Chocolate Cherry Sorbet with Cherry Compote

Here we are a little over two months of being confined to our homes trying to adjust to a new life. No, I can’t complain, I haven’t lost a loved one, I am retired, I can pay my bills, and I live in a beautiful area. I am trying to be positive and some days I am, but other days are difficult and depressing. It makes me sad to think of all the hardship that this pandemic has created and yes I miss my old life with all its privileges and perks. There is no running away from it, we are all affected. Enough of whining, I know there are people who are much worse off than I am.

So, how am I coping. I cook and cook and cook and when I don’t cook I watch youtube videos on cooking . My screen time is up exponentially. I read and I watch TV, although I am watching much less TV than in the beginning. My little garden gives me some pleasure. Sunshine makes me happy, but today it is raining. Every morning I make a plan but on the blah days I procrastinate and nothing gets done.

The other day I was fantasizing about sitting in a little German restaurant somewhere in the countryside enjoying a glass or two of wine and eating Flammkuchen (flame cake) with my friends. So, instead of looking at cheap flights or redeeming my miles I started to research Flammkuchen recipes. Flammmkuchen is a specialty from Alsace where it is called tart flambé. It is a crispy somewhat blackened very thin (1mm) and blistered crust that is traditionally topped with Crême Fraîche, Speck (smoked pork belly,) and thinly sliced onions, sprinkled with arugula. Today it is topped with anything imaginable . It is a favorite treat for the young crowd and often is the cheapest prized item on the menu.

Flammkuchen was used as a trial bake for bakers to test the communal wood-fired ovens to see if they were ready to bake bread and cakes. Every village (including mine) had a Backhaus (baking house) where once or twice a week the village women would bake their bread and cake. Think of this Flammmkuchen as a tart baked in flames, burned on the outside and crispy as a cracker

This Flammkuchen was made with bacon, asparagus and some cheese

Researching Flammkuchen gave me a purpose and I dived right into it. It took away the edges of uncertainty and fear. I made several and my husband liked them. Once I made it for lunch on a sunny day, we sat on our deck with a glass of chardonnay and the living was good. I see this as a perfect cooking project for young teens, making the dough and choosing their toppings.

The dough is a mixture of flour, salt, water, and oil that needs to be mixed together and kneaded for at least 5 minutes or more until it becomes a smooth and shiny and can be rolled out to a very thin crust. Some recipes call for yeast but I choose one without it from a German YouTube channel called Thomas kocht . I tried several of his recipes and they are all good. Because there is no yeast in the dough it has to be be baked in a very hot oven preferable on a pizza stone that has been heated for an hour or a sheet pan that has been heated for 30 minutes . You are in Flammkuchen heaven if you have a pizza oven.

This is Manu Koenig, running for county supervisor in District 1,Santa Cruz County. He's got my vote and he liked my Flammkuchen.

While sheltering in place I got adventurous in my cooking and geared into the realm of the unknown for me. I prepared some Asian dishes , some of them not so good but some of them ok. Once this is over I will probably go back to my favorite restaurants. I go shopping at my local farmer’s market and buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. I love asparagus and we have the freshest green asparagus available. Unfortunately we don’t have white asparagus like they have in Europe. My husband and I both love asparagus soup. It’s easy to make and so delicious . We have had it several times.
Here are some more asparagus recipes, click on the photo for the recipe

Creamy and easy to make asparagus soup

I make this frittata when asparagus is in season

A delicious Chinese noodle salad rom the Greens cookbook.

It is essential that you let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. I leave my dough divided into four parts and covered with plastic wrap for days in the refrigerator. I used some of the dough four days later and it was easier to work with when I rolled it out. After making the dough by hand the first time I decided to use my KitchenAid , I knead the dough for five minutes with the hook attachment . I then knead it a little bit by hand , divide it into 4 parts , cover each with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. I made one FLammkuchen the traditional way using bacon instead of Speck. It was a little too greasy for us. I fried the bacon and then sprinkled it over the Creme Fraîche with some Gruyere cheese. I prefer a mixture of leftover cheddar and some other cheeses I used on my first Flammkuchen. Thomas also made one Flammkuchen with goat cheese and pears and added some arugula before serving it. It looked delicious but I didn’t try it.

Mixing the ingredients

Pulling and kneading the dough

Rolling out the dough

The rolled out dough 1mm thick

Covering the dough with the Crème Fraîche mixture

Cutting the Asparagus at an angle

When grating cheese or anything else wear a glove that protects your fingers.

Ingredients:

The dough makes four large ( the size of a cookie sheet) pizzas. I made one at a time and that was plenty for my husband and me.
The topping is enough for one Flammkuchen

The dough:

3 3/4 cup (17oz ) (500g) all purpose flour
1 cup plus 6 TBS lukewarm water (250g)
4 TBS olive oil
1 TBS salt
extra flour for rolling out the dough.

The toppings:

½ lb. green asparagus
1 TBS olive oil
3/4 cup Crême Fraîche
salt
pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
A handful of grated cheese
some slices of prosciutto torn apart

Directions:

The Topping:

Smooth the Crème Fraîche with salt pepper and a little nutmeg.
Wash the asparagus and peel the lower ends. Cut off the woody ends and discard. Cut the asparagus on an angle into ½ inch slices leaving the tops intact. Slice the tops in half. Heat a frying pan, add the oil and then the asparagus, season with salt and pepper. Fry the asparagus for about two minutes until it turns dark green.
Grate the cheese.

The dough:
Preheat the oven at 500 degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes before baking the Flammkuchen with the cookie sheet at the the lowest shelf in the oven. If you are using a pizza stone preheat the oven and the stone one hour before. I used my convection-bake setting in my oven.

Add the water, olive oil and water and then the flour to a large bowl. I used my KitchenAid to mix the ingredients until they came together, then I kneaded the dough for about 10 minutes by hand until is was shiny. While kneading I pulled the dough with one hand holding with the other hand. It takes some work and effort . Cover the dough in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I found the dough better to work with after a couple of days.

Roll out the dough on a flat surface sprinkled with flour. Every time you turn the dough brush off the extra flour on the upside of the dough and add more flour to the surface. Rolling out the dough takes awhile because you want the dough as thin as possible, about a millimeter thick. Turn the dough often and take your time.

Cut parchment paper the size of your baking sheet, 12-16 inches. Put the parchment paper on a board from where you can transfer the Flammkuchen to the hot cookie sheet. Add the rolled out dough, spread the Créme Fraîche mixture evenly over the dough. Add the asparagus evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the asparagus. Slide the Flammkuchen with the parchment paper onto the hot cookie sheet and bake in the lower half of the oven for 5-7 minutes. Turn the sheet around half way through. Its ok for the edges to burn, you want that crispy flamed taste . Make sure that the buttom has some brown spots. My last Flammkuchen turned out perfect.
Remove the Flammkuchen from the oven by sliding it onto a board, cut it into serving portions and enjoy it as soon as possible.

Watch the video even if you don't speak German. Click on the link below.

Guten Appetit!
Recipe and video by ThomasKocht
translated by ©Sunnycovechef.com

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Black Forest Chocolate Mousse

2/7/2020

Crepes filled with Salmon and Fennel

You have all heard of the famous German cake called Black Forest Cake, a chocolate cake filled with cherries and whipped cream. In Germany it is called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. I had my share of it when I lived in Germany. My godmother, who was an excellent baker, made an awesome one. Somewhere I have her recipe, I think! But in the meantime and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I found a much easier German recipe for chocolate mousse with cherries. How good is that? You can whip this up in no time and end up with a memorable delight.

This is not a sweet dessert, it has no added sugar and it is made with a few ingredients that I got at Trader Joe’s. It needs some good chocolate, heavy cream, frozen cherries, cherry marmalade and Kirsch liquor or Kirschwasser as we call it in Germany.

I upped the ante by adding some fruit from my Rumtopf, which turned it into an adult dessert for my book club meeting. Remember my Rumptopf I made last summer by preserving fresh fruit in rum. I was a great success, we enjoyed it over the holidays and I gave some jars to my friends. Next year I am making it again when cherries are in season. Cherries were my favorite fruit in the Rumtopf.

Let’s get back to my mousse that I am leisurely nibbling on while writing this post. Like I said before, it is not sweet but it is rich and chocolatey. The cherries with their sauce add a fruity crunch to the mousse. A little bit of this dessert will go a long way. If you make this I hope you enjoy it as much I did.

For my book club dinner I made my Italian crespelle (crepes) stuffed with fennel and salmon in a white lemony sauce. Life is good when I am in the kitchen.

Rumtopf

This mousse is made in no time, yet it is perfect for any dinner party with its rich chocolate flavor being complimented by the cherries and the sauce. Depending on the portion it will serve 6-8 people, maybe more. It is rich, so a little bit goes a long way. This is a great dessert to make ahead. My husband and I enjoyed it for several days.

Ingredients:

7 oz. ( 200g) good quality bittersweet chocolate
1 lb. ( 500g ) frozen dark sweet cherries
½ ( 100g) cup cherry marmelade
2 TBS Kirschwasser (optional) substitute water
2 ¼ cups ( 600g) heavy cream

Directions:

Put the frozen cherries with the Kirschwasser into a pot, cover and simmer until the cherries reach the consistency you like. I like mine crunchy and just heated up the cherries until they where defrosted. Stir in the cherry marmalade and let it cool.

Grind about a ¼ cup of the chocolate to sprinkle over the mousse when serving it. Set aside for later, chop the rest of the chocolate coarsely. Heat ½ cup of cream, take off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Whisk until all the chocolate is melted making it into a soft ganache.

Whip the remaining cream to medium peaks. When you whip the cream you see the beaters leaving a trail, slow down the beating and watch. You do not want to over-whip the cream or you and up with a grainy mousse. Put some of the cream aside for decorating the mousse . Gently, with a big spatula, fold the cream into the chocolate in thirds.

