FLEISCHSALAT - A COLD CUT FOR FEINBROT

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Every German butcher offers Fleischsalat (meat salad) for the same reason that supermarkets in Maine offer lobster bisque - to use their leftovers. Fleischsalat is made with ham or bologna, pickled gherkins (I don't like the very salty kind) and mayonnaise.

In Germany Fleischsalat is such a common cold cut that you won't find any recipes for it. I know what is in there, so I came up with my own version. You can use any kind of ham, cooked, smoked, roasted (or bologna) for it.

I like fresh herbs in my Fleischsalat

The mayonnaise should be of good quality, and you can add chopped herbs like parsley, chives, or dill, if you wish.

For a little bit of zing I like adding horseradish sauce. Seasoning with salt is not necessary, the ham is salty enough.


FLEISCHSALAT (4 - 6 servings)

227 g cooked ham, (8-oz package)
100 g pickled cucumbers (2 large pieces)
100 g mayonnaise, good quality
1 tbsp. horseradish sauce (optional)
1 tbsp. parsley, chives, or dill, chopped (optional)
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Barrel pickles work well - they are not too salty

Cut ham and pickles into small cubes.

In a bowl, mix together cubed ham, pickles, mayonnaise, horseradish sauce and chopped herbs. Season with pepper to taste (adding extra salt is not necessary).

Serve on Feinbrot, Aroma Bread, Bauernbrötchen (or any other good bread).

Fleischsalat tastes good on Feinbrot

Rain and Pumpkin - Regen und Kürbis

It's raining cats and dogs, the first cold rainy days after a glorious spring and summer. Speaking of dogs - Buffy didn't even want to put a paw outside this morning! Now, of course, being near a 550 degrees hot oven means cozy comfort, not an ordeal, like a few weeks earlier.

Now pumpkins are everywhere, and remind me of my grandmother's wonderful Pomeranian Pickled Pumpkins. Every year she bought one of those giant pumpkins, and, during an afternoon of hard labor, cut it down, cooked it with vinegar and spices, and filled a long line of glasses with golden pumpkin pieces embedded in aromatic syrup. Every family member received his or her share, to be served with roasts and rice dishes.

I'm thinking of the perfect bread to celebrate the season. Last year I baked a whole spelt pumpkin bread that was quite good, but this year I wanted to make it even better - and nicer to look at.

Giant cookie cutters are a great way to score and decorate a bread. But its pattern shows best when the dough is not too dark. Therefore I lightened this year's pumpkin bread with some white flour. The result: a tasty and beautiful loaf celebrating autumn.

Draussen regnet's junge Hunde, der erste kalte und regnerische Tag nach einem glorreichen Frühling und Sommer. Da wir gerade von Hunden reden - Buffy wollte heute morgen nicht mal eine Pfote nach draussen setzen! Natürlich ist es jetzt sehr gemütlich, sich in der Nähe eines 260 Grad heissen Backofens aufzuhalten, nicht so eine Strapaze wie vor ein paar Wochen.

Überall sieht man Kürbisse, sie erinnern mich an Omis wunderbare eingelegte Pommersche Kürbisse. Jedes Jahr kaufte sie einen dieser Riesenkürbisse, zerteilte ihn in einem Nachmittag harter Arbeit, kochte ihn mit Essig und Gewürzen und füllte eine lange Reihe Gläser mit goldenen Kürbisstücken, eingelegt in würzigen Sirup. Jedes Familienmitglied erhielt seinen oder ihren Anteil, um ihn zu Braten oder Reisgerichten zu servieren.

Ich habe über ein perfektes Brot zur Feier der Jahreszeit nachgedacht. Letztes Jahr habe ich ein ziemlich gutes Weizenvollkorn-Kürbisbrot gebacken, aber dieses Jahr wollte ich es noch besser - und dekorativer - machen.

Riesenausstechformen eignen sich sehr gut, um Brot einzukerben und zu verzieren. Aber das Muster ist dann am besten erkennbar, wenn der Teig nicht zu dunkel ist. Deshalb habe ich das diesjährige Kürbisbrot mit etwas weissem Mehl aufgehellt. Das Ergebnis: ein leckeres und schönes Brot, um den Herbst zu feiern.

