These famous soup dumplings (Griessnockerl-Suppe: Griess = semolina, Nockerl = dumpling and Suppe = soup) are served in most traditional Austrian Gasthäuser (restaurants) and are also very common in Bavaria, the southern end of Germany. Barely without exception, they are floating in a bowl of homemade clear beef stock. Austrians usually enjoy soups as first course, with only a few high-calorie exceptions. Therefore, your semolina dumpling soup would be followed… continue reading »

  Everyone knows the delicious French crepes, but in Austria, we have our own kind. The Austrian type is closer to the French crepes than the thick American Pancakes and yet a little thicker than the French version.   At home, this is is a dish, traditionally served for lunch – not for breakfast, not for dinner. But honestly: They make a great breakfast too. They are either eaten for dessert or main dish…. continue reading »

Right now, it’s cold here in Boston. To be precise: 0 °F ( -18 °C), with a RealFeel temperature of -22 °F (-30 °C). Pretty bad, hmm. So what could you possibly do to withstand the cold weather, except of wearing warm clothing and imagining yourself on a nice beach? I would suggest eating a pile of carbs with melted cheese, sprinkled with caramelized onions. Why else would Käsespätzle be the typical… continue reading »

I guess this one is the simplest cookie recipes I know. And the cookies always turn out great, no matter what. I prefer them crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. If you have two leftover egg whites – after baking Vanillekipferl for example – macroons are one of the best and easiest ways to get rid of them. Sure, there are other recipes calling for egg whites, like Pavlova, but… continue reading »

Austria is a nation of Kipfeln. Yes, and especially the citizens of Li’l Vienna. So what’s all that about? First of all I’m delighted with every kind of Kipferl. I myself am definitely a Kipferl person and David is too – maybe more in the second sense I’ll explain hereafter.   The expression Kipfe(r)l refers to anything crescent-shaped, but only in terms of pastry and baking. In most of the many… continue reading »

Many European recipes call for vanilla sugar. This kind of sugar is available in every supermarket and is as popular as vanilla extract in other countries like the US. Usually, it’s not a problem to substitute vanilla extract for vanilla sugar – in cakes, cookies or custards for instance. But sometimes it’s not possible to replace vanilla sugar. One of this kind is the recipe  for vanilla crescents (Austrian Vanillekipferl). For… continue reading »

I can’t deny it any more: Winter is coming is here! And what else would you desire more on cold days than a steaming hot bowl of homemade soup? Just before suggeling up under a sofa-blanket with a warm soup belly for a movie. The recipe below is one of my regulars: It’s easy to prepare, needs only a handful of ingredients (onion, carrots, potatoes and celery) and is ready in less than… continue reading »

Family recipe for an original Viennese apple strudel from scratch. Learn how to make paper-thin strudel dough and the perfect apple filling! Some clichés are clichés for a reason. This here is certainly one of them. While you think Appel Strudel on a site featuring Viennese food is almost sketchy, you may want to start thinking of why any tourist returning from Vienna talks about this treat. In the end,… continue reading »

So, this is a real Austrian classic. When consumed, it dyes your lips and tongue purple which can make a whole family look like zombies. Believe me, my granny does look really scary after eating stewed elderberries ;-) If you are lucky like me you have an elder bush right in your garden. If not, make it a daytrip out of the city to pick some of these wonderful berries…. continue reading »

I bet you have never tried one of these before. Yep, thought so… Theses little pieces of heaven are made of blueberries and kind of a pancake batter. The whipped egg whites make them really fluffy. Just give this recipe a try, I promise it’s really simple and I promise, it won’t be the only time ;-) In Austria people eat a lot of sweet stuff – even for main course, not only… continue reading »