It is hard to believe that it has been four years since we sold our home and moved to Frankfurt, Germany. It was a wonderful experience that gave us the opportunity to see many different cities and countries. During our first week in Frankfurt, we enjoyed the first of many festivals that we would get to see during our time there. The Fest Des Federweissen is a celebration of the wine harvest and specifically in Frankfurt it is about the Apfelwein. Traditionally Apfelwein is served in a pretty little jug called a Bembel and we actually received one from one our favorite restaurants as a gift before moving back to the United States.
Wine and Beer at the FestivalOur First, But Definitely Not Our Last, Glasses of Apfelwein (Bembel in the Background)People at the Potato HousePopcorn and Other Sweets
Although wine is the star of the festival, it wouldn’t be a German festival without many varieties of food stalls, especially those selling sausages (wurst). The festival was located between Frankfurt’s busy shopping district and the old town (Altstadt) square. Although we would later go to many different Christmas markets throughout Europe, this little festival was just a small taste of what we would get to enjoy. With this year being the way it has with very little opportunities to explore places, we are definitely missing the time we spent living in Germany.
Where We Tried Our First ApfelweinMore Food to Choose FromWine is Definitely the Star of the FestivalStarting to Get Busy
When visiting New Orleans, you will have the option to try a variety of wonderful regional dishes, including Jambalaya. Jambalaya is a rice dish that usually has Andouille sausage, but we’d gotten a roasted red pepper sausage from our butcher and decided to use it instead. It turned out to be delicious and was really an easy recipe for a weekday dinner. Shrimp, chicken, or pork can also be added in addition to the sausage, but we chose to keep it simple and just use the sausage. If you like it spicier, you can also add more cayenne pepper.
Everything Needed for Jambalaya
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb Roasted Red Pepper Sausage (or Andouille sausage) – cut into slices
1 cup Uncooked Rice
1 Red Bell Pepper – diced
1/2 Yellow Onion – diced
2 stalks Celery – sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes
3 cups Chicken Stalk
2 tbsp Ground Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Roasted Red Pepper Sausage
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Heat the butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage in the butter and oil until it is golden-brown. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute before adding the tomatoes, onion, celery, and red pepper. Continue to sauté for about another 5 minutes until the vegetables become soft. Turn the heat down to low and add the chicken broth and rice, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking. Serve in bowls.
Adding the Vegetables to the SausageCook the Rice in the BrothWhen the Rice is Fully CookedEnjoying a Nice Bowl of Jambalaya with Roasted Red Pepper Sausage
Sausage is something that can be found throughout the world, but we definitely had plenty during our time living in Europe. We have a local butcher who prepares different styles of sausage based upon what is fresh and available during the time of year. We went to the butcher a couple of weeks ago and picked up some Polish sausage as well as a red pepper sausage. We decided to take the Polish sausage and combine with a sautéed peppers and onions. Even though we never had warm potato salad while in Germany, it is something that we enjoy and this was our first time making it at home. We used fingerling potatoes, which held up nicely and added a little color to the salad.
Simmering Polish Sausages
INGREDIENTS
Sausage and Peppers
2 Polish Sausages
1/2 Red Pepper – roughly julienned
1/2 Yellow Pepper – roughly julienned
1/2 Red Onion – sliced
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Warm, German Potato Salad
Warm Potato Salad
1/2 lb Fingerling Potatoes
1/8 lb Bacon
1/3 Red Onion – chopped
1/2 Stalk Celery – chopped
1/4 tsp Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Sautéing the Peppers and Onion
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the potatoes in half and add them to a pot with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender, when a knife easily slips in and out of the potato. Drain the potatoes, place in a bowl, and set aside. In a skillet, cook the bacon until it is almost crispy and then place on a paper towel. If cooking an entire package of bacon, as we did, drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth in order to make a roux. Add the water and vinegar and continue to whisk until the liquid is slightly thick. Roughly chop the bacon and return it to the pan along with the onion and celery. Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and translucent. Pour enough of the dressing over the potatoes and toss until the potatoes are coated (you might not need all of the dressing). Cover the potatoes to keep warm or place them in the oven on a low heat to keep warm.
In another skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat and cook the sausage until fully cooked and the skin is caramelized. Remove the sausage and let rest. Add the other tablespoon of oil, the peppers, and the onion and cook the vegetables until slightly soft. Add the sausage back to the pan for a couple of minutes to heat them back up. Slice the sausage on a bias and serve with the peppers along with the warm potato salad. Serves two.
Ingredients for theSauté the Vegetables for the DressingPolish Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and a Warm, German Potato Salad
