German Cuisine

[b-man]

Kurbiskernbrot (pumpkin Seed Bread)

Preperation time: 20 minutes.
Time for the Bread dough to rise: 1 hour.
Time to bake the Bread: 45 minutes.
Makes 1 loaf of Kurbiskernbrot

Ingredients:

1+2/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. Buttermilk,
7 oz. Dinkelmehl, (spelt flour) see note
1 pkg. dried Yeast,
1 tbsp. Salt,
1 tbsp. Sugar,
11 oz. all Purpose whole Wheat flour,
2+1/2 oz. Pumpkin Seeds.

Warm (luke warm) the Buttermilk and Pumpkin Seeds in a pot.

Mix Flour, Yeast, Salt and Sugar in a bowl, add luke warme Buttermilk.
Kneede to a smooth dough, about 4 to 5 min.

At the end of the kneeding process add 2/3 or 1+3/4 oz. of the Pumpking seed in the dough and keep kneeding till well mixed in.

Cover bowl with a towel, let dough stand and rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the Oven at 450 degrees.

Meanwhile kneed the dough again for a short time and shape into a oval loaf.

Place on a greased and flour dusted Backing sheet, sprinkle the rest of the Pumpkin seeds, (3/4 oz.) over the Bread.

Bake the Bread for 15 min. at 450 degrees, lower the temperature to about 375/380 degrees and bake for another 30 min.

Dinkelmehl = Spelt

Dinkelmehl is from a Dinkelcorn, (Spelt in English) a very old ancient type of today’s Wheat, ground Dinkel prospers these days because of its Health/Natural food usage and has a lot to do with Health conscious meals, also it has a lot of Food values and easy to digest. Most of all Dinkel is the Wheat which keeps the hull closed so the nutrition is not affected by unhealthy agents in the Air and also plays a great part in a healthy Diet.

B-man

[b-man]

Vollkornbrot (Whole Wheat Bread)

Vollkonbrot means Whole Kernel bread in German. You can separate the word and find the context clues and get a feel for the word. Voll (whole) - Korn (kernel) - Brot (bread)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole rye berries – (13 ounces)
8 cups boiling spring water, (64 fl. ounces)
2 cups rye sourdough starter, (18 ounces)
8 cups medium ground rye flour, (40 ounces)
2 cups cracked rye – (9 ounces)
1 tablespoon fine sea salt – (3/4 ounce)

Soak the rye berries in about 6 cups of the hot spring water, or at least enough to cover berries by 1-inch. Let stand 8 hours or overnight (if the water becomes completely absorbed before soaking time has ended, add more hot spring water to cover). Drain and reserve the soaking liquid. Add enough fresh room-temperature spring water to the reserved soaking liquid to measure 6 cups total. Reserve.

Combine the starter, rye berries and reserved 6 cups water in a 6-quart bowl. Break up the starter well with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the mixture is slightly frothy. Add 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) of the rye flour and all the cracked rye. Stir well until combined. Add the salt and remaining flour. Stir until combined and the mixture is wet and sticky. Take the dough’s temperature - the ideal is 78 F. Cover with a clean damp towel and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 F) draft-free place.

Note: If the dough temperature is higher than 78 F put it in a cooler than 78 F place, like the refrigerator, until the dough cools to 78 F. If it is lower than 78 F, put it in a warmer than 78 F place until the dough warms to 78 F. The point is to try to keep the dough at 78 F during its fermentation. If you have to move the dough, be gentle and don’t jostle it, or the dough might deflate.

The dough will become spongy but not springy, distinctly sour-smelling and increased in volume by about 1/4. Generously grease 2 (5 by 9 by 3-inch) loaf pans with vegetable shortening and dust with rye flour. Turn the dough into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a wet thin flexible cake spatula. Cover the loaves with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 F) draft free place until the dough has domed slightly and increased in volume again by 1/4. Bake on center rack of a preheated 300 F oven until the loaves have shrunk from the sides of the pan and the tops are dark brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the loaves from the pans and hold the loaves upside down. Strike the bottoms firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. If it doesn’t sound hollow, bake 15 minutes longer. Cool the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire racks. Let the bread rest 24 to 36 hours before eating. It is very moist in the center when removed from oven, but as it cools the moisture distributes evenly throughout the bread. It will keep for weeks at room temperature wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Yield: 2 (9 by 5-inch) loaves

