Members & Families event – High Ropes Course in Rutesheim

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Member Ulrike Stegmaier has arranged for a fun afternoon of climbing for all members and their families on June 16th!

We will meet at 13:30 in the Freizeitpark Rutesheim, which is direct at the exit “Rutesheim” on the A8 Stuttgart Direction Karlsruhe. You have to come by car, but parking is free of charge.

First we will get our climbing equipment and a short introduction on how to use it. After this we will have 3 hours in which we can climb in the course and have the choice of 12 parcours at different heights. If you or your accompanying partner doesn’t want to climb, then you can enjoy this time in the Kraxl-Alm Biergarten or play Minigolf.

To conclude our sporty afternoon we will meet at 17:00 at the next door Kraxl Alm Restaurant to enjoy Alpine cuisine.

Pricing for climbing (you pay upon receiving the climbing equipment):
Child 3 – 5 years : 6 Euro
Child 6 – 12 years : 11 Euro
Teenager 13 – 17 years: 16 Euro
Adults older than 18 years: 20 Euro

Check out their website for more information.

Please fill in the form below prior to Friday the 15th to RSVP and give Ulrike the proper number of guests for each activity.

[contact-form subject=”RSVP Hochseilgarten Rutesheim” to=”Ulrike.Stegmaier@t-online.de “] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Will you be climbing the high ropes from 13:30 – 17:00?” type=”radio” options=”Yes,No” /] [contact-field label=”If yes, how many adults?” type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”And how many children?” type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”If you would rather play mini-golf, how many adults?” type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”And how many children?” type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”How many people in your party will be attending the dinner afterwards?” type=”text” /] [/contact-form]

FdK Plea – Do you know a “Sanitärbetrieb?”

Our friends over at Forum der Kulturen (the umbrella Vereine for intercultural groups in Stuttgart that we belong to) are looking for some very specific help for their Sommerfest in July. Do you know anyone who handles Sanitation work who might be able to help?

Here is their original message to us:

“Liebe Freunde des Forums der Kulturen,

für unser SommerFestival der Kulturen, das dieses Jahr vom 10.–15. Juli auf dem Stuttgarter Markplatz stattfindet, suchen wir kurzfristig einen Sanitärbetrieb, der die Wasserinstallationen auf dem Platz übernehmen und im Optimalfall auch während des Festivals betreuen würde.

Es wäre toll, wenn Ihr/Sie, sofern Ihr/Sie einen Sanitärbetrieb kennt, der dafür in Frage käme, die Auftragsbeschreibung mit den Eckdaten in der Anlage weiterleiten könntet.

Wichtig: Da die Finanzierung unseres Festivals jedes Jahr nach wie vor auf wackligen Füßen steht, wären wir natürlich dankbar für möglichst günstige Angebote mit einem kleinen Ehrenamtsanteil! Wenn alles gut läuft, sind wir dafür an einer langjährigen Zusammenarbeit sehr interessiert!

Ganz herzliche Grüße,

Ihr/Euer

Forum der Kulturen Stuttgart e. V.

Bitte wenden Sie sich bei Interesse mit einem Angebot schnellstmöglich an:

Paulino Miguel
Forum der Kulturen Stuttgart e. V.
Marktplatz 4
70173 Stuttgart
Tel. 0711/248 48 08-18
paulino.miguel@forum-der-kulturen.de

Basisinfos zum Festival: www.forum-der-kulturen.de”

 

Invitation: FdK Powerpoint Seminar in June 2012

Have you been wanting to learn the basics of Power Point? The Forum der Kulturen has put together a seminar for its members (including all members of the IWCS) at a reduced cost. You must be able to follow along in German.

Here is the invitation:

“Liebe Vereinsaktive,

gerne möchten wir Sie über unser neues Doppelseminar „Power Point I & II“ informieren und Sie herzlich am Mittwoch den 20.6.2012 und Mittwoch den 27.6.2012 dazu einladen.

