October 20th
2008
Ever since my friend Kristin started to sell my book at her coffee bar, I get lovely feedback. Almost on a daily basis. For instance from a little girl who, encouraged by her dad, pointed out how much she liked the cheese cake they baked, and a young guy, who claimed (with a wink) that he can now marry his girlfriend - because she finally proved that she indeed can cook (my mini-quiche recipe). Together with the email feedback from avid readers it gives a nice, yet not representative hit list of the recipes my readers' most often picked as their firsts to try (and which - in case you're wondering - have been followed by rave reviews, too).
The top ten recipes (in no particular order):
Mini-quiches
Baguette with lemon-parmesan butter
Indian-style squash soup
Diced risotto with lamb skewers
Semifreddo with pumpkin-seed crunch
Coffee Power
Good-morning muffins
Cheese cake (Cafe Solo style)
Kirwa cake
and not to forget: my grandma Luise's Schoppala.
Schoppala, what? Even many Germans will shake their head, because they don't have the slightest clue what the name refers to. It is a regional name for traditional finger-shaped noodles made from potato dough, more commonly known by Fingernudeln or Schupfnudeln. While the dough is pretty similar to Italian Gnocchi dough, the preparation is even more time consuming and perhaps the reason these potato noodles are ready-made available in almost every Bavarian supermarket and hardly anybody makes them by hand anymore. Yet the freshly prepared version is so worth the effort!
My book on Amazon.com - an update:
I get lots of inquiries about when my book (English version) will become available on Amazon.com again. The next shipment is on its way - I'll keep you posted as soon as you can order again.
Follow-up (October, 21st):
It is in stock again at Amazon.com!
It is one of my favorite recipes of all time and it was always something special when my grandma announced that she was going to prepare Schoppala for lunch. The family gathered around the kitchen table on the old wooden corner benches and as soon as the first ones had gained the desired golden-brown color, she put them on a plate and placed it in the middle of the table, so everybody could help themselves. Greedily we devoured them with our fingers, no matter how hot and greasy they still were. My grandma had a hard time keeping up the supply! If you're up for a very special treat, love potatoes and are not afraid of extensive manual work, this is the recipe for you. They are wonderful as a side dish for any type of game or meat roast, or as a snack by themselves with a bowl of salad for example.
...drum roll, please!
At a minimum one correct answer got you into the lottery drawing (with all the other eligible candidates), and with a pinch of luck, randomly picked. These are the winners of a signed copy of my book - congrats!
* Rachel Lee from Singapore
* Attila from Munich, Germany
* Lili Roby from Marrickville, Australia
Steam or boil potatoes until soft, peel as hot as possible and press through a potatoe ricer. Then let cool down for at least 15 minutes.
Add the flour, salt, nutmeg and the egg and mix everything lightly with a fork (don't forget to salt accordingly to taste!). Quickly form into dough dumpling by hand. The less you knead the potato dough, the better.
Immediately continue kneading it (the dough gets sticky otherwise): Take a handful, form on the floured board into rolls that are at least thumb-thick, and cut into pieces of equal size. Flour your hands and form into finger-thick noodles that are 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) long and place on a board dusted with flour or semolina.
Heat the clarified butter in a large pan and fry the Schoppala over medium heat until golden-brown. Be sure to carefully turn them over several times. Take out (let excessive fat drip off on a paper towel) and enjoy!
Grandma Luise's Schoppala
Recipe source: delicious days, page 99
Prep time: ~1-1,5 hour
Ingredients (for 4 as a side dish or snack):
.
750-800 g mealy boiling potatoes
75 - 100 g all-purpose flour (as needed), extra for dusting the board (or use semolina)
salt
freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
clarified butter for deep-frying
Oh yum, they look delicious :D
Boy do these look delicious! Thanks!
I love Schupfnudeln, but never heard the name Schopala. Do you know the name Bauchstecherle?
Unglaublich, bayrische Gnocchi – die fand ich schon in deinem Buch so anregend. Gehören definitiv zu den Top Ten!
These look fabulous! Now that you have released your readers favorites, how about your own favorites? Please, please share your personal favorites, too.
mhh in austria they are called "wuzinudeln" as you "wuzel" them to get them into the typical shape.
Wow your "bubespitzle" look great! My mom used to prepare them by herself too. My parents are swabian, were you eat them with bacon an sourkraut. But our family likes to eat them sweet, with apple puree and cinnamon sugar. For me its still the only way to eat them.
Oh! I didn´t win! (And I was asking everyone about this litte red thingi!!!) ;)
Schupfnudeln, lecker lecker!!!
Die habe ich noch nicht nachgemacht...
