German side dish

[Phyllis Stone]

Does anyone have a good and easy recipe for a German type side dish that I
can add to my Thanksgiving dinner? Something that even a non German could
make. Maybe something using prepared sauerkraut.

[Matthias Czech]

Assuming, that the main dish is turkey, i would not recommend
"Sauerkraut". Does not match. Search for "Blaukraut" or "Rotkohl" (That
is Red Cabbage) instead. This side dish goes very well with turkey.

[Helpful person]

German Potato Salad will go well with Turkey.

http://www.richardfisher.com

[Bryan]

Why something German on the most American of holidays? And don't
anybody reply, "What about the 4th of July," because lots of countries
have a 4th of July.

--Bryan

[jmcquown]

LOLOL *Every* country has a 4th of July. Not every country has
Independence Day. Not every country has a specific day for
Thanksgiving, either. But there are lots of harvest celebrations.

Do you have any idea how many German Americans there are in the U.S? I
don't. I haven't bothered to count them. But my dad's mother was
German (hence, so were her parents and grandparents). They adopted the
U.S. tradition of Thanksgiving and incorporated their own dishes.

Hot (as in served warm, not hot and spicy) German potato salad would
work very well assuming the OP is roasting a turkey.

Jill

[Jim Elbrecht]

On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:59:52 -0500, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

>On 11/14/2012 11:43 AM, Bryan wrote:
>> On Nov 14, 7:35 am, "Phyllis Stone" <phyllisst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> Does anyone have a good and easy recipe for a German type side dish that I
>>> can add to my Thanksgiving dinner? Something that even a non German could
>>> make. Maybe something using prepared sauerkraut.
>>
>> Why something German on the most American of holidays? And don't
>> anybody reply, "What about the 4th of July," because lots of countries
>> have a 4th of July.
>>
>> --Bryan
>>
>
>LOLOL *Every* country has a 4th of July. Not every country has
>Independence Day. Not every country has a specific day for
>Thanksgiving, either. But there are lots of harvest celebrations.
>
>Do you have any idea how many German Americans there are in the U.S?

50 million- self described German Americans. [It would be interesting
to know how many of them, like myself, would also say they are Irish-
American, French-American, a splash of Scotch or 'just plain
American'.]
"More than half of the nation�s 3,143 counties contain a plurality of
people who describe themselves as German-American, according to a
Bloomberg compilation of data from the Census Bureau�s 2010 American
Community Survey."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-06/u-s-ethnic-mix-boasts-german-accent-amid-surge-of-hispanics.html


That said- If there were only 2 Klingons in the country, and they were
coming to my house for thanksgiving, I might try to serve a nice
Klingon dish as a nod to *their* heritage.

>don't. I haven't bothered to count them. But my dad's mother was
>German (hence, so were her parents and grandparents). They adopted the
>U.S. tradition of Thanksgiving and incorporated their own dishes.
>
>Hot (as in served warm, not hot and spicy) German potato salad would
>work very well assuming the OP is roasting a turkey.

That would work for me. And I agree with whoever said upstream that
sauerkraut wouldn't go with turkey. I love turkey-- and kraut-- but
don't see them in the same meal.

Jim

[Richard K.]

"Jim Elbrecht" <elbr...@email.com> wrote in message
news:3jk7a852ei5maaop2...@4ax.com...

> On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:59:52 -0500, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>

>>Do you have any idea how many German Americans there are in the U.S?
>
> 50 million- self described German Americans. [It would be interesting
> to know how many of them, like myself, would also say they are Irish-
> American, French-American, a splash of Scotch or 'just plain
> American'.]
> "More than half of the nation's 3,143 counties contain a plurality of
> people who describe themselves as German-American, according to a
> Bloomberg compilation of data from the Census Bureau's 2010 American
> Community Survey."
> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-06/u-s-ethnic-mix-boasts-german-accent-amid-surge-of-hispanics.html

There is a section of town near me called "Germantown" a couple miles
square, and more than one German American Club.

