Book: “New German Cooking”
Authors: Jeremy and Jessica Nolen
Jeremy Nolen grew up near Reading, Pennsylvania, helping his chef dad cook at the local German festivals. At age 19, he learned the classics from immigrant women in their 70s and 80s who produced the likes of sauerbraten and rolled beef for the private German club in Nolen’s hometown.
The 37-year-old chef and his pastry-chef wife, Jessica, 28, managed to write and test their recipes at home in a mere eight months while working at their Brauhaus Schmitz and Wurst Schmitz restaurants in Philadelphia. Their goal for their first cookbook was to demonstrate an evolutionary approach to the cuisine: seasonal, technique-driven, not heavy. He knew that some traditionalists would not be on board. “That lighter approach works against us,” he says.
I think they’ve nailed it, with dishes that taste clean and are omnivorously compelling.
Sausage and sauerkraut are not overlooked, figuring as signature DIY recipes and as main ingredients. But both components are fried into addictively crispy fritters, and they appear in braised rabbit and pierogi, respectively. Beer is poured into a vinaigrette for roasted parsnips and flavors a pan of brisket — not a typical German cut — and is paired with pickle juice to brine a roast chicken.
Hazelnut lovers like me are treated to a savory, rich soup, a compound butter with ramps and a pesto, in addition to a multi-layer torte that the Nolens’ patrons continue to demand as a permanent menu item. In fact, every one of Jessica Nolen’s desserts in “New German Cooking” looks tempting, including her bee sting cake (a classic bienenstich) and glazed gingerbread cookies.
The chefs’ recipe headnotes often educate about ingredient use in the old country. Germans are fond of quark, a fresh cheese akin to ultra-thick sour cream. Make Jessica Nolen’s take on German cheesecake and you’ll wonder how dense, New York-style cheesecakes ever became the standard; the quark and beaten egg whites make the texture light and luscious.
— Bonnie S. Benwick, The Washington Post
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