Saturday, March 26, 2011

Tonight we ate so very German

Komme, alle Freunde!  Komme zum essen Tisch.  Heute Abend gibt es Bockwurst, Frätzele Kartoffel, Apfelsosse und Spinat.  Wir essen echt Deutsch!

Now, if you are all still with me, let me share my excitement.  Last week I ordered from my hometown meat market, German bockwurst.  It is not bratwurst, but similar.  It is only produced during Lent.  As a child, growing up in the Amana Colonies, this was a typical meal every Friday evening during Lent.  It has been much to long, many, many years since I have eaten Bockwurst. 

When we lived in Michigan as a young married couple, we would be able to obtain bockwurst from Milwaukee, a German meat market, Usinger's.  But, it was oh, so very different.  Usinger's uses veal as a base.  It was alright, but not my favorite. 

The Amana Meat Shop and Smokehouse makes their bockwurst from beef, pork, eggs, milk and chives.  I do believe it is the chives that makes this delectable sausage sing "Spring".  I do not have to express my satisfaction on the first slice of this sausage this evening.  You get the picture.

Of course, the Frätzle Kartoffel are also a must.  Traditionally, they are always served on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter.  My childhood neighbor, Larry, always called them Grüne Frätz, which sort of translate "green funny face."  It is simply shredded potatoes and salt, but if the potatoes sit too long, the pink-colored starch starts seeping out and when fried, it does tend to have a green hue.  It is a wonderful way to get kids to eat their fried raw potatoes.

And then, applesauce is a traditional partner to the potatoes.  Not store-bought applesauce.  Oh no...don't do that!  Just cook up some nice cut up apples and perhaps, add a touch of sugar.   The creamed spinach added a nice touch of color.  I'm sorry you couldn't all join us.  Ausgezeichnet!!



18 comments:

  1. Mmm lecker!! Das schmect sehr gutt (sorry for the terrible spelling!)

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  2. Oh Susan, you have made me so homesick now. Your dinner sounds like soul food to me. Must order Bockwurst now! Sorry, too hungry to think in German.

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  4. Lee, only a soul mate from Amana can appreciate this...ya?

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  5. Yum, I always ate bockwurst this time of the year when I was a kid too. I have tried Usingers bockwurst too and it didn't taste the same. I thought it was just me. I am glad to know that it wasn't me.

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  6. Malzeit! The cherry on the schnitzel would be red cabbage.
    Lovely!

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  7. Köstlich - guten Appetit!

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  8. sehr gut! (oops, no idea how to do an umlaut on the keyboard) I don't know if I've ever had bockwurst - I'm going to check this out!

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  9. Anonymous6:43 AM

    Hoert sich sehr lecker an. Das Wurst jedoch an Freitagen gegessen wird waere bei meiner Oma (sehr streng katholisch) jedoch eine Todsuende gewesen.
    Bockwurst kenne ich auch, muss ich im Sommer in D mal wieder essen.

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  10. Ah, I'm hungry, Susan! This sounds lovely. We often buy meat from the German butcher in Illinois, Stiglmeier.com. My sil is from Munich, one brother in law lives in Ravensburg and one near Coburg. Paul and I lived just north of Stuttgart in '73-'74. And of course, my mother cooked lots of German food. Right now I would like roast pork, napkin dumpling in slices, and dempfkraut.(That spelling is certainly wrong, but that's what it sounded like.

    Now I think I must try something from the Amana butcher.

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  11. Susan, I went to the website and could not find bockwurst. Do you think they sell it under another name? Or perhaps not online?

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  12. Sometimes I think there is a little bit of German in me; I love German food and have been preparing it for years. Plate looks so good!
    not easy to fing tht perfect bockwurst.
    Rita

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  13. I forgot to tell you I love a blogger that does not word verification.
    Rita

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  14. Thank you for all the comments. Rita, I must address your last comment. I did away with word verification some time ago. According to my blogger friend, Chef Dennis at "More than a Mountful", it is totally unnecessary as spam is caught beforehand, and I find this to be true. I also do not like typing those nonsense letters to just make a comment. Thank you, Rita, for noticing.

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  15. This looks like a delicious plate, Susan. There's nothing on there that I wouldn't just want to gobble up!

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  16. Anonymous12:45 PM

    hey -- guess what -- I could understand the german. Hmm,,,maybe I could do other languages besides French and English.
    Liked the bockworst -- never have seen that but the meal made me hungry. Darn it.
    I am restricting after our trip and I am hungry-- so I cannot look at your cooking for awhile.
    Laurie E.

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  17. Hi Susan, Enjoyed your last few blogs. Love reading about your German cooking! Janet

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  18. Our good friend, a Master Sausage Maker from Germany made Bockwurst all year long. He started when he was 14 years old and spent 6 months in each state, to become a Master at his trade. The Bockwurst that he made was made from veal and also had parsley added. It was stuffed into small casings and was very white looking. I know we ate it quickly because it did not keep very long.

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