For our German Oktoberfest celebration I wanted chewy, soft Bavarian pretzels. Not surprisingly, no bakery in the Valley carries such a thing (you’re shocked, I know). What a great excuse to bake pretzels from scratch.
Truth be told, I’ve never made soft pretzels that included the ‘boiling’ step. What I had read convinced me that this is a necessary step for a better finished product. Now by first hand experience I’m all the more convinced.
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Weiner Schnitzel, kraut, pomme frites, soft pretzel, and bavarian senf (Bavarian mustard)
My husband Ken and I have long enjoyed Munich as a place to relax, to eat good food and drink exceptionally good beer. This year after leaving Florence, thirsty for a tall Augustiner Edelstoff and wanting to show the kids the amazing Deutsches Museum, we spent several days in Munich. During the time there both kids discovered a love for Weiner Schnitzel.
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Cooking red cabbage reminds me of my grandmother’s dinner table with a vague recollection people, family probably, eating bone in pork chops.
The warm savory cabbage comes through my family of origin as a German food – probably inspired by the peasants for whom simple meals of winter crops that would last through extended cold snaps was the norm.
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A traditional recipe from our family heritage and an opportunity to pass along a lesson in baking from grandmother to granddaughter.
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My grandmother was an amazing baker and commonly had cookies for us to enjoy. These thumb print cookies were among the variety that she regularly made. I can remember her opening wax paper lined greeting card boxes (she sent many, many greeting cards throughout the year) to reveal these little gems. I must admit however, that I didn’t eat them until I was a “grown-up”; it was the jelly that didn’t appeal to me. However… as an adult their buttery cookie and sweet center are a delight.
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One of Ken's favorite dinner's is a German favorite, Roladen. As a little girl I remember both my Mom and my Grandma making it. When we were last in Munich, we ate delicious roladen and since that trip it's become a fairly regular part of our menus. Not long ago I brought more meat home that I had planned to make for roladen for that night's dinner so I decided to give freezing whole roladens a try. While I don't generally enjoy frozen meat they were delicious -- the secret I think was long and low. I put them in the crock pot with a little beef stock and ta dah!
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