[James Silverton]

On 11/14/2012 12:24 PM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:59:52 -0500, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On 11/14/2012 11:43 AM, Bryan wrote:
>>> On Nov 14, 7:35 am, "Phyllis Stone" <phyllisst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Does anyone have a good and easy recipe for a German type side dish that I
>>>> can add to my Thanksgiving dinner? Something that even a non German could
>>>> make. Maybe something using prepared sauerkraut.
>>> Why something German on the most American of holidays? And don't
>>> anybody reply, "What about the 4th of July," because lots of countries
>>> have a 4th of July.
>>>
>>> --Bryan
>>>
>> LOLOL *Every* country has a 4th of July. Not every country has
>> Independence Day. Not every country has a specific day for
>> Thanksgiving, either. But there are lots of harvest celebrations.
>>
>> Do you have any idea how many German Americans there are in the U.S?
> 50 million- self described German Americans. [It would be interesting
> to know how many of them, like myself, would also say they are Irish-
> American, French-American, a splash of Scotch or 'just plain
> American'.]

> "More than half of the nation�s 3,143 counties contain a plurality of

> people who describe themselves as German-American, according to a

> Bloomberg compilation of data from the Census Bureau�s 2010 American

> Community Survey."
> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-06/u-s-ethnic-mix-boasts-german-accent-amid-surge-of-hispanics.html
>
>
> That said- If there were only 2 Klingons in the country, and they were
> coming to my house for thanksgiving, I might try to serve a nice
> Klingon dish as a nod to *their* heritage.
>
>> don't. I haven't bothered to count them. But my dad's mother was
>> German (hence, so were her parents and grandparents). They adopted the
>> U.S. tradition of Thanksgiving and incorporated their own dishes.
>>
>> Hot (as in served warm, not hot and spicy) German potato salad would
>> work very well assuming the OP is roasting a turkey.
> That would work for me. And I agree with whoever said upstream that
> sauerkraut wouldn't go with turkey. I love turkey-- and kraut-- but
> don't see them in the same meal.
>
> Jim

I'd forget about ancestry; we are Americans celebrating an American
festival. My kids have recent Irish, Scottish, English, Welsh, German
and French ancestry (Jewish too, if you count that as nationality :-)

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

[sf]

The Germans have great dumplings that are unlike anything American.
They're made with either bread or potato. I have no idea how to make
them, but they are delicious... How about Spaetzle? That's easy.
For pure simplicity, I'm thinking fresh white asparagus (if you can
find any this time of year) would be very easy to prepare and a good
representation of Germany because it's ubiquitous in their open air
markets. If you have a copy of Jeff Smith's "On Our Immigrant
Ancestors", there's a chapter on German cooking and most of the
recipes are side dishes. The onion pie recipe (Zweibelkuchen) looks
tasty and doable. Google is a good place to start for other ideas.
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/cooking-vegetables.cfm

Good luck, Phyllis and Happy Thanksgiving. Wish you dropped in here
more often!

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

[Bryan]

On Nov 14, 10:59 am, jmcquown <j_mcqu...@comcast.net> wrote:
> On 11/14/2012 11:43 AM, Bryan wrote:
>
> > On Nov 14, 7:35 am, "Phyllis Stone" <phyllisst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> Does anyone have a good and easy recipe for a German type side dish that I
> >> can add to my Thanksgiving dinner? Something that even a non German could
> >> make. Maybe something using prepared sauerkraut.
>
> > Why something German on the most American of holidays?  And don't
> > anybody reply, "What about the 4th of July," because lots of countries
> > have a 4th of July.
>
> > --Bryan
>
> LOLOL  *Every* country has a 4th of July.  Not every country has
> Independence Day.  Not every country has a specific day for
> Thanksgiving, either.  But there are lots of harvest celebrations.
>
> Do you have any idea how many German Americans there are in the U.S?  I
> don't.  I haven't bothered to count them.  But my dad's mother was
> German (hence, so were her parents and grandparents).  They adopted the
> U.S. tradition of Thanksgiving and incorporated their own dishes.