Power Point I & II

Der Bericht auf der Hauptversammlung muss nicht langatmig sein. Mit Powerpoint gelungen gestaltete und übersichtliche Seiten zu entwerfen ist gar nicht so schwer. Auch Bilder von Ausflügen etc. lassen sich elegant einfügen und zu einer ”Diashow” verbinden. Aber da ist manchmal weniger mehr – im Kurs wird über sinnvolle Gliederungen nachgedacht und die gekonnte Zusammenstellung von Text, Bild und Grafik erläutert.

Für den Kursbesuch benötigen Sie Kenntnisse im Umgang mit dem Computer und Word.

Referentin: Katharina Heinzelmann (Freiberufliche Dozentin)

In Kooperation mit der Volkshochschule Stuttgart
Mi, 20.6.2012 & Mi, 27.6.2012
18:30 Uhr
Kursnummer: 06407

Treffpunkt Rotebühlplatz,
Rotebühlplatz 28, S-Mitte
(der Raum wird auf den Monitoren im Foyer angezeigt, zusammen mit der Kursnummer!)

Achtung Kursgebühr für beide Seminare 10 Euro !

(max. 12 Teilnehmer!)

Anna Labrinakou,
Forum der Kulturen Stuttgart e.V.
Marktplatz 4 (Eingang Schulstraße)
70173 Stuttgart

Tel.++49 711/ 248 48 08-12
Fax ++49 711/ 248 48 08-88″

Anmeldung per E-mail:

[contact-form subject=”Power Point Seminar” to=”seminare@forum-der-kulturen.de”] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” required=”true” /] [/contact-form]

May partner organization events

Each month we let you know about events being planned by our partner organizations that we are aware of. Here’s what’s happening in May.

Forum der Kulturen
6th of May – Global Brunch
Click here for a monthly events calendar
(The IWCS is a member of this organization and our members are invited to attend any FdK events they find interesting)

The Children’s English Library
Come Chill with CEL (ages 10-18)
Full schedule

Cafe Merlin
Full schedule

St. Catherine’s English Church
Saturday, May 12th – American-German gospel concert
Sunday, May 20th – Organ Concert
Full schedule

Partner organizations are other area groups that also serve the international community in Stuttgart and who have agreed to promote IWCS events to their membership. This listing is for information purposes only and opinions expressed at partner organization events do not necessarily reflect those of the IWCS Steering Committee.

If you are a local group serving the international community who would like to work together with us on cross-promotion, please contact us using the form below.

[contact-form subject=”Interested in working with IWCS as partner organization” to=”zdenka@iwcstuttgart.org”] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” required=”true” /] [/contact-form]

An Indian Food Primer

For those members who missed April’s International Dinner at Ganesha’s Indian Restaurant, host Anuradha Kipf has prepared this informative lesson on the different kinds of Indian cooking.

All About Indian Food

by Anuradha Kipf

There is a lot of mumbo jumbo about the Indian cuisine. We are led to believe that each dish is lovingly prepared to some secret recipe known only to chefs. There is one thing you can be sure of, most dishes don’t vary much at all, other than the most prominent ingredients, such as the type of meat, fish or vegetable and possibly whether the sauce is lentil or cream based. So, every Indian dish will have its basic ‘curry gravy’ and every dish served will be a derivative of that sauce. I have tried to demystify the Indian restaurant menu by explaining what individual items are and how they vary from each other. The spellings are not definitive as all the translations into the English language are based on phonetics.

BALTI: Balti describes the cooking pot. In a ‘traditional’ balti cooking, the dish is served in a large balti pot and eaten with Indian breads, such as Nans, Chappatis and Parathas.

KARAHI: The term Karahi or Korai refers to the serving dish, which is made of cast iron on a wooden base and pre-heated, so that the curry sizzles in the serving dish when it is brought to the table. Don’t touch the Karahi or you will get your fingers char grilled.

BHUNA, BHOONA: A Bhuna is a dry fried curry containing onions and spices. It tends to be medium hot.

