{MKMW} Liechtenstein – Käsknöpfle

Translated it means cheese dumplings. Dumplings! Cheese! How can you possibly go wrong with that? It is very much like our Mac/Cheese but with a VERY different pasta. In Leichtenstein it is one of really very few actual Leichtensteiner dishes. {I found only two initially and then ran across several more thanks to Celt Net}

Liechtenstein is a small principality bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. It is the smallest German speaking country in the world. For most of its 2000 year history it has been under the control of one country or another and its cuisine reflects that. But according to some of the web sites I visited THIS recipe is considered the national dish.

These dumplings can be made by simply dropping little pieces of batter into the boiling water or by using a special cutter They are very similar to German spaetzle.

300g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
1 tbsp water
1 large onion, chopped
150g mixed grated cheese {I used Gruyere and cheddar}

Place the ingredients in a bowl and mix them into a dough. Leave for 10-20 minutes. Then pass the dough through a colander or dough cutter into boiling, salted water. Leave the small pieces of dough in the boiling water for a couple of minutes, then place them in a bowl, add grated cheese, and mix together. Fry onion rings in butter until they are golden, then place these on top of the dish and serve.

I made 1/3 of the recipe and that was plenty for two healthy servings.

This was very easy to prepare and very tasty. And since these little free form noodles are so easy to make it will be served often.

Pop on over to and see what other dishes arrived from Leichtenstein. And if you want to join in just make a dish and leave a comment on the MKMW website.

 

{MKMW} Portugal

This month My Kitchen My World made a quick visit to Portugal….

..a small country on the west coast of Spain. Portugal is known for its culinary diversity. Cooks pair meat with fish, fish with fruit, fruit with eggs, eggs with beans. Vasco de Gama found the water route to the east and introduced the spices of India, Africa, and South America to Europe. Today all those spices are incorporated into native seasons to add robust flavor to the dishes of Portugal – especially the seafood and water fowl, which, being a coastal country, is abundant.

I have been waiting for a recipe to use some ducks I had in the freezer. This one was perfect. So for supper last nite we had….

Arroz de Pato {Braised Duck and Rice}

A duckling weighing 5 to 51/2 pounds, with its giblets {I had 4 wild ducks and no gibliets}
5 cups cold water
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
10 peppercorns
1/4 pound prosciutto, in one piece
1/4 pound slab bacon, in one piece {For both bacon and prosciutto I had slices but it worked just fine.}
1/2 pound chourico, chorizo, or pepperoni, in one piece
2 cups converted rice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water

1. Pull all excess fat from the neck and body cavities of the duck and discard; prick the bird well all over with a sharp-pronged fork, then refrigerate until needed. Place the water, duck giblets and neck, onion, carrots, peppercorns, prosciutto, bacon, and chourico in a large heavy kettle, and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Adjust the burner heat so mixture bubbles gently, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
2. With a slotted spoon, lift the duck giblets and neck, the prosciutto, bacon, and chourico from the kettle and reserve. Now place the duck in the kettle, breast-side up, bring the
liquid to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer 30 minutes; turn the bird breast-side down, re-cover, and sim- mer 30 minutes longer. Remove the duck from the broth and cool until
easy to handle. Strain the broth, discarding the solids. Now skim as much fat as possible from the broth-there will be plenty of it! This is a job requiring patience.
3. Preheat the oven to very hot (450°F). With poultry shears, cut the legs and wings off the duck. Divide the breast in half by cutting down the middle of the breastbone, then cut each half crosswise into three chunks. Remove as much meat as possible from the back of the bird.
Place all pieces of meat, skin-side up, in a shallow 3-quart earthenware casserole. (It should measure about 12 x 9 inches, or 11 to 12 inches in diameter, and be 2 inches deep.) Place the uncovered casserole on the middle shelf of the oven and bake the duck until lightly browned-about 15 minutes. Remove -the casserole from the oven and set aside; reduce oven heat to moderate (350°F).
4. Pour 1 quart of the skimmed duck broth (reserve any extra to use in making a soup, sauce, or stew) into a large heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat; add the rice and pepper, bring to a simmer, adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently, then cook un-
covered about 10 minutes until the level of the liquid is below that of the rice. Meanwhile, cut as much meat from the duckling neck as possible and reserve; discard the neck bone. Also, coarsely chop the giblets, and dice the prosciutto. Add all to the rice, cover, and cook 5 to 8 minutes longer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Meanwhile, dice the bacon and brown in a small heavy skillet over moderately high heat until most of the drippings have cooked out, leaving crisp brown bits-about 5 minutes. You’ll have to stir the bacon frequently to keep it from burning. With a slotted spoon, lift the crisp brown bits to paper toweling to drain; discard the drippings or reserve to use another time. Slice the chourico ‘/4-inch thick; stir into the rice along with the bacon bits.
6. Spoon the rice into the casserole covering the. duck completely. Drizzle the surface first with melted butter, then with the egg yolk mixture. Cover snugly with foil and bake 15 minutes; uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, just until the rice is faintly golden. Spoon rice mixture onto serving dish or serve directly from the casserole.
{Note: Because ofthe saltiness of the ham, bacon, and sausage used, you will not need to add any salt.} Country Living September 1987