Divide the mousse into individual bowls or cocktail glasses. Add about four cherries with the sauce . Dollop with the reserved whip cream and sprinkle with the grated chocolate.
You can make this ahead and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Guten Appetit!
Recipe from the German Magazine Lecker
adapted by © Sunnycovechef.com

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Monika's Kartoffelklösse-German Potato Dumplings

1/12/2020

recipe for Susannne's Rouladen

Its been a while since I posted and I do apologize. After breaking my ankle in Budapest, my spunk and motivation left me. During my recovery, I was entertained by your blogs and reading them helped me a great deal. Speaking of recovery, I am walking again and I am thankful for every tiny step I take. The last part of my recovery seems to be the hardest, as I am impatient by nature and eager to move on. But I can’t. I have to take it easy, because if I don’t, I am back in bed with my foot elevated, watching Netflix or YouTube. I also had some emotional issues to deal with, like a post-dramatic depression, upon realizing the danger I had been in and its possible consequences.

Goose and dumplings, a lunch I had in Potsdam a couple of years ago

But it is a new year, a new decade, and with it comes new beginnings. I am ready to move on. I am starting to cook again and I am enjoying it. I had planned to make a goose for the holidays, but instead my dear friend and neighbor, Susanne, invited me for Christmas dinner. She made her famous Rouladen (stuffed rolled beef), a German tradition for the holidays. I was in culinary heaven.

I have wanted to make homemade potato dumplings for years, but have always opted for the pre-made packaged ones. The one time I tried, when I prepared a goose years ago, it turned into an inedible potato soup. So this year, it was a project I wanted to tackle, so I started to watch German YouTube videos and tried one recipe. I didn’t like them—honestly the pre-packed ones made by Pfanni were better. But I didn’t give up. My girlfriend, Monika, from Germany makes them every year with her goose for Christmas. She uses a recipe from an old German cookbook from Schlesien (or Silesia) that is now in southwestern Poland. Both she and her husband came from this region. I love the quote in the cookbook saying that a Sunday dinner without dumplings is like a sky without stars. They were served with every roast, cooked cabbage or any other vegetable. In the cookbook, they are described as an easy-to-make recipe, but there are tricks to follow to avoid the dumplings falling apart or being hard as a rock.

I made them twice now and both times they got the approval from my friend, Susanne. Each region in Europe has their own version of potato dumplings. The Bavarian ones are made with half-raw and half-cooked potatoes. Leftover dumplings are perfect sliced and then fried in butter, the ultimate German comfort food. When making the dumplings, you can stuff them with small croutons. I think they need some kind of sauce to be truly enjoyed—like a mushroom sauce or gravy from a roast. I don’t have any photos of our Christmas dinner, but a week later, I served my second batch of potato dumplings with some of my friend’s leftover beef brisket from Hanukkah.

My friend Monika sent me this photo from her Christmas dinner

Leftover dumplings, fried and sliced

recipe for red cabbage

I recommend that you follow the recipe and make no modifications. Or you will end up with potato soup. I used two russets and two yellow fin potatoes. It is also important to make a test dumpling before cooking the rest. I made a small one and tasted it, and both times it was okay. To avoid bland-tasting dumplings, don’t reduce the salt. If the dough is sticky, add some more flour. Don’t over mix the potatoes. If you don’t have a potato press, you can use a potato masher. Don’t skimp on the salt because you are flavoring the water—first to boil the potatoes and then to cook the dumplings.

Ingredients:

(makes approximately 10-12 dumplings , depending on the size)

1 lb. (2) russet potatoes
1 lb. (2) yellow fin potatoes
2 scant cups of all purpose white flour (250g or a little less than 8 3/4 ounces)
plus extra flour to roll in the dumplings before cooking
1 egg
1 tsp. salt to boil the potatoes
1 3/4 tsp. salt for the dough
2 tsp. salt for the water to boil the dumplings.

Croutons: (optional)

a cup of day-old bread cut into ½ inch pieces
2 TB olive oil
garlic salt

Parsley butter sauce:

4 TB butter
3 TB of finely chopped parsley

Directions:

Peel the potatoes in halves or quarters (according to size). Cover them with cold water and add 1 tsp. salt, bring them to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes. They are done when you poke them with a small paring knife and they are soft. It is better to undercook them, so you don’t turn them into a potato mush by overcooking them. When the potatoes are done, pour off the water and return the pot to the stove, shake the potatoes in the pot over low heat until all the moisture has evaporated. Cool the potatoes.

While the potatoes are cooling, fill your largest pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1½ tsp. salt. When the potatoes are cool, press them through a potato press or use a potato masher. I used my potato press. Add the egg, 2 tsp. salt, and the flour. Mix with a fork and then with your hands, until you have a dough that isn’t sticky. According to the German recipe, you are supposed to add more flour when it is sticky. (I didn’t have to do it the two times I made the dumplings.) Do not over mix the dough. Form a small test dumpling and simmer it in the water for several minutes. If it doesn’t fall apart, you are in business. Otherwise, according to the book you are supposed to add more flour. Mine came out perfect both times, I did increase the amount of salt in my second batch. Form the dough into a 2-inch thick logs and cut into 10-12 pieces. Roll the pieces into round balls. If you add croutons, put the dough in your hand, then put the crouton in the middle and form it into a dumpling.

Put a couple of tablespoons of flour onto a plate. Roll each dumplings in the flour and add them to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook the dumplings for about 18 minutes, uncovered. Make sure your dumplings don’t stick to the pot and make sure the water stays at a low simmer. Eventually, the dumplings will float to the top. The dumplings are at their best right after they are cooked. I talked to my girlfriend and she told me that she reheats the dumplings the next day by putting them back in simmering water for 10 minutes. She also told me that she freezes them. The only thing I have done with leftover dumplings is to slice and sauté them in butter. It is a special treat.

Each time I made dumplings this year, I made a parsley butter sauce for them. I melted the butter in a frying pan and added the finely chopped parsley. Then I poured the sauce over the dumplings.

Guten Appetit!
recipe © Sunnycovechef

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Plum Tart or Zwetschgenkuchen

9/27/2019

When I see plums I always think of the Italian prune plum tree we had at our farm in Germany where these plums are called Zwetschgen. When the fruit ripened in mid September we would make Zwetschgenmus (plum jam) and everybody baked Zwetschgenkuchen on large trays. They dough was usually a yeast dough with different toppings for the plums. My favorite was a custard topping which is called Schmandkuchen. One day I would like to bake it in my village and get advice from all those old cooks and bakery friends. In the meantime I found this wonderful recipe on YouTube that is easy to make and all my American friends liked it. The shortbread dough is used for the crust and the streusel.

The Zwetsche , a European plum ( Prunus domestica) has many different names, in France it is called quetsche, here in the US they are called Italian Prune Plums and sometime Empress Plums. These plums are small and dense with purple skin, easy to pit (freestone pits) and have yellow flesh. There is something magical that happens to this egg shaped, somewhat bland tasting Italian plum when you bake it, it becomes a sweet gooey delight, in cakes, in jams, and dumplings. As was the case with my cake.

I am writing this while eating small slivers of this tasty treat. My doctor tells me to stay away from sweets and I do most of the time but there are times when these rules don’t apply. This cake brings back memories from my childhood in Germany, where Zwetschgenkuchen was a seasonal treat . My mother liked the simple version, adding plums with a little bit of sugar to a sheet yeast cake. Sometimes she splurged and put a custard on top of the cake. I remember stuffing myself and being told to share. My friend, aunt Frieda, that lived on the next farm made the best sheet cakes ever in a wooden pizza oven where she also baked her bread. I would sit on her wood box watching her cook. Oh, those childhood memories.

Some more of my recipes using plums. The plum jam is tart but full of flavor. It's baked in the oven so you don't have to sweat over a hot stove and there is no stirring. Click on the photos below for the recipe.

Spiced Plum Jam

Marian Burros Plum Torte

Here is the link to the YouTube video where I found this recipe. It's in German but Thomas speaks very slowly and it is fun to watch him make the tart. I think this would be a great project for young cooks.

When buying Italian Prune Plums get the hard ones, some of the soft ones will be rotten inside and always buy more, just in case. These plums don’t have a long shelf life, that’s why a lot of stores don’t carry them.You can use another variety of plums if you are unable to get Italian plums.

Ingredients:
A 12 inch cake or tart pan with removable bottom
This tart makes 10 generous slices, 12 small ones.

14 oz. (3 cups) (400g) white flour
8 oz. (2 sticks) (230g) cold butter
4.5 oz. ( a generous ½ cup) (130g) sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder (7g)
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBS. lemon zest
a pinch of salt
2 Ib. of Italian prune plums or other plums.
3 TBS. Turbinado raw cane sugar

Directions:
Generously butter a 12 inch tart or cake pan with a removable bottom.
Sift the flour with the baking powder. Cut the cold butter into smallish cubes. Put the sugar and lemon zest in the food processor, pulse for 30 seconds to mix the lemon zest into the sugar. Add the flour, butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the butter is broken into small pieces . Pour the dough onto a surface and put a little less than 1/3 aside for the streusel. Kneed the the dough with your palms until it comes together. Start pressing pieces of the dough into the tart pan and flatten them with your hands. Build the dough up to the sides and chill the tart for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime wash the plums and remove the pits from the plums by cutting them half open but leaving them in one piece. Sprinkle them with the cane sugar and let them stand for a few minutes. Take the tart out of the fridge and arrange the plums in a circular fashion starting on the outside. Sprinkle the tart with the streusel. Both times I baked the tart I had some leftover streusel that I froze for later use.
Bake the tart on a baking sheet to prevent the juices from spilling into the oven. Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. You want the dough to slightly brown and some of the plum juices being released and bubbling.
Cool the tart for about an hour on a cooling rack. If you want you can sprinkle some powdered sugar over the tart. The tart tasted great a day later.

Guten Appetit!
recipe by Pour Le Plaisir - Thomas kocht
translated and adapted by ©Sunnycovechef.com

2 Comments

Rumtopf or Rum Pot/ How to Preserve Fresh Fruit in Rum

8/14/2019

Yum, yum, it’s soaked in rum! If you are looking for an easy way to preserve the taste of summer for a cold winter night, look no further. Make an old-fashioned rum pot with the tastiest strawberries, cherries, raspberries (or any other fruit), add sugar and rum, then let it sit for at least two months. You will end up with a boozy delicacy, which is perfect on pudding, ice cream, flan, cheesecake, almond cake and in drinks. You only need three ingredients and a non-corrosive container with a lid for this classic German condiment.

