The South Dakota Kuchen recipe sent me on a deep dive through two of my favorite topics: German Immigration History and Food. I can already hear all the Germans saying, “Kuchen means Cake”! And yes, generally, when speaking German, saying “Kuchen” means a non-specific “cake.” But THIS Kuchen refers to a very specific kind of cake. South Dakota’s Kuchen arrived…
Category: German Foods and Recipes
Bavarian Kaiserschmarrn mit Apfel Compote ala Xaver’s Munich
This week, I traveled to Bavaria by Zoom for a semi-private cooking lesson with the chef and owner of Xaver’s in Munich… step-by-step they led me through the process, and in the end, I had a delicious plate loaded with powder sugar-dusted Bavarian Kaiserschmarrn and an extraordinarily tasty Apfel Compote. Granted, it wasn’t nearly the same as being there, but…
Pfirsichschnitten- Peach Streusel Cake Squares
The other day, I was flipping through a German cookbook, and a recipe fell out. Pfirsichschnitten. It was my handwriting, and I can remember clearly copying it from a recipe I found in my Oma’s recipe drawer onto the grid paper from her tablet. This deceptively simple cake has always been a favorite. It’s the kind of cake to enjoy…
Karneval Berliner – How to Make Berliner
Why are Berliner / Pfannekuchen / Krapfen made during Karneval Season? Karneval is a time of exuberance before Lent’s austerity. Believers are supposed to give up tasty things like fried foods for those 40 days before Easter. So, be sure to eat all the Berliner you can BEFORE midnight on Karneval Dienstag! (Shrove Tuesday). Berliners are filled with tasty fillings…
Oma’s German Red Cabbage Recipe- Skip the Jar, Make it Yourself!
My daughter came out of her room and said, “The house smells like Christmas; how long have I been studying?” It’s true; although red cabbage is easy to make and works as a great side dish for many different meats, I mainly make it for the holidays. My German red cabbage recipe is my mother’s red cabbage recipe. This year,…
Grünkohlsuppe Recipe from an American Kitchen- German Kale Soup
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,…
Super Easy German Fanta Cake or Fantakuchen Recipe
You probably won’t find Fanta Cake in a fancy German Cafe, but don’t scoff at this super easy and quick-to-make Fantakuchen Recipe. When my kids were young, I loved having what I called “afterschool cake” recipes. Snack cakes that could be whipped up without too much fuss. This one is baked in under an hour (perfect when a crowd of…
German Soups, Stews, and Eintopfe – Perfect for Cooler Days
German food is often stereotyped as consisting mainly of large chunks of meat or sausage. But that really doesn’t tell the whole story of German Cuisine. I grew up eating German Soups, Stews, and Eintopfe. At least once a week, my mother would cook a hearty soup or Eintopf that, along with a slice of bread and butter, would fill…
Russian German Honey Cake Recipe
I held off sharing this Honey Cake Recipe for a long time because of its origins. You see, I got it from my friend Josephine, who got it from her Russian-German Grandmother (after MUCH arm twisting and spying). The cake didn’t resemble the flat square Honig Kuchen I baked from an old family recipe. And 25 years ago, I didn’t…