Kruidnoten - Dutch Spice Nuts

Dutch Kruidnoten are often confused with Pepernoten. Whereas Kruidnoten, which translates to "spice nuts" in English, are crunchy rounded cookies made with the same ingredients as Speculaas. Pepernoten, on the other hand,  which translates as "pepper nuts", are softer, light brown cookies made with flour, sugar, anise, cinnamon, cloves and occasionally some honey.

Both Kruidnoten and Pepernoten are eaten at around the feast of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas) at the beginning of December. Sometimes, Kruidnoten are called the "small sisters" of Speculaas. You might know Speculaas, the traditional Dutch Sinterklaas treats as windmill cookies, Biscoff cookies or Speculoos (their Flemish name), Kruidnoten as well as Speculaas are both fragrantly spiced with a Speculaas Spice Mix - including ginger, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, while brown sugar adds a hint of molasses.

The origin of these traditional treats is intricately linked with the history of the Netherlands. The Dutch controlled the spice trade with the East in the 17th century, making the use of spices more accessible to ordinary Dutch people. Spices were still expensive, however, which is why their use was reserved for the holidays. The Sinterklaas tradition sees the strewing of Kruidnoten, Pepernoten, chocolate coins and candy around the room for the children to pick up off the floor on Sinterklaas Eve.

These days, the traditional recipe is still popular, but new variations, such as truffle kruidnoten, chocolate-covered kruidnoten and yoghurt-covered kruidnoten are also available. 

Kruidnoten – Dutch Spice Nuts

Ingredients for the Cookies
(yield: makes approx. 40-50 small  Kruidnoten)

• 200 grams (1 3/4 cups) self-rising flour 
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) donkerbruine basterdsuiker* (Dutch dark brown sugar), you can also sub with Demerera sugar or Muscovado sugar (unrefined cane sugar)
• 2 tsps. pure vanilla sugar
• 100 grams (7 tbsp) unsalted butter 
• 2-3 tbsp milk (depending on how your dough holds together)
• 4 tsp Speculaas Spice Mix (speculaaskruiden)**
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• finely grated zest of half an organic (untreated) orange
• 1 egg white (L), lightly beaten with a fork (for glazing the unbaked cookies)

Preparation of the Cookies

1. Mix together all the ingredients (except the egg white) in a large bowl and knead (you could use a mixer with a dough hook attachment). 
2. You should be able to shape the dough into a ball without it sticking to your hands. 
3. Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and set aside for a good hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 175° Celsius (350° Fahrenheit).
5. Line two cookies sheets with baking parchment.
6. Wet your hands and roll little balls of dough.
7. Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. 
8. Using your thumb, gently press down on each cookie to flatten slightly. 
9. Brush each cookie with some of the egg white.egg white.
10. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies, or until the cookies puff up and turn golden brown.
11. Transfer to cooling racks and allow to cool.

Basterdsuiker* is a typical Dutch product. There are three varieties, white, brown and dark brown, called witte basterdsuiker, lichte basterdsuiker and donkerbruine basterdsuiker. The sugar is widely available from Dutch supermarkets and some Dutch groceries on the internet.

You can order ready-made Speculaas Spice Mix (known as Speculaaskruiden) online but you can also make your own spice mix, which really gives you the chance to use the freshest ground spices that you can get your hands on, making for even better tasting cookies, of course.

Speculaaskruiden**
(Speculaas Spice Mix)

Ingredients for the Speculaas Spice Mix

• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground mace
• 1/3 tsp ground ginger
• 1/5 tsp ground white pepper (a pinch)
• 1/5 tsp ground cardamom (a pinch)
• 1/5 tsp ground coriander seeds (a pinch)
• 1/5 tsp ground anise seeds (a pinch)
• 1/5 tsp grated nutmeg (a pinch)
• NOTE: If you only have whole spices at home, you can grind the spices yourself using a coffee grinder, or use a food processor and a fine sieve.

Preparation

1. Carefully measure out spices.
2. Mix all spices well.
3. Scoop the mix into a spice jar with a tight-fitting lid.
4. Label the jar.
5. And use for baking Christmas cookies.
6. Discard any leftovers after four months and make a new spice mix.

Do try these Speculaas spiced, gingerbread-style, crunchy cookies, a true original Sinterklaas confection. This homemade version is so much better than what you can buy in a shop, especially if you take the time to blend your own spice mix, which is rather easy and really makes these treats special.

By the way, Kruidnoten make a fabulous gift. Simply wrap up in some cellophane, tie with a pretty ribbon and decorate with some pretty handcrafted angels like the ones in the pictures above!

Book Review: Stevan Paul´s new Cookbook "Auf die Hand" (Street Food)

The latest cookbook by Stevan Paul is called "Street Food" - "Sandwiches, Burger & Toasts, Fingerfood and Evening Sandwiches". It is published by Brandstätter (an Austrian publisher) and the pictures were taken by Berlin photgrapher Daniela Haug. This book is all about national as well as international take-away food.

