"germany" news and stories

At a new Burger King in Waghäusel, Germany, you can get your Whopper with a side of environmentally responsible energy. The store, developed with the help of a solar energy company called Wirsol Solar AG, uses more than 700 solar panels and other renewable energy sources to supply a third of the restaurant's power.

The green restaurant is part of the burger chain's program of "social responsibility," a push they're calling BK Positive Steps. The company believes strongly that these environmentally friendly stores -- along with their much-touted, high-power broilers already in place in U.S. stores -- are the cornerstone of the chain's future.

The Waghäusel location boasts some pretty impressive stats: The 720 solar panels will generate the equivalent of 53,500 kWh of electricity per year, which, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, is the annual power consumption of five U.S. households. A ventilation system captures excessive heat loss and uses it to generate hot water, which conserves 50 percent of annual energy consumption per year. The outdoor Burger King logo has been modified to include a wind turbine, which supplies 2500 KWH of the restaurant's power supply, while LED bulbs cut energy use by more than 55 percent. It's even got a solar paneled recharging station for electric cars.

Photo: roboppy, Flickr

The Hamburglar has been moonlighting as a secretary.

A 34-year veteran of the Westfalen Construction Association in Dortmund, Germany, was fired after eating a burger from her boss's lunch cart.

The 59-year-old secretary, Magdelene H. (her last name was withheld due to German privacy laws), was fired after eating a frikadelle (flat, pan-fried meatball) and two halves of a roll without permission from a buffet she had just finished preparing last July for her boss and his guests, Spiegel reports.

Photo: Jennifer Iserloh.

I'm not sure how this myth got started -- I used to believe it too, before I met my husband, who grew up in Germany. Every time I tell someone I'm making schnitzel for dinner, they talk about hot dog buns and sauerkraut. Then they try to convince me that I really meant sausage and they will go as far as to ambush random passersby to help corroborate their story.

In truth, the word schnitzel comes from the German term "schneiden" which means to cut, so schnitzel means cutlet. Thus, Wiener Schnitzel is not a cut-up hot dog, but rather a "cutlet from Vienna or Wien." See how I make it after the jump.

Donaueschingen, Germany. From Flickr user krossbow's Flickr.

I'm posting images of sausage counters the world over each weeknight (and occasionally weekend) witching hour until I run out. Please use the comments section to post links to your Flickr or personal site faves, and perhaps you'll see 'em posted here late some evening.

Previously-- Midnight Sausage: Launceton. Cornwall

Metzger in Steinbach, Germany. From Flickr user aniika.

I'm posting images of sausage counters the world over each weeknight (and occasionally weekend) witching hour until I run out. Please use the comments section to post links to your Flickr or personal site faves, and perhaps you'll see 'em posted here late some evening.

Previously-- Midnight Sausage: Lima, Peru