A Dutch Delight

The Dutch aren’t noted for having the most exciting cuisine in the world, but some of the recipes I found really made my mouth water. Farmers Cheese Soup, which contains bacon, onions and more, sounded particularly delicious to me. The recipe, however, had too many ingredients and too many steps, so you won’t find it here. Nor will you find the recipe for Lamb’s Tongue with Raisin Sauce. Need I explain why? Instead, I chose a vegetable – one of my very favorites – with a sauce nearly as popular in the U.S. as it is in the Netherlands. The photo shows it with white asparagus, which is a little more difficult to find and definitely pricier than its green counterpart. My guess is you can make it with either color, especially since the recipe doesn’t specify.

Asparagus Hollandaise
8 -10 asparagus spears per person (approx. 3.5 pounds)
1 tsp. salt
4 whole eggs & 4 egg yolks
8 slices boiled ham
4 Tbs. dry white wine (e.g. Pinot Blanc d’ Alsace)
1 cup melted butter
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Pinch of salt and white pepper
2 Tbs. finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Soak the asparagus in cold water as soon as you get them home. Rinse and peel with a potato peeler (start from the head and work your way down). Cut the woody bit off the end. Place the asparagus and salt in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave the asparagus in the hot water for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, boil 4 of the eggs and chop finely. Slice the ham into fine strips.

For the Hollandaise, beat egg yolks and wine until foamy. Place on a low heat and beat continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add the melted butter in a thin trickle, while continuing to whisk. Add the nutmeg, lemon juice, salt and white pepper. Whisk again, and set aside.

Gently drain the cooked asparagus. Be careful not to damage the tender heads. Plate them up, making sure the asparagus are facing in the same direction, and top with the Hollandaise sauce, chopped ham and boiled eggs. Scatter parsley over and serve with the rest of the chilled wine.

Enchanting England

Today we begin to taste England, land of Big Ben, Stonehenge, crumpets, Medieval castles and really hot accents. We’ll kick off with an English recipe. Stay tuned for more to come later in the week.

But first…for you readers out there, many wonderful books are set in England and a few of my favorites are written by Linore Rose Burkard, author of Before the Season Ends, The House in Grosvenor Square, and The Country House Courtship. Set in the early 1800s, these regency romances are as beautiful and elegant as their book covers, with plenty of twists and fascinating characters to keep you hooked from cover to cover. All three are rich in detail and historic references that flow seamlessly throughout intriguing plots. You can read my reviews of Season and Country House at www.faithfulreader.com. For a contemporary novel set in England, try Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn. Three women with unfulfilled dreams and wishes take off for England, unaware their little trip will lead them to some life changing decisions. For my review, click on http://www.faithfulreader.com/reviews/9781590527559.asp.

As I researched English food, I ran across several that sounded good and some that, well…didn’t. Mushy Peas were a definite “no.” I’m not posting a recipe with the word “mushy” in it. Steak and Kidney Pie – might be good, but I don’t do kidneys. And Spotted Dick – I won’t even go there. This one sounded rather delish though, so check it out.

Beef with Wild Mushrooms

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Fresh thyme

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds beef steak

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup beef stock

9 ounces red wine

9 ounces wild mushrooms

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut beef steak into cubes. In a pan combine red wine, onion, garlic, and thyme over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced by about a quarter. Put aside to cool. Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan cook beef until brown on all sides. Remove beef, and stir into cooled wine mixture. Put aside to prepare sauce. Lower the temperature. Sprinkle flour into pan. Cook slowly until flour is browned. Next, stir in beef stock. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in beef and wine mixture. Cook for another 40 to 45 minutes. Lay mushrooms on top of beef. Cover, and simmer for about 10 more minutes. Transfer beef and mushrooms to a serving dish. Taste sauce, and adjust seasonings. Simmer until sauce thickens. Finally, pour the sauce over the meat and mushrooms.

A Table Full of Food

Still featuring Sweden this week, with today’s focus on FOOD! (scroll down for recipes)

Who can resist a good smorgasbord? You don’t really hear that word much anymore, it’s been replaced by the shorter, easier-to-spell “buffet.” But it was the Swedes that made popular the idea of a table laden with a variety of foods where guests or customers could fill their plates. Smorgas means something akin to “open sandwich,” and bord means “table,” but a true smorgasbord does not have sandwiches. Instead, you’ll find numerous small dishes containing pickled herring with onions, Swedish meatballs, salmon, eggs, fried potatoes, salads, pies and more.

Nowadays, fast food is very popular in Sweden. You can go to a korvkiosk stand for boiled or fried hot dogs, fries and mashed potatoes!

