The Vegetarian Page

February 20, 2007

The Magnetsried Menu

Every year, usually in November, my talented friend and webmaster Oliver spends a weekend in the small hamlet of Magnetsried rehearsing with his Roggenstein String Ensemble. The Ensemble is made up of 16 young musicians, playing mandolin, guitar, bass & mandola and Oliver is their arranger/conductor, a post he took over from his mother who formed the orchestra in 1979.

A couple of years ago, Oliver asked me if I would consider joining them as chief cook and bottle washer, a challenge I was happy to accept. Oliver assured me that everyone was very interested in a vegetarian ayurvedic menu but I did have certain misgivings about how a whole weekend of Indian food would go down. I think the initial hesitancy was mutual but after we got to know each other and they became a little familiar with my cooking style, my fate as the “Roggenstein Ensemble Practice Weekend Cook” was sealed.

The second time I cooked for the group, I decided to vary the menu with one Indian day and one day with the more familiar Italian cuisine. Although the Lasagne and Minestrone were eaten with relish, it was decided that Maharashtrian Indian food was the unanimous favourite.

         • • •

Magnetsried is a small village near Lake Ammersee and the Bavaria Alps. In November there is not much to see – the most gorgeous of the Autumn colours have faded and Spring is far away but on early winter mornings it is peaceful and there is often a mist lying on the fields as I drink my first cup of tea.

The house we stay in is a sort of Youth Centre where groups of young people come for weekend seminars and music or theatre groups. It is a lively place but my room, tucked away towards the back of the building, is a quiet place.

After the final meal on Sunday, when the kitchen has been cleaned, we have a regular ritual which I have grown to love and look forward to: during their practice sessions, the group sits in a circle and just before I leave, a chair is ceremoniously placed in the centre. The final practice session of the weekend then becomes my own personal short concert of Bach, Grieg, Debussy or Kälberer played in “surround sound” quality! A beautiful and relaxing way to end the weekend.

In honour of this lovely group of young musicians, this vegetarian page is dedicated to them, their music and their favourite Magnetsried menu recipes.

         • • •

Breakfast

• Chai
• Sansa (Upma)
• Sheera

Lunch

• Pulao
• Mungdal Soup
• Potato Wadas
• Mint Chutney
• Fruit Salad with Yoghurt
• Pumpkin Salad
• Spicy White Beans

Supper

• Khichadi
• Tomato Saar (tomato soup with coconut milk)

Sweets

• Besan Ladoos
• Bulgur Kheer

         • • •

Weights, Measures & Temperatures

Some of the ingredients in the recipes are given in grams, some in US cups, depending on the source. Very confusing, I know, for all of you not as fanatic as me – my kitchen is full to overflowing with all kinds of gadgets and measuring cups/spoons/jars in every possible denomination! As far as possible, I will try to provide measurements in both cups and grams but, lest I fail, here two conversion pages: www.onlineconversion.com & www.convert-me.com.