BIRYANI: Biryani is a rice dish, cooked together with meat or vegetable. The meat and vegetables are pre-cooked and then mixed with the pilau rice. It is usually served with a separate bowl of curry sauce.

CHAPATTI: Chapattis are a simple circular unleavened bread. They are simply made from flour and water and then cooked on a griddle on both sides.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

DHANSAK, DANSAK: Dhansak is based on the addition of a lentil puree to cooking process. It is described as a sweet and sour curry with a lentil sauce. The serving varies often for added hot, sweet and sour flavours.

DOPIAZA, DUPIAZA: Do means “two” and Dopiaza means something like “double onions”. Typically this is a fairly basic Indian curry prepared as a Bhuna or Bhoona but with the addition of extra onions probably both in the cooking and as a garnish.

JALFREZI, JALFRAZI, JHALL FRYZY, ZALl FREZI: Jalfrezi is ‘hot’ dish given additional heat by being cooked with fresh green chillis. It usually also contains visible onion, tomato and capsicum.

KORMA, KURMA: Korma is the mild curry typically prepared with butter and thickened with single cream and coconut milk to give a mild creamy sauce. Spicing would be more subtle, and there would be more use of aromatic spices such as cardamom, clove and cinnamon rather than the more robust spices such as chilli, cumin, black pepper etc.

MADRAS: Madras is a city in Southern India. In an Indian restaurant, Madras means a ‘hot dish’. I doubt if the dish owes its origins to Madras at all, other than its name was chosen way back in the mists of time to signify a fiery hot dish, just as the city of Madras sizzles in the fiery hot Sun.

NAN, NAAN BREAD: Nan bread is leavened bread traditionally baked in the Tandoor Oven. It is baked from a dough containing flour (usually Chapatti flour or wholemeal), yogurt, milk, sugar, yeast and ghee (clarified butter). They obtain a distinctive teardrop shape from being stuck to the side of the Tandoor and baking whilst gravity is stretching them. They are served piping hot often spread lightly with melted butter or ghee and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

PURI: Puris are Indian fried breads. They are served as an accompaniment or sometimes as the base for a starter, such a Bhuna Prawn on Puri.

RICE: Rice is the staple diet on the Indian sub-continent and its influence has extended to it being the traditional accompaniment for Indian dishes. The very best rice is Basmati rice (from the foothills of the Himalaya’s). Never confuse the quality of Basmati for normal long grain (such as Patna) rice, as Basmati is far superior. Rice is served as either plain boiled or Pilau. Pilau rice is fried with cardamom, clove, cinnamon and flavoured with saffron. Then there are all of the variations of Pilau rice such as fried with pre-cooked vegetables or mushrooms or mince or eggs or peas. Rice lends itself better to curries.

ROGAN JOSH: Rogan Josh originates from Kashmiri cooked with tomatoes and onions and probably capsicum. It is generally presented as a medium strength curry, not as hot as a Madras.

SAMBER: Samber is prepared with a lentil base. I would personally, expect the Samber to be presented as a sour curry with the addition of tamarind juice.

SHAMI KEBAB: Shami Kebabs are small round patties of minced lamb and lentils cooked in a Tandoor oven. Sometimes they are exactly the same as the Sheek Kebab, but formed into a flat pattie rather than formed onto a skewer like a sausage. Usually served with a small side salad and Yoghurt and Mint Sauce.

SHEEK KEBAB, SHEIK KEBAB: Sheek Kebabs consists of minced lamb mixed with lemon juice, coriander, onion, garlic and green chilli. The meat is shaped onto a skewer, like a sausage, and cooked in the Tandoor Oven (or failing a Tandoor oven, sometimes on a charcoal barbeque). Usually served with a small side salad and Yoghurt and Mint Sauce.

