German Meals at Oma’s

by Gerhild Fulson

Comfort food at its best!

We are big fans of German food in this house, but it’s not something I cook very often. I was excited to find this book.

What to expect from this cookbook

What I like about this cookbook

• There are photos with every recipe which I find helpful when I’m cooking unfamiliar foods. Traditional German food can be tricky to photograph because it is often not very colorful, but in this cookbook every photo makes my mouth water.
• Each recipe also comes with some often fascinating cultural background information. (The tale of the Verlorene Aalsuppe (Lost Eel Soup) is one of my favorites) 
• Every recipe also comes with a section called Oma’s Ecke (Grandma’s corner) which has helpful hints and often suggestions for replacements or making the meal your own. Some of these hints are not just helpful with the recipes in this cookbook – the tip on how to make clarified butter in a slow cooker was priceless! 
• The recipes are presented in a clear, easy to read format.
• All of the ingredients should be easy to track down at local grocery stores. I only found one recipe that uses herbs my local stores don’t carry.
• Water for boiling veggies and the veggies used as stock aren’t just tossed. She frequently offers ideas of how to re-use them to do things such as thickening sauces or creating soups.

Experience Level Needed

With a few exceptions, the recipes here are easy enough for beginners.

Some, especially the dumplings, might be a bit of a trick for cooks who are just starting out. Still, there are tips in Oma’s Ecke to help first-time dumpling makers.

Testing the Recipes

Blumenkohl Bombe (Cauliflower Bomb)

I had to try this! It is essentially a head of cauliflower wrapped in a meatloaf which is wrapped in bacon. It’s served with a white sauce on the side that’s made with the cauliflower blanching water and German mustard.

I confess I had my doubts about how easy it would be to get the meatloaf mixture to stick to the cauliflower and the bacon to stick to the round meatloaf. I need not have worried. It was really as easy as described in the recipe.

My tips –

• It tastes, if possible, even better the second day.
• I kept the fat that gathered in the cooking pan and added flour and chicken broth to make a quick gravy. On the third day (There were only two of us), I cut it and reheated it in the oven in the quick gravy. Yummy!

Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth – Apples and Potatoes)

My Tips –

• It took me a bit longer to make than her times suggested so maybe plan extra time for cooking the onions and the bacon rendering.
• She suggests serving this along side a pork dish or sausage. I did make sausage for my husband, but for me, this worked as a full meal.

The Konigsberger Klopse (meatballs in a creamy caper sauce) and rouladen (beef rolls) are equally excellent! (Sadly I did not think of taking pictures. I will try to get some and add them later.) I have no tips for either. They worked for me exactly as they did in the recipes. Although I did skip the optional anchovies because we have a fish allergy in the house.

Review – 5/5

About the Author

Gerhild Fulson was born in Germany and raised in Canada. Her recipes are based on those passed down through her family. In addition to German Meals at Oma’s, she has released a book on German baking and has some wonderful e-books available on her website.

To find out more about her, check out her website https://www.quick-german-recipes.com/

What is your favorite German dish? Tell me below!