Author: Gill Dewar

Amazing travel facts Vietnam

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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AMAZING TRAVEL FACTS
 
But did you know that there is country in the world that serves egg in their coffee? Customers can have the egg coffee one of two ways: hot or cold.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order enjoy this coffee?
 
It is indeed Vietnam. A bit more about it:
 
Nguyen Van Dao who was interviewed, said that back in 1946, his father Nguyen Van Giang, a barman at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, ran out of milk to serve with the coffee. In a pinch, he whipped up a mixture of egg yolks and condensed milk, and the rest was history.
 
As popularity for the beverage grew, so did the business to the Giang Coffee shop in the old quarter of Hanoi today.
 
The country isn’t the only one to have used eggs in coffee. Several Scandinavian countries also crack egg yolks into coffee grounds, which supposedly making the coffee less bitter. The two versions could not be more different, save for the use of a shared ingredient, the egg. The Vietnamese version tastes like a foamy flan (a Spanish dessert) while the Scandinavian version is said to enhance the coffee, rather than change the taste completely.
 
The coffee, known locally as Ca Phe Trung, has been so successful that most cafes in Hanoi serve up a version of their own, where tourists and locals alike lined the walls waiting for the beverage.

Travel to Vietnam

 

Amazing travel facts India

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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AMAZING TRAVEL FACTS
 
Did you know that there is city which is know as the Pink city? It was painted pink to welcome Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert in 1876.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order admire these beautiful pink buildings? 
 
The city of Jaipur is one of India’s architectural wonders. It houses some of the country’s most ornate royal palaces — elaborate structures designed hundreds of years ago that still captivate visitors today.
 
Largely built in the 1700s under the order of Rajput ruler Sawai Raja Jai Singh II, Jaipur is surrounded by a city wall and several defensive forts. Conceived as a commercial centre in the state of Rajasthan, it was considered ahead of its time due to the use of grid iron city planning.
 
A romantic dusty pink hue — which has defined the city since 1876, after it was painted pink to welcome Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert — gives Jaipur its status as the “Pink City,” as it is commonly known.

Travel to India

Where in the World Germany

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

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Germany:

Anyone know where this interesting looking building is?

Nestled away in the student district of Dresden, Germany is a house which literally sings in the rain.
 
It’s part of a complex called the Neustadt Kunsthofpassage (literally ‘Art Courtyards’): a set of five courtyards which each have a different theme. There’s the courtyard of light and the courtyard of animals, and obviously the courtyard of music!
 
The singing house is the work of sculptor Annette Paul and designers Christoph Roßner and André Tempel, who all live in the building itself. Annette says she was inspired by living in St. Petersburg, Russia, where bad weather would create a ‘rain theatre’ on the windows of her house.
 
With this in mind, she and her fellow tenants designed the intricate network of pipes, funnels and spouts with optimal acoustics to amplify the rain.
 
The facade of the house was also inspired by the idea of a Rube Goldberg Machine, and you can see echoes of these strange contraptions in the web of pipes and funnels which catch the rain as it falls.
 
 

 

 

Where in the World France

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

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France:

Where would you find this amazing Medieval building?
 
The Kammerzell House is one of the most famous buildings of Strasbourg and one of the most ornate and well preserved medieval civil housing buildings in late Gothic architecture in the areas formerly belonging to the Holy Roman Empire.
 
Built in 1427 but twice transformed in 1467 and 1589, the building as it is now historically belongs to the German Renaissance but is stylistically still attached to the Rhineland black and white timber-framed style of civil (as opposed to administrative, clerical or noble) architecture.
 
It is situated on the Place de la Cathédrale, north-west of the Strasbourg Cathedral, with whose rosy colour it contrasts in a picturesque way when seen from the opposite direction.
 
The building’s inside has been decorated on all floors by lavish frescoes by Alsatian painter Léo Schnug (1878-1933). It now houses a restaurant. 
 
 

 

 

Where in the World Peru and Bolivia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

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Peru and Bolivia:

In which country would you find these amazing plants?

The World’s Largest Bromeliad in Peru and Bolivia.
 
With over 40 genera and 3,000 species, bromeliads come in a vast array of sizes, shapes and colors. They range in size from the tiny Spanish moss to the gigantic Puya ramondii. The Puya ramondii, also know as the “Queen of the Andes”, is the largest bromeliad and has one of the world’s largest inflorescence.
 
