This week, we were inspired by Ben’s Aunt Mary to try her recipe for zwiebelkuchen, a German dish which translates as onion cake, but is more like a cross between a savory tart, pizza, and quiche. So, while “onion cake” may sound like the last thing on earth you would want to try, we assure you that this dish is delish!
Mary’s Zwiebelkuchen
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2-1 cup warm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups sliced onions
3 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 pound Monterey Jack and Swiss cheese combination
3 eggs
1/2 cup cream or half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
- Add lukewarm milk and flour (1 cup at a time), and salt, adding another 1/2 cup of water as necessary.
- Knead to make a smooth dough.
- Allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, steam the bacon and sliced onions in a large skillet with lid, adding 1/4 cup of water, stirring occasionally until soft. Do not allow the onions to brown.
- Spread the dough on a greased, rimmed baking sheet 11” X 17”. Create a tall crust around the edge.
- Spread the cooked onions and bacon over the dough.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Beat the eggs, cream, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Slowly pour over the onions and cheese.
- Sprinkle with caraway seeds.
- Bake in a 375º oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Ben’s health crisis started nearly 2 months ago with a seizure so severe that the muscle spasms broke his hip, but he has had a remarkable recovery. He has returned to most of his normal activities and you would never know when you see him walk that he had a full hip replacement.
Why, then, am I still a mess? The house is in disarray, laundry looms large, meals have been patched together affairs that usually lack about half the needed ingredients, I don’t sleep, and in the most alarming supply chain crisis since the early days of the pandemic, I discovered at 2:00 one morning last week that we had completely run out of toilet paper! When did we become people who couldn’t conceive of a future in which toilet paper would be essential?
I am reminded of one of Ben’s friends who told his mother, when they ran out of Butterscotch Krimpets, that she needed to get her s*!# together! This is a woman, by the way, who raised two children with special needs while working with children with special needs, all without breaking a sweat. Nobody was more together than this woman. Sure, she forgot to stock Butterscotch Krimpets one week, but I’ll bet she had toilet paper!
I don’t know if non-Pennsylvania folks know what Butterscotch Krimpets are, but Ben’s friend had it right in missing them when pantry stocks were depleted. They’re pretty good in an achingly sweet, Twinkie-adjacent sort of way, and exactly what you might want to serve for dessert when you are still recovering from a crisis that you think you should be over.
Tomorrow is World Down Syndrome Day, and you can join us in celebrating the diversity and joy that Ben and his friends bring to the world by rocking your socks. Wear wild, mismatched, or colorful socks to start a conversation, spread awareness of Down syndrome, or just to stand with Ben.
