What’s cooking in Russia – Blinis

Written by Gill Dewar on August 6, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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

4 ¼ cups milk
5 eggs
⅓ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon citric acid powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
⅔ cup butter, divided

Directions

Step 1

Beat together the milk and the eggs. Stir in the salt and the sugar and mix well. Add the baking soda and citric acid.
Step 2

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.
Step 3

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.
Step 4

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.
Step 5

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.
Step 6

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 Las Vegas? Yardbird

Written by Traveltalksteam on August 6, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

In the Deep South of the United States, yardbird is a colloquialism for the domestic chicken. In one explanation for American saxophonist Charlie Parker’s nickname being “Yardbird”, jazz trombonist and blues singer Clyde E. B. Bernhardt in his autobiography I Remember: Eighty Years of Black Entertainment, Big Bands, states:

Parker told me he got the name Yardbird because he was crazy about eating chicken: fried, baked, boiled, stewed, anything. He liked it. Down there in the South, all chickens are called yardbirds. Every house has some.

Jazz pianist Jay McShann backs up the story in an interview in 1999:

Charlie yelled, ‘Back up. You hit a yardbird!’ He got out of the car and got it and carried the chicken on into Lincoln. He had it cooked and ate it all in one sitting.

Ingredients

1 whole fresh chicken
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh finely ground black pepper
peanut oil (for deep-frying)
paprika to taste (opitional)
pepper to taste (opitional)

How to make it

Rinse chicken under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut chicken into 9 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 wings, and 1 or 2 pieces from the back). Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a large paper bag.
Add enough oil to a 2-inch-deep cast iron skillet to come 2/3 up sides of skillet (about 2 cups of oil). Heat oil over medium-high heat until deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Add 2 chicken pieces to flour mixture in bag; fold bag to enclose. Shake until chicken is well-coated. Transfer coated chicken pieces to rack. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Using tongs, carefully add chicken legs and thighs to hot oil. Fry until chicken is golden on the outside, and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fried chicken to clean dry towels on rack to drain. Repeat with remaining breast, wing and back pieces (breasts will be done in about 3 minutes per side). Sprinkle fried chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer to platter and serve immediately.
NOTE:
For a crispier crust, mix 2 large eggs with 1 tablespoon water in large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and soak them before coating with flour mixture.

Spotted in: Group Recipes

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

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What’s cooking in the Netherlands – stampot

Written by Traveltalksteam on August 6, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

Boerenkool met worst (super healthy kale)
1 x 800g bag finely chopped kale

1 x 1kg bag potatoes

1 x packet bacon bits

1 x smoked sauge

milk, butter, Salt, Pepper

Chop your potatoes up into smaller chunks so they are easy to mash.

Add the kale and potatoes to a big pot, and pour the boiling water over them. Make sure all is covered. Put the lid on and cook for at least 20 minutes. After 5 minutes you can add the smoked sausage on top. (rookworst).

When your timer goes, take off the rookworst and drain the pan off water. Use a handheld mixer to puree the dish together with milk and butter. Add lots of seasoning.

Add the bacon bits. And serve!

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

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What’s cooking in Scandinavia – Kanelbulle

Written by Gill Dewar on August 6, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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

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.
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.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, combine soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon until you have a smooth paste.
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.
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.
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.
Meanwhile, set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350F/180C.
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.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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.

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What’s cooking in Scotland – Haggis

Written by Gill Dewar on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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

Take the sheep’s stomach and soak it in salted water. Once it is soaked, turn it inside out.
Now take a large pot and fill it with water. Add the pluck of sheep in it.
Let it simmer on a slow flame until it gets tender. This may take around 2 hrs.
Now remove it from the heat and allow it to cool in the same pot and water overnight.
Next day, strain the entire pluck. Once it is strained, reserve the stock for later use.
Take a large bowl and add the strained pluck in it.
Finely chop the meat of the pluck. Now season the meat with salt, black pepper, red chilli flakes, thyme and chopped onions.
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.
In this, add the suet and 2-3 cups of the reserved stock. Mix well until the entire mixture is combined together.
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.
With a skewer, make a few holes on the sewed stomach so that it gets cooked properly.
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.
Transfer the haggis on a nice serving platter. Cut it open with a sharp knife.
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