The foliage can reach 10 feet in height, often growing up to 9 feet in width, with inflorescence reaching 30 feet tall.
 
Puya ramondii is native to the highlands of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia. They enjoy the cool climates and rocky topography found around 13,000 feet. But they can be cultivated in warmer climate as well. They grow in communities called rodales and will generally confine themselves to one specific area on a mountain even though the surrounding terrain appears to be exactly the same. 
 

 

 

Where in the World Cambodia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

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Cambodia:

In which country is this so typical?

In Cambodia…
 
Memories of temples have faded away from the minds of Cambodians until they were completely forgotten. However it is believed that the main temple Angkor Wat was never forgotten. People always worshiped here.
 
A French naturalist published papers on Angkor Wat in 1863, which aroused western interest in this temple. One thing led to another, and several groups of historians started trickling in. And by early 20th century many Angkor temples were discovered one after another.
 
Of course the temples were in a terrible ruinous condition. During this period of neglect Strangler Fig, a member of Banyan tree family started spreading their roots here.
 
Nobody realized how and when these trees completely captured several of the temples here. The roots have grown over, through and then under these temple foundations crushing them completely.
 
Young strangler lives on the tree’s surface, grows long roots, and descends along the trunk of the host tree. Eventually they reach the ground, enter the soil and get a firm hold. As several roots go through this process they get grafted together, enclosing their host’s trunk in a strangling latticework.
 
Ultimately they create a complete sheath around the trunk. At many places we saw this network of roots, and they have fiercely strong grip.
 
One factor that has enhanced the growth of the trees here is the unique property of the stones used for building the temples. Angkor temples are made of sandstone/laterite which is porous in nature. This enables the roots to extract water from the stones.
The roots play the role of crushing the structure and sometimes holding the structure up too. Even today, even now, at this moment the damage is taking place – little by little. A new root finds a small gap between two blocks, wedges in between them, starts growing and enlarging. The size becomes big until one day, at some moment the stones fall apart.

Travel to Cambodia

 

Where in the World Kenya

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

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Kenya:

Where does this take place?

Giraffe Manor, Kenya

Giraffe Manor is an exclusive boutique hotel, owned by The Safari Collection. Often referred to as one of the most instagrammed properties in the world, Giraffe Manor is set in 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest in the Langata suburb of Nairobi.

Giraffe Manor is one of Nairobi’s most iconic buildings. The historic manor house has extraordinary appeal, that harks back to the 1930s when visitors first flocked to East Africa to enjoy safaris.

With its stately façade, elegant interior, verdant green gardens, sunny terraces and delightful courtyards, guests often remark that it’s like walking into the film Out of Africa: indeed, one of its twelve rooms is named after the author Karen Blixen.

One of the most fascinating things about Giraffe Manor is its resident herd of Rothschild’s giraffes who may visit morning and evening, poking their long necks into the windows in the hope of a treat, before retreating to their forest sanctuary. Giraffe Manor can be booked for the night or as part of a complete tailor-made safari with The Safari Collection.

Travel to Kenya

Amazing Travel Facts England

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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England:

Did you know that there are very tiny museums? One is housed inside an elevator shaft (can you believe it!), but the world’s smallest museum, opened in 2016, is housed in a phone booth. The exhibit changes every three months and fits only one visitor at a time.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to visit this museum?
 
Its indeed the Warley Museum in West Yorkshire.
 
A bit more about it:
Several museums lay claim to the title of “world’s smallest”—the MMuseumm in New York City is housed inside an elevator shaft, while a teeny converted shed in the town of Superior, Arizona calls itself the World’s Smallest Museum by coming in at just 134 square feet.
 
However, the northern English town of Warley, West Yorkshire, about 25 miles southwest of Leeds, has turned one of those iconic red phone booths into a mini-museum. Inside its four thin, bright-red walls, The Warley Museum shows off memorabilia from the small town’s history, including old photographs, antique jewellery, and glass etchings, and will rotate its exhibits every three months.
 
While the Warley Museum is being billed by residents as the world’s smallest, locals would like to make that designation official. The Telegraph reports that the Warley Community Association (WCA) has formally applied to the Guinness Book of World Records, hoping that their little red museum—which, like any other non-Tardis phone box, can only fit one visitor at a time—will make it into the big leagues.
 

