Like at Grandma‘s Grandma‘s recipes
Like at Grandma‘s Grandma‘s recipes
Dear Grandma, this project is dedicated to you. Thank you for inspiring me both as a person and as a cook. You have such a big heart and have set a great example for me to live by. You taught me to find happiness in the little things in life, and that with diligence and hard work, I can achieve anything. All my love, Sibylle.
My Grandma, born in 1933, grew up with 6 siblings on the ‘Hiegerholzmann’ farm in Jenesien - South Tyrol. Many of her recipes stem from her ancestors and many more she learnt during her time working as a maid. Later on, as an adult living on a vineyard, she cooked for countless workers. For over 20 years she also delighted her 7 grandchildren with her delicacies. In this book ‘Wie bei Oma’ (Like at Grandma‘s) I try to hold on to all the delicious recipes from my Grandma that should never be forgotten. These recipes are special to me because of the warmth and sense of belonging I connect to this food and to my Grandma. On the online platform ‘Wie bei Oma’ you can write and create your own Grandma Recipebook and keep your family‘s recipes for generations to come. www.wiebeioma.info
Entrees Pancake Soup 8 Ravioli with Spinach 10 Farmers Porridge 14 Spinach Sp채tzle 16 Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce 18 Plum Dumplings 22 Mains Speck Dumplings 26 Spinach Dumplings 30 Rolled Roast Veal with Rice 34 Tongue with Mashed Potatoes 38 Desserts Apple Kiechl 42 Marble Cake 44 Linzer Tart 46 Krapfen 48 Black Forest Cherry Cake 52 Vanilla Crescents 56
Entrees
Grandma, what was happening in the world when you were born? ‘Back in those days not a lot was happening. Corn and potatoes were being grown, we didn‘t have any cars and then in Germany Hitler rose to power.’
Pancake Soup 1,5 l water 1 piece stew meat (beef ) 1 bunch celery 1 carrot 1 onion 1 leek 1/2 tsp. salt 1 bunch chives 150 g flour 250 ml milk 2 eggs 1 pinch salt 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 90 Minutes Put all the ingredients for the soup in cold water, bring to boil and simmer covered for at least 1.5 hours. Whisk together the flour, milk, eggs and a pinch of salt. Heat a small amount of oil in a flat pan and pour enough of the batter in, tilting from side to side so it covers the base in a thin film. Cook until the edges of the pancake are golden and then flip. Leave the pancakes to cool, roll them tightly together and cut into thin strips. Scatter the pancakes in a bowl and cover with the hot broth. Garnish with finely chopped chives.
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Ravioli with Spinach 2 kg spinach 1 onion 1 clove garlic 20 g butter 1 pinch nutmeg 1 pinch salt 1 pinch pepper 1 tbsp. cream 500 g flour 1 egg 120 ml water or milk 1/2 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese 3 tbsp. butter
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 90 Minutes Wash the spinach and add to a pot of boiling, salted water. Boil for a few minutes, then strain and puree. Finely chop onion and garlic then brown them in a pan with butter. Add the spinach and cook on a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Season with a good pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the cream, stir and set aside to cool. In a bowl mix together the flour, egg and lukewarm milk (or water). salt and use your hands to knead the mixture together into a smooth dough adding more flour or liquid as needed. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
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Sprinkle a flat surface with flour, knead the dough and cut into 2 large pieces. Cover one of the pieces and set aside. Roll out the other piece with a floured rolling pin. Use a spoon to place small amounts of the spinach mixture on to the dough, leaving a small space between each spoonful. Immediately cover with the other half of the dough. Press firmly around each separate filling with your fingers and using a pastry wheel, cut the Ravioli into squared pieces. An alternative would also be to use a rotary cutter to create round pieces which could then be folded in half to create a ‘half moon’ shape. Lay the Ravioli on a lightly floured plate while you use the second half of the dough to make more. Cook the Ravioli, in South Tyrol called ‘Schlutzkrapfen’, for 4 minutes in salted water. Remove immediately with a ladle as soon as they float to the surface. Melt butter in a pan until golden, add the ‘Schlutzkrapfen’ and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
‘I always make ‘Schlutzkrapfen’ in advance and freeze them. That way I always have some on hand for when my grandchildren come to visit.’ 12
Farmer’s Porridge 200 g flour 1 l milk 1 pinch salt 1 tsp. sugar 50 g butter
Preparation Time 20 Minutes In a bowl, mix cold milk into the flour. Add a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture into a flat pan and bring to boil. Simmer over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes. Finish the dish by mixing in sugar and butter until it’s melted. Traditionally, the pan would be put in the middle of the table, and the porridge would be then shared with everyone.
