German Cooking: The Complete Guide to Preparing Classic and Modern German Cuisine, Adapted for the American Kitchen
The fall of the Berlin Wall. The joining of East and West. "All of this has stirred ethnic fervor in the hearts of anyone with even a slight German background and has instilled those same individuals with the deesire to learn more about their cultural heritage." Leaving aside the possible chill wrought by the thought of Germans stirring their ethnic fervor, this is basically just a cookbook. It offers all the echt German dishes: Hasenpfeffer, Black Forest Cherry Cake, Heaven & Earth (made with potatoes and apples), two types of Sauerbraten, three kinds of potato salad, five herring recipes as well as some dishes more closely associated with the old Austro-Hungarian empire, like goulashes and Wiener schnitzel. At its best, the German cooking here is very gemutlich, like Sweet Dumplings with cherry sauce, Eggs in Spinach or the Stuffed Pork Roast with pitted prunes, brandy, bacon and spices. Less good are dishes like Mushroom & Ham Delights or Ham & Noodle Casserole, which are likely to raise visions of Luther League potlucks. Although Heberle (Polish Cooking) does describe the different areas of Germany in her introduction, she does little to contextualize the recipes themselves.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.