Add dishes to German repertoire

Published 12:01 am Monday, May 9, 2011

We’re back to German specialties again today, thanks to a startoff several weeks ago from frequent Forum contributor and Everett cook Lavon Woodey, who sent along her how-to for German-style mashed potatoes.

Next, we heard from indomitable Everett cook Suzanne Bay, who spent endless hours researching, but did, at long last, manage to nail down and share with us a unique, one-of-a-kind recipe for German cinnamon rolls.

Now, up pops Lavon again, this time with more recipes rediscovered when she was tidying her collection of “oldies but goodies,” longtime favorite holdovers from days gone by.

She tells us, “I like to put butter in a frying pan and add soft bread cubes to brown, then layer them between the knoephla in a strainer. We serve them with cream, and my father liked apricot nectar. You can cut the leftovers in pieces and fry them in butter until browned.”

This recipe, originally contributed by Suzanne Penney of Everett, first appeared in a Forum column so long ago that neither Lavon or I could possibly remember the precise date.

Then, to round out your German dinner, here’s a meatball recipe from the very same column. Arlington cook Alice Ratcliff responded to a spate of spaetzle recipes we’d been printing at the time with, “A few years ago, while visiting my son and daughter-in-law in St. Louis, they took me to a German restaurant. I was hooked on the luscious spaetzle and have hoped for such a recipe.”

Alice also told us at the time, “This meatball recipe is among those in my vast collection that I plan to try when I retire, so don’t know if it is as good as the ones I remember so well.”

Kase knoephla (cheese buttons)

4 cups flour

21/2 teaspoons salt, divided

4 eggs, separated

2 cup warm water

2 cups cottage cheese

1 medium onion, grated or chopped

Boiling salted water

Sour cream

Combine flour, 2 teaspoons salt, egg whites and water; knead on floured surface until smooth (dough should be medium-stiff). Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Knead until elastic. Divide in half. Roll halves into thin rectangles and cut into 3- or 4-inch squares. Mix together cottage cheese, egg yolks, onion and remaining salt; place small amount on each square; fold as for ravioli, sealing ends tightly. Cook in boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until done. Serve with sour cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

German meatballs

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon snipped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Dash pepper

1 pound ground beef

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth

1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon flour

1/2-1 teaspoon caraway seed

Spaetzle

In bowl, combine egg, milk, crumbs, parsley, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper; add ground meat and mix well. Shape into 11/2-inch meatballs (about 24) and brown in a skillet. Drain off excess fat, add broth, mushrooms and onion. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Combine sour cream, flour and caraway seed; stir into broth in pan. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles.

Serve with spaetzle.