Help with Austrian Menu for tomorrow night

M

music-city-missy

Well-known member
So, my husband's sister has said we were of German speaking Swiss decent but we recently hooked up with another Linkinhoker/Linkenhoker/Lenggenhager that moved here about 10 years ago and he could trace the family back even further to Austria.

Well, DD's birthday was last Friday, youngest stepson's is Monday, Cody the wonder dog's is the 6th and oldest stepson's is the 27th plus we have a new member of the household, Pepper, that we don't know when her birthday is but we got her a few weeks ago. I am tired of cooking a meal for each event since the two boys are fairly ungrateful and never show any appreciation or so much as call and wish me a happy birthday or mother's day or get me a card or anything. So, I am cooking ONE meal for all this time and I am not taking requests!!!! Especially since DH decided to adopt this distrant relative that seems to have no real relatives of his own any where near by and he's a fun person it seems after one dinner out with him. He only returned the call last night to say he could make it so everything changed, at least for me.

So I thought I would show our Austruan heritage with an Austrian meal and the boys will either like it or deal with it. My guest doesn't eat pork though so that is one thing I have to keep in mind.

I know a lot of the dishes are very similar to German foods, especially Alsatian region. Thoughts, ideas, recipes?

I am thinking wiener schnitzle & spaetzle - I mean who doesn't like that? And I could use venison as I have lots of venison or I can go get some veal.

Richard's spaetzle is WONDERFUL so that is a for sure.

And desserts - I could do a whole meal on desserts from there but this Salzburger Nockerl caught my eye http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Cuisine_of_Austria

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Cuisine_of_Austria

 
Missy, here's a Mozart Torte that Richard recommended--I'm too intimidated to try it for my German

job this weekend. I'm making The Sacher Torte that Steve2 posted up at 20501, but with ganache instead of the chocolate glaze.

Schnitzel and Spaelzle sounds perfect. You could splurge and use veal instead of pork.

Have an apron make up that says "I am not taking requests!!!" in both English and German.

http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=10618

 
MCM; This is really good. Rec: Goulash Soup

This is very similiar to the recipe that I make. I have the benefit of having spices / ingredients from Hungary, but this recipe will work for all. I posted something 2 weeks ago about what type of meat to use, and learned from Steve to cook the be jeesuz out of it. Seriously, it was the best Goulash I ever made. I would add the pots at the last hour of cooking.

From Epi:

In Austria, warming bowls of goulash soup are served in all kinds of establishments — from quick-service restaurants along the Autobahn to Vienna's elegant Hotel Bristol. This hearty beef and vegetable soup can be found in many areas of central and eastern Europe, especially in regions that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Our satisfying rendition has chunks of beef and potato plus red peppers, bacon, onions, and garlic, all fragrant with paprika.
Yield: Makes about 16 cups, serving 12

5 slices bacon, chopped
3 pounds boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons paprika (preferably Hungarian sweet*)
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
5 cups beef broth
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 red bell peppers, chopped fine
4 large russet (baking) potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)

*available at specialty foods shops and many supermarkets

In an 8-quart heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. In fat remaining in kettle brown chuck in small batches over high heat, transferring it as browned with slotted spoon to bowl.

Reduce heat to moderate and add oil. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden. Stir in paprika, caraway seeds, and flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar and tomato paste and cook, whisking, 1 minute. (Mixture will be very thick.) Stir in broth, water, salt, bell peppers, bacon, and chuck and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer soup, covered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add potatoes to soup and simmer, covered, occasionally until tender, about 30 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Soup may be made 3 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered. Reheat soup, thinning with water if desired.

 
MCM; I realized that you may not have seen the initial post re: the meat cut

I did not use an expensive cut of meat; and after I made it on the stove, I cooked in the oven for a few hours. I would never describe it as a soup; very much a stew. It was wonderful!

I did not add pots; but served on top of Nokedli which is similiar to spaetzle. (Completely against all the rules, but that is the way dh likes it!)

 
Someone said Austrian? Be still my heart...

First off, Austrian and Bavarian are very similar. Never understood why Bavaria went off to Germany instead of to Austria. Oh well.

Typisch Austrian:

Ratherrencanape: arrange little still lifes on a small thin piece of bread, cut into whatever shape you fancy. Then glaze with rich aspic to set. So Austrian. I smear a compound butter, cover with a thin slice of meat, then arrange vegetables (gherkin fans, asparagus tips, mushroom slices, egg slices, olives, sprigs of dill or other herbs, anything goes here), swab with a glaze of rich stock that will congeal, or add gelatine.

camembert, liptauerkäse, smoked oysters, picked veggies, etc. complete the appetizer board.

SOUP! You must have soup at an Austrian dinner. It is the law of the land. Most soups are rich consommes with "beilagen". Thin strips of crepes (Fritattensuppe) is a classic.

Wienerschnitzel and spätzle is a very good choice.

Rindrouladen
Tafelspitz
Sauerbraten
Roast pork, sauerkraut, and knödel
Austria is the land of knödeln!

Desserts. Yes. Grand and Baroque to be authentic.

The Mozarttorte is so over the top, people swoon when they eat it.

Have really been on a Kaiserschmarrn kick lately. It is so unbelievably wonderful served with a fresh bowl of stewed apples. So simple, but so wonderful in its buttery carmelized eggy wondrousness. I made it last weekend and there is a FB pic of it. I'll tag you on it so you can see it.

Let me know if you need any recipes. I have dozens of cookbooks from Austria.

 
Well it got ruled out for THIS dinner but one is in the works....

Our long lost relative(LLR) swooned at the mention of it so I am sitting at the computer now planning a more adult casual dinner. My oldest stepson requested my chicken and dumplings for the birthday dinner and DH told me to fix that since the boys are picky eaters. I was scared LLR might not like it but he ate three servings. It was a strange meal - chicken and dumplings with mashed potatoes, mixed beans - butterbeans/purple hull peas/October beans, broccoli and rolls. Dessert was fruit, marcona almonds and cheeses - oh and the buckeyes I made for a benefit and then didn't get them there.

But my husband and LLR kept jokingly arguing about our heritage. DH says it's German speaking Swiss and LLR says it's Austrian. I am okay with either but think I love the thought of Austrian more than Swiss but heck, it's only my heritage by marriage. Richard - I will definitely want some recipes as I don't think I own a single Austrian cookbook except Rick Rogers Kauffehaus which I LOVE!

 
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