Ode an Fondor

Since Roomie and I are just starting up this blog, I've been thinking a lot about the important people (and meals, places, ingredients, etc.) that have influenced my approach to cooking and eating, so I can be sure to give them adequate mention in this project. It occurred to me early on that ranking quite high on this list of influential people, right up there with my mom and both grandmothers, is the Raeder family—namely, my dear friend Karoline, her parents, Ernst and Barbara, and siblings Sebastian and Sophie.

Karoline and I first met in junior high, and quickly became friends through a shared fear of gym class and calculus and a shared obsession with writing inspirational quotations on post-it notes in our day planners (yes, we were pretty nerdy in those days). Although Karoline was born in Boston, her family is from Germany. Consequently, the Raeder’s speak German at home, and though they live on Long Island, they have created a miniature European oasis, a home that is so welcoming, warm, and full of small, distinctively European hospitality and charms. Though she would never admit this, Karoline also embodied a distinctive European flair in junior high, which often manifested itself in our shared meals and snacks. One of the first times I was invited to her house for after school “homework,” her mother prepared us a revelatory snack. This was decidedly not the usual apple-slice-and-peanut-butter or cheddar-on-a-triscuit combo from my house. Barbara prepared scrumptious homemade French toast, which was both delightfully light and buttery rich at the same time, topped with slivers of fresh strawberries and a touch of powdered sugar. We also had fresh-squeezed orange juice to drink, which, I learned years later, Karoline, Sophie, and Sebastian enjoyed every morning during their childhood. Amazing. If this is her after-school snack, I wondered, what does this girl eat the rest of the time?

Among the many culinary and cultural delights I’ve gleaned from the Raeder’s over the years, including The Chocolate Game, puréed vegetable soups, the absolute best way to scramble eggs, and the secret to sumptuously rich Thai curry, is a super-secret German specialty ingredient called Fondor. Fabulous fondor is a pale yellow seasoning powder made by the food company Maggi, and has endless uses. It’s similar in concept to seasoning blends you can purchase in the spice section of U.S. markets, but is just so much better. (Also, it’s not actually super-secret and is about as common in German kitchens as a sink.) A few sprinkles of Fondor elevate simple preparations like scrambled eggs, basic vinaigrettes, steamed vegetables, roasted potatoes, and baked fish to luscious heights. In the way that salt brings out the flavors of various ingredients in a recipe, Fondor also brings out the tastes of a dish at two levels: it highlights both the disparate elements of a dish and a sense of the whole finished product. Fondor also adds a superfine dimension of butter-like richness that’s hard to discern, but improves the flavor of everything it touches. Put simply, it’s kind of like salt, but better. This also means you can use Fondor like salt in basically anything: salads, pastas, vegetables, meats, fish, sauces, soups, stews, dressings, casseroles, and so on.

Although I reach for my shaker of Fondor several times a day, I think I like it best in the barest of recipes: like in Barbara’s scrambled eggs, or a plain vinaigrette for a fresh green butter lettuce salad. Sometimes, as an elegant pre-dinner snack, I like to drizzle a tiny pool of good quality olive oil in a small plate, sprinkle it with Fondor and freshly ground pepper, and accompany it with slices of baguette or ciabatta and a glass of red wine.

Perhaps it’s Fondor’s European exoticism, its cheery bright yellow and red Maggi packaging, or the nostalgia for Barbara’s simple and elegant scrambled egg breakfasts that it evokes in me, but I find Fondor unmatched in the seasoning aisle. Karoline or her boyfriend Jan usually sneak some back from Berlin for me, so it’s typically in stock in my pantry. In the in-between months, though, I actually find Goya's Adobo (without pepper variety) a decent (if different) substitute. “Ode an Fondor” is German for “Ode to Fondor,” but ultimately this post is the beginning of a larger ode to the Raeder’s ways of cooking, eating, and living.  

Prost!
K, feeling awfully fond of Karoline and her family

Barbara’s Scrambled Eggs

(Serves 4)

2-3 generous pats of unsalted butter

8 large eggs (preferably organic and all vegetarian-fed)

Fondor

Salt and pepper (optional)

1. Place a medium cast-iron skillet on medium-low heat. While it heats, prepare the eggs by gently cracking them into a large bowl. Whisk vigorously for a minute or so. Do not add anything to the eggs at this stage—it will just clump.

2. Add the butter to the skillet and swirl it around until the bottom is coated with a nice layer. The butter will foam a bit as it heats—as soon as the foam subsides, and before it browns, pour the eggs into the skillet. Do not adjust the heat—it should remain on medium-low throughout the whole affair.

3. Wait at least 20 seconds before touching the eggs to allow the bottom to cook a bit. Shake a dusting of Fondor over the top layer of eggs. Then, using a rubber spatula, gently urge the eggs to different parts of the skillet to create either small or large curds, depending on your preference (more swishing around for smaller curds, less fussing for larger curds). Add a few pinches of salt, and pepper if you like (Barbara doesn’t add pepper but I sometimes do). Do this every 20-30 seconds until just the barest hint of liquid egg remains. Then remove the eggs from the heat, and plate immediately.

For an easy, elegant breakfast, serve these delicious eggs alongside baskets of sliced baguette, a pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a small platter of smoked salmon and hunks of a few different cheeses.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

(Serves approx. 4 as a first course or side salad.)

I make some version of this salad almost every day of my life. The vinaigrette is a base recipe that can be easily altered to individual taste and preference. You’ll notice the proportion of vinegar to oil makes a sharper-tasting vinaigrette than most recipes call for. I learned from the Raeder’s that this proportion, with the addition of Fondor, better draws your attention to the flavors in the lettuce (yes, lettuce has flavor!) Some days I use two cloves of garlic and red wine vinegar, some days I don’t use any oil at all. You could also add a few sprinkles of dried or fresh minced herbs, like basil or oregano. Play with the basics until you figure out your own “go-to” vinaigrette combinations.

1 small-medium head butter lettuce, leaves washed and thoroughly dried*

1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar of Modena

1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil

Fondor

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Place minced garlic at the bottom of an empty, dry salad bowl. Spoon vinegar on top of garlic. Sprinkle on a few shakes of Fondor, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper from a pepper grinder. Whisk around the bottom of the bowl a few times with a fork or whisk. Then, slowly stream in the oil with one hand, while whisking the mixture with the other hand. Continue whisking for about a minute or until well blended. Place clean, dry lettuce leaves on top of dressing, and gently toss with salad tongs or large forks. Serve immediately.

*Salad greens must be thoroughly dried after rinsing in order for dressings to properly cling to the leaves. An OXO salad spinner is a great tool to have, but you could also rinse leaves in a colander and then pat them dry on the counter using clean, dry dish towels.