Amazing we’ve been doing this project for ten straight weeks!!! That’s right. This episode is our ten week anniversary. Mostly, I’m amazed that Sam has not grown bored of this and is still willing to take time with me to prepare a complicated international dish.

He wishes we could make pizza for dinner every night, but I’m excited he’s tried things like couscous and Angolan chicken. This week, I imagine things will be easier for him to digest. Meat and potatoes.

It’s also the first country we’ve hit where I actually have some personal reference. Many years ago I had the absolute pleasure to spend some time in Austria. And I ate my weight in schnitzel, I assure you.

THE CUISINE

I am by no means an expert in Austrian food, but I fondly remember the incredible feast I was served at a wedding I had the opportunity to attend in the small little town of Blindemarkt. Funny enough, my biggest memory of the meal were the traditional chocolate Mozart Balls.

I also fondly remember eating in many beer halls through Vienna. Amazed I can remember as much as I do because beer was a big part of every meal – as is often the case in Vienna.

When people think of the major players in European food, they usually come up with France, Italy, Spain, and maybe Greece. But for some weird reason Austria gets overlooked. But the cuisine, especially that of Vienna, is sorely under-appreciated.

Vienna has its own style of cuisine called Viennese. It’s the only city in the world that has a cuisine named after it. There is no such term as New Yorkese cuisine. Although maybe there should be.

In Vienna, the most popular dishes are the Wiener schnitzel (which we tackle head on), along with a range of sausages, stews, and sweets including the famous Sachertorte (chocolate apricot cake) and Apfelstrudel (Apple strudel, anyone?).

Outside of Vienna, there is a continuation of hearty meats and carbs, but regional specialities abound. You might find lots of asparagus, or apricot dumplings, or sauerkraut noodles, or pig feet soup depending on where you are in the country.

Much of the country’s cuisine was influenced by the Austro-Hungarian empire, which of course Austria was a part of. Its food also takes nods from other current nations that had been part of the empire, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and even regions of Italy.

And to wash it all down, Austria is widely known for both its beer, beautiful wines, and huge coffee culture (especially in Vienna). No wonder I liked it so much there.

AUSTRIAN FOOD IN NEW YORK

Most of the Austrian food in New York is actually found at fine dining establishments. There is a chef and restaurateur by the name of Kurt Gutenbrunner who over the years has had quite a few restaurants all specializing in Austrian cuisine.

His most famous is a highly rated place called Wallsé that I never had the pleasure (or money) to dine at.

I did happen to try his delicious pastries at Cafe Sabarsky, some expert schnitzel at the now closed Cafe Kristall, and spent a few nights (including one New Year’s Eve) at his more casual bistro Blaue Gans, which is also unfortunately now closed.

But by far, my favorite Austrian restaurant in the city is located in the historic German Lower East Side and it is about as comfortable and delicious as you can get. It’s called Café Katja and it was often a stop on our Tenements Tales and Tastes tour.

The chef Erwin even has his own You Tube channel that I recently discovered! Too bad I learned about it after I made a complete mess of the Wiener Schnitzel. If you want to try your hand at making your own, be sure to head down to Katja afterwards to see what it’s really supposed to taste like. Also, do not miss their dreamy quark dumplings.

THE VIDEO

In addition to food, Sam and I are learning a lot about language. I do my best at pronouncing dishes properly (hopefully I don’t butcher Erdäpfelsalat) and Sam finally comes to accept that words like “ketchup” are not the same in every country.

Mixing the potato salad was no match for Sam, but he did get a little beaten up by the shallots which made his poor little eyes burn.

As you will see, I had a very difficult time getting the schnitzels to look pretty. How do you say, “I’m still learning!” in German?

THE DISH

I wouldn’t be surprised if most Americans when asked, would pick Germany as the original home of the Wiener schnitzel. The Germans do indeed like their schnitzel, but it is not called Hamburger or Berliner Schnitzel. It’s called Wiener Schnitzel.

And, of course, Wiener refers to the city of Vienna (aka Wien).

Wiener Schnitzel is also supposed to be made with veal. I read there is an Austrian law that forbids any other meat from being called a Wiener schnitzel. Not sure how often that law is still upheld, but I didn’t want to get into any trouble, so I did my best to hunt down some veal cutlets.

Whatever base you choose, it should be pounded thin and dredged in a mixture of eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs before being fried in clarified butter.

As a side dish, I had recently made a delicious potato salad recipe I found at Serious Eats. I thought it made sense to do an encore, although I made a few tweaks based on other research I discovered about how they do it in Austria.

Erdäpfelsalat translates to potato salad, of course. And instead of mayonnaise, which many Americans may be accustomed to, this potato salad is made with sunflower oil, white wine vinegar, mustard (the good stuff), and beef broth. And it’s often served warm or at room temperature. Although serving it cold would not hurt anyone.

I shouldn’t be as excited about this, but Sam is learning his alphabet and so checking off a letter is a big deal.

For the A finale, we’re heading back to the Caucasus Mountains for more delicious rice from the country of Azerbaijan.