Oktoberfest

Good Morning.

Many years ago I missed Oktoberfest in Munich by about a week and have been in a funk ever since. I did manage to sit at a long table in the morning sun and have a beer while waiting for the Glockenspiel to do its thing. The beer was served at room temp but it may be the best beer in the world. We've heard a great deal about beer in recent days, none of it good, but sometime this month, it's time to pick up a six pack of St. Pauli Girl or Beck's and fix up some brats. Here are some other dishes for your consideration:

Reuben Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup sauerkraut, drained and finely chopped

1 cup cooked corned beef, chopped

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

2 tsp. finely chopped white onion

2 tsp. mustard, German preferred

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spoon into a baking dish and bake, covered, for half an hour at 375 degrees. Bake, uncovered, another 5 minutest to brown up the top a bit. Serve hot with party rye bread or fat pretzels.

My father's favorite sandwich was a Reuben. I don't think he had a drop of German in him, but when he went to a sandwich place, he usually got a Reuben. This dip is even better.

Sauerkraut Casserole

This recipe is from my daughter-in-law who's a nurse. She got it from her friend Tanna, also a nurse, who worked nights and used to bring Carrie this dish when she was starting her shift and Carrie was on her way home. The original recipe is written on a post it and here it is:

Noodles

Sausage

Cr mush (1)

Sauerkraut - cover

Fr onions

20 minutes

Translated:

1/2 package noodles - I would use egg noodles but suit yourself.

1 package Jimmy Dean original sausage

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can sauerkraut

Durkee's French fried onions

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Crumble up and fry the sausage. Mix in the soup and sauerkraut. Mix in one-fourth of a cup of fried onions. Put everything in a casserole and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until just starting to get crisp on top. Sprinkle on more onions and cook until they are browned. Don't use up all the onions. They're good right out of the can.

My son says this dish is absolutely scrumptious. I will try it soon.

German Potato Salad

3 cups peeled, diced potatoes

4 slices bacon

1 small white onion, chopped

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp. water

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside to cool. Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until golden brown. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir to combine well. Bring to a boil, add the potatoes and chopped parsley. Crumble up the bacon and add to the skillet. Heat until warm and serve immediately.

I have never decided what kind of potato salad I prefer, but this warm version with bacon is high on the list.

Jagerchnitzel

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp. flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 pork cutlets, pounded thin

1 beaten egg

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 cup sliced fresh button mushrooms

1 can beef broth

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup sour cream

Mix together the bread crumbs, flour, and a good shake of salt and pepper on a plate. Place the beaten egg in a shallow dish. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Dip the pork cutlets in the egg, then coat in the bread crumb mixture. Fry in the oil until golden

on both sides and cooked through. This will take maybe five minutes on each side. Remove the pork to a platter and keep warm under aluminum foil. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until slightly brown. Pour in the can of beef broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and sour cream in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Cook over low heat until thickened but do not boil. Spoon over the pork cutlets and serve immediately.

Crock Pot Sauerbraten

1 14 oz. bottle ketchup

1 large white onion, chopped

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. pickling spices

3 bay leaves

1 4 pound boneless beef chuck or rump roast

4 cups water

30 gingersnap cookies, crushed with a rolling pin

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

Mix the ketchup, onion, brown sugar, vinegar, pickling spices and bay leaves in a bowl. Put the roast in a 5 quart crock pot and add the water. Pour the ketchup mixture over the top and add the crushed cookies. Cook, covered, on low for 6 to 8

hours. Remove the meat and keep warm. Strain the juices and skim the fat. Make sure those bay leaves are gone. Transfer 4 cups of this liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and stir until smooth. Now add it to the saucepan and bring back to the boil. Cook until thickened, stirring, for about two minutes. Carve the roast into serving

portions and pour the sauce over each piece.

This is the way to do sauerbraten. Throw it in the slow cooker in the morning, forget about it, and have it for dinner. Either the pork or this beef would be perfect with the potato salad and perhaps some broccoli or cabbage.

I had apple strudel about ten o'clock one morning at a small roadside place in Bavaria. It was extraordinary, but few of us

are able to make pastry that good. Here's a manageable version:

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Juice of one lemon

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons

2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

2 tbsp. butter, melted

Flour

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice until coated. Add the raisins, one-fourth cup of sugar, and two tablespoons of cold butter pieces. Mix well and set aside. Lightly dust your counter with flour. Lay the puff pastry on top and

dust the rolling pin with flour. Roll the pastry to one-eighth inch thickness. Spread the apple mixture over the bottom half of the pastry and leave an inch along the edges. Fold the top half of the pastry over and pinch to seal the edges together. Brush

the strudel with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and three tablespoons of sugar. Make three diagonal slits across

the top with a serrated knife. Place the strudel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Half way through the cooking time, rotate the pan. Watch carefully. You want the pastry puffy and golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Have it for breakfast. Have it at midnight. Or have a party

and invite these women.

Best regards,

Elisabeth