My MIL came to this country from Yugoslavia. She gave me some of her mother's recipes but they are in German. The one thing I want to try to make is Walnut Strudel, it was always my husband's favorite. I can put the recipe into a translator but some things don't translate. My MIL has forgotten a lot because she believed she needed to learn and speak English when she came here.

Some of the ingredients I need to get at a German store but the only ones I know of are in Lemoyne and Mechanicsburg. Does anyone know of a German store around here? Also does anyone know how to convert a decagram into our measurements? I used a metric converter but I had to go from decagrams to oz's to cups etc. I wondered if there was an easier way.

Hope, check with LFM on translations -- she studied German. Didn't there used to be a German Deli in downtown? I never got there, but someone posted about it once and told me they carried some candies I'd had when I'd toured Germany many moons ago. If that's gone, you might find some of the stuff you need at other different stores that carry specialty items in addition to their main line. If we knew exactly what you're looking for, we might be better able to help you.

With respect to the converters, I think you're probably going about it the right way. Did you use a converter site specific to cooking? I found this one:
http://www.france-property-and-information...g_converter.htm

What words are you stuck on? Maybe someone here can help--not saying specifically me, though. I wonder if the German deli in market or Mandros might have anything you need. Does the Alpenhof Restaurant in Reading still have a store?

I'll check that. There are at least two Italian markets in Reading I can think of that may also carry other specialty items. That's why I asked Hope what she's looking for to see if I could check. There may be other places, too, like Stoudt's -- especially with the Chriskindlesmarkt coming up.

Well, I figured out that Ebloffel is tablespoon. We have no umlought (sp) in English so typing a word needing it into the translator comes up with nothing.

For the dough, I need 1 packerl "Konig" vanillinzucker. I think it might be some kind of vanilla pudding but I'm not sure.

For the filling, I need 5 decagrams of geriebene schokolade. I think it's grated chocolate but the word for grated is spelled differently then what I found.

The words in italics are what I'm having trouble with, for now anyway.

Could vanillanzucker be some sort of sugar?

I think I can confirm that "geriebene" means grated per this webpage for Lemon tea which has a translation and the German word.
http://www.germandeli.com/scci.html

I found your "vanillanzucker" on the site, too, but I'm assuming the "Konig" part is the brand name. This is a different brand.
http://www.germandeli.com/rufva10.html

I called the alpenhof and checked their website. I see no indication of a store on the website, and they're closed on Monday per the answering machine.

I think you are right about the grated chocolate. Is it for a garnish on top of a baked item?

You can order vanillinzucker here:
http://www.germandeli.com/droevazu10.html

Here's a better description of what it is:
http://www.germandeli.com/fuvazu5p.html

The packerl would mean one package. Konig is the brand.


There's a recipe on this page that subs sugar (presumably 2tbs) and 1 Tblsp vanilla extract for 2tbs of vanilla sugar.

http://www.kitchenproject.com/german/recip.../PlumKuchen.htm

Might that give the same effect?


Hope, I have some old 1920s family recipes that don't have complete instructions or use real amounts of ingredients. Once the Internet came along, I was able to fill in the missing pieces by searching for similar recipes. Maybe you can do this with your German recipes.




They used to have a nice store, but maybe they didn't reopen that part after a fire they had years ago.

Ah, you guys are the best. I think the vanillinzucker is what my MIL is calling vanilla pudding. I think she just doesn't have the correct English word for it. I also think you are right about Konig being a brand name. When I saw it in quotes I thought the same thing but wasn't sure.

One more word then I think I might have all the ingredients. eiklar.

Next I have to type in the instructions and see what happens.

I thought I remembered a store when I dined there a long time ago. There's also an indication on the website that some other renovations occurred in the past couple of years after falling into disrepair. Upon reviewing the menu, my fondness for German food is causing me to try to figure out how I can get there for lunch soon!

"Eiklar" is egg white. Ei is egg, klar is, well, clear. See why I love that language? It makes sense!

Found it...Eggwhites!

This site might help you, too:
http://german.about.com/library/blrezepte_voc.htm

Yeah, but I beat you and your eggwhites.

Hey, I didn't even take German and I threw in the helpful website. Oh, and I beat you on the other terms, too.

Hope, if this recipe turns out well for you, what are the chances we could bribe you into sharing the recipe with just us two????

If ei is egg and klar is white, I get why the recipe uses the word eiklar. But, riddle me this Batman, it also says 1 dotter, why not 1 eidotter? Dotter meaning yolk.

Please, not another cat fight.

Hope, why don't you post the recipe? It might be easier for the "experts" if they could see things in context.

Well, what else is a "Dotter" but part of an egg? "Klar" means a whole lot more than just "clear". That's my explanation.

Here's another link that might help you in German:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:An...y_of_an_egg.svg



Now you know that we're only teasing. Besides, we have a vested interest in this if Hope can figure it all out! Of course, there's a higher chance you'd get the recipe first.

I just talked to my husband and he doesn't think this is the same recipe that his g-ma used to make. He doesn't remember it having chocolate in it. I'll have to talk to my MIL to find out for sure. Once I have the correct recipe and then try to make it, I'll post it if it turns out well.

But remember...A1 doesn't cook, right?

Now, if that isn't a bummer after all of your efforts to decipher it. It sounded pretty good with the chocolate in it, so maybe you should still share this recipe, too! I've had something called a chocolate babka that was to die for, and a chocolate streudel sounds like it might be close.



No, but I think she volunteers for taste testing.

I didn't see another recipe in the German cookbooks so maybe she used this one and just left out the chocolate.


I do believe you are correct!

