Feinkost-dressing

German Deli
Salad Sauce

Thunafisch-Salat
(Brot Aufstrich)

Tuna Salad Spread

Feinkost
Thunafisch-Salat

. Fancy Deli Style
Salad

Geflügelcocktail Salat

Fancy Deli Chicken Salad,
with fruit served like a cocktail.

Feinkost Geflügelsalat

Fancy Deli Chicken Salad,
with Fruit with a light curry dressing.

Tropical Geflügelsalat

This is a twist on the Feinkost
chicken salad, adding some, marchino cherries, and coconut.

Does the Deli at the Supermarket Feel Familiar

Have you ever noticed how familiar a German deli counter feels? The rows of salads, sliced meats, cheeses, and pickles look surprisingly similar to what we see in many American supermarket delis today. That's no accident. Our deli tradition grew from the food cultures brought by European immigrants—especially Germans, along with Jewish, Italian, and other Central European communities. Even the word delicatessen, shortened to deli, comes to us through the German language.

Great German Deli Dressing
(Feinkost-Dressing)

Feinkost

The German word Feinkost literally means "fine fare." I don't think of it as fancy food. I think of it as good food—freshly made deli salads, sliced meats, cheeses, and spreads prepared with care. The kind of food you look forward to eating on a fresh roll or a slice of rye bread.
This is the most popular Salatcremes in Germany. It is blended different than Miracle Whip in the US.	You can order this from Amazon.

The Secret Behind Creamy German Deli Salads

Believe it or not, great deli salads aren't simply made by adding more mayonnaise.

When you see a bowl of creamy Eiersalat, Fleischsalat, or Thunfischsalat, it's easy to assume the secret is an extra helping of mayonnaise. While there are certainly mayonnaise lovers who could eat it straight from the jar, mayonnaise alone doesn't always create the smooth, creamy mouthfeel we associate with a really good deli salad.

You might think using Miracle Whip® or a light mayonnaise would solve the problem, but they often leave the salad tasting a little artificial or lacking the rich, velvety texture you're looking for.

German delis have long understood that creaminess isn't just about adding more oil. Instead, many use techniques and ingredients that create a lighter, smoother dressing with a luxurious texture while relying on less mayonnaise than you might expect.

Over the past few weeks, I've been experimenting with several of these ideas in my own kitchen. One version uses a cooked starch base, while another combines mayonnaise with blended cottage cheese. Both produce a creamy, satisfying dressing that's lighter on the palate, higher in protein, and surprisingly versatile.

This dressing has become the foundation for many of my favorite deli salads, and in the coming weeks I'll show you how to use it to make classics like Eiersalat, Thunfischsalat, Geflügelsalat, Makkaronisalat, and several other German deli favorites.

This is my favorite,
It is just Mayonnaise mixed with 2% cottage cheese and blended smooth.
You can use a blender of any kind. I find that it stay's smooth in the fridge for several weeks, as long as you don't blend it with anything else. It is a good substitute for a lighter Mayonnaise as it has half the calories and fat.

Thunafischsalat

(German Style Tuna Salad )

I never thought that tuna was a German thing,
I always thought it was pretty much just a U.S. thing.

If you were coming home from work or walking to the Metzgeri or the Delikatessen
you could buy 100 or 200 grams of Thunasalat or at your local store like an Aldi.

Deli salats are similar to the those in the US in that they are generally
very creamy with perhaps some pickles and chives so they make a
good spread on bread or a roll which really is a German thing.

Sometimes in the Delikatessen you will find the Thunafischsalat
mixed with corn, peas, apples or grapes, carrots, red bell pepper
and even cheese cubes. Even corn. I didn't know Germans use much corn,
but they do in things like a tuna salad.

This is something that we don't usually see in the U.S. but it makes sense if you
do nice cold dinners, (Abendbrot) that you would add some nice goodies to your chicken salad.

Feinkost Geflügelsalat
(German Chicken Deli Salad)

	You can make a nice spread out of chicken breast like the creamy simple tuna spread, (Brot-Aufstrich Thunasalat) and make it a nice spread for your rye bread or Broetchen. It also works well for a simple dinner or appetizer with crackers.
You don't always need to serve a deli salad as a spread. It also can be a nice stand alone meal or cocktail. Chicken works well with fruit, and adding oranges, or Mandarin oranges, grapes, pineapple, apple or grapes, and walnuts. Celery also is a nice addition . Since this is more than just a filling on bread, they often call it Chicken Cocktail, or Geflügelcocktail.

At the German deli, you could find this kind of beautiful salad and have them dish up 100, 200, or more grams to take home and it makes a wonderful summer afternoon or evening meal.

Here is a recipe for the Chicken Fienkost Cocktal Salad.

12 piece , 1,2 and 4 cup
Snapware Total Solution Glass Storage Containers are the kind of practical kitchen containers that somehow become part of every picnic, potluck, and leftovers night.

The glass dishes keep salads, stuffed celery, and picnic foods tasting fresh, while the locking lids travel well in a cooler without leaks or spills. I especially like these for Ausflug-style picnic food because they stack neatly, clean up easily, and look good enough to go straight from the refrigerator to the picnic blanket.

Check it out here

A simple but essential tool for asparagus season, this peeler removes the tough outer layer quickly and evenly, leaving the spears tender and ready for cooking. Especially useful when working with thicker asparagus, it makes a noticeable difference in texture.

Check current price and details

OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler

This has been a great peeler for me. I own 2
and I can make long thin peels of zucchini or asparagus and
do fun things with it.

Check out the specs and current pricing

A recipe book and short biography of my Grandmother Emma Block.

Bonus recipes with step by step color pictures
Online for download

Rest your laptop,tablet or phone
in the Kitchen counter
and follow the recipes with pictures to help.

Bonus
PDF
for you to download

Read on your
phone, tablet or laptop

Vintage German Postcard replica's to use as bookmarks or to mail.

Order our Cookbook with
Bonus Step by Step Recipes,
Postcards, and
Ebook

19.97

Order the Kindle Version

Biography of my grandma
Emma Block

From Germany with Love tells the story of my grandma, Emma Block, growing up in a little town in Baden/ Würtemberg, Germany near Heidelberg named Steinsfurt. Then at the age of 15 immigrating to the United States, taking a train with one of her sisters and brothers to Hamburg and sailing the Atlantic with other hope filled Germans wanting to make a life in the "New World". It was not easy but with good values learned in her German upbringing made a full life, had a wonderful family with lots of fun and celebration including the great German meals.

Order Here

Farberware Egg Poaching Pan

This egg poacher takes the guesswork out of making perfectly cooked eggs. With four individual cups, it allows you to poach multiple eggs at once while keeping their shape clean and uniform—ideal for a Benedict-style brunch. The nonstick surface helps the eggs release easily, and the lid holds in heat for gentle, even cooking. It’s a simple tool that makes a noticeable difference, especially when you want consistent results without the fuss.

Check out detail and the current price here

Click Here for the same product in the U.S.

Hollandaise isn’t just borrowed; it’s become
an essential part of how asparagus is enjoyed in Germany.

While they love the classic butter, egg yolk emulsion,
It can be tricky and time consuming to make.

Packets with a simple addition make it simpler.