The Beginning

As of yesterday, I have now been in Zurich for two weeks. A lot of things have led up to this trip, but that's another blog. Basically, I am on vacation from my "real" life back in Portland, Oregon to spend nearly 3 months with my fiance in Switzerland.

Upon arrival, I was pretty much designated as head of the small and very under-stocked kitchen. This made sense, as I would be home all day in a country where I know only a handful of people, and words in the local dialect. In true European style, I have basically a sink, a dishwasher, a small fridge (I think the one I bought for my sister's dorm is larger), and a stove/oven. For storage I have 3 drawers and a china hutch. To top it off, my fiance had been a bachelor forever, and his cooking set-up showed that. He has pretty much two frying pans, a couple pots, a salad spinner, an electric water kettle, and a toaster. The kitchen was pretty much bare-bones, from my point of view.

I soon found out that my American way of thinking and preparing food would have to change. We shop, at least, bi-weekly here, unlike my grandmother, who goes bi-monthly. Vegetables are mostly seasonal, and top it off the freezer only holds ice. No frozen meats, vegetables, or entrees here. No, there isn't even ice cream in this house. Other things are different as well. Asian foods are much less available than in Oregon, where every grocery store has at least one side of one aisle dedicated to these products. Also, on average, the selection of items is less than back home (except for dairy items and cured meats). This makes for a challenge when finding certain items.

The change been a shock, in more ways than one, but I am adapting. So, that's the goal of this blog; to document my forays into cooking Swiss. I will be documenting my shopping experiences, recipe successes, and tips, so I hope you enjoy!