This German tradition of making a rum pot goes back to 18th century, when rum was imported from the Caribbean to the northern Hanseatic towns. Legend has it that some tropical fruit accidentally ended up in a rum barrel. Whether it’s true or not, it’s a good story. My story goes back to my gentle, caring and loving father who wasn’t a cook. How could he be when he worked from dawn to dusk on the farm seven days a week? But he managed somehow to make a rum pot, which he loved to pour over ice cream.

A traditional Rumtopf is done in a special crock pot ( see the photo below) . My father just used a regular crock pot, but a mason jar will do. The fruit is added when it is ripe—strawberries in June, followed by raspberries, apricots, blueberries, cherries, plums (or any other fruit) in July and August. Sugar and rum is added for each addition. The beauty of the Rumtopf is that you can use almost any fruit you have available as long as you top it with rum that is 54% or higher (108 proof). It will put hair on your chest, so be careful and eat responsibly.

I live in California and only harvest a handful of berries from my garden, but fresh delicious fruit is everywhere else, especially at the farmers markets. I am found of cherries and love to eat them. I ended up with a refrigerator full of fresh fruit and had to do something with it, so the idea of a Rumtopf was born. All I had to do was find was a bottle of rum that was more than 54% alcohol. I am thinking of starting another Rumtopf the traditional way, by adding fruit and sugar and topping it with rum. Layering my Rumptopf with different fruits as time goes by, which keeps the pot going indefinitely.

This is a photo of a Rumtopf that is for sale at ETSY.

Before you click on the recipe, please understand that this is an experiment , I usually taste my recipes before I post them, so please keep in mind that this is not one of them. If it turns out (and I don’t see why not), I will fill some small mason jars with my Rumtopf and give them to my friends for Christmas. We’ll see!

Your container can be a crockpot or a mason jar that has been cleaned thoroughly.
I mixed the stronger rum with regular 40% (80 proof) rum. But make sure to use 54% (108 proof ), otherwise your Rumtopf will get moldy. Be careful, because the rum is flammable. It is important that the fruit is covered with rum. You might have to top it off while you are aging it. I loosely put some plastic wrap on top of my pot and and then add a saucer on top of that to make sure that the fruit is immersed in the rum. After I put the lid on, I wrap the top again in plastic wrap. According to all recipes I found, the Rumtopf needs to age at least two months so that the special flavors can develop. Some Rumtopf have been nurtured for years. The Rumtopf is like a perpetual jar, much like sourdough starter that can be kept alive for years

Ingredients:

This is what I did, but anybody who is interested in creating a Rumtopf can be creative.

2 lb. fruit
For my two pounds of fruit, I used:
cherries
blackberries
strawberries
raspberries
10 oz. sugar
750 ml (151-proof) dark unflavored rum
375 ml (80-proof) dark unflavored rum

Directions:

All the fruit has to be as fresh as possible and without any rotten spots.
Wash the fruit, mix it with the sugar and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Add the fruit to the jar and cover with rum.
Add a large piece of plastic wrap on top of the mixture and wrap up the sides of the jar to create a seal. Then add a small plate on top to make sure all the fruit is immersed in the rum. Add the cover, reseal with the plastic wrap again and put the rum pot a dark in a cool place, away from children. Mine is curing in my colder downstairs bathroom.

Prost!
recipe by©Sunnycovechef.com

Do you want a fruity drink tonight, try out my recipe for a light Strawberry Punch. Click on the photo for the recipe.

A personal note to followers of my blog:
For those of you who been wondering about me, life has had its challenges this year for my family. But we survived and I had to become stronger because of it. It’s been difficult, but the outcome is good for better days ahead. Thank you to all my friends and family for your support and love. I am respecting my husband’s request for privacy to not share more on the worldwide web.

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Thanksgiving 2018

11/9/2018

How can it already be Thanksgiving again? Time flies by so fast, it's scary. During previous years, we often traveled. I remember the duck dinner in Prague and the beautiful week in Rome where we had pasta for Thanksgiving. This year we are going to our little cabin in the Sierra Mountains to celebrate with my sister-in-law and her family. It's going to be low-key and relaxing, especially since my brother-in-law will barbecue the turkey and my nephew is a great cook. For Christmas, I will have a full house since I will celebrate with my niece and nephew from Germany and my American family. I am always very happy when I get visitors from Germany because it's during the holidays when I miss them the most.
When it comes to Thanksgiving, each family has their treasured recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. There is Aunt Mary's jello salad and the bean casserole from your grandmother. And let's not forget sweet potato pie. Tell me, what are some of the recipes you make each year? My family tradition is my red cabbage which is liked by everybody, so I will be making it again this year. Click here for the recipe.

Years ago, when I was a vegetarian, I would cook everything but the turkey. The centerpiece would be my stuffing served with mushroom gravy. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, but they are all from previous Thanksgiving posts. I have been making this shiitake and chestnut stuffing as long as I can remember. Click here for the recipe.

If you are looking for a juicy small bird for Thanksgiving, check out my recipe for dry-brined turkey with silky gravy. I will be making this one for Christmas. Click here for the recipe.

For me, sauces and condiments are just as important as the bird. My cranberry ketchup is a wonderful addition for the holidays and I make it every year. Here is a link to the recipe.

For those of you who don't want to tackle a whole bird, I have a recipe for turkey parts. Here, I brine the parts overnight, which makes for juicy and tasty turkey. If you are interested, click here for the recipe.

Toasted, roasted, baked and done! I hope your Thanksgiving is lots of fun.
Oh, one thing, don't forget to give your compliments to the chef, and help with the dishes afterwards.
Wishing you all a relaxing Thanksgiving feast with good food, family and loved ones. May your home be filled with laughter and happiness.

2 Comments

Fig Mustard

10/23/2018

I really shouldn't do this, instead I should go for a walk to give my old body some exercise before a very long flight. But I just have to share this because fig season is almost over and I love this mustard. Have you noticed that I am running a little behind when it comes to seasonal cooking? Later on, I will try making this recipe using dried figs and add it here.

The figs in this photo are dried mission figs

It all began with a basket of Italian figs that my girlfriend Diane gave me.

This mustard would be great on a cheese plate or on a turkey sandwich. In France, figs and fig mustard is often served with foie gras, and in Germany it is served with a Weißwurst (veal sausage). This is not a sweet mustard, but it is full of flavor with the taste of the figs and a hint of vinegar.

I used Italian figs but mission figs or any other figs can be substituted.

Ingredients:

1 pound ( 400 g) fresh figs
1 cup (200ml) ruby port wine
1 3-inch cinamon stick
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup (150g) whole grain dijon mustard
salt to taste

Directions:

Wash the figs, remove the stems, and cut them into pieces removing some of the thick skin .
In a heavy pot bring the figs, the port and the cinnamon stick to a boil. Continue to simmer the mixture at low heat for about 20 minutes or until the figs are soft and broken apart, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar and season with salt bringing the mixture back to a low simmer. Add the mustard and mix with an immersion stick or in a blender until you have a consistent texture. The seeds of the mustard should remain whole.
Put the fig mustard into 2 sterilized pint containers with a lid and keep them in the fridge. This makes about 2 cups of mustard.

Guten Appetit
Recipe by Esslust (Chefkoch.De )
translated by ©Sunnycovechef.com

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Zwetschgenmus or Spiced Plum Butter

9/13/2018

When I was a child, we had several plum trees in our garden. One variety was called Zwetschgen, similar to the prune. Our Zwetschgen tree would overflow with fruit and our family would make Zwetschgenmus (aka spiced plum butter) in a huge copper kettle that was heated by a piece of burning wood from underneath. We would have big glass canning jars with rubber rings in our pantry filled with delicious plum butter.

As children we could not get enough of this sweet, rich and gooey plum butter spread on country bread and topped with schmand. The best way to describe schmand is a fresh cream that is similar to Créme Fraîche or whipping cream. I used greek yogurt on my sandwich .
In this country we call Zwetschgen Italian plums and they are seldom available where I live . You can imagine how happy I was when I found them in a local food stand. I bought all they had and made two different batches of Zwetschgenmus and baked two different cakes.

My Zwetschegenmus is a tartly rich and earthy-tasting fruit butter with a slight taste of cinnamon and allspice. These sour little plums (without much juice or flavor) once baked turn into an amazingly flavorful treat. It’s like the frog that turns into a prince. For the Zwetschgenmus, I chose a recipe from Louisa Weiss’s Classic German Baking book. I have to say it turned out just as good as Helga Papas,’ my village neighbor who has made it for decades in Germany and always shared some with my family. My brother is especially fond of it and I will keep a jar for him to eat when he comes to visit me this year. If you see this little unpretentious plum in a store next to their juicy voluptuous cousins, don’t pass them by. You will not regret it when you have a spoonful of Zwetschgenmus.

The plums are baked in a heavy cast iron pot until they turn into a sticky mass and are completely broken down. Make sure you use a four-quart cast iron pot. I used a smaller one in my first batch, and it took twice as long to bake them the next day. The second time, I used a four-quart pot and baked it in 2.5 hours instead of 4. Luisa Weiss says that the recipe is easily doubled, but unfortunately I ran out of plums.

Ingredients:

5 one-pint size jars with lids and bands

4 pounds purple pitted plums (around 5 pounds with pits)
2 cups (200 g) granulated white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole clove

Instructions:

Wash, pit and quarter the plums. Discard those with dark spots inside. Put the plums, the sugar and the spices in a large bowl. Stir and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Luisa puts her fruit in the same pot she uses for baking. Let the pot or bowl stand covered overnight until the sugar is dissolved in the juice of the fruit.

