The flavors of Apricot and Almond complement each other, so it’s no surprise that an Apricot Marzipan Cake, Aprikosen Marzipan Kuchen, gets gobbled up every time I serve it. Instead of chunks or a layer in the cake, the marzipan gets whipped into the cake batter to create a light, almond flavor base for 2 pounds of Apricots! The hot…
Author: karenanne
A Visit to Ellis Island- Ellis Island Immigrants from Germany
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…
The Brot Box! It’s Where to Buy German Bread
Ask most people what they miss the most about Germany, and they will say, “The Bread.” Bread, real German bread, where to buy German Bread? Flavorful loaves made from rye for Abendbrot, Brötchen (rolls) with crisp crust at the breakfast table, and seeded loaves to accompany soups. While the artisanal breads are gaining traction here in the United States, NOTHING…
The General Slocum Disaster of 1904- A German-American Tragedy
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…
A Visit to the German American Heritage Museum- Washington DC
The German American Heritage Museum may be one of the smaller museums in Washington, DC. Still, their efforts to preserve the history of Germans in America make up for its tiny footprint. (Plus, I firmly believe that small museums are the best.) Since 2010, the museum has been located in Hockemeyer Hall on 6th Street NW, in the Penn Quarter,…
Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift Washington DC
On May 21, 2024, I was honored to represent the Berlin Airlift Remembrance Alliance at the Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. The event took place in the shadow of the imposing towers of the US Air Force Memorial in Washington DC. Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift Washington DC The Ambassador of the…
Haribo Gummi Bears- Yes! German And American Gummi Bears are Different
I was lucky. When I was a child, my Opa sent brown-wrapped parcels filled with sweets to America. And inside, there were always packets of German Haribo Gummi Bears. When my kids were young, we started seeing Gummi bears in American stores. But they weren’t quite the same, and I wondered: Are German and American Gummi Bears different? April 27th…
Friedenssaal and the Peace of Westphalia – Münster Germany
Through the Arches, up the front steps, and inside the Historic Rathaus along Münster’s Prinzipalmarkt, you’ll find the Friedenssaal, Hall of Peace. The room has remained essentially unchanged for the past 375 years, from the time when envoys across Central Europe arrived to debate and hammer out details for the Treaty of Westphalia and Peace of Münster, which ended the…
Red Cabbage Salad Recipe – Rotkohlsalat
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…