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POLEVKA JATERNIMI KNEDLICKY (Soup with Liver Dumplings)

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound veal, chicken or beef liver, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon marjoram
¼ teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 large bud garlic, creamed to paste with salt
¼ teaspoon salt
dash ground pepper
2 eggs
dash ground thyme
2 tablespoons farina
bread crumbs
2 tablespoons cooking sherry or sauterne, optional

Mix minced liver with butter. Add remaining ingredients, mix well, then let stand 15 minutes so farina will absorb liquid. Add bread crumbs to make mixture not stiff or thin. (Bread crumbs swell in boiling~ if you use too much, dumplings will be hard.) Should be soft enough to flow of spoon into hot boiling soup. If you like them quite stiff, add more crumbs to form balls before placing in hot soup. Boil 10 minutes; serve. Best served in chicken broth with very few bouquet vegetables for flavor. Seasoning can be to taste. This can be frozen

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Farina Dumpling Soup CREAM OF WHEAT DUMPLINGS for SOUP

Ingredients:

1 C. water or milk
1tsp. Butter
1 beaten egg
½ C. Cream of Wheat
Dash of salt
Dash of nutmeg (if desired)
Soup broth (Usually Bouillon cubes dissolved in boiling water)

1 . Combine 1 C. water or milk, butter, salt, and cream of wheat in a saucepan and cook until thick.

2 . Cool till barely warm and add beaten egg, mixing well.

3 . Drop these by ½ teaspoonfuls into boiling broth.

4 . Cook for 5 minutes, or until done.

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Kuchen

To make dough:

2 cups milk, lukewarm
½ cup oil
1 cup cream
2 packages dry yeast 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh ground is wonderful)
3 eggs, well beaten
7 or 8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar into warm milk. Let stand for a few minutes. In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, salt, nutmeg. Add oil and cream, mix well. Add 2 cups of flour to make a batter. Add yeast and beaten eggs, beat well. Add remaining flour to make medium stiff dough. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise till double in size. Knead down. Repeat. Let rise and shape into balls the size of your fist (about 9). Roll out and put into pie or cake pans. Let rise ½ hour.

To make Custard Topping:

1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix sugar and flour together. Whisk together half and half and eggs. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and blend well. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thick (be careful not to burn). Let cool and add vanilla.

To make fruit topping:

Any fruit can be used. Raw fruits like apples pears and rhubarb should be sliced thin. Canned fruit or berries should be drained well. Dried fruits are nice when you cook and drain them.

Streusel Crumb topping:

Cut flour and sugar into butter to make crumbs

To assemble: Spoon about 1/8 cup of custard topping over each round of dough. Arrange a layer of fruit topping over custard. Sprinkle with about 1/8 cup of streusel crumbs. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Or you can make cheese Kuchen :

2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sweet cream
¾ cup cottage cheese
1 heaping tablespoon flour

Mix together and bring to a boil. Spread onto Kuchen dough and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 till done. Anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes

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Hot German Slaw

This recipe is very flexible and you can use many different vegetables that you have on hand. This is a good technique for a German style Hot salad, be it Hot German potato salad or Slaw or Broccoli salad which you see in many grocery deli’s now.

Ingredients:

4 slices (4 ounces) bacon, cut in half
1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup (grade B, if available)
1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup (2 stalks) sliced leeks
3 cups shredded green cabbage
1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup (2 medium) grated carrots

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.
   Transfer to paper towels and discard all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet.
   Add vinegar, maple syrup, celery seed, and black pepper. Bring to a boil
   and cook 1 minute. Pour all but 1 tablespoon warm dressing into a small
   bowl.

2. Adjust heat to medium low and add leeks to skillet. Cook until
   slightly softened — about 2 minutes. Add green and red cabbage and carrots.
   Stir in reserved dressing and cook just until vegetables soften — 3 to
   4 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, top with bacon, and serve
   immediately

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[b-man]

Schwenkbraten
Pork

Traditionally these pork steaks or slabs are cooked on a swinging grill over beechwood coals. It is very hard to find beechwood so I am told that oak is an acceptable substitute.

