Posted on 09/22/2003 12:22:48 PM PDT by carlo3b
Oktoberfest
The days are getting a bit longer and an occasional chill will brush your cheek, and the world's largest Ethnic party will officially bring on autumn. Depending upon the yearly calendar, this food and brewfest takes place between late September and mid October. This year Germany will celebrate this wonderful event, September 20 - October 5, 2003.
In various places throughout the world parties will crop up and the sound of German folk music, and the scent of wonderful food will fill the air once again. It's PARTY TIME!
However, the mother of all Oktoberfest parties will once again take place in Munich Germany, the birthplace of festival. Millions of people will descend upon the city, where they'll stuff their faces with chicken, kraut, sausages and pork knuckles and drink foamy lager out of huge steins while swaying to brass band music.
Oktoberfest as a celebration started a long time ago, as a mater of fact, it dates back to the year 1810, when a royal wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen took place on Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields"). As time passed by, Oktoberfest lost its original meaning, but preserved and even more, acquired the spirit fun and festivities. Beginning today in Munich, this, the largest food festival in the world, up to 7 million visitors from all over the world will gather to have fun and enjoy splendid German beers and authentic German food.
After the name of the traditional place of celebration - Theresienwiese - Oktoberfest is called by the local people simply "Wiesn". Another tradition of Oktoberfest is Munich Mayor's exclamation "Ozapft is", or as it sounds in High German "Angezapft ist es" which means "It's been tapped". The Mayor taps the first keg of beer and Oktoberfest thus gets started.
The brewing calendar made Oktoberfest inevitable. Before refrigeration, brewing in warm weather was a crapshoot: contaminants like wild yeast often spoiled the beer. So brewers took the summer off. But not before making one final batch and storing it in a cool place in the mountains. The beer was called Märzen, a robust, reddish-amber lager Bavarians enjoyed all summer.
According to statistics, 7 million visitors consume 5 million kegs of beer, 700000 fried chicken, 400000 pairs of bratwurst (pork sausages) and many more German specialties. Nevertheless they are not just passive eaters and drinkers. All festivities are accompanied by a rich and spectacular program of events for the enjoyment and excitement of visitors of all ages.
Immigration to the new world assured that the great festival would stay alive. Today hundreds of cities and towns across the United States and Canada continue the tradition with their own smaller versions of the event. Cities with active large German-American populations will hold city wide parties, others will host small church socials, and neighborhood get-togethers. Check your community calendar to be sure to join the fun.
Try to incorporate some authentic German foods into your own menu, such sauerbraten, bratwurst, sausages, potato pancakes, and cabbages of all kinds...
Here my FReeper FRiends, is were we begin our own FReepwurst with a few recipes to get you started. Please jump in and help us share the fun with recipes, traditions and party locations taking place in your areas... Enjoy
Stop by our Website for additional recipes that are easy, tasty, and fun... bring your own Oktoberfest to your home.
Probst!
Now that's a lot of beer!
German White Chocolate Cake Ingredients (6 servings)
Frosting
- 2 1/2 c Cake flour
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1/2 lb Unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 c Sugar
- 4 lg. Eggs, separated
- 4 oz White chocolate, melted in 1/2 c boiling water and cooled
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 c Buttermilk
- 1 c Shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 c Chopped pecans
Instructions
- 1 c Evaporated milk
- 1 c Sugar
- 1/4 lb Unsalted butter
- 3 lg. Egg yolks
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 c Chopped pecans
- 1 c Shredded unsweetened coconut
CAKE
1. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of three 8 inch round cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper. Dust the bottom and sides with flour; tap out the excess.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift the cake flour and the baking soda. Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in one egg yolk at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the melted white chocolate mixture and the vanilla. At low speed, blend in the sifted flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk; do not over beat. Fold in the coconut and pecans.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Blend 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake mixture to lighten it; carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.
4. Bake until the cake springs back when touched in the center and a cake tester inserted in the center of the pans comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the cakes in the pans to wire racks and cool 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire racks, carefully peel off the parchment paper, and cool completely.
FOR THE FROSTING:
5. In a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, and egg yolks. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not let mixture boil fast; lower the heat if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, pecans, and coconut. Place the saucepan into a bowl filled with ice and stir constantly until the frosting is cool and slightly thickened.
6. Place a cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 1/4 of the frosting evenly over the cake layer, making sure to spread it all the way to the edges. Top with the second layer, and spread with 1/4 of the frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Evenly frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
We have Mader's restaurant here in downtown Milwaukee. The best, just the best. Bring clean arteries and eat well. :)
German Spaetzle Dumplings
1) Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
2) Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
3) Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
4) Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.
Their specialties include German lunch meats, sausages, and home-smoked meats. You can find the usual brautwurst (both smoked and regular), Mettwurst, Thuringer, Jagdwurst, Braegenwurst, Gelbwurst, and the very scary Head Cheese and Sauce.
Anyone going through Indy should take a cooler and stock up.
315 East South Street, Indianapolis, IN. 46225 (three blocks east of the Slippery Noodle night spot)
Halten Sie mein Bier, bitte.
DO NOT miss Mader's! The food is as good as looking at all of the great memorialbilia posted on the walls.
Festa Italiana is over, but next year I still think it is in July.
We throw great fests' here. Summers are just too short here not to enjoy it.
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