Oldie but so goodie!

Well, it's no secret that we like to indulge in the occasional delicious beer around these parts. What's better after a long stressful week (or day!) than a nice cold one with friends, music, and good conversation? This is not a new practice by any means, people have been doing it as long as people have known the magic of fermentation, and have been producing it since at least as far back as the 5th millenium BC. In fact, back when water still presented a danger in Europe, people brewed beer as their primary form of hydration in the form of small beer (with big beer at night ;). Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer

Men, women, children, people of all classes, all drinking beer all day, at least in places where grapes were not readily available for wine. Crazy? True story. In the country people brewed their own, in the cities the brewers were important and often wealthy craftsmen, and it was quite common for monasteries to brew beer as well. Many of the oldest existing breweries have monastic origins. Some sources might suggest that people did drink water too, but that is not what we're talking about right now.

One of the things we love about German beer is that they've actually maintained a law since 1516 ensuring purity standards, so you know that there are no unwanted chemicals or additives in your beer. It's just beer and the ingredients that should go in it. How cool is that?! Germany is also one of the major opponents of genetically modified food in Europe, with the EU already having one of the most stringent GMO regulations in the world (again, backing this up with Wikipedia... that's valid, right?). Plus, if you've ever seen the water flowing down from the Alps in Bavaria, you know why the beer is so tasty! Pure, delicious beer.

We happen to have an amazing selection of German beer at our disposal via the amazing Vendome down the street, where we can pick up a couple of half-litres at a time to share and sample. And we've noticed in our "research" that many breweries claim to be the oldest.... The oldest in Munich, the oldest in Bavaria, the oldest in Germany. And we've been wondering, here at the Ms. Schnitzel tasting room, which really IS the oldest? 

Take the lovely at the top - the Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff - we really loved this beer. It was light like a lager, a Helles Lager to be exact, but had a bit of the flavor of a hefeweizen - very smooth, a hint of citrus or something sweet, no bitter aftertaste. Refreshing, oh so tasty, one of our faves. Is this really the oldest in Munich, as the packaging brazenly claims?

So if you're a history nerd and love beer, this is the post for you!

Weihenstephaner - Yay! We love this brewery, the hefeweizen is really what made Jen begin to love beer! This is in fact the oldest brewery in Germany, actually the oldest existing brewery in the world, tracing its monastic roots to 768. The monastery was originally dedicated to St. Vitus, hence the shout out with their very strong, might we warn you, Weihenstephaner Vitus. Later it was dedicated to St. Stephen, and so the name of the brewery. The brewery was licensed in 1040 by the City of Freising, which is the founding date claimed by the modern brewery.  If you haven't tried any of their beers yet... Well, you haven't really lived, have you.

So that answers the question of the oldest brewery in Germany, and apparently Bavaria. So what's up with Augustiner's claim to being the oldest brewery in Munich? Well, Weihenstephaner is actually about 25 miles outside of town. So Augustiner is actually Munich proper's oldest brewery, dating back to 1328. That's still pretty old.

Weltenburg, which we have yet to try, was actually founded in 1050 -  so not far behind Weihenstephaner - while Gaffel (1302), Franziskaner (1363) and Spaten (1397) are formidable institutions as well. We know we love Weihenstephaner, Augustiner, Franziskaner, and Spaten, bring on the Weltenburg and Gaffel! So now you know what we'll be looking for next.  

Prost!

Ms. Schnitzel's Double Trouble Burger

Whenever Jen asks her boyfriend what he wants for dinner his response is ALWAYS either, "burgers or fish and chips." This time, Jen succumbed to one of his demands. With German food ideas on her brain, and a fresh taste of German cheese on her tongue,  Jen had a light bulb moment. What if we make a German cheeseburger?! Jen's boyfriend would be so happy and the Ms. Schnitzel test kitchen would have an original recipe to fire up. Brilliant! But what is a German cheeseburger without a homemade pretzel bun?

Jen and Tara quickly got to work following the exact recipe from the Pretzel Bread post and instead of making pretzel bread, they shaped the dough into hearty buns. 

The rest of this idea is simple, the homemade pretzel bun holds an organic, grass-fed burger, sauerkraut and cheese (choose one of 2) topped with your favorite German mustard, layered in whatever order you prefer.  

