Book of Days Tales

Today is the day on which Protestants commemorate the anniversary of the day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, thus sparking the Protestant Reformation. The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences ( Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum) were written by Martin Luther in 1517 and are widely regarded as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. The disputation protests against clerical abuses, especially nepotism, simony, usury, pluralism, and, most especially, the sale of indulgences. The Theses reject the validity of indulgences, that is, pardons that were sold for the forgiveness of sin. Luther argues that the sale of indulgences was a gross violation of the original intention of confession and penance, and that Christians were being falsely told that they could find absolution through the purchase of indulgences.

By disseminating his theses, Luther was acting as the spokesman for a general shift that was taking place throughout Europe, where the general authority of the pope and the church were being challenged. Luther’s movement had many forerunners, most especially Jan Hus and John Wycliffe a century earlier, but they failed to take hold owing to their brutal suppression by a church tha had no intention of giving up wealth and power. Luther, and Lutheranism, succeeded because he had the support of rulers who wanted to rid themselves of papal authority in their states and were willing to go to war for their freedom.

Wittenberg lies on the Elbe River in what was then Saxony and is now Saxony-Anhalt. The cuisine of the region is similar to German cuisine in general but with distinctive dishes as well. Fishing was once prominent in the Elbe River, which contains 33 of the 40 species of fish caught in the region. Sadly however, mercury, hexachlorobenzene, DDT, musk compounds and heptachlor have severely polluted the river and in consequence commercial fishing has been banned since 1989. Fortunately there are other favorites besides river fish, such as, Leipziger Allerlei (Leipzig mixed vegetables), Ochsenschwanz (oxtails), Pfefferkuchen (gingerbread), Fürst Pückler Eis (Count Pückler ice cream), Schwemmklösschen (dumplings), Eierschecke (lemony cheesecake), Bienenstich (“Bee Sting” cake), and Dresdener Christstollen (Dresden Christmas cake).

Leipziger Allerlei

Ingredients:

2 cups beef broth
½ lb. baby carrots
½ lb. asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 small cauliflower, separated into rosettes
2 cups fresh green peas
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
½ cup cream
salt, white pepper, nutmeg to taste
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Instructions:

Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the carrots and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, peas, and asparagus and simmer 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables and reserve the broth.

Make a white roux by melting the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and slowly whisking in the flour. Do not allow it to take on color. Turn off the heat and slowly whisk in the reserved broth. Let the mixture gently heat and then add the cream, salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg. Add the cooked vegetables back into the sauce and serve garnished with parsley.