Im neusten Buch von Stevan Paul mit dem schönen Titel "Auf die Hand"– "Sandwiches, Burger & Toasts, Fingerfood & Abendbrote“, erschienen im Christian Brandstätter Verlag mit Fotos von Daniela Haug, dreht sich alles um die Mahlzeit aus der Hand, national und international.

The book is divided into six chapters. You can find "Classics", "Burger", "Toast & Sandwiches", "Hot Dogs", "Evening Sandwiches" and "Toppings & Asides". Each chapter includes some background information about the foods, called "Story", then a bit about different cooks called "Reports" and then, of course, the "Recipes" to go with each chapter. This is a lovely book that can be considered not only as an inspiration to get cooking and try out some new recipes but also to pause and take the time to read the stories about the cooks that Stevan Paul met during his research to this book, but also to admire the outstanding photography. As you might have noticed if you follow my blog, I really enjoy historical background information about the foods that I am about to prepare. That was also the main reason why I decided to attend the October book presentation in my lovely tometown of Cologne.

Das Buch ist in sechs Kapitel unterteilt, da gibt es „Klassiker“, „Burger", "Toasts & Sandwiches“, „Hot Dogs“, „Abendbrot & Imbiss“ und „Drüber, Drunter & Drauf, Dazu!“. In jedem der sechs Kapitel gibt es etwas Geschichtliches, die „Story“, dann Berichte über verschiedene Köche, die „Reportagen“ und dann, natürlich, die jeweiligen "Rezepte" passend zu den Kapiteln. Ein schönes Buch, das nicht nur zum Kochen und zum Bestaunen der schönen Fotos anregt, sondern durchaus auch zum Lesen. Die Geschichten zu den vorgestellten Köchen und ihren Gerichten haben überaus großen Unterhaltungswert. Ich persönlich habe ein absolutes Faible für die historischen Aspekte unseres Essens. Deshalb habe ich mich im Oktober auf den Weg zum Kölner "Marieneck" gemacht, wo Stevan Paul sein Buch vorstellte.

The recipes in the book are short and precise, most are only one page long, but do not be fooled by appearances as the preparation of some of them can be rather elaborate. But you always have the choice of preparing everything from scratch or just some of the elements, allowing you to better manage your prep time. No doubt, making everthing yourself will result in better taste but there is nothing wrong with buying the buns for your burger, the bread for your sandwiches or ready-made sauerkraut - what I really appreciate is that you are given a choice. If you are so inclined and have a bit more time on hand, do give Stevan Paul´s so-called "Miracle Dough" (page 275) a try, you can either turn it into "Burger Buns", "Hot-Dog-Rolls", or "Toast", to have such a on hand recipe is priceless.  At the book presentation, of course, everything was prepared from scratch and Stevan Paul happily baked the rolls and buns that were served that evening with friendly support by the staff. The offerings included Pulled-Pork Sandwiches (page 141), the Halloumi Burger (page 86), Hot Dogs (page 158), Crostini with Bean Paste (page 15) and the Graved Lox with Gin (page 122).

Die Rezepte sind übersichtlich, meist nur eine Seite lang, was aber nicht heißen soll, dass mal schnell fertig ist! Man hat allerdings stets die Wahl: mache ich alles selber oder kaufe ich einiges fertig? So lässt sich der Zeitaufwand steuern. Aber natürlich schmeckt´s selbst gemacht umso besser. Oft mache ich ein Rezept mit allen seinen Komponenten komplett selber, ein anderes Mal gibt es eben Brötchen vom Bäcker für die Burger. Aber es ist schon sehr lobenswert, dass man die Wahl hat und dass die Rezepte so oder so lecker sind. Wer Zeit und Lust hat, sollte unbedingt Stevan Paul´s Rezept für den sogenannten "Wunderteig" (page 275)  ausprobieren - man kann "Burger Buns", "Hot-Dog Rolls" und "Toast" damit backen - so ein Rezept ist unbezahlbar. Beim Termin im "Marieneck" waren jedenfalls alle Elemente der Gerichte hausgemacht. Stevan Paul stand selbst am Herd, backte Brötchen und Rolls und servierte, mit freundlicher Unterstützung der Marienecker, leckere Halloumi Burger (Seite 86), Pulled Pork Burger (Seite 141), Hot Dogs (Seite 158), Crostini mit Bohnenpaste (Seite 15), und Graved Lachs mit Gin (Seite 122)" auf die Hand".

This is not the first time that I have written about Stevan Paul´s recipes. I put together a book review in August about his "German Vegetarian Cuisine" (here), then while I was waiting for the publication of his latest book, I did a feature on his "Fried Semolina Slices/Bites" (here). And last but not least, I blogged about his Christmas Stollen recipe - I had to bake quite a few Stollen for a charitable sale ("Stollen for a Cause") and his recipe proved to be rather popular when I tested it - so that´s the one I chose for this year´s bake sale, you can take a look at the delicious results here. The Stollen sold out rather well, and as an added bonus, I dispensed the free advice to go out and get this lovely book with the recipe for Christmas... But now onto the recipes that I prepared form his latest book.

