet- your every wish is their command. They are the biscuits I use for my Biscuits and Gravy on my brunch menu (picture in Brunch a la carte post) and I also use them for my strawberry shortcake dessert as well. They are heavenly dipped in greek yogurt and honey and try stirring in some cheddar and chives into the batter- kicks a cheese pretzel's ass . A dozen make a great gift if you are invited for breakfast somewhere, just make sure there's some good butter and raspberry jam around and you'll be a star.

Did I mention that they are really easy to make?

Cream Drop Biscuits

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups chilled heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F/220°C

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cream, then stir just until a dough forms.
Drop heaping 1/4 cups of batter* (for larger biscuits) about 1 inch apart on an ungreased large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are pale golden and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

* Sometimes I like to make smaller biscuits so I use about 1 heaping table spoon. They cook faster so keep an eye!

The Neighborhood

I recently took a walk with my new camera and enjoyed a day off. Neukölln seems to be bursting at the seams with promise these days but I'm proud to say that I have been a resident for the last nine and a half years- the first eight on Boddinstr. I try to ignore the hype and stay focused on the things that drew me here in the first place: the diverse culture, the working class, the not so perfectly kept buildings, the Turkish markets, the One Euro stores, the people.