The headline ‘grabber’ for the source post that led to today’s recipe suggestion asserts: “Your kids will love this!” Why not adults, too? The concept of ‘cabbage pancakes’ is just TOO tempting to pass up…
These look great in the video! And going by the the flavouring accompaniments and texture-building components in the ingredients list, I think this ‘pancake’ recipe will end up on my go-to savoury ac-companiment honour roll – right next to the iconic Asian Scallion Pancake.
A little fussy
This entrancing delicacy appears a little work-intensive and fussy. But I’m betting leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for a couple of weeks if tightly wrapped, like scallion pancakes. I’m thinking I’ll end up making double batches with that exact idea in mind…
Mainstream German folk-food
Cabbage is a vital German Staple. They and their closest neighbours – notably the Poles – have been getting along robustly for millennia basically on cabbage, potatoes and sausage. An oversimplifica-tion, perhaps. But you could argue that cabbage is their signature ‘national ingredient’.
Emma (see photo, top of page), the lady behind these videos (there’s a whole string of them), is one great cook! What’s more, her specialty is right down the white line on my culinary highway, too: simple, inexpensive recipes using lots of veggies in traditional authentic ways.
A different experience…
Emma’s videos are a decidedly different experience than the vast majority of their millions of cousins out there. More like a full-fledged ‘in my kitchen’ cooking show on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel.
They’re slow-paced and detailed so you can get an in-depth feel not only for her techniques but the rationale behind the choices she’s making along the way. Maybe even write down the whole proced-ure as you watch! I’ve found the pace is calming and reassuring – a great asset for any cook consid-ering making a new dish for the first time.
Bonus dip!
First and foremost… Get a load of the load of healthy fresh veggies Emma packs into her recipes! Her secret is maintaining a balance of crispy (on the outside) and chewy (on the inside).
And her flavour outcomes are always well-balanced and thougthful. For instance, chowing down on her cabbage pancakes you’d hardly know you were eating cabbage – unless somebody told you.
And there’s often a ‘bonus’ recipe included. The Garlic, Dill and Sour Cream dip she suggests for these pancakes is quintessentially German, and could be used for many different dippable snacks.
My take
These ‘pancakes’ constitute not only an all-in one side for any featured protein. The snack suggestion Emma illustrates would be a great addition to any game-day food spread. Or a mini-series binge watching session! And she’s totally right…
Even the pickiest kid eaters will love them. Feel free to experiment with different dips and even toppings for the kids!
It also struck me that substituting caraway or fennel or allspice for the paprika (and limiting or eliminating the garlic) could render these babies suitable as non-savoury (though maybe not truly ‘sweet’) matches for other snacks.
We’re planning on introducing more of Emma’s recipes – and not just those featuring cabbage – in this space in the future.
Overall… Any of us could do worse than follow her example in our own approach to cooking, in thought, word and deed!
~ Maggie J.