As hostess for our October BITE get-together, Tierney chose the theme of Oktobertfest - what fun! I had cooked up a German themed dinner for book group a few years back when we read The Book Thief, but have not cooked anything that I would consider German since. It's great to be able to combine a celebration with the foods and music of another country.
I was in charge of the appetizer. I looked at a number of things and also looked at my schedule for the day and decided on Crepes with Camembert and Chives. Such an interesting combination of flavors - creamy Camambert cheese, oniony chives, mild crepes and a topping of cranberry relish. The crepe batter was unlike any that I have used before. The egg whites and yolks are separated, with the white being beat to stiff peaks and then incorporated into the remaining batter. The result is very frothy and the outcome is a bit of a thicker crepe than I am accustomed to - more pancake-like, but delicious. The photo that goes with the recipe shows the crepes folded in half before they are baked, and there are no directions on how to use the relish - so I did things a bit differently and rolled the crepes and put the relish on top before baking - they really, really were delicious and I would definitely do this again.
For our side dish, Ellen prepared Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Raisins. I confess to not being much of a cabbage fan, but this was a wonderful dish, and went perfectly with Tierney's main dish of Sauerbraten and Butternut Dumplings with Brown Butter and Sage. The sauerbraten was the perfect combination of sweet, tart and salty - just about my perfect combination. The dumplings filled my need for something a bit dense and buttery.
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| We had a few different beers to enjoy throughout the meal. |
Our theme for November - Apples!
Your descriptions of each dish are spot! Everyone did a great job. Only after you all departed for the evening did I realize I completely forgot to bring out the beer steins! What's a proper Oktoberfest without the steins?!
ReplyDeleteAs always, you were a splendid hostess. The evening was fun and delicious!
DeleteEvery time I read about one of these get-togethers I wish I could have been there. All the dishes look delicious and perfectly seasonal!
ReplyDeleteWe really do have a good time Carolyn, and it is also a lot of fun deciding which dishes to make, and then to prepare them!
DeleteOktoberfest! As I read in your last BITE post about your next theme, I got very curious (for obvious reason, as you can imagine ;) ) and looked very forward to your next BITE-report. When your quote showed in my Feed-Reader, it made me smile! Halt Deine Lederhosen fest! Too good! And the recipes look so delicious! Especially the Crepe with Camembert, yummy! I think it's right, that they turn out thicker than crepes, I think they are called "Eierkuchen" and are something between pancakes and crepes. But I'm no expert and this crepes-Eierkuchen-pancake-thing always confuses me a bit... :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I didn't know the German chocolate cake, but, oh my, I have to try this!
Nancy, I have awaited your response to this this month's theme for the same reasons! All of the food was delicious, but I really did like the crepes. Is this a typical flavor combination? It's not one that I think of, but it was oh so good! That's just one of the many things that I enjoy about our group - the unexpected. When our theme was Morocco, I cooked a dish with chicken in phyllo that was then topped with cinnamon and sugar. I couldn't possibly imagine that it would taste good, but it was heavenly! Who knew!
DeleteThat's one thing I so like about your BITE meetings - you try new things! Your themes are chosen the way they provoke you to engage with things you don't know. And I love to read about your food explorations!
DeleteI know crepes and cheese, but I didn't know the combination crepes and Camembert, I have to admit. But it may be popular in another federal state here, since every federal state has its own traditional food. By the way, where I come from, the traditional dish is - at least it is reputed to be - sweet rice pudding with Bratwurst... :)
It was delicious Clarice - and fun!
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