A story from the Austrian Club Restaurant kitchen
Stephanie's grandmother crossed the world to find one recipe. This is how a family secret from a mountain bakery in Tirol ended up on a table in Frenchs Forest.
Read the story Book a tableYears ago, in a village kitchen, Stephanie's grandmother ate an apple strudel that stopped the whole table talking. The pastry was thin enough to read through, the apples were tart and soft, and the recipe belonged to her dear friend's family.
She has been comparing every strudel since. None have come close.
Her old friend had passed on, but she had a daughter: Heidi. Oma had no address, only a village name, a few old letters and a great deal of stubbornness.
She asked at post offices, church halls and farm stalls until someone said, "Ah, you want the Hofkuchl."
Up a narrow road, past cowbells and a stack of firewood, she found a small bakery with steamed-up windows. Inside, Heidi was dusting flour off her apron and sliding a tray from the oven.
The smell was the one Oma had been chasing for years.
Heidi listened politely, then said no. The recipe had been handed down for generations and had never left the family.
Oma stayed. She talked about Heidi's mother, about the old days, and about a restaurant on the other side of the world where Austrian food is made with care. By the end of the afternoon, Heidi had put the kettle on and taken down a worn recipe book.
The recipe came back to Sydney, and the strudel did too. It is now made in our kitchen the way Heidi's family has always made it.
Come and taste what a long trip, a patient grandmother and a good friendship can bake.
"Good strudel can't be hurried. Neither can a good friendship."Heidi, the Hofkuchl, Tirol
Family recipe from the Hofkuchl, Tirol
Start with a schnitzel, share a pork knuckle if you can, and finish with Heidi's strudel.
Book a tableAustrian Club Restaurant
20 Grattan Crescent, Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
(02) 9975 3172