Recipe for a Good Life by Goethe’s Mother Katharina

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s mother, Katharina Elisabeth Goethe (1731 – 1808), composed this recipe for a good life.

This is for my German learners. Recipes are often written in Konjunktiv.

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Man nehme 12 Monate, putze sie ganz sauber von Bitterkeit, Geiz, Pedanterie und Angst, und zerlege jeden Monate in 30 oder 31 Teile, so dass der Vorrat genau für ein Jahr reicht.

Es wird ein jeder Tag einzeln angerichtet aus einem Teil Arbeit und zwei Teilen Frohsinn und Humor.

Man füge drei gehäufte Esslöffel Optimismus hinzu, einen Teelöffel Toleranz, ein Körnchen Ironie und eine Prise Takt.

Dann wird das Ganze sehr reichlich mit Liebe übergossen.

Das fertige Gericht schmücke man einem Sträußchen kleiner Aufmerksamkeiten und serviere es täglich mit Heiterkeit!

View from Oberursel-Nord towards the Taunus

What to Do with Quark from the German Supermarket

Another curiosity among my international friends is what to do with ‘Quark’ from the supermarket in Germany. The dairy section also offers Schmand, Crème fraîche, Quark, Frischkäse, etc., but today we focus on Quark.

Besides making ‘Käsekuchen’ (cheese cake) with it, there are many more savory ways to enjoy it. This one seemed the easiest to make:

Potatoes with Quark and linseed oil

Potatoes with quark and linseed oil

Ingredients:

250gr  low fat soft cheese (Quark)

some onion grass

chopped onion

1 Tbsp linseed oil (German: Leinöl)

3 Tbsp milk

salt + pepper to taste

The Quark itself is a bit jello-like, so adding three Tbsp milk will give it a creamier consistency.

ingredients

onion grass

I’ve got my own onion grass growing on the balcony

While contemplating its taste, I also remembered the American baked potato topped with bacon bits. Yes, I had ‘Schinkenwürfel’ (similar to bacon bits once fried) at home, and added this halfway through my meal. Oh, it was good.

Schinkenwürfel

Schinken means ham, but this is more of a ‘roher Schinken’ (crude), so once fried, it does resemble bacon bits.

Potatoes with Quark

Potatoes with Quark

This combination of potatoes, Quark and linseed oil is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acid.

It is also quick to make and these day-to-day ingredients are low in price.

There is Quark with 20% fat and 40%fat. For this dish, the 20% fat Quark is good enough, because the extra ingredients, especially the linseed oil, add more taste.

Homemade Turkish Breakfast: Menemen

When I was in Istanbul in late September, our hostess took us out for breakfast. I asked for a recommendation, and got Menemen, a so-called spicy dish, because of the garlic, chili peppers, and Turkish salami in it. It only made me smile. Hey, I’ve had Korean kimchi for breakfast.

The next morning, I got a cooking lesson from our hostess. Thank you, Gönül T.

Menemen

Menemen

This is so easy to make with every-day ingredients. We always have onions and garlic at home. I keep dried peppers on the window sill, and I bought a can of pureed tomatoes from the supermarket. The only extra trip we had to make was to the Turkish market for the special salami (Pastırma or Sucuk). This sausage will last at least for four makings of Menemen.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 an onion and one garlic clove

* one can of pureed or diced tomatoes (400 g or 14 oz)

* two large or three small eggs

* shredded cheese of any kind. Feta cheese can also be used.

 

Directions:

1. Sauté both chopped garlic and onions until tender.

2. Add can of pureed tomatoes. Let simmer for about 10 -15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Add sliced chili peppers (dried or fresh).

4. Scramble two large eggs in a separate bowl and slowly add to the simmering mix. Let sit and simmer for another 5 – 10 minutes to make sure the egg within the mix is fully cooked.

5. Add quartered slices of Sucuk or Pastırma (Turkish salami).

6. Stir in the shredded cheese or Feta cubes and after another minute or two of melting, it’s done.

This has become a regular brunch around our home since September of this year. Serve with sliced pieces of French bread. It tastes good warm or cold.

I know there are other versions of this dish – with eggs sunny side up, swimming in the tomato mix. I’ve been told this is the more southern version.

The Turkish family name Menemenci comes from ‘the one who makes Menemen’. The name can be passed on down the family line – to the name Menemencioglu (son of Menemenci).

 

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