Have you ever wondered where the word pumpernickel-as in bread-comes from? Brother Rick Curry, S.J., writes in his book The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking (HarperPerennial, 1995) that there once lived a Swiss baker named Herr Nickel whose first name was Pumper. It was he who, during a 19th century shortage of wheat, stretched his dwindling supply of flour by adding rye grain.
Further proof that necessity is the mother of invention, there are now many versions of pumpernickel bread, most calling for yeast. Our dense, no-yeast version is the perfect base for hearty hors d'oeuvres and is so easy to make that you may want to keep a stash in the freezer. The recipe makes two loaves, which sliced thinly go a long way.
We tried it with bottled Solomon Gundy, topped with a slice of fresh pear and a dollop of drained yogurt (sour cream or cream cheese are other options), and our tasters were much impressed. They considered it a gourmet treat, yet with the ingredients on hand, it took only seconds to prepare.
We then played with a pizza soup to go with this hearty meal, but the Italian element seemed foreign to the German/Austrian menu we were trying to create. With a little more research the perfect solution appeared. Smoked Lunenburg Pork and Cabbage Soup, created by chef Hans Wicki in 1989 when he was chef at the Kentville, NS, Wandlyn Inn, truly deserves a second helping.
Cabbage, an important garden crop in Atlantic Canada, appears again in the main course, which we made first with knackwurst and then with kielbasa, finding both to be equally effective. Caraway seeds not only add their distinctive flavour, but also help to cut the gases that often erupt when cruciferous veggies are being digested.
Deciding that every German meal deserves its beer, we added some to the pickles that provided the acidic element the menu was lacking. Staying true to the theme, we chose to go with German beer. (Since you can't buy half a can of beer, can you guess where the other half went?)
Finally, a decision had to be made between an apple gingerbread and a German apple cake. The availability of Gravenstein apples might have swayed us in the direction of the gingerbread, but without that popular local apple, the cake won approval, hands down.
And so, another menu is ready for Saltscapes readers. We hope you enjoy every bite-with or without a glass of ice-cold beer.