Since arriving in Berlin, we haven’t consumed so much in the way of what might be considered traditional German food. However, to celebrate the fact that Berlin is a diverse, international city, we’ve been sampling tasty, interesting food from all around the world.
This weekend was full of tasty, interesting food.
On Saturday, I was one of several cooks at Über den Tellerrand‘s 50 Shades of Salad, one of the organization’s many events to promote cultural exchange. I made pasta salad with caramelized fennel/onions, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and parsley, a salad-ish combination that seemed reasonably “American.” Other cooks made salads from from Iran, Italy, Syria, and Japan.
On Sunday, we went to United Street Food, a fundraising festival for many different organizations that use food to connect refugees and locals. Below, find photographs of everything we ate, specifically displayed to inspire jealousy. (Sorry. Kind of.) 
In addition to tons of amazing food, there was music by part of the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra, and a live performance by an 18-year-old Syrian storyteller, with translation.
It’s been hard at times for me to imagine settling into one place after all of the flavors of our world-trotting. However, Berlin has been inspirational in many ways, and a lovely place to (almost) end our journey. In a few months, when we’re settled and my work is a bit calmer, I’d like to explore the idea of organizing similar programs, that use food to connect people from a variety of backgrounds.