‘When I was a child we had this porridge every day for breakfast.’
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Spinach Spätzle 250 g leafy spinach 3 eggs 200 g flour 1 pinch nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 50 ml milk 30 g butter 150 g cooked ham 50 ml cream 1 pinch nutmeg 1 pinch salt 1 pinch pepper 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 30 Minutes Wash the spinach and add to a pot of boiling, salted water. Boil for a few minutes then strain and puree. Make a dough by mixing together eggs, pureed spinach and flour. Season with salt and a pinch of nutmeg. Slowly add milk and keep whisking until bubbles are formed in the dough. Grate the dough with a special ‘Spätzle grater’ into a pot of boiling water. The ‘Spätzle’ are cooked through as soon as they start to rise up to the surface of the water. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water and allow to drip dry. Cut the ham into strips and fry in hot butter. Pour in cream and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the Spätzle into the cream sauce and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
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Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce 5 tomatoes 1 onion 1 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1 pinch salt 1 pinch sugar 6 basil leaves 1/2 tsp. oregano 1 tbsp. cream 1 kg potatoes 300 g flour 1 egg 1 pinch nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 60 g butter
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 90 Minutes Score the tomatoes and cover with boiling water. Rinse in cold water and peel off the skin. Chop into rough pieces. Peel and dice the onions and fry in hot oil. Add tomato paste and tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar, basil and oregano to taste. Add a splash of cream and let the sauce cook over a low heat for a further 15 minutes.
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Cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes. Once they are cooked, set aside to cool for a few minutes, peel and put them through a potato press. Place the potato mixture on a flat surface and leave to cool. Make a well in the middle and add an egg, salt, flour and nutmeg and then knead into a dough. Cut the dough into portions. On a floured surface roll each portion into a 2cm-thick log. Cut logs into 3 cm pieces. Boil water in a saucepan and add salt. Place the gnocchi in the water. As soon as they rise to the surface, remove from water with slotted spoon. Toss the gnocchi in melted butter and serve with the tomato sauce.
‘Potato Gnocchi are also delicious when served with a mild Gorgonzola sauce.’
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Plum Dumplings 1 kg potatoes 80 g butter, softened 50 g polenta 1 pinch salt 1 egg 2 egg yolks 250 g flour 1 1/2 kg plums 180 g butter 150 g breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. sugar
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 60 Minutes Wash the potatoes, boil in salted water, peel and while they are still warm, put through a potato press. Let cool down and mix well with butter, polenta, salt, egg and egg yolk. Using a sieve, add flour and work into a smooth dough. Coat each individual plum with the dough and roll into a ball. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the plum dumplings and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. While the dumplings are cooking, melt butter in a pan, add the breadcrumbs and roast while stirring constantly. Add the cinnamon and sugar and then toss with the dumplings (while they are still wet). Serve immediately.
‘Instead of plums you can also use apricots.’
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Mains
What is your fondest memory of your parents? ‘Whenever my father came home, I would always bring him his slippers. Once he had to bring me to the village because Seppl cut my finger. I even had to get stitches. Mother was always taking care of us and sometimes at night we were allowed to crawl up in bed with her.’
Speck Dumplings 300 g Knödelbread (dried white bread cut into cubes) 1 onion 20 g butter 1 tbsp. flour 120 g Speck (South Tyrolean bacon) 3 eggs 300 ml milk (or water) 1/2 bunch parsley 1/2 tsp. salt
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 45 Minutes Finely chop the onion and sauté in butter. Add the onions to a mixture of cubed bread, flour and bacon. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, milk and parsley and combine with the dry mixture. Add a small amount of milk if the mixture is too dry. Depending on how salty the bacon is, add a pinch of salt to taste. Set aside for 15 minutes and with damp hands form round balls. Cook in salted water for 15 minutes and serve with a fresh garden salad.
‘Bacon Dumplings taste even better served in broth and garnished with chives.’
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Spinach Dumplings 300 g leafy spinach 1 onion 1 clove garlic 20 g butter 1 pinch nutmeg 1 pinch salt 1 pinch pepper 180 g Knödelbread (dried white bread cut into cubes) 2 eggs 50 ml milk or water 35 g cubes of cheese (Bergkäse made from raw milk) 1 tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 pinch pepper 60 g butter 3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Makes 8 Dumplings - Preparation Time 45 Minutes Wash the spinach and add to a pot of boiling, salted water. Boil for a few minutes then strain and puree. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in a pan of butter until golden. Add the spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put the Knödelbread in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk (or water) and pour over the Knödelbread. Add the spinach along with the flour and small cubes of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients by hand together.
