The Culinary Tourist: A Tribute to Oktoberfest

I share a kind of kinship with celebrity chef Walter Staib, though I am no kitchen witch. Like most Americans of German descent, my knowledge of the German culinary arts is limited to sausages, sauerkraut, and, with a little luck, Black Forest Cake laced with cherry liqueur. In my family, Oktoberfest conjures up frothy mugs of home-brewed beer and baskets brimming with warm, yeasty pretzels. 

We don't know what we're missing, says Staib, author with Jennifer Lindner McGlinn of Black Forest Cuisine: The Classic Blending of European Flavors (Running Press, 2006) and chef-proprietor of Philadelphia’s historic City Tavern restaurant, which is paying tribute to the food of Oktoberfest all this month. And though these dishes come from Munich, and not his beloved Black Forest, chef Staib makes sure the better-known Bavarian fare is served in elegant style. Among the many lunch and dinner offerings is fleischkäse, a pan-seared beef and pork terrine with sautéed onions and fried egg, served with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut; classic weiner schnitzel; and flavorful Hungarian goulash. 

 But if you want to experience the real magic of the Black Forest cuisine, you will have to step inside the pages of chef Staib's lavishly illustrated cookbook. Forewords by Dr. Tim Ryan, president of the Culinary Institute of America, and Franz Mitterer, publisher and founder of Art Culinaire, lead like a trail of well-seasoned breadcrumbs to the introduction by chef Staib. It is here that you will learn that the third-generation restaurateur began peeling garlic in his aunt and uncle's gasthaus at the age of four, and that he could de-bone a leg of veal by the time he was 12. No wonder he was accepted into an apprenticeship program at the renowned Hotel Post in Nagold. He clearly knew an onion from a shallot.

If the cuisine of the Black Forest is infused with flavors from France, Alsace-Lorraine, Hungary, Switzerland and even parts of Italy, it's because the region was at one time "one, big happy family," says Staib. Browse recipes like pork roast a la dijonaise or steak tartar and you'll feel like you're in a Parisian brasserie. The traditions and hospitality of the Black Forest, which evolved after Protestant Huguenots fled France in the 1600s, know no boundaries.

Staib's passion for food, and for telling the stories that go with it, make his Black Forest cookbook all the more delicious. Readers will travel with the author from his mother's green garden and orchards to fabulous hotels around the world. They will learn about Spargelzeit, the annual spring asparagus festival, and how to make chicken-wrapped shrimp with creamy saffron-herb sauce.

Ironically, it took a Nicaraguan to bring the worldly Walter Staib to the United States. That's where he met his wife, Gloria, who insisted on making Philadelphia their home. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, the former mayor of Philadelphia, is so glad they did, he named chef Walter Staib culinary ambassador for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, home of the German Society of Pennsylvania, the oldest German social organization in the nation.

In April, 2007 German President Horst Köhler came to Philadelphia to present chef Staib with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the highest tribute the Federal Republic can pay to individuals for service to the nation. "When I received the letter from the President announcing the award, I almost fell out of my tree," said Staib of the honor normally reserved for statesmen, scientists and Nobel Prize winners. "We had a big party to celebrate."

The effervescent Walter Staib cooks up a storm wherever he goes. His hospitality consulting firm, Concepts by Staib, is responsible for developing 450 restaurants worldwide. Earlier this week when I interviewed him by phone, he had just returned to the City Tavern from the three-day grand opening of the Mediterranean Village At Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa in St. John's, Antigua.

This Sunday, October 14, will find chef Walter in Orlando, Fla., at the International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot, preparing his favorite recipes and signing cookbooks at a luncheon reception for 10,000 people.

And where will the Governor's globe-trotting ambassador indulge his own culinary cravings when he returns to his adopted city? "We have a dynamite Chinatown here in Philadelphia," says Staib, "I love Asian food of all kinds. My idea of a relaxing meal is to get Chinese food and take it home."

Coming soon: Chef Walter Staib's television show, "World Cuisine of the Black Forest" premieres Sunday, Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. on Comcast's TV CN8. 

For an autographed copy of Black Forest Cuisine, visit the City Tavern web site, or better yet, go there in person. In the meantime, visit your local market for fresh eggs, Gruyère cheese, and the finest Black Forest Ham you can find. Chef Walter presents the following recipe with his compliments.

Quiche with Black Forest Ham
Quiche Wildbader Art
From Black Forest Cuisine, ©2006 by Walter Staib
Running Press Book Publishers, Philadelphia & London

Makes one 9-inch quiche

Crust
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling
6 extra large eggs
2 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup finely chopped Black Forest ham

1. To make the crust, stir together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the flour, and toss together with a fork until the dough starts to come together. It will be a little sticky or tacky. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F., and coat a 9-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom) with vegetable spray.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. Beginning at one edge of the dough, roll the dough around the rolling pin, and unroll it carefully over the tart pan. Ease the dough into the pan, gently pressing it into and against the sides, being careful not to stretch it. Remove any excess dough from the rim of the tart pan. Carefully line the dough with heavy-duty aluminum foil, fill with dried beans or pie weights, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until very light golden. Remove the crust from the oven, carefully lift out the foil and weights, and set aside on a rack to cool. Reduce the oven to 375°F.
4. To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, chives, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
5. To assemble the quiche, spread the Gruyère cheese and ham evenly over the bottom of the cooled crust, and pour the egg filling overtop. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove the quiche from the oven, place on a rack to set for about 5 minutes, and serve.

The Culinary Touristappears twice each month in Gather Essentials: Travel. Explore all 50 states with award-winning documentary producer Lisa Gensheimer as she discovers the fun, food and people she meets along the way. Whether you’re visiting the home of a faraway friend, stopping for directions at a roadside market, or on holiday in an exotic location, richly layered experiencesawait. A published author, Lisa has several new projects in the works, including a cultural cookbook and companion travel DVD. Read more about Lisa's work at Main Street Media.

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