Ich habe ja in der Vergangenheit schon öfter über Pauls Rezepte geschrieben. Im August war es eine Buchrezension von „Deutschland Vegetarisch“ (kann man hier nachlesen), dann gab es noch Nachschlag in Form von panierten Grießrauten, während ich auf das neue Buch gewartet habe (hier zu finden). Zu guter Letzt habe ich mich dann noch auf das Christstollen-Rezept aus „Deutschland Vegetarisch“ gestürzt, da ich jede Menge Stollen für einen guten Zweck gebacken habe ("Stollen for a Cause"). Stevan Pauls Quarkstollen-Rezept eignete sich ganz wunderbar dafür (das Ergebnis sieht man hier). Der Stollen hat sich sehr gut verkaufen lassen und den Tip, sich doch das Rezept in Form des Buches zu Weihnachten zu wünschen gab´s gratis dazu... Aber jetzt geht es ja um die Rezepte aus dem neuen Buch.

When selecting the recipes to try for this review, I listened carefully to the advice from my beloved younger taste testers. Kids certainly enjoy finger food. Therefore, we decided to start out with a classic recipe for "Corn Dogs" (page 31), a specialty form the US, of course. For those that are not familiar with this kid-friendly treat, these are hot dogs dipped in a sweet crunchy batter and then fried. The corn flour lends a nice color and texture to the batter and together with the added sugar, also a pleasant sweetness.  You can prepare the corn dogs and then simply serve them with store bought ketchup and mustard (like I did the first time I made them) or you can prepare a salsa to serve alongside the fried sausages. Let´s just put it this way, the kids were quite taken with this recipe and it made them curious to try some more recipes from this book.

Bei der Auswahl der Rezepte habe ich mich von meinen Testessern beraten lassen – und sie haben dann auch alles probiert. Fingerfood ist ja immer was für Kinder. Zunächst gab es aus dem Kapitel „Klassiker“ die "Corn Dogs" (Seite 31), eine Spezialität aus den USA. Man versteht darunter Hot Dogs in einem Mantel aus einem leicht süßem Teig aus Maisgrieß, Weizenmehl, Backpulver, Zucker, Milch, Salz und Ei. Der Maisgrieß gibt dem Teig eine schöne Farbe und Konsistenz und zusammen mit dem Zucker auch eine süßliche Note. Man kann das Rezept einfach so zubereiten und die Corn Dogs ganz einfach mit Ketchup und Senf servieren (wie ich das zunächst gemacht habe), oder ein Salsa dazu reichen, was dann eher die grown-up Variante wäre. Die Kinder waren begeistert und ihr Interesse für weitere Gerichte aus dem Buch geweckt.

But instead of buying the ketchup ready-made, you could also opt to make your own. There is a nice recipe on page 231. The ingredients are onions, dried as well as canned, chunky tomatoes, then some spices, namely paprika, cloves, and allspice. If you have never tasted homemade ketchup before, you will certainly be in for a treat.

Man kann aber auch ein Ketchup selber herstellen - ein schönes Rezept dafür findet sich auch im Buch (Seite 231) - mit Zutaten wie Zwiebeln, getrockneten und stückigen Tomaten, Paprikapulver, Nelken, Piment. Das selbstgemachte Ketchup war jedenfalls schon eine geschmackliche Offenbarung für alle, die es genießen durften.

Onto the next recipe, the "Roesti Burger" (page 89). I would call this a somewhat time-consuming recipe that renders delicious results. The burger consists of rolls, raclette cheese, homemade roesti, sautéed red onions and apples and pieces of chicken breats wrapped in ham. I had to keep all the different elements of this burger warm until I was ready to assmeble this masterpiece of a burger and slide the buns inti the oven to melt the cheese.

Das zweite Gericht, das ich zubereitet habe, war der "Rösti-Burger" aus dem Kapitel "Burger" (Seite 89).  Bei diesem Rezept war schon ein wenig mehr Arbeitseinsatz erforderlich. Der Burger besteht aus Brötchen, Raclettekäse, selbstgemachten Rösti, geschmorten roten Zwiebeln und Äpfeln und Hähnchenbrust im Schinkenmantel. Ich habe alles im Ofen warm gehalten, zum Schluss die Brötchen mit Käse überbacken und zusammengesetzt.

The burger was incredibly delicious, a lovely combination of the melted aromatic cheese, the crunchy roesti, the sweet apples and red onions and the juicy chicken breasts wrapped in ham. It is not for no reason that Stevan Paul comments his recipe by pointing out that it is "the perfect fare to keep ski bunnies and alpinists happy".