Heat the oven to 350ºF/180 Celsius. Pour the fruit into the pot, making sure you scrape every little bit of juice and sugar into the pot. Bake uncovered for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, sterilize 5 one-pint containers. I run my jars and rings through the dishwasher and put my lids in a pot with hot water. Do not boil the lids
.
When the plums have broken down and the liquid in the pot has become syrupy, the Pflaumenmus is ready. Remove the pot from the oven. I put mine in the kitchen sink to prevent splattering. Remove the cinnamon stick, and if you see the allspice, remove that also (I didn’t see mine). Pureé the Zwetschgenmus with an immersion blender until smooth. I leave a few chunks of fruit in it. Fill the still warm jars with the plum butter. I have a wide funnel that really helps. Screw on the lid and turn the jar upside down. You will know your jars are sealed when the lid doesn’t move or pop when you press on it. To be totally safe, follow the manufacturer’s instructions that come with the jars.

Guten Appetit
recipe from Luisa Weiss in her Classic German Baking Book
by©sunnycovechef.com

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Paris in July and Eiskaffe

9/4/2018

Click here to read about my latest trip to Paris.

I have an everlasting love for Paris. I discover something new every time I go there and fall in love with it all over again. Click over to my wanderlust blog and read about my last trip to Paris. (Sorry for any inconvenience, but my Wanderlust blog doesn’t send emails to notify you of new blog entries.)

As a treat, I will give you an iced coffee drink that was my absolute favorite when I was a young student. This was long before the era of Starbucks & today’s coffee culture. In those days, Europe had café-bakeries. A good cup of coffee was considered a luxury, so many people drank fake coffee (chicory) because the real stuff wasn’t available, especially in East Germany. Giving someone a pound of good coffee was a great gift. At that time, I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but I always loved to have an Eiskaffee (cold coffee with ice cream). As a young student, I was living mostly on french fries with mayonnaise (I switched to ketchup when I came to this country) which was sold from stands on every corner. You could also get currywurst, a sausage topped with ketchup and sprinkled with curry and paprika. However, when I had some extra money, I would treat myself to an Eiskaffee in a fancy coffee house. Whenever I am in Germany in the summertime, I revive memories by having this delicious drink. On my last trip to Europe, my friends from Switzerland took us to Lake Konstanze, which borders Switzerland and Germany. We had a lovely outdoor lunch with a view of the lake, and for dessert we ordered Eiskaffee. What a fun afternoon with good food and good friends. I know the hot weather is mostly over, but enjoy this treat anyway with a friend or loved one. It’s a great way to use up leftover cold coffee. Think of it as a coffee milkshake, only better.

All you need is :

a tall glass
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1 cup or cold coffee
½ cup or less whipped cream
1 tube-shaped wafer cookie (Trader Joe’s has some good ones).

Scoop the vanilla ice cream into a tall glass.
Poor the cold coffee over the ice cream.
Top with whipped cream and a cookie.

You can sweeten your whipped cream or coffee and add some shaved chocolate to garnish.

Guten Appetit, my friends
recipe by ©sunnycovechef.com

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Rhubarb Compote with Yogurt Cream and or Yogurt Mousse

5/7/2018

Yogurt Cream with Rhubarb Compote and Raspberries

When I was in Germany I came across these interesting recipes that I would like to share with you. It’s a yogurt cream that you can also turn into a mousse by adding gelatin. As soon as I was back in my kitchen at home I started to experiment with these recipes and I am happy to say that I am now ready to post them. You can adjust this recipe to your taste by adding more sugar or lemon zest. It is made in minutes, just remember it is not supposed to be sweet. Surprisingly, my husband likes both recipes and he really has a sweet tooth. One night, my other testers preferred the cream. Of course, you can just make the compote and eat it with ice cream. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this treat as much as I do.

The rhubarb compote is sweetened with apple juice and some sugar. Once the rhubarb is cooked the liquid is reduced to a syrup. This is a light and delicious spring dessert.

Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb is a seasonal favorite both in Europe and North America. It is technically a vegetable, but is considered a fruit. Rhubarb stalks will show up in stores and the farmer’s markets from April to June. It comes in in different colors; the ones you find in a store are usually red, but it can also be pale green. It will taste the same despite the different colors. Rhubarb is extremely tart, and is normally cooked and often paired with strawberries or other fruit. Children in Scandinavia will dip the stalk in sugar and eat it raw. The leaves of rhubarb are poisonous, so don't eat them.

Yogurt Mousse with Rhubarb Compote and Raspberries

Here are some more rhubarb recipes from my previous posts click on the images for the recipes

A German Rhubarb, Strawberry , Meringue Cake

This Rhubarb Strawberry Hazelnut Crisp is easy to make and I love it, especially with ice cream.

Rhubarb, Strawberry, Hazelnut Crisp

And last but not least let's not forget Robert's delicious Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie

Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie

If you decide to make the cream or mousse, use a good vanilla bean because that adds to the flavor. The secret to my compote is to drain the rhubarb juice once it is cooked and reduced to a syrup. This adds richness and additional flavor to the compote. I recommend doubling the rhubarb recipe. One recipe will make about 3 cups of compote. It will last in the fridge for a week.
I used a smooth low-fat Greek yogurt that I buy at Costco, but you can use regular Greek yogurt to make it richer. Since I usually don’t drink apple juice, I bought a package of individual containers you put in your kids’ lunch boxes. You can eat the yogurt cream without any whipped cream, however, I think it needs some cream for a richer taste and to offset the tartness of the rhubarb.

Ingredients:

Rhubarb Compote
1 ½ lbs. (750 g) rhubarb (4 cups)
3/4 cup (175g ) sugar
3/4 cup (150ml) apple juice

Yogurt Cream
1 full cup (250g) smooth Greek yogurt.
½ cup (50 g ) powdered sugar
½ cup whipping cream
1 4-inch vanilla bean

Yogurt Mousse
1 full cup (250g) smooth Greek yogurt
1 6-inch vanilla bean
½ cup (250g) whipping cream
½ cup (50 g) powdered sugar
¼ -½ cup of honey
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TBS unflavored gelatin (I used 1 envelope of Knox gelatin)

Directions:
Rhubarb Compote:
Peel the rhubarb stalks and trim the ends. Cut the rhubarb into 1½-inch pieces (about 4 cups). In a large pot, bring the sugar and the apple juice to a boil, add the rhubarb in a single layer and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the pieces are soft, but not falling apart. Gently drain the rhubarb through a sieve and return the juice to the pot and cook until reduced to a light syrup. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb and cool until you are ready to serve it. I added raspberries to my compote before serving it.

Yogurt cream:
Mix the the yogurt with the powdered sugar. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds with a small knife into the yogurt mixture. Whip the cream and add to the mixture. Put the cream in a covered container and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it. It will last for a couple of days.

The Yogurt Mousse
Mix the yogurt, powdered sugar and scraped out vanilla seeds. Whip the cream until stiff (your whip should hold the cream when turned upside down). Mix the lemon juice and honey in a bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave until very hot. Sprinkle the gelatin over the hot mixture and mix until the gelatin is completely dissolved, then add to the yogurt mixture. Carefully incorporate the whipped cream into the yogurt cream. Scrape into a serving bowl and chill for at least four hours. This can easily be made ahead of time and will last for several days.

Recipe from a German Magazine
adapted and translated by©Sunnycovechef

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Introducing Kohlrabi/ A Vegetarian Delight - Kohlrabi Stuffed with Spinach and Feta Cheese

3/20/2018

Kohlrabi has been a staple of German cuisine for hundreds of years. It was bred as a hardier version of cruciferous vegetables to grow in harsh conditions. In Germany it is a basic staple that everyone knows and can afford. You can find kohlrabi in almost every German garden. Even though I am not usually into trends and food fads, who knows, kohlrabi could be the next kale!

Kohlrabi tastes similar to a broccoli stem, but with the flavor of cabbage—almost like radish crossed with jicama. It has a crisp and crunchy texture when eaten raw. According to the internet, kohlrabi has amazing health claims and is low in calories. It is full of nutrients and minerals like copper, potassium, manganese, iron and calcium, and other vitamins. Kohlrabi promotes digestive health and helps with weight management. Do not mistake kohlrabi for a rutabaga or a turnip. It’s almost impossible to find in California grocery stores.

Kohlrabi is one of the most versatile vegetables around. My husband likes kohlrabi raw, thinly sliced. You can easily add it to any salad or soup. The leaves can be steamed like most greens, although I have not tried that. I was super excited when I found out that “Route 1,” a local organic farm, was selling kohlrabi at the Westside farmer’s market (on Saturday morning) here in Santa Cruz. I bought several bunches last week and two more this week.

My favorite recipe for kohlrabi is the one I made with my mother when would visit her in Germany. Basically, it’s meatballs cooked with kohlrabi in a white sauce. Here’s the link to one of my earliest posts:

I found a vegetarian recipe using kohlrabi on a German website that I liked. The kohlrabi is hollowed out and stuffed with a mixture of spinach and feta cheese. The kohlrabi stays firm and crunchy and compliments the soft stuffing. The sauce is made from the hollowed out kohlrabi meat mixed with the cooking water and some cream. This dish makes an impressive lunch or dinner. I ate it for lunch for a week since I had to work on the recipe and enjoyed it while losing a couple of pounds.

I am on my way to Germany to visit friends and family for two weeks. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter holiday. Here are some previous posts where I celebrated Easter in Germany and some ideas for you to make something special for your loved ones.

These elegant crepes filled with salmon and fennel make a great brunch or dinner. Add a salad and you have a great meal.

Here is a recipe for a nutty lemony cake using whole lemons.
Happy Easter
Frohe Ostern

Kohlrabi comes in different colors (purple and white), but once peeled, it all have a creamy white interior. When preparing kohlrabi, you should always peel off the tough outermost layer with a sharp knife. Kohlrabi is a treasure of the vegetable kingdom. A cup of raw kohlrabi has just 36 calories. I would think that goat cheese is a good substitute for feta cheese.

Ingredients:

4 large Kohlrabis or 8 smaller ones
4-5 cups of baby spinach ( pressed down)
7 ounces ( 200 grams) feta cheese
2-3 TBS olive oil
4 TBS finely chopped shallots
1 TBS scant finely chopped garlic (a large clove)
2 small eggs
½ cup cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (180° Celsius).

