Germany Week: The Menu

I grew up in Barrow, Alaska. It's the furthest north city in the United States - way out in Bush Alaska. Normal was being one of the only white kids in school. Normal was 24-hour nights in the winter and 24-hour days in the summer. Normal was trying maktaq and eating Eskimo doughnuts.

Culturally, I am an American. My ancestry, however, is primarily German. Most of my family on both my mom and dad's side emigrated from various parts of Germany, all before the 1900's. My dad's family settled in rural Wisconsin, where there was a tremendous German enclave. In fact, most people still spoke German as their primary language up until World War I.

I love visiting the area around my grandmother's farm. There's a delightful cheese factory in Theresa (Widmer's) and a butcher shop in Brownsville that sells the most amazing brats (Hoff's). The last time I was there, I spent over $50 in cheese and meat (enough said!).

Cheese, meat, onions, cabbage, and apples are a mainstay of the traditional German diet, although there is a significant Turkish population in Germany as well, which explains why kebabs have become very popular in Germany.

This week we will be eating:

German Baked Beans

Kaesespaetzle
Saurbraten

German Apple Cake

Alternative Menu Ideas:

Brats

Pickled fish

Liver sausage

Open sandwiches