Cover image- Johann Wilhelm Cordes, Wilde Jagd Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons A ferocious storm hit my corner of California in December. The wind howled as it battered the house, moaning sounds came down the chimney, doors rattled, and we could hear branches cracking outside. There was a sudden popping sound, and we were plunged into darkness. Thankfully, the extra…

, Frau Holle Cover Image- Nickge4, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons When it snows in Hessen, people say Frau Holle shakes out her feather beds. Thanks to Grimm’s Fairy Tales, we all have a mental image of an old woman airing her bedding out the window. But the story of Frau Holle goes further back in German history; she…

My mother’s Oma refused to do laundry during the Twelve Days of Christmas. To me, this makes perfect sense. The Christmas Season is just so busy; who wants to do laundry? But the reason goes deeper, to the legends of the Rauhnacht.  The Rauhnächte is the time between the years when old memories carry out traditions from pagan times in…

Deep in the Alpine region of Germany, two frightening beings bookend the Christmas Season. Krampus roams on December 5th, and Frau Perchta is associated with Berchentag, the Feast of the Epiphany, on January 6th. But Who is Frau Perchta? Or WHAT is Frau Perchta? Is she an evil hag who kills lazy women and children? Or is she a beautiful…

My daughter came home from school for winter break craving Graupensuppe or German Pearl Barley Soup. I get it. When you are away from home, you crave the foods you only get at home. Soups or stews that make you feel loved inside. After visiting a few stores to find Pearl Barley (is there a shortage?), we made a big…

Going over the dinner/grocery list the other day, I suddenly craved German Lentil Soup (Linsensuppe), the kind my mom made…with Würstchen (Frankfurters). When I was a child, we’d each get our own sausage with the soup, and the ends would hang over the bowl. To my 8 year old brain, THAT was the height of luxury! (Honestly, I was a…

In Northern Germany, Grünkohl or Kale often comes to the table in winter. (I was eating Kale WAY before Kale was cool.) People will even make a Grünkohlfahrt (giggle), a strenuous hike followed by a traditional meal of Kale. My mother’s kitchen was German, which meant WE ate a lot of Kale, too. But I grew up in Southern California,…

I love a good Eintopf, a one-pot meal, and my favorite would have to be German Green Bean Soup, also known as Gruene Bohneneintopf. This easy and delicious meal satisfies even the heartiest of appetites. It’s loaded with Green Beans, potatoes, and even beef (and a little bacon). Along with a few slices of bread, it’s the perfect meal for…

In Germany, they eat seasonally: Strawberries and Asparagus in late Spring, Pfifferlinge in Summer, and Grünkohl (Kale) in Winter. Over the past 20 years, another seasonal dish has appeared on German menus in the Fall: Kürbissuppe or Pumpkin Soup. It’s everywhere. This flavorful, orange soup makes a rich starter or even a filling main meal. But how did Pumpkin Soup…

There’s a sort of funny joke circulating about a recipe blogger who confesses to a murder in the wordy part of the post before the actual recipe, but, since no one reads this part, she gets away with it. Don’t panic. There’s nothing in this Apricot Blueberry Streusel Cake Recipe post, except a recipe. But the idea is intriguing. (Filing…

Summer is here, so it’s time for “lighter” cakes that show off summer fruits. In Germany, I’ve enjoyed the Erdbeer Biskuitrolle mostly with süße Sahne (sweetened whipped cream), some homemade Erdbeermarmelade (strawberry jam), and fresh berries rolled up inside. The vanilla cake gets its lift from eggs so that you can feel less guilty about all that cream! Fresh strawberries…

My mother cooked German soups and Eintopfe (One-pot meals) all winter. Soups transform simple ingredients into flavorful and filling meals. German Potato Soup with Smoked Sausage is the perfect example of this.  The humble potato, the Erd-Apfel, was a side dish at almost every meal. (Boiled, fried, mashed, Klöße…) We were the only ones in our neighborhood with a special…

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…