German Recipes

[meganjane]

We have a lovely German Backpacker living with us for a few weeks during seeding and I'd love to cook him some traditional German foods. Can anyone give me some ideas and point me to some good recipes?

He LOVES his food. He has been away working for another farmer for a couple of weeks and came back to us tonight. It was around tea time and he said he'd already eaten 'a bit' and when I said would he like some more, was he still hungry, he said, "Hungry, I am always".  Don't you love it??

And I just LOVE people who love food, so it's a win-win situation!!!

[maddy]

I will ask my Dad for you MJ......he's Dutch, but is part of a German club, and they are always catering for dances.
They sell food on the dance nights, and I know they always have good sausages/kransky's, cabbage, lots of desserts etc.
I'll get back to you 

[meganjane]

Awesome maddy, thank you! I'm going to Perth at the end of the week, so hopefully can get hold of some kransky then.

[Thermomixer]

Might need to contact Vivacity or CarolineW to get recipes from the german website - or get your backpacker to translate.

There are lots of recipes on the German forums

[cookie1]

MJ I had some potato dumplings in Hahndorf years ago. they were lovely.

[Tebasile]

It would be good to know from which part of Germany your backpaper comes meganjane? Every region has their own culinary specialties. I can help with swabian recipes 

[meganjane]

He did tell me where he was from, but I've forgotten the name. The capital is Kiel, in the North East.
He tells me that one of the popular dishes they have is Red Rubbish - obviously a literal translation!
I'll be going to a German Butcher in South Freo on Friday, so will pick up a variety of different wurst for him.

[judydawn]

Kiel is the capital city of Schleswig-Holstein MJ - never heard of it so googled it. 

[meganjane]

No wonder I couldn't remember the name! All the sht's and shl's!

[vivacity]

I think it's great that someone wants to cook food from another person's home country and - if I had the time - I would search for some German recipes that might be suitable for the guest from Kiel. But to be honest - and I don't want to step on any toes here - wouldn't it be more interesting for him to eat something that is popular in the country he's visiting

[meganjane]

I think it's great that someone wants to cook food from another person's home country and - if I had the time - I would search for some German recipes that might be suitable for the guest from Kiel. But to be honest - and I don't want to step on any toes here - wouldn't it be more interesting for him to eat something that is popular in the country he's visiting

Oh, don't worry! He's getting lamb roast, spaghetti bolognaise, fish pie, quiche and all our regular food. His birthday is coming up and I'd like to try to do a dish from his homeland. I'm making him schwarzwälder kirschtorte for his birthday cake.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I know what you mean in some ways Vivacity and it is fun to try different things.  Sometimes though you just feel like something that is familiar and comforting when you are a long way from home.  When we were in Ethiopia (where the food is extremely different to ours) I really appreciated simple bread & honey and pasta & tomato sauce every now and then.  I loved trying new things but not for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of every week.

[Tebasile]

I think they eat there lots potatoes, kale and fish. Maybe he likes Kieler Sprotten  -  salted and smoked sprats ?

What is Red Rubbish  ? Maybe herring salad?

2-3 salt herring
2 pickles
2 boiled beets
2 peeled apples
3-4 boiled potatoes
some cooked beef ( same amount of potatoes)

Cut everything into small cubes. Mix with vinegar, oil, sugar, mayonnaise to taste.

[vivacity]

I've done a bit of research and the most popular German recipe database had 7, yes 7, recipes for Kiel specialities.

This will sound boring but you could serve goulash, the recipe in the British everyday cooking book is identical to the one in the German version and is quite good, although I add more onions, paprika puree and red wine. And with this I would serve Knödel (dumplings). Add Kirschtorte and you won't be able to move after dinner

This recipe for Bohemian (no, not really German ) dumplings is "lifted" from the German TMX site (www.rezeptwelt.de)

Ingredients:

200 g water, lukewarm
20g of fresh yeast
1 pinch of sugar
350g flour
1 tsp salt
1 day old white bread roll, cut into dice
500 g water to steam dumplings

Method:

1. Add lukewarm water, yeast and sugar to bowl and mix 3s/speed 2.
2. Add the flour, salt and diced white bread roll and mix 1m/dough cycle. Use spatula to fold in ingredients if necessary.
3. Remove dough from bowl, shape into a ball and leave to rise for 30m in a warm place.
4. Clean TMX bowl.
5. Form two longish, thin dumplings and place next to each other into the Varoma (I'd butter it first). Make sure that the Varoma slits on the left and right of the dumplings are not covered to allow steam to enter.
6. Add 500 g water to the bowl, place Varoma on top and steam 20m/Varoma/speed 1.
7. Cut the dumplings into thick slices and serve.
Notes:
You can keep the dumplings warm in the Varoma if you don't want to serve them immediately. The dumplings go well with goulash and meat dishes with lots of sauce or a mushroom sauce.

Cucumber salad and a sour cream/chive salad dressing and your German guest should be quite happy

[Thermomixer]

Interesting recipes.  Thanks for the ideas - hope he appreciates your efforts MJ.