That would be correct. As soon as one of you very kind and generous ladies gets this figured out and made, I'm ready. I don't have time to cook today anyway. My sister called yesterday and needs a dozen book marks for her shop by next week.

Google each ingredient and / or check bablefish for translations. There are also about a thousand websites to convert your measurements.

One caution regarding Babelfish: they're not perfect when it comes to translating recipes. I had to use the site to translate directions to make something from the grocery when we were in PR, and I thought it worked until I saw the translation indicated I should "put a hat on the pot." There were other questionable responses, too, elsewhere in the recipe. My suggestion is to double-check the translated against another similar recipe (in this case, for another streudel). It won't tell you exactly what to do, but it will give you a sanity check to determine whether the translation worked well enough to use it or help you figure out the parts that don't sound quite right.

I can't believe you didn't put a hat on the pot!

I've already been checking it against other recipes. I also found a website that lists common German cooking terms. I think I'll get there; I just want to make sure I have the correct recipe. My husband has been talking about this strudel since I've known him. He misses his g-ma and all the treats she made at Christmas.

When we came back from living in the U.K. in 1990, I found it so impossible to convert everything all the time, that I went out and bought a scale, as they measure by weight. I wonder if your dekagram isn't a weight, deka being 10 ... I hate to admit it, but using a scale is much easier for dry measurement and quite exact ...

Hey, Hope, I've been meaning to ask you -- did your streudel work out?

I finally made it last night. Hubby liked it but the real test will be his mother. I think I rolled the dough too thin but it still worked out. My husband was adamant that the German recipe I translated could not be the same one his grandmother used because of the chocolate so I went looking for more recipes. I found a recipe online, in English, that did not call for chocolate. It was actually very easy to make although walnuts are expensive!

The recipe I used is below:

Walnut Strudel

You got that right! I just paid $6.59 (on sale at Giant) for 16 ozs.-highway robbery I tell you! I don't even eat the stinking things, lol.

That's a good price, I paid $5 something for an 8 oz bag.

If you need more-they're on sale at giant food store, lol. Good night! It's nap time which may very well turn into bedtime!

Thanks for the update -- I'll be checking out the recipe later. If you get near a SuperWalmart, you should check their prices for walnuts. I've gotten walnuts there before and they tend to be less expensive than other stores. They carry Diamond brand, too, which is always good. If you need the nuts chopped very fine, check out the little bags of Nut Topping; it's all walnut. I use those in my zucchini bread 'cause one of the kids avoids nuts and won't eat it if he knows there's nuts in it.

By the way, eidotter can be used for egg white. Does that feel better?

http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/eidotter

That's where I got mine. I paid more than B2 did at Giant. The walnuts do need to be ground and a coffee grinder works well but Hubby wanted to help so I put the nuts in a freezer bag and gave him the rolling pin. I figured that would keep him busy longer than if I had given him the coffee grinder.

LMAO ROFL

I've seen another poster use these same two acronyms but I have no idea what they mean. What do they mean?

That recipe looks good and easy to make. I wonder if the cost of the walnuts will go down after the holidays making it more affordable.

It means laughing my arse off-rolling on the floor!

I'm not "up"on the internet lingo. I only know what lol means. Often times I'm in a session and can't answer my phone so my kids send me text messages with this type of short hand. Half the time I don't know what they are talking about so I end up having to call them and ask. I must be too old, maybe I should add that to the You know you're old when thread.

That's okay. Does that mean that I'm young then? hee hee

Ouch! Mental note: Double-check nut prices at Walmart since it seems I might be getting stiffed!

I do want to note that it was the diamond brand as well!

Thanks for that...it wasn't like I wasn't already reeling from the first blow.

The family owned marts usually have the bulk aisle, that's where I usually get mine. Actually I go to The Country Store (Mt Joy) or Hilltop (Manheim), they are Mennonite run bulk food stores and usually have better prices than the grocery stores.

I checked the word umlought out with my grandmother at the rest home this morning. She came up with 2 things it could possibly mean chances are neither are correct. It could mean "just under" as in not a full amount in other words scant. Her other idea was to beat (mix well). She said she's a little rusty, and I probably wasn't pronouncing the word very well for her to understand. It's a little late to help, but only asked this morning.

An umlought is the two dots above vowels in some German words. What I meant was that there is no way to type in the dots when trying to translate the words that have them.

I know you aren't online today but I'm thinking about you. I hope it's going well!

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I took the walnut strudel to my in-laws for the family Christmas celebration. I am very excited to tell you that it was a huge hit. Most told me that it was very much like their grandmother's and it brought back such happy memories. Our nephew went nuts (no pun intended) over the strudel. He must have thanked me ten times and took the few pieces that were left over. I don't have any left and hubby talked me into making more for my family on Christmas eve, like I don't have enough to do! Just glad the walnuts were on sale this week at walmart!

It's nice to see that you got great personal reward for all your hard effort and work that you put into it. Great job!

Thank you. My husband had been after me for five years to make the strudel but I never really wanted to because I knew it wouldn't live up to the memories he had of is grandmother. I never knew that it meant so much to all of his family. That was all they talked about on Saturday, especially our nephew, he told his wife to try it because it was the closest she would ever come to tasting his great grandmother's strudel. From all the stories I heard, it was a high compliment indeed!

Hope, there could be no better recommendation -- I'm going to have to make this! BTW, it'd be wise to stock up on the nuts when they're on sale if you think he's going to want the streudel again soon. I think they keep for a bit, but I'm not sure how long or whether they need to be kept in certain conditions.

The only thing that I know about storing nuts is to keep them in the freezer.

You do realize that you will be unofficially expected to make this every year now, right? hee hee
That's cool though. I miss my mother's cooking so much!