This was really good but took about 4 – 4 1/2 hours to make. The flavor of the bacon and prosciutto was all through the rice and the ducks were very flavorful. I am glad I made the full recipe so we could have leftovers.

For dessert we had….

PÃO DE LÓ

…a golden sponge cake layer that appears in its paper wrapper in markets and pastry shops throughout Portugal.

2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 9-inch round cake pan. Cut a 15- by 12-inch piece of parchment paper and fit into pan, allowing edges to extend beyond rim (see
Note). Grease paper on bottom and 2 inches up side of pan.
In medium-size bowl, with electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs with salt until light and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar until soft peaks form. Add yolks, 2 at a time, beating 3 minutes after each addition.
Sprinkle flour over egg mixture. With rubber spatula, very gently fold flour into beaten egg mixture until uniformly combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Place another piece of parchment over cake, resting on extended edges of the parchment pan liner and being careful to avoid top of batter.
Bake 15 minutes or until center appears set. Remove top piece of parchment. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Using edges of parchment pan liner, lift cake to serving plate and set aside at least 1 hour before serving.
{Note: The cake may be baked without parchment, but the surface will be darker. To do so, grease 9-inch round baking pan and line bottom with a circle of waxed paper; grease paper and side of pan.}{Country Living June 1997}

This cake was a perfect foil for ice cream or caramel or chocolate but by itself a little bland. I would definitely make it again tho. Very simple and quick.

Sure wish y’all would join us in visiting the cuisine of different countries. Just check

with the website each month to see what country we are visiting.

HINT:: March we are going to Liechtenstein.

 

{MKMW} Danish Aebelskivers

Aebelskivers!

…are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.

They can be savory or sweet. I didn’t know which ones to make so I did both. The first ones were filled with cheese.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons (112 stick) unsalted butter. melted
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 48 small pieces

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then whisk in the buttermilk until well blended. In another large bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks
form.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until blended. Do not over mix. Fold the egg whites into the batter until almost no white streaks remain.
Heat an ableskiver pan over medium heat. Lightly brush the inside of each well of the pan with the melted butter. Working in batches, spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of batter into each well, drop a piece of cheese in the batter, and top with a little more batter.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the top of the batter becomes very bubbly. Flip the
ableskivers using a metal skewer, {I used chopsticks} and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until browned.
Using the metal skewer , transfer the ableskivers to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain briefly. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with butter between each batch. Serve warm.
SERVES 6 TO 8

Using the same recipe but without the cheese I made a plain batch and bathed them in a simple syrup.

One recipe two snacks! Cannot beat that.

The recipe is barely adapted from Molly O’Neill’s One Big Table on page 9.

Come on over toto see what else is on the Smörgåsbord.

 

{MKMW} Visiting “Down Under”

On the very top my list of fantasy places to visit is

I have a rather romantisized view based on books and movies but I can live with that.

I would love to see

and hear a

but considering the 20+ hour flight and other considerations I just don’t see it happening. So for now I will have to be content with dreaming and visiting some of the cuisine of Australia!!

And therein lies the problem. Australia, like the US, is a nation of immigrants. The Aboriginal peoples arrived around 40,000 years ago or so. The next peoples did not arrive until 1606 when the Duitch landed and the British in 1770 when they established a penal colony. If you wanted to get ‘out of jail free’ you could opt to immigrate to Australia. And many many did.