There are two cheese options for this burger depending on your taste buds. You can either use the Cheddar Beer Spread (from previous post) or use the German blue cheese (from Pretty Cheese with Sugar on Top?). We all had a difficult time choosing a favorite because they were both delicious in their own right. 

We would love to hear what different German cheeseburger combinations and flavors you come up with? Feel free to comment below! 

Chilled Raspberry Pudding

We have another pretty, fresh seasonal berry-filled dessert to share with you which has a unique texture thanks to the addition of tapioca, and it is truly bursting with flavor. 

Grandma's recipe called for Port, something neither of us had ever tried before much less purchased. We opted for the bottle below as it was the cheapest and we didn't want to spend a lot on something we weren't sure we would care for left over. Port is a heavy, sweet dessert wine (makes sense in this context!) and it really wasn't too bad if you're into that kind of thing. We kinda like it. Would it be a sin to say it might even be good over ice, kinda like Sangria without any work (or fruit)? At least the cheap stuff?

Anyways... When you check out the recipe you'll see it calls for quick-cooking tapioca. We like to make things more difficult for ourselves though, both for the sake of authenticity and to help educate ourselves and our readers. And it just really is kind of a fun challenge to test our skills in this way. So we bought the real stuff, which had to be soaked overnight. We did not have to adjust the recipe in any other way and it worked great! Those little suckers soaked up so much raspberry goodness, contributing to the overall effect of raspberry flavor bursting in our mouths!

The recipe also calls for frozen berries, but we are still at the tail end of raspberry season down here in So. Cal. and we love to use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Just look at those beauties!

We decided to reduce the amount of sugar in both the pudding and the whipped cream, which we think turned out to be the perfect amount, really allowing the flavor of the berries to shine. You can always adjust the sweetness to suit your own taste. This may actually be necessary as some berries are more tart and some are more sweet.

The last little experiment we tried was to use an immersion blender to make the whipped cream, and holy schnitz! It was whipped in like 2.5 seconds! In fact, Tara wasn't convinced it was possible for cream to whip that fast and perhaps overwhipped the cream. It was a bit dry... So, moral of the story: If you want to try this method, please believe your eyes no matter how impossible what you see may seem.

Otherwise, the pudding firmed up nicely and was really so very tasty. We like to think it's kind of a healthy dessert, if such a thing exists. After all, tapioca is all natural and derived from cassava root and the main ingredient is raspberries, those brilliant antioxidant and vitamin rich little delights. And a bit of sugar in moderation keeps us happy. Happy is healthy.

We have to say, we are just so impressed with Grandma's Cookbook - we haven't had a dud yet! (Knock on wood. Seriously. Please?)

Adieu,

Pretty cheese, with sugar on top?

This German Cambozola is as pretty as our title suggests - a rich shade of cream veined with dark blue marble. Do yourself a favor, if you see this at your local cheese counter, BUY IT. It is soooo good. 

Tara has been a lifelong hater of blue cheese, but she braced her tastebuds and tried it, never one to shy away from culinary adventure... with some notable exceptions, but we'll save that conversation for a rainy day. Anyways, she could not get enough of this! And Jen, in cheese heaven, was inspired to come up with some of her most creative descriptions yet:

"Like a stinky sock, but a one day stinky sock. Not a five day. That's just the kick." (The kick, get it?! The kick of flavor in the cheese, but we're comparing it to socks, feet, you know?)

"It's like Stilton knocked up Brie and they had a German baby." Indeed, an apt description. Creamy and mild for a blue cheese, but with a definitely blue... kick. Yeah, we said it again.

Stilton and Brie, sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love, then comes marriage
Than comes Cambozola in a baby carriage!

So on that note, we'll leave you with a little teaser: We made pretzel buns yesterday from our previous pretzel bread recipe, and will be testing a Schnitz original recipe tomorrow using this Cambozola and the aforementioned buns, but the rest is a secret...Shhhh. Stay tuned!

Holy Kraut Fest!

 
For all of you Ms. Schnitzel following Ohioians, this weekend boasts the annual Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville. We found this festival particularly fitting considering 1.) we are all about some kraut 2.) Jen is from Ohio. 

Who would have thought an entire two day event was designated for the mass consumption and celebration of fermented cabbage?! And by mass consumption, we mean 7 tons of sauerkraut! This is such a big deal that their "claim to fame" is on the town sign. 