Written by Gill Dewar on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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

1 large head cabbage
1 pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground ham
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 pound sauerkraut
1 cup tomato juice
water to cover

Directions

Step 1

Place cabbage in the freezer for a few days. The night before making the rolls, take it out to thaw.
Step 2

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.
Step 3

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 August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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 August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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

Herb Blend:
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Paella:
1 cup water
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half
2 links Spanish chorizo sausage (about 6 1/2 ounces) or turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (4-ounce) slice prosciutto or 33%-less-sodium ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1 cup frozen green peas
8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

Step 1

To prepare the herb blend, combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.
Step 2

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.
Step 3

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 August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

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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What’s cooking in Turkey – Döner kebab

Written by Gill Dewar on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

DONER KEBAB

Döner kebabs are a type of Turkish dish similar to the Greek gyro or the Arab shawarma made with seasoned meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie, a style of cooking that dates back to the Ottomans. They are highly popular as a late-night snack or quick meal on the go throughout much of Europe.

A very popular take-out especially after a night out at the pub. This favourite is so, so tasty – I’m sure once you try it, you’ll certainly want to make more! Serve with warmed (lightly toasted) pita bread, chili sauce, and a salad of shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, and sliced cucumber. Also great to add as a topping for pizzas. Great to make in advance, slice and freeze.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ¼ pounds ground lamb

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2

Combine flour, oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add ground lamb and thoroughly knead with the flour mixture until thoroughly mixed together, about 3 minutes.
Step 3

Shape the seasoned ground lamb and place into a loaf pan; set on top of a baking sheet.
Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven, turning the loaf halfway to ensure even browning, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Step 5

Wrap loaf in aluminium foil and let rest, about 10 minutes. Slice as thinly as possible to make the doner kebab pieces.

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

Spotted in www.theculturetrip.com

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What’s cooking in Ukraine – Borscht

Written by Gill Dewar on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

BORSCHT

The national dish of Ukraine that undeniably originates from the country is borscht.

Despite most people associating this recipe with Russia, borscht, or as it is properly pronounced borsch, is actually Ukrainian. Yes, there is no ‘t’ at the end of the word.

A Borscht recipe is something every home should have, regardless if you’re Ukrainian or not. This traditional Ukrainian borscht combines the earthiness of beets with the freshness of dill and other vegetables. A hearty, healthy and frugal way to use up your garden vegetables and stretch your food budget while filling your family’s bellies this fall!

One of my favorite things about Borscht is the deep ruby color that comes from the cabbage and beets! I also love that it’s incredibly healthy and packed with protein (from the broth and optional meat), iron (from the beets), vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B6 (from the carrots) plus fiber and vitamin K & C (from the cabbage).

Because we come from a lineage of Ukrainian peasants who had to survive harsh Eastern European winters with nothing more than the few staple food items they had on hand (wheat, potatoes, cabbage and beets mostly), our traditional foods tend to feature these ingredients over and over again in various ways.

Borscht definition: a beet-based soup that can be combined with whatever else you’ve got growing in your garden to create a hearty, healthy meal that also stretches your food budget and weekly meals just a little bit further.

In the late summer and fall, there is almost always a pot of borscht simmering away on my mother’s stovetop as she makes use of the beets, carrots, potatoes and fresh dill weed that need harvesting from her garden. If it’s green bean season, she’ll throw some chopped green beans in the soup as well. If not, she’ll make do with whatever ingredients she has on hand (this also makes it a great “clean out the fridge” recipe).

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of diced celery
1 cup diced onions
1 cup of chopped cabbage
2 cloves of garlic grated or pressed
1 tbsp of butter for sautéing onions and celery
8 cups water beef broth or chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes home or commercially canned
2 or 3 medium to large sized peeled beets half grated and half diced
1 or 2 medium carrots grated
1 medium potato diced
1/2 cup of fresh dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional ingredients: Bay leaf green beans, peas, beet greens and shredded pork or pork sausage

INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté the onions, celery and cabbage with the butter until soft and translucent.
Add the can of diced tomatoes and the garlic, as well as all of the water or broth.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to medium heat and let simmer.
Peel the beets, carrots and potato.
Dice half the beets and grate the other half.
Grate all the carrots.
Dice the potato.
Add the beets, carrots and potato to the broth. If you would like to add any other optional vegetables (ie. beans, peas, beet greens, etc.) do so now.
Allow soup to simmer on medium until diced beets and potatoes are soft (test them with a fork or by biting into them!), about 15 minutes. Remove soup from heat.
Stir in chopped fresh dill weed and salt and black pepper.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of bread and butter (rye bread is best!)

