A trip to Madrid may have you coming home with a new tradition to start your dinners. In some parts of Spain, dinner does not begin with just the meal, rather, tapas are served; and when they are, the socializing commences.
Wikipedia notes “According to The Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales. The tapas eventually became as important as the sherry.”
Not only are tapas a delicious meal starter, but the time spent consuming them also makes for an excellent occasion to catch up with and enjoy those in your company. Today, there is a large variety of tapas, not just meat and bread. On this World Cuisine Wednesday, I will share a recipe for my favorite, empanadillas! (Miniature versions of empanadas.)
Chorizo Empanadillas
3 tbsp olive oil
1 egg white
5 tbsp chopped onion
2 bell peppers, chopped
3 oz pimento stuffed olives
3 tbsp chopped capers
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
12 oz chorizo
1 package puff pastry sheets
Preheat oven to 375°. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook until chorizo is browned.
Add chorizo mixture into a bowl with paprika, olives, capers salt and pepper and mash together. Set aside.
On a floured surface, roll out pastry to about 1/8” thickness and cut out circles with a 3 inch cookie cutter. Spoon about a teaspoon of the mixture into the center of each circle of dough. Using a pastry brush, brush the outer edges with egg white and fold filled pastries in half to form a crescent. Pinch edges together to seal in mixture, then use a fork along the curved part of the empanadillas.
Bake until golden brown and puffed, approximately 15 minutes.
Back in the olden days, the peasants of Yorkshire, England would cook something called “Dripping Pudding” which could be used as a first course filler when they could not afford much meat. It was made from batter and meat drippings, sliced thinly and served with gravy. This was given to children as their main entrée.
Today, Dripping Pudding has been renamed Yorkshire Pudding and is one of the most popular staples in British cuisine. It is almost always served with roast beef and gravy as part of a traditional dinner.
There are many ways that Yorkshire Pudding can be prepared. One of the most common ways it is made is as an individual, bun-sized serving with a bit of a depression in the middle to fill with gravy. Making it this way, each person gets their own edible bowl!
When you travel to the United Kingdom, you must try this delicious bit of history. No matter if you’re on a vacation in Yorkshire, London, Manchester or Liverpool, this popular dish is served at just about every traditional English restaurant around the country. Catch a cheap flight to the UK and give it a taste!
Yorkshire Pudding
¾ c all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¾ c milk
3 eggs
½ c beef drippings*
Preheat oven to 450°.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk until texture is light and foamy.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour and salt. Add to the milk and egg mixture until just mixed.
Pour beef drippings into each individual cup of your muffin tin and place the pan in the oven until your drippings are smoking hot.
Bring the hot pan out of the oven, pour in batter carefully and cook approximately 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
Serve with roast beef and gravy.
*If beef drippings are not available, melted butter may be substituted. Also can be served with your favorite jam or jelly instead of gravy.
During the month of August, Amsterdam will be welcoming one of the most anticipated events of the year, De Parade. This traveling theatre festival visits various cities throughout Netherlands including Rotterdam, Amsterdam and The Hague. Visitors are treated to performances by wandering entertainers, children’s programs and my favorite, the food fair!
The food fair is one of the most popular features at De Parade. An international food booth offers a great variety of cuisines in snack portions or full meals. This year, De Parade will take place from 6 August until 22 August at the Martin Luther King Park on Amsteldijk between the Beragebrug and Utrechsbrug.
Gates are open from 3:00 p.m. until midnight.
This week, our food travels will take us on a trip to Amsterdam for a refreshing summer dessert. Hangop is an old Dutch recipe that is not only delicious, but healthy as well! Plus, this treat is extremely easy to put together.
Berry Hangop
4 c plain, strained yogurt
1 lb fresh strawberries (or any berry of your choice)
5 tbsp sugar
1 vanilla bean
sugar to taste
¼ c balsamic vinegar + 2 tbsp (optional)
2/3 c fresh chopped basil (optional)
Sweeten the yogurt with sugar to desired flavor and whip in the seeds of the vanilla bean.
To make the sauce, puree berries, sugar and a teaspoon of water in a food processor or blender. If you wish, add the vinegar and basil to the mixture for a unique topping.
Bonjour, Travelers! I hope you’re staying cool in this hot July sun! I think the perfect treat to enjoy on days such as this would be a light, cool mousse. French for “lather” or “foam”, mousse used to be a specialty that was only served in French restaurants until the 1960s. It can be flavored with any number of things: orange, vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, etc.
This week, let’s take a trip to France for a cool, creamy chocolate mousse recipe.
Mousse au Chocolat
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• 6 oz unsalted butter
• 6 oz bittersweet, semi-sweet or dark chocolate
• ¾ c sugar
• 4 tbsp coffee
• Pinch of salt
Beat egg yolks and sugar together until it becomes a thick yellow mixture.
Melt chocolate and coffee together, slowly add butter and beat until mixture is smooth, then add egg yolk and sugar mixture.
Beat egg whites and salt until stiff. Add 1 tbsp sugar and beat for 2 more minutes.
Add approximately 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, stir well and then add the rest.
Chill well for at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream, strawberries or as is, it’s delicious no matter what!
