Bring Europe to My Kitchen. Please.
 

I confirmed today that we will not be returning to Europe this year.

But my pots and pans arrived so going to bring Europe to us! What are your favorite dishes inspired by countries all over the world not just in Europe?

My first experiment dish is Coq au vin... so a French theme. Does anyone know its history or anything at all about it? Favorite recipe? Which part of France and are there variations of Coq au vin? We will be having people over during these theme nights so any trivial tidbits about the dish is especially appreciated!

Food is such a huge part of travel and everyone seems to have a different opinion. Kindly share your thoughts and other yummy suggestions. I have a mixer and food processor available.

Thank you! :)

Fois gras bien sure!

I love this book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It will take you back to all your favorite bistros in Paris.

I love Asian food but it's often more work than I care to do. Having recently read 'How Not to Die', by Dr. Michael Greger (a fun read, believe it or not), I've been on a quest for easy non-meat recipes. My current favorite is a red lentil dal with coconut milk, over brown jasmine rice. Easy & delicious, lots of recipes online.

<i>Bring Europe to My Kitchen. Please.
Posted by: tessietoes on Aug 17, 16 at 6:37pm
What are your favorite dishes inspired by countries all over the world not just in Europe?
My first experiment dish is Coq au vin... so a French theme. </i>

Unless you can find an authentic 10 pound Burgundian chicken your expectations will fall short. How they raise chicken in France bears no resemblance to the process in the USA. So find the best farm bird you can. Most grocery store poultry is made in a factory.

There are plenty of recipes on the Internet.

Living in Central Europe, and now that I'm a trailing spouse I have more time to experiment in the kitchen. I am enjoying learning about, and attempting to make dishes like Goulash with beef, deer, and Wildschwein (boar) and Schnitzel from scratch. The Schlupfkrapfen of Tirol are very similar to the pierogies I've made since childhood, just with different fillings. Semmelknodel with homemade beef stock is a family favorite on the cold nights, too.

http://cuisinieres01.blogspot.fr/201...oq-au-vin.html

But as spaarne rightly points out, you need the right chicken, very hard to find in the USA.

Check the What's For Dinner threads in the Fodor's Lounge for hundreds of ideas for recipes from all over the world.

What about Sauerbraten, one of the few dishes that remained from Roman-medieval cuisine when much more spices were used than today?

Sauerbraten is beef (originally venison, also horsemeat) marinated for 3 to 7 days in red wine with a little vinegar and spices added. Then it is braised or baked for 2 hours until tender. The sauce is made from the marinade, with raisins added and, very important, thickened with gingerbread.

Guten Appetit!

Surely you can look up Julia Child's iconic recipe for coq au vin, adopted for the American kitchen since you won't find the tough old rooster originally used.
To truly show off, make a cassoulet--basically "baked beans" done southwest France style.
A good French ragout? Flemish carbonnade--one of my favorite stews to make when our kids were growing up.
Don't forget a bouilliabaise and a tarte tatin.

I love Ina Garten's Ribollita recipe (reboiled Italian cabbage soup--much better than it sounds). Makes me dream of Tuscany.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ta-recipe.html

I like Patricia Wells' Bistro cookbook, she gives short anecdotes about many of the dishes.

Ina's Paris cook book is ggod. Patricia Wells' Trattoria also.
Nancy McDermott's Thai cookbook. Paula Wolfert's Southwest France.
Julia Child's paella is my "go to" recipe as well as her French onion soup.

Julia Child has a wonderful, classic coq au vin recipe.

Pick up both volumes of her Mastering the Art of French Cooking and it will keep you busy for a year or so.

"Surely you can look up Julia Child's iconic recipe for coq au vin, adopted for the American kitchen since you won't find the tough old rooster originally used."

Oddly enough, I happen to have a tough old bird in my freezer as I type this and figured an authentic traditional coq au vin was the only treatment that might work on it rather than just using it to make stock. If anyone here can point me to a good recipe I'd be appreciative.

I don't think tough old birds are that hard to find in the US if you actually seek them.

To the OP's question I've been craving asian and middle eastern food quite a bit lately. I make a lot of dishes that are probably rip offs of authentic versions but they satisfy the flavor cravings. I am making this tonight http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/r...at-bai-grapao/

Interesting website, limmy.

Ah, limmy aren't you the lucky one. Can't wait to look for the label in the Safeway--tough old bird. LOL

Pretty sure you could also use Julia's recipe.

Love David Thomson's recipes. I have one of his books with me in the camper so I can cook up some Thai food along the way (maybe).

I too am cutting down on meat a lot, and enjoy Asian dishes including lots of different dahl recipes. Lentils are so good for you and adaptable too. I do occasionally indulge in sausages with Puy lentils which is is easy and tasty.

I also do a very unauthentic veggie paella, though I did get the idea from a Spaniard.

