Karen Lodder

Hallo, I'm Karen Lodder, writer and the creator of website www.GermanGirlinAmerica.com. My parents came to America shortly before I was born, and I grew up in a Southern California home where the food and culture were all German. Summer visits to family in Germany reinforced my connection. Growing up this way was normal for me… but I could see how different I was from the other kids. You could say, the salami sandwiches on black crusted rye bread in the lunchroom made me stand out. I started my website in 2014 as a way of sharing my experiences, holiday traditions, travel, history, and of course, some of my favorite recipes. The posts allowed me to connect with many other German-Americans who have fond memories of Germany. And did I mention the FOOD?! Today, one in five Americans can trace to some German heritage. We really are a big club! (It might be time for a Kaffeeklatsch) My first book, Easy German Cooking, contains recipes from every corner of Germany. There is a lot more to German food than just beer and sausage! The "easy" means that recipes are laid out in a way that even a novice chef can produce delicious results with ingredients found in most grocery stores. Guten Appetit!