Der Burger war unglaublich lecker, die knusprigen Rösti, die süßen Äpfel und roten Zwiebeln, der würzige Käse und das saftige Hähnchenfleisch, eine tolle Kombination  Stevan Paul schreibt nicht zu Unrecht, dass dieser Burger genau das richtige "Hüttenessen für Skihasen und Bergsteiger ist".

If you are yearning for a side dish to the Burger or any other sandwich from the book, you will find plenty of options in the chapter entitled "Asides". I ventured into chips making (page 253) and made the potato chips using the "Vitelotte" variety. The recipe is quick and easy and makes for absolutely delicious chips. They turned out crunchy and when sprinkled with a bit of good salt, it is hard to resist them - whether you were hungry or not! Never made chips before - you should give this recpe a try!

Wenn es einen nach einer Beilage für Burger schmachtet, wird man in dem Kapitel "Drüber, drunter, drauf, dazu" schnell fündig. Ich habe mich mal an die Kartoffelchips gewagt (Seite 253). Aus violetten Kartoffeln der Sorte "Vitelotte" schnell gemacht, sind die Chips optisch und geschmacklich unschlagbar! Knusprig gebraten und mit guten Salz gewürzt, ist es schwer, sich nicht über die ganze Schale herzumachen. Egal ob man hungrig war oder nicht.

If you are looking for a lighter side dish, make a salad using on eof the dressing recipes from the book. Since we are now in late autumn, lamb´s lettuce is a great, seasonal option for a salad. The "Sour Cream Dressing" on page 264 is quickly put together - although I decided to omit the herbs from the dressing the day I took th epictures, it was still utterly delicious.

Als etwas leichtere Beilage eignet sich dann vielleicht auch manchmal eher ein Salat. Zur herbstlichen Jahreszeit bietet sich jetzt Feldsalat an, wofür sich das passende Dressing dann auch schnell findet. Das "Saure-Sahne-Dressing" (Seite 264), das ich an diesem Tag ohne Kräuter gemacht habe, hat eine angenehme Säure und ist für viele Salate geeignet.

Onto the chapter entitled "Evening Sandwiches and Snacks". On page 187 you will find a lovely recipe for a "Pretzel with Cream Cheese and Chives" - a wonderful no-fuss snack.

Weiter geht es zum Kapitel "Abendbrot & Imbiss". Auf Seite 187 findet sich eine "Brotzeit-Brezel mit Schnittlauch-Frischkäse" - eine wirklich leckere, einfache Brotzeit. Sie kommt ohne Radi aus, wird dafür mit selbst eingelegtem Gemüse serviert.

Since I tend to get a bit nostalgic once in a while, I get the undeniable urge to eat some bagels every so often, so I decided to tackle that baking project as well (page 277). The basic dough, of course, involves yeast. You will need a certain amount of practice though to get the shape of the bagels right - Stevan Paul suggests using a wooden spoon to do this and I can attest that this method works very well.

Da mich ab und an ja doch mal ein wenig Fernweh plagt und ich ein absoluter Fan von Bagels bin, habe ich mal welche selber gebacken (Seite 277). Der Grundteig für Bagels ist ein Hefeteig. Es braucht allerdings ein wenig Übung, um gleichmäßig geformte Bagels hinzubekommen. Stevan Paul hat da so eine "Kochlöffelstiel-Methode" vorgestellt, die wirklich gut funktioniert.

You will be required to plunge the bagels into boiling salted water before baking them, a step that always reminds me of bakibg those lovely Pretzels and things. I splurged and added a few extra poppy and sunflower seeds to the topping of the bagels, otherwise I stayed true to the recipe. And once they were baked, I prepared myself one of my very favorite bagel sandwiches of all times, with cream cheese, lox, capers and thin slices of tomatoes - a delicious way to beat that "the grass is always greener on the other side" feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Es ist erforderlich, die Bagels vor dem Backen in kochendes Salzwasser zu geben, was mich immer an das Laugenbad für Brezel und andres Laugengebäck erinnert. Meine Bagels haben noch ein paar Sonnenblumenkörner und Mohn abbekommen, ansonsten habe ich mich an das Rezept gehalten und voller Genuss und mit einem bißchen Wehmut einen "Bagel mit Lox" zubereitet, mit Frischkäse, geräuchertem Lachs, dünnen Tomatenscheiben und Kapern - eine wirklich leckere Art und Weise sich dem Fernweh etwas hinzugeben.

Time for yet another sandwich treat, the "Schnitzel-Bun" (page 219) from the chapet "Evening Sandwiches & Snacks". Now, this was a huge success.

Zeit für noch ein Sandwich. Das "Schnitzelbrötchen" (Seite 219) aus dem Kapitel "Abendbrot & Imbiss" war ein Riesenerfolg. Wie könnte es denn auch anders sein mit den leckeren Zutaten.

