The American diet is comprised of foods and flavors from around the world – from our snacks and holiday feasts, to our favorite Friday night dinner.

And almost every country to contribute their native food has been credited for it. When we eat shepherd's pie we thank the English; we think of the Irish when we dine on corned beef and cabbage; and everyone knows that curry comes from India.

Pizza, sushi, tacos, gyros, croissants, egg rolls … all Americans know where these dishes came from and who to credit for their origins. But when it comes to the food of Germany, Americans tend to get stumped when crediting their contributions.

Sure, we eat and enjoy Bavarian food all the time, but do we actually recognize the Germans for creating it? It turns out that the foods we think of as quintessential American dishes came straight from Deutschland. I'm talking about hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels, potato salad, black forest cake, dumplings, donuts and lager beer.

And since it's still Oktoberfest, it's the perfect time to whip up a German dish in celebration of the culture that gave us these "all-[German-] American" dishes we've come to love.

Capital Ale House's recipe for Beer Brats and Sauerkraut is one of the few Bavarian entrées we actually recognize as such and it's a delicious way to appreciate a culture that's given so much. And if you're looking for a way to celebrate Oktoberfest, then be sure to head down to Capital Ale House's Innsbrook location for this weekend's 5th annual Oktoberfest Celebration.

Beer Brats and Sauerkraut

INGREDIENTS:
8 4-ounce Bratwurst (uncooked preferred)
2 12-ounce bottles of German lager beer (not a pilsner but lager)
2 pounds Sauerkraut
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional) DIRECTIONS:
Place brats and one 12 ounce bottle of beer in a sauce pan with lid. Boil for 5 minutes, turn brats then continue cooking uncovered until beer evaporates. Brown the brats on two sides (if you are using pre-cooked brats it may be necessary to add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan to help brown the brats), then add sauerkraut, caraway seeds and 4 more ounces of beer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more beer to the pan if it becomes to dry. Place two brats on a bed of sauerkraut. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with good whole grain mustard and mugs of German Lager, Pilsener, Oktoberfest or Hefe-Weiss style beers. Prost! Serves 4.