Crisp autumn days with the delicious scent of German bratwurst, wiener schnitzel and chocolate cake wafting through the streets, people stopping at local restaurants to enjoy tasty, old-world recipes and conversation. This is what Cullman’s Oktoberfest promises to bring this week – specially prepared cuisine from the exotic to the everyday dish – all with a distinct German taste and style.

The All Steak and CRMC, as well as several other local restaurants, will be featuring a German menu. Some are one-day special events, others can be ordered during Oktoberfest week.

For over 30 years, Sacred Heart has offered a traditional German dinner which consists of bratwurst, country style kraut, German potato salad, apple sauce, green beans and a dessert. The women of the Alta Society at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church do most of the preparations, including peeling bushels of potatoes for the potato salad recipe.

For 13 years, St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church has been offering German recipes including wiener schnitzel and apfelkugel (apple cake) and brotchen (bread). The 2007 Burgermeister, Pete Misegades, is the chief chef for their meal.

During Oktoberfest week the following restaurants will be offering German meals:

Daily lunches will be available at The Dog House, Rumor’s Deli, Festhalle Market Platz and evening dinners at Festhalle Market Platz (prepared by the Boy Scouts).

Monday, October 1, the Roadhouse Barbecue will have a German dinner between 4:30–7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 2, there will be a German Dinner Buffet at Cullman Medical Regional Center in the Colonel Cullman Room from 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 3, there will be a German lunch at Terri Pines Country Club, reservations only, between the hours of 11:30–1:30 p.m.

Wednesday night, October 4, Sacred Heart Church will host their annual German dinner from 5-7 p.m.

Thursday the All Steak will have a German dinner buffet, reservations only, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Friday the Christ Lutheran Church will have their German Dinner beginning at 5 p.m.

And rounding out the food extravaganza, Saturday the Bratwurst Eating Contest will be held at Festhalle Market Platz at noon.

Sample menus from the week include these delectable German dishes:

Terri Pines Country Club will have weinershnitzel, saurkraut and sausage, braised red cabbage and apples and black forest cake.

The All Steak will offer cabbage rolls, bratwurst, knockwurst, sauerbraten, apple strudel and German cheesecakes.

Cullman Regional Medical Center will provide bamberger krautbraten (stuffed cabbage rolls), black forest sauerkraut balls, kartoffelpuree meerrettich (cream potatoes with horseradish and sour cream) and a dessert of bayerishche erbeercreme (strawberry bavarian with cream).

German recipes to inspire daring cooks

Semmelknoedel

For 6–8 dumplings

10–12 hard rolls, kaiser rolls at least one day old

1 1/2 cup milk, luke warm

1 tbsp onion, finely diced

1 tbsp parsley

5–6 large eggs

1/2 tbsp butter

1 tsp salk

1 tsp pepper

Bread crumbs to thicken dough

Salt water to cook

Cut bread into thin slices, place in large bowl and add salt and pepper. Pour warm milk over the bread, cover and soften for 30 minutes. Sautee onions and parsley in butter, add with the eggs to the bread dough. Knead thoroughly. Add bread crumbs only if dough gets too thin.

Form dumplings, drop into cooking salt water. Cook for 20 minutes or until the dumplings rise.

Donauwellen

9 servings

For the dough:

2 1/2 sticks butter or margarine

1 1/2 cup flour, all-purpose

6 large eggs

15 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 cans dark sweet cherries

2 tbsp cacao

For the butter cream:

3 cups milk

2 packs vanilla pudding

2 1/2 sticks butter

For the frosting:

1 (6 oz.) pack semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup butter or margarine

2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Chocolate shavings

Beat butter until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix flour and baking powder, blend in tbsp measures to the butter mass. Blend well. Mix cacao to 1/3 of the dough to color.

Place white dough on the bottom of greased baking pan; add the brown dough on top. Use fork to create waves. Drain cherries and spread over the dough. Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean in preheated over at 350 F.

Prepare vanilla pudding according to instructions, reduce amount of milk by 1/4. Add butter spoon wise at room temperature, mixing well.

Spread butter cream over cooled cake. Combine first ingredients for the frosting in a medium saucepan: cook over medium heat, sitrring until chocolate melts. Remove from heat: add powdered sugar, mixing well. Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice. Beat at low speed until frosting holds its shape and loses gloss. Add a few more drops of half-and-half if needed to make a good spreading consistency. Spread over butter cream; add chocolate shavings to decorate.

Bayerischer Schweinsbraten

4 servings

2 lb pork roast (ham trim, collar butt, loin) preferably with skin

1 cup onions, coarsely diced

1 bayleaf leaf

1/2 cup carrots

1/2 cup celery or parsley root, coarsely diced

1/2 cup leek coarsely diced

1 tsp vegetable shortening

2 cups hot beef bouillon

1 cup lager beer (optional)

1/2 tsp starch

Salt, pepper and paprika

For the gravy add some pork bones to the roast.

Season roast with salt, pepper and paprika. Preheat oven to 400 F. Melt the shortening in the roast pan. Place roast in pan skin down. Place onions, carrots, celery, leek and bones around the roast, add bayleaf and garlic.

Roast for 15 minutes, then remove the roast, turn it and cut the skin crosswise, replace into oven. Roast for another 30 minutes, baste roast with fat and juices. After meat and vegetables turn a good brownish color reduce the heat to 350 F. Add beef bouillon as needed. Toward the end pour beer over the skin. The roast should be done after two hours.

Remove roast and bones, keep warm. Place pan on stove on high heat, stir in starch to thicken gravy. Pour gravy through sieve; add additional starch if needed, season with salt, peopper and paprika to taste.

‰Christ Luthern Church/Peter and Gertrude Boltz