Oktoberfest Duex

It's Oktober

And we celebrate Oktoberfest

Not once . . . 

But again and again

And while most homes are decorated in October with witches and ghosts .  . .

The German smokers, a pitcher of sunflowers and the English barley twist candlesticks.

German "smokers" are on the breakfast room table

reminding us that it is truly

Oktober!

Our first Oktoberfest was the one we do for the Rotary Club.

It's brats and beer and sauerkraut

And my grandmother's coleslaw and potato salad

And because there is usually around 100 guests

apple CRISP for dessert -- alas, no strudel!

The second Oktoberfest this year was a cooking class

that I did at life+style

A chance for me to share my family's recipes

My ancestry is German.    

And in doing genealogical research

Far more than I knew.

But my Dad's father immigrated in 1885

and that is the German I always knew about.

Because the German was on my Dad's side,

we didn't eat a lot of German food

but we did eat some.

But some, to me, was "normal" food when in reality

it WAS German

like the wursts -- I thought they were hot dogs

like the schnitzel -- I thought it was just fried meat

And last Thursday, I shared some of my German recipes

Pork schnitzel.   Hot and fresh.

Weiner Schntizel Vom Schwein

(pork schnitzel)

A real German meal.

Served with mashed potatoes

Rot kraut (red cabbage -- my grandmother's recipe)

and rye bread (not home baked but store bought)

Often we would buy rye bread on Sundays on the way home from church

It was my Dad's favorite!

And for dessert?

Apple strudel

The strudel -- apple

Not one but two.

One made ahead and the other baked during class.

Everyone had a slice 

A slice for everyone

of hot strudel

(and a second piece of room temperature strudel)

Whipped Cream makes it better.

Which is far better when served with whipped cream.

The strudel is really simple when you use fillo dough for the pastry.

No rolling a tabletop full of dough thin enough to read through.

It may not be quite as good

But the students thought it was quite tasty.

As did Husband Jim who had a leftover piece when I got home.

WEINER SCHNITZEL VOM SCHWEIN

6 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed

1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. flour

1/4 c. dried bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

3 T. oil

Place chops between 2 sheets of waxed paper.    With meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to 1/8 inch thick.   Sprinkle both sides with salt.

Measure flour and bread crumbs onto separate sheets of waxed paper.    Whisk together egg and milk in bowl.   Lightly coat cutlets in flour, asking off excess; dip in egg mixture, then into bread crumbs, pressing to coat.

Heat oil in large in large skillet over medium high heat.    Working in batches, add cutlets to skillet; cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.    Remove cutlets to warm platter.    Serve immediately.

GRANDMOTHER'S RED CABBAGE

1 head red cabbage

olive oil

1 T. sugar

1 medium onion

2 to 3 tart apples

4 T. red wine vinegar

1 cup water

3 to 4 cloves

2 - 3 bay leaves

1 T. flour

2 T. real bacon pieces (in a jar)

Wash the cabbage, remove core and cut into fine strips.    Brown the sugar in the butter until light brown in color.    Add chopped onion and chopped apples.    Saute for a few minutes.   Add red cabbage and mix everything to combine.    Pour red wine vinegar on the cabbage.    Season with salt.

Add water, bay leaves, cloves and steam (covered) on medium heat  until cabbage is tender for about 45 to 60 minutes.    At the end, dust cabbage with some flour, season to taste and add more vinegar, if necessary.    Add bacon bits and give a big stir.

NOTE:   My grandmother would have cooked slices of bacon, removed them from the pan and crumbled and then added the onion and the apple to the bacon fat to cook . . . I use olive oil -- it's a bit more healthy!

APPLE STRUDEL

Peel and slice 2 to 3 apples.    Cook in a saucepan with 2 T. apple juice, 1 T. flour and a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar until the apples are crisp tender.    Cool.

Cooled cooked apples

1/2 t. cinnamon

9 sheets filo dough, thawed

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. chopped walnut

1 t. lemon zest

1/4 c. butter

1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.    Using a slotted spoon, remove apples from any liquid and discard liquid.   Place in a medium bowl; stir in walnuts, 1/2 t. cinnamon and lemon zest.    In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. sugar and 1/2 t. cinnamon and mix well.    On work surface, place one sheet of filo dough.    Brush mixture with butter and sprinkle with generous teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture.    Repeat layers using all of the film dough.

Spoon apple filling across one long end of the filo stack, leaving a  2 inch border along one long edge and the sides.    Brush edges around apple filling with butter.    Fold in side edges, then roll up film dough, enclosing the filling.    Brush edge with butter and seal.    Brush butter over the entire roll.   Using two spatulas, carefully place on ungreased cookie sheet.    Bake at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and crisp.    Cool on pan for 10 minutes, then using two spatulas, remove to wire rack to cool.    Serves 8.

It's Monday and I'm joining Yvonne

at Stone Gable 

for What's On the Menu Monday