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The US Residence is located in a white Wilhelmanian-style house in Berlin-Dahlem

Today is Thanksgiving, which, for many Americans, is the most important of all family celebrations. And for Kimberly Marteau Emerson, the wife of US Ambassador John B. Emerson, this is the most important time of the year. I met the professional lawyer in her residence, a white Wilhelmanian-style house in Berlin-Dahlem. As a member of the board of directors of Human Rights Watch, she is heavily involved in the struggle for human rights and equality of women.

“I dedicate a lot of time and energy to human rights, which is important to me and is part of what makes me tick.”

MyStylery: Kimberly, what is so special about Thanksgiving?
Kimberly Marteau Emerson: Thanksgiving was originally celebrated in the 17th Century by the Pilgrims, refugees who were some of the first immigrants to come to the New World. Native Americans had helped the newcomers survive in this strange land called America. Thanksgiving was the Pilgrims’ way to say thank you. It is parallel to what is happening right now with the refugees in Germany. They are experiencing big changes and learning in a new world with the help of Germans who are volunteering and assisting them.

Sitting area and fireplace in the US Residence

MS: What does Thanksgiving mean to you and your family?
KME: To us, it’s the most important holiday of the year, a uniquely American holiday, where everyone comes and cooks together. The central idea is to break bread and be together. Being grateful for what we have and giving back to those who have less. This year we are focusing on the refugees, and we are making donations to the ‘Berliner Stadtmission’ and ‘Doctors Without Borders’ (Médecins Sans Frontières). Christmas is a fantastic holiday, too, but you have to keep trying to find the real meaning of Christmas and not let it get too materialistic and commercial.

Family dog Ginger, a Golden Retriever, welcomes me

MS: Right now everyone in the residence seems to be very busy …
KEM: That’s right. We are hosting three different Thanksgiving dinners this week, so the kitchen is prepping around the clock. It will be especially wonderful to share this holiday with our German friends.

On the coffeetable is the artwork ‘Love-Hate’ by the Berlin artist Mia Florentine Weiss. The embroidered cushions on the chairs are a homage to Berlin and Los Angeles

MS: A Thanksgiving dinner without a pumpkin pie is not conceivable. Tell me about what makes your pie so unique.
KME: This pumpkin pie is one of my family’s recipes. It’s about things you can find from the earth. The secret is the right balance of spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. They give pumpkin pie a kick. Otherwise you can’t bring out the complexity of the pumpkin. And you should try to add your personal twist, too.

The table is already set: “We will have three different Thanksgiving dinners with approximately 150 kilos of turkey this week and every person is somebody we know and like personally.”

MS: What is yours?
KME: I prefer a little extra cinnamon. And for the topping I only use freshly-made whipped cream.
MS: Sounds great! What do you miss most about Los Angeles and your life in the US?
KME: Well, I miss my family and my friends, even though I have made some wonderful friends here. Also, the beach and the beautiful weather. What I really don’t miss is the driving in L.A. and the permanent traffic jams. (Laughs)

On the piano: family photos and memories

MS: What do you like most about Berlin?
KME: Berlin has something really meaningful because of its history: It’s only been 25 years since the fall of the Wall and before that, the Cold War. I love the creativity of Berlin and the people I meet here. The mix of new and old, before and after. The way it faces its WWII history. It’s a beautiful, green city with edge and grunge. It’s like New York in the late seventies, it offers you so much space to grow and is still affordable. Berlin is a cool place.

The Livingroom: Remarkable is the beautiful wooden ceiling

MS: Your daily schedule is really packed. Do you still have time remaining for your family and hobbies?
KME: I have less time for everything, but I love reading books, even if it takes awhile. I spend time with my kids, and it’s a priority to go see my girls playing soccer. They actually attend a lot of events with us, which makes going even more fun. I make time to play tennis. It’s not just a hobby, it’s about health. And John and I try hard to keep up watching the TV series ‘Homeland’, where one scene of the last season was shot under the Berlin Reichstag in the subway station. Great, right?

Library and small dining room

MS: Absolutely. I am also addicted to ‘Homeland’. Beside this, can you remember the last time John and you spent an enjoyable evening together, just the two of you?
KME: Yes, a month ago we went to an island for one week to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We had dinners on empty beaches, with nobody else around. Honestly, we couldn’t remember the last time we did anything like this. But we also realize how lucky we are to have had that luxury. Now we are back at work and really are dedicated to helping the less fortunate during the holiday season. That’s important for us.

The Obamas and the Emersons

MS: You are already the so called Ambassadorable. Could you imagine becoming an Ambassador yourself?
KME: (Laughs) I have some background in foreign policy and foreign affairs. I got a Masters Degree in French Private Law and spent two years in France. I worked as an official in the US Information Agency during the Clinton Administration. Obviously to have this opportunity would be an enormous honor, but right now it’s not something I think about. Right now I am supporting John to do the best job possible.

The Emersons are art enthusiastics. In the residence they have assembled and brought together a collection of abstract and representational artworks in a variety of media in collaboration with the US Department of State’s office of Art in Embassies. Here the painting ‘In every city’ by Martinez

MS: John’s term formally ends on January 20th in 2017 …
KME: … but fortunately there’s still a year left and we have many things to do. We have enormous affection for Germany and especially for Berlin. This is an important chapter in our lives. We are not ready to leave yet. BvH

This Interview was first published November 25, 2015.

