blackandwhitecookie

[blackandwhitecookie]

Why German Recipes?

Just a short history - Great Grandma Bertha was born in 1905 and she was a formidable woman that had kids during the second world war. Times were hard and they really struggled to make ends meet. Being a bystander in Nazi Germany wasn’t easy – if you didn’t choose a side you were left behind. My mom told me the story of how during Nazi occupation, Grandma Bertha and her family nearly starved to death. When my grandmother, Christa, was born in 1943, they ran out of milk. If it hadn’t been for some American soldiers that were occupying their home, Grandma Chris surely would have died. They supplied her with powdered milk and some other rations - it was enough to get them through.

I was born in Germany. I lived in a small German town and went to an all-German school. I spent at least one part of my day with my grandma and great grandma. I went to the market, butcher shop and bakery in town. I grew up eating great grandma’s Sunday roast, her meat salad, traditional head cheese, pasties, and various truly old-timey meals she used to make during the War. They really did use EVERYTHING to make ends meet!

30 years after great Grandma Bertha passed away (Grandma Chris died 20 years later), I was visiting my aunt in California for my cousin’s wedding. It was lovely catching up and we even made Käsespätzle (cheese noodles) for dinner together one night. Before I left, she gave me great Grandma’s cookbook, which delighted me to no end. When Grandma Chris died, I was a junior in high school. My mom and I were not able to travel back to Germany for the funeral. My aunts took care of the estate and all those beloved things in her house were never to be seen again. All my aunts and cousins have moved to America, so the only ties I have are the friends from elementary school.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time looking through the recipes and wanting to preserve the traditional southern German recipes Bertha used to cook. That’s why I wanted to share them here. The book is old (1949, 3rd edition), and I’m worried it will fall apart. It has everything you could imagine a southern German housewife would need.

I’ll be sharing a little about the town I grew up in as well as some recipes that I got from my mom over the years. As I come across some other authentic recipes from my friends that I love, I will add those too. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do, and I will do my best to make some and share the results 😊

Mit Liebe,

Cookie

[blackandwhitecookie]

Mehlspeise:

What is Mehlspeise? It’s Dessert! Also known as Nachspeise. Defined as a cooked dessert, cake, confection, or pastry. I will start posting desserts first and then looping back around to appetizers and traditional meal times.