An afternoon of Teutonic culinary immersion

[jesus marion joseph]

So my grandmother passed away last weekend at the ripe old age of 95. We buried her yesterday in a small town in the Berkshires, next to gramps Norton in a pretty little cemetary in the hills.

Her maiden name was Teubner, so we felt the only way to cap off the day properly was to have dinner at The Student Prince in Springfield. Lucky for us they're still in full Maifest mode, with special menu items to help celebrate the arrival of spring in traditional German manner. For me that meant a couple of Maibocks on draft, some Bockwurst with sauerkraut and traditional Wiener schnitzel with spaetzle, red cabbage and a side of fiddlehead ferns sauteed with butter and sliced almonds. My (estranged) father indulged in shad roe wrapped in bacon, and at least one of our party had good old sauerbraten. I finished the remainder of my schnitzel, spaetzle and fiddleheads for breakfast this morning. Yum.

Gram Norton would definitely have approved; especially the shad roe, which was a favorite of hers.




PS: Yesterday was also the anniversary of my mother's passing, so a German meal was doubly in order, since she was a native Deutschlander.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

So my grandmother passed away last weekend at the ripe old age of 95. We buried her yesterday in a small town in the Berkshires, next to gramps Norton in a pretty little cemetary in the hills.

Her maiden name was Teubner, so we felt the only way to cap off the day properly was to have dinner at The Student Prince in Springfield. Lucky for us they're still in full Maifest mode, with special menu items to help celebrate the arrival of spring in traditional German manner. For me that meant a couple of Maibocks on draft, some Bockwurst with sauerkraut and traditional Wiener schnitzel with spaetzle, red cabbage and a side of fiddlehead ferns sauteed with butter and sliced almonds. My (estranged) father indulged in shad roe wrapped in bacon, and at least one of our party had good old sauerbraten. I finished the remainder of my schnitzel, spaetzle and

Gram Norton would definitely have approved; especially the shad roe, which was a favorite of hers.




PS: Yesterday was also the anniversary of my mother's passing, so a German meal was doubly in order, since she was a native Deutschlander.

It does not get much better than that,

well, maybe like this

[tippy]

Sounds like good honoraries, jmj. I’m intrigued, especially about “fiddlehead ferns.” How have I missed out on such a great name for five decades? Is that like collard greens?

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Originally Posted by tippy

Sounds like good honoraries, jmj. I’m intrigued, especially about “fiddlehead ferns.” How have I missed out on such a great name for five decades? Is that like collard greens?

Nope.

[walto]

Man, you got places to go on the Cape AND in the Berkshires?! Lucky guy.

What's the town in the Berks, Pat?

[jesus marion joseph]

It's the tip of the Ostrich fern, picked as it begins to unfurl, so they're only available for a short time in the spring.




I'm digging that buffet, Uli!

[tippy]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Cantiello

Nope.

If I were a bug, I might like to climb on it but I don’t think I would put it in my mouth. It’s got little hairs on it.

[jesus marion joseph]

Wow, have to be quick on the trigger in this thread!

Walto, our family used to have a very rustic cabin in the town of Otis. My grandparents bought the funeral plots there many years ago. My father got into some financial distress about 20 years ago and sold the camp. It had no running water or electricity. I helped dig the pit for the new, improved outhouse when I was a teenager.

[walto]

Too bad they had to lose that place. Otis is kind of cute. Carol and I spent our honeymoon next door, in Tolland. And we were in New Marlborough for a couple days just a few weeks ago.

[jesus marion joseph]

Here's the cemetary. Me and the mrs stopped by there a year or so ago, when I was visiting her at Kripalu:

[tippy]

Pectal. That’s a new one.

Not a bad-looking place to be laid to rest.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

I love German food. Ah, who the fuck am I kidding? I love food, period.

[jesus marion joseph]

That's not a bad thing, Jimmy!

[Ron Thorne]

What a great gastronomic send-off and remembrance, John! I doubt that anyone required rocking to sleep after that dinner.

[clinthopson]

I would imagine that after that total immersion in things Germanic, you had an urge to invade France.

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

I would imagine that after that total immersion in things Germanic, you had an urge to invade France.

I would have, but frankly I needed a nap.

[Dr Dave]

Rollhead and I had lunch at the Student Prince many years ago, after a visit to the Indian Motocycle Museum. After a couple weissbeers, I did have a twinge about marching into Strasbourg...

[Gentle Giant]

Fifteen's my limit on schnitzelgruben!

[jesus marion joseph]

I *dare* you to eat fifteen on one sitting!


I assume you've all heard about the new Chinese/German fusion restaurant?

Half an hour after you eat you're hungry for power. (groan)

[Jazzzoline]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

It's the tip of the Ostrich fern, picked as it begins to unfurl, so they're only available for a short time in the spring.




I'm digging that buffet, Uli!

We call tehm "têtes de violon". Love them "revenus dans le beurre".

But sometimes when I see people picking them from dirty canals between roadways, I wonder about the toxicity.

[cookie]

Gathering fiddleheads was a spring ritual in Maine. We used to go pick them from the banks of the creek that ran in the woods behind our house. Some people gather them by the bucketfull and sell them to restaurants up there.

I never cared for them personally, but I've found that as an adult, I've grown to like greens more than I did as a kid. I wonder if I'd like them now.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by walto

Too bad they had to lose that place. Otis is kind of cute. Carol and I spent our honeymoon next door, in Tolland. And we were in New Marlborough for a couple days just a few weeks ago.

Walto, did you go here?
http://www.oldinn.com/

A friend of mine, Peter Platt, owns it.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Rollhead and I had lunch at the Student Prince many years ago, after a visit to the Indian Motocycle Museum. After a couple weissbeers, I did have a twinge about marching into Strasbourg...

I've been wanting to go back!

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

So my grandmother passed away last weekend at the ripe old age of 95.

Sorry for your loss, JMJ... Next time you are in the Berkshires, let me know.

I live about 45 minutes from Lenox.

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Sorry for your loss, JMJ... Next time you are in the Berkshires, let me know.

I live about 45 minutes from Lenox.

Thanks rollie. There's a good chance I'll be in the Lenox area at some point, as my wife likes to go to Kripalu. It's a nice place, but after a couple of hours I have to get away from the earthy/crunchy thing (especially the fake earthy crunchy thing) for a while.

[Root Doctor]

I enjoyed a game dinner at the Student Prince many years ago, but somehow ended up at the Fuzzy Grape afterwards. How'd that happen?