Amazing Travel Facts USA

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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USA:

 
When you are traveling with your partner and feeling romantic, there is one state in the world, where you can get legally married if you say out loud three times that the person is your husband or wife.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to get married this way?
 
It is indeed in the mighty state of Texas.
 
If you publicly announce that the person is your husband or wife three times, your marriage is legal in the eyes of Texas. A few caveats: both parties must be at least 18 years old, unmarried, and not related to each other.
 
Some more amazing laws in Texas
You Must Warn Your Victims 24 Hours in Advance
If you’re planning a criminal activity in Texas, you must warn your victims within 24 hours of the crime. You must explain the nature of your upcoming crime, orally or in writing, giving your victims fair warning. This strange law is a recent addition to Texas’ anticrime provisions in an effort to reduce crime.
 
You Can’t Eat Your Neighbor’s Garbage Without Permission
One man’s trash is another man’s criminal conviction in Texas. If you eat your neighbor’s garbage without permission, you may face jail time for trespassing and stealing another’s property.
 
You Can’t Feather Dust a Public Building
Texas currently prohibits the dusting of any public building with a feather duster. It’s unclear whether the dusting of a building with another tool is legal… or why the state would need to outlaw such an obscure act.
 

Amazing Travel Facts Colombia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Colombia:

Did you know that there is a cathedral built inside a salt mine located about 200 meters underground? It was built in the caverns and tunnels left behind by miners two centuries ago. In 1990, 127 miners, plus a handful of sculptors were brought in to build the current version of the cathedral — located 60 meters below the original cathedral.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to visit this beautiful salt mine cathedral?
 
The right answer is the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá in Colombia.
 
Initially, miners prayed in a small sanctuary built inside the caverns. There, they would pray to the Virgin of the Rosary of Guasá, the patron saint of miners, to protect them from toxic gases, explosions and other accidents. That first sanctuary was built in the 1930s.
“The work was very dangerous,” Juan Pablo García, a cathedral administrator, said of mining the Zipaquirá salt deposits, where commercial mining began in 1815. “Every day that they came out of the mine alive was a reason for giving thanks.”
 
After extracting salt, the miners left in their wake a vast network of grottoes, pits and passageways. Retired mining engineer Jorge Castelblanco says most exhausted mines are simply abandoned and sealed up. But Zipaquirá’s miners and church officials — influential figures in this deeply Catholic country — persuaded the Colombian government to convert the empty spaces into a church in 1953.
 
Structural problems forced its closure in 1990. That’s when Castelblanco, 127 miners, plus a handful of sculptors were brought in to build the current version of the cathedral — located 200 feet below the original cathedral. (The first sanctuary from the 1930s had been closed earlier because it was unstable).
 
It was a massive undertaking. Just carving the Stations of the Cross into the walls took five years. Another challenge was transferring the massive rock salt altar from the old site to the new. It weighed 16 tons and workers had to cut it into three pieces to make the move.
 
The church is also breathing new life into the local economy. Salt mining in Zipaquirá has dwindled, but now tourists and religious pilgrims flock here. The site receives about 600,000 visitors annually.
 
And although it’s not among the Seven Wonders of the World, Colombia’s Congress proclaimed the Salt Cathedral to be “the first wonder of Colombia.”
 

What’s cooking in Poland – Bigos

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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BIGOS

Bigos often translated into English as hunter’s stew, is a Polish dish of chopped meat of various kinds stewed with sauerkraut and shredded fresh cabbage.

The flexible and forgiving recipe for bigos allows a great number of variants, often simply using what ingredients are at hand. It is often claimed that there are as many recipes as there are cooks in Poland.

In the region of Greater Poland, bigos typically contains tomato paste and is seasoned with garlic and marjoram. Kuyavian bigos is often made from red cabbage as well as white. In Silesia, it is usually mixed with kopytka or kluski, that is, small plain boiled dumplings made from unleavened dough that contains flour and mashed potatoes.

In bigos myśliwski, or “hunter’s bigos“, at least part of the meat comes from game, such as wild boar, venison or hare. It is usually seasoned with juniper berries, which help neutralize off-flavours that may be found in the meat of wild animals.

