Oktoberfest!

[QSis]

This weekend, I visited a couple of friends who are excellent and adventurous cooks.

We decided to celebrate Oktoberfest with a variety of beers, sliced white radishes spread with butter and salt, a pumpkin cheese ball, other cheeses and apples, homemade soft pretzels, bratwurst and sauerkraut and a pumpkin pudding.

It was all wonderful! Even though the Patriots lost, we had a ball!

Zer gut!

Lee

The recipe for the pumpkin cheese ball is basic, but just put anything you like in there. I didn't use salsa, but added minced red onion and green pepper, some horseradish pub cheese, and dried mustard.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkin-cheese-ball-recipe/index.html



Cheese ball, cut



I couldn't get the giant white German radishes so used a Daikon



This recipe from Alton Brown was much more successful than our first attempt at soft pretzels. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/index.html



We used a very simple recipe for first simmering the brats, then grilling them on a grill pan. Delicious!

And my Mom's sauerkraut is just drained and rinsed kraut, add chopped caramelized onions, caraway seeds, and black pepper.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/beer-brats-recipe/index.html

 

[LADawg]

Not food related, but we will be headed up to Helen, GA (my Rand McNally list a population of a little over 2500) in the mountains of northeast Georgia later this week for their Oktoberfest. http://entertainment.georgia.com/helen_ga/events/show/344495803-oktoberfest-helen-ga-2013
Will also make a trip to the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival. http://www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/fallfestival.php
Should be a nice little fall trip........

 

[Cooksie]

Love that cheese ball, so cute!

 

[QSis]

Ohhh, LADawg, I think there is definitely going to be some Oktoberfest food and beverage in your future! Those events look like a lot of fun!

Thanks, Cooksie! It was a really easy and tasty idea!

Lee

 

[Johnny West]

The pumpkin cheese ball looks like the ticket….

Tomorrow I’m grilling two kinds of brats. The white brats shouldn’t be grilled so will heat them on the cool side of the grill.

Our menu -:

red herring
bier cheese... with assorted wasa crackers
German potato salat
cucumber salat
pickles
red kraut
white kraut
brats
white brats
brötchen
pretzel rolls
condiments… German mustard, curry catchup, and copped onions
bienenstich cake
assorted German biers
bubbly
brandy

 

[Johnny West]

The glassware has not been used in years and will need a dusting.

 

[Johnny West]

The air quality index is well over 150, cant see Mt. Rainier, and there is a burn ban in effect, so am not grilling the brats. The Germans pan fry them anyway so will do it the traditional way.

 

[QSis]

Is this event at your house? How many people?

Lee

 

[Johnny West]

Is this event at your house? How many people?

Lee

Yes, it was at our house and 10 total. Two I thought were coming couldn't make it.
I took a lot of pictures and will post them tomorrow. It was a great time.

 

[Johnny West]

Red Herring was really good as was the beer cheese.

 

[Johnny West]

 

[Johnny West]

Groaning board…

 

[Johnny West]

Plated and dessert. Bienenstich cake.

Everything was good except the cucumber salad was bland.
Nancy made her own curry ketchup and it was great. We sent
food home with everyone and have enough for ourselves
tomorrow night.

 

[Johnny West]

I had two.

 

[Sass Muffin]

Plated and dessert. Bienenstich cake.

Everything was good except the cucumber salad was bland.
Nancy made her own curry ketchup and it was great. We sent
food home with everyone and have enough for ourselves
tomorrow night.

View attachment 53422View attachment 53423

Oh my!!
That cake! especially looks fab!

 

[QSis]

Wow! Wonderful job, John and Nancy - it all looks great!

Lee

 

[Johnny West]

Thanks, everyone. It was a good time but don’t think we’ll be doing it again for awhile unless we keep it simple, but when have we ever done that?