Peel the kohlrabi with a sharp knife and cut them in half lengthwise. Put the halves in boiling salted water and simmer for 10 -12 minutes. The kohlrabi halves should still be firm. Keep the cooking water and hollowed out kohlrabi meat to use with the sauce.
Using a serrated grapefruit spoon or small knife , hollow out the center of each kohlrabi half, making a bowl in the center, so you can stuff the kohlrabi. If the kohlrabis are small buy 8 kohlrabies and use the whole Kohlrabi for the the bowl. Peel and cut of both ends, then hollow out the Kohlrabi.

The Stuffing:

Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic cloves. Sauté them in olive oil. Add the cleaned spinach and cook with a lid until the spinach wilts, about three minutes. Drain the spinach in a sieve (to get all the liquid out) and cool.
Chop the spinach and mix it with the eggs and crumbled feta cheese. Season with salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg. Fill the the kohlrabi halves (you might have some leftover stuffing). I baked my extra stuffing in a small, greased baking dish.
Puree about 2 cups of the cooking water with the leftover kohlrabi meat that you saved when you hollowed out kohlrabi in a food processor. Add the cream and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Put the stuffed kohlrabies in a baking dish and pour the sauce around the kohlrabies The sauce should cover the kohlrabies by about an inch (2 cm ).

Bake the stuffed kohlrabies for about 30 minutes.
This dish will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Guten Appetit!
Recipe adapted from a German recipe
by©Sunnycovechef

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German Cherry or Apple Cake

3/1/2018

There is nothing fancy about this peasant version of an apple or cherry cake, but you will enjoy every bite of it and not feel guilty. The apples are not thoroughly baked and the cake tastes like pound cake, although I am trying to make it more moist by playing with the recipe. You can enjoy it for breakfast or any time of the day. It is perfect for beginning bakers. If you don’t want to use apples, use cherries. Pitted Morello cherries in a jar can be substituted for apples. I tried frozen cherries but I didn't like them as much as the Morello cherries from Trader Joe's.

This apple or cherry cake is not overly sweet with only ½ cup of sugar but is full of fruit and flavor. I have baked this cake many times and have never gotten tired of it. The recipe is from an old Dr. Oetker cookbook that I brought with me when I came to this country in the seventies. The Dr.Oetker brand is a 100-year-old family-owned business where you can find products like vanilla sugar, puddings or baking powder here in the United States.

My very first cookbooks were three Dr. Oetker cookbooks. For my 16th birthday, my girlfriend Gabrielle, my mom and I made a cold buffet from the title picture of one of the books. I had promised my dad some leftovers, but there was nothing left at the end of the party. To this day, I wish I had put some food away for my sweet, hard-working dad, who will always be the love of my life. He was a gentle and loving man who was born into a horrible time in German history. He loved visiting me here in California and would have stayed longer if my mother hadn’t been homesick for her village.

If you want a richer and pie like German apple cake try my Apple Strudel Cake

If you measure the flour with a cup, make sure you add the flour by the spoonful and level it off with a knife. This will give you a more accurate measurement than scooping it out with the measuring cup, which compacts the flour. But you don’t need to do this with sugar.

Ingredients:

8 TBS (120 grams or 4 oz.) butter
4 oz (½ cup + 2 TBS or 120 grams) sugar
1/8 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
7 ½ oz ( 1 ½ cup or 200g ) all purpose flour
3 small eggs
2 tsp baking powder a
a pinch of salt
4 TBS buttermilk , yogurt, or regular milk

1 pound frozen or canned cherries
or 4 large apples

powdered sugar

Directions:

Bring the eggs and butter to room temperature.
Grease a 9-inch springform pan with a removable bottom and preheat the oven to 375˙ Fahrenheit.

Cream the soft butter, then add the sugar in thirds and mix until fluffy for about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl .

Stir in the eggs one at a time beating a minute each. Mix the flour with the baking powder and add in thirds.
Mix in the buttermilk and scoop the dough into the prepared pan.

Add the well drained cherries in a single layer.
If you are using apples, peel and cut them into quarters. With a small knife, make fan-shaped cuts on the top of the apple (lengthwise) and sprinkle them with lemon juice. Arrange the apples in a circle on top of the cake with one piece in the middle.

Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the dough. Cool the cake and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Guten Appetit!
Recipe by ©Sunnycovechef

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Königsberger Klopse - German Meatballs

11/2/2017

These are your quintessential German meatballs, carefully simmered and served with a tangy white sauce with capers and lemon juice. The sauce is full of flavor, the texture is velvety smooth and the meatballs will melt in your mouth. It is a well-loved dish you will find all over Germany.

My recipe comes from my niece’s husband’s mother, Kerstin, who lives near Berlin and is an excellent cook. I admire her cooking style, simple yet expertly refined through her constant tasting and slowly adding spices. No recipe is needed. I once asked her son to describe her cooking and the answer was Hausmannskost (home cooking).

Kerstin cooked the meatballs when she and her husband visited me in Santa Cruz. I loved watching her slowly perfect the flavor. I tried to take notes, but more than once had to cross out and rewrite. The second and third time I cooked them for my German girlfriends, I got rave reviews—and not one morsel was left.

This dish is named for the Prussian city of Königsberg which is now Kalinigrad in Northern Poland. If you go on the web, you will find many variations for the recipe. Originally, the meatballs were made with veal and either herring or anchovies were added. This dish is traditionally served with boiled potatoes and cooked beets tossed in vinegar. To develop the flavors, cook the meatballs the day before. It is a humble dish and easy to make.

To develop the flavors, cook the meatballs the day before and leave them in the broth.
Use white pepper if you have it. Once you have cooked the meatballs in the broth, let them steep for at least an hour in the pot. I left mine overnight. The longer you steep them, the more flavor will develop. This recipe makes about a dozen meatballs and serves four to six people.
Boil or steam the potatoes with their skins on for about 20 minutes or until soft when pierced with a knife. I like German butterball potatoes, but you can use any yellow potato. Peel them and serve them with the meatballs. Boil the beets with their skins on for at least 30 minutes or longer. I make a vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar , some finely chopped onions and salt and pepper. I add this to the warm peeled and sliced beets.

Ingredients:

The Broth
8 cups of water
2 bay leaves
5 whole allspice kernels
½ large onion (quartered)

Meatballs:
1½ lb ground pork
2 small eggs
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup finely chopped white onions
2 TBS breadcrumbs
1 3/4 tsp salt

Sauce:
4 TBS Butter
¼ cup + 2 TBS flour
4-5 cups broth
5 TBS capers
1 TBS caper juice
2 TBS ore more lemon juice
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Directions:

The Broth
In a large pot, bring the water, bay leaves, allspice and quartered onion to a boil.

The Meatballs:
Mix all the ingredients and form into 2-inch dumplings. Put the dumplings into the broth and bring to boil. When the dumplings rise to the top (after about 4-6 minutes) turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let it stand for an hour. The longer the dumplings steep, the better. You can do this a day ahead.

The Sauce:
Drain the meatballs through a sieve collecting the broth. Separate the meatballs and discard the rest.
To make the roux, melt the butter in a large cast-iron pot, add the flour and stir for several minutes. Be careful not to brown the mixture. Add small amounts of the broth, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Continue adding the broth until you reach your desired consistency, thick like cream that sticks your spoon. It should have a velvety texture. Add the capers, the caper juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Taste the sauce constantly and adjust by adding more or less. Put the meatballs into the sauce and simmer until the meatballs are heated.

Guten Appetit!
recipe by Kerstin Falkenberg
translated by@Sunnycovechef

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Berlin and Lüneburg

6/12/2017

View the recipe for Rockfish baked in parchment paper

Has it really been two months since I went to Germany in April? I went to visit my family and celebrate Easter with them. After celebrating a wonderful Easter holiday, I left my village and took the train to Lüneburg where my niece and her husband live. After Lüneburg, my niece and I spent a long weekend in Berlin. Read more about it on my Wanderlust blog.

Lüneburg

Back in Santa Cruz, I have been cooking up a storm and entertaining four visitors from Germany. We all had a wonderful time. I love playing tour guide because I live in such a beautiful area with so many things to see and do. My niece, her husband, and her in-laws are like family to me. Their favorite meal was steak, which my husband barbecued with baked potatoes and salad. For their welcome meal, I made a turkey dinner. Yes, I served turkey in May and it was delicious. I didn't do the whole bird, just the breast and legs which I had bought at Whole Foods. I made the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce from cranberries in my freezer. I will post my new turkey recipe at the appropriate time in November. It was a delicious meal and greatly appreciated by all. I made the turkey enchiladas from my blog with the leftovers.

At Big Basin Park, admiring the giant redwoods

Turkey or Chicken Enchiladas

After my visitors left, I bought a crate (about 28 pounds) of apricots and immersed myself in making jam, cobblers, apricot dumplings and an apricot cake. You can find all these recipes on my blog. I had planned to post a new apricot salad recipe, but it needs some work before I can do it. In the meantime, I cooked my fish in parchment paper and it was delicious. Instead of green beans, I used shaved zucchini and added some spring onions. It makes a perfect light summer dinner. For the fish, I used northern wild rockfish which was fresh and reasonably priced.

Cooking the fish in parchment paper

A meal full of flavors

View the recipe for Turkey or Chicken Enchiladas

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German Strawberry Shortbread Tart- Erdbeertorte

6/4/2017

This is a German strawberry cake that is easy to make and brings out the fruity flavor of strawberries.

On my last trip to Germany I was invited to a birthday celebration of my mother's friend and neighbor, Helga. Our families have been friends as long as I can remember. As a child I used to visit them all the time, sitting in their kitchen and watching the women prepare food. I felt like part of their family. It was a peaceful household where I would go when when I wanted to be somewhere else. Helga was a good friend to my mother and visited her regularly and brought her food. My mom would always tell me on the phone that Helga had brought her some herring salad (one of my mom’s favorites), soup or whatever she’d cooked that day. I am so grateful for the kindness and caring she gave my mother. Helga’s husband, Willie, was my father’s friend and both of them farmed together. My father, a gentle and kind soul, mentored young Willie, who always liked to tease young girls like me. On warm summer nights, with the windows open, he and his friend would lull me to sleep by playing their violins, which made up for the teasing during the day.