Ingredients

  • 50g/1¾oz butter
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp juniper berries, crushed
  • ½ tsp caraway seeds
  • 300g/10½oz lean pork belly, cubed
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 500g/1lb 2oz sauerkraut
  • half a white cabbage, shredded
  • 200g/7oz fresh chopped tomatoes or 400g tin tomatoes
  • 500ml/18fl oz chicken or beef stock
  • 10g/¼oz dried mushrooms
  • 300g/10½oz smoked Polish sausage, such as kabanas, chopped
  • 1 apple, grated
Method

  1. Melt the butter in a large casserole. Add the onion and sauté over a medium heat until the onion is softened and translucent. Sprinkle over the juniper berries and caraway, then add the pork. Sprinkle over the brown sugar. Turn the heat up high for a couple of minutes, turning the meat so it browns well.

  2. Drain the sauerkraut well and give it a rinse if you want to reduce the vinegar flavour. The easiest thing to do is squeeze it out with your hands. Add to the casserole with the white cabbage and chopped tomatoes, then pour over the stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

  3. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water. When they have softened, drain, adding their soaking liquor to the casserole. Chop the mushrooms finely and add these to the casserole, along with the sausage and apple.

  4. Simmer for a further hour and a half and serve or cover overnight and reheat the following day.

For more info click here.

A fellow travel blogger, Agness of Etramping, shares her 10 favourite dishes you can’t miss when visiting Poland. Check out her blog post here.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Poland.

 

 

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What’s cooking in Hungary – Főzelék

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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Főzelék

Though főzelék—which is best translated as ‘pottage’ seems like an outlier on a Hungarian menu filled with meat, carb-heavy sides, and pickles, it is actually a lunchtime staple as much as any gulyás or paprikás. Főzelék is the unheralded anchor of any étkezdé’s (lunch canteen) menu.

Főzelék is also hard to pin down as a dish. It is neither soup or stew, but somewhere in between. It’s comfort food, a delicious delivery system for vegetables, and a refreshingly light lunch option in a country where lunch is the day’s main meal.

Főzelék comes in many varieties including lentil, spinach, green pea, yellow pea, squash, potato, and sorrel (which may seem like an exotic flavour for a pottage, though with its earthy bitter bite, it is quite popular in the warmer months).

Pea főzelék 1200 grams of peas 3 tablespoons of butter 1 onion (the original recipe does not call for it, but as we know, onions are staple ingredients in the Hungarian cuisine, and they make everything taste better) 3 tablespoons of flour 2 dl of milk or sour cream parsley salt, pepper

If you are working with fresh peas, you first peel them (great communal activity). If you are working with frozen peas, take them out of the freezer for some time. Melt the butter and add the chopped onion. Let it cook a bit and add the peas. Let them steam together for a few minutes. Add the salt, pepper, parsley, and water to cover the mixture. Cook for 20 minutes.

Prepare your thickening in a bowl: mix the milk/sour cream with the flour and some of the juice of the főzelék. Slowly add your thickening to the saucepan and cook for 10 more minutes. Serve with fried eggs or some stew.

For more info click here.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Hungary.

 

 

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What’s cooking in Russia – Blinis

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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BLINI

The ‘Russian pancakes’ known as blini (блины) are made with yeasted dough, giving them a light, fluffy texture and a distinctive tang.

Blini can be stuffed with an endless variety of fillings, including a mixture of ground meat and diced vegetables or berries and cream cheese, although they’re often served simply, topped with sour cream, condensed milk or jam. Blini is also a traditional Russian accompaniment for caviar.

Ingredients

Directions

  • Beat together the milk and the eggs. Stir in the salt and the sugar and mix well. Add the baking soda and citric acid.

  • Blend in the flour. Add the vegetable oil and pour in the boiling water, stirring constantly. The batter should be very thin, almost watery. Set the bowl aside and let it rest for 20 minutes.

  • Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Pick the pan up off the heat. Pour in a ladleful of batter while you rotate your wrist, tilting the pan so the batter makes a circle and coats the bottom. The blini should be very thin.

  • Return the pan to the heat. Cook the blini for 90 seconds. Carefully lift up an edge of the blini to see if it’s fully cooked: the edges will be golden and it should have brown spots on the surface. Flip the blini over and cook the other side for 1 minute.

  • Transfer the blini to a plate lined with a clean kitchen towel. Continue cooking the blini, adding an additional tablespoon of butter to the pan after each 4 blini. Stack them on top of each other and cover with the kitchen towel to keep warm.