TANDOORI: Tandoori dishes derive their name from the Tandoor oven that they are cooked in. Tandoor ovens are traditionally clay ovens fuelled by charcoal in the bottom, gas or electricity. It is probably the heat generated in the Tandoor that give Tandoori dishes their unique taste, rather than the particular fuel used to fire them. Meat, kebabs and breads are cooked in the Tandoor. Meats are lowered into the oven on skewers and bread is stuck to the side with fingers.

I suppose most things can be ‘Tandoorized’, but the preparation is to marinate the meat in a marinade of yoghurt and spices. In the Indian restaurant, red food dye is often added, giving a rather radioactive red to the colour of the dish. This is not traditional and is only done for presentation.

Tandoori dishes do not have a reputation for being too spicy and are often recommended as being subtle and especially good for anybody wanting a more gentle introduction to the Indian menu. They are usually served as starter with a small side Salad and a Yoghurt and Mint Sauce, or with a Salad and Naan bread as a main course.

TIKKA: Tikka is prepared in a similar way to a Tandoori dish. However it is usually a piece of fillet meat, chicken or fish that is cooked on a skewer, whereas Tandoori dishes are usually a whole portion of meat such as a Chicken quarter or half.

TIKKA MASSALA: Tikka Massala is most popular. The Tikka Massala curry is made with Tikka meat. That is, meat that has been marinated and cooked on skewers in a Tandoor before being used in the curry preparation. The Massala is the curry sauce that the Tikka is served in. It is a creamy mild and colourful dish. It is prepared in the same way as a basic curry dish but with the addition of possibly yoghurt and just before serving, single cream.

VINDALOO: Vindaloo is traditionally a Potato, Pork and Vinegar curry from Goa. It usually has diced potatoes in the sauce along with the chosen meat or chicken. However, I can’t ever remember seeing pork as an option. I wonder why? Vindaloo is ‘hotter’ than a Madras. Potatoes are added to alleviate the piquancy of the dish.

Tips for cooking Indian cuisine

  1. Most spices are potent, so a little goes a long way. You want the spices to enhance the flavours of foods, not overpower the whole dish.
  2. When blending several spices in a dish, experiment to find combinations you like. Be adventurous! A good cookbook can start you out with suggestions for spices.
  3. Many spices release their flavours and aromas best when sautéed in Ghee (clarified butter) or oil, some when they are dry-roasted. Be nimble when sautéing or roasting spices, they tend to burn quickly. Remove from heat when aromas are released and continue stirring to prevent burning.
  4. Many spices release their flavours and aromas best when sautéed in Ghee (clarified butter) or oil, some when they are dry-roasted. Be nimble when sautéing or roasting spices, they tend to burn quickly. Remove from heat when aromas are released and continue stirring to prevent burning.
  5. Look for organic, non-irradiated spices. Store spices in airtight containers away from heat and light.
  6. Put an Indian spin on everyday dishes. For example, try adding spices to dishes you already make. Sizzle some cumin, saffron or other Indian spices in hot oil and pour over mashed potatoes
  7. Warm up chili and stews. Spice things up with cumin, coriander and cinnamon.
  8. Add a bit of cayenne. Cayenne, just a touch, adds zing to bland soups.
  9. Give meatloaf new depth. Darker spices like cloves and cinnamon, freshly ground, add wonderful depth to meatloaf and other meat-based dishes.
  10. Make curry marinades. Mild curry powder is a very flavourful mix to add to marinades for chicken, beef and lamb. I advise adding it to yogurt, along with minced ginger and garlic. Mix well and then marinate your meats in it.
  11. Try Indian cheese. Paneer is made with cow’s milk and is sold in brick form in most Indian stores and even in local grocery stores now. I suggest grating it on a cheese grater and using it instead of eggs for a scramble! Heat some oil, and add cumin, bell peppers, paneer, salt, pepper and turmeric. Saute for a few moments or until bell peppers are soft.
  12. Make paneer croutons. Paneer is also wonderful in place of bread croutons, and it’s certainly more nutritious. Cut the cheese into small cubes and pan fry for a few moments.
  13. Be creative with chutney. Blend up some cilantro, mint, red onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice for a super-simple chutney that does triple duty as a salad dressing, simmering sauce for chicken and spread for buttered bread!
  14. Spice up your rice. Add a few cloves and a touch of cumin seeds to hot oil, add the rice, and cook as you would normally. This yields a very toasty flavour.
  15. Don’t forget the drinks. Add a touch of saffron to homemade lemonade or other beverages to make them exotic and delightful.