4 pounds boneless pork roast ( Pork Leg or fresh Ham )
1 cup oil
10 onions, cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, crushed
7 crushed juniper berries
1 tablespoon german mustard
1 Thyme, Oregano, Curry, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper and Black
Pepper*
1 can dark beer.

Cut the Pork Roast into 1 inch thick slices. Place your onions into a bowl and pound them slightly to release their wonderful flavor. Add the remaining ingredients (oil, garlic, juniper berries, mustard and spices) and mix well.

Place a pork roast steak into a dish and then cover with some of the onion mixture, being sure to mash the onions into the meat; add another pork roast steak and more onion mixture. Continue until all of the pork roast steaks have been covered with the onion mixture. Marinate for at least 24 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

When ready to grill, remove the pork roast steaks from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. In the meantime, prepare your fire. The wood should be brought to hot coals. Oil your grill surface before placing the meat onto the grill. Grill the pork roast steaks and onions slowly over the hot coals for 10-15 minutes on each side (depending on how you like the steaks).

Serve with Kartoffelsalat, Tomaten Salat and Baguette (or Brotchen, if you can find some).

B-man

[b-man]

Beef Schwenkbraten

Use T-Bone or Rib eye steaks about 1 lb a piece and at least an inch thick.

Seasoning:

Salt , Pepper, Onions and chopped fresh garlic.
This recipe has you cut the onions into rings.

Preparation the night before;

First put salt (preferably Kosher salt) and fresh cracked pepper on the steaks. Then place the onion rings and chopped garlic in a bowl and salt and pepper them as well. ( this brings out some juices of the onion and garlic ) Press the onions and garlic into the meat now. and place in a plastic storage bag and wrap it tight so the onions make good contact.

Take off the onions and broil to each persons likeness as you did the pork schwenkbraten.

B-man

[b-man]

SPIESSBRATEN
BEEF STEAK
sometimes called , August Goerg’s Grilled Steak

1 large T-Bone steak (just over 1 lb), at least 1 1/4 inches thick, per person
1 shallot or small onion chopped
freshly ground black pepper
pinch mace

Mix together the shallot or onion with the pepper and mace. Insert a few shallot pieces into the steak using the point of a small knife.

Coat the steak with the shallot mixture, pressing it in so it will adhere.

Remove the loose shallot pieces and grill the steak (over a fire of oak logs, says August Goerg, from which the bark has been removed).*

Take the steaks off the grill while they are still pink inside. Sprinkle them with salt.

*Note: A special grill is used, suspended with 3 chains from an iron tripod and constantly swinging through the flames.

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SPIESSBRATEN
(Rolled) BEEF , 2 lbs of Beef Sirloin or flank Steak

PORK, pork loin that has been flattened. You do this by cutting it in a reverse jelly roll. Then flatten it out with a meat hammer.

We recommend to prepare the meat one night before. Spice it with salt,
pepper, onions and garlic as well. Cut the onions in little pieces and
fill the meat with the onions. Roll the meat and tie it with
string. The next day you prepare your fire, put the meat on a stick and
turn it for 1 1/2 hours or put it on a rotisserie.

Now cut meat in slices.

B-man

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KASE-KUCHEN
(Cheese cake)

This is an original recipe, probably 100 years old. It uses old-fashioned cottage cheese, but quark or ricotta will work well too. There is no cream cheese in this one.

CRUST

For 9 or 10-inch pie or cake pan:
1½ cups flour
2 eggs
1 thick slab off a roll of butter (about 1 stick,1/4 lb.)
Pinch of baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
A little lemon rind

Put all together and work like pie crust. Pat into place in pie or cake pan…

FILLING:

1 cup Cottage Cheese (old fashioned kind), quark , or ricotta
mixed or put through strainer to make a smooth paste.
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
5 stiffly-beaten whites
1 teaspoon flour with cheese
½ pint cream
Slice in a few almonds very fine
Some juice of lemon

Pour this mixture into the crust.
Put a little sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake in pretty warm oven (375 F degrees) for one hour.

B-man

[b-man]

Quark (German soft Cheese)

This is similar to American cream cheese but with a much nicer milder flavor

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons live culture plain yogurt or wine vinegar or 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 quarts whole milk

MAKES 1/2 Pound

1. You will need a saucepan, a bowl, a sieve, and a scalded cloth to line sieve.
   If using yogurt, bring the milk to a boil and then leave it to cool to finger temperature (100°F).

