Annegret’s Goulash

To me, and especially in my family, the kitchen is the heart of the house.  The kitchen is where the action occurs, where secrets are shared and stories are told.  On any given holiday or gathering at the Gimbels, you will find more people in the kitchen and surrounding area than anywhere else in the house.  In the Breuer house, it couldn’t be more different.  The kitchen is clearly divided from the rest of the house and is typically hidden behind a closed door….  It has always been Annegret’s domain and an area of the house I have always been intrigued and intimidated by.   

This past Christmas, I was officially welcomed into the lair and introduced to Annegret’s kitchen. 

When asked what I wanted for Christmas by Martin from his parents, my only request was for Annegret to teach me how to make her Goulash. And this past Christmas, I got my wish.  On December 27^th, Annegret opened up the kitchen door and taught me and Meike how to make Goulash.  We began that afternoon, with notebooks in hand and pens at the ready to take in everything we needed to know.  Meike chopped the onions (using German efficiency) and I cut up the meat.  And then we watched in awe as Annegret turned a few simple ingredients into her world famous dish.  Afraid of missing anything, I supplemented my notes with photos and recorded everything, including the required coffee break while the stew simmered. 

During the process, we relaxed in the kitchen and shared stories and antidotes from our lives making me feel closer to Martin’s mom than ever before.  Martin and Ernst popped in every once in a while to hang out and the casualness of the kitchen reminded me of home.

In the end, it took two pages of detailed notes, 5 photos to ensure correct amount, sizes and brands, a few requests to repeat the steps and a few reprimands after Annegret forgot to tell us what she was doing to create our first batch of goulash.  And it was incredible.  Just the right amount of seasoning, the meat was tender and flavorful and while maybe not at the master’s level, it wasn’t a bad first batch. 

Now here’s hoping I can recreate it again in the US!