Blackberry Forest Cake

Egg Liqueur Torte ( Eierlikörtorte)

Let’s get back to the birthday party and the afternoon coffee and cake. In rural Germany a birthday party usually starts around four in the afternoon with Kaffee and Kuchen (coffee and cake). Later in the evening, a hot meal is served. Sometimes, a savory hot meal is served for lunch and then followed by coffee and cake. For Helga’s birthday, all her friends had baked a fancy cake for her occasion. Of course I had to sample each of them and they were all delicious. I managed to get some of the recipes and hope to post them in the future when I have more time—and strawberries are not in season.

For this post, I chose a common German cake that can be bought in almost any German supermarket, already baked (like a piecrust in this country). I don't care much for the commercial variety, preferring to bake my own. These cakes are called Tortenboden or Obstkuchenboden (try to pronounce that!) which translated means “the bottom for a cake” like you would use for a strawberry shortcake. This cake has fluted edges and the bottom is indented to create an edge. I used a Chef Tell dessert pan by Nordic Ware. I often use it to make flan. Any cake pan will do, and it will taste just as good. Once you bake this shortcake, you can be creative and use any fresh fruit you want. I remember way back when my aunt made it with kiwis and it was delicious. In my recipe I decided to use vanilla pudding for the bottom. Creme anglaise would be fantastic but I wanted to keep it simple and easy to make. Personally, I think it is just as good with a layer of strawberry jam. My husband preferred the one with the custard. In Germany, the cake is covered with a glaze that you can buy. Here in the US, you can buy Dr. Oetker’s glaze for fresh fruit tarts at Cost Plus or Walmart. It comes in small individual packages. I made my own glaze by using some sweetened strawberry/rhubarb juice that I cooked and thickened with pectin. Even though the glaze is traditionally used, I think you can do without it. What makes this cake even tastier is a dollop of Schlag (whipped cream). I sprinkled a handful of slivered almonds over my cake and added some blueberries for color.

My German visitors enjoyed my baked shrimp with quinoa and peas. Its a great dish for warmer days.

Click on the photo for the recipe

Strawberries are in season right now. Here are some recipes from my blog. Click on the photo to see the recipe.

Strawberry Punch

Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry Rhubarb Cake

Robert's Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Hazelnut Crisp

The tart and the custard can be prepared a day ahead of time. The pan has to be thoroughly buttered and then dusted with flour to prevent the cake from sticking. The eggs and butter need to be at room temperature. The original German recipe called for an 11-inch cake pan, although I used a 9-inch form and had enough dough left to make three little mini-tarts. My strawberries were very large, but smaller ones would be fine too. For the butter, I like to use European-style butter like Kerrygold. For the glaze, I used some sweetened strawberry and rhubarb juice, but you can use cherry juice or any dark fruit juice. There will be some leftover pudding and strawberries, which makes a great snack.

the glaze

the filling

A German baking pan

The baked inverted tart

Ingredients

The tart :

1 ½ sticks (13 TBS) butter (180g) at room temperature
1 cup (180g) sugar
3 eggs (at room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup flour (180g)
1 tsp baking powder

The filling:

1 package 6½ -cup Jello Cook-and-Serve pudding & pie filling1½ - 2 pounds of strawberries.

The glaze:

3/4 cup fruit juice
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS powdered pectin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F/ 180˚C.

The tart

Cover all the surface of the baking pan thoroughly with softened butter.
Sprinkle with flour, shaking off the excess.

Beat the soft butter in a stand-up mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the sugar and beat until creamy for several minutes. Add the vanilla extract and one egg at a time, continuing to beat after each addition until the dough is well combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the dough in several additions. Add the dough into a well-greased and floured cake pan. Smooth the top of the cake.
Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool slightly and very carefully remove the cake. I ran a knife around the edges before turning it over. Let the cake cool completely. At this point, you can keep it wrapped in the fridge for a day.

The pudding:

Prepare the pudding according to the directions on the package. You want your pudding to be stiff. This can also be done a day ahead of time.

The glaze:

Whisk together the sugar and the powdered pectin. In a small pan, bring the juice to a boil and drizzle the sugar-pectin mixture into the boiling juice whisking constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Cool until just barely warm. Drizzle the glaze over the strawberry tart.

Assembling the tart :

Rinse and dry the strawberries. Cut the top off each strawberry to make a flat edge. Spread about a cup of pudding over the cake, leaving the edges free. Beginning on the outside of the cake, arrange the strawberries in a circle with the cut side down. Play with this a little bit and have fun. Drizzle the cooled glaze over the strawberries and allow to set for an hour before serving. The torte can be kept in the fridge covered for a couple of days. Before serving, whip some cream and decorate the cake with it or just serve it on the side.

Guten Appetit
recipe from a German website
adapted by ©Sunnycovechef

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Celery Root ( Celeriac ) Salad with Ginger Shrimp

3/14/2017

This salad reminds me of a Waldorf salad because of the apples and walnuts. And the Parmesan dressing reminds me of a Caesar salad. But the ginger-flavored shrimp is what turns this salad into an entire meal. All you need is some rustic country bread and a glass of chardonnay.

I may make this for my next book club meeting. Speaking of my book club, we have read some interesting books lately which I would have never chosen on my own. We even saw a fun play called “The Book Club” by Karen Zacarias. One the books that got rejected in our bookclub was The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. I just started to read it and I love it. This book is a bestseller in Germany.

Celeriac, also known as celery root, turnip root, or knob celery is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible root. It has a strong flavor like a cross between celery and parsley. The BBC describes the celery root as an unsung hero with a subtle, celery-like flavor, with nutty overtones. I like that description. Don't throw the green leaves away because they give any stock a wonderful flavor and freeze nicely. Celeriac, a common vegetable in Germany, is often sold as part of a soup stock bundle. You usually get a couple of carrots, a leek, some parsley and part of a celery root with the green leaves tied together. All you have to do is throw it in with some chicken (and the bones) and you end up with some great chicken stock. My mom always cooked the whole celeriac with the peel in boiling water until it was soft.

How many of you my dear readers have walked by this gnarly root in the supermarket hardly looking at it? And if you did, did your ask yourself, what can I do with this funny looking thing? There are many recipes to choose from: a gratin, a purée, a soup or just adding it as a vegetable to different dishes like mashed potatoes. In France, it is often used as a remoulade. I love my celeriac in salads, not raw but blanched for no more than a minute in boiling water. I remember eating a celeriac root salad for Sunday dinner in Germany. It was made with a sour cream dressing. My recipe comes from a German magazine, although I changed it a bit.
I made this salad for the first time over a year ago and invited my friend Deb from
East of Eden Cooking. She made most the photos for this post. Thank you, Deb!

Celeriac is supposed to have some healing properties. It might help you with arthritis, rheumatism and with stomach or digestive problems. A cup of celeriac has only 60 calories and provides a perfect non-starch substitute for potatoes. And it can be prepared similarly.

Here is a recipe for a delicious and easy to make shrimp soup with celeriac from the town of Hamburg in Germany. Click here for the soup recipe.

Celery Root ( Celeriac ) Salad with Ginger Shrimp Recipe

Choose a firm celeriac that feels heavy. Some people say the smaller ones have more flavor. I usually buy the larger ones. This salad becomes very elegant if you use large prawns.

The peeled and sliced celery roots

The celery root sticks are being blanched

Ingredients

(makes 4 to 6 servings)

The salad

1 to 2 celeriac roots (about 1 pound or less)
coarse sea salt
1 tsp table salt
1 tart green apple
1 head of romaine lettuce
½ cup toasted walnuts
3 or more TBS lemon juice

The dressing

1 garlic clove (1 tsp peeled)
½ tsp coarse sea salt
1/3 cup (100g) mayonnaise
1/3 cup (100g) European yogurt
2 TBS prepared horseradish in a jar
½ cup milk
1¼ cup (50g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp Worcester sauce
several drops tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste

The shrimp

16-20 large peeled shrimps with tails
3 TBS olive oil
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 TBS (30g, 1.5 ounce) minced ginger

Dressing

I use Trader Joe’s European nonfat yogurt and I use a micro grater to grate the parmesan cheese, which gives it a light and fluffy texture. I grate the cheese this way because it is less dense than usual, hence a lighter dressing. You don't want to overpower the flavor with too much cheese. 50 grams is 1.5 ounces. Mash the garlic with the sea salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. The dressing can be kept in the fridge for several days and can be used on any salad.

Salad
Roast the walnuts in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool.
Using a sharp knife, cut both ends of the celeriac, then peel the rhino-tough skin. There will be a lot of peelings and roots for the compost pile. Slice the celeriac and then cut the slices into approximately ¼-inch thick and 2-inch long sticks. You will end up with different sizes, I'm just giving you an estimate. Think thicker Julienne strips. Immediately after cutting the celeriac sticks, put them in cold water with either vinegar or lemon juice. You can use a mandolin slicer, but I did it by hand. Bring a large pot of salted (about 1tsp salt or more ) water to a boil. Add the celeriac sticks and bring to boil again. Immediately drain the celeriac into a colander and rinse with cold water. You want the sticks to be still crunchy. Drain the celeriac again and let it cool and dry. I kept mine in a container for several days, I sprinkled them with additional lemon juice.

Shrimp
Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Make sure the shrimp is deveined. Rinse the shrimp and dry with kitchen towels. My husband does not believe in rinsing the shrimp because it washes out the flavor of the shrimp. Heat the the oil in a large frying pan. Depending on the size of the shrimp, sauté them for several minutes until they turn pink. Please, do not overcook your shrimp. If the shrimp are very large, wait a minute before adding the garlic and the ginger. Since mine were medium-sized, I added all the ingredients and sautéed my shrimp for about three minutes or less.

Assembling the salad
Separate the leaves of the romaine and rinse them to remove any dirt. I used my salad spinner to dry them. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wrap them in a towel and they will keep in the fridge for several days. Cut the apple into small slices (I didn't peel my apple). Mix the celeriac, lettuce and apples with half or less of the dressing. Sprinkle with the crushed walnuts and top with the shrimp. Serve extra dressing on the side. Since I had more than I needed, I served my salads over several days, keeping all the ingredients separate and mixing it with the dressing shortly before serving One night I served the salad without the shrimp.

