I guess I'm a little slow figuring things out. All the talk about cottage cheese and apple butter on bread had me wondering about my PD cousins sanity. Now my mother is virtually 100% German (you know like Stump/Burger/Selbernagel/etc) of the PD variety, but they moved on early and ended up in Michigan. I even went to the german dictionary to see what was really being said. (You can actually find some PD words in the german dictionary.) <g> ;-D Schmier = grease or smear Nicht versteht! Then I read Vee's reciepe. Aha! Cream cheese. Schmierkase=cream cheese. That makes sense now. Where do you think "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" came from, anyway? Am I thick or what? ;-D PS Neither "lott" nor "waerrick" are in the 175,000 word at Paderborn University's online German dictionary. > ---------- > From: Vee L. Housman[SMTP:housman@concentric.net] > Reply To: housman@concentric.net > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 1997 2:17 PM > To: PENNA-DUTCH-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Lottwaerrick and Schmierkase > > This is from the cookbook, "The Art of Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking" by > Edna Eby Heller, Doubleday & Co., Garden City, NY, 1968. > > In the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, apple butter is called > lottwaerrick. > The word is often linked with schmierkase, the Pennsylvania Dutch type > of cottage cheese, and the two, according to some self-appointed > authorities, should never be separated. It is true that rye bread is > never any better than when it is spread with a thick layer of > lottwaerrick and topped with schmierkase. It is a good combination > for > any kind of bread. > > Apple butter-boiling was a custom brought here from the Palatinate > where > other kinds of fruit were cooked in the same manner--many hours over > the > open fire. It calls for a party, when bushels of apples are made into > gallons of apple butter in a process that lasts all day or even > several > days. Many hands are required to pare the apples, cut the schnitz > (apple slices), and, last but not least, to stir and stir and stir > some > more. In past generations, apple butter-boiling time was the social > event of the season when young couples gathered to take their turns in > "schnitzing" and stirring. Although the apple butter is still boiled > the same way, the younger generation seems no longer interested in > "schnitzing parties!" > > APPLE BUTTER (Adapted Oven Method) (5 quarts) > > 1 peck sweet cooking apples > 1 quart cider > 1 quart water > 10 cups sugar > 2 teaspoons cinnamon > 1/2 teaspoon cloves > 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice > > Wash apples, rubbing thoroughly if they have been sprayed. Core and > cut > into eighths. (Do not peel.) Add cider and water and cook until > apples > are soft. Press through strainer. Put into a large kettle that will > fit in your oven. (I use 2 roasters.) Mix in 5 cups of the sugar. > > Bake in 350 degree oven. Every half hour, stir with a wooden spoon. > (A > timer is an excellent reminder!) After an hour of cooking, add > remaining sugar and spices. Cook 3 more hours or until the butter is > thickened and dark red. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. > > SCHMIERKASE (Pennsylvania Dutch Cottage Cheese) > > Put a quart of milk into an earthen crock and keep in a warm place > until > it thickens. Put into a cheesecloth bag and hang up to drain. It > should drain for at least a day. > > To the dry curds left in the bag, slowly add an equal amount of light > cream, working it in until the cheese has a creamy consistency and is > soft enough to spread on apple-butter bread. Add salt to suit your > taste. > > vee >