 

Rain or shine as many as 350,000 people enjoy egg rolls, cabbage rolls, soups and many pork and sauerkraut combinations as well as some very nontraditional sauerkraut ice cream, fudge, pizza and cookies. Sauerkraut pizza? We're intrigued. That may become an experiment for the Ms.Schnitzel test kitchen!

Sauercrowd

Ms. Schnitzel's nerdy fun facts:
 
*According to Don Heinrich Tolzmann, author of The German-American Experience, "...German is the largest ancestral group in the country."

*Even though Pennsylvania boasts the largest German-American population, that doesn't mean Ohioians can't have a kraut fest.

*The only bummer about this festival is the absence of beer tents. Yes folks it is an alcohol free zone. I guess there's no harm in getting kraut-wasted?

Oktoberfest 2014 Adieu!

As we wonder how everyone over in Munich is doing right now...

One last "Prost!" from your favorite fräuleins

We here at Ms. Schnitzel, the writers as well as the tasters, have pretty much been in Bavarian Heaven over the last couple of months. Tara and Jen only dreamed up the concept of this blog a little over a month before Oktoberfest began, and as soon as we committed to doing 15 posts in 15 days (this is post #16!), we started stockpiling ideas, photos, recipes, etc. And you have no idea how glad we are that we did! This was a huge challenge, much bigger than we anticipated, and we have to admit we're a bit proud of ourselves today on the last day of Oktoberfest 2014.

Don't worry, we're not going anywhere - we will just be cutting back to a more reasonable 1-2 posts per week. After juicing, stuffing our faces with nothing but vegetables and salads, swearing off beer, and doing a bunch of yoga and running, we will be back refreshed and ready to share some more hearty goodness... just in time for the chilly weather that makes this comforting cuisine even more satisfying! 

We hope you've had as much fun as we have and maybe even learned a thing or two along with us. Thanks for following Ms. Schnitzel's Oktoberfest Extravaganza 2014, see you in a few days!

Adieu, adieu, to you and you and YOU!

Prost! Part 2

German beers are turning Jen into a total snobby fraulein. She never was a fan of beers until a few years back when Blue Moon and Leinenkugels became her go-to beers. Within the last couple of years she took it to level two and started drinking Hoegaarden, Franziskaner and Weihenstephaner Weissbiers. 
 
Having done so much blog "homework", aka sampling a lot of beer, Jen has taken her beer snobbery to level three.

Tara remembers hearing on a brewery tour in Wisconsin (New Glarus shout out!) that the water used in brewing is a big determining factor in the flavor profile of the resulting beer. Makes sense, right? Well after witnessing first-hand that crystal clear, aqua-colored water flowing down from the Alps into Munich, it is no shock that Germany produces some of the best beer we've ever tried!

Jen and Tara were SO pumped to get ahold of some Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest being that the last time we were at Bevmo we were told it sells out the same day every time it comes in. We felt the Hacker-Pschorr was similar to the Paulaner Oktoberfest, which is also a Marzen style amber, but a little lighter in taste. Vote = 8 stars.

Since Jen and Tara were already super fans of the Erdinger Weissbier on draught at Wirtshaus, we were extremely excited to try the Oktoberfest brew which is a cross between the Marzen style ambers and weissbier. Lighter than a typical weiss and full flavored and refreshing like a Marzen. Vote = 9 stars.

Jen found this little beer gem at Whole Foods which has a surprisingly orange, citrus-y flavor. We were a bit deceived by the dark bottle and Marzen label. The other Marzen style beers that we tried were neither citrus-y nor sweet. Vote = 8 stars.

Wirtshaus Restaurant Part 2- Food

It's the last Friday of Oktoberfest, and we hope you are having a festive and fun evening! 

If you've been following our shenanigans, you are probably already aware that we went to this festive and fun German restaurant to get a taste of what LA has to offer to fellow German food and drink enthusiasts, as well as to learn a bit more about said food and drinks. 

We are aware the food is rather homely - i.e. difficult to do justice in a photograph. But it is so tasty, satisfying, comforting and, dare we say, underrated that there is little out there on the WWW (world-wide web, anyone?) to guide those who have experienced it and want to recreate its deliciousness.  

Ms. Schnitzel to the rescue!

However, in order to know whether the recipes we are sharing are true to others' standards of German cuisine, it is imperative and FUN to check out the local offerings. So even if you're not from LA, we hope these field trips help bring some clarity and maybe inspire you to check out the scene in your own town. We'd love to hear about it if you do!