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

Spotted in www.melissaknorris.com

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What’s cooking in United Kingdom – Roast Beef

Written by Gill Dewar on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

ROAST BEEF

British Sunday lunch is also known as a Sunday Roast and is the very heart of British food and cooking.

It is when families and friends get together and share good food. For the cook in the house, the roast recipes are time-consuming but worth every minute on the stove. Each household has its own favourite recipes.

A traditional British Sunday lunch is composed of roast meat – with roast beef at the top of the list – alongside Yorkshire Puddings, gravy, vegetables, and a dessert of pudding in the cold months replaced by a different sweet in the summer.

This hearty lunch is a matter of national pride and one of the most fabulous meals you’ll experience in the UK.

Cooking the Beef

Let the beef come to room temperature before you put it in the oven. Stand the roast in a pan, and season it generously with salt and pepper to taste. Start the beef in a hot oven at 425 F for the first 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 F for the remaining time. Cook it to your preferred temperature using the following time recommendations:

Rare: 11 minutes per pound
Medium: 14 minutes per pound
Well: 16 minutes per pound

Rare: 120 F
Medium: 145 F
Well: 165 F

Though guidelines suggest a three-minute rest, a roast generally benefits from a longer recovery period. Place it on a warm platter and tent it loosely with foil, then set it aside for up to 20 minutes, which is conveniently the amount of time you need to cook the Yorkshire pudding. The muscle fibers in meat contract during cooking and resting allows them to relax, redistributing some of the meat juices (great for the gravy) and resulting in a more tender piece of meat.

If you’ve never tried it please make sure to ask for it when you travel to the United Kingdom

Spotted in www.thespruceeats.com

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What’s cooking in Germany – Sauerbraten

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

An Authentic German Sauerbraten takes longer than other roast beef recipes to prepare, but one bite of the melt-in-your-mouth tender beef proves it’s more than worth the wait. You want to marinate your rump roast at least 2 days to get enough sour flavor, so make sure to plan ahead if you are making this dish for the holidays. Prep this German-style pot roast during the week and cook low and slow for a flavorful Sunday dinner and leftovers for the following week.

A German Sauerbraten is roast beef marinated in a sour, vinegar base that tenderizes the meat and gives it flavor. The marinade for this sauerbraten recipe is vinegar and beef broth with pickling spices and a hint of sugar. The beef is braised in the marinade in the oven to soak up even more flavor. The Sauerbraten is then served with a sweet and tangy gravy made from the same marinade, thickened with crushed gingersnaps.

Traditional German Sauerbraten is served with German Cabbage and Mashed Potatoes, using the delicious sauce as a gravy for the meat and potatoes. Make sure to serve some soft, doughy bread like Dinner Rolls or Beer Bread (made with German beer of course) to soak up the thick, sweet-sour gravy. A dollop of sour cream and shredded red cabbage is great garnish for German Sauerbraten too!

Tips for Making German Sauerbraten

Marinate sauerbraten at least 3 days but you can keep it in the marinade up to 10 days! The longer you marinate the meat, the more tender and flavorful it will be.
Sauerbraten will cook quicker the longer it has been marinated, so check the temperature periodically after 2 hours, especially if you marinate for more than 3 days.
Strain the braising liquid with a fine-meshed strainer so that no bay leaves or cloves remain, and you get a smooth and thick gravy.
You can marinate the beef in the dutch oven or a large container instead of a bag, just be sure to turn the meat daily if it is not fully submerged in the marinade.
Taste and adjust your gravy to your liking, depending on how sweet or sour you like it. Check out our variations on how to adjust sweet and sour flavors.

