One-Crust Pie with Onions: Zwiebelkuchen

When days are getting darker and colder it is time for some autums recipes. One of the most popular recipes in Germany is the 'Zwiebelkuchen'. It translates as 'German Onion Cake', but it is more or less a one-crust pie made with onions. You may change the ingredients as you wish - at least it is all only a question of taste.

It's the perfect dish if you have guests coming and like to enjoy some wine. All sorts of wine go down well with it - it's originally made in those regions where wine is being produced. Enough of the talking now. Let's get ready for some easy cooking. Read through the recipe and you will learn that it is a no-brainer - something for beginners.

Ingredients:

• Ready made yeast dough (or you prepare one by yourself)
• 2 lb Onions
• 2 oz Bacon (cut into small cubes or pieces)
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons of Sour Cream
• Salt, Pepper, Sugar, Caraway
• Butter
• Some strong tasting cheese (optional)

This is how you do it:

• Spread the dough in a baking pan, so that there is sufficient space for the filling.
• Stir two eggs and two tablespoons of sour cream together, add salt, pepper and the caraway. You may also use some nutmeg and/or a teaspoon of instant broth ... it is not really needed, but i like it.
• Peel the onions, cut them into cubes, put them in a pan and bake them with butter until they are starting to become brown. Add one tablespoon of sugar and keep on baking for about 2 to 5 minutes.
• Cut Bacon into small pieces or cubes.
• Mix the baked onions with the sour cream & eggs, add the bacon and fill it all into the baking pan - onto your dough.
• Grate a little bit of cheese (whatever cheese you like, it should be one with a very intense taste) and spread it on top.
• Put it in the oven for about 45 minutes and enjoy the whole thing while it is still warm.

Mix Onions, Eggs & Sour Cream and Bacon and fill the dough with it.

This how it looks alike: German one-crust Pie with Onions or Zwiebelkuchen.

Cut it into pieces like a cake and serve with white Wine.

Ehhhmmmm .... No. It was not meant like this. Since when do Cats eat Onions?

Beautiful Day in the Alps - The Inn Valley

Earth shows it's most beautiful colours and views in autumn. This picture is taken near the German border to Austria. We look down on the Inn (river) valley and the morning mist hasn't really lifted yet. The blue skies and shining colours of the leaves come together in a stunning potpourri that cannot compare to anything else. Well at least, this is how it feels for me.

Fantastic light over the mountains:

And that is exactly the right way to end a wonderful day:

Smörgastarta - An Update

Referring to my original post about swedish party food I have prepared a nicer one. See the recipe here: Recipe for Smörgostarta and be creative about it.

You may use whatever you like - meat, cheese, prawns, salad and other ingredients.

Instead of the healthy version in the older post I am using other ingredients here:

500 g Frischkäse - 1.1 lb Cream Cheese

400 g Naturjoghurt - 0.8 lb Yoghurt

200 g Mayonaise - 0.4 lb Mayonnaise

1 Strauss Petersilie - Parsley

200 g Käse (z.B. Schmelzkäse oder Camembert) - 0.4 lb Cheese

Knoblauch, Salz, Pfeffer - Garlic, Salt, Pepper

The topping is made with cucumber, salad, cheese, bacon and pepper. Choose whatever you like - there is no limit to your fantasy here. Eggs and prawns are also very common and they look spectacular.

As the swedish bread is usually not available, the layers are simply made by baking pizza dough.

Cutting out three large circle shaped layers will keep a large family happy. The more cheese you use, the more it is going to fill people. Don't forget to prepare it early (best: the day before your event is going to happen) and keep it in the fridge. It does not work, if you serve it shortly after preparation.

South Hessia - in the Middle of Germany

While Heidelberg is very well known to most tourists, the regions close to Heidelberg are mostly unknown to people coming to Germany. Today I want to introduce a zone called the "Bergstrasse". It is located in southern Hessia and it is worth travelling there. You will find picturesque little villages and small cities, vineyards and pretty secondary mountains that always remind me of the "hobbit hills" in the 'The Lord of the Rings'.

The best time to be there is in spring and in the late summer. In Spring you will find loads of peachtrees and appletress or cherrytrees in full blossom. In late summer - e.g. in August you can enjoy one of the many folk festivals around wine. All of the winemakers are usually to be found on these folk festivals and you can try all that tasty stuff from around the area.

Heidelberg is not too far and a trip to the famous Heidelberg castle is easy and quick to make from here. Also quite close is the Frankfurt airport. As Frankfurt is the second largest airport in Europe, you will find direct flights from all big cities around Europe and elsewhere.

If you want to taste something from around the area, go for "Fleischwurst" and "Apfelwein". I cannot show you the Fleischwurst (it is sort of a sausage being heated up) because where I live right now it is impossible to buy it. There are some shops offering "Fleischwurst" all around Germany, but the hessian one is different and cannot be compared to what you can buy elsewhere. So try it only if you are in Hessia - nowhere else.

The Apfelwein (wine made of apples) is something that needs getting used to it. I never will, because the taste is extremely sour and dry. But give it a try and see for yourself. It's typical hessian. If you do not like it; you will certainly find some regular wine made from local winemakers. And, oh .... do not try to get a Weisswurst in Hessia.