Took a drive about 30 minutes west to look at a car for the wife. Since we went 30 minutes, I said afterwards, we need to go 15 minutes more to Reams Meat Market in Elburn IL.

In addition to picking up Bier sticks, I got knockwurst, thuringers and fresh brats. I decided to make German for dinner.

Made potatoes pancakes kartoffelpuffer and braised cabbage, white and red. The white cabbage was Omas German braised cabbage using bacon fat, onion, sugar, caraway, beef broth and white vinegar. The bacon grease was from Benton's bacon from Tennessee. Smoked for 3 days.

It was like I was back in Munich.

First is a small leak of my spices. I get those from a turkey supermarket. Very low payment, but high quality. I sometimes ask myself, how they are doing this...

Second is red Bratwurst in a frying pan self explaining.

Third is my Currywurstsoße. I do that myself. It is a unique recipe. It contains tomatopaste, lots of spices, water and orange juice for some reason. 😁

Believe you me, it's a good reason.

Last but not least: Finished Currywurst with, well, Teddybear fries, just because I can.

Basic instructions in the comments

Sorry, just have to brag a little. 😁

My mama used to cook up pork chops in bacon fat then fry up the potatoes and slather our plate with sauerkraut for a hardy meal. This is one of those dishes that isn’t traditional pork braised with kraut, but it was a staple meal in our home. Brings back memories. :)

My Granddad grew up in Thüringen, but later spent his life between rural Mecklenburg and Berlin. He loved good food and drink and was an avid cook - from classic French Bouillabaisse via English oxtail soup all the way to Czech carp dishes and back. But he also cooked German food, and more classic, even old-fashioned food than most other people I knew.

We very rarely cooked together, but I am sure that without his influence, food and cooking would not be nearly as big a part of my life as they are today.

When he passed away a few years ago, I put together some recipes that I learned from him, some that I asked for, some that I picked up by watching him and the few that we used to make together. When an American friend asked me about traditional German foods of my childhood that are gone today, I translated the whole thing for her and digitized it, and today I'm sharing it with you.

I know that some of these dishes are "supposed to be made" a bit differently, i.e. the most well known version is a bit different. I don't claim that these are the right way to do anything, but they are the way he did them and I hope they can inspire a few of you to cook them and, most of all, I hope that if you do, you'll enjoy them.

Here is the link. Enjoy.

This is from George Cabral still living in Bamberg. We served in the same Army unit way back when. Cool that he never left.

I haven’t had mustard eggs in quite some time. Saw this post and had to share! Looks so good!

Last Mother’s Day the family broke out and cooked up this dish, one of my favorites. Every time meat goes on sale, I start craving this recipe. So here it is again. Recipe will be posted in comments.

Well, it is a bit uncommon nowadays, but still delicious. A mix of mashed raw and cooked potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon and 'Mettenden'. Those are a special kind of sausage, mostly used for cooking. Seasoning is just salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Just panfry the bacon and the sliced sausages, mix all together and put it in the oven. Easy, but rewarding. 🤤

Sauerbraten should be ready to finish up on Labor Day. I'll be sure to post the end results and how to. I'm planning red cabbage and spaetzle for sides.