Germany Semester

FOODs

From Teutonic tribes, Holy Roman Emperors, and numerous alliances and divisions, Germany has been a major player in the history of Europe. Physically, it sits smack dab in the middle of the continent and enjoys fertile, prosperous terrain. At one time or other, the German nation consisted of the same countries that now surround it: France, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Russia and Austria. As such, the culinary attributes of each are mutually shared on their adjoining borders. Today, an influx of Turks and Italians are contributing to the mix of tastes and techniques.

German food is a lot like eating in a traditional American diner: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, potato salad, dill pickles, beef stew, chicken and dumplings, pot roast and chocolate cake. It is the quintessential home of meat & potatoes. And beer.

But lest you think the food is too simple to be enjoyed, and that this is all they offer, wait 'til you get there. The Germans actually make these dishes taste good -- largely because of the quality of the ingredients. This is a diet made for cold winter weather, designed for plenty of hard, physical labor. Besides protein, butter, cream, eggs and cheese are predominant. But take a look at the modern urban restaurants which are beginning to adapt to the more worldly trend of less protein and starch in the diets. There are lots of younger chefs paying attention to lighter, fresher foods. For leaner traditional cuisine, stick to the meats marinated in vinegar or wine.

Cheers! Whatever language you use, raise a toast of either beer or wine. German beer is clearly the beverage of choice, with hundreds of varieties produced. Dark, light, aged, young, berry-flavored — the varieties are endless. Part of the fun of traveling through Germany is tasting the wide range of these brews. Look for those with full heads that leave foam, known as Brussels lace, clinging to the sides of your glass.

German wines tend to be sweeter and spicier than those of other European nations. The cool climate works well for white grapes but not for red ones, which are grown in only small quantities. Riesling, the queen of German wines, is sweet (as are most wines from this country), fruity and spicy. But if you are a Chardonnay or dry wine aficionado, you are better off foregoing wine and sticking to the pride of the nation: beer.

In food, as in everything else, the German people have found a way to raise the everyday basics to an art form.

Source of above information: http://www.personal.psu.edu/kaw310/germany.html

Beer-Braised Pork Chops

1. INGREDIENTS:
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 4 (4-6 oz.) pork chops, 1 inch thick
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6. 1 jar (22 oz.) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
7. 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
8. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
9. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10. 1 cup beer

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper; place in skillet and brown on both sides. Set aside.

Combine sauerkraut, applesauce, brown sugar and mustard in a shallow baking dish. Top with pork chops and pour beer over the top. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Serve warm.

Serving Size: 4

Sweetheart Waffles with Strawberries & Cream

(Grießwaffeln mit Erdbeeren & Sahne)

The ingredient known as "Grieß" in German can be substituted by either semolina (available at well-stocked gourmet stores) or the readily available cream of wheat. Semolina is made from a harder wheat grain and will give this dish a nice grainy texture, whereas cream of wheat will blend into the waffle batter.
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb strawberries
10 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 cup semolina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon corn starch
10 oz. (300 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
5 tablespoons strawberry jam
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/3 oz. (10 ml) Kirsch
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
zest from 1 organic lemon

Directions:
With an electric mixer blend the soft butter, sugar and lemon zest until smooth. Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Add the yolks to the butter mixture. In a separate bowl, combine semolina, baking powder and corn starch and add them together with the cream gradually to the butter-egg mixture. Whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until stiff and fold under the mixture.

Lightly grease the waffle iron with butter or margarine. Bake the waffles at low temperature until light brown.

Clean the strawberries and cut them into wedges. In a separate bowl, combine the strawberry jam, orange juice, Kirsch until smooth, then add the strawberry pieces.

Shortly before serving, dust the waffles with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

German-Style Potato Salad

(Kartoffelsalat)

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp vegetable oil
4 slices slab bacon, cut into small dice
3 fresh shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 cup prepared chicken bouillon or broth
8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
In a medium sauté pan, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and cook bacon over medium heat until soft. Add shallots and cook until transparent.

