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.

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.