VARIATIONS ON GERMAN SAUERBRATEN

Meat: Sauerbraten is a great recipe for any lean or tougher roast like pork roast, venison, lamb roast, bottom round, or chuck roast. Make it with mutton or lamb during the spring holidays!
Veggies: Add aromatic vegetables like leeks, carrots, and celery to your marinade. You can return the veggies to the gravy after you strain the spices.
Sour: Use cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, or add a cup of dry red wine like Pinot Noir for a different sour flavor. You can add up to a ½ cup lemon juice when making the gravy.
Sweet: Along with gingersnaps, you can add brown sugar, honey, golden raisins, or beet syrup to make the gravy more sweet.
Spices: If you like, add cracked juniper berries and peppercorns for Sauerbraten spices you’d find in any German restaurant. You can also add seasonings like rosemary, thyme, or pickling spices.

Ingredients
1.36 kg beef rump roast
239 g red wine vinegar
240 g beef broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white sugar
10 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 yellow onions , chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
5 gingersnap cookies , crushed to crumbs

Instructions

Add beef, red wine vinegar, beef broth, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, sugar, cloves and bay leaves to a large ziplock bag.
Mix ingredients together, remove all air and marinate for 3 days.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove beef from marinade, reserve marinade, and dry well.

Add vegetable oil to large pot on high heat.
Season beef with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper.
Sear on all sides until well browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Add in the onions, and the marinade.
Cover and cook for 3 hours.

Remove the beef from the pot and strain the liquid in the pot.
If too much liquid cooked off, add 1 cup beef broth.
Add in half the cookie crumbs and cook until sauce thickens.
If it stays too thin, add remaining cookies.
Slice the beef against the grain and serve with sauce.

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

spotted in dinnerthendessert.com

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What’s cooking in Czech Republic- Vepřo-knedlo-zelo

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

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WHAT IS VEPŘO KNEDLO ZELO?
Literally translated, vepřo knedlo zelo is an abbreviation for Czech roast pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut. This trio is served warm on one plate, poured with flavorful gravy.

Going into details, it’s a slowly roasted piece of pork shoulder, bountifully spiced with crushed garlic and caraway seeds. Sliced bread dumplings and braised sauerkraut are served as a side dish. The gravy is made from juices and fat, remaining in a pan after roasting the meat.

In this post, you’ll learn how to make pork roast (vepřo). Here you’ll find separate recipes for BREAD DUMPLINGS (knedlo) and BRAISED SAUERKRAUT (zelo).

Tip: Sometimes this Czech national dish is called knedlo vepřo zelo – the names of the individual components are placed in a different order.

INGREDIENTS

Here is what you need for the VEPŘO part of this recipe:

Pork shoulder; roasted in one piece. I used a pork collar (krkovice in Czech).
Onions; peeled and chopped finely
Cloves of garlic; peeled and pressed
Pork lard; or vegetable oil like canola or sunflower
Caraway seeds; crushed – do not confuse caraway with cumin; caraway is a spice used frequently in Czech gastronomy
All-purpose flour; to thicken the gravy
Salt, ground pepper
Water; as much as you need, about 3 cups – 720 ml

INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 320 °F (160 °C). Cut onion roughly. Peel cloves of garlic and press them.

STEP 2: Salt the meat generously. Dust it with pepper and crushed caraway seeds from all sides. Then rub the pressed garlic onto the pork.

STEP 3: Grease a roasting pan with lard. Pour the onion over the bottom of the pan. Place the seasoned meat on the onion. Pour in 1 cup of water.

STEP 4: Roast the pork uncovered for 2-2.½ hours or until soft. Flip the meat from time to time, that it has a nice brown color over the whole surface. Also, stir the onion occasionally to prevent it from burning. If all the water evaporates, add ⅓ cup more.

STEP 5: Transfer roasted meat to a clean plate, cover with foil and keep it warm.

STEP 6: Place the uncovered roasting pan with onion on the stove over medium heat. Reduce the juices to a necessary minimum, stir occasionally.

STEP 7: Add 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour and fry for 1 minute while stirring, preferably with a flat spatula; it helps you scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid burning flour.

STEP 8: Pour in 2 cups of water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to ⅓ and let the gravy simmer for 20 minutes.