Today Australia is home to peoples from all over the world so trying to find a ‘typical’ Aussie dish was not easy. Anzac Cookies would be the first thing most people would think of but I wanted, naturally, something different. So how about:

Damper Bread

Damper is traditionally a simple Australian unleavened bread baked in the hot coals of a campfire. The dough was wrapped around a stick and cooked or put into an iron pot and buried in the hot coals.The bread is called damper because the fire is damped to allow the bread to be cooked over the ash covered hot coals.

2 1/2 cups plain flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup milk, fresh,powdered ( or you can just use water)

Mix the flour, salt and sugar together into a bowl.
Cut in the butter until fine crumbs form.
Add milk slowly and mix to form a soft dough.
Knead lightly on a floured board until smooth.
Shape into a round loaf, brush with milk and cut a cross in the top surface of the dough.

. . . For oven cooking

Grease and dust with flour a round cake tin. You can substitute a flat baking pan, but the round tin gives a better shape to the loaf. Place dough in the pan and bake at 190° C (375° F) for 30 – 40 minutes.

. . . For campfire cooking

Grease the camp oven (Dutch oven) and dust with flour. Add bread dough and cover. Place in your campfire, cover with hot ashes and coals and bake for about 30 minutes. {I really want to try it this way!}

I tried a slice with Vegemite. That’s different. Very Salty and… no I don’t think I like that. And with some butter and plainAlso good with soup, syrup, honey…. The damper reminded me of a giant biscuit! Which is basically what it is. Good!!

There are abut 4 of us who have been cooking with Donna Hay, a renowned Australian chef, and none of the meals are typically Australian. I could have made any number of dishes with seafood or beef (Albertsons was completely out of Kangaroo Meat and it’s not Croc season in LA) but….

I made a typical dessert instead:

Lamingtons

According to stories… the creation of the Lamington is asssociated with accredited to Lord Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of sea salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of room temperature butter
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of milk
2 cups of icing sugar {aka powdered or confectioners sugar}
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
3 tbs of butter
1/2 cup of milk
Whipped cream for serving

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
Lightly butter an 8 inch square cake tin. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, use an electric beater to cream the butter and sugar mixture together until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat well after adding each egg.
Add the vanilla to the mixture and mix well to combine.
Next, use a spatula to alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, starting and finishing with the flour.
Spread the batter into the cake tin, making sure it’s evenly spread.
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Test the center of the cake with a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the tin for about 5 minutes and then invert it onto a wire rack to cool.
Once the cake has cooled cut it into squares of a desired size and place them in an airtight container. Pop the container in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
Now for the icing. Place the icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter and milk in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Stir the mixture until it is smooth but still a bit thick. You don’t want the liquid to get too thin otherwise the sponge cake won’t absorb the coating.
Now it’s time to assemble the Lamingtons. Put out some newspaper under wire racks to catch any mess. Place the cake pieces on the racks and have your chocolate icing and desiccated coconut ready.
Quickly coat the sponge cake on all sides in the icing mixture and then gently roll the cake in the coconut. Repeat the process.

The trick to these is to soak the cake pieces long enough in the chocolate to get a nice layer of chocolate without having them fall apart IN the chocolate! The longer you dip the cake, the thicker the layer of chocolate!! These little nuggets are fun to make and even funner {yes, I know it’s not a word!!} to eat!

So, if you cannot visit the Australian continent you can at least try two of it’s common treats.

**Thanks to Australian Food and All Down Under for the recipes.

 

{MKMW} Gnocchi Bolognese

And so we return to Italy for My Kitchen My World . But instead of JUST Italy, we could choose a region of Italy to cook from. I have been wanting to make a Bolognese Sauce for some time. Perfect timing.

The first recipe for a meat sauce characterized as being Bolognese came from Pellegrino Artusi and was included in his cookbook published in 1891. Artusi’s recipe, Maccheroni alla bolognese, is believed to have originated from the middle 19th century when he spent considerable time in Bologna.

Bologna is in Northern Italy (specifically Emilia Romagna) so I guess that is my region!

Bolognese Sauce

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic doves, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite diced toma oes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup milk (not all at once)
1/2 teaspoon salt

In large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add the beef and cook, breaking into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and any liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano, and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add carrots. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add milk. Stir in salt.

