There is this killer German restaurant in town called Marikka’s, but it seems that every time I’m craving it, namely on Sundays, they are closed. So to get my German fix, I had to create an Auflauf (casserole) containing nothing short of an interesting combination of German ingredients. Fortunately like most of my creations, this one ended up coming together in a very delicious way.

Ingredients:

1 c. cooked sliced smoked pork sausage
3 medium potatoes, sliced into half-moons
1 – 14 oz. can sauerkraut, strained
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. paprika
1tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. caraway seeds, or fennel seeds
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. grated cheese
Fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Layer potatoes, sauerkraut, and sausage in a 9″ x 9″ glass casserole dish. Sprinkle caraway/fennel seeds on each layer.

In a large bowl, mix together cream, broth, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, and sugar. If you love sauerkraut, you can cut back the amount of sugar in the dish, but if you aren’t sure if you’ll like the tartness, add all 2 tbsp. You can even cut down the amount of sauerkraut if you’d like.

Pour liquid and spice mixture over the casserole and ensure that the potatoes are fully covered.

Cook covered at 375º for 45 – 55 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove casserole from oven, sprinkle evenly with cheese, and set the casserole under the broiler until the cheese is golden.

Note:

To speed up the cook time on this recipe, feel free to fully cook the potatoes beforehand. They can either be boiled in water or microwaved until soft. Be sure to poke holes in the potato if you microwave them!

Heute vor 20 Jahren wurden Ost- und Westdeutschland wiedervereinigt. Froher Jahrestag, ‘Schland!

The first meal I had when I came to Germany was Jutta’s delicious, probably not-so-nutritious, Sahneschnitzel. These creamy, savory cutlets are absolutely delicious and come with my personal recommendation. They pair nicely alongside a bed of butter noodles and warm croquettes. Below is my translation (Übersetzung) and unit conversion (Umrechnung) of the recipe.

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:
(For 4 People)

4 cutlets, pork
200 g (~2 cups) cubed ham
1 onion, chopped
3 (250 mL) cartons heavy cream
1 cup dissolved chicken bouillon (in water)
Salt, Pepper, Paprika

Directions:

• Pound, spice, bread and fry pork cutlets.
• Lay the cutlets in a deep casserole dish.
• Then, in a frying pan, brown the cubed ham in butter or margarine.
• Add chopped onion.
• Pour the heavy cream into a pot, spice and add in both the braised cubed ham and chopped onion.
• Allow everything to simmer for around 15 min, stirring regularly.
• When finished, pour the cream sauce over the cutlets.
• Allow cutlets to marinate and absorb the sauce overnight.
• Heat up the cutlets in a 160ºC (325ºF) convection oven.

Notes from Jutta:

Our oven is normally set to 175ºC (350ºF). Heat everything very carefully – the more time, the better. Heating the mixture too quickly or at too high a temperature can cause the cream to curdle.

Source: Jutta Kobisch

In preparing my statements for the Fulbright scholarship I have been refining what I think about foreign language education and the relationship between cultures. For me, language requires a social context. This got me thinking about why is it that young Europeans are required to learn English, but made wary of the American lifestyle?

Whether this is a result of less-than-stellar diplomacy, an issue from the Freudian subconscious, or an attempt to thwart the homogenization of cultures is unclear.

I am particularly interested in the German attitude toward Americans. Every German citizen that I have ever met has been warm, welcoming, and hospitable; and for the most part has accepted that certain aspects of American culture have become part of German Alltag. But why is it that with our increasingly interconnected societies, the American stereotypes still persist?

The most persistent of these typifications is that of the American diet. I look forward to addressing this topic in my research if selected as a Fulbright scholar.

In the meantime, I am calling out to everyone to help me out. What do you eat on a daily basis? What foods do you remember fondly growing up? What’s a regional specialty where you live?