Warm and comforting Rotkohl or Blaukraut, flavored with cloves, is a standard side dish for so many German wintertime meals, but I crave something cold and crisp in the summertime. Something for my Salatteller (salad plate). This Red Cabbage Salad Recipe, or Rotkohlsalat,  not only tastes delicious, but the jewel-like color of the cabbage looks beautiful on a plate. This…

My mother and my Oma came from different corners of Germany, so naturally, each has a different recipe for cucumber salad. Oma passed along this Creamy German Cucumber Salad recipe. From Mom, I got the German Cucumber Salad recipe that uses an oil and vinegar base (find the recipe here). While both are quite tasty, this creamy version is the…

This German Cucumber Salad Recipe makes a refreshing side-dish, and is a fantastic addition to your German Salatteller. The tangy flavor gives your plate a nice balance from creamy gravies or fried foods. Perfect for summer! Cucumber salad is another simple German salad. Slice cucumber, toss in dressing. The only decision you have to make is about the onions. In…

Don’t you love a fresh tomato in summertime? It tastes of sunshine. Even when I can’t get any other veggies in my garden to cooperate, I always seem to have success with tomatoes. This year, we got a bonus when a few “volunteer” plants came up in the garden before we started planting! Naturally, they all seem to want to…

  Yes, you do need another Apple Cake Recipe, and this rustic and Juicy Apple Cake is perfect for apple lovers and moms who want to encourage their people to eat more fruit. Chunks of juicy apples keep the cake extra moist, and the crunchy cinnamon sugar topping adds sweetness. The cake looks a bit rustic, but the flavor will…

This German Applesauce Cake recipe falls under the heading “Pantry cake,” meaning you probably have everything you need to bake this cake already on hand (if you are a regular baker). Flour, Sugar, Butter, applesauce. You don’t even need an EGG!  Better yet… the cake is prepared, baked, and on the table in an hour. Perfect for Sunday Kaffeeklatsch, or…

Like many other foods in Germany, you won’t find just one recipe for German Apple Cake. I now keep several different recipes in my back pocket because you never know; the apple cake must fit the occasion, after all! Apfelkuchen mit Streusel vom Blech (Apple Streusel cake in a Pan) for every day and Versunkener Apfelkuchen (sunken Apple Cake) is…

One of the most baked cakes in Germany is an Apple Cake. You find them in every cafe and at any Kaffee Klatsch with more than two cakes; generally, one will be an apple cake. It’s the cake many German home-bakers learn first. In the same way that there is a Potato Salad recipe for every region (and for every…

When you think of Massachusetts, the first thing that might come to mind is the rich tapestry of American history that’s woven into its cities and towns. But did you know that there’s also a strong German influence that’s left an indelible mark on its historical sites? From architecture to cuisine, German immigrants have greatly influenced the Bay State. They’ve left…

Most people don’t think about German-American history when they think about Southern California. Pennsylvania, of course, Wisconsin, naturally, but California? YES! Anaheim’s German History is a great story. The city of Anaheim began as a colony of Germans! (Yes, Anaheim, home to the House of Mouse). In 1857, 50 Germans formed an association called the Los Angeles Vineyard Company and…

A few years ago, I visited the Bremerhaven Auswandererhaus (Emigration Museum), and more recently, I visited Ellis Island, where many immigrants landed on the other side of the Atlantic. The museum houses the other half of the immigration story. I went, unsure of how much German history I would see; after all, Ellis Island acted as an immigration station for…

  1021 people, primarily women and children, perished in the General Slocum Disaster of 1904. And yet, the tragedy is mostly forgotten. Kleindeutschland (Little Deutschland) in New York City thrived through the 1800s into the turn of the century. German-Americans lived, worked, shopped, and worshipped in this thriving neighborhood. Then, on June 15, 1904, 1358 people climbed aboard the General…