STEP 9: Strain the gravy through a sieve—season with pepper and salt to fit your taste.

If the gravy’s flavor is not strong enough, pour it into a pan, bring it to a boil and reduce the amount of the liquid. You’ll boost the taste of the gravy significantly.

SERVING
Our task now is to arrange a slice of roasted pork, braised sauerkraut, and sliced dumplings on a plate nicely. Here we go.

Let’s start with sauerkraut. Place 2-3 Tbsp of warm braised sauerkraut (ZELO) on the side of a plate.
Add slices of bread dumplings (KNEDLO). Arrange them along the edge, partly covering each other.
Cut pork roast (VEPŘO) in about ½-inch slices, add one or two slices on a plate, with a crust side up.
Pour the gravy over the pork roast and braised sauerkraut.
Enjoy your meal with lovely Czech beer!

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

spotted in www.cooklikeczechs.com

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What’s cooking in Cyprus – Fasolada

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

Fasolada is a white bean or fava bean soup that dates back to the Ancient Greeks and which is popular in both Greece and Cyprus. In fact, fasolada is often referred to as the national dish of Greece.

There are variants all throughout the region, including an Italian one called pasta e fagioli. The Portuguese feijoada is also a variant of fasolada. There are variants throughout the Levant, including an Arab version called fasoulia.

Fasolada is traditionally made without meat, which makes it an important dish for Lent. Aside from the beans, other vegetables that can be included are celery and onion. It will also have a tomato base.

It is typically made with olive oil, or it may be added to the bowl at the table.

Fasolada is thought to have originated with a soup made to celebrate the Greek god Apollo. The name comes from the word faso, which means bean.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried white beans
1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 sticks celery, strings removed and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped (or a 15oz can peeled tomatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
5 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan.

Cover with cold water and bring to a boil, skimming off any froth with a slotted spoon.

Add all the other ingredients except the seasonings, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Allow to cool slightly, season with salt and pepper, and ladle into bowls.

Serves 6 to 8

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

spotted in www.justaboutcyprus.com

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What’s cooking in Croatia – LAMB PEKA

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

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Peka is one of the most famous and widespread dishes of traditional Croatian cuisine. The speciality of Peka is that it is prepared in a special baking tray. Actually, it’s after the tray – the dish got its name. It is a shallow circular bowl, which is covered with a wide bell. On that bell wooden embers are placed on top and around the bowl.

Like any traditional dish, there are numerous variations of ingredients. Usually, it is made of meat (veal, lamb) or octopus, potatoes, vegetables, spices and herbs.

It is ubiquitous in almost all parts of Croatia, so different names are used according to the region. Thus, we can find it under the name of peka, šač, čripnja, lopiž or pokrivac.

Peka is basically an effortless dish. It is made by putting meat, potatoes and spices together in a clay or iron pan. Everything is covered with a large dome and wooden embers are then placed on top and around the dome.

In this way, the meat and vegetables are first cooked and then baked in their own juices. The result is an incredibly well-paired and natural taste. For this reason, I consider Peka to be one of my favourite Croatian traditional dishes.

The history of Peka has been associated with this region for millennia. There are archaeological remains from the eastern part of Croatia with clay Peka pots over 5,000 years old. It is believed that through history they have kept baking in the region thanks to the Illyrians, the natives before the Great Migration.

Although they were under the rule of Rome, they did not accept the Roman baking furnace. They remained to prepare their meals in this way. Of course, delicious food has always been preserved throughout history, and so has the case of baking.

The Ottoman Empire brought one innovation for Peka. Specifically, they introduced a cast-iron Peka.

Today, baking in Croatian gastronomy is an integral part of any traditional restaurant. Most often it is made from veal and/or lamb, potatoes, other vegetables and herbs. In the coastal part of Croatia, it is often possible to find an octopus prepared in this way.

1 kg Lamb shoulder or any kind of fatty lamb meat
1 kg Veal
1.5 kg Potatoes peeled
2 big pcs onion peeled roughly chopped
3 pcs tomatoes roughly chopped
2 pcs bell peppers roughly chopped
2 tablespoon Lard
1 glass White wine
1 stem fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons Salt
1 teaspoon Black pepper

Steps
1The first step is to prepare fire and embers. It is best to use are high-calorie wood such as beech or hornbeam.