Why not alternate days? Have a European dish one day (quenelles de volaille perhaps) and the next day an American dish to remind you that the U.S. also has some amazing food (maybe Chesapeake Bay soft shell crab or crab cakes with grilled sweet corn on the cob, for example).

Yes, I've made a few of David Thompson's recipes and all were "keepers". I grow Thai bird's eye chilies and Thai basil in my garden so I'm always looking for ways to use them.

I am also cutting down on meat. This means a lot of beans and lentils and more eggs. Today is our first meat day of the week and I'll only use a half pound, in the past I would have used a whole pound.

I make a faux veggie "paella" too :)

About my tough old bird, I've been trying to get my meat from small local farms with humanely raised & slaughtered animals. So I got this tough pastured bird. I've never made coq au vin before, I've never even eaten it if memory serves so it will be a bit of a stab in the dark for me. Hopefully Julia will be a guiding light. Maybe we could compare notes, tessietoes.

As nice as summer produce is I am looking forward to some paprikas, königsbeger klopse, stroganoff, etc. in the winter. And there is a Marcella Hazan recipe for smothered cabbage soup but I'm unsure if this is a dish actually eaten in Italy? It is so good on cold dark days of winter.

Middle eastern & Mexican food all year round.

I need a Vietnam trip to get a better feel for home cooking. And Peru!

Hopefully I pickup some new dishes on my trip to istria coming up in a couple weeks.

I love this idea for a thread, I hope it stays alive.

Have you seen the film "Julie and Julia"? That should give you a number of ideas for French food--along with "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which is my bible. Another fine French cookbook is Elizabeth David's "Cooking of Provindial France." One of my favorite soup recipes, Potage Crecy (carrot soup), comes from an adaptation of a recipe in that book by a friend whose family were renowned caterers in Vienna.

The Pierre Franey cookbooks are excellent, with recipes that are not terribly complex--but very good.

If you can find a copy, "French Cooking for the Food Processor" is a treasure.

For Italian food, the Marcella Hazen cookbooks--and watch the Lidia cooking series on PBS.

When will we have an edit function? "Provincial," of course, not Provindial.

This may be old news, but, if you really want to get in the mood, Julia's Provence house can be rented on Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10698076

I think it's a lovely idea to bring Europe to you. Being the supremely lazy person I am, I typically 'bring Europe home' by buying/making drinks that I've first experienced overseas to my own sunny back garden. Aperol spritz, sangria, particular beers, prosecco, wine from particular regions, French rose, retsina, ouzo, Genever gin, blood orange juice, etc. Even though they are all commonly available now in my home town, they never fail to make me feel more cheerful and remember previous holidays.

Having returned from Italy a few weeks ago, I was inspired to try a few Italian recipes. A lovely success was a canneloni dish from a book titled My Umbrian Kitchen. Saute finely chopped or minced chicken with garlic, thick chopped bacon, add white wine and simmer 5 mins. Add some spinach, toasted pinenuts, grated cheese. I used fresh lasagna sheets as my canneloni, and filled with cooled chicken mix. Then a sauce of a tomato base (I used a ready made one, no Nonna would approve of that), added garlic, some more wine, sprinkled with cheese. Bake 30 mins. under foil. Can dry out when baking, so add more wine :)

It is SO delicious....

Also, our boys much preferred the Italian spaghetti carbonara to the creamy version we get here, so tonight am doing the very simple and delicious garlic, bacon, egg and parmesan carbonara, I add grated zucchini for a bit of veg. and a bit of wine.

I love it!! Thanks so much for the wonderful range of suggestions from books to Julia's airbnb to delicious sounding dishes some I can't even pronounce! I must learn how to make the perfect Schnitzel at some point.

limmy, I'm down to compare coq au vins... making mine on Wednesday night. It'll be my first time too but had it twice before. First time was not so good...bland and soupy at a touristy restaurant across from Place des Vosges. Second at Le Precope, another touristy restaurant I know way to go but much better. However I didn't think it was exceptional. Maybe that's as good as coq au vin gets? Haven't decided whose recipe to use just yet, anyone try Francoise Bernard's?

For dessert I'm set on a strawberry crepe soufflé by Julia Child. I've never made a soufflé before ..so intimidating!! A very sentimental move indeed. MF might just propose with studs this time LOLLLOL

Already a Veuve Clicquot chilling in the fridge...two as a matter of fact. One is orange and the other rose. WeisserTee, will alternate cuisine for sure. I love Asian dishes and want to incorporate more vegetables, lentils and discover new spices, and anything with coconut milk and crab.

Still deciding on an easy starter. Any favorite French songs to match this feast?

Piaf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFtGfyruroU

Slightly off topic... my parents were part of the large scale post world war 2 immigration to Australia, so I grew up in the Australian outback eating red cabbage, dumplings, goulash, salami, pickled herrings, gerkins, rye bread, ...how I envied the 'Aussie' kids their vegemite or jam on white bread sandwiches!!