Gnocchi

1 1/2 lbs Washington Russet potatoes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks

Scrub potatoes with vegetable brush under cold running water. Prick potatoes with fork in several places. Microwave potatoes until done. {I used 6 potatoes and microwaved for 6 minutes.} Cool 10 minutes. Peel potatoes and while still warm shred potatoes on a box grater over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread potatoes out ‘and cool completely.
When potatoes are cooled, in a large bowl combine potatoes, flour and salt and toss well to coat potatoes with flour. Add egg yolks and stir with fingers or a fork until evenly moistened. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to form a dough. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece with your palms on a work surface to form a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 1 /2-inch pieces.

Hold the tines of a fork at a 45-degree angle to the table with the concave part facing up. Dip the tip of your thumb in flour. Take one piece of dough and with the tip of your thumb, press the dough lightly against the tines of the fork as you roll it downward toward the tips of the tines. As the dough wraps around the tip of your thumb, it will form into a dumpling with a deep indentation on one side and a ridged surface on the other.
Repeat with remaining pieces.

What is even more fun is to use a Gnocchi Board

Over high heat, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. In batches, add gnocchi to the pot and cook until gnocchi rise to the surface. Carefully
remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to serving bowls. Serve with Bolognese Sauce . Garnish with freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese.

B really liked this so now this is now my basic go-to sauce.

The gnocchi recipe appeared originally on Washington State Potato Commission Page but it is no longer there.

 

{MKMW} Hola! Bienvenidos a España

Yes, this month we are visiting the penninsula of Spain. Hanging out all by itself (well along with Portugal…) and protecting the Mediterranian from the Atlantic ocean it is a country of cultural contrasts. What do you think of when you think of Spain?

Flamenco?

Running of the Bulls in Pamplona (Crazy People)

Bullfighting?

Or is it the food of Spain that intrigues you? The Food – of course!! And the food changes through out the different culural regions of the country.

CRISP FRITTERS FROM CORDOBA Buñuelos de Cordoba

“These delicate fritters from southwestern Spain are popular throughout the Hispanic world in many different forms. In Mexico they may be made flat like tortillas, or shaped like doughnuts.”

3 large eggs
J/4 cup light or pure (not extra-virgin) olive oil, preferably Spanish
V4 teaspoon suit
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1 1/2 quarts vegetable or mild olive oil for frying
1 1/2 cups sugar for finishing

2 jelly-roll pans lined with parchment paper for holding the bunuelos before frying, and 2 more lined with paper towels for draining them

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the oil and salt. Use a large rubber spatula to stir in the flour and baking powder to make a soft dough.
Scrape the dough from the bowl to a floured work surface and fold the dough over on itself, using a bench scraper to flip it. To make the dough smoother and somewhat elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Flour the outside, and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour, or as long as overnight.
When you are ready to fry the bunuelos, remove the dough from the relrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece to a cylinder 12 inches long. Cut each cylinder into 1-inch pieces.

Roll each 1-inch piece of dough under the palms of your hand lo a 3-inch length. Pass a rolling pin over the dough to flatten and lengthen it slightly. Moisten one end of the dough and join it to the other, pressing to make the 2 pieces of dough stick together, forming a circle. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, arranging them on one of the prepared pans, not touching each other.
To fry the bunuelos, heat the oil to 350 degrees in a large Dutch oven. Fry 5 or 6 bunuelos at a time, turning them over once they have turned a deep golden color on the bottom. Remove and place on one of the paper-towel-lined pans to drain. Repeat with the remaining bunuelos.
5. After all the bunuelos have been fried, put the sugar in a shallow bowl arid roll the warm bunuelos in it.
SERVING: Pile the bunuelos on a platter. They are a good snack or a very casual dessert.
STORAGE: Keep the bunuelos for up to 6 hours after frying before serving them. Fried pastries such as this don’t make good leftovers.~~A Baker’s Tour by Nick Malgieri~~

************************

Along with paella, the ubiquitous Spanish omelette is perhaps one of the best-known Spanish dishes.

Tortilla de Patatas

Ingredients
* 1/2 pint of olive oil
* 5 medium (40 oz each) baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt
* 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 5 eggs
* Salt
Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Try to keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet.

Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set.

Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelette away from the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelette back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelette to cool, and then cut it into wedges. Season it with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste (optional).
Serve warm or at room temperature.

