Mae is a foodblogger, as you likely know ;-) - and, as probably many, is interested in the history of food, so she "made" me curious about the Königsberger Klopse, a speciality from East Prussia where my Mum originally is from, we just had this dish recently.
Just to put a little true drama in here, that I found out by chance as my family never talked about WWII: My Grandma had 7 surviving kids (out of 9) and had to decide if she put half of them on the Gustloff - that was destroyed by "the Russians" who knew it was full of refugees - or wait in the icy temps for the next ship, "the Russians in her neck" - well, I´m here, Grandma (who also raised my Brother and me out of 14 Grandchildren) made the right decision, waiting.
In my childhood I thought capers, that go with the Soßklopse, as you call them, were little animals, fishes even and refused to eat them, hallelujah! They are yummy, I learned in adult life!
The receipe seems to be from the 1930´s and we use meat only, no fish.
Mae also asked about the figure drawings.
It was back in the 90´s when I studied that I had these courses - very welcomed when you usually have to be very precise drawing floor plans and stuff.
I am sorry the sketches are of bad quality, it´s due to age and yes, I did my best altering it online...
This was the size we worked with, 42 * 59,4 cm / 16 1/2" * 23 3/8":
I still have some sheets left!
As far as I know the models were either students or people who just enjoyed being sketched. If at all they got only little money. We had usually only 60 to 90 seconds for one drawing (and this is one drawing!) as the intention is to capture very fast how much space a person needs - but, let´s be honest...
It was just fun! :-)
It does not really help. I´ve been in places where I had not enough space and I am a small person! When my knees on the toilet nearly reach the basin, go figure! As we say in Germany, the person who was responsible for this probably just went to get some chalk when this was taught!
This was fun, too:
It never hurts to be nice, right.
Lion of the day, certainly:
Re-heated the food looked so bad (but was yummy, thank you, Ingo!!!), the Lion didn´t "touch" it.
The receipe was for 2 people. Hmmm. I still have 3 frozen meals left.
Guess either it´s age or due to Ingo´s condition, being able to have only little meals and my stomach just joined in...?
Happy T-Day, off for another cuppa, brr, it´s cold!
This is for Elizabeth and Bleubeard´s "T Stands For Tuesday".
27 comments:
Love your lion plate, but I am not a fan of Königsbergerklopse as I don't like capers! I once bought a set of Lion King plates and cups etc for m grandchildren when they were small, Your drawings are good. Pity you don't do them anymore. Lucky that your grandma didn't put you on that ship! Happy T Day, Valerie
Capers really are no animals ;-) I think they´re quite refreshing, too!
Yes, well. Maybe I really look up if courses in figure drawing are available for non-students... it was fun after all!
Yes, my Granma was a wise person. Happy T-Day, Iris
I didn't know about the Russians sinking the Gustloff. I'm glad your Grandma decided to wait for the next ship. Thank you for sharing the history behind your sketches. I like the lion plate. That quote is good and you're right: it never hurts to be nice. I like the artwork on the tea box / container. Happy T-Day!
I didn't know about the Russians sinking the Gustloff. My husbands grandparents fled to the US during the war one side came from Russia and one from Hungry-One of his Grandparents lived with him still when he was small child. I have never eaten a caper, I love your lion plate too, and yes hot tea is my hot drink of choice this week. Happy T Kathy
...everyone enjoys applause now and then.
Anne, thank you, yes, it must´ve been hard for my Granma...
The sketches were really fun! And I like people smiling when you say something nice (and mean it). And the plate was actually for my Niece, but... no.
Yes, those teas are artwork - happy T-Day :-)
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Kathy, yes, Ingo´s Dad fled to West-Germany in time. War is so dumb!
Capers are really refreshing.
I can´t wait for my next cuppa, being forced to go outside now (I wear two trousers already!). Happy T-Day!
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Tom, well, yes, doesn´t hurt either side being nice :-)
what a story and life your grandmother had endured all because of war:( Glad to know she did well for the family. I have always loved capers but it took me some time to get hubby to appreciate their flavor.
Your figure sketches look great- I could never do that! And on such large sheets yet...
fun quote and illustration of it. Happy T day!
I love the idea of making two people happy! That's perfect!
And I also love capers!
That's fascinating about your grandmother and her story. Those had to be very challenging times and it's good to know she did the right thing.
I really love this particular drawing. (And your comment about not being still.) But you have that energy and motion here. You really were quite good and I suspect if you whipped out that pad, you still are or would be in a few sketches down the road! I like them very much!
Linda, yes, war is just stupid...
Here it was the other way round, hubby had to convince me capers are yummy :-)
Just try sketching, maybe it´s your thing, too!
Bet you´d get an applause - happy T-Day :-)
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Yes, that was a wise man with those words, Jeanie!
Sad it took me so long to like capers...
Yes, I think, well, you grow with what you have to do, right. Nine children alone, that must´ve been hard, and loosing two.
Thank you, Jeanie, I will look up if there are courses on figure drawing for "old people" ;-)
I like the lion!
Thank you for sharing your family history. What a decision your grandmother had to make. I like your lion plate though I'm not a fan of capers. Your figure sketches are wonderful. I took an illustration class and we had to sketch the instructor as he couldn't get a model for the class. No he wasn't nude, but it was so hard to capture him in various poses as he moved. Coffee or tea with vanilla is so comforting on a cold day. Stay warm and Happy T Day
William, yes, a cutie, he is.
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CJ, yes. Sad .. or understandable they never spoke of those times.
I have no use for capers other than this meal (so far), either.
I could imagine it´s much harder to sketch a person with clothes on is such a tiny time-frame?
Thanks for telling us about your figure drawings, Iris. That does sound like fun. Are you an architect or interior designer or something like that? You're very talentd.