2. Mix the milk with the yogurt in a basin.
   Put in a warm place for 4 to 5 hours to set as solid as yogurt.

3. If using vinegar or lemon juice, stir into the milk and bring it to a near boil (200°F) in a bowl set in a saucepan of water.

4. Remove and keep in a warm place for 4 to 5 hours.
   Pour the mixture into a sieve lined with a scalded clean cloth.
   After an hour put a plate on top to weight and encourage the whey to drip through.
   The curds in the cloth are the cheese (Quark).

5. Cover and store the Quark in a cool pantry, and it will keep for about a week.
   You can use the whey, flavored with fruit juice, as a beverage-or use it to make scones.
   Store the whey in refrigerator and use within 2 days

B-man

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CROCK PICKLES

These pickles are so easy to make, you can watch them transform on your counter.

INGREDIENTS;

1/4-cup, kosher salt or pickling salt.
*( Stay away from salt that has iodine in it if you can.)
1 cup boiling water
2 pounds cucumbers, washed, and cut into halves or quarters or slices.
5 cloves or more garlic, peeled and smashed
1 large bunch dill, fresh and with flowers OR 2 tablespoons dried dill and 1 teaspoon dill seeds,
and/ OR a tablespoon of coriander seeds

In a large bowl, combine the salt and boiling water; stir to dissolve the salt. Add a handful of ice cubes to cool down the mixture,

Cut the Pickling cucumbers into halves or wedges.
Snip the dill flowers off the stems with a scissors.

With the side of the knife swat the garlic clove slightly.This releases the flavor and loosens the skin so you can peel it easy

Add the cuke wedges, dill , corriander, or the spices of your choice

Add 1/2 cup distilled vinegar and enough water to cover, and place a plate slightly less diameter in the bowl to weight the pickles down

Place some kind of a weight on the plate. I have used a glass measuring cup with water in it.

Now you can test the pickles in a few hours for flavor, and daily until they become “pickly” enough for you. Place in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator.

They will keep at least 6 months.

B-man

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Bratwurst and Onions Braised in Porter

Ingredients:

2 lbs cooked Bratwurst or Ropesausage sliced into ½-inch rounds
1 ½ lbs. small boiling onions (about 18 onions), peeled and left whole
2 tbsp. butter
4 bay leaves
1,-12-oz. bottle of dark beer, such as Porter or Stout (not Guiness)
¾ cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

Put all the ingredients, except salt and pepper, in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until a knife can be easily inserted into the onions. Remove the onions and sausage and reserve. Reduce the liquid over high heat until there is just enough syrupy glaze to coat the onions and sausage. Pour glaze over onions and sausage. Season with salt and pepper.

Note:
Wash hands before preparation and as needed to prevent cross contamination. Wash and sanitize work surfaces between each contact with a different raw food item. Inspect all ingredients

B-man

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Cooking Bratwurst on the stove top or Microwave

Buy enough Bratwurst to go around-at least 1 per person. Anyone with a hearty appetite will want “seconds.”

1.Prick each sausage with a sharp fork, to keep them from bursting during cooking.

2. Put into a skillet with about½ inch of water, and cover.

3. Cook over medium heat till water is evaporated.

4. Uncover and brown a bit, over low heat, in the small amount of fat left in the skillet. These are very good with Sauerkraut or Sweet-and-sour red cabbage. Potato pancakes are a perfect accompaniment, also.

Note: Bockwurst may be cooked in a saucepan: Prick them with a sharp-tined “granny fork” and put them into boiling water, then turn off the heat. Allow them to heat through thoroughly.

They may also be cooked in the microwave oven, in a microwave-safe dish. As for the boiling method, be sure to prick them first to keep them from bursting. However you cook or serve them, they taste especially good with Dijon mustard. These directions work well for almost any kind of German sausage.

B-man

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Cooking Bratwursts in Beer

The perfect first step before the BBQ

Step 1:

Since bratwurst is usually a fresh (raw meat) sausage, the perfect brat requires a two-step cooking process , to cook it on a stove top or microwave first and then heat and brown on the BBQ. Otherwise you will run the risk of burnt skin and a raw middle.