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Depending on the texture of the mixture add flour (or bread) or spoonfuls of milk (or water) accordingly. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. With moist hands form balls from the dumpling mixture, drop it into the pot of water and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the spinach dumplings from the water and drain. Pour some melted butter over the dumplings and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
‘The most important thing to remember is that the dough should never be too firm.’
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Rolled Roast Veal with Rice 1 kg veal (thick flank or shoulder, preferably ordered in advance from a butcher) 1 clove garlic, small 1 tbsp. marjoram 1 twig rosemary 1/2 tsp. salt 1 pinch pepper 1 bunch parsley 1 kitchen string 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 40 g butter 1 onion 1 tbsp. oil 1 cup rice 2 cups water 1 pinch salt
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 90 Minutes Bring the veal to room temperature before cooking by taking it out of the refrigerator for at least two hours. If required, remove any unnecessary fat from the cut. Finely chop garlic, marjoram and rosemary, crush and spread over the meat. Season with salt, pepper and a generous amount of parsley. Roll the veal and tie with cooking string, making sure the string doesn’t cut too deep into the meat – ensuring that the roll stays together while also giving the meat enough space to expand while cooking. Place in an oven-safe pan and fry in vegetable oil. Add butter and more salt. Brown the entire veal in the pan, using a spoon to frequently scoop oil and butter over the meat as it browns. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
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Add a glass of water to the pan. Roast in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour continuing to scoop over juices and turning at short intervals – adding a glass or two of water if needed. Cut the onion in half and fry in oil. Add a cup of rice, roast for a slightly and pour in 2 cups of hot water. salt and let simmer covered for approximately 30 minutes. Take the veal out of oven and remove cooking string. Cut into slices and serve with rice and gravy.
‘A traditional wood stove is particularly well suited to cook the rice.’
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Tongue with Mashed Potatoes approx. 1 kg cured veal tongue (or beef tongue) 3 tbsp. butter approx. 750 g floury potatoes approx. 250 ml milk 20 g butter 1 pinch nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 90 Minutes Wash and clean the veal tongue. In a pot of boiling water, cook for approximately 1.5 hours or until the outer skin begins to peel off. If using a pressure cooker, the cooking time should be halved. Make sure to remove any particles which have risen to the surface with a slotted spoon. Take the cooked tongue out of the water, rinse and peel off the skin. Cut the tongue into slices and pour over with melted butter. The cooking time for beef tongue is approximately 2 hours. Wash the potatoes and boil in salt water. Strain and set aside briefly. Peel off the skin and put through a potato press. Mix well with milk and butter and season with salt and nutmeg.
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Desserts
Grandma, how did you use to celebrate Christmas time? ‘During Nikolaus we prepared plates of figs and nuts. On Christmas Eve we always had a Christmas tree and all of us received homemade socks. My sisters and I once secretly built a cart for my brother and gave it to him as a present. He was really excited about it.’
Apple Kiechl 2 eggs 200 ml milk 1/2 tsp. sugar 1 pinch salt 180 g flour 4 apples (Golden Delicious) 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 cups vegetable oil 1 tbsp. icing sugar
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 30 Minutes Mix together eggs, milk, sugar and a pinch of salt. Slowly add flour and mix together. Peel and core the apples and cut crossways into finger-thick rings. Toss with lemon juice to avoid discoloration. Put a generous amount of the vegetable oil in a large, heavy based saucepan and heat. Dip the apple rings in batter a few at a time, until completely coated, shake off excess, then carefully drop into the hot oil. Cook until golden on one side then turn them and cook on the other side. Remove, drain on paper towel and serve covered in icing sugar.
‘When I was young instead of apples we used to use wild sage.’
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Marble Cake 150 g sugar 1 pinch salt 1 small packet vanilla sugar 150 g butter, softened 2–3 eggs 350 g flour 1 small packet baking powder 125 ml milk 2 tbsp. cocoa 1 tbsp. icing sugar
Preparation Time 60 Minutes Grease a cake tin with butter and dust with a little bit of flour. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix the baking powder and flour together and stir into the egg mixture bit by bit, alternating with lukewarm milk. Place 2/3 of the mixture into the cake tin. Add cocoa to the leftover mixture, mix well and pour into the cake tin. Using a fork, swirl mixtures together to create a marble effect. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Let the cake cool, dust with icing sugar and enjoy.
‘Depending on taste, raisins can also be added to the dough.’
