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Kabler's Chatter -- Dining and Visiting in Austria
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By JANE KABLER
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Staff Writer
Back in the early nineties I was fortunate to visit in Europe as a chaperone and choir member with the Mason County High School Choir. What a great experience. We performed in several different cathedrals in several countries and often as we were touring we would perform unannounced in the center of the town squares. The favorite song to the other tourists and locals was "My Old Kentucky Home." Of course we were proud of our students and our state, so every time this was sung, many of us shed a few tears.
One of my favorite places we visited was Salzburg, Austria. I want to share with you some places of interest as well as some of their famous recipes.
Salzburg was a really popular place to visit. It was rather busy with summer tourists and from a variety of other countries. You had to look around to find someone speaking English. We toured and shopped and had lunch while in Salzburg. For a city it is rather small with only 150,000 residents and has a storybook atmosphere. Salzburg is located in the western part of Austria and everything of interest is in walking distance and easy to find. They are known for having festivals and someone quoted "400" a year. There is something be celebrated all of the time.
Salzburg has a strong music tradition. Wolfgang Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and he was considered a musical genius and is known as one of the most famous musicians ever. Evidence and tribute of his music is everywhere you go. We toured his home, which is now a museum, where his family lived from 1747 - 1774 and then they moved to another house now known as his other residence. Both are popular museums. One of the residences was destroyed by a bomb in 1944 but it has been restored. Salzburg has over 320 concerts a year. They are held at the Salzburg Palace, Hohensalzburg Fortress which sits above the city, the Mirabell Gardens, the Mozarteum and the Salzburg Arena.
You can visit and explore the Castle Leopoldskron where the facade facing the lake represented the von Trapp residence in the "Sound of Music," take a bus tour and view the landscape where the opening scenes of the movie was filmed and see the Benedictine Convent at Nonnberg Abbey where the nuns sang "Maria," and the Mondsee Cathedral where the wedding took place between Julie Andrews, as Maria and Christopher Plummer, as the Baron.
Other sights to see include the Mirabell Palace where the children in the Sound of Music sang "Do Re Mi," Mozarteum School of Music, Marionette Theater, Trinity Church, Hellbrunn Palace, Villa of Frohnburg and Festival Hall.
The shopping was fun and the streets were lined with shops, with each shop hanging an ornate sign above their entrances. The signs had icons which dated back to days when people couldn't read. It is a law that every shop have a wrought iron sign in front of their shop.
Cafes were popular especially in the afternoon and they served wonderful desserts. The Salzburg Sacher Torte is a must to try while visiting this great city because it is a trademark of the Hotel Sacher. The recipe is guarded but it is basically a chocolate tart with apricot jam between each layer, iced with a rich dark chocolate icing. The cake was first created by a 16 year old apprentice named Franz Sacher in 1832 and has been around for 176 years. The cakes are still shipped around the world in various sizes. Listed with the recipes today is a close version of the cake.
Every week in Salzburg there is an abundance of homemade breads, cheese, vegetables, fruits and meats brought into an open market for the residents and it remains very popular. In many recipes you can spot the influence of the nearby German cooks.
Red Cabbage Salad
1/2 head of red cabbage, shred 1/2 coarsely and 1/2 finely
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 cups of red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of grated sweet onion
Chop cabbage and set aside. Mix all other ingredients and pour over the cabbage. Refrigerate for 48 hours before serving. Drain before serving.
Beet Salad
1 1/2 lbs. of boiled beets, cooked in salted water, and peeled
8 stalks of celery, strings peeled off and sliced on the diagonal
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 sprigs of fresh dill
2 teaspoons of sugar
t teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Slice cooked beets 1/8 inch thick. Add sliced celery to the beets along with the sliced red onion. Mix with a whisk the lemon juice, sugar, pepper and oil. Add dill sprigs and pour over the beets, celery and onion. Toss once a day for three days. Remove from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving.
Austrian Potato Salad
6 large potatoes
2 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of water
Cook the unpeeled potatoes, in chicken broth, water and with one teaspoon of salt until tender. Drain and peel while hot. Slice into 1/8 inch slices. Tip: While the potatoes are cooking prepare the following mixture:
Mix well:
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of mustard seed
Add the following to the dressing:
1/2 cup of diced sweet onion
3 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
4 strips of crispy bacon, crumbled
Mix well the salt, pepper, oil, sugar, vinegar and mustard seed. Pour over warm sliced potatoes. Toss gently the eggs, onion and bacon into the potato mixture. Marinate 2-3 hours at room temperature, serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.
Swiss Cheese and Corned Beef Appetizer
1 1/2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup of American cheese shredded
1 cup of mayonnaise
5 oz. of deli corned beef slices, chopped
1/2 cup of well drained shredded sauerkraut
Regular slices of light Rye bread cut in half
Mix chopped corned beef, sauerkraut, one cup of the Swiss cheese and 3/4 cup of American cheese. Place in a casserole dish and sprinkle with the rest of the Swiss cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot with small slices of regular Rye bread, cut in half. Tip: the small cocktail Rye bread slices are tasteless. A good light Rye bread slice cut in half will be much better. Triscuit crackers are also very good with this appetizer.
