As I told y’all earlier this year I am an Air Force Brat. And lots of my food memories growing up are not of hot dogs, apple pie, or mom’s pot roast, but rather Wiener Schnitzle, curried anything, scones, and paella. We only lived in Germany and England but we visited as many countries as we could. And the food was always an adventure to us American Tourists.

I was excited when….

      ….Deutschland

….was chosen for December’s My Kitchen My World country. I could find some of my favorite dishes and just cook to my heart’s content. Well, that was the plan, but you know what they say about the ones that are best made?? It just didn’t work out that way. So here are my simple, but tasty contributions to this month’s virtual world tour.

Peter Reinhart’s Stollen

As part of the Slow and Steady BBA group {yes, we are still plugging along} I made the Stollen for my Christmas Platters. I am really not much on fruit in bread, but the Man is so I made it more for him than anyone. Surprise!! Surprise!! I really liked it, too. I remember my Mom bringing Stollen home during the holidays when we lived in Stuttgart (1965) but this is the first time I have made it. It won’t be the last.

I cannot print the recipe without permission from the author, but you can find it on The Cooking Route who did have permission.

That was breakfast.

Later for lunch {altho not really the same day!!!} We had Bratwurst and….

    Spätzle or Tiny Dumplings

This recipe came from a German cookbook that was in my Mom’s collection {which was way bigger than mine…..}

    3 cups AP flour
    1 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    4 eggs
    1 cup milk
    1 cup fine dry bread crumbs (optional)
    1/4 lb (1 stick) butter (optional)

Combine the flour, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
Break up the eggs with a fork and beath them into the flour mixture.
Pour the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a large spoon, and continue to stir until the dough is smooth.
Bring 2 quarts of water and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a heavy 4/5 qt saucepan.
Set a large colander, preferably one with large holes, over the saucepan and with a spoon press the dough a few tablespoons at a time through the colander directly into the boiling water.

{I did this last time. NOT FUN!!! Since then I have purchased a handy dandy Spätzle maker.

And even if I only use 1 or 2 times a year it was totally worth it!!!}
Stir the Spätzle gently to prevent them from sticking to each other, then boil briskly for 5 – 8 minutes or until they are tender.
Drain the Spätzle thoroughly in a colander.
When Spätzle are sered as a separate dish they are traditionally presented sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs. {I served mine with some butter and parsley.}

So there you have it. Stollen, Rotwurst, Spätzle, Brotchen. The perfect German Cafe meal. Which we enjoyed many times at a little place down by the Bahnhoff. (With Bier und pommes frites sometimes…)

Visit the other members of

      and see their dishes auf Deutschland….

auf Wiedersehen, meine Freundin!!

Und ein gluckliches neues Jahr!!