Just like Mom and Oma: Frikadellen

 Today I had time to cook and be domestic!  It isn't often I cook a big meal, but my family is always happy when I do!

On the menu today, Frikadellen and Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes). 

FRIKADELLEN are German meat patties.  There are quite a variety of them - some are all beef like mine; some add ground pork.  I bread mine after dipping the patty in egg white (but you don't have to) and fry them in margarine (like my Oma did).  

They are almost like mini meat loaves.  I like mine with ketchup; my husband likes mustard on his, and my son wants gravy!  Frikadellen pair well with potatoes (I prefer fried because that's what my family did.).  

Bratkartofflen

Here is my recipe for Frikadellen (how I learned from my Oma and mom) - approximate measurements because I just eye ball it:

Ground beef, about 1 1/2 pounds (for 5-6 patties)

ADD:

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or stale bread, hydrate with water & then squeeze out well - crumble into meat)

2 eggs (separate!  Put yolks in the meat and use whites if breading before frying)

a squirt of ketchup to taste

a squirt of mustard to taste

diced onion (about 1/2 an onion) or dried, minced onion 

You have to get your hands in there to mix this!!  Take your rings off and have at it!

Form into patties (hamburger size). 

IF BREADING:  dip each patty in bowl with egg white and then bowl with more bread crumbs. 

I use margarine (but you can do oil or butter to preference)

Heat a frying pan and melt margarine.  Add patties and let bottoms brown (at med-high heat). 

Flip and let other side brown.

Then lower stove temperature and cover the pan.  Let meat cook through for 8-12 minutes (or til middle is not pink).  

I also serve a vegetable to add some nutrition - ha!  My family likes red cabbage or cucumber salad on the side.  Today we actually had a tomato salad (olive oil/red wine vinegar, s&p, and feta cheese).  

As we say in Germany before eating a meal together:  GUTEN APPETIT!  

REVIEW: Easy German Cookbook

This book arrived today!  I immediately perused it - cover to cover.  And I was super impressed. 

The author Karen Lodder signed my copy.   What a sweet touch.  I've been following Karen's blog and social media for a few years now:  German Girl in America.   Her blog is a little like mine - except hers is WAY more professional!  We are both German girls who grew up in between our American home and our German heritage.  

This book is the perfect resource for German-Americans or anyone who wants to cook like "Oma" - but can't sit in her kitchen or shop at her local supermarket.  Karen covers a wide variety of regional dishes and desserts with helpful commentary and suggestions.  

These are a lot of basic and popular recipes ... and it is a great starter to German cuisine.  I'm from Frankfurt, and my Oma was originally from East Prussia.  There are some recipes specific to my own family that I now want to dig up as well!  I have a few German language cookbooks, and I am inspired to see if I too can incorporate some of my German recipes into my American kitchen. 

But for now, I plan on trying some of my favorites in Karen's cookbook, and I think my family will be thrilled!  The recipes look easy to follow; the ingredients, easy to find; and the photos in the book are already making my mouth water!  

Does this book sound like something you'd like to have?  You can order a copy on the German Girl in America website:  order Easy German Cookbook.  At $16.99 + $5 flat rate shipping, it is a great value!  

As Karen wrote to me:  Guten Appetit!  

Contrasts in Care and Caring

I personally dislike stereotypes a lot. For one, I am not your "typical woman":  I am not very emotional, I don't cry easily, I am not naturally nurturing, etc ... But for the sake of this blog post NOT being about me, answer me this:  When I say "typical German", what do you think of?

Loves beer and sausage, cheers loudly for soccer, wears Lederhosen, is punctual and direct, doesn't have much of a sense of humor.  At least those are some stereotypes I've heard and read about ... and many are actually somewhat true!  

I recently had a discussion with my mother about the stoicism of old-fashioned Germans.  My mother was born in Germany shortly after World War II ended.  Her mother was a refugee from East Prussia, and my mother carried that label through her early childhood as her parents were homeless and unemployed when they arrived in the city of Frankfurt, where my Opa's family was from and re-gathered after the war.  

