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The First Potato Winter
in 1766
Steinsfurt, Germany
for the Streib Family
It's unusually Cold in much of America right now
and I thought a heartwarming
story of survival during the grain crop failure years
of the mid-1700's in Germany, would be fun,
and how the potato was first grown
only for animals,
and finally
accepted in Germany
out of necessity.
to avoid famine.
This is a story based on history
about my family in Steinsfurt, Germany discovering and making potato soup
for the first time.
Historically the first potatoes werer bitter and mealy.
Good ole' bacon and onions as usual could make
anything taste good, so it became the signature of this dish for my grandma.
This is my sister and me with
Grandma and Granpa walking by Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon
In their younger days,
they would dig clams and can them in the cabin they rented on the beach.
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.
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.
In southern Germany, especially in Swabia and Baden‑Württemberg, Kartoffelsuppe and Apfelküchle became a beloved pairing
through a mix of practicality and regional food culture for 3 main reasons.
1. Farm families relied on what they had in abundance—potatoes in the cellar and apples stored for winter—so a warm potato soup alongside freshly fried apple fritters made an inexpensive but deeply satisfying meal.
2. Because the region has a long tradition of serving sweet dishes as part of the main course, not just as dessert, the combination felt natural rather than unusual.
3. It also fit neatly into Catholic meatless Fridays, where a hearty, meat‑free soup and a sweet, filling fritter made a complete supper. Over time, this simple farmhouse habit became a nostalgic staple in school cafeterias, church kitchens, and home tables, remembered for its comforting balance of savory and sweet.
If you are looking to make these wonderful Apfelkühle without frying them in oil
you can also do an Air Fryer version. You of course can use a conventional oven also.
this recipe uses just an egg dip with sparkling water,
and then dip it into Streusel and then air fry it, very simple.
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!
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