Communal Meals and Great German Recipes

"Communal dining is the practice of dining with others. The practice is centered on food and sharing time with the people who come together in order to share the meal and conversation. Communal dining can take place in public establishments like restaurants, college cafeterias, or in private establishments." Wiki.com

When the Amana Colonies in Iowa were born, they functioned as a communal society. Each resident contributed to the society's needs. There were several communal kitchens spread throughout the colonies where a few women prepared meals for 30+ people, a full time job.

Everything in the kitchen was made by the people of Amana. As seen in the picture below that includes the wood cook stove, pots, pans, and utensils.

Following the mandates of the lifestyle, a few fulfilled the task of meal prep while others completed their assigned tasks. Each person, young and old, served a role, and all were considered equal. Below is a sample menu for a week's worth of communal meals.

While in the colonies, we ate out to experience the authentic German food. During our visit to the Brau Haus, I devoured a fresh knockwurst (smoked bratwurst) smothered in sauerkraut. All the meat served at this restaurant come from Amana's meat shop and smokehouse; it couldn't be any fresher. The kraut tasted milder than what I buy in the store as it was crunchier and void of the sharp, biting sour taste. Exquisite!

When given the choice between French fries and or German home fries, I opted for the German fries and was not disappointed. In fact, before we left the table, I searched the internet for a recipe because I didn't want to think of a world where I would never eat them again.

Bratkartoffeln (German Fried Potatoes) By Kevin . Published Jan 27, 2022 on Kevin is Cooking

• 1 lb red potatoes quartered
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 green onions sliced thin, diagonally (white and green parts)

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat render the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and allow to drain on paper towel.

Fry potatoes in bacon fat until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and set aside with bacon.

Add flour to pan, stir and cook for a minute or two in the remaining bacon fat. Add the apple cider vinegar, chicken broth and scrape pan to pick up all the bits. Sauce will thicken.

Add green onions, bacon and potatoes to the pan, stirring to coat all. Serve immediately. Top with more green onions if desired and or some balsamic glaze.

Cooking Tip: If your potatoes are too big, or to cut down on the cooking time when frying, I sometimes quarter the potatoes as directed and drop into boiling, salted water until fork tender. Be sure to drain and shake excess water and then add them to the frying pan to brown and get crispy in bacon fat.

On another evening, Randy and I visited the Ronneburg Restaurant. They advertise their meals as "traditionally inspired German cuisine." We choose to have our meal served family style to follow traditions. We didn't walk away hungry! The picture at the top of this post shows what was place on our table and explains why we wobbled out after eating most of it.

We ordered only one entrée. When the waitress placed the ham on the table, we were glad for this decision. We opted to have the sides portioned for two people. Our meal included: cottage cheese, fresh bread, beets and coleslaw for the first course. Then came the meat with fried potatoes, gravy, green beans in mushroom sauce, and sauerkraut. Enough food for a family of four but we did justice. The entire cost of the meal was under $30.00.

At first, I scrunched my nose at the beets and cottage cheese, not my favorites. However, after sampling both, I piled seconds on my plate because they where nummy. I found myself searching the internet for an Amana cottage cheese recipe because what sat before me was not a product purchased at the store.

The author of the blog The Cookery Monster shared her response to the Amana cottage cheese and a recipe that made me smile because it paralleled mine.

"I do not actually like cottage cheese. Except this cottage cheese." She went on to share what she learned for the waitress. "The secret, she told me, is to add buttermilk and dried chives to cottage cheese. She insisted that you needed to use the local cottage cheese, but I have discovered that you get pretty good results with any whole milk, large curd cottage cheese–the stuff sitting in my fridge right now is generic Giant brand. The important thing is that it must be large curd, and must be whole milk; otherwise, it’s too watery."

Ingredients

• 1 24-ounce tub whole milk, large curd cottage cheese
• 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons freeze dried chives (fresh will also do, if you have them)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir until the chives are distributed.

-Mcmeganish on March 30, 2020

When traveling across the country in our RV, we often cook our own meals to save money. However, when we have the opportunity to reward our taste buds or try something new, we go for it. When in Rome do as the Romans do. Or in this case, when in Amana do as they do in Amana.

The Amana Colonies are an amazing visit. If you wish to read the history of Amana follow the hyperlink below.

Iowa, Amana Colonies: Traveling in the Present and Learning About the Past

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