Gourmandise de mr le marquis: November 2010

  German Weekend...? Doesn't really change much for me, I always watch the "footie - Bundesliga" every weekend.....!
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Das Ändert nicht sehr viel - Ich schaue immer die "Bundesliga" an...jedes Wochenende...!
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Weekend Allemande - ça ne change pas grande choses, je regarde toujours le "Bundesliga" - chaque fin de semaine....!
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Goethe's country, sometimes called (by the German's themselves "Schnitzel land") Germany supplies everyone with a whole bundle of different culinary specialities. Centrally located in Europe, the German cuisine takes a mixture of all sorts from its neighbours. It's not for nothing that one of the favourite dishes at Society events is called "Goulashkanone" ..Originally, as the name suggest, invented for military purposes - to feed soldiers in and around the battlefield - it was adopted by a civilian population after the various wars as a simple but delicious method of feeding large quantities of people at public events. The Germans, apart from the military, knew these things as a source of nourishment in the public streets after and between the World Wars. They were often the only source of food for many, and along with the "Suppenküchen" (Soup Kitchen's) they nourished an almost starving population for a long time. Today is different, but the people still queue up for soups...Another interesting "collective" name in German cooking is  "Eintopf" which simply means "one pot", and covers a multitude of delicious and sometimes AWFUL dishes, but always cooked in one pot, all mixed up. Cereals, vegetables meat, dried vegetable such as "Linsen" are all used - not always all together, but in relation one to another, and always in one pot! Saves radically on the washing up...!
Here is a link to take you to "Eintopf" recipes....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eintopf   - (This page is in ENGLISH, but you can change the language on the page)...This might just give some of those Americans of German roots a bit of interest to try out those things their ancestors ate - all the time, and you won't need your dish washer, so freely available in the "New World" either....Just "one pot" - "Eintopf" - even..!
But.....today I'd like to make a suggestion or two about simple, straight forward German dishes, always popular for a Sunday lunch in Germany.
To begin to understand what "Sunday" lunch means  in Germany, and the important position it takes in life, you must firstly appreciate the traditions of "Fruhschoppen".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%BChschoppen   ....This page, in English, is a rather mild and kindly (towards the male population) explanation.
After more than 40 years in Germany, from North to South, East to West, I can assure you all that the typical event is rather more a sort of "male gathering in the pub, whilst the women folk go to the church and then return home to do the cooking...whilst the males stay "arranging the world" around the table laden with schnapps and bier.......!"   Unfortunately a growing number of females of the species are arranging "women only" events....no respect...!
The traditional "Fruhschoppen" participants are NEVER late home on these Sundays. It's more than their life is worth....and around 12.30, a mass exodus takes part from the pub, with many loud "Mahlzeit's" the place is emptied in about 10 seconds....!
(The word "mahlzeit" is a strange one. It is used permanently by all Germans when they leave somewhere to go eating somewhere else, and it is loudly proclaimed by them when they enter wherever it is they are going to eat - a sort of general greeting.
As the French would say "Bonne Appetite" so the German says "Mahlzeit"....! The problem for foreigners is that the word, literally translated just means simply "Mealtime" and foreigners tend not to understand a race that announces regularly to everybody "Mealtime" and then disappears......At least the French greeting "Bonne Appetite" has something to impart on the subject, but "Mahlzeit".....?
Of course the English speaker understands even less, because he doesn't say anything at all - except maybe a bad version of "Bonne Appetite" - in bad French...uncivilised lot....!
Now - what are a lot of these proud males hurrying off home for....?
Typically - the following......
An irritated wife, who doesn't know just how much beer hubby has drunk, nor how many schnapps he chased them down with.....
Irritated, bawling and hungry kids who are waiting impatiently to spill everything everywhere...
and...probably the "in-laws" who only come, mainly uninvited, on Sundays - just to complete the misery......
"Mutterchen" will probably have the following all prepared and ready, and - careful - if you're late...! You'll have to wait a while - the stuff has to be appreciated, so just be patient... and try to put a smile on your face.....!

1. The traditional soup. Could be anything, but generally liked is the "Ochsenschwanzsuppe" (oxtail) laden with chunks of meat..... like this, or like this:...and I'll even give you a link to understand how to do it...(Yes - you CAN buy them already made, but it isn't the same, and you need that extra cooked meat.....)

(you can click on any of the photos and be taken to the page concerned...) or you can go here:
http://tisie.de/kochen/rezepte/rinderroulade-rotweinsosse-knoedel

2. The all time "Sunday favourite......"Rinderrouladen mit Rotkohl und Kartoffelnknödeln"
(Braised beef rolls - stuffed or not - with red cabbage and potatoe dumplings.....)
All the German speaking countries have this on their menus. It's an all-time favourite, here you go....a different one so you can have it translated.....

**2 rinderroulade mit knödel Rezept/e**

- [ Translate this page ]
CHEFKOCH.DE: 2 rinderroulade mit knödel Rezept/e gefunden (insg. 145.921 ...
www.chefkoch.de/rs/s0/rinderroulade+mit+knödel/Rezepte.html - Cached

Now, if you don't understand, just click on the "translate this page" above....and - if any of the links don't work, just "copy and paste" them to your address bar.....

I'm basically in agreement with this recipe, and I'm trying to make my life easier....and yours! The only comment I would make is that the secret of a succulent meat and a really good sauce is in the "seizing" of the meat...this gives the colour and keeps the meat juices inside whilst giving taste and flavour.

Another little point is that "knödeln" can be made from all sorts of things, and accompany many other dishes. It means "dumplings" and they are an integral part of the Germanic "sleek-line" meals......! So you can try others, here is the necessary information.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kn%C3%B6del - In English.

3. Probably no cheese will be served - it isn't German custom, that is saved for "abendbrot" or Supper, also known as "Vespers" in Catholic areas.

4. As a dessert, Sunday may not be served, the "Kuchen" (cheesecake and the like) being reserved for around 4pm as a "Kaffeekränzchen", but there may be a "pudding" (same thing as in English, just pronounced as if there were two "t's" instead of two "d's"...)

After all this, the Television is required, there's nothing better to fall asleep in front of, whilst the bawling kids do the dishes, "Mutti" gets on with the Sunday afternoon "Kaffee und Kuchen" - unless, of course. "Pappi" is a nice guy and has promised to take his tribe down to the local "Konditorei" this does happen...

Now - I haven't even mentioned drinks!

Well - we're in Germany so - guess what.....Bier - maybe.....? A delicious "poor man's champagne"... WEIZENBIER....made from corn and not from malt, the French get it all mixed up and call these things "Bière Blanche" - a misinterpretation of the word "Weizen" meaning "white" when it actually means "corn"....Oh these French...!

Of course Germany produces some wonderful wines, red, white, rose and even sparkling. Since this is beef, maybe a red German or a sparkling "Sekt" would be nice.....

I hope I've helped a little to rewake old ideas, and if you do any of this, think about me....I'd love an invitation....!

The subject "German Cookery" - like all countries cookery - is immense, and I'll be coming back and back with other suggestions in the future - for the moment - GET ON WITH THESE ONES......and - I'm always ready to accept invitations.....

"Schone Sonntag"................................