  • Spread your favorite filling in the center of the blini, and fold three times to make a triangle shape. You can also fold up all 4 sides, like a small burrito.

Cook’s Notes

Rub the pan with butter or lard after frying every 4 blini. Don’t worry if the first few don’t turn out right; you’ll get the hang of it.

Tips

Suggested fillings: cooked ground meat, mashed potatoes with onion, berries, or chocolate sauce.

For more info click here.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Russia.

 

 

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What’s cooking in Scandinavia – Kanelbulle

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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KANELBULLE
 
If Sweden had a national food, it would, without doubt, be the cinnamon bun. It’s hard to avoid these delicious spiced rolls, which can be found in every café, bakery and food shop around the country –simply follow the scent of them baking.
 
Made from lightly sweetened, leavened bread dough known as vetebröd (wheat bread), they can also be flavoured with cardamom, saffron and vanilla. These spices are a common feature in Swedish baking and are said to have been brought back when Vikings first traded in Istanbul.
 
A kanelbulle is best served for a fika – the daily practice of sitting down with a coffee and something sweet.
 

Ingredients

For the buns:

  • 3 cups (400 g/14 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50 g/1.7 oz) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g/0.25 oz) instant yeast
  • 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm milk
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/56 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

  • 1/3 cup (2/3 stick/75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown/granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

To finish the buns:

  • 1 beaten egg , for egg wash
  • Pearl sugar , chopped almonds, or granulated sugar, to sprinkle on top, optional

Instructions

  1. Place flour, sugar, cardamom, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix until combined. Attach dough hook to the mixer. Add milk and melted butter to the flour mixture and mix on low speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes. Add salt and continue mixing for another 8 minutes on low-medium speed until dough is soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  2. Place dough in a large bowl brushed with oil, and toss to coat (the fat will keep the dough from drying out). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place or on the counter for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Keep in mind that rising will be slower in cold weather.
  3. To make the filling: In a small bowl, combine soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon until you have a smooth paste.
  4. Shaping the dough (I followed this visual guide): On a lightly floured surface or non-stick silicone baking mat, roll dough out into 35x35cm (14×14-inch) square. Spread butter-sugar mixture onto entire surface, making a very thin layer. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, then roll again into a rough 35x20cm (14×8-inch) rectangle.
  5. Facing the long edge, cut dough into roughly 2cm wide and 20cm long strips. Twist each strip several times, slightly stretching it as you do so. Grab one end of the twisted strip and coil the dough around your hand twice, then over the top. Coil dough again and tuck the loose end in at the bottom.
  6. Arrange buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if they’re too crowded, use 2 pans), keeping as much space between them as possible. Cover and let rest for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
  7. Meanwhile, set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350F/180C.
  8. Brush buns with an egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow buns to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  10. Buns are best the same day they are made, but can be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated in the oven before serving.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Scandinavia.

Check out more info here. 

 

 

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Amazing Travel Fact Chile

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Chile:

There is a place in the word known to be the driest as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts and the largest fog desert in the world. 
 
Amazing right?
 
The driest place on earth officially is in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile and southern Peru, in western South America (Figure SM4.3).
 
There are locations in the Atacama that have not received measurable rainfall in decades. The factors that converge to make the Atacama Desert so arid include the rain shadow effect from the Andes, the cold offshore ocean current, and the subtropical high pressure system.
 
 

What’s cooking in Scotland – Haggis

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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HAGGIS

Haggis, the national dish of Scotland is a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled.

Haggis is inexpensive, savoury, and nourishing. In Scotland it formerly was considered a rustic dish and was so celebrated in Robert Burns’s lines “To a Haggis” (1786), but in the 21st century haggis is served with some ceremony, even bagpipes, particularly on Burns Night (held annually on January 25, Burns’s birthday) and Hogmanay, as the Scots call their New Year’s celebrations.

Haggis is usually accompanied by turnips (called “swedes” or “neeps”) and mashed potatoes (“tatties”); Scotch whisky is the customary drink.