Speaking of imperatives, it felt necessary on this trip to order up some schnitzel... We have yet to share a schnitzel recipe with you despite our name, soooo yeah. It was real good. Especially with sauce. 

There were six of us, so rather than boring you with descriptions of every little thing we tried, let's keep it brief and say there was nary a complaint. Everything was delicious.

Now let's talk favorites. 

Hailing from the south, Virginia to be exact, GK was astounded at the similarities between his meal and the cooking he loves from back home. The green beans and mashed potatoes were the ideal pairing to his chicken schnitzel, all done to perfection, and he left a happy (if a bit nostalgiac) man.

Tara absolutely loved the Jäger (hunter) sauce which she remembered fondly from the small town she visited in the Bavarian Alps (Ausgang? No, that means exit. Remind her to tell you the story sometime). She mixed it with spätzle. Actually, frankly, she mixed it with everything. But with tons of fresh mushrooms and tender homemade spätzle, the Jäger-spätzle combo was her favorite. Well, also the potato pancakes with caramelized onions and mascarpone cheese sauce (pictured at the top). She and Jen began dreaming up their potato pancake post and all of the delicious toppings they could create!

Janet's favorite was the Gulasch, with tender and juicy beef in a hearty and flavorful sauce, served over the spätzle, which we might add was an all around favorite. Perfectly al dente with just a hint of garlic flavor... If you've never tried spätzle, it's time that you do!

Jen is torn between her entrée, with delicious bites that combined the chicken schnitzel, Jäger sauce, and sauerkraut (also a winner all around - very sour and very tasty), whose flavors all worked so well together, and the Nutella Pudding!

Adrienne was smitten with both the sauerkraut and the mashed potatoes. Those taters - creamy, rich, and full of flavorful potato goodness - were a total hit with those who tried them! We might have to convince Adrienne to come and experiment with us to replicate the magic...

Bob, the chocoholic, loved the Nutella Pudding as well and could not stop talking about it afterwards! Seriously. Did not stop talking about it. Yum!

Whew, so that's a lot! Right? We didn't even talk about everything, after two full posts! What a treat. So let's finish the last Friday of Oktoberfest 2014, though there's a whole weekend to come mind you, with this little guy below. 

Jen's tummy was feeling a bit unsettled going in to this experience, but we do what we have to do. It's for the greater good, right? At the end of the meal, it was decided a little digestif action might help.

It was like Jäger on crack, the liquor not the sauce mind you (is that hilarious to anyone else?). It settled Jen's tummy nicely and she was alright with the flavor. Tara HATED it. If you like Jägermeister, you very well might love this. Try at your own risk.

Pretzel Bread

Flash back to New Years Day 2012 (or 2011? It's since become a tradition). Tara and Jen hosted a feast featuring Jen's Grandmother's sauerkraut, slow-cooked pork, and homemade pierogies. Tara had just been gifted an awesome bread machine from her brother and sister-in-law, and was on the prowl for a solid bread machine recipe that would coordinate with this very Eastern European and German themed meal. Was this event perhaps foreshadowing the creation of Ms. Schnitzel?

Now without even getting into how incredible this holiday meal was, let's just focus on the present moment. Pretzel bread. But, oh please make pierogies from scratch sometime! There may even be a recipe in store for you down the road! Wink, wink.

This, our friends, was a winner:

http://likeabubblingbrook.com/2010/06/how-to-make-authentic-pretzel-bread/

The bread machine makes it oh-so-simple. EXCEPT…

The first time Tara made it, she was not familiar with her bread machine settings and set it to a baking mode with the intentions of catching it after kneading and rising, but before it started baking. Well, we know how these things go when preparing for a feast. You get distracted by little odds and ends like, say, helping to make pierogi dough and filling, shaping those adorable little dumplings, etc. Furthermore, she made a full recipe rather than splitting it in half. The end result? A very large, very TALL loaf of bread. Still delicious, but no festive braid and so much bread that after six people had at it and divided the leftovers, there was still much bread to be had.