I enjoy a good omelette and this is simple and delicious. Good for lunch or dinner. Or just anytime. Most Tapas bars will have this omelette in their repertoire. And depending on where you are in Spain it may include mushrooms, tomatoes, or spinach. Sometimes served with a heaping tablespoon of mayonaise. (Paraphrased from Spain Recipes)

Please visit the other participants from My Kitchen My World for their Spanish (and British) recipes.

 

{MKMW} Great Britain – Afternoon Tea!

“What is high tea?’
“Yes, well, it’s tea, you know,with cocoa and scones and eggs if you’ve got hens, and bacon if you’ve killed a pig, and marmalade and Bovril and kippers, and you have it late for tea, about six.”

Yes!! It is smashing! And lately it has become a lovely way to spend an afternoon at many Tea Rooms, Inns, and Hotels in the nation. It includes tea, of course, but also finger sandwiches, small cakes, scones, and other small delicacies.

It can be extravagent…

like this one at the Ritz Hotel.
{Image from NYT}

The treats are served on a three tiered stand – sandwiches on the top, scones in the middle, sweets on the bottom. And LOTS of tea!!

But a casual tea at home in the afternoon is just as much fun.

“There are few hours in life more enjoyable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
~~Henry James~~

The Duchess of Bedford is credited as the creator of afternoon teatime. Because the noon meal had become skimpier, the Duchess suffered from “a sinking feeling”
at about four o’clock in the afternoon. She asked for a small meal – a pot of tea and some cakes or sandwiches to be served to hold her until the evening meal. Afternoon Tea was born.

So for AfternoonTea at The Ortigo Tea Room I offer:

Crumpets
Scotch Eggs
Cucumber Sandwiches
Banana Tea Loaf

Crumpets

Crumpets are not the same as English Muffins. For crumpets, the holes are on the outside. They are made completely made on a griddle and incredibly easy. Eat them fresh.
Ingredients:

6.11 ounces/173 grams (1 2/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
8.04 ounces/2.28 grams (2 cups) unbleached bread flour
.07 ounce/2 grams (3/4 teaspoon) cream of tartar
.56 ounce/17 grams (1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon) fine sea salt or kosher salt
15.63 ounces/443 grams (2 cups) room temperature water (70 to 78°F), plus more if necessary
.22 ounce/7 grams (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
.06 ounce/2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) sugar
.06 ounce/2 grams (1/2teaspoon) baking soda
4.78 ounces/136 grams (2/3cup) room temperature milk (70°F to 78°F)
Unsalted butter, for greasing the cake rings

Place the all-purpose flour, bread flour, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
Whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar in a medium bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, and then pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the batter. Stir gently to combine. The batter should now be the consistency of pancake batter. If it’s too stiff, your crumpets won’t have enough of those characteristic bubbles and holes, so, if necessary, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grease several 4-inch cake rings with butter.
Place the cake rings in the skillet and pour some batter into each ring so they’re three-quarters full. Cook until holes begin to form on the surface, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the rings, flip the crumpets, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until nicely toasted.
Serve immediately with butter.
For longer storage, freeze in a zipper-lock plastic bag for up to 1 month. To defrost, place on the countertop for 15 to 30 minutes, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes before serving. {From Daniel Leader Simply Great Breads}.
These were sooo good. And so simple to make. They are more ‘spongy’ than English Muffins but just as good with melted butter or jam or both.

Besides the crumpets we also had…

Scotch Eggs

While these are often served whole at tea they can also be sliced. They make great a finger food.
Ingredients:

8 small hard-boiled eggs, shells removed
Flour
2 pounds sausage meat
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 beaten eggs
Oil for deep frying

Dust the hard-boiled eggs lightly with a little flour and set them aside.
Roll out the sausage meat on a flat surface with a pastry roller. Mix the breadcrumbs with the mace, salt and pepper and put them in a shallow dish.
Take each hard-boiled egg and dip it into the beaten egg, then put it on the sausage meat and, using your fingers, wrap the meat over the egg until it is entirely covered. Be generous with the meat—it should be at least i/g-inch thick around the egg.
Once the egg is covered, roll it in the breadcrumb mixture and smooth it back into shape so that it still resembles an egg. When all the eggs have been wrapped this way, heat the oil and deep fry the eggs until they are golden brawn.
Allow the eggs to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving. {From Jane Garmey Great British Cooking}.
You can use any type of sausage you like. I used just a basic bulk sausage. Make sure you fry them enough to get the sausage done all the way though, so don’t try to fry them quickly

For something sweet, try….