Guten Appetit
recipe from a German Magazine
adapted by © Sunnycovechef

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Susanne's Rouladen

2/8/2017

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Rouladen or Rinderrouladen is a quintessential German meat dish made with bacon, onions and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef. The gravy is an absolute requirement to round out this dish. It is usually served with boiled potatoes, potato dumplings, or Spätzle (depending on the region). I like red cabbage with my Rouladen, but you can serve it with any vegetable you like. The dish was once considered a recipe for common folk, but today it is enjoyed by many people as a festive dish or a special Sunday meal. Imagine braised meat flavored with mustard, pickles, prosciutto, enhanced by a rich gravy. If you like that, than Rouladen is the dish for you.

My love affair with Rouladen began here in the United States when Susanne, my friend and neighbor and an excellent cook, started making it for me. This dish is the best cure when I get homesick for Germany. It’s like soul food imbedded into my DNA. It’s not fancy or delicate, but homey and nourishing. I can’t wait to sit at Susanne’s inviting table and start eating.
There are many recipes for Rinderroulden (beef roll-ups), but I enjoy Susanne’s the best. She uses thinly sliced prosciutto that she buys at Trader Joe’s (instead of bacon) as well as cornichons (gherkin pickles). The butcher slices a piece of London broil into 1/8 inch thin slices. I find that this dish develops more flavor when made a day ahead.

My recipe for red cabbage ( here is the link for the recipe) goes well with Rouladen. Susanne serves boiled potatoes that she flavors with melted butter and parsley. Thank you Susanne, for being my friend and taking care of me for so many years.

For dessert I recommend something light and lemony like my lemon mouse, lemon pudding cake, or my lemon and buttermilk sorbet. Click on the photo for the recipe.

Have the butcher cut a rectangular piece of London broil into 1/8-inch slices. When I made the recipe, I got seven pieces. Suzanne got six pieces. It also important to dice the cornichons and onions into very small cubes.

Ingredients:

makes 6-7 Rouladen

about 2 Ib. London broil beef
½ - 3/4 cup finely chopped onions
20-24 cornichons
6-7 TBS Dijon mustard
6-7 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
smoked paprika
salt and pepper
2 or more TBS oil
3 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
2 cups dry red wine
2 or more cups chicken broth
1 TBS sour cream or crème fraîche

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˙degrees Fahrenheit. Put the oven rack on the bottom.
Cut off the stems of the cornichons and dice into small cubes.
Season the beef slices with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika. Thinly spread about
1 TBS mustard on top of each slice.
Add a piece of prosciutto on top of the mustard. Sprinkle each slice with 1TBS finely chopped onions and 1TBS cornichons.
Starting at the larger end, roll up the slices and secure with a toothpick. Susanne has special skewers she brought from Germany. You can also use thread to secure the Rouladen.
Heat 1 TBS butter and the oil in a large dutch oven with a lid. The fat should be sizzling (but not smoking) when you put the Rouladen in. Do not crowd the Rouladen, browning three or four at a time. Remove and repeat with the rest of the Rouladen. Make sure the Rouladen are browned nicely on all sides.
When all the Rouladen are browned, remove them from the pot. Add the wine and deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth to the red wine and bring it to a boil. Add the Rouladen and make sure that they are mostly covered with the liquid. Add the lid and put the pot in a preheated oven on the bottom shelf. Braise for 1 hour and 25 minutes.
This can be done a day ahead of time. Reheat the Rouladen before making the gravy.
After you finished cooking them in the oven, remove the Rouladen onto a plate and sieve the juices into a bowl. To make the gravy, melt 2 TBS butter, add 2 TBS flour and sauté until slightly browned. Slowly add the sieved juice and with a whisk, stir the gravy to a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Rouladen and the rest of the juices to the gravy. Before serving, add 1 TBS sour cream. Some people remove the toothpicks or skewers, but I didn't. Serve the extra gravy in a gravy boat.

Guten Appetit!
recipe by Susanne Rather ©Sunnycovechef

1 Comment

German Lemon Mousse ( Zitronenspeise)

10/25/2016

3 Comments

This creamy, cloud-like mousse is a traditional German dessert called Zitronenspeise (lemon dish). It is the perfect ending to a heavy meal and a melt-in-your-mouth heavenly dessert.

Traditionally, it is made with cream, eggs and lemon juice. After several trials, I made a lighter version using yogurt and less cream and sugar. There are several ways to serve this lemon dessert, either in individual serving bowls or in one large bowl. I like to serve it spooned onto a plate with a raspberry sauce and some added seasonal fruits. Since it is now October, I baked some plums with honey added. But any seasonal fruit is fine. Of course, this dessert is great just be itself without anything extra.

At the end of July my friend Debra who writes a blog called “East of Eden” and I attended the 2016 International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) in Sacramento, CA. We enjoyed a wonderful weekend filled with excursions to local farms, some great break-out sessions, and a spectacular outdoor dinner. One evening, vendors from local restaurants, food suppliers and businesses introduced us to their products, one of them being pasteurized eggs from “Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs.” Read how the eggs are being pasteurized here, which includes a cute video. Now that I found these eggs, I don't have to worry using raw eggs when I serve this dessert to my friends and family.

I am entering my recipe in a contest that Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs has offered to bloggers who participated in either the IFBC conference, Eat Write Blog or Blog Brulee to develop a recipe using their eggs. Because I received a discount to attend the IFBC , I agreed to write three posts about the conference. For the record, all my opinions expressed are my own.

This is not a difficult recipe, but it's important to follow the steps. It is also important to use a thick creamy yogurt, as runny yogurts won’t do. This is a very delicate dessert, so you want to chop the zested lemon finely , so you don’t end up with strands of lemon zest.

Ingredients:

(This makes 6 generous servings)

1 cup heavy whipping cream (100 ml)
3/4 cup white sugar (150 g)
3 pasteurized eggs, separated
8 oz (1 cup or 227 grams) plain creamy yogurt
1/3 cup lemon juice plus 2TBS (120ml)
½ tsp. grated, then chopped lemon peel
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
a pinch of salt

Directions:

1.Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Begin whisking on medium speed, adding the pinch of salt. Increase the speed, and when the egg whites get frothy, slowly sprinkle 4 TBS of the sugar in small increments. The egg whites should triple in volume and the sugar should be dissolved, which will take about 6-8 minutes.

2.Transfer the beaten egg whites to a different bowl.

3.Add the whipping cream into the mixer bowl (there is no need to wash the bowl) and beat until stiff. Transfer the whipped cream to yet another bowl.

4. Heat some water in a medium-sized pot. Using a heatproof bowl, sprinkle the envelope of gelatin over a ¼ cup of cold water. Let the gelatin stand for a minute or two until it softens. Set the heatproof bowl in the pot with the simmering water, and stir the gelatin until it is completely dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat, keeping the bowl with the gelatin in the pot of water.

5. Using the whisk attachment, beat the the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar in the mixer bowl (the one you haven’t washed yet), until yellow and fluffy for several minutes. Add the lemon juice and yogurt and mix well.

6.Stir in the gelatin from the heatproof bowl. Carefully, with a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Next, fold in the egg whites with a circular motion. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream and the beaten egg whites.

7. Finally, pour the mousse into individual bowls or a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This is a great dessert to make ahead of time.

Guten Appetit!
recipe by©Sunnycovechef

3 Comments

Vanilla Sauce

9/28/2016

It's fall and I should be posting my pear tart recipe. Instead, I bought three beautiful baskets of delicious strawberries from my friend Ronald at the local farmer's market. They are so good that we ate half of them while listening to music during our weekly get-together at the market. Each Sunday when I am in town, I meet with some friends over lunch with at the market. It has become a lovely and relaxing Sunday ritual that I really enjoy.

The strawberries from Ronald are sweet with an earthy flavor. They are good just by themselves, but I thought I fancy them up a little with vanilla sauce. It is a simple and straightforward recipe, yet so delicious – and a healthy ending to any meal. My husband decided to grill a steak since the temperature reached over 90 degrees here on the Pacific coast. After a foggy and cold summer, this was a welcome respite.

Sunny Cove Beach

Vanilla sauce brings back memories from my childhood days. Almost every Sunday, we would have pudding for our Sunday lunch (which was dinner served at noon). We ate bread and spreads in the evening and called it Abenbrot, which literally means “the bread for the evening.” Our favorite pudding was Götterspeise (translates as “the meal of the gods”) known as Jello here in the US. Jello is also called Wackelpudding, meaning that the pudding will wobble when touched or moved. Another favorite dessert of mine is rote Grütze (red fruit Jello). My mom always would serve these puddings with vanilla sauce. I apologize for boring you with all of of this, but trust me, I have not thought of them for years. Maybe that’s why I like blogging, because it brings back so many memories. My sweet dad loved these puddings. He has been gone for so long, but I believe that chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce was his favorite. He was such a sweet and kind man.

Back to the sauce! It is light, healthy, easy to make with a velvety texture and creamy flavor. It will elevate any fresh fruit– strawberries, raspberries or simple puddings–to another level. You can make it in no time and be creative by serving a cookie on the side, some ice cream or whatever tickles your fancy. This time, I just sliced the strawberries and added some of the sauce. Enjoy!

Just in case you are longing for some apple or pear cakes, here is my well loved apple strudel cake, as well as a delicious chunky pear nut cake flavored with spices and juicy pears. Click on the picture to get the recipe.

The sauce is made in about 15 minutes. There is only one trick to it: Do not let it come to a boil because it will curdle and ruin your sauce. The sauce was plenty sweet enough for me, but you could add another tablespoon of sugar for those who have a sweet tooth. This sauce is thick and creamy, resembling a runny custard.

