If you've noticed a gap to the frequency of my posts, its because our family recently said good-bye to Cory's father, Ike: our beloved Bucka.
When my daughter, Sloane, was just beginning to talk, she could not pronounce Grandpa properly for all her might. What she called him instead was "Bucka". Bucka kinda sounds like a bad word (I'll let you figure it out;)), which of course made him love the name more, and so the title Bucka stuck. Bucka was the teller of all the dirty and inappropriate joke, collector of beautiful vehicles, and we will miss him so much.
Bucka loved good, traditional German food like his mom used to make. Bucka's mother, was a stoic German woman, who also had a major part in the care of my husband, Cory, as a child. She was also a killer cook. She passed away shortly after Cory and I first started dating (17 years ago!), and unfortunately I never got to learn from her all the recipes that these boys were raised on. Ruhrei was one of those dishes.
Ruhrei was a typical "grandma" recipe, in that the way it was described to me...by just adding a little bit of flour, and a little bit of milk, that you'll know by the consistency...I could never get it right.
I searched in every German cookbook I could find for this recipe, never knowing how to properly spell Ruhrei, as it is pronounced "Ree-ai". I happened to flip through the Mennonite Girls Can Cook cookbook at work about a month ago, and low and behold it was filled with so many of the recipes that I had been searching for! There's even a recipe for Rollkuchen, another frequently requested Grandma classic.
Ruhrei is kinda like scrambled eggs in consistency, but has the taste of almost a pancake. Cory said they always ate it topped with brown sugar or maple syrup, even through it was often served as a dinner dish. In the Mennonite Girls can Cook cookbook, they mention that they serve theirs with salsa, we'll have to give that a whirl sometime.
Bucka, I was so excited to make this dish for you, and I'm so sad that I never got the opportunity. However, I do get to serve it to my own children, and share the history of your family, and Cory's childhood memories that go with it. You'll never be far from our thoughts. Peace.
Ruhrei (ree-ai)1/2 cup milk
6 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon butter
In a medium sized bowl, using a fork or whisk, blend together the flour and milk into a smooth consistency. Add the eggs and salt, continuing to whisk into a thin batter. Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a pan, and then pour in the egg mixture. Cut and turn small sections of the mixture until completely cooked through and lightly browned. Serve hot, sprinkled with brown sugar or maple syrup.