My Oma had fled Prussia from the Russians in 1944; she only had her baby boy and a suitcase as her husband was away due to the war.  Her parents also fled ... but with 8 children, ranging in age from 3 to about 17.  They walked endless miles on foot, crossed frozen creeks and rivers, were hungry and scared.  My great-grandmother spoke some Polish and some Russian and was able to negotiate for food and shelter easier than some Prussians on the flight.  

Funny thing is ... when my grandparents or my mother talked about these times, they never complained.  It was just facts.  They did what they had to do ... to live!  To survive!  

That isn't to say they didn't get discouraged or suffer or feel sad or frustrated.  My great-aunt self-published a book (only for our family) about their flight from Prussia.  She was among the younger of the children in the family ... maybe age 4 or 5.  She remembers fear and hunger and sadness.  Two of her older sisters also were altered very much by those months on the run.  Yet, resilience is what comes to mind when I think of them all.  

The conversation with my mother came up because I recently had to get a tooth pulled due to eroded enamel.  It was more of an ordeal than I expected, but I am so very thankful for modern medicine that I really didn't feel a thing while the dentist drilled and chiseled at the long, curved, strong root that was stubbornly embedded in my gums.  Afterwards, I brushed a hand through my hair and came up with 2 small pieces of my bloody tooth ... just a reminder of the fight it had with the dentist!  

My mother had her wisdom teeth extracted as an 18 year old ... in Germany.  The dentist, a heavy smoker, didn't practice much sanitizing or hand-washing.  My mother's mouth became incredibly infected, and she was unable to eat or do much of anything for a long time.  In our day, we would have rushed back to the dentist or went to an urgent care center for help; however, she just suffered through it for days and weeks, losing so much weight that when her body finally conquered the infection, the dentist stated, at a follow-up appointment, that he wasn't sure she was going to pull through ... but it never occurred to my mother or her parents to complain.  One just accepted one's fate and trusted in the professionals.  

What a contrast to today's medical world.  My husband and I both work in medical industries though not directly related to patient care.  We are around it daily in administrative and support capacities.  To be fair, I like to think someone enters the medical profession today to help people.  It is honestly what we want to do ... and are glad to do when someone genuinely needs help.  But may I tell you (please, don't judge me!) that there are a whole lot of whiners and users of the system out there as well. 

That isn't the point of my post.  The point is how WELL and EASY we have it in our sanitized world of modern medicine.  You still have some gruff professionals with poor bedside manner, but these days, doctors and dentists are rated by their manner as well as their know-how.  If you ask someone how their surgery went, they may tell you that they received terrific care and that the hospital staff were friendly and attentive.  Friendly and attentive are new concepts compared to the old, stoic (and sometimes barbaric!) medical professionals of years ago (with exceptions, of course!).   

In conclusion, I am just thankful.  I am a very empathetic person so when I read accounts of - for example - concentration camps, I can put myself into their situation and image the horror and inconvenience and just disgusting conditions these prisoners endured.  It is the stuff of my nightmares.  Even talking with my mother about her wisdom teeth extractions, my heart just hurts that she had to endure all those weeks of pain.  And also, I admire her.  I wish it hadn't been like that, but wow, she was one tough cookie!  A stoic, strong German girl ... 

Thankful to be Bilingual

Today I was watching TV ... I really don't do a lot of random TV watching, but I was just needing a mindless time waster.  For whatever reason, I stopped on an episode of Chopped Junior, a cooking competition for children.  In this episode, one child had an Egyptian father and another had an Italian mother.  Both children traveled to that parent's home land yearly ... and you could tell what an influence the broader spectrum of culture and knowledge had on these children.

Even though I was born in Germany and spent much of my childhood there while enjoying a typical American schooling and home life in the States as well, I never really thought of the amazing opportunity I had until just in the last few years ...