How on earth can you go wrong with breaded veal cutlets (I did sub thin slices of pork tenderloin), homemade mayonnaise (page 233), pickles (page 259) and pan-fried capers as an added fun flavo component. Unbeatable recipe.

Es besteht aus panierten Kalbsschnitzeln (ich habe Schnitzel vom Schweinefilet gemacht), selbstgemachter Mayonnaise (Seite 233), Gewürzgurken (Seite 259) und gerösteten Kapern als Zugabe. Einfach. Nur. Toll.

Onto the side dish for our "Schnitzel-Buns". The "Brined Garden Cukes" (page 259) and "Quickles" (page 261) are outstanding accompaniements to many a sandwich in the book. These no-fuss recipes will come together quickly and the results are most certainly superior to anything store-bought. For the Cukes you will need to make a brine with shallots, sugar, white wine vinegar, mustard seeds, dill and tarragon. Leave to cool and enjoy or keep in a cool places for a few days before digging in.

Die "Eingelegten Gartengurken" (Seite 259) und "Blitz-Pickles" (Seite 261) passen vorzüglich zu jeder Menge Brote und Sandwiches aus dem Buch und schmecken doch um einiges besser als gekaufte. Die Gurken werden in einem Sud aus Schalotten, Zucker, Weißweinessig, Senfsaat, Fenchelsamen, Lorbeerblatt, Salz, Dill und Estragon mindestens für einige Stunden eingelegt. Dann in Einmachgläser geben und abkühlen lassen. Man kann die Gurken am selben Tag genießen oder erst einige Tage durchziehen lassen.

The "Quickles" are just as fast to make and only need to cool before you can enjoy them, no need for the brine to do its magic for a couple of days. The day I made these, I decided to go with three different varieties of carrots, the dark violet "purple haze" (unfortunately they always loose some of their lovely color during cooking, but still have this unbeatbale nutty, sweet taste). Then I used the light yellow ones called "crème de Lite" and the regular good old orange carrot.

Die "Blitz-Pickles" sind ebenso schnell fertig, sie brauchen auch nur abzukühlen, bevor man sie genießen kann. Ich habe mich für drei Möhrensorten entschieden: die violetten (Sorte "purple haze"), die zwar immer etwas Farbe beim Kochen verlieren, aber einen intensiven Geschmack haben, die hell-gelben Möhren (Sorte "crème de lite") und dann die orangefarbenen Möhren-Klassiker - sah nicht nur hübsch aus, war auch noch lecker.

Now to a rather well-known German sandwich treat, the "Strammer Max" (page 214). Traditionally, a slice of bread, sometimes fried in butter, covered with ham and fried egg, it has taken on some very regional interpretations. In this version, Stevan Paul adds pan-fried smoked pork and sauerkraut to the bread, together with an egg, prepared sunny-side up.

Dann noch ein Klassiker unter den Broten, nämlich der "Stramme Max" (Seite 214). Das ist etwas für hungrige Genießer. Normalerweise ist das ein Brot mit Schinken (in Bayern auch gern mit gebratenem Leberkäse) und Spiegelei. Stevan Pauls Variante kommt jedoch mit gebratenem Kassler und Sauerkraut daher.

The sauerkraut gets a royal treatment with ground sweet paprika, coarse grained mustard and mild runny honey. Apart from the fact that my taste testers thought this to be a phenomenal dinner, they do not really want me to prepare sauerkraut any other way now - as they really enjoyed the the combination of sweet and sour of this recipe..

Ich habe das Sauerkraut jetzt schon mehrfach so serviert, auch ohne damit den Strammen Max zu belegen, und die Kinder mögen es jetzt fast gar nicht mehr anders. Die Kombination von süß und sauer kommt eben sehr gut an. Für den nicht ganz so großen Hunger lässt sich der Stramme Max auch gut in kleinen Portionen servieren.

After all those German treats, here is a decidedly Swiss one. Stevan Paul calls this a "Swiss Fondue Sandwich" (page 204). A treat for those adult eaters as there is a bit of white wine involved in this recipe. I served caper beeries alongside the grilled slices of sourdough bread, rubbed with a bit of garlic and drizzled with white wine before being covered with Raclette cheese and put under the broiler. For those of you familiar with Swiss cheese fondue, the elements of this recipe will sound familiar - it is not unlike a de-constructed Cheese Fondue.

Nach all den leckeren deutschen Gerichten, gab es dann auch noch etwas aus der Schweiz auf die Hand, das "Schweizer Fondue-Brot" (Seite 204). Eher etwas für die grown-ups, denn die Röstbrote werden vorab mit Knoblauch eingerieben und mit Weißwein beträufelt, bevor sie mit dem würzigen Raclette-Käse überbacken werden. Ich habe die Brote mit Kapernbeeren serviert - bein meinen Schweizer Freunden gibt es immer Cornichons zu Raclette.

