Cooking and Tips

CELEBRATING OCTOBERFEST

Once upon a time, in a far-away city called Munich in old Bavaria, there was a handsome prince who was betrothed to a beautiful Princess from Saxe-Hildburghausen. Although Saxe-Hildburghausen was a tiny mini-state, it became the capital of the land in 1684 with a magnificent palace and a French-style park. Now, in 1810, wedding nuptials were about to be consummated between the two most eligible young people in the Kingdom. The wedding in Munich was like none other. The Crown Prince, who was to become King Ludwig 1^st. fifteen years later, and Princess Therese invited all the citizens of Munich to attend the festivities on the wiese, or grassland, in front of the city’s gates. To this, they added the Princess’ name, Therese, to christen the area “Theresienwiese”, or “grassland of Therese”. Now, it seems as though everyone enjoyed themselves so much – particularly when the celebration ended with horse races in the presence of the Royal Family, that they decided to repeat it the next year as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. Two hundred years later, Oktoberfest continues to be held on the Theresienwiese, although the locals still refer to the event as the “Wies’n, which translates to “Welcome to the Oktoberfest”.  In the middle 1800s, German immigrants brought the festival with them to America, where it spread across the country with people from all backgrounds gathering together to dance, drink, and eat in the Bavarian-German tradition. (History lesson: Bavaria became part of Germany after joining the Prussian forces in 1870, thereby joining the German Federation, which was renamed Deutsches Reich -German Empire- in 1871.) And, Oktoberfest has become the largest festival in the world, with over 6 million visitors from around the world traveling to Theresienwiese each year.

            Postscript: Ludwig and Therese had eight children together. However, Ludwig was forced to abdicate his throne following the Revolution of 1848 in part because of an affair he was having with Lola Montez, the beautiful dancer, who was also reputed to have been the mistress of Franz Liszt. The phrase/song “Whatever Lola wants, Lola Gets” refers to her.

            So, now that we know “the rest of the story”, let’s create some old fashioned German fare, guaranteed to make you celebrate Oktoberfest. I have put together a complete meal with my own family recipes for your own festivities with friends or family. Don’t forget a good, dark beer to accompany this German “comfort food”.

Roast Pork with Caraway (Schweinebraten)

Yield: 6-8 servings – Gluten-free

Make a day in advance for best flavor

The secret of tender, juicy pork roast is to brown it quickly on all sides in a pan over high heat and then remove it to a covered casserole to cook in a slow oven. Any recipe for pork shoulder or leg can be made with the loin or rib or loin end, which corresponds to the rump of beef. The loin has the least amount of fat, corresponding to porterhouse and T-bone steaks, and must be watched carefully so it does not become dry. The shoulder (below) has the perfect combination of fat and lean. It is the favorite of most European chefs.

5-6 pound shoulder picnic or leg roast, boned and tied

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

2 onions, cut up

4 carrots, cut up

1 cup light beer or chicken broth

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ cup sour cream or heavy cream to finish

Optional: 1 tablespoon currant jelly to finish

1.      Preheat oven to 325°F.

2.      Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper and rub olive oil all over.

3.      Brown it on all sides over high heat in a pan deep enough so the fat will not splatter the stove. Remove and allow the meat to cool enough to handle.

4.      Crush or mince the garlic. Combine it with the onions and carrots in a food processor to mince.

5.      Rub the roast all over with the caraway seeds. Roll the roast in the vegetables and set over remaining vegetables in a Dutch oven or deep roaster.

6.      Add the beer to the roaster. Cover.

7.      Roast 1 ½ hours. Check to see if more liquid is required. If so, add chicken broth or wine. Cover again and roast another hour. Remove from the oven to cool.

8.      Remove the roast to a platter or wrap in foil. Refrigerate overnight.

9.      Pour the gravy into a container. Refrigerate overnight.

10.  Skim off fat from the gravy. Stir 2 teaspoons cornstarch into the gravy and pour into a pot. Heat, stirring, until thickened. Stir in Heavy cream and currant jelly and continue cooking over medium-low heat.

11.  Preheat oven to 325°F.

12.  Slice the roast rather thin and place the slices into a casserole serving dish. Cover and cook until quite warm.  Do not leave in the oven too long.

13.  Pour the hot gravy over the roast to serve.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 4 Servings

2 pounds Idaho potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1or more clove cloves, peeled and split

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup warm milk

1 teaspoon salt

Optional: 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Optional: Pinch of red pepper flakes

1.                  Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the split garlic clove(s) and bring to a boil. Boil, covered, until potatoes are very soft. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the water. Mash the garlic into the potatoes.

2.                  Add butter and stir in milk slowly. Add salt, white pepper and pepper flakes. Taste for seasoning and pile into a bowl for all to serve themselves.

White Cabbage with Apple and Onion (Weisskraut)

Gluten-Free

Yield: Approximately 8 cups

This German specialty is a favorite choice during Oktoberfest. As with many German recipes, it is best when made a day in advance.

2-3 pound head of white cabbage

1 ¼ cup chicken broth

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup white wine

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Salt and pepper

6 slices bacon

1 onion, chopped fine

1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped fine

1.      Discard the coarse leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Slice away from the core. Discard the core. Chop the cabbage coarsely or shred thin. Remove to a large bowl.

2.      Toss the cabbage with the broth and vinegar. Add some salt and pepper.

3.      Preheat oven to 350°F.

4.      Place bacon on a piece of foil and cook until golden but not crisp. Remove bacon and cut into small dice. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the liquid bacon fat into a pot.

5.      Add the onion and apple and toss to coat with the bacon fat.

6.      Add the cabbage and stir until combined with the onion and apple.

7.      Simmer over low heat 1 hour or longer.

Lime and Pineapple Mold

Yield: Approximately 8 servings

6 ounces lime Jello®

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 ½ cups cold water

16 ounces sour cream or unflavored yogurt

8.5 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

6 cup mold

Vegetable oil

1.                  Bring the water to a boil in a pot and stir in the Jello®. When water returns to a full boil, remove it from the stove and stir in the cold water. Cool to room temperature. 

2.                  Whisk a little of the Jello® into the sour cream to smooth. Whisk in the rest until smooth.

3.                  Stir in the pineapple.

4.                  Rub the inside and bottom of the mold heavily with vegetable oil. Pour gelatin mixture in. Refrigerate overnight.

5.                  To serve: Surround with fresh pineapple rings.

To remove mold: Run a knife around the inside edges and turn upside down onto a platter.  Allow it to sit 5 minutes before lifting off the mold. 

Black Forest Sundae(Schwarzwaldbecher)

Dessert is an absolute Must Have after any German meal!

Just fill a chilled parfait or beer glass with vanilla ice cream. Cover with chilled canned cherries, either Bing or Pie cherries that have been pitted and sliced in half. Add chopped walnuts, a little Kirsch and chocolate sauce. Top the whole thing with heaps of sweetened whipped cream.

Tune in Comcast channel 22 & BrightHouse 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens "The Back of the House", or watch it live on your computer at www.lakefronttv.com. Follow her food page on Wednesdays in The Daily Commercial.