Have to thank the Austrians for introducing schnitzel: meat cutlets (traditionally veal) that are breaded and fried into deliciousness. This recipe uses veal, but Ralph prefers using pork or chicken known as Schnitzel Wiener Art. We paired our schnitzel with sauerkraut and French fries (not homemade 😱). The first small town we moved to in…
Category: Fall
Layered Ground Beef Cheesy Pie with Rice Paper
Updated: November 19, 2025 The recipe below was inspired by this one I came across on my friend’s Pinterest: Lasagne mit Wirsing, Hackfleisch und Kartoffeln (Lasagna with Savoy Cabbage, Ground Beef, and Potatoes). Since I had made Hearty Cold-Weather Cabbage Rolls just the week before, I wanted to make something different with the leftover cabbage. I liked the ingredient…
Hearty Cold-Weather Cabbage Rolls
We woke up one morning to an instant winter wonderland, although technically it’s still fall. With a chill in the air, it was the perfect weather to heat up the kitchen with a hearty meal. Years ago when we still lived in Aachen I bought a meal of cabbage rolls from a local deli and…
Duck Two Ways (Confit and Breasts)
There’s nothing better than the smell of duck roasting in the oven—especially when it’s all day long. Our dog Mogly agrees and has been caught in front of the oven door with his nose madly sniffing the savoury air. We enjoy duck in the fall and winter seasons, often making duck breasts with risotto and…
Bobotie (sweet and curried ground beef casserole)
A few years ago we had a summer holiday in southern Germany, including a stay in Heidelberg. We spent an afternoon visiting wineries on the German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße) and made a stop at Hammel & Cie. Their wines are delicious and very reasonably priced—we had a box of 12 wines shipped home to…
How to grill a steak—with confidence
(Written by Ralph) This is the method I have finally arrived at that is mostly fool-proof for me. I don‘t have a „sizzle zone“ on my 20 year old Weber Genesis but the heat gets high enough to get a nice sear anyway. You can do it like this over charcoal too by using a…
Oma Marion’s Chicken Sloppy Joes on Croissants
Sloppy Joes is a popular American dish, traditionally made with ground beef. This version of Sloopy Joes is made with chicken or turkey, and was handed down by Ralph’s mother Marion. It’s simple yet bursting with comfort food flavour—a perfect weeknight dinner and great way to use up leftover roast chicken or turkey and gravy….
Risotto with Duck Breasts and Roasted Red Peppers
After a summer of non-stop outdoor grilling and dining al fresco, this is the perfect dish to greet fall weather. The days are cooler and the sun sets earlier in the evening, but you can light candles and with the indoor smells of something good coming from the kitchen, it’s nothing but Gemütlichkeit. Especially if…
We are cookin' with gas! 