I love your Sam Goldwyn card and quote
Happy T-day! Eileen xx
I have to admit, I'd never heard of the sinking of the Gustloff, but I read the Wiki article and was dumbfounded. Your grandmother was a brave and very strong woman.
Too bad the Königsberger Klopse link wasn't in English. Did see the capers, though. Not a real fan of them, but I only had them once, so what do I know!
There sure were a lot of nudes in that drawing. And a really LARGE pad, too.
You are right. It NEVER hurts to be nice and it makes two people happy.
LOVE the lion. I have some photos of lions I should send/e-mail you.
Loved your Skinny Vanilli tea. So cute and a great looking cup, too.
Thanks for sharing your memories of your grandmother, your Königsberger Klopse, your sketches, lion, and your tea with us for T this Tuesday.
Eileen, yes, I studied that, then digitalized my work and ended up in IT!
Sam Goldwyn sure "nailed" it!
A Happy T-Day to you xx!
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Elizabeth, thank you, yes my Grandma sure had to take a lot of responsibility and did a good job at it, too.
The second link, Soßklopse, is in English :-)
Maybe give it a try...
It was always nude people and always that pad :-)
Yep, I try to be nice every day, we all have our little struggles after all...
Yes! All Lions are welcome here!!! You can also share via Facebook, if you like.
Thank you heaps for hosting, it´s always fun and a joy!
Old family stories are a joy, but those days sound like such difficult ones.
60-90 seconds doesn't sound like nearly long enough, but you've really captured the figures in the drawings you've shown. I certainly agree it never hurts to be nice, and keeping that in mind as we deal with current political controversies might help maintain some focus :) Or at least some sanity lol The lion plate is cute as can be.
It's cold here, too, so I'll join you in a cozy cuppa. Happy T Tuesday!
Yes, I reckon it was horrible....
Hehe, it was really just one person moving!
Oh, politics... was there anything good about that the last years? Merkel for 14 years!
Cheers, tea-wise and happy T-Day :-)
The lion sure looks like a happy little guy. To me it seem like the baby boomers, which I am part of. And those who were born before them seem or have diffucult time speaking of feeling and such.
Coffee is on
A great post to read, thank you for sharing your family history, they had some hard choices to make back then.
Your art and sketches look fantastic,
It was also a lovely lion plate,
happy T day wishes.
Yvonne
Thank you for being my blogger friend! I'm so glad I caused you to look for food history, and I really appreciate the shout-out! And the description of your drawing classes.
The English version of Wikipedia has a page (maybe a translation of the German page you linked) about Königsberger Klopse. I remember these meatballs, because long ago they were one of the dinner choices at a restaurant here in Ann Arbor. The restaurant was called The Old German, and was in business from 1928-1995. I especially liked their spatzen, their sauerbraten, their chicken livers, and their schnitzel. So I'm happy to see that you have eaten them recently. One thing that's different now is that veal, which was the original ingredient in them, is now virtually unobtainable in America, but back then, was more common.
I have read about the horrendous situation of the ethnic Germans in East Prussia at the end of the war. So much suffering for the ordinary people, especially children. I've heard of other families who experienced this disaster and also never wanted to talk about it.
Thanks again from your friend... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I love that cute lion!
That is fascinating about your grandmother. I love family stories like that. It always amazes me how little we sometimes know about our family stories but how much they did shape our own histories. Love the lion plate, and how was the Konigsberger klopse? I hope it was a fantastic T day. Hugs-Erika
Dora, I agree, they wanted to forget, not share...
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Yvonne, history sure is interesting, if, yes, really very hard back then!
The sketching was fun in the old days and sadly my Niece will not get the Lion-plate ;-)
Belated T-Day wishes, Iris
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Mae, thank you, too, for being a blogger friend and pointing me in that direction!
Yes, the second link I added is the English version :-)
By dear God, I hope with spazen you didn´t had sparrow but Käsespätzle (English link) ;-) - they are from the South of Germany. When I was into flat sharing one of my mates came from there and he made them once in a while - YUM!
I love Schnitzel, too, but I will never ever try liver - bad enough when I have to smell it when Hubby orders, brrr.
Why don´t you get veal?! Ich mean, yes, they are babies, but....
Yes. I don´t even know if my Mother´s was German, my Grandma spoke "Platt", but also managed German. No one to ask is there anymore.
Thank you, dear Mae, for letting me know all this!
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Lois, yips, another cutie!
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Erika, I sometimes wish I had been more persistent, asking my family. But, as Mae said, many just could not talk about the horrible times.
The Klopse were (and will be) yummy, really still three left, thankfully :-)
The Lion will take it again - it was a great (if cold) T-Day, thank you and hugs from here :-)
Your sketches are so good Iris, now that you have more time you should give art another go! Your skinny vanilli tea looks good Iris, is it for weight loss and if so where do I get some ☺
Grace indeed I will probably look up if there are courses, though... it´s the cold, dark half of the year!
Sorry, no, the tea is just yummy! :-)
How interesting about your Grandma. She certainly made the right decision.I have never heard of that german dish, but I read the article you linked and it sounds really nice.
Your lion plate is cute.
I like the Samuel Goldwyn quote. It is so true.
Skinni Vanilli looks great. I have not seen this one in the shops but when I do I will try it.
Your sketch is beautiful. I know it annoyed you that people couldn't stay still, but I believe that there is much energy in that sketch because of it.
Sorry for being so late again. I'm never home on Tuesday and Wednesday is a very busy day, so usually I don't get to comment until Wednesday evening.
Happy belated T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
I'm sorry to say I don't like capers - hubby loves them though! I love your lion plate! Clipper packets are always so pretty even if I don't drink tea! A very belated Happy T Day! Chrisx
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