The Golden Kartoffelklösse Award

The Golden Kartoffelklösse Award

To us kids Kartoffelklösse was, without a doubt, our all-time favorite. The meat and vegetables served with them were at best a secondary target. In our minds the primary purpose for cooking meat was to make a rich gravy for the Kartoffelklösse. We loved Kartoffelklösse so much that one year my cousins and I made a bet. The bet was actually a simple one. Who could eat the most Kartoffelklösse in a single sitting. Being young we did not totally understand the consequences of our wager as we sauntered up to the table, and without a second thought, eyes shifting left and right, prepared to do battle. Our parents had no idea what was about to take place.

As we took our seats grandma brought the first platter of Kartoffelklösse to the dinner table. We all bowed our heads as one of my cousins led us in a German prayer. "Komm, Herr Jesu, und sei unser Gast und segne was du uns bescheret hast. Amen". In English the translation would be "Come, Lord Jesus, and be our guest and bless what you have bestowed on us. Amen". With the dinner prayer being said, we were on our way to setting our own personal Kartoffelklösse eating records. The contest began.

About twenty-five minutes into the meal, my uncle, who still had no idea what was happening, asked grandma for some more Kartoffelklösse. She got up and went to the kitchen to get them. When she returned, an empty platter in hand, well let’s just say that the family father figures were not happy campers. The fact is that they had missed their own allotment of Kartoffelklösse. In retrospect, considering the situation, I think their rage was well controlled.

Before moving forward you need to know one more thing. Each crouton stuffed Kartoffelklösse had some considerable weight to them. Eating more than two of these can create an uncomfortable feeling in your belly. To the best of my recollection the children consumed more than our fair share. I don’t remember who actually won the bet, but the final score was kids about 20 parents 10. This contest was never to happen again, because the parents kept an eye on us from that day forward.