The lack of an oven in my tiny (but wonderful) apartment is starting to bug me. I love to cook. I bake when I'm stressed. I achieve fulfillment by cooking for others. And frankly, with no oven, my stomach just isn't happy (it knows I can do better).
And since I love cooking and food, Thanksgiving is number three on the list of awesome holidays (Christmas is number one because you get presents and food. Halloween is number two because it's the only day of the year when it's ok for grown-ups get to play pretend and you get candy). I decided that my favorite class needed to experience the awesomeness of Thanksgiving. And that means one thing: PUMPKIN PIE. I approached the teacher of this class (Frau Reisinger, who happens to be my favorite at SMG), to ask if it would be alright for me to bring pumpkin pie to class. She decided that not only would it be ok, but that we should make the pies together. She had never made pumpkin pie and wanted to learn how to make one. I would come over to her house for lunch and then pumpkin pie baking would commence. It was a date.
I spent my week hunting for pumpkin pie ingredients. This is no easy task. Thanks to the interwebs, I discovered replacements for various ingredients, or just what I needed to buy at a German supermarket. A trip to the supermarket armed with a list of replacements and translations, plus a trip to the Asian Market for imported goods, and I was set.
Sunday rolls around and I journey to Ingelheim for the big day. I braved the blustery wind and arrived at the Frau Reisinger's house (a former barn, which she and her husband renovated themselves) right on time. First I had lunch with Frau Reisinger, her husband and her four children. We had Potato Soup, Königsberger Klopse, salad, and fruit and pudding parfait for dessert. Absolutely delicious. Her children (aged 2nd through 8th grade) led the lunch conversation, entertaining their guest with questions about America. They were quite impressed that I, an American, had taken the time to learn German, found it most curious that we put pumpkin in a dessert, and were most shocked when I told them we don't have Döner Kebap in America. So cute.
After lunch, the pie process began. As the Germans don't have pies, I couldn't buy a pre-made crust at the supermarket, so we had to make the crust from scratch. My goodness is crust making a long process. We mixed the dough, wrapped it in plastic wrap and stuck it in the freezer to chill out for an hour. While we waited, Frau Reisinger took me on a tour of Ingelheim. Just a few short minutes from her house is part of the old city wall, part of which dates back to the 800s. That's right, my friends, there is no 1 in front of those numbers. That wall is old. She also took me to where a Roman chimney/heating system and a Roman sewage/water system were discovered. History! So cool!
After the tour, we rolled the dough, lined both baking dishes, and baked the soon-to-be crust for 45 minutes. While baking the crust, we started on the pie filling. We used fresh pumpkin - no canned pumpkin here! and real dark brown sugar (none of that silly German braunzucker). The crust came out of the oven, we added the filling, and baked the entire pie for one more hour. During the second baking, we discussed our lesson and school. I explained to her some of the frustrations I had with lesson planning and all of the things I wish I would have brought with me, including the American cultural classics, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas. She immediately sent her husband on the hunt to find copies!
Our pies looked amazing and they smelt like the perfect blend of sweet and spice. I was impressed. Then the oldest daughter decided that we needed to bake Weihnachtsplätzchen, or Christmas Cookies. Another batch of dough in the old German style was whipped up, rolled out on the kitchen table, and cut with assorted cookie-cutter shapes. They were delicious. I was sent home with a bag (but they didn't last long).
The next day at school we surprised the students with pie. Because we used real pumpkin, which is kind of melon-like, the pie was sweeter than normal, but it was delicious. It was a hit!
Frau Reisinger with our pie!
This, for me, was the true meaning of cultural exchange. I spent time in my teacher's home with her family. I taught them something that I love and I baked something for my students that is truly American. I've already made the promise of pancakes and cookies. They shall be in the works soon!
lg, Lauren
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