Ingredients

  • Pluck of sheep – 1
  • Stomach of sheep – 1
  • Suet (raw, hard fat) – ½ lb
  • Onions – 2
  • Ground black pepper – 2 tsp
  • Red chilli flakes – 2 tsp
  • Ground coriander – 2 tsp
  • Nutmeg – ½ tsp
  • Allspice – ½ tsp
  • Fresh thyme (slightly chopped) – 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon powder – ½ tsp
  • Oatmeal – ½ cup
  • Butter – 1 tbsp
  • Salt – to taste

Instructions

  1. Take the sheep’s stomach and soak it in salted water. Once it is soaked, turn it inside out.
  2. Now take a large pot and fill it with water. Add the pluck of sheep in it.
  3. Let it simmer on a slow flame until it gets tender. This may take around 2 hrs.
  4. Now remove it from the heat and allow it to cool in the same pot and water overnight.
  5. Next day, strain the entire pluck. Once it is strained, reserve the stock for later use.
  6. Take a large bowl and add the strained pluck in it.
  7. Finely chop the meat of the pluck. Now season the meat with salt, black pepper, red chilli flakes, thyme and chopped onions.
  8. In a pan, add butter and toast the oatmeal for around 5-10 mins in a medium low flame. Add this lightly toasted oatmeal in the seasoned meat too.
  9. In this, add the suet and 2-3 cups of the reserved stock. Mix well until the entire mixture is combined together.
  10. Now take the soaked stomach of the sheep. Fill it with the spicy meat mixture until it is half full. Sew the stomach tightly with a strong thread so that it doesn’t explode during cooking.
  11. With a skewer, make a few holes on the sewed stomach so that it gets cooked properly.
  12. In a large pot, add water and bring it to boil. Now place the spicy sewed up stomach in the boiling water and allow it to cook for around 3 hrs. Keep adding more water in the pot.
  13. Transfer the haggis on a nice serving platter. Cut it open with a sharp knife.
  14. Garnish it with parsley.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Scotland.

Check out more info here. 

 

 

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What’s cooking in Serbia – Sarma

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SARMA

Because it is such strong food, sarma has become a traditional dish in Serbia during wintertime, especially during the period of “slavas” (Patron-saint day celebrations).

For such occasions, it is usually served after the appetizer before the first dish. Of course, it can be served on its own, which is why we recommend you order it in one of Serbian “kafanas” (traditional Serbian taverns) and enjoy its taste.

Sarma is usually made of sauerkraut, minced meat and rice. A mixture of meat, rice and spices is wrapped in sauerkraut leaves and then placed in a pot, in which it simmers for a long time. Experienced cooks in Serbia can keep it cooking on slow fire for hours, making its taste even better. Especially if you add some smoked meat or bacon to the mixture. True gourmands always drink wine and have some horseradish or garlic with it.

Ingredients

Directions

  • Place cabbage in the freezer for a few days. The night before making the rolls, take it out to thaw.

  • In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ham, rice, onion, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form meat mixture into oblong balls, using 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time. Then, wrap a cabbage leaf around each ball.

  • Spread the sauerkraut in the bottom of a large pot, then layer cabbage rolls on top, placing them seam-side down. Pour tomato juice over rolls, then add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water as necessary.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Serbia.

Check out more info here. 

 

 

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What’s cooking in Slovenia – Prekmurian layer cake

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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PREKMURIAN LAYER CAKE

This sweet Slovenian food is under European protection and is regarded as one of the national gastronomic delicacies, due to its flavour, ingredients and a unique recipe.

Gibanica or layer cake is one of the old festive and ceremonial Slovenian desserts, which originate from the region along the Mura River. The oldest written recipe dates back to 1828. This sweet Slovenian food is under European protection and is regarded as one of the national gastronomic delicacies, due to its flavour, ingredients and a unique recipe.

Prekmurje flat cake can be sweet or salty, and it is made of strudel dough layers and layers of many fillings. The classic gibanica is made of nine layers with fillings like poppy seeds, raisins, groundnuts, and steamed apples. However, there are some other alternatives to these Slovenian desserts that originate in the north eastern part of the country.

