The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-12-15
SOME BEREs COUNTY DISHES,
Most of Them are Equally Well
known in this County
THE wRrrEa xAREs HASY ERa0Rs,

known in this County
THE WRITER MARES HAEY EREoRs,
And is Puzzled by Some Expressions WhisA
are Merely Literal TranslAtioa5
From she German
A Reading, Pa, correspondent of the
Philadelphia Times writes as follows: +:
As dianond-back tsrrapin is to the
American gourmet. or caviare to the
aesthetic Russian, so is ''schnitz aud
kneop' % the native-born Pennsylvania
German. You may vary the formula OF
its preparation; you may make substitute
coarser for finer ingredients You may
make Of it a dish for the gods or Tor
meaner mortais, according as you play
upon those variations. but 30 long as you
adhere 70 dried apples aud dough ana
serve under its own seductive title oi
schnitz and knepp it appeals to every
palate that has been constructed 10 cope
with the language OF the Pennsylvania
German. In which-as possibly in other
points-it Is unlike the rose which Shake
speare tells us had Intrinsic merit and
may be called by any other name without
losing its sweetness
To achieve schnitz and knepp sweet ap-
pies are cut into sections and dried. They
are then stewed. and to the eompote are
added little balls of leavened dough
which have been pinched from bread
when il is ready for baking. To give
richness and susvity sweet butter must
be used literally. This is pronounced
delicious. When other forms Of richness
are substituted, such as sausage or pork
Of any sort, as is sometimes done in the
provincial preparation OF schnitz and
knepp, it is doubtless less appealing to
tie foreign appetite.
A local touch for the menu that il less
mysterious is fried noodles, being what
the name implies, the originality consist
ing in frying tho noodles, whereas they
are generally used in soup. The use Of
noodles in soup is as distinctively German
as that of vermicelli is Italian. This is a
standard dish, but less startling than
schnitz.
As for sauer kraut, it is simply indi-
50 ensable to the well-being Of every
Pennsylvania German. The virtues Of
this item for the delectation of the inner
man have been so generally recognized
that it has been freely adopted almost
everywhere, and its nature needs no ex-
PLANTATION. A strictly German touch to
this very savory preparation, however, is
the dumplings, which are made Of milk,
| eggs and flour, and added at the last mo-
ments of cooking. when are also added
some Frankfort sausages. OF the proper
ton OF beer TO sauer kraut essential 70 a
well regulated Pennsylvania German
banquet Of this description, perhaps the
least said the better.
How easily we are impressed by local
ism," whether of speech or customs, IS
apparent if we are removed bat few
miles from our accustomed environment.
Differences. rather than resemblauces,
strike us in the habits Of people who have
not been moulded by precisely the same
! infiIeaces as those to which we are orr
selves subjected. Like strangers IL q
strange land, we note idiosyncrasies that
are of themselves not sufficiently foreible
to be felt, contrast only giving this APP
pearsnce.
Tae people in the eastern section Of OuI
stale are characterized by an infection OF
the voice that is most striking. There is
a sort Of carve in it-a rising at the be-
ginning and falling at the end Of every
sentence. The fall at the conclusion is
not decided, but rather tentative, as
though the end were suspended.
This modulatiOn is soft and mild IN lis
effect-in itself not unpleasing, though
very monotonous to ears not accustomed
to il from long intercourse. When this
characteristic infection is adapted to one
of their idiomactie expressions, tbs
'IocaIp effect is decidedly enhanced
They say ''come in little," wait q
Iittle' being an abbreviated way Of con-
veying the idea Of a short period Of time
while, on the contrary, and without ap
parent logic, they use redundancy Ol
adverbs when a single one would expires:
the same meaning and say ''now ready,
ANY more yet," under below" "oyel
above" etc.
They tell you in Be.Ss that thing va
brought" when il was taken away, fol
which there would appear to be no ex
planation beyond lack of discrimina
ton in the selection OF words.
They say they DO not care TO have
thing in the sense that they do not objec
to having ii, Of desiring to have It. This
contradictory expression being quite mis-
leading. oiten-limes involves a would b'
recipient in the embarrassing predict
ment Of having heen interpreted mega
lively instead Of alii-matively, ifaddress
ed to one not familiar with the peculia
turn of speech.
In the country district OF the county o
Berks there is use of the verb cool
which has TO be acquired by one no
versed in the lore of the idiOms that ar
peculiar to the locality. This verb entire
ly usurps the functions of the verb boil
They have cooked potatoes" while th'
misguided world at large would consider
them boiled, cooked meat signifyini
also the process of boiling only. In it
broader sense Of converting from raw
natural state into an artificial one by
means of subjecting to heat, the wore
cook is never used.
Cooked meat" by the way, involves
another restricted use of word. WheI
the people of Berks have "mear' the!
mean pork only. Other viands would b,
specified. as, for instance, beef or veal
There is pathOs in this use Of the wore
meat, proclaiming as it does restriction
of diet as well as vocabulary.
An amusing variation from the gener
ally accepted use and significance ofword,
is the employment of make to do duty
for cook" They make the meals anC
each and every item Of them, from the
steak, which is made when cooked, to th'
eggs, which they also make" by cook
ing.
Just why these same people tell yoU
that dish is 'all'' when they desire to
convey the idea that there is no more oi
that dish, is not quite apparent, though
the use of ''aIP' in this sense is universal
Whether there is not leisure to be ex
planiOry and prodigal Of words to be ex.
plicit is not clear. Possibly the use o
the word in this sense of finality came
from explaining with praiseworthy frank,
ness at the beginning of the feast that
what was visible was the sum total
all - ErOm being ssall'i whan II ex iStad