Food preservation has a long history in parts of the world that have limited growing seasons. When I think of preserved foods, I think of sauerkraut, bratwurst, beer, wine, cured meats and of course my grandma's pickled beets. These foods create a whirlwind of opinions, vacation memories, likes and dislikes in just about everyone. While in Austria, I fell in love with their preserved foods. I have searched high and low for restaurants that feature authentic Austrian and German cuisines.

However, I have been disappointed with imitations that try to market these culinary delights and completely miss the mark. These restaurants are nothing more than cheap imitations that buy prepared food, warm it and serve it up hoping that your taste buds will be fooled enough to pay the horrific price tag of your meal.

On a recommendation from several friends, I decided to venture out and try another restaurant that features Austrian cuisine. My mind conjured up images of Salzburg, Mozart, Vienna, preserved foods, the beautiful Alps that grace Austria and Julie Andrews skipping along singing "The Hills Are Alive ..." In contrast, here in Utah we have the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "God Be with You," Orrin Hatch's music compositions (which are hardly Mozart quality), and of course lots of preserved foods in food storage. With my comparisons between Utah and Austria firmly in place I walked through the doors of Vienna Bistro.

When I entered the restaurant, I felt like I was stepping out of Utah and into a quaint café on the streets of Salzburg. Beautiful wooden floors matched with marble walls and personalized tables that had been painted with town crests. An older gentleman dressed in lederhosen serenaded a corner table with a violin. A beautiful pastry case beckoned me over like a little child looking into a window full of magical wonders. Chef Frody, the owner, greeted me and sat me down at a table that had a crest painted on it representing the town of Bludenz. I later learned that was Chef Frody's hometown in Austria.

For the next two hours I enjoyed true Austrian cuisine that was prepared in the restaurant from scratch. The smoked and cured meats, sauerkraut, bratwursts, German beer, sacher tortes, and of course apple strudel flowed from a well-organized kitchen. Not only was the food delicious, it was presented beautifully. It soon became obvious that I was eating in a restaurant of a true chef. As I sat and visited with Chef Frody, my respect and admiration for him grew and grew. I listened to his philosophies from zero tolerance for immaturity in the kitchen to proper grooming, hygiene, and work clothing. Furthermore, anyone who works for him needs to be in school, bettering their life. Chef Frody is not only a genuine person, but a truly amazing chef who is bettering the world one homemade bratwurst at a time.

While I was in Austria I learned how to make apple strudel. It's one of my favorite desserts. I feel that it encompasses the beauty of Austria in one bite. The most memorable experience while learning how to make strudel was when my teacher put a note from her lover under the strudel dough and had me roll the dough until it was so thin we could actually read the note through the dough. At that point, the dough was thin enough. Happy dough rolling and enjoy:

Apple Strudel

Recipe Courtesy Chef Bryan Woolley

For the Dough:

7 oz. bread flour

pinch of salt

2 1/2 fluid ounces of lukewarm water

2 oz. melted butter

For the Filling:

2 lbs apples

1/4 tsp. rum essence

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 oz. butter

2 oz. biscuits or cake crumbs

2 oz. raisins

3 1/2 oz. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 oz. chopped blanched almonds

For the Dough:

1 » Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt, water and butter. Mix together with a large wooden spoon.

2 »When the dough comes together, work the dough for a moment on your work surface until smooth.

3 » Bring to boil some water in a saucepan and pour the water out.

4 » Line the sauce pan with a cotton cloth, place the dough in the hot, dry sauce pan and cover with the lid and allow the residual heat to soften the strudel dough.

5 » Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes.

For the Filling:

1 » Peel, quarter and core the apples and cut into thin slices and place in a large bowl.

2 » Add the rum, lemon juice and a little melted butter to lightly coat.

3 » Roll out the dough on a large floured work surface until you can read your lover's note through the dough.

4 » Brush the dough thinly with a little butter. Stretch the dough out to a 20-by-28-inch rectangle. The dough should be transparent. If the edges are a little thicker, cut them off.

5 » Brush two-thirds of the butter over the dough. Scatter the cake or biscuit crumbs over two thirds of the dough, leaving about an inch around the edges. Then, in order of the ingredients, arrange the apples, raisins, sugar, chocolate chips, and almonds on the dough.

6 » Fold the free edges of the dough over the filling. Then, use a dough scrapper to help roll up the dough from the longer edge. Press down well at the ends, place on a greased baking sheet and brush with some butter or an egg wash.

7 » Bake in a 400-degree oven for approximately 40 minutes or until strudel dough has turned golden brown.