There are statistics out there about children who are raised bilingual.  While there are a few issues for some children who have two parents speaking two different languages, it mostly seems to work itself out in their brains as they get older to separate the languages.  The advantages usually outweigh the early issues.  Children exposed to two languages at a young age, like me, usually have no accent in either language.

Bilingual children are NOT smarter, they just have some advantages ... but don't despair, so do adults who learn a second language as an adult!

From The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual:

Despite certain linguistic limitations that have been observed in bilinguals (e.g., increased naming difficulty7), bilingualism has been associated with improved metalinguistic awareness (the ability to recognize language as a system that can be manipulated and explored), as well as with better memory, visual-spatial skills, and even creativity.29 Furthermore, beyond these cognitive and neurological advantages, there are also valuable social benefits that come from being bilingual, among them the ability to explore a culture through its native tongue or talk to someone with whom you might otherwise never be able to communicate.

In my experience, being bilingual hasn't made me much more creative ... nor do I seem to have a better memory (fading fast every year!!), but that last sentence struck a chord!  I have had "the ability to explore a culture through its native tongue or talk to someone with whom you might otherwise never be able to communicate."

What a rich oral history I have stored up due to conversations with my German relatives, friends, and acquaintances - and even just American friends who have traveled in Europe.  Granted, every grandparent, in my opinion, is a treasure trove of time past ... when life was very different than it is now; but to know and understand another history and culture entirely in real life not just from a text book is a great privilege.  

How much I now treasure the fact that I know children's songs and nursery rhymes in both English and German ... have tasted so many diverse foods and learned to hold my cutlery in two different ways.  It is those little differences, I think, that I appreciate now, and I revert right back to what my Oma and Opa taught me the minute my plane lands in Frankfurt.  I gesture differently when I speak; I conduct myself differently when meeting a stranger; I count using my thumb to indicate the number 1 just as German children are taught to do.  It is those funny little things that make me German ... some I learned because my mom and grandparents instilled them in me, some I mimic their behavior.  

It is my bilingual-ness and the need to cherish and share those memories of my German side that inspired this blog.  I am so grateful for the gift of knowing two languages and cultures ... it is also what makes me yearn always to return to my "home" in Germany. 

Umschalten - Switching

Today is February 29th - Leap Day.  This is an occurrence that happens every 4 years.

In Germany, it is called Schalttag.  The Schalttag happens in a Schaltjahr.

Schalt means switch.  Schalten is the infinitive verb form (to switch).

Schalt + tag (day) = Leap Day
Schalt + jahr (year) = Leap Year

Another word that comes to mind for me is Lichtschalter

Licht + schalter = light switch!

A typical German light switch as I remember looks like this:

But I also remember in the Keller (cellar) of my German grandparents' apartment building, there was a very old light switch that looked like this:

In any case, I hope you enjoyed your extra day this year - your Schalttag!  

By the way, I read today that in true German fashion there is actually a law pertaining to any person born on February 29th.  Of course!  It is that on non-leap years, you turn your next full age on March 1st (never on February 28).  So, for example, when you turn 18 and become volljährig (an adult, "of age"), you are not considered an adult until March 1st if your 18th birthday falls on a leap year.  

And that is just a little "tidbit" - a small bite - of German. 

Between the Years

I love the German phrase zwichen den Jahren.  It means "between the years."  For me, it describes this period after Christmas but not yet to the new year quite well.  For many, school is out; time has slowed down.  The anticipation for Christmas is satisfied, but a new year looms wide open ahead!  Full of possibilities, potential -- a blank slate.  

It can be a reflective time of year.  Thinking back on all that you've been through, rehashing good memories - and hoping for good days ahead!  It is kind of a time of optimism ... at least for me.  

Of course, life goes on day-by-day ... but between the years, perhaps it goes on with a little different feeling.  It is hard to explain, but the phrase zwichen den Jahren explains it fairly well. 