Kimberly Marteau Emerson and me

Contact:

www.hrw.org

Merken

The post At home with Kimberly Marteau Emerson appeared first on My Stylery.

Part Two

Back again in the US-Residence in Berlin-Dahlem to meet Kimberly Marteau Emerson preparing her delicous pumpkin pie – exclusively for MyStylery and with her personal twist. A Thanksgiving dinner without a pumpkin pie is not conceivable.

Kimberly Marteau Emerson in her kitchen in the US-Residence in Berlin-Dahlem: Let’s do the pumpkin pie!

Kimberly’s pumpkin pie

How to make pumpkin purée:
You need one 4-5 lbs butternut squash or hokkaido pumpkin to make 1 lbs of pumpkin purée.

Split the pumpkin or squash in half, carve out the stem and scrape out the seeds. Arrange the pumpkin with the rind side down on a lightly oiled roasting pan, cover tightly with foil and bake at 325°F for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 45 minutes longer or until the flesh is very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down. Scrape out the flesh and mash it to a pulp or purée it in the blender. Turn the pumpkin into a colander and wrap a cheesecloth around it. Cover with a cake pan topped with the 4-5 pound weight. Put the colander in the sink and let it drain for one hour.

Kimberly preparing the flaky pie crust

Flaky pie crust:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4 inch dices
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Carefully put dough to cover pan completely …

Mix the flour salt and sugar in a food processor. Scatter butter over dry ingredients and process until mixture resembles cornmeal about 5 to 10 seconds. Kern mixture into a medium-size bowl.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons of water over flour mixture. Then press down on mixture with a fork, so balls stick together in medium to large clumps. If dough resist gathering, sprinkle remaining water over dry patches and press with a fork a few times. Form dough into a ball with your hands. Wrapped in plastic, then flatten two of 4 inch disc. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to two days.
Sprinkle the 2 ft.² work area with flour. Remove due from wrapping and place in the center of the working area. Dust top with flour. Roll out carefully in all directions from the center to the edges. Flip disc over when it is 9 inches in diameter and continue to roll out all directions, until it is 13 to 14 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick.

Flute by pressing thumb and index finger about 1/2 inch apart against the outside edge of the dough. Repeat all the way around

Fold dough in quarters and place the corner in the center of the pie pan. Carefully unfold dough to cover pan completely, with excess dough draped over the pan rim. With a sharp knife or some scissors cut away all of the dough hanging over the rim more than 1 inch. You have to make sure you have 1 inch of dough overlapping the pie form rim. Now tuck the overlapping dough under itself so the folded edge is flush with the edge of the pan rim. Press double layer of dough with your fingers to seal, then bend up at a 90-degree angle and flute by pressing thumb and index finger about 1/2 inch apart against the outside edge of the dough. Repeat all the way around.

Golden Retriever Ginger hopes that something delicious falls on the ground

Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm dough shell. Using a fork, prick bottom and sides at 1/2 inch intervals. Flatten a 12 inch square of aluminum foil inside the shell, pressing it against corners, sides and carefully over rim. Prick foil bottom in about a dozen places with a fork. Chill shell for 30 minutes to allow the dough to relax.
Adjust an oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400°F. (Start making the filling when you put the shell into the oven)
Bake 15 minutes, pressing down on foil to flatten any puffs. Remove foil and bake the show for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until the inside just begins to color.

Here, Kimberly starts to prepare the pumpkin filling

Pumpkin filling:

2 cups homemade pumpkin purée
1 cup packed brown sugar (from the Asian market)
2 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs

Add 1 cup packed brown sugar to the pumpkin …

… and 2 teaspoons ground ginger and also 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon … “My secret is a little extra cinnamon.”

… 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg …

… and all other ingredients like 2/3 cup heavy cream …

… finally, add the eggs …

For filling, process first 7 ingredients in a food processor for 30 seconds. Transfer pumpkin mix into a medium sized sauce pan. Bring it to a sputtering simmer over medium high heat. Kung, Kim, stirring constantly, until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes. As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, whisk heavy cream and milk into the pumpkin mix and bring it to simmer. Process eggs in food processor until egg whites and egg yolks mixed for about 5 seconds. With the motor running slowly pour about half of the pumpkin mix through the feed tube. Stop the machine and add remaining pumpkin mix. Process 30 seconds longer.

Pour warm filling into hot pie shell …

… bake for 25 minutes, while Ginger is still waiting

Pour warm filling into hot pie shell. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is puffed, dry-looking, and lightly cracked around the edges, and center wiggles like gelatin when the pie is gently shaken. Cool on a wire rack for least one hour.

After cooling on a wire rack for least one hour, decorate with whipped cream

Serve with whipped cream

“For the topping I only use freshly-made whipped cream”, says Kimberly. Yummy!

The table is set with Fine Bone China with the coat of arms of the United States of America

Well done, Kimberly and bon appetite! This cake is amazing!

The post Kimberly Marteau Emerson’s personal twist appeared first on My Stylery.