Sauerbraten
2 1/2 pounds of round steak washed, drained well
2 large onions thinly sliced
4 peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
1 5/8 cup of dry red wine
1/4 cup of clarified butter
Salt to taste
1 1/4 cup of water
Rye bread crust as needed
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of cold water
Place meat in a bowl and cover with the slices of onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and cloves. Add vinegar and wine and let marinate for 4 days in the refrigerator. Turn meat once each day to coat well. After 4 days, remove the meat from the marinate and dry well. Discard marinade.
Heat clarified butter in a large casserole dish and brown meat quickly on all sides. Season with salt. Add water to side of pan and add some rye bread crust. Simmer gently, covered for one hour, turning meat from time to time. Add more water if necessary.
When cooked, place meat on a serving dish. Mix together the cornstarch with cold water and add to the gravy to thicken. Serve sauce on the side.
Austrian Goulash
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 cup of chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips, and then diced
1 green bell pepper cut in strips, and then diced
1 1/2 lb. of raw beef cubed, use sirloin, 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups of beef broth
3 tablespoons of paprika
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of finely diced canned tomatoes with juice
4 cups of raw noodles, cooked in salted water and drained
12 oz. of commercial sour cream
In a heavy large pan or skillet, add 3 tablespoons of oil and saute the onion and peppers until tender, remove peppers and onions from the pan and add the beef cubes and saute until browned, (don't crowd the beef cubes). Add all other ingredients (except sour cream and noodles) the cooked onion and peppers, 2 cups of beef broth, canned tomatoes and cook until meat is tender and tomatoes are cooked down. Cook the noodles in salt water and drain. Take 12 oz. of sour cream and add some of the hot juice off of the meat mixture to the sour cream and then put it all back into the big pan. If you do it this way the sour cream will not curdle. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the drained, cooked noodles into the big pan. Cook on low a few minutes more until thickened. Stir often. Let set 5 minutes before serving and it will thicken up even more. Serve with a fruit salad and rolls. Tip: Be sure and use all three tablespoons of paprika, it makes the recipe. This is also very good warmed over the next day.
Schinkenfleckerln
8 oz. of uncooked wide noodles
1/4 cup of margarine
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of sour cream
3 cups of finely diced cooked ham
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3/4 cup of fine bread crumbs
Paprika
Cook noodles in boiling salt water and drain. Stir margarine and onion into the drained noodles. Stir eggs into the sour cream, then add all other ingredients except bread crumbs. Toss. Place bread crumbs on the bottom of a 2 quart greased casserole dish. Add the noodle mixture. Sprinkle the top with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. To serve, run a knife around the sides and invert onto a meat platter and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs. In Austria this is served with butter beans, sliced tomatoes and a rich dessert.
Austrian Apple Pancake
6 tablespoons of sweet butter
1 large green apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 pinch of salt
4 oz. of all purpose flour
4 oz. of milk
Maple syrup
Powdered sugar
Melt two tablespoons of butter and set aside. Combine eggs, sugar, salt, flour, milk and two tablespoons of melted butter. Heat a 10 inch oven proof skillet and place the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and melt. When the butter starts to melt add apple, cinnamon and lemon juice. Saute the mixture until the apples are about half way cooked and golden brown. Pour pancake batter over apples. Bake in oven at 550 degrees. This will take about 15 minutes to cook. It should look browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup. Divide in half, serves two. Serve with a couple of sausage links and coffee.
Austrian Cream Cookies
2 large eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of whipping cream
3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Beat eggs until light. Add sugar gradually, blend in cream. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in eggs. Blend well. Refrigerate for one hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2 inch squares with a knife, then make indentations of each side of each square with the knife. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10-13 minutes. Frost with your favorite creamy frosting.
Austrian Butter Cookies
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of softened butter
2/3 cup of nuts, chopped
1 cup of sugar
Sift the flour and sugar together. Add the nuts. Blend in the butter. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Chill for 2-3 hours. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes.
Frost top of cookies with your favorite icing if desired.
Austrian Hotel Sacher (Like)Torte
170 grams of butter
170 grams of sugar
6 eggs
150 grams of chocolate
70 grams of breadcrumbs
150 grams of dark chocolate
250 grams of sugar
125 mL of water
1 teaspoon of oil
Apricot jam
Mix the butter with all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the melted chocolate and the yolks (one at a time) until foamy. Add the breadcrumbs. Stir well. In another bowl, whip the egg whites with remaining sugar until very stiff and fold it into the chocolate dough. Pour the dough into two greased cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees until tested as done. Cool, then take a bread knife and cut through each layer horizontally, ending up with four layers. Spread each layer with warmed apricot jam (except the top layer). Place layer on layer and ice with your favorite chocolate icing. Dark chocolate is used on the authentic cakes. Tip: Short cut is to use a dark chocolate cake mix instead of the above recipe. Bake and cool then cut the layers so you have four layers, spread each layer (except the top layer) with the apricot preserves and ice with a dark chocolate icing. Decorate the top center with apricot halves. Serve with whipped cream. |
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Reader Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.
Marilee wrote on Jun 23, 2008 7:21 PM: " I was going to make this recipe but after purchasing the ingredients I noticed that they mention sugar twice in ingredients but neither converts to two tablespoons and it makes no mention of where and when to add oil and water. Also why didn't they include conversions. "
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