A Walk-In Recipe Book: Kochhaus, Berlin

One of the Recipe Tables

Okay!! Grocery shopping....my experience often involves circling around the (super) market, trying to locate all ingredients I need, (and forgetting one thing or two during the ordeal) or staring at an interesting looking ingredient, yet have no idea what to do with it. So when I read about Kochhaus before headed to Berlin, I knew I had to go and check it out. I mean, grocery shopping and new recipe idea in one shot.... at least I can't say no to that!!! 

Kochhaus is a walk-in recipe book concept. Upon entering the store, I see dark wood tables each devoted to a single recipe. And on the table, there's pretty much all the ingredients you will need to execute the recipe, including chicken stock cubes and even.. wines to pair with!! Hallelujah!  (Also, you could pick up a copy of the recipe for €0.50).

My Recipe and Dried Flower Petals

On the walls surrounding these recipe tables, a wonderful collection of cookbooks/food writing, spices, wines, cookware and tableware completes the display. Not a mega store, but there's an intellectual epicerie kind of feeling to it. It was end of April, and the store was featuring white asparagus. I picked up a copy of recipe (White Asparagus Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette and Parma Ham), a tiny jar of dried flower petals that screams Spring  and a bottle of Barolo. Despite the fact I do not have the privilege of being a Berliner to go straight home and cook myself a great dinner, I felt inspired.

After returning home, I did some research on Kochhaus and found out it's actually a young start-up (New York Times wrote a piece on them in 2010). In the world where all F &B ehnthusiastics and professionals are pulling their hair out to come up with new concepts, I have to say this one is simple, straight forward and well executed. 

Recipe: Gebratener Spargel mit Grapefruitvinaigrette und Parmaschinken

Kochhaus Schonerberg/ Akazienstrabe 1 10823 Berlin