And what would this book review be without a hint of a sweet treat at the end. Although you will find a recipe for "French Toast" (page 147) and that famous "PB & J" sandwich (page 148), this book does not have achapter entirely dedicated to desserts. For our "High Tea" (page 120), I decided to serve two treats. First, we had the Cucumber-Sandwiches with an avocado-cream cheese spread and thinly sliced cucumbers - always a welcome treat.

Was wäre aber eine Kochbuchrezension, ohne ein bisschen was Süßes zum Abschluss. Obwohl man in dem Buch Rezepte für "French Toast" (Seite 147), "PB & J Sandwich" (Seite 148) findet, gibt es kein eigenes Nachtisch-Kapitel. Deshalb zum Abschluss der "High Tea"(Seite 120), den ich auf zweierlei Art serviert habe. Es gab einmal die Gurkensandwiches - mit Avocado-Frischkäse und sehr dünn geschnittener Salatgurke - die kommen immer gut an.

And then we also some "Scones". Stevan Paul´s recipe calls for full-fat yoghurt in the batter rather than the buttermilk, milk or half and half that I have used to bake these treats in the past.I often forget how easy and incredibly delcious freshly baked scones are. These ones that I served with clotted cream ( that is easily found at our local Britsh shop) and red currant jelly, can also be served with a variety of other offerings such as your favorite jam, butter or cream cheese. Just rembere to eat them the day they were made, as they do tend to go stale rather quickly.

Und dann die wunderbaren "Scones", die ich zwar bis dato immer mit Milch, Sahne oder Buttermilch gebacken hatte. Diese hier werden aber sehr erfolgreich mit Vollmilchjogurt hergestellt. Immer wieder eine leckere Sache zum Nachmittagstee, besonders mit clotted cream (die es bei uns im britschen Laden gibt) oder ersatzweise mit Crème double und selbstgemachter Marmelade oder Gelee, am liebsten Johannisbeer. Man sollte die Scones am selben Tag genießen, an dem sie gebacken wurden. Sie tendieren dazu, mit der Zeit etwas trocken zu werden.

In summary, I would like to say that I really enjoy the idea behind this cookbook. Most of us enjoy eating some form or other of "take-away" food, be it sandwiches or toast, burger or buns. And now we have the recipes to guide us in making these treats at home.  The recipes are kept short and precise and the many photos are wonderful to look at and in harmony with the style of the recipes. The stories and background information that can be found in every chapter, will arouse your interest and curiosity and encourage you to try many of the recipes for yourself.

Zusammenfassend möchte ich sagen, dass ich die Idee hinter diesem neuen Kochbuch richtig gut finde. Ob Brote oder Sandwiches, ob Burger oder Bagel, die meisten von uns lieben "Essen auf die Hand", mal einfacher, mal etwas aufwändiger - aber immer sehr lecker. Die Rezepte sind klar und deutlich geschrieben, die Fotos in dem Buch wunderschön anzuschauen. Die Geschichten und Hintergrundinformationen in jedem Kapitel machen neugierig auf die Gerichte, so dass man auch Bekanntes mit neuen Augen sieht.

Personally, I am thrilled with the many possibilities of serving "take-away" food at home. Time to pull out those mini-fondue pots, vintage buses and sandwich tins and have fun while serving the food.. Unfortunately, the book only exists in German, there is no English translation. But just because a book has only been published in German, that does not make it uninteresting...just imagine the possibilities, apart from the fact that you could contact me and I will gladly mail you a translation of a given recipe, you could add this book to your Christmas wish list together with that German language course that you have been meaning to take...now doesn´t that sound wonderful?!

"Auf die Hand" von Stevan Paul nimmt uns mit, viele nationale und internationale Gerichte neu kennen zu lernen. Vieles, was man allzu selbstverständlich nimmt, lohnt einen zweiten Blick und auch etwas Mühe in der Küche. Mir persönlich hat auch die Abwechslung gefallen, die das Servieren und Anrichten von Streetfood mit sich bringt. Weniger Schüsseln und Teller auf dem Tisch, dafür mehr Servietten, Spießchen, Soßen und Deko. Auch das macht viele der Gerichte tatsächlich familienfreundlich. Noch ein Grund.

If you would like to get a copy of this wonderful book, I am sure you know where to find it online or in European bookstores...

Wer dieses wunderbare Kochbuch aus dem Christian Brandstätter Verlag erwerben möchte, weiß sicherlich wo...

FFwD - Tartine de Viande des Grisons

The Canton of Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The name "Graubünden" translates as the "Grey Leagues“. Graubünden is also home to three of Switzerland's ethnic groups and the languages of Swiss German, Italian and Romansh are all native to the state. It is also the only canton where the Romansh language is still spoken. And only deli meats prepared in the Canton des Grisons, have the right to be called Viande des Grisons.