Moral to the story? Know your dough setting, listen to the recipe when it suggests cutting it in half for a smaller crowd, and if you're super stressed or don't have a bread machine, go ahead and knead it by hand! Just make sure to let it rest in a warm place under a towel until it has nearly doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, split it into roughly 3 equal sections. Stretch it, roll it in your hands, and stretch it some more until each piece is like a thick rope. Then braid it like you're a schoolgirl. Slather it with a pastry brush and the water/baking soda concoction (don't skip this step, it gives it that shiny brown pretzel exterior!), sprinkle it with coarse salt (we used kosher), and pop it in the oven.

This bread is as delicious as it looks. The pictured loaf is a half recipe. We were concerned that it might be overcooked at the full baking time, but kept an eye on it and it turned out great at about 10 minutes shy of the time recommended? We would think if making the full recipe you would still want to split it into two loaves, otherwise it might be too long to fit in the oven...

And hey, why not serve it with some Cheddar-Beer Spread?! Oh, yeah.

Wirtshaus Restaurant Part 1- Beer

 

Day 12 of Oktoberfest, and still going strong! We hope everyone out there has had a chance to bring a bit of Bavaria into their life because - may we tell you? 

It's kinda nice. 

When Jen's parents suggested they might visit during Oktoberfest, we were so excited at the prospect of new palates from which we might extract opinions! Of course we were excited just for their presence, but we didn't need to tell you that...did we? Jen made it clear it would be a working weekend, and they happily obliged. So cheers to the Bish clan! 

You will recognize Jen of Ms. Schnitzel fame, and GK from previous posts, we're sure. The lovely Adrienne, who has participated in a couple of other tasting panels, is standing above them. And meet Bob and Janet on the left!

We arrived at Wirtshaus in Hollywood to waving banners, flags, and a friendly German host who really wanted to take our picture. With our phone, of course. It wasn't creepy.

We settled into a sturdy wooden table with long benches, cozied right up next to another group of Oktoberfest revelers dressed in costumes (right?!), with images of the alps on the wall, steins hanging from the bar, and an incredible accordion player setting the ambiance for the whole scene. He played the chicken dance song a lot, and we mean to investigate whether this song has Bavarian roots. Anyone, anyone?

                          

We did eye the outdoor beer garden with a bit of envy at first, it was a perfect night and it really looked like a biergarten right out of Munich...or at least just a festive, fun patio. We weren't aware of it whilst making reservations and the place was packed, so indoors it was. This did not in any way sully our good time. We even got to see a (semi) celebrity. No night in LA is complete without that. 

There were some other stars of the night, however. So many, in fact, that we decided to split this experience into two posts. 

Enter Beer, stage right.

It's somehow become a thing where Tara ends up with the crazy foamy heads on her beer, almost invariably, as above. Who's complaining? That Erdinger Weiss had a lot to say, and how else is a beer to express itself? The ensuing Paulaner Oktoberfest was equally expressive. She gives a big thumbs up to both. 

Adrienne was more of a fan of the Krombachner Pils. She described it as crisp, with a light taste but not at all lacking in flavor. She gave it an 8 out of 10:

Yeah, she was double-fisting. 

She did not love the Erdinger Weiss, but passed it on to Janet who seemed to enjoy it. 

GK also tried the Krombachner Pils, which he found to be "smooth, flavorful, and delicious". He preferred it over his first beer, Jever, which was a "light, Stella-esque" brew.

Janet's first beer was the Fruh Kolsch, of which she said, "Well, I only drink Miller Lite, MGD 64 or Bud Light so... All I can say is that it was smooth, no harsh after-taste, and on to Erdinger!" Thank you for your willingness to try German beer, it's not for the faint-hearted and you've proven yourself an adventurous fräulein!

Jen also tried the Erdinger Weiss, a popular choice because we all love German Weissbiers, and she found it to be light and refreshing. But she was hooked on the Paulaner Oktoberfest, as pictured above, which went over so well in our initial tasting. It's dark in color and rich in flavor, yet light and balanced at the same time. Jen and Tara both found it even better on draught than the bottled version. 

So there you have it. Go out and get yourself some Paulaner Oktoberfest while you still can!

And a big thanks to Bob for being our designated driver! 

Schnitzel Notes:

* When making a reservation at this or any local German place, make sure to ask if they have a biergarten. Having said that, our indoor experiences have been adventures with a decor, charm, and ambience all their own!

* Tune in for Wirtshaus Part 2, all about food! 

* A special "Prost!" to Will Chalut, who would have loved this!