A REVIEW: Christkindl Markt in Arlington, Texas

My wish for my birthday this year (November 30) was a trip with my family.

We live about 5 1/2 from the Dallas, Texas area so I asked everyone to go with me to the Christkindl Market that is held annually in Arlington.

PS  Please note, I am NOT a photographer ... and my phone is very outdated, so excuse the poor picture quality.

From what I understand, the venue this year was at Global Life Park for the first time.  That is located right between the old and new Texas Rangers baseball stadiums, adjacent to Texas Live!, an indoor entertainment venue.  The market is outdoors.  For us, the weather was a balmy 70ish degrees F and just a little windy.

We enjoyed our evening, but honestly, it wasn't worth driving 5+ hours (other than the time spent with my family).  If I lived in the Dallas area, sure, I'd stop by. There were about 20 vendors - most of which weren't German-themed  such as alpaca/wool products, dog treats, an apothecary/beauty products, a publisher of children's books, and some lovely wood crafts (boldly stating "Made in the USA" which we found ironic at a GERMAN fest), American bundt cakes, and French macarons.  That isn't to say they didn't have lovely items, they just weren't German.

There is an ice skating rink open this year, which is lovely if you enjoy that.  The Christmas music piped throughout was all American classics.

JJ Concessions provided the food.  It was standard concession food - deep fat fried, it seemed.  And in my opinion - SUPER expensive.  $14 for a Schnitzel plate (included fries and Jägersauce), $10 for a Schnitzel "sandwich" (ie. on a hamburger bun).  There were Jäger fries, Bratwurst, and Currywurst.

We also tried the Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) which did come with applesauce and sour cream (my family always just had the apple sauce), which was basically a hash brown almost...

I won't say it was horrible, but it didn't taste authentic.  Perhaps my palate still remembers my 2 trips to German this year all too well...

I did get a cup of Glühwein, a spiced cider, with a souvenir cup.  Because you have to get a souvenir cup if you go to a Christmas market (or at least I do!).

The cup was cute; the Glühwein was standard.  And it too was expensive (IMO) at $12.

 I don't mean to write a disparaging review.  There were aspects of the market that were really nice - like fact that the German sister city of Arlington  Bad Königshofen was represented at a booth.  They were selling lace ornaments, luminaries, and Lebkuchen hearts, decorated by local school children.

Ironically, my Lebkuchen heart's "Weihnachten" was misspelled, but I applaud the student's efforts to support American-German relations.  

(You can't see it but they wrote frohe weinachtin.) :) 

My favorite stop was the Käthe Wohlfahrt shop.  Of course, it is directly from Rothenburg o.d. Tauber ... so you can't mess that up.  The items are lovely & authentic, fun to look at. 

We spied a few items - a smoker and a Noah's Ark ornament I have - that I bought in Rothenburg in 1997 or 1998!

Since we were decorating for Christmas this weekend too, I came across a paper bag (on the left, below) that I've saved from my 1997/98 purchases when we lived about 45 minutes from Rothenburg.  And now I have a plastic bag from the Arlington store because my children bought me a tin ornament for my birthday this weekend.

I chose an image of das Plönlein in Rothenburg.  Plönlein means "small square" and is said to be one of the most photographed images of Rothenburg.  You can see a half-timbered house, one of the city towers, and the cobblestone street.  There is also a fountain nearby.

More about Rothenburg:  click here

OH!  We also bought gebrannte Mandeln (candied almonds), which were DELICIOUS - warm and made right there in the booth.  That was definitely one of the positive experiences of the Markt.

We ended our night by watching some college football games on the big screens inside Texas Live!.  

I won't say it was disappointing; you just can't compare to a REAL German Christmas market.  We spent maybe 2 hours total there, and spent more money than we wanted because if you know marketing, you know that people who are on "vacation" will spend more than they might on a normal, more frugal day.  We won't be back ... but we can say we saw it once.