Banana Tea Loaf

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup white raisins
4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Mix the flour, baking powder, allspice, salt and sugar in a bowl.
Cut the butter into small pieces and add it and all the remain¬ing ingredients.
Mix well with an electric beater or by hand and turn the mixture into a greased 9-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Turn the oven down to 300° and bake for an additional 1/2 hour.
Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool slightly before turning it onto a rack to cool fully.
Cut into slices and serve with butter.{From Jane Garmey Great British Cooking}.

I used mini loaf pans and baked for a few minutes less, but it depends on your oven.

If you want to add a little elegance to your tea you can also serve Cucumber Sandwiches.

Simply remove crusts from your bread. Cut into quarters and spread with butter. Place a slice of cucumber on each quarter and top with a garnish of your choice. Salmon, is always nice or just a small slice of grape tomato.

Enjoying tea is always nice on a day when it is cold and blustery outside, or any day with your friends.

In case you haven’t guessed, our destination for July’s My Kitchen My World was Great Britain.

>

Great Britain includes England {Crumpets}, Scotland {Scotch Eggs}, Wales, and Ireland. For more great dishes from GB please visit for the round up.

 

{MKMW} Καλώς ήλθατε στην Ελλάδα! Welcome to Greece!

You know what they say about best laid plans, right?? I had so many recipes laid out for our Journey to Greece. It was going to be a glorious meal.

Moussaka!
Spanakopita!
Pastitsio!

{All of which we have had before – but in my Pre-Blogging Days!!} Ah, well. At least we got dessert!

Revani

Revani is a Semolina Sponge Cake that is soaked with a Lemon Syrup It is easy to put together and quite citrusy since there is Orange Zest in the cake and Lemon Syrup over the cake. Which makes it very moist! And very lemony! And quite sweet, but not overly sweet. {Especially since I added an extra 1/4 cup or so of lemon juice to the syrup.} The cake’s texture reminded me of cornbread

Did I mention there is also BRANDY in this cake? Ordinarily I don’t have Brandy in the house, but when I helped my Mom move she had these cute little bottles in the cabinet. Fortunately she didn’t know she had want them!!

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By the Way, we don’t publish recipes, but you can find Malgieri’s Recipe [from his A Baker's Tour] - HERE!!

And Visit after June 1st to see the round-up for Greece.

Καλό φαγητό!

Bon appetit!
Enjoy your Meal!

 

{MKMW} At the Table in Germany!!

As I told y’all earlier this year I am an Air Force Brat. And lots of my food memories growing up are not of hot dogs, apple pie, or mom’s pot roast, but rather Wiener Schnitzle, curried anything, scones, and paella. We only lived in Germany and England but we visited as many countries as we could. And the food was always an adventure to us American Tourists.

I was excited when….

….Deutschland

….was chosen for December’s My Kitchen My World country. I could find some of my favorite dishes and just cook to my heart’s content. Well, that was the plan, but you know what they say about the ones that are best made?? It just didn’t work out that way. So here are my simple, but tasty contributions to this month’s virtual world tour.

Peter Reinhart’s Stollen

As part of the Slow and Steady BBA group {yes, we are still plugging along} I made the Stollen for my Christmas Platters. I am really not much on fruit in bread, but the Man is so I made it more for him than anyone. Surprise!! Surprise!! I really liked it, too. I remember my Mom bringing Stollen home during the holidays when we lived in Stuttgart (1965) but this is the first time I have made it. It won’t be the last.

I cannot print the recipe without permission from the author, but you can find it on The Cooking Route who did have permission.

That was breakfast.

Later for lunch {altho not really the same day!!!} We had Bratwurst and….

Spätzle or Tiny Dumplings

This recipe came from a German cookbook that was in my Mom’s collection {which was way bigger than mine…..}

3 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs (optional)
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter (optional)

Combine the flour, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
Break up the eggs with a fork and beath them into the flour mixture.
Pour the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a large spoon, and continue to stir until the dough is smooth.
Bring 2 quarts of water and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a heavy 4/5 qt saucepan.
Set a large colander, preferably one with large holes, over the saucepan and with a spoon press the dough a few tablespoons at a time through the colander directly into the boiling water.

{I did this last time. NOT FUN!!! Since then I have purchased a handy dandy Spätzle maker.