Ayurveda – A glimpse into the 5000-year-old ancient science of healing.

Turmeric – detoxifies liver and blood. It is anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal actions.

Cumin – kindles burning stomach, aids absorption of minerals, reduces gastric, helps stomach pain, nausea, menstrual cramps.

Coriander – supports kidney and bladder functions, diuretic, reduces fever, relieves pitta skin rashes, in conjunctivitis tea is used as eye wash.

Fennel – good for upper respiratory congestion, indigestion, diarrhea, hot flashes, helps to rid intestinal worms.

Cardamom – aids digestion of milk and dairy, cough and breathlessness, hemorrhoids, prevents cavities.

Black Mustard Seeds – heals bronchial system, asthma and cough, helps remove intestinal worms. Mustard oil used in heating massage.

Saffron – blood cleanser and thinner, liver detoxifier, brain/nerve tonic, heart tonic and aphrodisiac.

Preview of 2012 Activities

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

With the help of our members’ many suggestions, the IWCS activities-planning team (Laura Lenz, Maggie Bangston, Ulrike Stegmaier and Andy Ng) have put together a projected schedule of events for the year.

Here are some of the events they are working on that our members can look forward to (subject to change):

  • June: Hochseilgarten followed by dinner in Rutesheim (possibly to include families)
  • June: Tour the Stuttgart Galerie and learn some German (Tour given in basic German on a set topic to a small group)
  • June: Tour of Stuttgart Library in English
  • July: Visit to a local Biergarten for dinner (to include spouses/partners)
  • July: Summer BBQ at members house
  • July: Bier Bike
  • July: Outing to the Bonhenviertel Fest
  • Summer: Visit to Maori Exhibit
  • August: Outing to the Esslingen Zwiebelfest
  • September: Bicycle tour (weekend activity also for family)
  • September: Group outing to the Stuttgarter Weindorf one evening
  • September / October: another dinner with spouses/partners, this time in Gerlingen
  • September / October: Saturday hiking trip in the region
  • September/October: Annual IWCS visit to the Canstatter Wasen
  • October: Tour of Kessler Sekt
  • October:  Tour of Stuttgarter Zeitung
  • October: Annual EGT Bowling tournament
  • November: Annual Charity Event 2012
  • November: Diwali night (Indian festival of lights)
  • December: Visit to 1 or 2 Weihnachtsmarkts in the area
  • December: Christmas Cookie Exchange

Of course, this is by no means a final list – there’s always plenty of room in our calendar any other events our members can dream up. If you have idea for a club event or something you’d like to organize, please contact Laura using the form below.

[contact-form to=’intlwomensclubstuttgart@gmail.com’ subject=’Activities 2012′][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’/][/contact-form]

IWCS Evening Club Meetings

Because of of the great diversity in our membership, we routinely schedule some of our monthly club meetings in the morning and some in the evening. If you will be attending one of our evening meetings, here is all you need to know:

Location:
The meeting will take place at the offices of KPMG Auditing in downtown Stuttgart. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to membership coordinator Billie Schoeler for arranging the use of KPMG’s beautiful meeting facilities.

For security reasons, we have been asked to provide an advance list of attendees to KPMG and we will be checked in as we arrive. Please send your name for the list no later than the day before the event.

Time and agenda
The meeting will start at 20:00. After we’ve had a chance to greet each other and grab something to drink, our speaker for the evening will being his/her presentation between 20:15 and 20:30 and speak for 45 minutes to an hour.