2Cut meat into large pieces about 250-300 grams, well-salted and put it in the bottom of the baking tray together with lard.

3Add the peeled potatoes in one piece or slashed in half in case of larger pieces.

4Add other vegetables, pepper, salt, wine and rosemary.

5Cover and put ambers around Peka and most importantly on top of it.

6After 45 minutes, remove the Peka cover, turn the meat over and continue baking for 45-60 minutes.

7Serve hot.

8Peka goes best with bread and white wine.

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

spotted in www.worldfoodstory.co.uk

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What’s cooking in Baltic – Karbonāde

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

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Tafelspitz
Boiled veal, or Tafelspitz, is the king of the beef dishes in Vienna.

When the Viennese talk about beef, they mean boiled veal or Tafelspitz, the king of the beef dishes.

There is practically no more delicious proof of how firmly the Austrian cuisine is rooted in the heart of Europe than one of the most typical of Viennese dishes: boiled veal, or Tafelspitz. Good-quality beef, a few vegetables, aromatic spices, and plenty of water to cook in are the vital ingredients. The same ingredients as when the French are creating their “pot-au-feu” or the Italians their “bollito misto”.

How to make it:
Step 1:
Slice the unpeeled onion in half widthways and fry off the cut surfaces without fat until fairly well browned.

Step 2:
Put around 3 litres of water into a large saucepan. Add the root vegetables, leek, halves of onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Add the washed meat and bones and, depending on the type of meat, allow to cook until softened in gently simmering water, which will take around 2 1⁄2 – 3 hours. Add more water as required and skim off any foam from the surface.

Step 3:
Season well with salt, but only after a good 2 hours.
Once the meat has softened, remove it from the pan and keep it warm in some of the liquid from the soup. Season the remainder of the soup again with salt to taste, and strain it (optional). Serve with semolina dumplings or frittata and freshly chopped chives as a starter.

Step 4:
Slice the boiled beef by cutting on the bias and arrange on pre-heated plates, or serve in the hot soup in a decorative soup tureen.
Serve with roast potatoes, a bread and horseradish mix, green beans in a dill sauce, or creamed spinach and chive sauce. If the root vegetables are to be served at the same time, cook some of them separately to be served al dente.

Cooking time: approx. 2 1⁄2 – 3 hours

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

spotted in www.austria.info

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What’s cooking in Austria – Tafelspitz

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

Tafelspitz
Boiled veal, or Tafelspitz, is the king of the beef dishes in Vienna.

When the Viennese talk about beef, they mean boiled veal or Tafelspitz, the king of the beef dishes.

How to make it:
Step 1:
Slice the unpeeled onion in half widthways and fry off the cut surfaces without fat until fairly well browned.

Cooking time: approx. 2 1⁄2 – 3 hours

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

spotted in www.austria.info

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What’s cooking in Albania – Byrek

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

Baked Albanian Spinach Pie or byrek rolls with phyllo dough, feta, and cottage cheese, the perfect party appetizer or snack.

This Albanian spinach pie or byrek rolls are just wonderful: crispy on the outside, with a soft savory filling, easy to make, and perfect for any kind of gathering.

What is byrek?
Or borek or burek, depending on where you are.
A byrek is filled fried or baked pastry made with phyllo or yufka dough.
It is very popular in the Balkan area and actually throughout the former Ottoman Empire.
It can be filled with meat, spinach, cheese or mixtures of several ingredients.
Byrek can be baked in large baking dishes or it can be shaped as rolls or triangles.
The smaller shaped ones are often deep-fried, especially those sold by street vendors or in restaurants.
And if you like this kind of byrek, you will also love the Turkish borek with spinach or the Romanian pie with lots of cheese. Or this more extravagant version of a turkey and vegetable-filled burek.

What do you need?
Phyllo dough:

3 very large sheets or enough to make 16 byrek rolls.
As phyllo dough comes in different sizes (depending on the brand and where you buy it), I recommend just buying a package and use as much as needed.
If you have leftovers, wrap them well, so that they do not dry out and use them to make something else during the next couple of days.
How about a pumpkin pie with phyllo or the Serbian gibanica.