And even if I only use 1 or 2 times a year it was totally worth it!!!}
Stir the Spätzle gently to prevent them from sticking to each other, then boil briskly for 5 – 8 minutes or until they are tender.
Drain the Spätzle thoroughly in a colander.
When Spätzle are sered as a separate dish they are traditionally presented sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs. {I served mine with some butter and parsley.}

So there you have it. Stollen, Rotwurst, Spätzle, Brotchen. The perfect German Cafe meal. Which we enjoyed many times at a little place down by the Bahnhoff. (With Bier und pommes frites sometimes…)

Visit the other members of

and see their dishes auf Deutschland….

auf Wiedersehen, meine Freundin!!

Und ein gluckliches neues Jahr!!

 

Yookoso Nihon e！ Welcome to Japan! {MKMW}

I love to travel. I think it is because I grew up as an Air Force Brat. We were never in one place longer than 2 years and usually much less than that. Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Austria. But we never were stationed in any of the Asian Countries. (Unless you count the year my Dad was in South Korea in the 50s.) Japan, China, India, Indonesia have always been mysterious and exotic. And since I will probably NEVER get there I will have to visit through the cuisine of those countries. And thanks to My Kitchen My World I can do that.

Welcome to Japan!! Yookoso Nihon e

It took me forever to decide what to make. When I think of Japanese Cuisine I always think of tempura and sushi. I knew there had to be more than that. So searching I went. And as you can see I came up with several dishes.

Curry Udon: Is a thick, dark, spicy, delicious curry made with Udon noodles. It is comfort food taken to the epitomy of comfort food.

I adapted (aka Americanized) this recipe (and the next) from About.com: Japanese Food

* 5 oz thinly sliced pork, or chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
* 3 inches carrot, julienned
* 4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 2 tsp curry powder
* 5 cup dashi soup {I used Veggie Broth.}
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup mirin
* 2 1/2 Tbsp katakuriko starch or potato starch, { I used Corn Starch} mixed with 4 Tbsp of water
* 4 inches negi, or green onion, diagonally and thinly sliced
* 4 servings preboiled udon noodles

Preparation

Heat some oil in a deep pot and saute pork until it chages color on medium heat. Add onion slices and saute on low heat until softened. Put curry powder and stir-fry with meat and onion well. Add shiitake mushrooms and carrot and stir-fry. Pour dashi soup in the pot and season with soy sauce and mirin. Simmer until carrots are softened on medium heat. Add the starch and water mixture to thicken the soup. Add negi slices in the soup. Meanwhile, boil water in a large pan and heat udon noodles as indicated in the package. Drain the udon and divide into four bowls. Serve curry soup over the udon noodles. *Makes 4 servings. I will be making this A LOT this winter.

Sobameshi: Japanese fried noodles with rice which is originally from Western Japan.

* 2 tsp vegetable oil
* 1/4 lb pork or beef slices, cut into small pieces {I used chicken. It would be good without the chicken, too.}
* 1/4 onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup finelly chopped cabbage
* 1 package pre-steamed chuka noodles, cut into 1/2 inch length pieces
* 2 cups steamed rice
* 2 Tbsp dashi soup {I used Veggie Broth.}
* 2 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce {I did not use this, but rather made a sauce.}

Preparation:
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok on medium heat. Fry meat until change color. Add onion and cabbage and stir-fry until softened. Add noodles in the skillet. Pour 2 Tbsp of dashi soup over the noodles and stir fry until the moisture is gone. Add rice and stir-fry until mixed well with other ingredients. Pour Worcestershire sauce and stir quickly. Stop the heat. *makes 2 servings

Sauce: (borrowed from en Petit Chef)
1 1/2 Tbl Soy Sauce
1 Tbl Mirin
1 tsp Oyster Sauce

Mix ingredients together and set aside.

And then, because I just couldn’t stop myself….

Chicken Yakitori: grilled chicken.

And since I didn’t change the recipe I’ll just leave you with the link.It is supposed to be grilled but since I didn’t have one that I could fire up quickly and was only making a small portion I used my upside down grill. Also known as a broiler. Worked just fine.

I hope you enjoyed this meal. I know I did. And so glad I have leftovers. Well, some. The Boy came home and enjoyed some of it, too. But there is still enough left for another meal. Delicious!!

Please visit the other cooks and find out what they made for….