Viande des Grisons is a charcuterie made of the leanest cuts of beef hind-leg. The fat is removed and the pieces of meat are seasoned and stored for three to five weeks in near-freezing temperature. During this first step of the aging process, the meat is systematically compressed to increase its storage life and give it its unique triangular shape. The meat is then cured in the Canton des Grisons mountain air for 17 weeks at temperatures no higher than 18° degrees Celsius until it becomes hard and turns a dark red, almost purple color.

Considering the process of making the Viande des Grisons, it is no surprise that it is considered to be a special treat.

For Dorie´s Tartine des Grisons you simply toast a slice of country bread and generously coat it with good-quality butter. Then you add a few thin slices of the Grisons meat. Top with a few freshly cracked walnuts and drizzle with some walnut oil. To change things up a it, I added three kinds of fresh sprouts to the sandwich.

This is certainly one memorable tartine (open-faced sandwich).

If you enjoy the Viande des Grisons, you can try a few other great classics to prepare with it. The Viande de Grisons is an essential element in all Swiss fondues and raclettes. You can also serve in in salads or as a tartar. Like prosciutto ham, des Grisons meat pairs well with sliced melon as an appetizer. Furthermore, the meat can simply be served with cottage cheese or fresh fruits like apples, pears or strawberries. The Swiss also enjoy the meat diced and added to barley soup. Or, if you really want to enjoy the unique taste of this meat, serve it as a Carpaccio of Viande des Grisons – simple arrange the thinlysliced meat on a large plate, drizzle with olive oil and fresh shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.

The Italian „Bresaola" (which originates in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region) is considered a close relative to the Suisse „Viande des Grisons“, both are beef fillets aged in dry conditions for at least one month. They are both enjoyed sliced paper thin and served at room temperature or slightly chilled. The Viande des Grisons has a slightly drier texture than the Bresaola.

Viande des Grisons is hard to beat – no matter which way you serve it – so it came as no surprise that we all enjoyed this lovely tartine as a first course to „Pasta with Fennel, Rocket and Lemon“ – a recipe from River Cottage Everyday Veg that I have prepared a few times since we first made this in August for the cottage Cooking Club (if interested, you can take a look here).

To see how much the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group enjoyed this recipe, please go here.

For copyright reasons, we do not publish the recipes from the book. But you can find the recipe for “Tartine de Viande des Grisons“ on page 41 in Dorie Greenspan´s cookbook "Around my French Table".

The Cottage Cooking Club - November Recipes

Today, marks the seventh month of our international online cooking group, The Cottage Cooking Club. As a group, recipe by recipe, we are cooking and learning our way through a wonderful vegetable cookbook written in 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, called „River Cottage Everyday Veg“.

The Cottage Cooking Club international online cooking group is meant to be a project aimed at incorporating more vegetable dishes in our everyday cooking, getting to know less known vegetables, learning new ways to prepare tasty and healthy dishes, and sharing them with family and friends.

All the members of this cooking group will make an effort to use as much local, regional, organic and also seasonal produce as is resonably possible. With that goal in mind, during the month of November, I prepared a nice array of vegetable dishes from the recipe line-up.

Let us start with a picture that reflects the season that is upon us – today is the last day of November and around these parts, we celebrate the beginning of the Advent season on this first Sunday of Advent. I hope all of my friends celebrating Thanksgiving had a wonderful time with family and friends – no matter what we celebrate these days, it seems to be a time for peace and quiet and reflection upon the previous months.

Since I prepared nine out of ten recipes, I will write about each dish according to the order in which they appear in the book. My first recipe for this November post is the „Stuffed cabbage leaves " (page 38), from the chapter "Comfort Food & Feasts".

This was the most labor-intense yet also most fun to prepare of all the dishes this month. When making this dish, you will be required to follow a few steps. The first step is the preparation of the slightly chunky and thick tomato sauce with carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic and thyme. By now, I believe I am able to prepare a tomato sauce with my eyes closed. When the sauce was simmering, I made the filling with pearl barley, onion, garlic, currants, walnuts, lemon zest, lots of chopped fresh parsley and dill, chili flakes for some heat and an egg to bind it all.

Then onto the cabbage leaves – buy a really nice Savoy cabbage (know as „Wirsing“ in these parts), choose one with big, dark green leaves, separate the leaves and blanch in well-salted boiling water for a few minutes - you have to make sure to remove the though parts of the ribs before blanching the leaves. Then fill up the leaves, roll and fold and place in baking dish. Spoon the tomato sauce over, dot with sour cream and bake for a good half hour.

The lengthy preparation of this dish was truly a labor of love! It took forever and tasted divine – the kids ate vegetarian cabbage rolls and mopped up the rest of the sauce with a few slices of rustic bread. And so did we. A success story.

The second recipe this month was „Couscous salad with herbs and walnuts“ (page 89), from the chapter "Hearty Salads".

