I don’t know why but somehow there’s this myth that German cuisine is very bland and boring. A lot of times people think German cuisine consists solely of heavy meat dishes. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, Germany was rather poor and meat consumption was very limited until the recent 50 years or so. I think there are a lot more vegetarian Southern German dishes than there are meat dishes. Most […]
I eat white asparagus at least once a week when it is in season. It’s a magnificent vegetable that can really stand up for itself. Its flavor is subtle with a buttery rich texture. It’s important to not mask the asparagus flavor. That’s why mild creamy sauces like the Sauce Hollandaise or this creamy soup go perfect with white asparagus. How to cook the asparagus Cream of asparagus soup is often made from the leftovers […]
I guess everyone knows by his or her own observations that it isn’t the food itself that makes a great meal. It’s the emotions and feelings we associated with that particular meal that remain in our memories. That’s a big part of the reason why your food will never come out as good as the one your mother or grandma served you. You can mimic your mother’s recipes step by step using exact measurements and […]
If you’ve ever been to Germany you might’ve noticed that German cereals can be quite different from their British or American counterparts. Müsli isn’t a sweet food per se. It was originally invented in Switzerland as a healthy food for breakfast. Nowadays, most Müsli sold in supermarkets is sugary dessert. There are many good reasons to make it yourself if you’re conscious about your sugar intake. It’s much cheaper to blend your own mix and […]
It always amazes me to see how little the food we eat nowadays has to do with what we ate in ancient times. Maybe you are familiar with a pungent condiment named fish sauce. It’s a seasoning sauce that is today mainly used in Southeast Asian countries. It’s made by fermenting salted anchovies and smells absurdly bad. However, it adds a great depth of flavor to just about any savory dish. It’s a natural alternative […]
No Easter holiday is complete without braided bread. In Germany, it’s called Hefezopf while Jewish people refer to it as Challah. It’s very different in taste and texture than typical German bread. It’s soft, fluffy, rich, and slightly sweet. Some might call it a cake, but I think it’s closer to American or Asian-style bread. It tastes similar to a French brioche and the most common way to serve braided bread is with jam. It’s […]
I often specify all-purpose or strong bread flour in my recipes. But unless you’re living in Europe, you shouldn’t substitute them with their American equivalent. American wheat is not the same plant as European wheat. What a German would classify as strong bread flour, an American would classify as pastry flour. Around 60 % of the wheat production in America is the hard red wheat variety which has a higher gluten content than the soft […]
Fish and Seafood are rare in Swabian cuisine because Southern Germany is landlocked. The most commonly eaten fish is rainbow trout which can be caught in small rivers. Of course, nowadays, it’s hard to get your hands on wild-caught trout. Most of it is produced on fish farms. Smoked fish and meat products are very popular in Southern Germany because smoke is a great preservative and improves the taste. Smoked trout might not be as […]
Most of the recipes I publish on my blog are traditional German food. Right? That would be the most natural way to classify them. However, you might be surprised by how many “traditional” German dishes are very recent inventions. Some of the most common dishes of German cuisine with the year when they were invented are: Maultaschen (middle of the 15th century) Spätzle (1725) Rouladen (1740) Goulash soup (beginning of the 19th century) Wiener Schnitzel […]
There are few dishes more satisfying than a quiche. I love the textural contrast between the crispy crust and silky custard. Without the shortcrust pastry, quiche would just be a boring custard. For me, quiche is one of those dishes which are perfect to use up whatever you have leftover in the fridge. You can hardly go wrong with the filling. Vegetables, cheese, meat: everything goes. I eat quiche year-round and always alter the ingredients […]
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