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
4 TBS sugar
1 TBS corn starch
2 ½ cups of milk
1 vanilla pod

Directions

Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch with a metal whisk in a heavy medium-sized pot. Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape the seeds out and add it all to the mixture. Slowly add the milk, whisking the sauce most of the time over medium heat, until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and continue to cool in the pot, whisking occasionally. Remove the vanilla pod and put the sauce into a container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Guten Appetit!
recipe©Sunnycovechef

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A German-American Potato Salad

9/2/2016

Perfect for Picnics & Parties

This potato salad is one of my favorite recipes—I created every bite of it myself. So, if you don't like it, you have only me to blame. I have used this recipe for decades, and it’s perfect for picnics, large parties or any small gathering. There is no mayonnaise, so it won't go bad if left out on the table for awhile. When I have a large summer party, I usually make this salad (or my Chinese noodle salad), both go well with salmon, chicken or any other protein. It makes a stunning presentation.

This salad has several components. I use small white potatoes that I steam, and then add some steamed green beens and radishes. Pickled onions or pickled carrots are delicious as well. You can let your imagination and taste buds run wild. Shortly before serving, I arrange everything on a large bed of mixed lettuce. Many moons ago, when I was snooping around kitchens in Germany, a farm woman told me to slowly heat up the vinaigrette—and that's what I've been doing ever since.

If you make this, I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and family have.

German-American Potato Salad Recipe

All these ingredients are approximate. I made my last batch using fingerling potatoes. Other small potatoes are also good (especially when you feed a large crowd) because fingerlings can be expensive. When I use larger potatoes, I use Yellow Finns or German Butterballs which I did a couple of weeks ago. More dressing is needed when using larger potatoes.

Here are some important things to remember :

Use firm white potatoes (russet potatoes are not good for this).
When you use larger potatoes, you need more dressing because these kind of potatoes absorb more dressing.
Steaming the potatoes and beans makes for a better salad.
The amount of vinaigrette depends on the texture of the potatoes. Sometimes, I double the vinaigrette so that I have some extra if needed. You will have quite a bit of leftover vinaigrette if do this. Extra vinaigrette will keep in the fridge and is good for different salads.
I keep everything in separate bowls and assemble the salad before serving.
I use different grainy mustards

Ingredients

2 lbs. yellow potatoes
1 lb. green beans (the skinnier the better)
2 cups mixed greens
3-4 TBS chopped cornichons (small pickles)
2 TBS chopped chives
sweet peppers and radishes for garnish
coarse sea salt

Vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped red onions
1 ½ tsp. mustard
½ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1+ TBS cornichons (pickle) juice

Directions

While the potatoes are steaming, put the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small, heavy pot. Mix well and add the onions. Very slowly, warm the vinaigrette until it is hot (but not boiling). Add sugar, salt and pepper while the vinaigrette is heating up.

Wash and steam the potatoes in a covered pot for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Test for doneness with a sharp paring knife. Do not overcook the potatoes. Peel the potatoes while they bare still hot. Use a fork to hold the potatoes, while peeling them with a paring knife. Put the potatoes in a bowl and pour 3/4 of the vinaigrette over the potatoes. Mix gently so that all potatoes are covered with the vinaigrette. You might have to add some extra. Cover the bowl and keep it room temperature.

I have kept marinated potatoes refrigerated for a day or longer. Steam the washed and trimmed green beans in a covered pot for 3-4 minutes. I love my beans al dente. When finished steaming, put the beans in a bowl of ice water. This way they will keep their nice, shiny green color. Dry them with a paper towel, put in a bowl and add some of the vinaigrette to the beans. Cover the bowl, and keep at room temperature if you are serving it the same day. Otherwise, refrigerate the beans. Before plating, taste the potato salad and add extra vinaigrette, salt and pepper if needed. Mix in the cornichons, juice and chives.

To assemble, put the lettuce on a large plate. Mound the potatoes in the middle of the plate, adding the beans around them. Decorate with radishes and sweet small peppers. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Guten Appetit!
recipe © Sunnycovechef

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German Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Sheet Cake

8/15/2016

1 Comment

This delicious light and fruity cake is easy to make. It makes a great snack or breakfast. One could call it a coffee cake. You will find it in every German bakery or household using a variety of different fruits. I’ve used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and plums. However, my favorite for this cake are gooseberries mixed with red currants. I love the tartness of these fruits from the northern hemisphere. Unfortunately, they do not grow here in northern California. I have tried to grow them many times, but without success, as they need frost in the winter. .

It all started when my blogging friend, Suzanne, from apuginthekitchen had bought some gooseberries and red currants at the farmer’s market and asked if anybody knew what to do with them. Instant childhood memories came to mind of stuffing myself with gooseberries fresh from the bushes as they ripened. I remember spitting out the tough skin while enjoying the soft creamy inside filled with seeds. My mom used to can them so that in the cold winter we could eat them as compote with vanilla sauce for our Sunday lunch. Sunday lunches were warm meals (more elaborate than weekday meals) and there was always dessert. My family would also bake large sheet cakes or Blechkuchen as they are known in Germany. These cakes could be as simple as a yeast cake dotted with butter and sprinkled with sugar, which is called Zuckerkuchen (sugar cake). Or the cake could have fruit with custard added as a topping. Another favorite sheet cake of mine is Schmandkuchen (sour cream cake), a yeast cake topped with a rich custard and raisins. Today, whenever I’m in Germany these simple cakes are some of my favorites.

Let’s get back to my sheet cake. I cut the recipe in half, which still makes enough for 9 generous pieces. I used a mixture of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I am going to try plums next time. If I use plums, I will add some cinnamon too. With the second cake, I substituted spelt flour for the regular flour and ¼ cup coconut sugar for the regular sugar. This version of my cake was dense and lacked the lightness of the other cake. I think my cake tasters were polite when they said they liked it. I prefer the regular recipe served with whipped cream or ice cream.

The spelt flour cake

If you like butter you will like this buttery almond sheet cake I posted earlier.

Creaming the dough

The washed berries

Dusting the berries with cornstarch

The cake is ready to be baked

Ingredients

9 TBS (125g) soft butter
½ cup( 100g) sugar
1/8 cup (50g) heavy cream
3 eggs (at room temperature)
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup (150g) flour
2 tsp baking powder
10-12 ounces mixed fruit
1 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS raw sugar

Directions

Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
Spray or butter an 9” x 9” square pan.
Mix the flour with the baking powder in a separate bowl.
In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until double in volume.
Add the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and one egg at a time.
Add half the flour and stir for a few seconds until combined.
Add the cream and the rest of the flour, and mix until the flour is blended into the dough.
Scrape the dough with a spatula into the pan and spread it evenly.
Wash the fruit in a sieve. Add the cornstarch to the fruit and shake. Put the fruit on the cake, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle 2 TBS raw sugar over the cake and bake in the middle of the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Test it with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Serve the cake with whipped cream or ice cream.

Guten Appetit!
recipe © Sunnycovechef

1 Comment

Marillen Knödel - Apricot Dumplings

6/18/2016

An ode to dumplings and apricots, a special treat

These dumplings are delicious leftovers from the old Austrian-Hungarian Empire, Bohemia and Moravia (today’s Czech Republic). In Austria, apricots are called Marillen, hence the name. The savory curd dough is stuffed with an apricot, cooked and then rolled in breadcrumbs that are roasted in butter. They can be a stand-alone meal or a dessert.

I make apricot dumplings once or twice every year when apricots are in season. They are a culinary dumpling delight. Think of a Chinese (or any other dumpling) filled with shrimp or meat and now take away the savory stuffing and add apricots instead. What you will get is a taste like no other dish, a sensation of flavors that makes you want more and more. I’ve been wanting to post this recipe for a couple of years. This year, I made them for dessert after a light meal. I kept some dough for the following day so that I could take some photos. I was in heaven, eating them all day long. Marillen Knödel (apricot dumplings) are said to be the favorite dessert of the Austrian composer, Gustav Mahler. I enjoy his music and I enjoy the dumplings.

There are different kinds of dough. I watched some Austrian “youtube” videos about all the various kinds. Boy, do I have a difficult time understanding the Austrian-German dialect. I decided to use a recipe from Delicious Days and the Wednesday Chef. To make these dumplings, you have to have quark, a German soft cheese made from soured milk. Wikipedia explains it quite well. For Santa Cruz locals, you can find quark at Shopper’s Corner. Sometimes I buy mine in Oakdale, a Central Valley town in California. This is a town you will drive through if you go to Yosemite, a great spot to stop for a break for kids and dogs and picnics. They have the best aged cumin gouda cheese ever—and they have quark. They sell their cheeses at quite a few northern California farmer’s markets.Check their website here.
Quark freezes well. Almost every morning, I have toast with quark and jam. Years ago, I bought a yogurt maker that also makes quark . My machine is a Salton Quark Maker . It turns buttermilk into quark. For this recipe, you have to drain the quark in a fine sieve to turn it into Austrian Tropfen, a firmer version of quark.

Enough of quark and back to the dumplings. I recommend you make these if you like to experiment with cooking. They are so different from the food I usually eat. Dumplings can be tricky, but with a little bit of practice, you will be richly rewarded.

We finished reading The Goldfinch for our book club. All of us agreed that the writing was superb and the story was interesting. Art was woven throughout the story. Everybody in the bookclub liked some part of the book. My friend, Virginia, says that the book is a great escape from awkward and boring situations, spiced heavily with decadence, but quite philosophical in the end. My girlfriend, Marie, had recommended it, which is no surprise since she is an accomplished watercolor artist herself. Here is her website. We chose two books for our next read, one of them being Elizabeth Huxley’s The Flame Trees of Thika and Zero K by Don DeLillo. This will give me something to read on my upcoming flight to Germany. I am also reading the last of the four books of the Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante.

While making the second batch of dumplings, I found a trick on youtube on how to remove the apricot pit. Gently press a wooden spoon lengthwise through the apricot, beginning where the stem of the apricot was (the little black dot) and push the pit out the other side. If this scares you, cut them in half leaving them intact. The best apricots for the dumplings are small to medium sized. Make sure the fruit is covered tightly with the dough and has no creases. Form them with your hands. If you want them sweeter, sprinkle them with powdered sugar. I kept some of the dough covered overnight in the fridge. I think it didn't make that much difference. However, the dumplings should be eaten as soon as they are made. Some recipes call for a sugar cube, which I used for two of them. I personally prefer Turbinado raw cane sugar, but I think brown sugar will also be fine