Meine Urgrossmutter (!) hiess Luise und die konnte genauso gut kochen wie Deine Luise. Schon in Deinem Buch gefiel mir das gut...und ich musste dann an Luise denken!
that reminds me of my childhood as well! we ate "blaukraut" with them, and one of my aunts used to put the "erdäpfelwuzerl" with sour cream on top in the oven bevor serving... mmmhhh, it seems as if i have to cook them this week... thank you!
The ones my mother made were even thicker and she baked them in the oven, sometimes with eggs on top. They had a special name, that I don't recall.
Looks delicious! Can't wait to try them (that and your book!)
I just have to say that I love both your website AND your book. I didn't want to wait for the next shipment at Amazon.com - if you alread have an Amazon account there is no problem to order from the German site - even without knowing a word of German I managed (because the site is the same - just another language :-))
I want to try them, too as soon as possible.
But one question remains, sorry for my poor english: what is clarified butter?
thanx
I feel lucky to have been able to purchase and receive shipment of your book in the States! I bought the ingredients to make the veggie couscous for one of this week's meals. Cannot wait to report back!
looks sort of like a homemade pretzel. making me lust for my lunch already.
Bauchstecherle, wie sie bei uns heißen, gehören auch zu meinen Lieblingsessen, schon von Kindheit an. Sehr gut schmecken sie süß mit selbstgemachtem Apfelmus serviert.
Just discovered your blog (a friend pointed me to your site) and I immediately fell in love with your photography! Never heard or ate Schopalla, but they look to die for. Must. Try. Keep on the fantastic work!!!!!
German dishes have such wonderful, enticingly fun-filled names... well, for an English speaker at least! Although in Australia we do have some fun names - snags for sausages, bikkies for biscuits. I recently made a 'capirotada' too. But it's hard to top schoppala!
Ok.. i just found this blog... and i definitely am going to use it... hope this is a good place to start learning how to cook
Yours is the first recipe I ever read that mentions an important detail: the sticky dough which results when kept waiting... I learned the hard (and sticky) way that it is not the best idea to prepare the dough in the morning and to fry it for dinner. Thank you.
We call them "Bauchstecherl" - my Mum always made them for my sister and me. And now I make them for my kids - and they love it, too, together with spinach and fried eggs. Mmmmmhhh....
I found your book in the mail this morning and it looks lovely! Can't wait to chose the first dish, I might fall for the diced risotto, too!
I wish I didn't find this blog before lunch. Ah I am starving! Those look so yummy!
So darling! Never heard of these, but they look so wonderful - would love to try them. Great recipe.
Bautzgen - that's what they are called in my familiy. They are eaten with apple compote. Loved them, but haven't eaten them for ages. Thanks for reminding me :-)
I love your site, but post has got me confused ... those are noodles???????
Buch ist bei amazon.vom schon bestellt und auf dem Weg, ich freu mich schon
In Hungary there is a similar dish with that kind of Schupfnudeln, it´s just served with a poppy-seed-icing sugar-mixture. Especially loved by children :)
I lovelovelove "Schupfnudel"s as we call them at home <3
Hmmmmm. Lecker!!!!! Hab jetzt so Hunger ;-)
Did I already mention, that you can see Nicky making them on Film?
In Augsburg these are called "Buabaspitzle" because they look so much like a little boy's "zizi"......they are great and, what a coincidence, I made some yesterday after a long, long time for some French friends. What a surprise to find them on your blog.
Topped with melted butter, poppy seeds and icing sugar they make a wonderful dessert, too. I've never tried to make this myself, though - but with your recipe I shall give it a try!
that's a bit fatty, isn't it? looks like a heavy food for winter
@Lilli: nice expression ;)
..and Nicky, thanks for reminding me of this delicous recipe. I will have a try on Sunday, not sure if mine will look like yours. I´m out of practice.
wonderful this place and delicius these ones!!!!!!!
Na, die "deutsche Küche" besteht ja aus lauter Regionalküchen und hier im Norden gehören Schupfnudeln nicht zu den alltäglichen Gerichten. Sehen echt lecker aus!
I discovered Schupfnudeln thanks to my kids. They eat it in Kindergarten and they love it...with Applemousse of course!
That looks DELICIOUS! Love the look of the salt crystals. Thank you for the recipe!
wow, yum. Those look so good!
Hi, It is great tips. I had tried to make it but was failed now I will cook it today by your method. Thanks for writing about this.
Thanks
we grew up with these: my grandmother called them "fingerlach" - a Yiddishism, I suppose. Sadly, we never got the recipe from her and do not have the opportunity to obtain it directly from the familial source. I am so very grateful to this community for filling a hole in my memory so that I can reintroduce a most beloved dish to the next generation of our family. Thank you.
wow, yummy! just on the looks, you can tell that it's a good one. thanks for sharing.
[...] cookbooks that would make a wonderful gift for the chef in your life. Ever run across the word schoppala? Well, now you [...]
both fun and delicious - with a name like fingernudeln, you can't go wrong!!!
:)