I am 1/4 German and 1/4 Austrian, but find German food--especially
anything to do with that spoiled cabbage stuff--pretty awful.

>
> Hot (as in served warm, not hot and spicy) German potato salad would
> work very well assuming the OP is roasting a turkey.

There's a reason why TG is going to be at our house every year. I
stay on script.
>
> Jill

--Bryan

[George M. Middius]

Bryan wrote:

> Why something German on the most American of holidays? And don't
> anybody reply, "What about the 4th of July," because lots of countries
> have a 4th of July.

What's on the menu in North Korea on July 4?

[Moe DeLoughan]

On the contrary, sauerkraut is a traditional part of the Thanksgiving
dinner in certain parts of the US, such as Maryland.

Here's a recipe for it from an article at
http://davidsonnews.net/foodanddining/2011/12/21/savoring-the-tradition-of-holiday-sauerkraut/

Dusek Family Holiday Sauerkraut

2 32-ounce bottles of sauerkraut
Chicken broth
1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon of dill weed
1 teaspoon pepper

Rinse sauerkraut in colander and drain moisture, and then put in a
pot. Pour chicken broth over the sauerkraut until just covered. Add
onion, caraway seeds, dill weed, pepper. Stir together, place on stove
at medium temp and cover pot.
Cook and stir occasionally for several hours for the best result of
blended flavors.
(It really only needs an hour probably, but we love the smell along
with the turkey cooking.)
When ready to serve, drain the juice from sauerkraut.
You can add little pieces of dark or light turkey, and also pour on
gravy to make it creamy.
(If you�re lucky, you�ll have enough left over so you can enjoy a
turkey sauerkraut cranberry sandwich the next day!)

[Rusty]

My Daughter's Maryland in-laws like sauerkraut for Thanksgiving, but
even though I like sauerkraut with pork, I never liked it with turkey.
The strong smell of sauerkraut cooking takes away from the glorious
aroma of the roasting turkey. Here is an authentic German recipe that I
have served with turkey.

ZwiebelKuchen (German Onion Pie)

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 cup shortening
2 - 3 tablespoons water
Filling
3 cups thinly sliced onions
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
3 tablespoons flour

For pastry - combine flour, salt and caraway seeds; add shortening; cut
into flour until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Stir water in
lightly with fork until mixture adheres and follows fork around bowl.
Roll on floured board to 1/8" thickness. Fit into 10" pie plate. Bake at
425° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cook onions in butter
until lightly browned. Spoon into pastry shell. Mix milk, 1 1/4 cup sour
cream and salt with eggs. Blend flour with remaining 1/4 cup sour cream,
and combine with egg mixture. Pour over onions in pie shell. Bake at
325° for 30 minutes or until firm in center. Serves 8

[gtr]

On 2012-11-14 17:42:52 +0000, sf said:

> How about Spaetzle? That's easy.

My very FIRST thought.

> For pure simplicity, I'm thinking fresh white asparagus (if you can
> find any this time of year) would be very easy to prepare and a good
> representation of Germany because it's ubiquitous in their open air
> markets. If you have a copy of Jeff Smith's "On Our Immigrant
> Ancestors", there's a chapter on German cooking and most of the
> recipes are side dishes. The onion pie recipe (Zweibelkuchen) looks
> tasty and doable. Google is a good place to start for other ideas.
> http://www.germanfoodguide.com/cooking-vegetables.cfm

Yikes. Looks fantastic. I'm thinking my holiday Smorgasbord is going
decidedly more Saxon.

[spamtrap1888]

I agree with this. Red, tart, and clovey, rotkohl would go well with
turkey, as well as being "typisch Deutsch." It would serve much the
same purpose as cranberry relish.