GERMAN PLUM CAKE - PFLAUMENKUCHEN

150 g all-purpose flour
50 g whole wheat pastry flour (or also all-purpose flour)
100 g sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
150 g butter, cold, cut in small cubes
1 egg
50 g/1/4 cup almond slices or slivers
500 g prune plums

In the bowl of a mixer, stir together flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add butter cubes and egg. Mix with paddle attachment (or dough hook) until streusel form. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C. Adjust rack to lower middle position.

Cut plums in halves and remove pits. Line bottom of 26 cm/10 inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Transfer half of the chilled streusel dough into pan, and press down to make the crust.

Distribute plum halves evenly over streusel bottom. Mix other half of streusel with almond slices and scatter evenly over the plums.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

There must be hundreds of Pflaumenkuchen recipes out there - this one is easy to make, and tastes best when slightly warm and served with vanilla ice cream.

September Birthday Cake - Geburtstagskuchen im September

There's no doubt about it - Pflaumenkuchen (German Plum Cake) is my birthday cake. In the beginning of September the first prune plums show up on the market just in time for my birthday.

My birthday party was always arranged by my grandmother, my Omi, who invested all her love and imagination in coming up with games and other entertainment for me and my friends. She definitely was my role model on how to make a child's birthday party a huge success!

"Hide-and-Seek" (in the dark), "Choose-the-Right-Candy", "Say-Whom-You-Love" and "Unwrap-the-Chocolate" (with fork and knife!) were some of the games that raised excitement and noise levels to heights that called for quiet intervals of soap bubble blowing, or story telling, to calm down all the boisterous little guests.

Of course my grandmother also baked my birthday cake, a large sheet brimming full of prune plums resting on a bed of sweet yeast dough, generously sprinkled with almonds and cinnamon sugar. I loved that cake, and could eat a lot of it (though not quite as much as on those memorable occasions when my cousin Thomas and I would compete at gobbling up Omi's famous yeast dumplings!).

Nowadays, if I do not have to entertain a horde of hungry cake monsters, I bake a smaller plum cake version, either with a short or a streusel crust, in a springform pan. They taste as good as the large yeasted cake - especially with Gifford's award winning vanilla ice cream...

Es gibt keinen Zweifel - mein Geburtstagskuchen ist Pflaumenkuchen. Anfang September tauchen die ersten Zwetschen auf dem Markt auf, gerade rechtzeitig zu meinem Geburtstag.

Meine Kindergeburtstage wurden immer von meiner Omi ausgerichtet, die all ihre Liebe und Fantasie einsetzte, um sich Spiele und andere Unterhaltung fuer mich und meine Freunde einfallen zu lassen. Sie war definitiv mein Vorbild dafuer, wie man einen Kindergeburtstag zum Riesenerfolg werden laesst!

"Mops im Dunklen", "Bonbontipp", "Sage, wen liebst du?" und "Schokoladen-Auspacken" (mit Messer und Gabel!) waren einige der Spiele, die Spannung und Laermpegel auf Hoehen trieben, die ruhige Intervalle mit Seifenblasen oder Geschichtenerzaehlen erforderten, um all die kleinen, laermenden Gaeste wieder zu beruhigen.

Natuerlich backte meine Omi auch meinen Geburtstagskuchen, ein grosses Blech voll Pflaumen auf einem Bett von suessem Hefeteig, grosszuegig mit Mandelblaettchen und Zimtzucker bestreut. Ich liebte diesen Kuchen, und konnte eine Menge davon essen (obwohl nicht ganz so viel wie bei den denkwuerdigen Gelegenheiten, wenn mein Cousin Thomas und ich uns um die Wette mit Omis beruehmten Hefekloessen vollstopften!).

