I know. October—the month that marks the beginning of pumpkin madness, stews, and comfort food—has been a bit sparse on Tomato Tango. While my blog has been lackluster this month, it has otherwise been a month full of creative inspiration for me: writing workshops, a grammar class, social engagements and weekly family dinners. I’ve met food bloggers, writers, musicians and people who love grammar as much as I do (seriously, how many people get excited to discuss subject-verb agreement for three hours?). Sam and I have had family dinners with my parents, sister and niece for the last five weekends in a row, and this weekend we’re all carving pumpkins together. And I’ve been motivated to write, write, write. October has been a month of people and ideas, a month of soaking up what I can. Now it’s time for me to focus on creating instead of just consuming.
I don’t have a recipe for you, but I would like to share some photos from one of the highlights of my month, an Oktoberfest meal with Sam, my parents, sister, niece and aunt. To accompany our bratwurst and boiled potatoes, I made rotkohl, a slightly sweet, cooked red cabbage side dish that we used to eat when we lived in Germany. We opted for a domestic rather than a German beer, but I think the novelty of having our own little keg compensated for that deviation from the authentic. And what Oktoberfest would be complete without beer hall songs? The “Beer Barrel Polka” station on Pandora did the trick. And yes, my sister and I did do the chicken dance. We didn’t get any photos of the dance, but I think these give you a pretty good peek into our evening.
Hello! My name is Andrea, and I’m a freelance writer living in the lovely, hilly city of San Francisco with my husband Sam.
One Comment
A very fun celebration for all! The Rotkohl was delicious too—crisp but saturated with rich vinegar and yet sweet flavors. Leftovers the next day were just as good!