Let's Have a Buffet of
German Comfort Food with Dumplings
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The dumplings when you take them out have a wet exterior, so I thought
it would be good to do what my German grandma did and roll them
in soda cracker crumbs, and and brown them in butter.
I never knew there would be a love song about
Potato Dumplings.
This is a beautiful song and makes me want to get in the kitchen and make some.
Thuringia Klösse
Thuringia is a state in Germany and the style of these Potoato dumplings,
which is what Klösse (CLOSE-a) means.
( again tighten a "close" fist and you get a mental picture)
These dumplings must be good to write a song about them!
This is an incredible flavor combination.
I highly recomend it.
I remember the first time I cut into, a homemade warm Pflaumenknödel! Without being dramatic it seemed a little like pure bliss! This warm dessert dumpling features a soft, pillowy dough beautifully browned in butter, golden breadcrumbs, and cinnamon sugar.
The real magic happens when you cut it open:
a ripe, juicy plum dramatically bursts forth with its vibrant, sweet-tart juices.
Her recipes, culture and cooking styles that were brought over from Germany. How they evolved when she came to America in the early 1900s and settled in Portland, Oregon on the west coast of the United States. Over 100 recipes
Bonus recipes with step by step color pictures
Online for download
Rest your laptop,tablet or phone
in the Kitchen counter
and follow the recipes with pictures to help.
Bonus
PDF
for you to download
Read on your
phone, tablet or laptop
Vintage German Postcard replica's to use as bookmarks or to mail.
Biography of my grandma
Emma Block From Germany with Love tells the story of my grandma, Emma Block, growing up in a little town in Baden/ Würtemberg, Germany near Heidelberg named Steinsfurt. Then at the age of 15 immigrating to the United States, taking a train with one of her sisters and brothers to Hamburg and sailing the Atlantic with other hope filled Germans wanting to make a life in the "New World". It was not easy but with good values learned in her German upbringing made a full life, had a wonderful family with lots of fun and celebration including the great German meals.
Bierocks — sometimes called beer buns, krautburgers, or by their Nebraska-famous name, Runza — are hearty, hand‑held meat‑and‑cabbage–filled buns brought to the American Midwest by German‑Russian immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries
These yeast‑dough pockets were practical, portable meals for farming families, and they quickly became staples across Kansas and Nebraska. In Nebraska, the dish became so iconic that “Runza” is now a trademarked name for the rectangular version popularized by the Runza restaurant chain, which has been serving them since
Whether round like the traditional Kansas Bierock
like this restaurant in Wichita
called M and M Bierocks
rectangular like the Nebraska Runza You can find them
at a restaurant
with the same name
In parts of Colorado
They call them Krautburgers
Fleischkuchle
North Dakota,
especially Mercer County
These are similar except they are fried instead of baked.
Modern Chicken and Dumplings
A Miracle of German and American Ingenuity
From All day simmering to 1 hour start to finish
No tough stewing hen
No Sinkers
Tender Chicken and Fluffy light Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings didn’t arrive in America as a single recipe — they grew here, shaped by immigrant hands and the practical wisdom of farm kitchens.
German, French‑Canadian, and Pennsylvania Dutch cooks brought their own dumpling traditions, and early American families adapted them to whatever they had on hand: a stewing hen, a pot of broth, and a little flour.
The dish became a lifeline during lean years like the Great Depression, when stretching one chicken into a full meal was both necessity and comfort.
Then the 20th century brought a quiet revolution to the American kitchen. Baking powder made dumplings lighter and fluffier, and in 1931 Bisquick arrived, turning dumplings into a weeknight miracle — scoop, drop, simmer, done.
Today, the tradition continues in a new way: with rotisserie chickens from the supermarket and broth in a box, you can pick up everything you need on the way home from work. It slips easily into a busy schedule, yet somehow still tastes like something your grandmother simmered all afternoon.
That’s the magic of chicken and dumplings — convenience wrapped in comfort, history made weeknight‑friendly.
I have often wondered why this salad is such a big part of German cuisine as it is
with a lot of cultures.
Gurkensalat or cucumber pickles were on our dinner table at grandmas pretty much every meal.
I actually find this salad can be a challenge you have to be able to adjust it to hit that sweet
spot, the perfect balance of sweet and sour.
So allow time to adjust the flavor either with a litte more vinegar, more sugar, salt or more water
if it needs to be toned down. .
Why Cucumber Salad has been so popular in Germany
for thousands of years.
You know, every German‑American family I’ve ever met has a bowl of Gurkensalat that just appears on the table like magic. It doesn’t matter if it’s Tuesday night meatloaf or a full Sunday roast — somehow the cucumbers always make their way in.
And there’s a reason for that. Back in the old country, cucumbers were one of the easiest things to grow, and when the gardens exploded in summer, you had to find a way to keep up.
So what did people do? They sliced them thin, salted them, and gave them a quick bath in vinegar, sugar, and dill. Simple. Refreshing. Practical. Before refrigeration, that little marinade kept the cucumbers crisp and cool, and over time it became one of those everyday dishes that just stuck around.
And here’s the fun part: is Gurkensalat a salad… or is it a condiment? Honestly, it behaves like both. It brightens up heavy dishes, cuts through rich gravies, and somehow tastes good next to just about anything. In a lot of German‑American homes, it’s as common as having bread on the table — a little crunchy, tangy palate cleanser that reminds you of grandma’s kitchen and summer gardens. It’s humble, it’s homey, and it’s one of those “German goodies” that proves the simplest things often carry the most tradition.
salting the cucumbers helps draw out excess moisture and any bitterness.
yes you can wash off it off if necessary. After the other cuke gets sliced it
will be the right amount and
Through modern technology we can enjoy music from Germany at the touch of your computer, there are many venues now, Pandora, Amazon music, and Youtube is free.
I love my noise canceling headphones that are completely wireless and give incredible sound!
over 2500 perfect reviews, it is a bit of an investment but worth every penny.
Klostertaler
- Frei Wie A Vogel Im Wind 2004
Another of my all time favorites!
Marianne & Michael
MARIANNE UND MICHAEL, Marianne und Michael Hartl,
deutsches ...Marianne & Michael are a beloved German folk music (Volksmusik) duo, married couple Marianne and Michael Hartl, famous for their traditional costumes, wholesome image, numerous albums, and hosting popular TV shows like "Lustige Musikanten," bringing traditional German melodies and Schlager pop to wide audiences since the 1970s
Zillertaler Hochzeitsmarsch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Classic German Winter Music Nostalgia
Alpine Volksmusik Melodies & Memories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zillertaler Bravourjodler
Zillertaler means from the Ziller Valley in Austria
in the Alps, Bravour means masters of their craft, and Jodler means
Yodeling.
Angela Wiedl,Melanie Oesch,Herlinde Lindner-Erzherzog Johann Jodler/Zillertaler Bravourjodler
I can listen to this over and over
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