Day 40 Poland

Polish Pierogi is the dish of the day. Not only was this my first attempt at making them, but the challenge was to make them exceptional. Both kids disparaged this velvety bite of cheese and potato, after trying a frozen version at the school cafeteria, which were, according to them in varying shades of green and grey. My job was to convince them that there is great error in their judgement, but the only way to truly prove it, was to bring on the hot pierogies...

The dough was prepared using a simple fresh egg noodle recipe. For the second time this week I regretted not owning a pasta machine. Instead I had to use elbow grease to roll them out as thinly as directed- 1/16th of an inch to be precise. The filling was made with boiled potatoes mixed with a few tablespoons of butter, extra sharp cheddar, salt and pepper. Sealed shut and cooked in batches in salted boiling water, the pierogies waited till dinner time.

Tossed briefly in hot butter with diced onions just before serving, were they good? The kids looked a little sheepish when they asked for seconds......

It's hard to believe that I'm already halfway around the world!

Heading out to Portugal next.....

Day 39 Italy

"When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool" croons Dean Martin and I am liable to join in, corny as it may seem, for the sheer love of Pasta. It is without doubt a contingency in our household, be it spaghetti with marinara sauce or Farfalle with olive oil and Parmesan, under any guise pasta always wins if we are casting votes. Today we start with a much anticipated Caprese Salad (kids love it) and finish with a (from scratch)spinach ravioli for our entree.

For the Caprese, Beefsteak tomatoes were sliced thickly. Fresh Mozarella was sliced and stacked alternately with the tomato slices. Extra virgin olive oil was drizzled liberally over this, along with a few drops of Balsamic glaze. A glaze is multi - faceted in comparison to a vinegar I believe, and helps transform this salad with its rich syrupy/spicy mouth feel.

This was my first crack at making pasta from scratch, not taking in to account the culinary school efforts in what seems like another lifetime. It was not the most pliable version I confess, but the stuffing and the sun dried tomato sauce worked like a charm. The stuffing made with spinach, ricotta, egg, salt and pepper was creamy and delicious. The sundried tomato sauce was made with rehydrated tomatoes, pureed and sauteed with garlic and basil. Drizzled over with olive oil and grated parmesan, it was wiped out within minutes...... and not without good reason.

Next destination : Poland.....

Day 38 Ireland

Irish lamb stew, a modest meal made from all that is available on a farm, is the pick of the day. The fact that it attained a place even in Escoffiers "Guide Culinaire" (a significant book about European Haute Cuisine) speaks volumes about this simple yet timeless classic. I called my friend Linda ( a bona fide Irish lass) to ask her opinion. She assured me that Irish stew is as authentic as it gets and even foisted a bread and butter pudding upon me.

The remarkable feature of this stew lies in its simplicity. There is no sauteeing/ frying/ browning involved. Simply place ingredients and seasoning in a cast iron pot with a tight lid and cook in the oven till meat is tender and succulent and vegetables are literally melting. The earthiness of the lamb is accentuated by the fresh thyme and parsley. The lack of excessive seasoning, I believe, helps retain the rustic taste of the stew .

The bread pudding is similar in nature. Layers of stale buttered bread alternate with a mixture of eggs, cream and sugar. Golden raisins are thrown in along with a generous sprinkling of nutmeg and cinnamon. A tablespoon of vanilla helps keep all eggy smells at bay. Baked till crisp and crunchy on the outside, and topped with whipped cream, this could quickly become a habit in our house. Was it good? As Linda would say- Ta se go deas!

In Italy tomorrow......

Day 37 Hungary

If we were playing a game of "Marco-Polo" and you said "Hungarian" I would say "Goulash". There is no second guessing- Goulash is undoubtedly the dish that best represents this country's cuisine. A stew made with beef and flavored with paprika, it holds its own in the vast pantheon of gastronomy.

There is nothing complicated about this unpretentious earthy stew. Diced onions are sauteed with garlic, cubed skirt steak, marjoram, caraway seeds and paprika ( I used a wonderfully smoky Hungarian paprika). Cubed potatoes and beef bouillon are thrown in before it is simmered, resulting in bite sized meat and potatoes that are juicy and moist. It was the perfect antidote to the whipping winds on a chilly Autumn day.

Moving on to the land of clovers and leprechauns.....

Day 36 Greece

Those of us that are familiar with Greek fare have our favorites and the list is not a short one: Greek salad, spanakopita, stifado and souvlaki top mine and I could go on for a while. However, after much debate I settled on a Moussaka recipe that looked too good to pass up. Time consuming and complicated as the recipe appeared to be, I was a seduced by the photograph of the finished product. I only hope mine looks as pretty!

The mise-en-place was way over the top: Zucchini and Eggplant pan-fried in olive oil, a meat sauce made with sauteed onion, ground beef, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, oregano, parsley salt and pepper, Bechamel sauce with feta and cottage cheese, and boiled potatoes. It was assembled with potatoes at the bottom with a layer of meat sauce followed by the bechamel and finally the veggies. The layers were repeated thrice and topped with grated Parmesan.

Baked in the oven till it oozes cheese, the Moussaka has earned its reputation in our family.

Onward to Hungary....

Day 35 Germany

Deutchland has more than its fair share of legends; Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Kafka, Freud and Einstein to name a few...and the world would not be the same without them. I feel the same way about Bratwurst and German beer...

Since I am aware that any attempt at making Bratwurst would most likely lead to angst, heartburn and disaster, I picked the Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Tart).

Pastry dough is rolled out and baked partially. Bacon is diced and rendered. The bacon fat is used to cook the onions. Sprinkled over with caraway seeds, and pepper the onions and bacon are poured into the base of the tart shell before adding in a batter made of egg, egg yolk, and sour cream. The tart is baked once more till creamy in the centre and crisp on the crust. The caraway seed for those of you that are curious, is Persian cumin and although mild in taste, imparts character to this otherwise simple tart.

Next destination - Greece......

Day 34 France

It's here at last- the much anticipated day in France. As tempting as it was, I tried to steer clear off Haute Cuisine and stick with classics like Boeuf Bourguignon and Crème Bruleè, foods that bring us unwittingly into a cafe on the sidewalks of Paris, where cigarette and red wine fumes mingle fondly with stews and steaks; where the wait staff is seldom sober and extremely friendly once you gather the courage to speak the five French words in your vocabulary.

To kick off the Boeuf Bourguignon, cubed chuck is seared in olive oil and set aside. Bacon slices are rendered and sliced onions and carrots are sauteed in the fat, before throwing in a couple of splashes of cognac and flambéing it. This helps caramelize the onions beautifully. The meat,veggies, beef bouillon, a good portion of a bottle of burgundy, tomato paste and thyme is slow cooked in the oven till the meat is tender and falling apart. Sautéed mushrooms sliced thickly and pearl onions are introduced at this point and a paste of flour and butter ( Beurre Manié) is used to thicken the stew. Served with a crusty french baguette it is well worth the effort and reminds us again why it is considered iconic.

Making a good Crème Bruleè is a great trick to master. Easy to make, and a great way to finish a meal, and unwittingly making one appear sophisticated and worldly wise. Egg yolks and sugar are creamed together. Scalded cream is added in along with vanilla or maybe a liquor of choice. This mixture is poured into ramekins and steamed in the oven over a tray of boiling water. The final touch is to cover the tops with sugar ( I used Demerara cane sugar) and torch them till golden, crunchy and molten all at once. The silken custard with the crunchy top is sure to get you whatever it is you are after, so keep this ace up your sleeve- you never know when you might need it!

Racing down the Autobahn towards Germany....