Heutzutage, wenn ich nicht gerade eine Horde hungriger Kuchenmonster zu fuettern habe, backe ich eine kleinere Pflaumenkuchenversion, entweder mit Muerbeteig- oder mit Streuselboden, in einer Springform. Sie schmecken ebenso gut wie der grosse Hefekuchen - ganz besonders mit Giffords preisgekroentem Vanilleeis...

ZWIEBELKUCHEN - ONION (OR LEEK) TART FROM ALSACE

Onion or Leek Tart - here the leek version

It's this time of the year again - the garden is full of red leaves, the cats stay more indoors, and the temperatures are finally falling.

Time for the perfect savory fall pastry: Zwiebelkuchen from Alsace, a wonderful companion for young (or old) wine, that we like serving to guests.

A Spanish onion (or two leeks).....

..... plus ham and cheese for the filling

It's fast and easy to make, with frozen puff pastry for the crust, a large Spanish sweet onion (or a couple of leeks) and any aromatic hard cheese you have at hand. Don't go skinny on the cream, you want a smooth and satiny filling.

ZWIEBELKUCHEN - ONION (OR LEEK) TART 
(6 servings)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 large Spanish onion, quartered and thinly sliced
or
2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
60 g cooked ham or speck, cubed
2 eggs, separated
100 g/1 1/2 cups grated Emmental, aged Gouda or Asiago cheese
125 ml/1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream
black pepper, to taste (freshly ground)


Place frozen puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface and allow to thaw for about 30 minutes, until you can easily unfold it.

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Adjust rack to second lowest position.

Store-bought puff pastry makes an easy crust

Roll out puff pastry until it fits 11"/28 cm springform or tart pan. Place puff pastry in pan, taking care not to stretch it, then trim the edges.

Mix onions (or leek) with ham and cheese

In a large bowl, mix together sliced onions (or leeks), cubed ham, egg yolks and grated cheese. Add cream and mix to combine. Season to taste with pepper (adding salt is not necessary - ham and cheese provide enough salt).

Fold whipped egg whites into filling

Whisk egg whites until stiff. Fold them gently into onion mixture. Pour filling in springform pan and smooth surface with spatula.

Onion Tart - ready for the oven!

Bake onion tart for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until the crust is done, and the top is golden brown.

Serve warm.

For the unlikely case that you have leftovers: store them in the refrigerator and re-heat slices before serving.

My friend Andrea from Hamburg gave me this recipe.

Sunset over Hulls Cove, Mount Desert Island, Maine

Post updated 12/27/2015

Time for Onion Tarte - Zeit fuer Zwiebelkuchen

Fall is the time of the year when Alsatians and wine loving Germans think: "Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Tarte)! The mellow sweet onion pastry is the perfect companion to new wine.

If you travel in fall through the wine growing areas left and right of the Rhine, you will find inns, restaurants and many vinyards offering sparkling new wine (Federweisser), often served together with freshly baked Zwiebelkuchen.

But beware - Onion Tarte is an aider and abetter of that seemingly feathery light youngster, helping it go down so smoothly, that you are tempted to drink it like lemonade! When you wake up the next morning you realize why Federweisser is also called: "Sauser" (Buzzer) - there's something buzzing in your stomach and your head is spinning...

Herbst ist die Jahreszeit, in der Elsaesser und weinliebende Deutsche: "Zwiebelkuchen" denken. Das mild suessliche Zwiebelgebaeck ist der perfekte Begleiter fuer jungen Wein.

Wenn man im Herbst durch die Weinbaugebiete rechts und links des Rheins reist, findet man Gasthaeuser, Restaurants und viele Weingueter, die sprudelnden jungen Wein anbieten, der oft zusammen mit frischgebackenem Zwiebelkuchen serviert wird.

Aber Vorsicht - Zwiebelkuchen ist der Kumpan des scheinbar so federleichtem Juenglings, er hilft, ihn so glatt hinuntergleiten zu lassen, dass man in Versuchung geraet, ihn wie Limonade zu trinken! Wenn man dann am naechsten Morgen aufwacht, wird einem klar, warum Federweisser auch "Sauser" genannt wird - irgendetwas saust im Magen herum und der Kopf dreht sich...