Ingredients:

  • Light dough
  • Filo pastry sheets

Poppy seed filling

  • 300 g of finely ground poppy seeds
  • 100 g confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 pack vanilla sugar

Skuta curd cheese filling

  • 1.2 kg full-fat skuta curd cheese
  • 100 g confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 packs vanilla sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • a pinch of salt

Walnut filling

  • 300 g ground walnuts
  • 100 g confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 pack vanilla sugar

Apple filling

  • 1.5 kg apples – a sour variety
  • a pinch of salt
  • 120 g confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 packs vanilla sugar
  • a pinch of cinnamon

Cream topping

  • 800 ml whipping cream
  • 3 eggs

Margarine/butter/lard topping

  • 250 g margarine/butter/lard or plant oil

Preparation

First begin by placing a layer of light dough and then placing a layer of filo pastry sheet on top of it, on which half of the poppy seed filling is spread evenly. Pour the margarine/butter/lard and the cream toppings over this layer. Add a second layer of filo pastry and skuta curd cheese filling, then a third layer of filo pastry with the walnut filling, and a fourth layer of filo pastry with the apple filling. The fatty and cream toppings are poured over every layer of filling.

The entire procedure is then repeated in the same order, i.e. the poppy seed layer is followed by the skuta curd cheese filling, then the walnut and the apple filling.

Once there are eight layers of filling with suitable layers of filo pastry in-between, the eighth layer of filo pastry is placed on top of the final filling, which is then sprinkled with the cream or fatty topping, and then the last, ninth layer of filo pastry is added. The Prekmurje layer cake (gibanica) is baked for an hour at 180°C. The height of individual pieces of the baked gibanica must be from 5 to 7 cm, and its weight cannot exceed 250 g.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Slovenia.

Check out more info here. 

 

 

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What’s cooking in Spain – Paella

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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PAELLA

Paella is a rice dish originally from Valencia. For this reason, many non-Spaniards view it as Spain’s national dish, but Spaniards almost unanimously consider it to be a dish from the Valencian region. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identifying symbols.

Nourishing, vibrant, and served without pretension, paella has held a place of honour and practicality in Spanish homes for centuries. If mussels aren’t your favourite, you can easily substitute littleneck clams in their place–just be sure to thoroughly scrub the clams’ shells in cold water before using. To round out the meal, choose a good Spanish red wine from the Rioja region, grab a crusty baguette, and serve with a light salad.

Ingredients

Directions

  • To prepare the herb blend, combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.

  • To prepare paella, combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add sausage and prosciutto; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp, and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper; saute 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas. Bring to a low boil; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mussels to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Spain.

Check out more info here. 

 

 

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What’s cooking in Switzerland – Rosti

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Whats cooking.

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ROSTI

As a speciality from the German-speaking part of the country, rösti also lends its name to the Röstigraben, the cultural and linguistic ‘trench’ between French and German-speaking Switzerland. Rösti is now one of the country’s best-known national dishes.

Rösti is a kind of potato cake served as a main course or side dish. The potatoes are first cooked in their jackets, then peeled and grated before being fried in butter to form a round flat cake. As a main course, the rösti can be garnished with your choice of ingredients, such as fried egg, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms or meat.

Rösti is also a tasty accompaniment for many main courses, such as sausages, Geschnetzeltes (creamy meat stew) or fish. What makes rösti unique is the Röstiraffel – a coarse potato grater invented in Switzerland in the late 1800s.

Each region now has its own rösti recipes. In Bern, for example, rösti is served with cheese, onions and bacon. In Zurich, where rösti originally comes from, the potatoes are not cooked before being grated. As a speciality from the German-speaking part of the country, rösti also lends its name to the Röstigraben, the cultural and linguistic ‘trench’ between French and German-speaking Switzerland. Rösti is now one of the country’s best-known national dishes. 

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg large waxy potatoes 
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp salt 
  • 10 twists from the pepper mill

Method

The day before, steam the unpeeled potatoes for about 40 minutes. Make sure not to overboil them. Peel the potatoes while they are still warm, then chill them overnight. 

Coarsely grate the potatoes, keeping the strips as long as possible. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper, mix gently. Using a wooden spatula, lightly press the edges around the curve of the pan. Fry the rösti on one side for about 10 minutes until golden brown, then turn it over and finish frying for 10 minutes on the other side.

Handy tips

  • If you want to add onions and diced bacon or herbs, these should be added to the grated, cold potatoes. 
  • Never stir the rösti during the frying process (this would mash the potatoes).
  • The frying time is determined by the water content of the potatoes. Depending on the variety, you may need to fry them a little longer.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to Switzerland

Check out more info here. 

 

 

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