The first television chef in Germany has named himself after his home town
Clemens Wilmenrod, forgotten cookbook author, actor, entertainer? He was the first German TV chef. And it is high time that you think about him again. He is not completely forgotten, you can see that in his cookbooks, which nobody puts out, are often torn from being used a lot and are only available antiquarian for a lot of money. You can also notice that at “Toast Hawaii”, which was created by Clemens Wilmenrod in the 1950s and can still be found on many German menus, even after more than 60 years.
Today we’re dealing with cookbook author Clemens Wilmenrod, the first television chef in Germany to choose his last name after his home town, but only with an l in the first syllable. It is his recipes that never overwhelmed a housewife and gave her the feeling: “Yes, I can try it out.” But his soulful instructions already stimulate the appetite during the preparations and speed up the well-explained cooking process of the often quite simple dishes. At that time it was only prepared with fresh, regional and simple ingredients, a few complicated kitchen machines, but with simple, practical kitchen equipment that was easy to reach and without luxurious frills.
Today it is still a pleasure to read the preparation of the delicious, relaxed recipes by Germany’s first television chef “Clemens Wilmenrod” and also to cook it. Already reading the countless recipes is a pleasure, and again and again he explained the preparation and origin of the dishes in his inimitably nice, friendly, entertaining way.
More entertaining than a Swedish thriller
A look at one of his cookbooks is often more entertaining than a Swedish thriller and was already reminiscent of the promising idea of a united Europe. His recipes are simple, smart and it tastes (mostly) delicious. No haute cuisine, but tasty, even if it is often just small and simple fillers, very far away from Johann Lafer, Paul Bocuse, Alfons Schuhbeck, Sarah Wiener and other contemporary cookery artists who also touch, sniff and taste the midday TV menu every day overuse times. And they also want to impress with many foreign ingredients, half of which you sometimes hardly need at all.
This report is not about excellent, award-winning cuisine decorated with stars, but about a man who hopefully has not yet been completely forgotten. Clemens Wilmenrod came from our closer home. He was born Carl Clemens Hahn on July 26, 1906 in Oberzeuzheim, grew up in Willmenrod, where his parents’ house, a mill, stood. Actually, he was a popular and sought-after post-war German actor, including at the Wiesbaden Residence Theater, which you could admire in the following films from the 1950s: “Wedding night in paradise”, “When a woman loves …”, “A vacation bed with 100 HP “and many others. But his sentence “Please be at table in 10 minutes” had become better known than anything else before. “Your dear golden people” also tempted the audience to pause and try out at a time when there was not everything in abundance and nouvelle cuisine had not yet penetrated German kitchen cabinets and stoves.
Herring salad on
Breton Art
In addition to his Hawaii toast, his Breton herring salad is legendary. However, this meal took four days to prepare. What surely impressed the children was his illustrious cowboy plate, in which all the ingredients that children otherwise don’t like were represented. But what tasted like a cowboy was, somewhat modified, also popular with children’s palates, although Wilmenrod intended it for a late snack.
Wilmenrod created the carp in Old Silesian sauce for Christmas, and with gingerbread, almond chips and dark beer, Wilmenrod made it possible to discover lost feelings of home in the cold season. German-style veal heart, Geneva-style fish cuts, American eggs, French peas, oriental shish kebab, Spanish bowl, Indian scampi, Swiss cutlets, Danish crab casserole, Swedish fish roulades, Boeuf Stroganoff, goose à la Bordelaise, Italian Lasagna and Catalan veal heads are reminiscent of Catalan his widespread worldview in terms of saucepan for everyone.
But also the Westerwald-typical dishes, dipping cakes, hand cheese with music, broad beans in the Westphalian way, brine eggs, Labskaus, Matjesfilet after Arthur Schlicker, soup meat Rosalinde, pancakes dominoes, sauerkraut roulades and rump steak with cream horseradish, even the “oil sardine Corona” special yet simple culinary delights à la Clemens Wilmenrod. Likewise, his good advice on “After a difficult evening”, “The Feuerzangenbowle”, “The diner above the clouds”, “The rum pot”, as well as numerous other delicacies that still have a firm tradition in some families. His self-written cookbooks are reminiscent of him, who was actually not a trained cook, and of his simple, but very appreciated and skillful preparation of many dishes worth copying. You will certainly not forget him, the first television chef from nearby Westerwald, who was neither noticed nor discovered by the dreaded gastro-critics Gault & Millau.
His famous and popular cooking series was broadcast until May 16, 1964. His wife Erika, a specialist butcher’s daughter, has long been his cooking aid in front of the camera and in everyday life.
One more word from him: “You mustn’t eat as it is in the book every day. You can do it twice a week. I don’t do anything else myself.”
Clemens Wilmenrod died much too early on April 12, 1967 in Munich. His grave is in the cemetery in his home town, in Willmenrod. The community has dedicated a wonderful grave complex with basalt stones from the Westerwald and a personally designed stele, which is still in good condition, to its citizens, who are known and valued throughout the country.
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