Anja


I have always been a food lover not shy to try anything I would come across. My mom still remembers (and isn’t shy to tell anyone who wants to hear) how I would sneak into our pantry at the age of three or four and reappear with a huge chunk of speck between my little teeth or having my mouth full of flour (imagine the mess I made!). It was only a few years later that I was slowly introduced to the great art of cooking. Even though my mom is a fantastic cook and to this date prepares my favorite meals whenever I visit, it was my grandfather who got me excited about cooking. I remember him in his kitchen preparing the most delicious meals - not by following any recipe, but by trusting his taste buds. It was this type of cooking he exposed me to when he involved me in the daily cooking. He made me taste half-done dishes, asking to name all the ingredients he had already put in and to define the ones that were still missing to make the dish taste the way we wanted it to taste. This way I learned to “listen” to the ingredients, to “see” the wonder of turning some simple ingredients into a tasteful meal, and to “feel” what cooking is all about. A truly sensual experience!

Growing up in East Germany, the list of available produce and ingredients was limited to local products. Nonetheless, my childhood plates were always filled with fresh and tasteful dishes, making me appreciate simple ingredients such as cabbage, potatoes, carrots, green beans, or apples. The most basic ingredients can make an amazing dish, and to this day I don’t get tired of these simple German dishes.

Years later, when I started to travel and live in different parts of the world, the most exciting part for me was to explore new ingredients, fruits and vegetables never seen before, unknown dishes and flavors. In Switzerland I found the greatest cheeses and some authentic Swiss specialties along with some new friends who loved to cook just as much as I did. For the first time, cooking wasn’t a thing to do on my own, but an evening-filling cooking spree filled with great conversations, lots of fun and luscious meals. In Los Angeles I immersed in the sheer inexhaustible world of food from all parts of the world. I became a sushi-lover and a Persian-food addict, got to appreciate Korean food and Indian and simply couldn’t get enough of all the great restaurants the city has to offer. In Miami, Cuban and Caribbean food became my daily bread. And my appetite for new ingredients and new recipes hasn’t died since…


10 Q&A's

How would you best describe your style of eating/ cooking?
I love all kinds of food as long as they are of good quality, fresh and free of any additives/chemicals. I try to eat mainly plant-based foods, but enjoy an occasional piece of high quality, free-range, organically raised meat that I buy from farmers nearby, or some artisanal cheese. So, I believe "cleaneating, plant-loving omnivore" would best describe how I eat and cook.
 
What do you have for breakfast on a regular day?
A large homemade cafe latte, bread and nut butter, sometimes regular butter

Three foods you could easily live without?
Truffles, brussels sprouts, poultry

Three foods you could never live without?
Good coffee, good bread, pasta

What section of the grocery store do you most look forward to shop?
Definitely the organic produce section - however, I try to get most of my produce from local farmers.

Blueberries, raspberries or strawberries?
All three of them - the more the better

If you could plan the perfect birthday dinner for yourself, what would it be?
Although my birthday is in February, I'd like to have a summer dinner, sitting underneath some apple trees with my family and best friends, enjoying the warm summer sun, a nice breeze, birds chirping. For once, I wouldn't cook myself, but have my friends surprise me with their creations. The savorychicks are scattered around the globe, so we don't get to enjoy each other's food often enough. My birthday dinner would be the perfect occasion to make up for that.

Which food, fruit, or vegetable best describes you/your personality?
An apple - nothing fancy or posh, a simple fruit with great flavor, grows everywhere (Germany, Switzerland, California etc.), is at its best with abundant sunshine

What makes you smile?
My two daughters , a kiss from my husband, sunshine and a swim in the Aare river

What's the life lesson so far?
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." (Eleanor Roosevelt)


Here some pictures of where I live, cook and eat...




From our partner: LO+JUNE

From our partner: LO+JUNE
Artisanal French products in our Swiss fine food boutique