November 18, 2003
Kraut Boats
My son Tristan loves history and especially anything having to do with WW II. He plays computer games for hours on end that simulate different WW II battles. The realism of the software amazes me. When I walk by as he plays, I must admit that I have game envy. I had nothing even close to what he has when I grew up. I do grin from time to time thinking that his son will undoubtedly have something more realistic than Virtual Reality. Perhaps Tristan will then experience the same game envy I do.
Anyway, his love for history and WW II comes with him to the dinner table. Over the years I am sure he has watched me mix up the different foods on my plate into a goulash of sorts as I was eating the last few bites of food.
Kathy, my wondeful wife, is a fantastic cook. One of our favortie meals is a German dish where she simmers pork and sauerkraut in a large pot. The flavors blend together and the sauerkraut gets as tender as a one-day old grass shoot. Kathy also makes her trademark mashed potatoes that contain sour cream and some other secret ingredient. The final touch to the meal is a batch of fresh crescent rolls that are moist and delicious.
One evening, while eating this meal, we saw Tristan's mind start to work. He was looking at one of the crescent rolls and started to push down the center. The next thing we knew he was loading in some mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. Tristan then tore up some of the tender pork and stuck the pieces of meat into the mashed potatoes.
Kathy asked him, "Tristan, what in the world are you doing?" He replied, "I just made a battleship. A Kraut Boat!"
Need I say more? Well, yes I will. I can tell you kraut boats are delicious. He and I now have a competition each time this meal is made. We have since graduated to the large-sized crescent rolls. Several days ago I made a magnificent aircraft carrier. Taking a bite of one of these boats is simply fantastic. I keep telling Tristan that we should open up a food booth at our annual Oktoberfest. These unique creations would be a huge hit!
Posted by Tim Carter at November 18, 2003 07:26 AM