The recipe lists „giant“ wholemeal couscous as the main ingredient. After searching high and low for this ingredient, it proved to be impossible to get a hold of. So I decided to substitute large pearl barley. Other than that particular ingredient (I am still looking for it), I had most of the other components on hand. Toasting spices such as cumin and fennel seeds, is certainly a welcome activity these days, it smells amazing while you do that. And the month of November seems to be all about smells. Always is.

After the couscous (pearl barley) is cooked, it gets mixed with the previously prepared spice mixture and the sautéed onion, garlic, chopped celery and fennel, as well as lemon juice, chopped parsley, chives, terragon and walnuts – this is one way to use those walnuts that I bought at a country fair the other day – I kept the kids busy for a while cracking the fresh nuts and getting them ready for the salad.

This is a salad loaded with herbs and sweets nuts – definitely one that you should try if you enjoy those components – the herbs could also easily be just parsley or maybe parsley and basil if that is what you like and /or have on hand. And if you do not like nuts in your salad, you could just leave them out and it would still be delicious.

The third recipe was the easiest and fastest to prepare. The „Chicory, pears and salty-sweet roasted almonds“ (page 118), from the chapter "Raw Assemblies".

Ever since I started cooking from this book, I have developed a true liking for these „raw assemblies“. And this recipe was no exception.  I adored the combination of the crunchy, salty-sweet almonds, the slightly bitter local chicory and the perfectly sweet, yet firm pears form my favorite farmer.

I prepared the almonds in my tried-and-true cast-iron skillet – easy to nibble away at them after they have had a chance to cool down a bit. Be careful, they are molten-lava hot at first. The dressing is quickly made with olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then assemble the chicory leaves, the pear slices, the dressing and the almonds on a platter and enjoy the combination of flavors as well as textures – it is one that you will come back too once you tasted it, trust me!

The fourth (and fifth) recipe must be one of my very favorite seasonal soups of all times, the „Chestnut and sage soup“ (page 158), from the chapter "Hefty Soups" that I served together with the „Crostini“  (page 178), from the chapter "Bready Things".

There is a chestnut tree in our garden and every year I look forward to the harvest season – this year I used the chestnuts for baking my favorite chestnut cake, made this amazing soup and kept the remainder for roasted chestnuts.

This is such an elegant and velvety soup, I cannot get over the taste – the finished soup got a nice garnish of sliced chestnuts and sage leaves from my garden, fried in some light olive oil – serve this soup nice and hot and you will know what I mean – it is absolutely fabulous and perfect for serving to guests. Make sure to make some „Vegetable Stock“ (page 130) beforehand and serve some Crostini (page 178) alongside – no, no toppings for my Crostinis, just plain but pretty and delicious.

The sixth recipe were „Twice baked potatoes“ (page 226) from the chapter "Store-Cupboard Suppers“ – one of the two kids favorites this month.

Large potatoes get baked for an hour, then halved – while you prepare the filling, you return the skins to the oven „to dry“. The filling consists of the scooped out insides of the potatoes, sour cream, grated cheese (I chose Emmenthal), spring onions (I used fresh chives instead), sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper (I also added grated nutmeg).

My next stop will be filling them with spinach and Gruyère, a combination that is suggested by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at the end of the recipe – the kids cannot wait.

The seventh recipe this month were the other crowd pleasers, the „Patatas bravas“ (page 322) from the chapter "Mezze & Tapas".

This recipe is based on a classic Spanish tapas dish. The potatoes get a two-part treatment, first you boil the cubed potatoes, then you fry them. And serve them together with a piping hot spicy tomato sauce that you can easily prepare in advance. It is also nice to let the eaters adjust the spicyness of their dish by serving a bit of chili flakes on the side.

These potatoes in tomato sauce are wonderful when you serve them alongside a few other lovely little dishes such as olives and make sure to also serve some nice rustic bread alongside, for that extra sauce.

My eighth recipe this month were the delightful „Roasted parsnip chips“ (page 357) from the chapter "Roast, Grill & Barbecue". Now what is not to love about parsnips that get roasted with shallots, olive oil, pepper and salt until crisp and caramelized on the outside and creamy in the middle – unless, of course, you do not care for those fall vegetables.

Last but not least, I made the „Creamy potato and celeriac mash“ (page 388) from the chapter "Side Dishes". A nice, comforting side-dish of cooked potatoes that you pass through a ricer and mix together with celeriac that was cooked in milk and puréed in a food processor – these two vegetables make a wonderful, slightly sweet mash – just before serving you can drizzle a bit more melted butter on top and add a bit of ground nutmeg to round things off.

Another month full of wonderful vegetable dishes – we certainly enjoy the recipes from this cookbook!

Please note, that for copyright reasons, we do NOT publish the recipes. If you enjoy the recipes in our series, hopefully, the Cottage Cooking Club members and their wonderful posts can convince you to get a copy of this lovely book. For more information on the participation rules, please go here.

To see which wonderful dishes the other members of the Cottage Cooking Club prepared during the month of November, please go here.