Westfälische Götterspeise Westfalian Ambrosia Food

WESTFäLISCHE GöTTERSPEISE (WESTFALIAN AMBROSIA)

Steps:

• Put cherries, sugar and lemon peel into pot, bring to a single boil and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
• Take from heat, let cool slightly and add cognac. Divide cherries and fluid into 4 serving glasses. Pack the cherries, so that they make a dense layer. Cover with cling film and put into the fridge.
• Toast the pumpernickel in the oven until it completely dry and slightly roasted. Take out of the oven and let cool completely. Chop the pumpernickel finely (I use the food processor). Add the very coarsely chopped hazel nuts and set aside.
• In a bowl mix quark, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Chop the meringue very coarsely and add to the quark mixture. Mix carefully with a spoon.
• Add the pumpernickel mixture and mix with a spoon.
• Beat the whipping cream until stiff. Add to the quark mixture and fold in carefully. Do not overmix it.
• Divide quark mixture into the four serving glasses, cover again and chill it for about 2 hours in the fridge.
• To serve: take out of the fridge, sprinkle with some chocolate, add a few hazel nuts and a cherry.
• NOTE on serving: you can premix the cherry layer with the cream layer. It looks not as fancy as the layered serving, but it taste as good as the layered one.
• NOTE: you can store this dessert for one day in the fridge. It is even better the next day.
• NOTE: you can use preserved cherries. But then don't cook the cherries. Cook only the fluid as described above. To thicken the fluid you can add cornstarch. Dilute 1 tsp in a bit of cold water and then add this mixture to the cooking fluid.
• NOTE on meringue: you can sub the meringue here by "dry" cookies or butter cookies.

BADISCHE SCHUPFNUDELN (SPAETZLE)

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes in their jackets for 25-30 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and put them on a lightly floured board.
• Mash them with a rolling pin.
• (You can also use a potato masher).
• Add flour, egg, parsley, salt and nutmeg.
• Knead well to form a smooth dough.
• Roll out the dough to about 1 cm thick or to the thickness of your thumb.
• Cut flattened dough into thin strips of 5 cm long.
• Gently roll out the strips or stretch them until the ends taper.
• Leave aside for 15 minutes.
• (Alternatively, you can immediately toss the noodles into boiling water. Remove them when they rise to the surface).
• Heat lard in a pan and fry the noodles till golden brown.
• Serve with roast pork, racks of lamb, sauerkraut or any cabbage dish.