Step 2:
Pour a bottle of dark beer in a frying pan. Bring to a simmer and add about 4 to 6 bratwursts.
If you are cooking more brats, add more beer and use a larger pan.
My favorite beer to use is a Porter, but any beer gives the brat more flavor than water. Cook the Brats
until they are close to being done, about 140 degrees approximatelly 5 minutes. This way the brats are past the bacterial zone and safe to just plop on the grill and heat up like you do a hot dog. You can do this step ahead of time, even the day before.

Step 3:
Now your ready for the BBQ. You don’t want to have a scorching heat that will burn the brat, but a nice hot grill that will make some nice dark lines on it and will safely bring it to “hot and juicy” while you can relax and talk to your guests ,or get some other things done for the lunch while they cook. You can then just eyeball them to see if they are done. Put your hand on a few inches over the grill and if you need to pull your hand by the count of 3, it should be ready.

Get some “better than white bread” dinner rolls and dress these German puppies with the works. Wash them down with plenty of the season’s appropriate brew .

B-man

[b-man]

Almost Grandmas Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or pan spray
3 lbs cooked Ropesausage
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 red pepper, seeded & sliced
1 green pepper, seeded & diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt to taste
white pepper to taste

HEAT a casserole or large skillet and heat the sausage for 2 minutes on each side. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes.

Note:
Wash hands before preparation and as needed to prevent cross contamination. Wash and sanitize work surfaces between each contact with a different raw food item. Inspect all ingredients

B-man

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Party Bratwurst Bites

Serves 12 (Snacks, not Dinner)

2 lbs cooked Ropesausage cut into 1" pieces
12 ounces Beer
1/4 cup of Sweet-Hot mustard

Cut sausages into 1-inch pieces and put in a skillet with the heat set to moderately-high. Add sausage and heat to 170 degrees brown well. Add beer and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to a chafer. Insert wooden picks into sausage bites. Hold at 140F or higher for service. Serve with sweet-hot mustard to the side.

Note:
Wash hands before preparation and as needed to prevent cross contamination. Wash and sanitize work surfaces between each contact with a different raw food item. Inspect all ingredients

B-man

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Creamy Potato and Bratwurst Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 lbs cooked Ropesausage cut into 1" pieces
2 large potatoes
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 ounces margarine or butter
1 small chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons of flour
Pepper to taste

1. Cook celery in water until done, drain and keep the cooking water.

2. Add milk to cooking water, melt margarine in separate pan & cook onions until clear.

3. Add flour and seasonings to onions, stir until blended.

4. Add flour mixture to milk broth cook and stir until thickened.

5. Add potatoes & 1" cooked ropesausage cuts.

6. Internal temperature of final product must reach at least 165F for 15 seconds.

7. Hold at 140F or higher for service.

Note:
Wash hands before preparation and as needed to prevent cross contamination. Wash and sanitize work surfaces between each contact with a different raw food item. Inspect all ingredients

B-man

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Bratwurst, Red Beans and Rice

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cans (15-1/2 oz. each) red beans, drained, rinsed
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 lb. Bratwurst or Fricadelwurst Sausage, cooked, sliced
1 cup water
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
2-1/2 cups MINUTE Premium White Rice, uncooked

HEAT oil in medium saucepan. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender.

ADD beans, broth, Fricadelwurst, water and seasonings; mix well. Bring to boil.

STIR in rice; cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if you like.

Note:
Wash hands before preparation and as needed to prevent cross contamination. Wash and sanitize work surfaces between each contact with a different raw food item. Inspect all ingredients

B-man

[b-man]

Shrimp and Spicy Bratwurst Gumbo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb Spicy Bratwurst (or Chicken Fricadelwurst Sausage), sliced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Condensed Chicken Broth
1/2 lb fresh okra, sliced
1 small bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 lb. cleaned medium shrimp
Hot cooked MINUTE White Rice

MELT butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Cook 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add green pepper, onion, celery and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

ADD Chicken Fricadelwurst , tomatoes, broth, okra, bay leaf and thyme; stir until well blended. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

ADD shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove bay leaf; discard. Serve shrimp mixture over rice.

Note:
Wash hands before preparation and as needed to prevent cross contamination. Wash and sanitize work surfaces between each contact with a different raw food item. Inspect all ingredients

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