Remove pan from heat; stir in vinegar. Add parsley, mustard powder, chicken bouillon, and sea salt and freshly ground whole black peppercorns to taste.

Boil potatoes until done but firm; drain. Add vinegar mixture to warm potatoes in a large bowl. Toss well and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup vegetable oil and mix well again. Adjust seasoning; serve at room temperature.

Colorful Easter Cake (Bunter Osterkuchen)

The main day of German Easter celebrations is Easter Sunday. For Christians it is a time for the whole family to get together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the end of the Lent with a festive meal. A more festive breakfast is often on the menu since families have more time to relax and enjoy a more leisurely brunch-type meal after the children have exhausted themselves looking for Ostereier from the Osterhase!

A traditional Easter meal consists of lamb, which represents innocence and humbleness, accompanied with fresh vegetables and potatoes. Festive cakes are, of course, also a staple ingredient for a Easter Sunday afternoon "Kaffee und Kuchen."

Ingredients :

Cake:

10 ounces ground almonds
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
peel of one lemon
2 medium-sized carrots
2 small apples
6 fresh eggs
10 ounces sugar
1 pinch salt

Decoration:

4 ounces marzipan
2 1/2 ounces confectioners' sugar
red and yellow food coloring
1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder
egg white from 1 egg
5 ounces confectioners' sugar
green decorative leaves
decorative sugar flowers

Directions:

Mix together the almonds, bread crumbs, cornstarch, baking powder cinnamon and lemon peel. Peel the carrots and the apples and grate them finely.

Separate the eggs. Beat together the egg yolks with 4 ounces of the sugar. Beat the egg whites together with the salt and the rest of the sugar. Mix the grated carrots and apple with the egg yolk and carefully fold in the egg white mixture and the almond mixture.

Line a 10 inch spring form with baking paper and pour in the batter. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minute. Remove from the oven, loosen the cake from the form and allow to cool on a baking tray.

For the decoration, break up the marzipan and knead it together with the confectioners' sugar. divide into 3 portions and color each portion pink, yellow and brown (using the cocoa powder for brown). Place the marzipan between two layers of plastic wrap, roll out and cut out Easter eggs shapes and branches.

For the glaze mix the egg white with the confectioners' sugar. Put the glaze in a plastic sandwich bag and cut a tiny corner. Use the glaze to decorate the marzipan eggs with fine lines.

Sprinkle the cake generously with confectioners' sugar and decorate with the marzipan eggs and sugar flowers and leaves.

Currant-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage & Thyme Dumplings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon German red or black currant jelly
1 tablespoon Bavarian beer vinegar or white German vinegar
1 2-pound pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups drained German pickled red cabbage
1 6.8-ounce box Bavarian potato dumpling mix
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus thyme sprigs to garnish

Directions:

For tenderloin:
Preheat oven to 425° F. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup currant jelly and vinegar, and set aside.

Season tenderloin all over with salt and pepper, and rub with olive oil. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes. Spoon some glaze over tenderloin. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of tenderloin registers 160° F, about 15 more minutes. Remove from oven, spoon with remaining glaze and cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

For red cabbage:
While pork is roasting, place cabbage in a saucepan on low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot throughout; stir in 1 tablespoon currant jelly.

For potato dumplings:
While pork is roasting, prepare dumpling mix according to package directions, stirring in fresh thyme before cooking. (Most mixes require 5 to 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to boil.)

To serve, slice tenderloin and arrange on a platter. Top pork with red cabbage and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve dumplings in a separate bowl.

Source: http://www.personal.psu.edu/kaw310/germany.html, www.germanfoods.org,

For more information you can take a look at these web sites:

• http://germanfood.about.com/od/introtogermanfood/a/introtoger.htm
• http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/germans/food/index.htm
• http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/links/food.htm