The photo shows an equally tasty Onion Tarte variation: Leek Tarte. - Das Foto zeigt eine ebenso leckere Zwiebelkuchenvariation - Porreetorte.

TYROLEAN PUMPKIN SEED MINI BREADS

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One of my most beloved bread baking books is written by Richard Ploner, a master baker from South Tyrol ("Brot aus Südtirol"). Unfortunately neither this nor any of the other good German bread baking books have been translated into English, yet.

American artisan bakers who want to bake German, Austrian or East European breads all have to rely on the same few recipes in American baking books, recipe collections and websites. (Since I first wrote about this, a few German bread baking bloggers, like Brotdoc and Bernd's Bakery, started putting bilingual posts in their blogs, too.)

To bring some fresh flour into all this "inbreading", I'll post a favorite Tyrolean recipe: Kürbiskernbrot.

Toasted pumpkin seeds

These pretty, tasty little breads are studded with toasted pumpkin seeds and a mix of flours. If you can get hold of it, use pumpkin seed oil to make them more authentic. But other vegetable oil works, too.

The soft wheat flour Italian Tipo 00 (or pastry flour) is necessary to give it the right consistency, so don't swap it for AP.

Enjoy!

Whole rye, spelt and pumpkin seeds make these little breads a real treat!

PUMPKIN SEED MINI BREADS  (adapted from Richard Ploner's "Brot aus Südtirol")


340 g/12 oz milk, at 95ºF/35ºC
6 g/0.2 oz instant yeast
50 g/1.8 oz whole rye flour
300 g/10.6 oz whole spelt flour
150 g/5.3 oz Italian Tipo 00 soft wheat flour (or pastry flour*)
10 g/0.4 oz salt
5 g sugar (1 tsp.)
30 g/1 oz pumpkin seed oil (or other vegetable oil)
150 g/5.3 oz pumpkin seeds, toasted
water, for adjustments
1 egg, slightly beaten, for egg wash

*) Do not substitute with all-purpose flour - the crumb will become too chewy!)

The dough is studded with toasted pumpkin seeds

DAY 1
Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add to all other dough ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix for 1 - 2 minutes by hand or with mixer at low speed, until all flour is hydrated and ingredients come together. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

The dough will be somewhat sticky, but a stiff from the pumpkin seeds

Knead dough for 2 minutes at medium-low speed, adjusting with a bit of water as needed, dough should be smoother but still sticky. Continue kneading for another 4 minutes. Dough should be still somewhat sticky. Prepare a clean, lightly oiled bowl.

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled (or wet) work surface. Lightly oil (or moisten) your hands.

Pat and stretch dough into a rough square

Pat and stretch dough into a rough square, then fold it from top and bottom in thirds, like a business letter. Repeat stretching and folding in thirds from left and right.

Folded into a neat package

Place dough ball, sides tucked under, seam side down into prepared bowl. Cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Repeat those stretches and folds 3 times, at 10 minute intervals (total time 40 min.) Dough will become smoother, but, with all those seeds, be also a bit stiff.

After the last fold, cover bowl, and immediately place into refrigerator for overnight fermentation.


DAY 2
Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before using, to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 410ºF/210ºC, including steam pan.

Fold edges to the center to shape a roll

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface, and divide into 6 equal pieces. Shape these into rounds or rolls, and place them, seam side down, on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.

Using scissors, make 8 incisions around rim of each bread (see photo). Then, with a small round cookie cutter, press down in the middle to create the flower shape (the breads will spread and flatten a bit). Spray lightly with oil, cover, and proof for 30 - 45 minutes, or until they have grown 1 1/2 times their original size (finger poke test.)

Risen and ready to be baked

Place breads in oven, steaming with 1 cup hot water (optional), and bake for 12 minutes. Remove steam pan, rotate baking sheet 180 degrees, and continue baking for another 13 minutes, until breads are a deep golden brown, and register at least 200ºF/93ºC (instant thermometer.)

Let breads cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin Seed Mini Breads are as cute as they are tasty

 Updated 12/27/15