You won’t be a zsammgsuffa* with this menu!
Two weeks of beer, mass amounts of heart food, and celebration.
Welcome to Oktoberfest.
This two-week-plus festival is held each year in Germany, with over six million people attending. Similar events happen with Germans celebrating just the same. After living for four years in Kitchener-Waterloo, I definitely got a taste of their traditions! (And beer. And food.)
If you’re keen on that new brunette in your philosophy class, or that cool dude that works at the café on the corner, why not have a get together that’ll sneakily allow you to slide your way in?
Make the menu easy with these three basic recipes, then ask your buddies to bring a little something to contribute.
So strap on your lederhosen, and slap on your favourite ‘Oktoberfest in Germany’ album. It’s time to win some hearts through some traditional German cuisine.
And beer.
Having a party can cost you a few bucks, but you want to have fun without ending up with empty pockets.
For a main dish, try an easy Fried Bratwurst dish, with a sauté of German delights.
(serves 10)
You’ll need:
1 large red cabbage, sliced in thin pieces
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 white onions, chopped
8 granny smith apples, cored and cut in slices
1 ¼ c. water
2 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. brown sugar or Sucanat
15 -20 sausages (Bratwurst)
dash or salt and pepper
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter or margarine, but reserve about ½ tbsp. Add onion and sauté until near translucent. Add cabbage and apples and stir together.
In a small bowl, mix together vinegar, water, sugar. Pour over apples and cabbage, bring to a boil. Cover, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 35 minutes.
Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan, and brown sausages on medium until cooked through.
Serve atop cabbage and apple mixture.
Note: Cabbage sauté can be made the day (or a few days) before, to save you time the day of your gathering.
Serve with a traditional German Potato Salad (for 10)
You’ll need:
10 c. white potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
5 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1 c. onions, finely chopped
10 slices of bacon, chopped
3 tbsp. sugar
5 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
chives and fresh parsley
salt and fresh ground pepper
Bring potatoes and broth to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender. Reserve about ½ c. stock, and drain the potatoes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until nearly browned. Add onions, continuing to sauté until onions are cooked through and bacon is browned. Reserve fat, and set bacon aside.
Whisk together lemon juice, sugar, mustard, and about ¼ c. bacon fat (if you don’t have enough, add enough oil to have ¼ c. fat in total).
Toss with potatoes, bacon and onion. Add reserved broth until moistened and a good consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley and chives.
Wait at least an hour before you serve it, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Because that gassy cabbage might overpower the party, make sure you look extra gorgeous in that lederhosen and enjoy your German feast… And hopefully win a heart or two.
*in German, it means ‘person with a bad rep’. Check out other Oktoberfest lingo with this. (http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/14/)