[gtr]

Very informtive. We've been calling the red stuff sauerkraut too. Or
more likely referrring to the whole mess whenever we encounter it as
"cabbage".

[sf]

Cabbage to replace cranberry relish got my attention. Good thing you
said it was "clovey" because the first recipe I found was just savory
(no cloves). The second fit the description.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-sour-braised-cabbage-rotkohl-10000001860034/

[Victor Sack]

Good idea. Anything to take attention away from the tasteless turkey.
Sauerkraut is exactly right for the purpose. Now, if it were goose or
duck, it would be different. Here are a couple of ideas, which I posted
before. One is for a cold salad, the other for a hot side dish.

Sauerkrautsalat

Cut up a pound of raw sauerkraut to the length of your choice, cube
(small cubes) a couple of sourish apples and 2-4 sour pickles (fermented
cucumbers), finely mince a smallish onion, and mix everything together
with about 3 tablespoons sour cream and a pinch of sugar.

Mashed potatoes with sauerkraut

Cook sauerkraut with some lard and crumbled bacon. Mash freshly boiled
potatoes with some milk and butter. Mix sauerkraut with the potatoes in
relation 1:3.

Victor

[gtr]

On 2012-11-14 22:25:02 +0000, Victor Sack said:

> Good idea. Anything to take attention away from the tasteless turkey.
> Sauerkraut is exactly right for the purpose. Now, if it were goose or
> duck, it would be different. Here are a couple of ideas, which I posted
> before. One is for a cold salad, the other for a hot side dish.
>
> Sauerkrautsalat
>
> Cut up a pound of raw sauerkraut to the length of your choice, cube
> (small cubes) a couple of sourish apples and 2-4 sour pickles (fermented
> cucumbers), finely mince a smallish onion, and mix everything together
> with about 3 tablespoons sour cream and a pinch of sugar.
>
> Mashed potatoes with sauerkraut
>
> Cook sauerkraut with some lard and crumbled bacon. Mash freshly boiled
> potatoes with some milk and butter. Mix sauerkraut with the potatoes in
> relation 1:3.

Thanks!

[jmcquown]

I can claim Scottish ancestry on both the paternal and maternal side.
But my Dad's mom was German. And yes, her parents and his grandparents
were probably Jewish. They emigrated just before WWI and settled in
Pennsylvania Dutch country.

According to the information I've got, my great-great-great Scottish
grandmother was married five times, once to an Irishman. I'm not sure
where the later relations fell into that mish-mash but there's a Melvin
Kelly somewhere in my ancestry!

Jill

[gtr]

I have a few two many observant non-pork eaters for dinner. I'd think
in a number of pork dishes I could swap out duck or dark-meat chicken.
But what does one use to replace crumbled bacon?

[spamtrap1888]

Grebenes cut small and fried hard.

[Brooklyn1]

Smoked salmon.

[gtr]

I was unfamiliar with them. Since there are many Chinese and
Vietnamese bbq joints with ducks hanging in the window, I might well be
able to just by the cracklings.

Cool idea! Thanks.

[Jean B.]

Victor Sack wrote:
> Good idea. Anything to take attention away from the tasteless turkey.
> Sauerkraut is exactly right for the purpose. Now, if it were goose or
> duck, it would be different. Here are a couple of ideas, which I posted
> before. One is for a cold salad, the other for a hot side dish.
>
> Sauerkrautsalat
>
> Cut up a pound of raw sauerkraut to the length of your choice, cube
> (small cubes) a couple of sourish apples and 2-4 sour pickles (fermented
> cucumbers), finely mince a smallish onion, and mix everything together
> with about 3 tablespoons sour cream and a pinch of sugar.
>
> Mashed potatoes with sauerkraut
>
> Cook sauerkraut with some lard and crumbled bacon. Mash freshly boiled
> potatoes with some milk and butter. Mix sauerkraut with the potatoes in
> relation 1:3.
>
> Victor

You make me wish I was going to eat potatoes.