Traditional German food

Wiener schnitzel, spaetzle, and peas...this is NOT health food.  I mean, don't get me wrong, this was an all natural dinner with organic meats and veggies and without preservatives, but it was cooked in olive oil and butter.  Translation: DELICIOUS!

When I got my first apartment, I don't think I knew how to cook any food other than Italian food. 

I was raised in an Italian family. My maiden name is Infurna, as my ancestors in Sicily had the only brick oven in their village. My mother learned to cook from her mother, who learned from both her mother and mother-in-law who were from Abruzzi and Sicily.  I can assure you, there was no tofu in my house growing up.  In fact, I'm 99% sure my mother still hasn't cooked tofu. We didn't really eat anything other than Italian food.  My husband's background is German/Scottish/Welsh and though I know he's appreciated the variety of foods we have, sometimes I get the request for a traditional German dish. 

Wiener schnitzel is traditionally a veal or pork cutlet, breaded and fried, served with mushrooms and spaetzle (a little egg dumpling pasta). The cutlets were dipped in egg, then a flour/panko mixture and fried them in olive oil and butter - then topped them with mushrooms and onion cooked in butter and white wine.  

I'm not going to lie.  Though I HAVE made spaetzle from scratch before, I was going out to a show last night, so I used pre-made.  I HATE doing this, mostly because it's way cheaper to make myself, but it is time consuming. 

Here's a recipe for spaetzle that I've made before:

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 gallon hot water
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Mix together flour, salt, and white pepper.. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
2. Press dough through a large holed sieve or metal grater.
3. Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
4. Saute cooked spaetzle in butter and sprinkle with nutmeg.

End result was very good even if I did feel a little guilty about indulging in some fried food.