My grandmother was of German ancestry, and it was evident in most of her cooking. So, it was only natural that my mom would follow in her footsteps and cook much the same way. Mom primarily made German recipes, with the exception of chili or spaghetti once in a while.
When I started cooking for my family, I broke from that tradition somewhat and prepared a variety of dishes from all around the world, although I also included many of the recipes I grew up with.
Mom seldom followed a recipe since she knew by heart what went into whatever dish she was making, and I find myself doing the same, unless it’s something new or complicated. One of my mom’s specialties was spaetzle, the little dumplings she put in soups and stews. It was one of those foods she made so often she didn’t need a recipe.
For a delicious meal, just make a bed of spaetzle and cover it with Bavarian Beef Burgundy. I’ve included a recipe for both.
SPAETZLE
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
Add milk to flour slowly, stirring constantly to keep mixture smooth. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt and mix well.
In a separate kettle, pour boiling water, add salt and set over low heat so water is kept at simmer. Pour batter into a shallow bowl, tilt it over kettle and with a sharp knife slice batter into boiling water, being sure to dip knife into water before each slice to prevent batter from sticking to knife. Let boil for 5 minutes, and then drain in colander.
Note: If you wish to use this recipe as a dumpling, instead of using water, pour the batter into boiling chicken or beef broth with vegetables to make a delicious chicken or beef soup.
You can also use spaetzle as a side dish instead of potatoes or pasta. After boiling the spaetzle as directed above, drain and put them in a serving dish and top with 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs mixed with 4 tablespoons butter browned in a skillet for a few minutes.
BAVARIAN BEEF BURGUNDY
1 pound beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 package brown gravy mix or beef stew seasoning mix
1 package sour cream sauce mix or 1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup burgundy
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
Hot cooked spaetzle
Brown meat in margarine. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 5 minutes. Blend in remaining ingredients stirring till thickened. Serve with spaetzle. Serves 4.
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Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