It did get me in a little more of a Christmas spirit. 

My FAVORITE thing was that I spent a weekend with my family - for my birthday.

So, I will say:  Mission accomplished.

German Christmas ... In a Nutshell?

My daughter's 4th grade teacher asked me if I'd like to give a "short" talk about Germany / German Christmas soon. Yes, yes - a thousand times YES!  :)  However, how to summarize all the wonderful things about Christmas time in Germany?

What should I discuss?

the lovely Christmas carols
Ihr Kinderlein Kommet 
O Du Fröhliche
or just the simple Stille Nacht

Of course, there is always food and all the wonderful cookies that might be placed on a Bunterteller (colorful plate) and given as a gift to family and friends. 
Vanillekipferl
Stollen
Lebkuchen
and so so many more ...

Christmas markets

and of course, the Christmas Tree
O Tannenbaum

Advent wreaths and
Advent calendars

What is your favorite part of a German Christmas?

German Adventures: October Trip - Conclusion

My mother and I had a nice - though rather interesting - time in Germany last month - October 6-12 ... I wrote about the 3 lessons we learned (some the hard way, some just things that one can't change, some about things that just happen)...

Catch up here:

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

So, I wanted to wrap up our trip with the memories of the last few days we spent together.  It wasn't an eventful trip as such.  We did get to spend some time with various family members - and since my aunt was unfortunately in the hospital, we did get to stay at her apartment and live life much like a German!  :) Such as:

~Public transportation & life without a vehicle (and lots and lots of walking!)

^ my mother, waiting on another U-bahn (subway)

The U-bahn station near my aunt's apartment:  Weisser Stein

Walking down the street near my aunt's apartment - with view of the Fernsehturm (TV tower) in Ginnheim, a nearby district of Frankfurt (where I was born!)

Another view of the U-bahn stop where we spent a lot of our time, waiting.

~ Coffee and cake

At a bakery with my great-aunt Rosemarie (one of my Oma's younger sisters)

~ Food

My favorite "Fast Food" place in Germany is Nordsee (for fish)

It was one of my Opa's favorite places to take me when I was a child.

Typical simple breakfast or supper items:  cheese & meat (in this case, Teewurst, a spreadable, minced, seasoned, and smoked pork ... not to be confused with Liverwurst/Braunschweiger - and yes, Teewurst is RAW/uncooked but very safe to eat.).  

And water - I prefer "with gas" (mit Gas ... that's carbonation, not petrol or any other form of fuel!!), also known as mineral water.

Just normal water is stilles Wasser (quiet/calm water), non-carbonated.  That's kind of the restaurant terminology.  Otherwise, at someone's home you can ask for Leitungswasser (tap water).

^My mother enjoying our German breakfast ... German Bread = the best!

Great start to the day!

We didn't eat out very much on this trip ... but we did eat a good Wiener Schnitzel on our last night in Germany at the Restaurant zum Adler in Ginnheim.

I ordered a side of grüne Sosse to go with my meat & potatoes.  Green sauce is a Frankfurt specialty.  It is made with 7 herbs and yogurt and eggs. 

More about that here:  Green Thursday post

~ for me, Germany means FAMILY

This is me with my (half) brother.

Me and my mom <3

and cousins ... and a cousin-in-law who happens to be American as well!

~and lastly, Germany means origins and roots:

That's me in front of the hospital where I was born ... almost 49 (!!?) years ago.

^ the (renovated) apartment where my Oma & Opa lived ... and where I spent every summer of my childhood.

A familiar path I have walked many, many times since 1996 when my Opa passed away...

This is the entrance of the Friedhof Bockenheim ... the peaceful, beautiful, park-like cemetery where my grandparents and uncle are buried.

My mother's parents' and brother's grave

And one last airport selfie of my mom and me.

We flew from Frankfurt to Atlanta together, then went our separate ways.

We truly had a wonderful time together, despite all the unexpected issues that arose.