Below are 2 recipes the host could prepare for a German themed Gourmet club night. One couple would bring a German dessert like apple strudel or Black Forrest Cake, another couple would bring a good German salad, another an appetizer. I’ve included 2 pictures from the night our group did this theme. As you can see, my husband dressed for it!

Vienna Schnitzel

Veal (2 pieces)
2 Tbl. flour
1 egg
4 Tbl. butter
salt, pepper to taste

Beat the veal chops with the kitchen hammer, but don’t make them too thin, the schnitzel chops should at least be 4 mm thick. Prepare one plate with flour, and another plate with the beaten egg. Season the chops with the salt and pepper from the both sides, put into the plate with flour and and remove the spare flour from the chops. There shouldn’t be too much flour on the meat. Put the floured schnitzel chops into the plate with the beaten egg and place it into the hot buttered frying pan. Fry the chops for about 1 minute and a half on the lower side until golden brown, then turn to the other side, and fry for about 2 minutes. Fry the chops on the medium heat not to make them too dry.

Spaetzle Noodles

1/2 pound flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat, and maintain a simmer. In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Place a colander over the pan, pour about 1/4 of the batter into the colander, and press through the holes with a plastic spatula into the hot water. There is also a good old manual method. You need a chopping board and a long kitchen knife (with an even blade). Wet both board and knife by diving it into the boiling water. Ladle two to three table spoons of the dough onto the board and spread it. Use the knife to scrape small amounts of the dough (as long as the knife and about 1/4″ wide) into the boiling water. When the spaetzle starts to float to the surface, cover the pan and keep covered until the spaetzle appears to swell and is fluffy. Remove the dumplings and repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.

When the spaetzle come to the surface of the water, fish them out using a skimmer or a sieve. Spaetzle are used as a siding for meat dishes, but it’s up to you what to have it with.