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| The German Flag |
These were the results of the 2017 German Federal Elections:
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| Thanking the BBC |
1. First came the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a centre-right political party, of Christian Democratic and liberal conservatism ideology, headed by Angela Merkel, with the Christian Social Union (CSU), a centre-right political party, Bavarian regionalism - Christian democratic conservatism, headed by Joachim Hermann (endorsed by Angela Merkle as chancellor-designate of their party alliance with CDU.
2. Second came Social Democratic Party (SPD), a central-left party, of social democratic ideology, headed by Martin Schultz
3. Third came the Alternative for Germany AfD, a right-wing to far-right party, of national conservatism, Euroscepticism ideology, headed by Alexander Garland and Alice Wendel.
4. Fourth came the Free Democratic Party (FDP), a centre to centre-right party, of liberalism, social liberalism ideology, headed by Christian Linder.
5. Fifth came The Left, a left wing to far left party, of monocratic socialism - left-wing populism ideology, headed by Dietmar Bartsen and Sahra Wagenknecht.
6. Sixth came the Alliance of the Greens, a centre-left party, of green politics ideology, headed by Cem Ordermir, Katrin Goring- Eckardt
7. Seventh came the Christian Social Union (CSU) please see above No 1.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has won a fourth term in office, because, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, of which she is the leader, came first in the recent federal elections, last Sunday.
The main opposition party in the future German Parliament are the centre-left Social Democrats (SDP), who have refused to be in the government in order to restore their party which has suffered a heavy loss, in the elections.
The greatest surprise, shock and change on the German political scene is the appearance of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, as the country's third largest political force with 12.6% of the vote.
"It is the first time" according to experts "that a far-right party has won so many votes" since the II World War, "and, therefore, gaining so many seats in parliament." This ultra-right, Europhobic, anti-immigrant party was formed only four years ago. They, apparently, threat, among others, to abolish mosques and to have women, wearing the Muslim veil, arrested.
It is worrying that a Eurosceptic and Muslimphobic party is represented so strongly, in a European government. Citizens ought to be openminded, tolerant and fair in order to face and confront this, perpetually, changing world.
Most of the information for this post was from Wikipedia, the international press and TV shows, all of whom I sincerely thank.
I'm giving you, once more, a few recipes, typical of German home cooking.
HEISSE BIERSUPPE
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| Hot Beer Soup with Croutons and Parsley |
An interesting soup that we really enjoy.
1.155 ml (3 1/2 tins) larger beer
120 g (4 oz) sugar
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish:
Croutons and
Parsley leaves only, thickly chopped
Place the beer and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar melts and remove from the stove.
Beat the egg yolks together until pale and add the sour cream, a little at a time. Stir about 3 tbsp of hot beer into the mixture, then whisk it into the rest of the beer in the saucepan.
Place the saucepan over very low heat and barely simmer, stirring constantly until the soup thickens slightly. Do not let it boil or it may split. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and cinnamon to taste.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with croutons and chopped parsley
ZANDER SCHNITTE MIT DILL CREME
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| Boiled Sliced Potatoes |
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| Pike-Perch Fillet in Dill Sauce |
A delectable fish dish.
1 kg (2 lb) pike-perch fillets, washed patted dry and sprinkled with
Salt and drizzled with
Lemon juice
Then let to rest for 15 minutes and pat dry
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, boiled, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp butter
120 g (4 oz) onions, peeled and chopped
500 ml (2 cups) single cream
2 tbsp Dusseldorf mustard, or any other hot mustard
1 cup chopped dill
A little salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Dip the fish in melted butter and lay them in an ovenproof dish that will hold them snuggly, side by side. sprinkle. evenly with the chopped onion and bake for 12-15 minutes until the fish is firm and opaque but, please, do not overcook.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the cream, stir in the mustard and barely simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the chopped dill and remove from the heat. Taste and add a little salt and freshly ground white pepper, if necessary
On a round dish, arrange the hot potato slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping each other. Place the fish fillets over, and drizzle with any cooking liquid and then lavishly with dill sauce. Serve with a large green salad.
HEMMEL KOTOLETTEN MIT SEIBLESOSSE
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| Lamb Chops |
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| Onion Sauce Before Adding the Chopped Ham |
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| Finely Chopped Smoked Ham |
8 lamb chops
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
60 g (2 oz) lard or clarified butter
30 g (1 oz) butter
210 g (7 oz) onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
A bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 sprig rosemary + 1 sprig thyme)
750 ml (3 cups) hot cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg
150 g (5 oz) finely chopped smoked ham
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
Pat the lamb chops dry, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and saute in lard or clarified butter until brown. Arrange them in a shallow casserole, that will hold them comfortably in a single layer.
Discard all the fat from the pan and add the butter and saute the onions, stirring frequently, until soft but not brown. Then stir in the flour, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Add the bouquet garni, mix thoroughly for 3-4 minutes and pour in the hot cream, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, and simmer gently, until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Add the nutmeg, taste for seasoning, and adjust accordingly. Discard the bouquet, blend and sieve the sauce. and stir in the chopped ham until well combined.
Spoon the sauce over the lamb chops and bring to a simmer, over moderate heat. Cover the casserole tightly and bake the chops for about 15 minutes or until they are tender.
Serve from the casserole with smashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice.
APFELSTRUDEL
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| Delicious Apple Strudel Ready to Serve |
Traditionally, apple strudel is prepared with strudel dough. To simplify matters, I often use phyllo pastry, which is widely available all over the world.
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Filling
4-5 apples, peeled, cored, halved and finely sliced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup seedless raisins
100 g (3 oz + 1 heaped tbsp) granulated sugar
6 sheets phyllo pastry
6 tbsp melted butter
Icing sugar for dusting over
Whipped cream for serving, optional.
Saute the breadcrumbs in butter, stirring constantly, until they turn golden brown, Remove from the heat and stir in the sliced almonds and set aside to cool. Then add in the sugar and mix well to combine.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the apples with the lemon juice and zest, raisins and sugar in a bowl and toss to coat,
Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F). and line a baking tin with baking parchment.
Place a phyllo sheet on a working surface, brush with butter and sprinkle evenly with 2 1/2 tbsp of the breadcrumb mixture.
Layer the remaining phyllo sheets over the first, following the same procedure i,e. buttering and sprinkling each sheet with the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the apple filling, evenly, on the long side of the phyllo, leaving 5 cm (2 inches) from the bottom and 2.5 cm (1 inch) from both sides. Fold the lower and left and right sides of the phyllo over the filling and, roll it up like a Swiss roll. Put the strudel in the prepared baking tin, brush it lavishly with butter and bake for 30-35 minutes until crisp and golden,
Remove from the oven and let the strudel cool, for 10 minutes, on the tin. Place on a long serving dish, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve, thickly sliced with whipped cream, and guten Appetit!
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