We have the room until 22:00 and can use the time after the speaker finishes to socialize and network.

Dinner beforehand:
Those of you coming directly from work or anyone else needing a bite to eat before the meeting are welcome to join us from 18:00 onwards at the monthly Happy Hour focus group for an early dinner. Because of this special event, Happy Hour will be open to all who are attending the meeting. Please see your monthly newsletter for more details.

Refreshments:
Water, coffee and juice will be available for us to enjoy at no charge.

Children:
Due to the late hour, there will be no babysitter for young children, so please leave them at home. New mothers are welcome to bring infants along in strollers.

Prospective members:
Those interested in learning more about our club are welcome to attend this meeting to meet some of our members. You are welcome to join us for up to two meetings as a non-member to see if we are right for you.

Registration forms will be available to those of you wishing to join that evening. Please RSVP in advance to get your name on the security list.

If you have any questions about the evening club meeting, please do not hesitate to contact Emily Born using the contact form below. See you there!

[contact-form subject=”Evening Club Meeting” to=”info@iwcstuttgart.org”] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” required=”true” /] [/contact-form]

April partner organization events

Each month we let you know about events being planned by our partner organizations that we are aware of. Here’s what’s happening in April.

Forum der Kulturen
Click here for a monthly events calendar

The Children’s English Library
13th April – Ferien Workshop “Flags of the World” (ages 7-10)
20th April – Earth Day workshop
Full schedule

Cafe Merlin
Full schedule

St. Catherine’s English Church
Easter Celebrations in English
Full schedule

Daimler Choir – Mass for Peace Concert
In aid of Omaruru Children’s Haven, Namibia
Saturday, 28th April, 19:30, St Georg Church, Stuttgart, Heilbronnerstrasse 135
(Member Debbie Strauss is a member of the choir)

Partner organizations are other area groups that also serve the international community in Stuttgart and who have agreed to promote IWCS events to their membership. This listing is for information purposes only and opinions expressed at partner organization events do not necessarily reflect those of the IWCS Steering Committee.

If you are a local group serving the international community who would like to work together with us on cross-promotion, please contact us using the form below.

[contact-form subject=”Interested in working with IWCS as partner organization” to=”zdenka@iwcstuttgart.org”] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” required=”true” /] [/contact-form]

Charity Team kick-off on 18 April 2012

I would like to invite all IWC Stuttgart members to get involved in our charitable endeavors this year. I am hoping that you will find – like me – that regardless of how we spend our days, in jobs, in our homes or elsewhere, coming together and working on a common goal is hugely fulfilling. Having worked on our charitable activities in one role or another for the past few years, I can tell you that I learned many new skills and I had a great time doing it.

As you may already know, Frauen helfen Frauen, our designated charity, are losing their premises at the end of June this year. While they have already secured interim accommodation, you can imagine which kind of impact – financially and emotionally – this upheaval will have on the families as well as the FHF team.

There are several areas where we can become active

  • Financially: by hosting our next charity event and engaging in fund-raising
  • “Regularly”: by understanding what FHF need currently and how we can become engaged with them in a more regular and hands-on way.

I feel that the best way to begin is to hold a kick-off meeting amongst members first and then break into groups. Once we have decided on which actions to take, it will probably be beneficial to meet up with our new focal points at FHF, Ms Limitone and Ms Bosch. Some of you will already have met them at last year’s charity event. This meeting will probably take place during the day.

If you can attend the big kick-off on April 18th at 19:00 (or even if you just have more questions), please contact me using the form below. The location is still to be confirmed.

Once we have kicked off, we will have a central online tool allowing us to collaborate so that even if you missed a meeting, you can remain up to date.

I am very excited about this new year of charitable activities and am looking forward to accomplishing great things with you all!

Yours,

Dorothee Klein
Vice President  – Charitable Relations

[contact-form subject=”Charity Kick-off Meeting” to=”charity@iwcstuttgart.org”] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Comment” type=”textarea” /] [/contact-form]