A: Please have a napkin ready because what I’m about to tell you will make your mouth water, you’ll be drooling.
B: Oh, really? No problem.
A: No problem? Good.
A: So, I’m planning on inviting a few people. I have to … in advance/
A: PLAN2
A: plan
A: I first have to hand out the invitations and wait for RSVPs.
A: I count them. It’s eight people plus my family.
A: So all in all I have to plan for 13 people.
A: So, what should I give them to eat? I have to prepare, go grocery shopping.
A: First, I have to come up with a menu.
A: The first course is a starter.
A: But I think I’ll do without that, I’ll rather have a champagne reception for my guests. Everyone gets a flute of champagne.
A: I welcome them and we chat for a bit. Okay.
A: Right after that, secondly, comes the main course.
A: I refrain from serving soup because it’s the summer. It’s just too hot.
A: That’s what it says here. But it’s too hot, so no soup.
A: I make dumplings.
A: And I’m planning on preparing red cabbage and Sauerbraten [marinated pot roast, lit. sour roast].
A: Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?
B: Yeah, I think that’s tasty.
A: You like that, right? You have to wipe away the saliva that’s dripping from your mouth, don’t you?
B: No, no. In summer? That’s more appropriate for winter.
B: SOMMER3*
A: It’s cool where I am. It’s cool in here.
B: With this weather? I don’t know. It’s more of a winter meal.
A: Yeah, but when I in/
A: Warm/
A: When I’m the one inviting, I get to decide, not the others.
B: I see.
A: That’s what I’m offering.
A: So I have to plan how many dumplings I have to prepare per person. I have to calculate that.
A: I have to take different things into account.
A: My children eat five dumplings apiece, that makes already 15 dumplings.
A: I usually eat one, my wife eats two.
A: Then there’s another eight people. I’ll have to calculate. I will definitely need a big pot. Ok, that’s that.
A: I slice the red cabbage, grate it and put it in a pot.
A: Then I pare apples and add them.
A: When the mixture is boiling, I add lard.
A: Without lard, the cabbage doesn’t become shiny. With lard, it becomes nice and shiny and looks tasty. Food should be pleasing to the eye as well, let’s not forget that.
A: You mix everything well and then let it steep for a while.
A: Moving on to the Sauerbraten. I use deer, roast venison.
A: REH1
A: reh
A: Three days before you have to/
A: So, you can’t put it in the oven right away, you have to marinate it beforehand.
A: You have to roll it in vinegar, it really has to soak.
A: And you add onions. I always take a lot of onions.
A: If you use too few onions, it’ll be tasteless. The onions give it an intense flavour. You cover the Sauerbraten with the onions and then leave it for a/
A: Yummy. So, you put it aside and let it steep.
A: Then you roast it in the oven for three hours.
A: Everyone always asks themselves how long it has to stay in the oven. My rule of thumb is: one hour for each centimeter. So for meat this thick, that makes three hours.
A: So you put it in the oven and it sizzles in there. Then that’s done.
A: When I have greeted all the guests, I set the table and set out the plates.
A: I set everything out so that it really catches the eye. It has to be a feast for the eyes, so I decorate everything nicely.
A: I have to take that into account as part of my preparations.
A: Then everyone takes their seats at the richly laid table.
A: I pass out the plates and everyone helps themselves.
A: I leave that to the guests. Everyone takes some bread and so on. Well.
A: When everyone is done eating, the main/
A: Dessert is next.
A: Tastes are different, of course.
A: Most people like strawberry jam.
A: Strawberry, I’m surprised at that, but most people like it.
A: I put it on top of a pear.
A: Others like these little berries, blueberries.
A: Others don’t. So I take some strawberry jam and put it on a pear for each person.
A: Everyone eats these and is happy.
A: And that is my favorite homemade food. Yummy, right?
B: Yeah, but I wasn’t drooling over it. I know it already.