Spinach:

I always use frozen spinach. Defrost the spinach and squeeze very thoroughly in your hands before adding to the filling. All the excess moisture has to be removed, otherwise, the rolls my get soggy.
Dairy:

Feta, cottage cheese and smetana (typical Eastern European dairy product).
Smetana can be replaced with crème fraiche (closest fit) or sour cream.
Other ingredients: green onions, garlic, eggs and oil.

How to shape the byrek rolls?
Place one sheet of phyllo pastry on the working surface and brush it with oil.
Place another sheet on top, brush again, and finish with another phyllo pastry sheet. Brush this one as well.
Cut the phyllo sheets in order to get 16 rectangles of about 25×18 cm/10×7 inches. If your pastry sheets are not large enough for you to get 16 pieces, repeat the procedure with another 3 sheets of pastry.
Place one heaped tablespoon of the filling on the lower side of each rectangle. Fold the sides over the filling and roll the pastry starting on the lower side.
Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper with the seam facing down.
Brush the rolls with oil as well.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions
450 g/12.8 oz frozen spinach
2 garlic cloves
250 g/7 oz feta (from a block, not already crumbled)
225 g/8 oz/1 cup cottage cheese
100 g/ 3.5 oz/ scant ½ cup smetana or crème fraiche
2 small eggs
fine sea salt and pepper
1 packet phyllo dough (Note)
about 4-5 tablespoons olive oil, as needed for brushing

Instructions
Defrost the spinach and squeeze it very well to remove the excess moisture. Preheat the oven: 200 degrees Celsius/400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop the onions very finely and cook them in 1 tablespoon olive oil for a couple of minutes.
Mix the onions, spinach, grated garlic cloves, crumbled feta cheese, cottage cheese, smetana/creme fraiche and eggs very well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place one sheet of phyllo pastry on the working surface. Brush it with oil. Place another sheet on top, brush it as well, and finish with another phyllo pastry sheet. Brush this one as well. Cut the phyllo sheets in order to get 16 rectangles of about 25×18 cm/10×7 inches.
Place one heaped tablespoon of the filling on the lower side of each rectangle. Fold the long sides over the filling and roll the pastry starting on the lower side. Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper with the seam facing down. Brush the rolls with the remaining oil.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cover the rolls loosely with aluminum foil after half the time if they seem to get too dark.

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

spotted in whereismyspoon.co

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What’s cooking in Canada – Poutine

Written by Leandro Agostini on August 5, 2021. Posted in Whats cooking.

What’s cooking? World recipes

WHAT IS POUTINE?
As a Canadian, it’s seriously shocking to me when someone asks “what’s poutine?” I need to remind myself that not everyone has been blessed enough to enjoy this dish for most of their life. So let me explain to you what you’ve been missing out on!

Poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec back in the 1950’s. I’ve heard stories of a man asking a restaurant to add cheese curds to his fries, that said restaurant later added to their menu. A couple years later, the restaurant served these fries and cheese curds on a plate, then added gravy to keep them warm. This, my friends, is what we call Poutine!

Now that’s just one of many origin stories, but just like with the Nanaimo Bars, no one really knows how it truly originated. Either way, I’m glad it did because this is one of my most favourite dishes ever!

Poutine has always been popular in Canada, but it’s grown even more in popularity over the past few years. Pretty much every restaurant that has fries, has included a poutine variation onto their menu, even McDonalds!

Now if you don’t live in Canada, you’re probably not gonna find poutine in every corner of your city. Well today I’ll be showing you how to make your own poutine that tastes just as good (and dare I say BETTER) than the ones at the restaurants!

PEELING AND CUTTING THE FRIES
Alright, let’s start with the fries! You’ll need 4 pounds of Russet potatoes, preferably all the same size. A lot of people like to keep the skin on their potatoes when making fries or wedges, so if you do, wash your potatoes before slicing. I don’t like the skin, so I run the potatoes under cold water while peeling.

To cut the potatoes into french fry sticks, start by slicing your potato into ¼-inch thick “disks”. Then slice each disk into sticks. See the photos below to better understand what I’m talking about.

