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Himmel und Erde

“Heaven and earth”. Mashed potatoes and apples.

  1. Peel an equal amount of apples and potatoes, then large dice the potatoes and large slice the apples.
  2. Boil gently until both are tender in salted water.
  3. Drain, mash together, then add butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

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Forelle Müllerin

  • A classic trout dish, known as trout meunière.
      • Put salt, pepper, and lemon juice on a piece of trout filet with the skin on. Let sit for a few minutes.
      Dredge in flour and pan fry.
      While frying, melt butter in another pan and brown to drizzle on top of the trout.
      Serve with lemon and any side you want.

    Faust, Part 1

    Faust is a German book by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1808. I am still working on my German, so I got an English copy at the library.

    The book revolves around a man selling his soul to the devil in exchange for his youth and true love. It is a very thought out book with references to the Bible and some German mythology, and is including some Shakespeare characters.

    I first heard about Faust from the 1926 movie with the same name, directed by F. W. Mornau, which is one of my top ten movies of all time. The movie revolved around the same plot as the book and was very well done as well (I will detail more and even make a post of it when I rewatch the movie.)

    As I mentioned, the book does have references that you may need to look up to clarify the significance of a character or theme, as I did. The translation I obtained is well worded and I was able to fully understand Goethe’s meaning, though I did buy a German copy on Amazon for $7.

    EBay and Thriftbooks are 2 other great options for used books.

    There is a part 2, though it is a different story, and it was actually writen by Goethe over many years later in Goethe’s life. I have not read this part.

    Overall, if you are looking to get started in foreign literature, especially German, this is a great place to start.

    Fredericksburg Home Kitchen Cook Book

    This is a neat book with recipes from 12 other editions with the first one being from 1916 and having 500 copies. Each recipe is submitted with their name and the year it was submitted. The 13th edition was released in 1996.

    There is a decent amount of German food recipes, and the rest is good home cooking. Every recipe is simple and no one is trying to overcomplicate everything.

    I got my copy at the Pioneer Museum in Fredericksburg, though next year is the 175th anniversary so I’m sure there will be something special for that momentous occasion.

    Apfelkuchen

    Apfelkuchen is a German apple cake. This particular one was in “Fredericksburg Home Kitchen Cook Book (13th edition, 150th anniversary of Fredericksburg)”, with Mrs. Henry J. Bierschwale submitring this recipe in 1975.

    • 3 green apples
    • 1/2 cup hot water
    • 3/4 cup olive oil
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 2 1/2 cups flour
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • (Optional pecans)
    1. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl
    2. In large bowl add hot water to apples, then oil, then eggs, then flour mixture, and pecans if using
    3. Put in greased baking dish on 325F for 1 1/4 hours

    Rödkål

    A Swedish way of cooking red cabbage. It is very similar to the German Rotkohl, except I found there are less recipes with green apple. I originally found Rödkål in “Swedish Touches”, and then looked for recipes in Swedish.

    1. Sautée shredded cabbage in butter or lard
    2. Add water and salt, then cover. Simmer until halfway done
    3. Add cloves, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. Finish cooking

    Rosolje

    Rosolje is an Estonian beet potato salad, with a “kaste” (sauce)

    Diced Salad

    • Beets
    • Potatoes
    • Carrots
    • Pickles
    • Red or White Onion
    • Green Apple
    • Herring Fillets

    Kaste

    • Mayonnaise
    • Plain full fat yogurt or sour cream
    • Vinegar
    • Mustard (preferably hot)
    • Horseradish
    • S&P

    Beet Salad

    1. Equal parts potato and beets, then whatever you want to add

    Kaste

    1. Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream or yogurt, then the rest to taste

    —Serve with boiled eggs and chives or parsley

    Hakklihakaste

    An Estonian simple meat sauce. “Kaste” in Estonian is a thinner sauce than a thickened cream sauce. Serve with potatoes, rice, barley, or other choice

    • Ground beef or pork
    • Onion and garlic, minced
    • Cream or whole mile
    • Sour Cream
    • Dill, thyme, chives (your choice)
    1. Render ground beef in butter or oil and then add onion, cook to soft
    2. Add cream or whole milk and let thicken a little
    3. Stir in sour cream and herbs if using

    Lihapyöryköitä

    Finnish meatballs, the main difference between American meatballs is added nutmeg and the gravy made from the meat. The original recipe found in “The Finnish Cookbook” by Beatrice A. Ojakangas, and I confirmed it with a website in Finnish

    • Ground beef – 1lb
    • 2/3 cup breadcrumbs soaked in 1/2 cup cream
    • 1 onion, minced
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1/4 tsp allspice, and salt to taste
    • Roux – 2T flour
    • 2 cups milk
    1. Mix beef, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, allspice and salt
    2. Shape into smallish meatballs and brown in butter in pot, then remove
    3. Add 1 more T of butter if necessary for the roux, then add flour. Cook for 1 minute
    4. Add milk and turn into gravy by thickening slightly (it will thicken more with cooking
    5. Return meatballs into pot and simmer for 15 minutes with lid on until sauce is your preference and meat is finished cooking