European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Regional recipes and characters by Sharon Hudgins in the Market for a unique Cookbook original sc/?w,i6/.i/iwi 6/ie originate by Josef Thaller and Bruno Hausch May be the answer. This unusual Cookbook with its text and recipes in both German and English establishes its theme in the first paragraph of the introduction. The essential trait of what in Germany is called Ein original and what might Best be translated As a character is innocence the authors write. Not the innocence that is free of sin after All there Are characters who Are also sinners and vice versa it is the innocence of the direct the  through full Page color photographs and a Well written text the authors introduce the Reader to 10 swabian characters people to whom the words direct spontaneous and original apply. Among them Are Wilhelm Hertig a Farmer in Plieninger who is trying to save 600 acres of his special cabbage Fields from becoming part of the Echter Dingen Airport Heinz Egeh Schramm a doctor of philosophy and a swabian poet who lives in tub Ingen and is certainly not a typical German academician Karle roller Butcher and innkeeper in Kuppinger Karl Burr mayor of Konig Brunn Friedrich Strobele headmaster in trocht Elfinger and on occasion Max the tramp Gertrud Halbisch a Folk poet in str Umpfenbach who threatened with 32 of her female friends to strip the bathing trunks off the first Man to enter the local Public swimming Pool on ladies Day and Gustav Mesmer designer of muscle driven flying machines and a resident of mental institutions in Swabia since 1929. What does All this have to do with cooking Between the stories about the swabian characters Are 16 recipes for such regional specialities As Little egg dumplings spaetzle onion tart Zwiebel Kuche stuffed noodles Mault Asche beef soup with Pancake strips ladle sup bread and Apple pudding open Schlupe and potato noodles known by three names Schupf Nudeen bub Spitzle and Argele. All the recipes Are authentic. The instructions Are clearly written with hints on How to make the finished dishes taste just like they do in Swabia. Just looking at the Beautiful color photographs of All the swabian specialities will make you hungry. The Cookbook also contains interesting information on swabian food history and culinary lore. It explains the difference Between Dampf Nudeen steamed yeast raised dumplings and Rohr Nudeen the baked version of these dumplings and where else besides Swabia these dumplings Are a typical regional dish. The authors also Point out that in swabian dialect there Are at least six names for potato not the Kartofel of Standard German but swabian erd Birney a Ira Earth pea Serd Apfel erd Apfl Earth apples and Grund Birnn Grombir ground pears. English language readers will find this a very interesting and entertaining Cookbook. It is also useful for anyone who is learning to read German because the English text can be compared with the German version on the opposite Page. Since the Cookbook is printed in both German and English it would be an excellent gift for a German speaking Friend. Original Schwabish Schwa Bische Originale can be purchased for $9.95 at Many stars and stripes bookstores it Book costs 19.80 Marks in German bookstores. It can also be ordered directly from the publisher for 19.30 Marks Radecke Verag Postrach 1203, d-7252 Weil Der Stadt West Germany. Following Are three typical swabian recipes from this unique Cookbook Pfitz auf Pancake puffs 5 eggs 1 cup flour Pinch of Salt 1 cup milk 1/2 cup butter powdered sugar for Topping puffs mix eggs with flour Salt and some milk and beat until smooth. Heat remaining milk. Use part of butter for greasing custard cups Coffee cups can be used and melt rest in milk. Stir boiling milk with melted butter into Batter. Fill custard cups Only Halfway with Batter since it rises when baking bake in preheated oven at 350 to 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from forms while hot. Good served with compote or fruit sauce. If served Sweet Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Pfitz auf also can be served As a Side dish with vegetables and there Are old recipes that prescribe More flour 3 cups and More milk 3 cups and 13/4 ounces of sugar but less butter partly because former baking dishes for Pfitz auf were quite big and it was often served As a main course. If you want to achieve an especially Light result use Only 1 % cups flour instead of 2 cups for four Little dishes. Pfitz auf Are delicious for dessert or with Coffee in the afternoon. Spaetzle 1 Pound flour 4 or 5 eggs 1 Teaspoon Salt Vav cup of water depending on Type of flour 1 Teaspoon Oil hot water for tossing mix flour eggs and Salt in a bowl. Add water Little by Little and keep stirring until smooth. With a wooden spoon or mixer beat dough until nothing remains on spoon when it is held up. Allow dough to rest for a Short time then again work it thoroughly. Moisten a spaetzle Board a wooden Board with a handle on one Side and a Bevelled Edge on the other with water spread a Little dough on it use Broad knife to scrape thin strips of dough into slightly boiling water. While scraping dip Board and knife repeatedly into boiling water this makes the work easier when spaetzle Rise to the surface take them out with a Skimmer and toss them briefly in hot water so they Don t stick together. Drain them Well place them on a preheated plate and serve quickly. Some families once used whey instead of water to make dough. Whey is a waste product that is is Charlie Bowden obtained when producing curd and cheese. The whey gave the spaetzle a lighter consistency. Spaetzle Are served either with melted butter and with slightly toasted breadcrumbs or with finely Cut Fried onion rings or with diced Bacon. Spaetzle taste especially Good if the dough is prepared Only with eggs about eight or nine instead of water. As a Side dish this recipe makes about eight portions. For a main course like Kas spaetzle it makes about four portions. Zwiebel Kuchen onion tart yeast dough 1 �2 Teaspoons yeast 1/4 cup lukewarm milk 1 cup flour 5 Tablespoons lard or clarified butter Pinch of Salt 1 egg Topping 2 pounds onions 3 ounces diced smoked Bacon or crackling 2 Tablespoons clarified butter 1/2 cup sour Cream 3 or 4 eggs separated some Salt 1 Tablespoon Caraway seed Small pats of butter crumble yeast stir with some milk and 2 Tablespoons of flour. Sift remaining flour into a bowl or on a Board and make a Little hollow in the Middle. Fill with yeast mixture and Sprinkle with flour. In a warm draft free place let the dough Rise until surface tears then work All other ingredients thoroughly into it and knead until dough no longer Sticks to sides of bowl or hand. Cover and let Rise until about double in size. Dough can also be prepared with dry yeast follow instructions and with help of dough mixer. While dough rises prepare Topping chop skinned onions and Fry with Bacon dices or crackling in melted fat until translucent. Blend flour with sour Cream mix in egg Yolks Salt Caraway seeds and cooled off onions and then fold stiff beaten egg Whites into it. From Cream egg Yolk mixture keep one cup Back. Grease baking dish thoroughly Roll out yeast dough place in dish and pull up edges a Little. Spread onion mixture evenly on dough pour remaining Cream egg Yolk mixture Over it All and put on Small pats of butter. Bake onion tart in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes at 390 to 440 degrees. Onion tart Only tastes Good warm onion tart can also be prepared with Short crust pastry. C 1989 Sharon Hudgins 24 stripes Magazine january 79, 7989