As you’re cutting your fries, place them into a large bowl or container filled with cold water. You’ll want to do this right away as the potatoes will start to brown if left out too long. Once all of your fries are in the cold water, cover and refrigerate overnight. This is important because it removes the starch which results the crispiest fries!

FRYING THE FRENCH FRIES
Before frying, you’ll need to drain the starch water from the fries, then rinse them TWICE to make sure all the starch is gone. After the fries have been rinsed, dry them as well as you can. Water and oil is not a good mix, so after you place them on paper towel, use another sheet or two to dry them a handful at a time before adding to the oil.
Fill a very deep pot with 3-inches of oil, then heat it to 300°F. I used a thermometer, but you can test it by adding a small fry after a few minutes, and once it begins to fry gently, the oil is ready.

You’ll be frying the fries twice, once at 300°F for 4-5 minutes to cook the inside, then again at 400°F for 3-5 minutes to get a golden brown crispy outside.

TIPS FOR FRYING THE FRIES
Use a large deep pot: Since we’ll be deep frying, we need a lot of oil. Like enough to go 3-inches up your pot, so you’ll need a pot that’s at least 6-inches high or more, because once the fries are added, the oil will rapidly bubble up and you wanna make sure there’s enough room so it doesn’t spill over.

Fry in small batches: There’s a lot of fries, so you may be tempted to fry a ton at once to get it over with but DON’T! The first time I fried french fries, I accidentally added too many fries to the pot and the oil bubbled up, spilled over, and set the entire pot on fire. Yes, it’s THAT dangerous! I was able to put it out without problem and continue frying, but it could’ve ended way worse so please fry in very small batches to avoid this.
Don’t leave the pot: Pay close attention to the fries when frying. Even though I gave you a time, this is the time it took ME to fry. Things may end up differently for you, especially with the second fry. Some batches took 3 minutes to reach the golden crispy stage, while other batches took 5 minutes or more which is why the time is 5-3 minutes. Once you see the fries getting brown and crispy, take them out. You don’t want them to burn.

WHAT KIND OF CHEESE SHOULD I USE?
White cheese curds is the cheese used in every authentic Canadian poutine! Once again, poutine is so popular here that our grocery stores specifically sell “poutine cheese curds”.

CHEESE CURD SUBSTITUTIONS
Alright, chances are you’re probably gonna have a hard time finding cheese curds so a great substitution is a ball of soft mozzarella torn into chunks. The type of mozzarella you can’t use a shredder for, I use this soft mozzarella every time I make lasagna! When adding the gravy, the cheese is supposed to get melty and gooey, only soft, torn pieces of mozzarella can give you similar results.

Speaking of the cheese curds, one thing that’s always annoyed me is how much some restaurants skimp on the curds! Like a bucket of fries with 3-4 cheese curds, ridiculous! So now that I have full control over my curds, I went a bit crazy and added 2 full cups :D.

HOW TO MAKE POUTINE GRAVY
The GRAVY! This is what ties the whole dish together. The gravy can make or break a good poutine. For instance, Popeyes has amazing fries, and the cheese curds made them better, but their poutine gravy did not taste great to me so after the first try, I never bought it again.

So if you’ve got bad gravy, you’ve got bad poutine.

That’s why I was so nervous the entire time I was making this gravy. Thankfully it turned out AMAZING! I’m talking dip your already gravy-soaked fries into a side bowl of more gravy, amazing!

Making the gravy is very simple. Start by making a roux, which is butter and flour cooked together on the stove. Once the roux is bubbling, slowly pour in the beef stock. You can substitute with chicken stock, but you’ll end up with a very light gravy when poutine gravy is supposed to be dark. The beef stock will also give the gravy a better flavour.

For additional flavour, you’ll add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Whisk everything together and let it come to a boil. Pour in a cornstarch slurry (water + cornstarch combined) into the gravy and whisk until it’s incorporated. Let the gravy bubble and boil until it’s thickened. From there, you can taste the gravy and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
Now immediately pour the gravy onto the fries and cheese curds while it’s hot! The main purpose of the gravy is to melt the cheese curds into the fries so everything becomes one deliciously gooey mess!

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

spotted in www.queensleeappetit.com

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