February 04, 2015
Jason Varney /Chronicle Books
From New German Cooking: Recipes for Classics Revisited
“When people think of German food, they think of sausage and schnitzel and sauerkraut,” says chef Jeremy Nolen. He and his wife, Jessica, a pastry chef, want to change all that with their cookbook "New German Cooking," which takes a more modern and diverse approach to German food in the United States.
Jeremy is the executive chef at Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street, where Jessica bakes the restaurant’s acclaimed cakes and strudel. Jeremy also runs the kitchen at Wursthaus Schmitz at Reading Terminal Market and the upcoming Whetstone at Fifth and Bainbridge; both are projects with Brauhaus owners Doug and Kelly Hager.
Growing up in Berks County, Jeremy developed an appreciation for artisanal foods, especially charcuterie, through his father, chef Ron Nolen. Jeremy also cooked at private German social clubs in the area.
“There were women from Germany teaching me the old-fashioned way to do it,” he says. “They’d been cooking German food forever and working at the club for years and years, so they taught me a lot of cool stuff and a lot of the real traditional stuff.
“Our whole goal was to be a really traditional German beer hall,” Jeremy says of the opening of Brauhaus Schmitz in 2009.
But it wasn’t long before Jeremy began introducing specials — usually lighter, updated dishes made with typical German ingredients, though not necessarily something you’d find in Europe.
Yes, German food can be vegetarian- and even vegan-friendly. “There’s so much more of a vegetable focus in Germany” than Americans realize, Jeremy says.
“It really took off. People always bought the specials, and everyone loved them,” says Jeremy.
He came up with his own concept of “New German Cooking,” promoting it on a Facebook page and website.
“We got a lot of attention,” he says, and that buzz eventually led to the cookbook deal a few years later.
Many of the recipes in the book, like stuffed kohlrabi, started out as specials at Brauhaus Schmitz.
“Traditionally, a stuffed kohlrabi is pretty common in German cuisine, but it’s stuffed with ground beef,” says Jeremy. “This one, we hollow out the kohlrabi and take a mixture with barley and mushrooms and make a vegetarian version and bake it.”
Yes, German food can be vegetarian- and even vegan-friendly.
“There’s so much more of a vegetable focus in Germany” than Americans realize, Jeremy says. “We have plenty of vegetarians and vegans who come to the restaurant.”
“It’s geared toward a wider audience than just people who have either been to Germany or have German ancestors or something like that. I think it’s good for people who have the wrong impression about German food,” he says.
In addition to the bratwursts and pork schnitzel, there’s a whole chapter on salads, like the Roasted Parsnip Salad with Hazelnuts, Blue Cheese and Wheat Beer Vinaigrette.
“Another important part of 'New German' is introducing American audiences to undiscovered German food — new to us, but traditional,” he says. “Dampfnudeln, which means 'steamed dumpling,' is a really traditional German dish, but a lot of Americans don’t know what it is, and we decided to put it in the book because it’s new to a lot of the audience here.” (For the record, it’s sweet dumplings stuffed with plums and drizzled with a spiced vanilla sauce.)
Recipes like Beer and Cheese Soup are perfect for a cold winter night, but there are plenty of spring and summer recipes in the mix — such as White Asparagus with Porcini Mushroom Butter and Almonds.
Jeremy hopes the book will reach all types of home cooks.
“It’s geared toward a wider audience than just people who have either been to Germany or have German ancestors or something like that. I think it’s good for people who have the wrong impression about German food,” he says.
In addition to the Nolens, "New German Cooking" has an all-Philly team behind it: writer Drew Lazor; photographer Jason Varney; and The Heads of State, a local design firm. The book is available for sale at Fante’s Kitchen Shop and the Cookbook Stall at Reading Terminal Market, plus the usual online retailers and bookstores.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m., Jeremy and Jessica Nolen will host a book release party at Brauhaus Schmitz (718 South St.), with complimentary light appetizers and select dishes from the book for those who purchase a copy of "New German Cooking."