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Linzer Tart 250 g butter, softened 250 g sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 300 g flour 1 small packet baking powder 1 pinch cocoa 1 pinch clove powder 1 pinch cinnamon 250 g grated almonds or walnuts 1 pinch salt 1 glass cranberry jam 1 tbsp. icing sugar
Preparation Time 90 Minutes Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add lemon rind and eggs one at a time and mix well. Fold in flour, baking powder, cocoa, clove powder, cinnamon, salt and nuts. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface and let it rest for 15 minutes. Grease a cake tin with the butter and lightly dust with flour. Put 2/3 of the dough into the cake tin and spread out evenly. Cover with a thick layer of cranberry jam. Create 14 rolls from the remaining pastry and arrange over filling to create a criss-cross pattern. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Bake for 45-55mins. Let it stand to cool, remove from the tin and dust with icing sugar.
‘The Linzer Tart tastes the best after 1-2 days.’
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Krapfen 1 kg flour 400 ml milk, lukewarm 200 ml cream 1 tbsp. oil 1 egg 1/2 tsp. salt 1 glass apricot jam 4 tbsp. aniseed 3 cups vegetable oil 2 tbsp. icing sugar
Serves 4 - Preparation Time 120 Minutes In a large bowl mix flour with lukewarm milk, cream, oil, egg and a pinch of salt. Knead by hand to form a smooth dough. Taste the dough to make sure enough salt has been added and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. Lightly dust a surface with flour and cut the dough into 2 large pieces. Cover and set aside one of the pieces and roll out the other using a rolling pin. Continue to dust the dough and surface with flour while rolling so that it does not stick.
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On one half of the rolled out dough, apply the jam in long strips. Sprinkle the aniseed over the jam and using a rolling pin, fold over the other half of the dough. Push the edges down and using a pastry wheel, cut into 10cm wide strips. Cut the strips into ‘Krapfen’ (pastries). Heat oil in a heavy based frying pan. It has to be very hot otherwise the ‘Krapfen’ will soak up the oil. Carefully place into the oil and as soon as the edges start turning golden brown, turn over and cook on the other side. Carefully remove after 1-2 minutes and drain on paper towel. Using a small sieve, take out any burnt pieces of pastry left in the oil so that the oil stays clean. Serve the ‘Krapfen’ lightly dusted with icing sugar.
‘Krapfen can also be made with a chestnut or plum filling. When I was younger we often ate them with a pear filling.’ 50
Black Forest Cherry Cake 7 eggs 220 g sugar 1 dash rum 90 g flour 75 g potato flour 1 small packet baking powder 4–5 tbsp. cocoa powder 1 glass (230 g) amarena cherries in syrup 400 ml cream 1/2 block cooking chocolate
Preparation Time 90 Minutes Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites into peaks. Mix in the sugar and fold in beaten egg yolks carefully. Depending on taste, add a dash of rum. Using a sieve, add flour, potato flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix well. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
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Let the cake cool and cut horizontally into two even halves. Spread cranberry jam on to the bottom half and sprinkle the top half with amarena cherry syrup. Whip the cream and spoon onto cake base. Top cake with cake top and spread cream on the sides so that the whole cake is covered. Decorate the top of the cake with dots of cream, amarena cherries and chocolate flakes.
‘Our family’s absolute favorite cake.’
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Vanilla Crescents 600 g flour 1 pinch baking powder 160 g sugar 420 g butter, softened 1/2 egg 140 g almonds 140 g walnuts 5 tbsp. sugar 1 small packet vanilla sugar
Preparation Time 90 Minutes Place two thirds of the flour, the baking powder and sugar on a flat surface. Mix in the softened butter and half a beaten egg. Add ground nuts, salt and more flour if necessary. Knead until smooth and set aside for 15 minutes to rest. Make small balls from the dough with your hands and bend slightly to make a crescent shape. Transfer to a tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until light brown. Set the tray aside to cool slightly. Cover the crescents with 5 spoons of sugar mixed with vanilla sugar. Store in a well sealed biscuit tin.
‘Keeping the measurements exact is very important for this recipe.’
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Notes
Copyright © 2015 Sibylle Huber E-mail mail@wiebeioma.info Contact Via Paese 48/B 39050 San Genesio (BZ) Italy Author, publisher, editor, text, design & pictures Sibylle Huber Picture page 2: © Ralf Scholze Printed by Pollock Art GmbH, Bolzano Book binding by Buchbinderei egger, Bozen www.wiebeioma.info
‘Where love sets the table, that‘s where food tastes the best.’ Make your own recipe book and hold on to your Grandma‘s delicious recipes forever. www.wiebeioma.info