| Published October 1st, 2008 | ItOs Oktoberfest in Germany But we eat the rest of the year, too | By Linda U. Foley | ![](../issue0215/images/0215-03301.jpg) | Peter and Kirsten in front of the Oktoberfest entrance Photo Andy Scheck
| German food is considered by many to be heavy and therefore, more of a cold weather fare. While this may be true especially in California, curiously, much of what we cook could be mistaken for Italian, a cuisine most welcome any time of year.
Where Germans like to cook with goose fat (don't knock it if you haven't tried it) or butter, use smoked bacon, almonds, potatoes, and horseradish, Italians like to use olive oil, pine nuts, tomatoes, prosciutto and lots of garlic. And, one thing we definitely agree on is lots of red wine. We like to marinate, incorporate into sauces and, of course, drink it. If short on wine to marinate, substitute beer. If short on both for marinating venison or rabbit, use buttermilk.
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