The Columnist Manifesto

After a couple of weeks of eating delicious but heavy German food, you start to feel full most of the time. But necessity is the mother of invention: I now unveil the "coffee and cake diet," which I will keep to for most of the rest of my stay in Berlin.

Heavy, but delicious, German food. Above and below: two versions of the German specialty called "eis bein," a cured and roasted pork knuckle. Note the "cocktail sausage" charmingly hung at the edge of the beer glass, below.

The coffee and cake diet is simple: eat a big meal early in the day -- a breakfast buffet, brunch, or a large early lunch -- followed by coffee and cake in the late afternoon. You're set until bed time!

This nutritional regimen received a big boost when our German friends gave us their national secret of how to make latte. It depends largely on a special milk steamer and a few tips for knowning when the milk is done. And voila -- professional, cafe-quality lattes in your own kitchen. (Pictured below with take-out cakes.)