" anyone try Francoise Bernard's?"
Yes, her books are my Bible and her recipes are excellent and reliable. "Coq au chambertin" from "Mes secrets de Cuisine" (in French). Just remember that a "coq" is not a chicken and that it has to be a little tough to marinate a whole night.

If you ever want to go farther afield try Madhur Jaffrey's book on Indian cooking. We cooked our way thru one and it was delicious.

I also have a cookbook by Joel Robuchon. Bought it to get his receipe for mashed potatoes...but it was so daunting I never tried it. Will just have to try to get back to Paris some day.

Nice, thanks!!

I inherited Francoise Bernard's French Family Cooking cookbook (1985, in English) and have yet to try a recipe so it'll be a first. This coq got me confused at first. So coq in French means rooster, right? Coq = cock = rooster = male chicken = tough old Burgundian bird. I'm using chicken from Whole Foods.

Cheftalk.com Stumbled upon this site and limmy they gave me additional tips on Coq au vin just search same tessietoes name. They're Pros over there!

Underhill I loved the movie and will eventually loop and make something from my Mastering book, my only other French book not counting Ina's. We're hardcore loyal fans nothing will ever change that, Ina!!!

Gwendolynn, chicken/paneer Mahkni is my go-to Indian dish and is already on the list to make :) Thanks everyone!

How about English breakfast - ingredients are available most places although I may have to send you some Bury Blackpuddings.

Actually Spanish paella is fun to make and not as difficult to as people make out - its mostly thrown together at different stages. The key is decent Spanish paella rice, smoked paprika and other quality ingredients. A tip I learnt was not to fry the rice in the olive oil first but to add it after the stock has been added.

Food! My favorite subject! Even more so when it's related to countries and cultures ;) I would have to write a long blogging post about it, but in the mean time, here is my short thought.

France: duck confit (you can do it at home), foie gras (don't do it at home!), baguette bread (crunchy yum yum), and their myriad of pastry together with their fancy names: mille-feuilles, croissants (the joy of morning breakfasts), Kouign-amann, crème brûlée, baba au rhum, crêpes of thousand tastes, tarte Tatin,...

Italy: tiramisu (yes, pick me up! ), panna cotta, cannolo (must try!), the cliché that's called "spaghetti, pizza" but it's only good when cooked inside Italy, sight.

Spain: paella (the best version is the one you make at home, with Spanish saffron - don't cheat with curcumin or anything cheaper!), any kind of tapas (bring it on!), Jambon Pata Negra Bellota (the top of ham delice, but don't forget the Bellota part, otherwise it'll be just another fine jambon).

Japan: I won't mention the too familiar sushi or miso soup, but how about tonkatsu (pork cutlet, in Japan it actually tastes/looks better than it sounds), spicy curry (weeh Japanese sure have a way to cook curry, tempura (which children would say No to that!), sakura-mochi as it represents the most elegant spirit of Japan spring.

Vietnam: nem (fried imperial roll, the real Vietnamese version, not the Chinese version please), phở bún miến (million different kinds of noodle soups), bánh xèo (the sizzling crêpe, different from the French crêpe though the latter is sizzling too, phew).

"but it's only good when cooked inside Italy, sigh"

my quick typing, my bad. I'm hungry!

FuryFluffy, great list I'm officially hungry!

The Bury Blackpuddings is pork blood? Any other type of BBs without the blood component or is that kind of the main thing? Had pork blood sausage before not knowing and it wasn't bad. But the blood part!

So I made the Coq au vin on Wednesday night. Actually I made the sauce on Tuesday night to marinate overnight when I really should've marinated the sauce on Monday night because the leftovers on Thursday night were a lot better than Wednesday night's dinner. Served rice and garlic mashed potatoes (Ina Garten's recipe) but everyone had the mashed potatoes.

Skipped the chicken livers required by her recipe and added tiny flour/butter balls to thicken instead and came out delicious. The souffle had seen better days but still very edible especially when guests are half gone drunk blunted by dessert. Voila we were like France here 7 hour dinner folks. We had sophisticated French beats to start but the music got thuggish as the night went on.

The guests brought 2 baguettes, brie & gruyere, fig jam and each couple brought 2 wine bottles each (6 total) and we opened the Veuve orange as soon as everyone arrive, saved the rose. A little secret I recently just learned how to open a champagne bottle the smooth way (MF and I have been practicing in private the past 2 months) but I let that baby pop!! MF being the consummate bartender made sure everyone was happy even some Macallan 18 on the roof.

Thank you UBER for saving everyone from DUIs. The guests want to come back for Spanish night but my family will be in town for that feast. Paella is next! Any suggestions on a pan to use? Any advice for me? What's a good cocktail ...sangria? Hmm what would go? Would love to hear more about your food favorites.

Some la la la reading below and loove the Farmette book :)
http://www.wsj.com/articles/french-c...een-1470245581