Good Morning.
So I did the blog on Monday about the president trooping around Europe with an unbuttoned suit coat because I'm so appalled by his conduct that I tried to find something like his sloppy attire to talk about. The entire last week in Brussels, London, and finally Helsinki has been just plain embarrassing, even frightening, at least for those of us who still like the Europeans. I do and I love their food. I am so disgusted at how our friends have been treated that I'm doing a culinary alliance of American, German, French, and British dishes.
We begin with a Hemingway Daiquiri. This recipe will make one drink.
2 oz. light rum
1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur
3/4 oz. grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. Rose's lime juice
Pour the above ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of lime. Unfortunately I cannot enjoy this beverage because it has grapefruit juice that interferes with my cholesterol
meds. I will have a Vodka Gimlet made with American rather than Russian vodka. A guy at a liquor store in Farmington,
Connecticut once told me the American vodkas are actually better.
We also have a very American hors d'oeuvre, Cranberry Walnut Brie Crostinis.
1 baguette, sliced thinly
Olive oil
A wheel of Brie
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
3 tbsp. maple syrup
3 tbsp. brown sugar
In a small sauce pan, combine the three tablespoons of maple syrup and the three tablespoons of brown sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for two minutes. Brush the baguette slices lightly with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Place under the broiler and broil under golden. Watch carefully as it will take only a couple of minutes. Warm up the Brie in the microwave until it just begins to melt, not longer. Spread some on each baguette slice.
Put the chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and regular raisins in a bowl and mix them up. Now sprinkle on top of the baguette slices and drizzle with the maple sugar glaze. Serve warm.
For dinner we suggest Rouladen, the classic German dish.
1/4 cup mustard, your choice
8 4 oz. pieces of round steak, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup minced white onion
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 slices bacon
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 12 oz. can beef broth
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
Spread about half a tablespoon of mustard over one side of each piece of meat. Sprinkle the minced onion, paprika, salt, and pepper over the steaks. Lay one slice of bacon on each, roll the meat up, jelly-roll style, and secure with toothpicks. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the meat on all sides. Add the beef broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer until tender, maybe half an hour. Remove the meat and set aside. Strain the liquid and return to the skillet. Whisk the cornstarch into a cup of warm water and pour the slurry into the skillet, stirring until the sauce has thickened, two or three minutes. Now add the sour cream and stir completely. Return the rouladen to the skillet to heat, and serve two per person.
Anything with sour cream works for me. Anything with sour cream, bacon, and mustard works even better. Select a nice
American, French, or Italian red wine. The Germans do better with white, but a good German beer sounds pretty good too.
Now we do a really sexy French vegetable, Compotee de Fenouil.
4 fennel bulbs
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut the tops and bottoms off the fennel bulbs. Remove the two outer leaves - too tough - and rinse the bulb under cold water. Cut it in half-inch slices. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet and add the fennel slices and onion. Cook the veggies for about five minutes on medium heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the wine, cover the pan but leave it just ajar. Simmer for twenty minutes or until the fennel is soft. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Should serve four people.
And for dessert we have Date Pudding with a Toffee Sauce, courtesy of the Brits. Make the sauce first.
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. brandy
Pinch of salt
Combine the sugar, butter, cream, brandy, and salt in a saucepan. Cook, stirring continually until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Raise the heat, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick, about four minutes. Keep the sauce warm .
For the pudding:
1/2 pound dates, finely chopped
1/2 cup Earl Grey or other fine tea
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. brandy
In a bowl, combine the dates with the tea and let them soak for half an hour. Butter six custard cups. Cut out circles of parchment paper that will fit the tops and bottoms of the cups. Place one in the bottom of each cup. Find a pan that will hold all the cups on your stove. Place them in the pan, fill about two-thirds up the sides of the cups with water, then remove the cups and bring the water to a boil. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar about two minutes, add the vanilla, eggs, and brandy, and beat until pale in color. Add the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Stir in the dates with a spoon along with any remaining tea. Spoon into the prepared cups. Cover them with the rest of the parchment circles. Now cut squares of aluminum foil larger than the tops of the cups,
allowing for a pleat in the middle to let the pudding rise. Place the cups in the pan of boiling water, cover, and boil for about 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check the water level regularly and add more if it gets too low. Carefully remove the cups and let them sit for ten minutes. To serve, run a sharp knife around the edges of the cups and invert onto individual dessert plates. Remove the parchment paper from what is now the top of the pudding and pour some of the warm sauce over each.
This sounds like a total nightmare to make, but it's very doable as long as the phone is out of reach. Top with a dollop of whipped cream or a titch of vanilla ice cream.
Invite your friends for dinner. Friends are good.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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