Easter celebrations in Sweden usually mean coming home from church and enjoying a smorgasbord feast. Afterward, there are plenty of desserts to go around. Here are a couple of recipes for Swedish sweets. (Couldn't find a photo, so enjoy this picture of the Northern Lights instead!)

Spice Cake (kryddkaka)
2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat eggs until very light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually while beating. Sift together flour, spices and baking powder. Fold this into the egg mixture gently, so as not to deflate eggs. In a small saucepan, heat butter and water over low heat until butter has melted. Once butter melts, bring to a boil and add while still boiling hot to the batter (first mixture). Combine thoroughly. Butter a 7 3/4 inch tube pan and sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs. Pour cake batter into pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve unfrosted or with confectioners icing.
Serving Suggestion: Slice and serve with fruit and fruit syrup topped with whipped cream.

Almond Cake (mandeltårta)
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 16-oz. can pears in light syrup, drained
1 cups sugar, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup buttermilk, divided

Caramel-almond Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Puree pears in a food processor or blender until smooth. Measure out 1/2 cup of the puree; keep the remainder for another use. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, butter, oil, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the 1/2 cup pear puree in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
Beat egg whites in a clean mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until firm peaks form. Add 1/4 cup buttermilk to the wet ingredients and beat with the mixer on low speed. Add half of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Repeat with the remaining buttermilk and flour. (Be careful not to overmix, or the cake will be tough.) Fold in the reserved meringue with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

To make caramel-almond topping: Combine 3/4 cup sugar with water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until the syrup turns a deep caramel, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add 1/3 cup buttermilk. (The caramel will harden.) Return the caramel to low heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves. Stir in almonds and 1 teaspoon almond extract.

Place the cake, upside-down, on a serving plate. Poke holes all over the top with a thin skewer. Spoon the topping over the cake, spreading the almonds evenly and letting the caramel drip down the sides. Let the cake stand for about 1 hour to absorb the syrup, then serve.

BEYOND BORSCHT

I was looking forward to my research on Russian food because, for those of us who aren’t Russian, it is a bit of a mystery. Sure, we all know about borscht, but it’s unlikely that Russia’s 142 million people sit around eating borscht day after day. And…it’s a huge country that actually spans two continents, so the food is as diverse as the people. With over 160 nationalities represented, there must be some incredible “melting pot” stuff going on when it comes to cuisine!

Many of the foods we consider Russian are actually French influenced and known as Franco-Russian. Examples are Veal Orloff, Beef stroganoff and Chicken Kiev. Here are a few other main dishes that sounded good to me: Beef Shashlyk is a marinated beef kabob, popular at picnics. Bosartma is stewed lamb in a tomato base. Fish cutlets involve grinding the fish, mixing it with sour cream, egg and other ingredients, then forming a cutlet or patty which is fried.

Hot and cold soups have always played an important role in Russian meals. An age-old favorite is Shchi (pictured at right), which contains cabbage, meat, carrots or parsley roots; spicy herbs like garlic or onions; and sour components, like apples, sauerkraut or pickle water. Rassolnik is a hot soup in a salty-sour cucumber base which contains either veal, beef kidneys or poultry giblets.

Now this came as a surprise to me: mushrooms are a popular ingredient in Russian cuisine, often replacing meat. Here’s a delicious traditional mushroom-based recipe.

MUSHROOM CUTLETS

200 grams fresh mushrooms
100 grams rice
2 onions
2 Tbs. flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Boil mushrooms in salted water, then drain and rinse. Let water trickle off. Finely chop mushrooms and set aside. Finely chop onion and fry in oil. Boil rice until almost cooked, then let it cool. Mix mushrooms with onion, rice, salt and pepper to taste. Shape into small cutlets and roll in flour. Fry in oil until there is golden skin.Serve with a fresh green salad.

THE EMERALD ISLE

Ireland, land of rocky cliffs that rise from the North Atlantic, ancient ruins, Celtic shrines and cathedrals, colorful villages and hidden beaches. Did you know Ireland actually encompasses two separate countries? Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom; and the Republic of Ireland, an independent country that is a member of the European Union. Both have as many fascinating sites to explore as they do mystical legends. To get in the spirit for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, I will dedicate this week to all things Irish, beginning with food. Come back later in the week for castles, dramatic scenery and famous sites.
Before we talk food…I just have to tell you about a great book set in Ireland by my good friend, author Patti Lacy. Check out AN IRISHWOMAN’S TALE, available in bookstores and from Amazon. From the rugged, green cliffs of rural 1940s Ireland to present day Illinois, you will embark on a voyage of shattered hearts and jumbled lives, linking the fragmented pieces together as Mary, the book’s main character, reveals her history. Listening with her heart wide open is Mary’s new friend Sally, a feisty Southern woman who suspected all along there were stories and secrets hiding in Mary’s heart.

IRISH FOOD – The surrounding sea provides fresh seafood, while sweet green pastures afford plenty of meats and dairy. A variety of vegetables, especially potatoes, are ideally suited to Ireland’s climate and soil. Some traditional Irish foods are:
Seafood Chowder, with fish, bacon, onion, corn, potatoes and “a knob of butter.”
Colcannon, a mixture of mashed potatoes, cabbage and onions.
Irish Stew, containing lamb or mutton, onions and potatoes (do we see a pattern here?)
Got a craving for some Coddle? Here’s the recipe:

CODDLE
The classic Irish coddle recipe is basically a ham, sausage, potato, and onion stove-top casserole. It makes an easy and hearty meal.

1-1/2 pounds pork sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 pounds smoked ham, cut into 1-inch dice
1 quart boiling water
2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly diced
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the sausage and ham in the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, but reserve the liquid.
Put the meat into a large saucepan (or an oven-proof dish) with the onions, potatoes, and parsley. Add enough of the stock to not quite cover the contents. Cover the pot and simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until the liquid is reduced by half and all the ingredients are cooked but not mushy. You may need to remove the lid during the last half of the cooking process. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with the vegetables on top and fresh Irish Soda Bread and a glass of stout. Yield: 8 servings

Sensational Sicily

Buongiorno! Come and spend a moment in beautiful Sicily, land of volcanoes and beaches, age-old ruins, elaborate churches, amazing food and….my ancestors! I think part of what makes Sicily so fascinating is all the people who conquered it through the years. The Greeks, French, Spaniards, Austrians…did I miss anyone? In the end, all those cultures wove their way into Sicily’s art, food and architecture. There is sooo much to see in Sicily, so I’ll just have to stick with a couple of hot spots.

My Sicily obsession: I’m dying to see Gole Dell’Alcantara (“the throat of Alcantara), a gorge on the Alcantara river formed by lava in ancient times. It looks eerily beautiful and dramatic. Obsession number 2 is the Blue Grotto (pictured), which is actually in Capri, but you can take a boat from Sicily. It’s a sea cave illuminated by sunlight passing through an underwater cavity.

Interesting Sites: Teatro Massimo (Palermo), an architectural masterpieces and one of the larges opera houses in Europe. The Sanctuary of Santa Rosalina (Palermo) is a church built into a cave! There are many Greek ruins in Trapani, but if you’re into ruins, you’ve got to see Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples.

Beaches! Sicily is a beach lover’s paradise! Some of the best are Mondello Lido (close to Palermo) and at the Resort of Montelle (near Messina). Spiaggia Sabie Nere in the Aeolian islands actually has black sand beaches. Another don’t miss is Lido Mazzaro, where you take a 15-minute cable car ride down from the medieval town of Taormina to reach the beach.

Food! If you love seafood, Sicily is the place for you. Surrounded by the Mediterranean and Ionian seas, Sicily turns to the water for many of its famous dishes. Shellfish and squid are particularly prevalent. Other popular ingredients are lemons, artichokes, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, peppers, olives, rice and of course, pasta. Sicilians love their foods to be as colorful as they are rich in spices and textures. Here’s one of my favorite recipes:

Sicilian Amaretti Cookies
(Note: Many Italian regions have Amaretti cookie recipes. Some are hard and crunchy, but the Sicilian version is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.)

1 can (8 ounces) almond paste, see note
1 cup superfine sugar
2 large egg whites

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment, grease cookie sheets with butter. Break the almond paste into small pieces and place in mixing bowl with sugar. Work it into small pieces with your fingertips for a few minutes before mixing to achieve the proper texture. Mix on low speed until very fine.
Add egg whites in two additions, mixing well between. Continue mixing the dough until smooth; about 3 to 4 minutes. With a teaspoon mold dough into 1 1/2-inch mounds on baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Dampen paper towel and lightly press the top of each cookie to smooth the surface. Bake 15 minutes or until cookies have risen and are a deep golden color with tiny cracks.
Remove from oven and place baking pan on rack to cool. When cool, gently peel cookies from parchment. If they stick, turn the paper over and wipe the bottom of the parchment with a damp paper towel. If using greased cookie sheets, remove while still warm. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Cook's note: Do not use almond filling, almond paste provides the wonderful, chewy texture.